Unfree Labor
Daily journal of farm labor (continued), July 4-July 9, 1821
Wednesday July 4th
Wind still [?]
This day very cloudy & rainy. No hands hired this day. Went to hauling out manure at both farms & hauled until dinner. In the afternoon our own hands went to cutting wheat & old Jim to binding.
Thursday July 5th
Wind still at east.
Continues cloudy & rainy. No hands hired this day but old Jim. Our people at hauling our manure at both farms until breakfast. About 10 o’clock went to cutting wheat. Hired hands here this day: Bill & Henny – Old Jim & William and Thomas Meredith & Joe Thomas
Friday July 6th
Wind still at East & cloudy.
Went on cutting wheat. Hired hands here this day: Bill & Henny – Eben & Abe – Jack & Clenus Jim & William & Thomas Meredith & Joe Thomas
Saturday July 7th
Wind still at East. Cloudy & misty.
Went on cutting wheat. Hired hands this day: Bill & Henny, old Jim, William & Thomas Meredith, Joe Thomas
Monday July 9th
Finished cutting wheat this day about 12 o’clock & then went to shocking it up & the flax too. Hired hands this day: old Jim & William & Thomas Meredith & Joe Thomas
[spelling and punctuation have been modernized]
Wind still [?]
This day very cloudy & rainy. No hands hired this day. Went to hauling out manure at both farms & hauled until dinner. In the afternoon our own hands went to cutting wheat & old Jim to binding.
Thursday July 5th
Wind still at east.
Continues cloudy & rainy. No hands hired this day but old Jim. Our people at hauling our manure at both farms until breakfast. About 10 o’clock went to cutting wheat. Hired hands here this day: Bill & Henny – Old Jim & William and Thomas Meredith & Joe Thomas
Friday July 6th
Wind still at East & cloudy.
Went on cutting wheat. Hired hands here this day: Bill & Henny – Eben & Abe – Jack & Clenus Jim & William & Thomas Meredith & Joe Thomas
Saturday July 7th
Wind still at East. Cloudy & misty.
Went on cutting wheat. Hired hands this day: Bill & Henny, old Jim, William & Thomas Meredith, Joe Thomas
Monday July 9th
Finished cutting wheat this day about 12 o’clock & then went to shocking it up & the flax too. Hired hands this day: old Jim & William & Thomas Meredith & Joe Thomas
[spelling and punctuation have been modernized]
The second page of the same document shows the workers continuing the harvest, as well as hauling manure. Some of the workers were evidently the farmer’s own slaves, while others are described as hired hands, who may have been either enslaved or free.
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