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Agreement with Freedmen.

This Agreement, made this 1st day of Jany A.D., 1866 by and between Mrs S F Fondren of the County of Hinds and State of Mississippi, of the first part, and the undersigned, Freedmen Boston Thompson & Dennis Escoe of 2d part part ___ of the second part,
WITNESSETH, That for the purpose of cultivating the plantation known as the Fondren plantation in the County aforesaid, during the year commencing on the 1st day of Jany A.D., 1866, and terminating on the 25th of Dec A.D. 1866. The said Mrs S F Fondren party of the first part, in consideration of the promises and conditions hereinafter mentioned on the part of the parties of the second part, part agrees to furnish to the said laborers [[strikethrough]] and those rightfully dependent upon them, [[/strikethrough]] free of charge, clothing and food of good quality and sufficient quantity: good and sufficient quarters; [[strikethrough]] medical attendance when necessary [[/strikethrough]] and kind and humane treatment; [[strikethrough]] to allot from the lands of said plantation, for garden purposes, to each family; such allotment to include a reasonable use of tools and animals for the cultivation of the same; to exact only a half a day's labor on Saturdays, and none whatever on Sundays. [[/strikethrough]] And Said Mrs S F Fondren agrees to give said Freedmen one third of all the cotton, corn, potatoes & other products raised upon the place. 
AND IT IS FURTHER AGREED, That if the said Mrs S F Fondren shall fail, neglect, or refuse to fulfil any obligation assumed by her, or shall furnish said parties of the second part with insufficient food or clothing, or be guilty of cruelty to them she shall besides the legal recourse left to the party or parties aggrieved, render this contract liable to annulment by the proper officer. And it is agreed on the part of the parties of the second part that they will each well and faithfully perform such labor as the said Mrs S F Fondren may require of them for the time aforesaid, not exceeding ten hours per day in summer and nine hours in winter, and in case any laborer shall voluntarily absent him or herself or shall neglect or refuse to perform the labor herein promised, and the fact shall be proven to the satisfaction of the proper officer, the party so offending shall be punished in the manner provided by law and orders.
IT IS FURTHER AGREED, That any wages or share of profit due the said laborer under this agreement, shall constitute a first lien upon all crops or parts of crops produced on said plantation or tract of land by their labor. and further more any property in the possession of the party of the second part belonging to the place should be willfully destroyed damaged by said parties
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, The said parties have affixed their names to this aggreement, at ______ County State of Mississippi, on the day and date aforesaid.
S. F. Fondren

[[4 column table]]
| NAMES | AGE | Monthly rate of wages or interest in crop. | [[strikethrough]] REMARKS [[/strikethrough]] Age |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

| Boston his x mark Thompson | 60 | One third | Luisa x her mark | 23 |
| Dennis his x mark Escoe | 23 |   |   |
| Fanny x her mark | 20 |   |   |
| Louisa x her mark | 18 |   |   |
| Henry x his mark | 17 |   |   |
| Lucy Ann x her mark | 15 |   |   |
| Betty x her mark | 12 |

[[right margin]]
of the second part this one third is to constitute a lien for the value of property so destroyed
[[/right margin]]