, 1860-11-06
TVonty-fEa Years Among the Cotton
Plantations Of Louisiana and MIS-.
slnAlppf. and Ten EeaFn an Over
seer: or inside Views of Slavery
BI JOHN ROLES.
NO. Ill,
Think. sc masters. iror-heartcd,
Lolling at yonE iostal boards.
Think how many backs haSe sIuartcd
For the sweets your cane affords.
LIFE ON TIE PLANTATION.

LIFE ON TIE PLANTATION.
It was the c0tton-gatheriug season, and
often went out on the plantation at night to
witness the weighing and summing up Of the
days work. Tie following is description Of
the first scene OF the kind Witnessed.
weighing, he called out to the black driver
who was following his gang, whip In hand
"Bring in the cotton.'' Instantly saw the
slaves hurrying up to their baskets and empty
ing their sacks into them. Two or three ~agg-
ons were on the turn-roW ready to receive the
cotton when weighed. The black driver i'd
justed the scales, aud then called out, All
ready, eir." Several slaves immediately jumped
into the large wagon bed, made for carting cot
ton, to empty the baskets and tramp down
the cotton. Onc slave with lantern seated
himself OH the side Of the wagon to examine
the baskets as they were cmptled, to sec that
there were no pumpkins, clods, OF other sub
stances sccrctcd in them to increase th'ir
weight. Another, who had been taught the
numbers on the balance, prepared to wciyn;
and another, who had lcarned the numbers on
the baskets, stood ready to announce the num-
Der of each basket as it vas put On the scales.
One set Of hands stood ready TO drag up the
baskets and lift them on the scales, aud anotll-
er to lift them off when weighed, and dump
them into the large wagon bed. The ovcrscer
with large folding slate In his hand, which
contained the name and number Of each work
in~ slave, with record OF the amount Of cot
ton gathered By each ono for two or three pre-
yious days-is seated on basket, where lie
can sec the figures on the balance, and detect
any attempt to deceive him in the weight. All
things thus arranged, he calls out, "Weish, in
little less than no ti1ne!" The slave who
announces the number of the basket on the
scales, cries out Fifty, sir" and the one who
takes account Of the weight, responds, One
hundred and scventy-fve, sir" The overscer
compares the number with the record Of pre-
yious days, and orders the black driver,
who stood ready, with whip in hand, to give
No. SO filty 1asles, I'D well put on ''She
ought TO hare had over two hundred pounds
such day rs thls-a moist day-no wind, and
better cotton to gather in than yesterday" lie
declares, In tones which send terror through
all their hearts, and with oaths and epithcts
too vile to print, that he will hog every nigger
Tint has not nlorc cotton to-day than he had
yesterday. No. 50 btgs for mcrcy-.'dis one
time, massa! her head and back hurt her SO
bad she could hardly stand up.
"Go to the black driver, you Internal b-h,
nnd he'll cure your aches and palms! The cot
ton is wusting in the tseld-thc wcatheris good
| for gathering It-cotton must come, shall
come, or MI. Niggggcr's hide must pay the pen
Another, who Was sent to the black driver,
plead that the skin was worn OF Ills ''fum
and finger.' The overscer cursed lis thump
and finger, aud charged tile driver to give him
"particular hell,' and learn him to take care
| Of his thumb and fingers. The black driver
ordered them, one after another, In their turn,
! mud lay down. to receive the execution of the
oyerseer's sentence When any ono instinct
lively put up lis hand 10 protect his flesh from
the Notwithstanding lash, the driver called On
I other slavcs to stretch lin out and hold his
bands andfe2t.
As the female elaycs came down. they gath
cred their clothes up to their waist, and lag
not keep her clothes out Of the way of the
lash, two or three women were ordered to pu!
her in the vicc-whcn one instantly planted
i hc.s.l on the ground, secured the victims
head between hef knees, aud drew her clothes
over It, SO rs to contEne her arms, and lay bart
her back for the drivers lash. while two other
stretched out her feet and held them.
have seen from one to thirty slaves doggei
after this manner, 1t ppe cotton Weighing. Al
| fast Us the wagons were loaded, they wers
driven off to the Cotton Gin, and when tho las
wagon wns loaded, the slaves allhurried to th'
Gin house.
