Archy, Lydia, and 26 others, Alabama, 1865
Item
- Title
- Archy, Lydia, and 26 others, Alabama, 1865
- Description
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Labor agreement between Manly and his formerly enslaved workers, witnessed by John C. Foster and Joshua H. Foster, as recorded in Manly's diary.
Manly was a plantation owner in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, as were John and Joshua Foster.
The names of all the laborers were written by Manly beside the marks they used as signatures, suggesting all were likely illiterate. - Transcript
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[marginal notation:] agreement w. my negroes
June 20 tuesday – This day, at the plantation made an arrangement with my negroes to work on my place, being declared freedmen & freedwomen, by the yankees. The arrangement includes my home-servants at home. They are to have the productivity of ten average acres of corn. The following is a copy of the contract, & the names of the signers.
“We, the undersigned, declared ‘freedmen & freedwomen’ by the U.S. military authorities, and residing on the plantation of B. Manly, near Foster’s ferry, Tusk., W. Ala., do hereby agree to continue to work on the said plantation, under the direction of said Manly or his agent; to use due diligence during the customary number of hours, daily, to take care of all the stock, implements, or other property on the place or committed to us severally; and to act faithfully as laborers and employees on said plantation in all respects, until the close of the present year, on pain of being dismissed therefrom by said Manly of his legal representative by his desire. And we do also hereby agree to receive as full compensation for said services, the food, clothing, house-room, fuel and medial attendance in actual sickness, of ourselves and families; and further, that we receive to productions of a lot of ten (10) acres of land, to be selected as an average of the crop of corn; to be divided [?] among us at the close of the year.
As witness of our freely & voluntarily agreeing hereunto we have affixed our marks opposite our names, to this paper, before witnesses, at the said plantation, this 20th day of June, A.D. 1865.
Winter, Wood, Peter, William, Archy, Andrew, George, Robert, Alick, John, Henderson, Edmond, Oliver, Levi, Judy, Ron, Patsy, Martha, Sabra, Rebecca, Priscilla, Lydia, Binky, Ann, Old Sabra, Julia, Morris, Arthur
I, B. Manly, as named in the preceding instrument, do hereby [express?] my agreement to employ the persons whose names are thereunto attached, according to the terms thereof.
Given, under my hand, the day & date before written.
B. Manly
Signed in presence of
John C. Foster
Joshua H. Foster
This was presented to the U.S. military authorities in Tusk. on Thursday July 6th and approved. - Date
- 20 June 1865
- Coverage
- Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
- Site pages
- Slavery's End
- Media
Archy et al 1865