Freedmen Agreement

              Agreement with Freedmen.

This Agreement, made this 14 day of Sept A. D., 1865, by and between J. W. Caldwell ad Est of Mrs. E. Caldwell of the County of Oktibbeha and State of Mississippi, of the first part, and the person hereinafter named and undersigned, Freedmen of the same place, parties hereto of the second part, __________________
Witnesseth.  That for the purpose of cultivating the plantation known as the Caldwell Plantation in the County aforesaid, during the year commencing on the first day of January A. D., 1865, and terminating on the 1st day of January, 1866.  The said J. W. Caldwell party of the first part, in consideration of the promises and conditions hereinafter mentioned on the part of the parties of the second part, agrees to furnish to the said laborers and those rightfully dependent upon them, free of charge, clothing and food of good quality and sufficient quantity; good and sufficient quarters; medical attendance when necessary, and kind and humane treatment; to allot from the lands of said plantation, for garden purposes, one acre to each family; such allotment to include a reasonable use of tools and animals for the cultivation of the same; to exact only one half a day’s labor on Saturdays, and none whatever on Sundays, except the ordinary house hold work and care of stock.
And it is further agreed on the party of the first part, that he will pay to the parties of the second part the one tenth of the entire crop (including the pork) made and produced on said plantation during the time of said labor.
And it is further agreed, That in case the said J. W. Caldwell shall fail, neglect, or refuse to fulfill any of the obligations assumed by him, or shall furnish said parties of the second part with insufficient food or clothing, or be guilty of cruelty to them, he shall, besides the legal recourse left to the party or parties aggrieved, render this contract liable to annulment by the Provost Marshal of Freedmen.  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 J. W. Caldwell 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 themselves from, 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 such manner as the Provost Marshal of Freedmen shall deem proper.
It is further agreed, That any wages or share of profits due the said laborers 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 no shipments of products shall be made until the Provost Marshal of Freedmen shall certify that all dues to said laborers are paid or satisfactorily arranged.
                                                                       J. W. Caldwell