Contract for Hire of Slaves

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Title: Contract for Hire of Slaves
Creator: William D. Swinney
James O. Swinney
L.H. Swinney
William M. Morrison
Description: This contract states that William D. Swinney and James O. Swinney will pay Mrs. Mary Enyart $175 to hire two of her slaves, Margaret and David, for one year. The Swinneys promise to pay for the slaves' clothing and medical bills, noting that "Lost time from military violence or running away [will] be deducted from the hire." The contract was signed January 1, 1863 in Howard County, Missouri.
Date: January 1, 1863
Local Subject: Surviving a Guerrilla War
African Americans
Women
People: William D. Swinney
James O. Swinney
L.H. Swinney
William M. Morrison
Geographic Subject: Howard County, Missouri
Object Type: Legal Document
Owning Organization: State Historical Society of Missouri – Kansas City
Location: Scarritt-Royster-Swinney Family Papers (K0632): f.1
Rights: For more information on using this image, contact the State Historical Society of Missouri – Columbia at: 605 Elm Street, Columbia, MO 65201, Phone: (573) 882-1187, E-mail: research@shsmo.org. Publication, commercial use, or reproduction of this image or the accompanying data requires prior written permission from the State Historical Society of Missouri – Columbia. Use of this image also requires that credit be given to the State Historical Society of Missouri – Columbia.