The drivers were all comparatively intelligent men, and they occupied positions of considerable responsibility. Each plow-driver had charge of about thirty-five mules, was required to see that these were properly fed, to prescribe for them when sick, and to decide when they were too tired to work and must be replaced by fresh ones. It was his duty to have his plowmen out by sunrise, keep them steadily at work, to change them from part to part of the land to find that in the best condition for plowing at that particular time; to have broken plows repaired at the plantation blacksmith shop; and, in general, to get as much plowing done and in as good style as possible. The “hoe-drivers” had larger numbers under their command and more troublesome material to deal with. “Dem women done been a squabblin’ ’mong deirselves dis afternoon, so I’s harly git any wuck at all out ob ’em.” “Dem sucklers ain’t jus wuf nuffin at all. ’Bout eight o’clock dey goes off to de quarters, to deir babies, an’ I don’ nebber see nuffin mo’ ob ’em till ’bout eleben. Den de same way in afternoon, till I’s sick ob de hull lot.” “De ’moody (Bermuda) mighty tough ’long heah, an’ I couldn’t make dem women put in deir hoes to suit me.” “Fanny an’ Milly done got sick to-day; an’ Sallie’s heerd dat her husban’s mustered out ob de army, an’ she gone up to Natchez to fine him.”
On each plantation, as soon as the people reached the quarters, the hoe-drivers began giving out their tickets. Each hand received a white ticket for a full day’s work, or a red one for half a day. These they preserved till the end of the month, when they were paid only for the number presented. Under this arrangement the overseer said he had very few sick people on the plantations. Sometimes in fact they went to the fields when really too sick to work, lest they should lose their wages for the day. In unpleasant weather too, when the ground was a little muddy, or when a fine mist was falling, they were far less anxious to quit work than formerly.
The tickets distributed, the women were soon busy in the quarters getting supper. Meantime the plow-gang had gathered about the entrance to the overseer’s part of the house. He’d done promised dem a drink o’ whisky, if dey’d finish dat cut, an’ dey’d done it. The whisky was soon forthcoming, well-watered. The most drank it down at a gulp, from the glass into which the overseer poured it; others, as their turns came, passed up tin cups to receive their allowance, and went off boasting about “de splennid toddy we’s hab to-night.” Then came a little trade at the store. Some wanted a pound or two of sugar; others a paper of needles or a bar of soap, or “two bits worth o’ candy.” Some had money; other offered in payment their tickets, just received; which were taken at their face value. In an hour the trade was all over and the quarters were as silent as a church-yard.
Next morning at four o’clock I was waked by the shrill “Driber’s Horn.” In a couple of hours it was blown again; and looking from the window, just as the first rays of the sun came across the level field, I saw the women filing out, and the plowmen slowly strolling down to the stables, each with his harness in his hand.[[72]] At twelve the horn blew again, and they came in; at half-past one again, and from then until sunset they were in the field.
The overseer said he “couldn’t get as many hours of work out of ’em” as in old times; nor was he quite sure that they worked as well during the shorter time they were at it. Still he had never heard of gangs of white laborers of equal size, in which better or more cheerful work was done. On the whole, he was perfectly satisfied with the free-labor system; and, if the water only kept away, was sure of making a hundred thousand dollars net profit this year for the proprietors.
On the two plantations there were one hundred and seventy-six laborers on the pay-roll. The first-class men were paid fifteen dollars per month, first-class women ten dollars, and drivers forty dollars. The wages for the entire number averaged between ten and eleven dollars per month. They were furnished a weekly ration, for each laborer, consisting of
| 4 | pounds mess pork. |
| 1 | peck corn-meal, or |
| 8 | pounds flour. |
| 1 | pint molasses. |
| 2 | ounces salt. |