People Named: William B. Gaulden, Easter, William, Laurence, Dianna, Abram, Byron (Lazarus), Richard, Jerry, Simon, Isaiah, Jim, Tena, Rosina, Miley
Following is a labor contract found in the U.S. Freedmen’s Bureau records of Liberty County, Georgia. (See citation at the end for full details of source.)
[Begin Transcript]
Wm. B. Gaulden
Eastern Dianna William Etc
Duplicate
[Written on side] Please retain this and send me the original
Georgia, Liberty County } This contract entered into this 12th day of January 1866 between the following named freedmen and women of the first part to wit Easter aged forty William sixteen Laurence between 8 and 9 years Dianna fifty Abram twenty one Byron alias Lazarus 16 years Richard nine years Jerry aged sixty nine years Simon aged sixteen and Isaiah thirteen years Jim aged twenty years Tina [alt: Tena] fifty one or two Rosina [alt: Rosena] aged eighteen and Miley about fifteen, and Wm B. Gaulden of the second part witnesseth that the said Gaulden agrees to feed & clothe said freedpeople; that is allow them good & healthy rations of meat, meal and [word] & clothing, and furnish them with one suit of Sunday clothes, and one suit of good winter clothes and pair of shoes each, to furnish medical attendance in case of sickness, and pay the medical bills, to allow them to raise on his Millhaven place for their own use all the hogs and chickens they desire. Also to furnish them with good and comfortable [word] houses to live in, with privilege of pine wood also privilege of fruit on the place.
Also agreed to allow them land to plant their [word] and with manure to manure it and with the privilege of using his cane mill and boiler to make their cane into syrup or sugar; also to allow to each family a half acre on which to plant corn or what they plant extra. In addition to the above said Gaulden agreed to allow them one-fifth of all the corn ?cotten? potatoes [word] peas and fodder that shall be raised on the plantation called Millhaven for the year 1866 also one sixth of all the plank or lumber that shall be found at his saw mill on the place in 1866.
This division as aforesaid one fifth and sixth to be divided among said freed people according to age and ability to labor but should any of said freed people lose time by sickness or refuse to work their shares shall be turned over to those who do work, and make the crop, according to what may be best and right, as there is more land in the place than these hands can cultivate it is agreed that additional hands may be taken in on the same terms.
In consideration of the above and foregoing said freed people do promise to labor faithfully on said plantation under the direction of said Gaulden until the first day of January 1867 and not to leave the plantation with permission of said Gaulden.
It is understood that they are to go to work every day (Sundays excepted) at a half hour by sun and work from that until 12 oclock noon; then two hours for rest and dinner and from two oclock until sundown unless it should be in task work when they shall be at liberty to begin or quit earlier as soon as they shall have finished a reasonable task.
To witness of our assent to the foregoing contract we have hereunto set our hands the day and year first written.
In presence of Benjamin Darsey J.P.
Wm. B. Gaulden
[All below signed by x]
[Names difficult to read]
Jerry
Simon
Isaiah
Jim
Tena
Rosina
Miley
Dianna
Abram
Bryon
Easter
William
Laurence
[Richard’s name not seen]
Duplicate
Office agent B F R & A L
I approve the within contract this the 12th of March 1866
Wm. B. Gaulden
Agent R F & A L
App
Approved
By Command of Brig Genl Tillson
[End Transcript]
Records of the U.S. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen & Abandoned Lands, Field Office Records for Georgia, Liberty County, 1866 Labor Contract between William B. Gaulden & Easter, Dianna, William, etc; digital database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62309/images/004139868_00293), U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Records, 1865-1878 -> Records of the Field Offices -> M1903 > 83, image 167-; citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M1903, Roll 83.