New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-04

P'%u'" '..o" 6rstrate plantation. On the highest
~ - large and handsome mansion, but il
w., heen occupied for several years. and it wa
,,oro than two years since the overseer had seen
a. ouner. He lived several hundred miles away,
. The oyerseer would not believe that did not
anow him, for he was rich man and honorap"'
and had several times been where / came i'''
New; iork. .,,,mn land
The whole plantation, including the swamp a%a
around it, and owned with it, covered se'o -.
SQUARE II was four miles from inc ~, nes'o I IT, ba
10 the nearest neighbours house i".,u - nrJer
tween thirteen and fourteen n'i,u,tn hno5 orons
cultivation with COTTON corn, ana o'nei noo" o'op''
cu,',a.o" WI hogs running at large in the
=. .s the intention that corn ana PORK
e"n,'"P shnulJ be raised to keep the slaves ana
.a,,ie This wear, however, 1t has been t"und ne
c"ssorv 10 purchase largely and such was prooaoy
nsualIy the case, though the overseer minated Tue
Dwner bad been dlspleased ana no u'u ho' "o'"
~ ~ hs caught so bad again"
There we're 1876 slaves, big and little, OF when
81 went TO field regularly-equal, the oversesr
thought to 90 able-boded hands Beside the field
hands there were three mechanics (blacksmlth,
carpenter aud wheelright u two seamstresses, one
cook, one stable servant, hinder, one hog
mir der one teamster one house servant (overseer
cook) and one midwife and nurse These were all
6rsl.class hands; most Of them would be worth
more if they were for sale, than the best held
hands There was also a driver of the hoe-gang
who did not labor personally, and foreman oi the
plow-gang These two acted as petty officers IN
the field, and alternately in the quarters;
There was nursery for stockings at the quarters
and twenty women at this time VINO ieit lneir Woih
four times each day. for half an hour to nurse their
yeunp ones and whom the Overseer counted as hall
bands-that 10, expected to do hat an ordinary days
work.
He had no runaways out at this time but had
Just sold bad one to go to Texas: He was whip
ping the fellow, when he turned and tried to stab
kin-then broke from him and ran away. tie had
him caught almost Immediately by the dogs. After
catching him, he kept him in irons till he had a
chance to sell him. His nggers did not very often
run away, he said, because they were almost sure
to be caught. As soon as he saw that one was gone
he put the dogs on and If rain had not JUST fauen
they would soon find him. Sometimes, though,
they would outwit the dogs but If they did they
almost always kept in the neighbOrh00d, because
they did not like to go where they could not some.
times get back and see their families, and he would
coon get wind of where they had been; they would
come round their quarters to see their families ana
10 get food and as soon as be knew it, he would find
their tracks and put the dogs on again. Two months
was the longest time any of them ever kept out
They had dogs on purpose for it-fox hounds trained
to run after nggers, and never LET out for anything
else.
We found in the field thirty plOws, moving to-
gether, turning the earth from the cotton plants
and from thirty to forty hOers, the latter mainly
women, with black driver walking about among
them with whip, which he often cracked at them,
sometimes allowing the lash to fall lightly upon their
shoulders. He was constantly urging them also
with his voice. All worked very steadily, and
though the presence of stranger on the plantation
must have been rare, saw none raise or turn their
heads TO look at NE. Each gang was attended by
a "water-toter," that of the hoe-gang being a
straight sPrightly, plump, mellow and black little
girl, whose picture, as she stood balancing the
bucket upon her head, shading her bright eyes with
one hand. and holding out calabash with the other
to maintain her pOise, would have been worthy
study for Murillo.
DAYS AND HOURS OF LABOR.
asked at what time they began to work in the
morning. "Wel," said the Oyerseer, 81 do better
by my nggers than most / keep 'em right smart
to their work while they do work, but generally
knock em off at O'Clock in the morning Saturdays,
and give em all the rest of the day to themselves,
and always gives em Sundays, the whole day:
Pickin' time, and when the craps bad IN grass l
sometimes keep em to it till about sunset, Satur-
days, but never work 'em Sundays"
"But how early do you start them out IN the
morning, GsuallyP
"Wel, l don't never start my niggers fore day
ligbt-some people do-except It's in pickln' time,
then maybe get 'em out quarter OF an hour be-
fore. But keep 'em right smart to work through
the day." He showed evident pride in the vigil
apce of his driver, and called my attention 10 the
large area OF ground already hOed over that morn
ing: well hOed, too, as he said.
:" At what time do they eat" asked. They ate
their snacks" in their cabins, he said before they
came out in the morning (that is before daylight,
sun rose at this time at little before ve) then at
~ O'Clock their dinner brought to them in cart
-one cart for the plOw-gaDg and one for the hoe.
gang. The hoe gang ate its dinner in the field, and
only stopped worked long enough to cat it. The
plow- drove its teams to the " weather houses
open sheds erected for the purpose in different
parts of the plantation, under which were cisters
filled with rain water, from which the water-tOters
carried drink to those at work. The mules were
fed ss much oats Gin straw and fodder az they
would eat in two hours; this forage having been
brought to the weather-hOuses by another cart
The plowmen had nothing to do but eat their din
ner in all this time. They worked as late as they
could see TO work well, and had no other food nor
rest until they returned to their cabins AT % the
drivers, each on an alternate night, blew horn,
and at 10 visited every cabin to see that the resi-
dents were at rest and not lurking about aud spend
log their strength in fOOleres and that the nres we're
saie-a very unusual precautlon. Inc pegrses
are generally at liberty after their daily days WORK
is done till they are called in the morning When wash
ing and patching done wood hauled and cut tor the
fires corn ground, &c, i did not learn: probably
all "chores" not of daily necessity, were reserved
for Saturday. Custom varies in this respect. In
general, with regard TO fuel for the cabins the ne
groes are left to look out for themselves, and they
often have to go to the swamp" after their days
work is DONE for it. Corn is served on the ear
also, and has to be ground in like manner, each
family grinding for ITSELF But sometimes the over
seer appoints fatigue parties" to these duties.
The allowance Of food was peck of corn and
four pounds of pork. When they could not get
'preens" or any vegetables, he generally gave them