Here, their first business was to gather NJ
In large ...Ee.s -. .ha cnttnn that had hcel
summed that day and carry it up two flights Q
stairs, into lie second story Of the Clubhouse
This done. the wagons were drawn up ant
their contents spread upon the scatIolds tha
lad just been cleared, to be ready for sunnin:
the next day.
Their days work thus finished, at the sigma
Of the bell they all repaired in haste, to thci
respective cabins, calling at the cook house 70
their ponc Of corn bread, which constituted
their allowance for supper, to be washed dow
| with wafer. From this time no slave is per
mltted to leave bis cabin until the turn-ou
hell rings In the morning. Tie second morn
Ing bell, which Is the signal for turning out t,
! wurk, is rung at the earliest dawn; Elcn tn
men, boys, girls and women that haycno small
children, arc nt once mnrshallcd and on thci
way to the cotton field; and the women VIII
have children under len aro hurried OF viii
| them to the children house, where the littl
things nre committed to the charge Of an oil
slave appointed for the purpose, who make
the larger children take care Of the hclplee
ones. Here tic nursing mothers were set t
| gathering cotton near tho house, and the res
months old, were TO be nursed four times
day; between three and Elk months, thre
times; from eix to nine months, twice day
and once day thereafter until weaucd, at III
end Of twelve months.
This species Of Stare stock is too valuable
be exposed to careless or unski]ful manage
mcnt. The old aurse has her rules laid dow1
which she must rigfdly observe. Care Is take
that the mother docs not nurse her lnfa1
while her blood is heated bytotling in the SUI
, When the dew is of, an old female slay
brings out all the children over sir: to gatht
| cotton. In her hand Is bundle Of switches
I / ito tesch the young Idea how to- shoot,
though she stimulates thcm more with otht
appliances than with the rod; such a. the fc.
: Of the ovcrsccr and black driver, and encou
+ aging them to race with one another In cotto
.. picking: These juvenile lahorers are general
, / between the ages Of SIX aud ten /; oil oyer tc
60 out with the main gang.
: Tho dows are very heavy In the Mississippi
: / Vnllcy When nearly off, the s1ayes' b1eaktat
! comes ont In cart, which consists OF q box
trcad an. .,.tat- accompanied with a barrel {
water. {On this plantallon, = ..-.. ~" mound
. meat was the daily allowance for each workin
slaye) TIC black driver thcn calls to tt
change their vet clothes and get their brcal
: fast, the prescribed allowance Of which b
deals out to each ono, while they seat then
} selves on the ground, or on the edge Of u basl
+ ct. to cat. ...
, Their dinner is brought ont and distribute
: In like manner, about one o'clock.
The above is fair specimen of life On a co
, ton plantation, during the contemplating Sc
) son, which extends through period Of near
, five months. Other crops, such ~ corn, pea
) md pumpkins, are also to be gathered durip
: part Of tho same period, which Is general
: done In wet weather, when cotton could NJ
be dried, II picked.
! Toward the close Of the cotton.pieking &c
, son, when the weather becomes cold aud we
, and the slavcs need more blood-stirring exc
r else to protect them from such diseases
= colds, rheumatism and pneumonia, the stron
e men are put to maullng rails, clearing land,
: ditchfng, and the feeblcr ones, together vii
e the females, to clearing of the stalks from tt
< corn aud cotton fields.
: When slave Is sick he applies to the ove
: seer, who examines his pulse and tongue, IN
If indammatory symptoms appcar, sends 1i
o to the sick-house, to the care of an old slay
= who gives him such medicine MS the ovcrsc
= presctibcs But if no risiJle symptoms Of d
: esse can be detected, he turns deaf ear to
i bis complaints. curses and sometimes dogs hi
o for playing possom to deceive him, and driy
p him out to his hard toll, weeping aud groa
!. ing, perhaps with real disease aad sufFsrln
d Should he appeal to tho black driver, as