The members of this church were required to fast on one day of the week, the fast lasting all day until seven in the evening.  The small boys, both white and colored, resenting the abstinence from food, usually secured a reserve supply which was cached during the week and secretly enjoyed on fast day.  Fish were plentiful in all the streams and they sometimes sneaked away to the river and after enjoying the sport, cooked their catch on the banks of the stream.

Groups of ministers—­30 to 40—­then traveled from one plantation to another spreading the gospel, and were entertained as they traveled.  On one occasion the group arrived at the Cody estate on fast day.  The boys having been on one of their secret fishing trips had caught so many perch that they were not able to consume them on the banks, so had smuggled them to the kitchen, coaxed the cook to promise to prepare them, and had also sworn her to absolute secrecy regarding their origin.  Although the kitchen was not directly connected with the “big house”, the guests soon detected the aroma of fresh fish and requested that they be allowed to partake of this delicacy.  When the boys, as well as the servants, heard this, they became panicky for they feared the wrath of the master.  But the catch was so heartily relished that instead of the expected punishment, they were commended and allowed to fish on the next day of fasting.

As was characteristic of many others, the planter’s home was near the center of a vast estate and in this instance had a tall lookout on the roof from which the watchman might see for miles around.  The “quarters” were nearby and the care-free children who played in the large yard were closely watched as they were often stolen by speculators and later sold at auctions far away.  The land was divided into many fields each of which was used to cultivate a particular product.  Each field had its special crew and overseer.

Cody’s father was [HW:  one of the] feeders [HW:  who] arose at least two hours before sunrise, to feed the stock.  A large number of horses and more than two hundred head of cattle had to be fed by sunrise when they were to be turned into the pastures or driven to the field to begin the day’s work.  After sunrise, his father’s duty [HW:  as] foreman for plowers began.  Other workers were hoe hands, additional foremen, cooks, weavers, spinners, seamstresses, tailors, shoemakers, etc.  As everything used was grown and made on the estate there was plenty of work for all and in many instances [HW:  slaves] learned trades which they liked and which furnished a livelihood when they were set free.

[HW:  When he entered his teens] Cody’s first duties began [HW:  as] a plowhand who broke “newground.”  As all of this land was to be plowed, a lack of skill in making straight furrows did not matter, so beginners were preferably used.  Shortly after he began plowing he was made foreman of one of the groups.  Thus encouraged by his master’s faith in his ability to do a man’s work, he assumed a “grown up” attitude under the stimulus of his new responsibilities and was married shortly after.