Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-10-16

was the planters name) seemed to take
fancy to me. and finally proposed to me t
go with him to Mississippi ano serve as as
sistant overseer. He offered me salsr,
of eight hundred dollars year; said
should have horse to ride over the plan
tation, a servant to wait OF me, and al
easy time of it generally. ! accepted tn
offer and accompanied him down the river
We took down fifteen niggars whom We
purchased in Kentucky. mostly at Lexing
ton. l was there two years. and left heart
lily nick of it,"
'.Well. that is an episode in your histo
ry, Tom" said. .'that / could never
have imagined. But now you must tel
me something about plantation life.
have heard and read great deal about it,
but never had it from the mouth of an old
friend on whose word l could rely, ant
w'.o possessed the advantage Of having
been an overseer HIMSELF"
"Ohl there is very little to tell" sale
Tom. IL had to set the niggars at work
and see that they performed their tasks
that was ALL" ~
"Well. what crops did you cultivate?'
Cotton"
"How many hands did you work."
"About seventy five. There were some
hundred and fifty hands on the plantation,
altogether. big and little.
What did the women do?"
"Women?" said Tom. with a sligh,
note OF Interrogation. 1--WE didn't know
anything about women; they were al
hands. When was driving stock tc
New. York, l treated oxen and cows all a
like; and on our plantation all the able
bodied hands worked together in the field
and no difference was made between them
There were old. decrepit wretches. unable
to work. who took care Of the children ju
ring the day When the mothers came
from the field at night they suckled their
picaninies-fo nearly all the women have
babies. They breed like rabbits" addet
Tom, ''in postscript"
but what did you know about raising
cotton?" asked.
"Nothing, Of course" he replied. "you
must remember that / was second over
seer. The heal overseer took chief man.
aeement Of affairs. But when l had been
there about three months, Blake died
that was my chiefs nsme--then the whole
charge of the plantation devolved on
me. Talbot was North, spending the sum
mer. wrote to him at Saratoga. inform
ing of the death of Blake, and requesting
him to get another head .overseer. But
got no reply. and supposed he never re-
ceived the letter. When he came back ir
the fall. found that he had. though; bu,
he said he supposed things would go on
well enough. And so they did. The sup
plies were all on hand. and there was moth
ing to do but tc work the place. raise the
crop. and gather it.
"But, after the death Of Blake. and in
the absence of Talbot. your want o
knowledge of the business must have
worked you great inconvenience" l re
marked.
Not at ALL" he replied; II knew mex
to nothing about it. it is true; but the mig
gars did. Tom ,could call them niggars.
They understood the business we'll enough
the most Of them. Talbot knew nothing
about it himself. and he seemed to car,
less. These planters put everything on tn
overseers. They make them responsible fo
the crop; and the overseers--they make TIT
hands responsible"
"Well. tell me something. now, of the
operations Of each day on the plantation
How early did you get the hands st worl
in the morning.
'In summer l called the hands at abou
four o'clock They had half an hour t.
get their feed and reach the field. / divi
ded them into gangs Of from fifteen to thir
ty each, and appointed some one of th,
most intelligent to oversee each gang.
then set them their tasks for the day; an,
calling Dick, or jeff. or whatever his nam,
might be that had appointed, told him il
the presence and hearing of his gang. tha
l made him responsible for the work beinl
done. and being well done; that if the hand
did not obey him, he should lick them. an,
make them do their work. In this way
never had any difficulty in getting the worl
done which had set for them.
"When got them all at work. / rod
from one part of the field to another to Sc
how they were getting along; and whe'
the sun began to get too hot. toward min
o'clock, would go back to my quarter
at the house. get my breakfast. and thel
lounge about awhile, and finally lie dow,
/ and sleep through the heat Of the day.
After four or FIVE o'clock in the afternoon
; had my horse brought up by my servan
II had my own servant. told you; | ha
my boots blacked twice day had to kee
up the dignity of the institution, you kno,
II had my horse brought mp. and rod
round to the different gangs" f -
"But. Tom." inquired; "I suppose 20
3 sometimes had to fog the slsves?"
3 "Never touched one Of them, never!-
'Twan't no use. Made 'em do just as
wanted without striking blow"
"Why, how did you do it?"
"Ive told you how | did it. ! set som
of them to oversee the rest. They thrash
, Ell them: didn't. Ifthey failed in thei
5 tasks l talked to them in this way" fam
D he turned his wicked eye on me with
| merry twinkle. Il called out the over. eel
and spoke to him so that the rest conl
. hear me; l said to him: "Dick," or "Jeff.
or whatever his name was. chow is this
Q I set you a task this morning that 20
1 could do easy enough. Why isp'tit done
! Some Of your hands have been lazy. Now
a mind. this won't do. don't want I
a..fF