The hands were occupied in clearing land and burning brush, and in constructing their houses, through the winter.  In March we commenced ploughing:  and on the first of April began planting seed for cotton.  The hoeing season commenced about the last of May.  At the earliest dawn of day, and frequently before that time, the laborers were roused from their sleep by the blowing of the horn.  It was blown by the headman of the gang who led the rest in the work and acted under my direction, as my assistant.

Previous to the blowing of the horn the hands generally rose and eat what was called the “morning’s bit,” consisting of ham and bread.  If exhaustion and fatigue prevented their rising before the dreaded sound of the horn broke upon their slumbers, they had no time to snatch a mouthful, but were harried out at once.

It was my business to give over to each of the hands his or her appropriate implement of labor, from the toolhouse where they were deposited at night.  After all had been supplied, they were taken to the field, and set at work as soon as it was sufficiently light to distinguish the plants from the grass and weeds.  I was employed in passing from row to row, in order to see that the work was well done, and to urge forward the laborers.  At 12 o’clock, the horn was blown from the overseer’s house, calling the hands to dinner, each to his own cabin.  The intermission of labor was one hour and a half to hoers and pickers, and two hours to the ploughmen.  At the expiration of this interval, the horn again summoned them to thus labor.  They were kept in the field until dark, when they were called home to supper.

There was little leisure for any of the hands on the plantation.  In the evenings, after it was too dark for work in the field, the men were frequently employed in burning brush and in other labors until late at night.  The women after toiling in the field by day, were compelled to card, spin, and weave cotton for their clothing, in the evening.  Even on Sundays there was little or no respite from toil.  Those who had not been able to work out all their tasks during the week were allowed by the overseer to finish it on the Sabbath, and thus save themselves from a whipping on Monday morning.  Those whose tasks were finished frequently employed most of that day in cultivating their gardens.

Many of the female hands were delicate young women, who in Virginia had never been accustomed to field labor.  They suffered greatly from the extreme heat and the severity of the toil.  Oh! how often have I seen them dragging their weary limbs from the cotton field at nightfall, faint and exhausted.  The overseer used to laugh at their sufferings.  They were, he said, Virginia ladies, and altogether too delicate for Alabama use:  but they must be made to do their tasks notwithstanding.  The recollection of these things even now is dreadful.  I used to tell the poor creatures, when compelled by the overseer to urge them forward with the whip, that I would much rather take their places, and endure the stripes than inflict them.