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work until Christmas, gather & secure his crop & he would pay them at the rate of ten dollars per month for men & eight dollars per month for the women an so on in proportion for the younger hands; Nearly every one agreed to remain and work on these Terms. A few weeks after this occurred he started for Brazil, leaving his plantation and business in the care of his son James. The doctor had been gone but a few days when James Crisp called all of the hands together and tried to induce them to sign a contract agreing to work until Christmas for their victuals and clothes, he talked and argued with them nearly one half a day for this purpose but they refused to do so, the next day he came to Columbus & got Lieut Col. W.T. Wilkinson of the 30th Mo. Infty then Commanding the Post to go out to the plantation, James Crisp then called all the hands together again & tried to induce them to sign the contract a second time Col. Wilkinson told them they were free & could make whatever bargain they chose, the freedmen still persisted in working for their wages as first agreed upon with the Doctor. James Crisp then said "It's no use Col I will have to pay them wages or they will all leave I will pay them all as my father
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