Agreement with Freedmen, circa 1865, recto

AGREEMENT WITH FREEDMEN.

This Agreement, (IN THREE PARTS) made and entered into this
day of ............................... A. D. 186... , by and between
......................................... of the ......................... of
and State of .................................... of the first part, and the
persons herinafter 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 ......................................
.............................................................. in the .................................... aforesaid, during the year commencing
on the ........................ day of ........................... A. D. 1865, and terminating on the
First day of January, A. D. 1866, the said parties do hereby mutually agree that the Regulations of the Secretary of
the Treasury, providing for the employment and general welfare of Freedmen, series July 29, 1864, and the local rules
in pursuance thereof, all of which are hereto annexed, and are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this agree-
ment as fully as if here recited.

The said ............................. for the considerations and on the conditions and stipulations hereinafter
mentioned, agrees to pay to the said laborers, the rates of monthly wages agreed upon and as specified opposite their
respective names hereto : one half of such wages to be punctually paid during each and every month, reckoning from
the day when this contract commences as aforesaid, and the remainder to be paid at the termination of the contract
year. Said ................................ further agrees to furnish to the said laborers and those rightfully dependent
on them, free of charge, good and sufficient quarters, a separate tenement for each family, fuel and medical attendance;
to see that the premises thus furnished are kept in a good sanitary condition ; to allot from the lands of said planta-
tion for garden purposes, to each family, one acre of ground ; each allotment to include a resonable use of tools and
animals; to exact only ten hours work per day, and no labor whatever on Sundays ; and if any labor in excess of
ten hours per day is rendered, the same is to be paid as extra labor, upon such terms as may be agreed upon by the
parties hereto ; to grant to such laborers one-half of each and every Saturday, to enable them to cultivate the
portions of land allotted to them, also, the fourth day of July ; to co-operate in the establishment of any school for
the education of the children of said laborers ; that he will keep on hand, and sell to the laborers at actual cost, on
the plantation, a sufficient supply of wholesome food and proper clothing for themselves and their families ; and
finally, the said .................................................................. agrees to comply in all respects with the
rules and regulations aboved referred to and made part hereof.

AND IN CONSIDERATION of the faithful performance by the said ..................................................
of all the obligations assumed by .......................... , and of the punctual payment by ....................... of the wages agreed
upon as aforesaid, the said laborers do hereby severally, and each for himself, agree with the said
............................................... heirs and assigns, to well and faithfully perform the labor herein stipulated
for the term aforesaid, in strict conformity with the conditions aforesaid ; and they further agree to observe and
comply with the rules and regulations above referred to.

AND IT IS FURTHERMORE AGREED : That in case the said
shall fail, neglect or refuse to filfil any of the obligations assumed by ........................... , or shall furnish said parties of
the second part with bad or insufficient food or insufficient or unhealthy quarters, or shall be guilty or cruelty to
them, he shall, besides the legal recourse left to the particular party or parties aggrieved, render this contract liable
to annulment, at the option of the Superintendent of Freedmen.

AND in case any laborer shall voluntarily absent himself from, or shall neglect or refuse to perform the labor
herein contracted for, and the fact shall be shall be proved to the satisfaction of the proper Superintendent, the one-half of
the wages due to said party so offending, retained in the hands of the said ........................................................
as aforesaid, shall be forfeited, one-half thereof to the said ................................................. and the other
half to the United States, to aid in supporting the helpless, and the party so offending may be discharged from said
employment.