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This is the governing laws of Appomattox Plantation owned by Richard Cocke Eppes during the antebellum, Civil War, and post-war eras. Info on him and his family are found in other threads on here along with other information. This is the list of rules for slaves on the plantation in January 1858.
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RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE OF THE NEGROES.
1. The most entire submission and obedience will be required on the part of every negro, both to any agent or to the manager, and any negro who shall resist such authority must be arrested at all hazard and forthwith punished until he submit, and to the satisfaction of the agent or manager who has been resisted.
2nd. In case of the resistance of any negro, every other one present will be reqired to assist in arresting him, and should any negro refuse when ordered to arrest another, he shall be punished just the same as if he himself had resisted.
3rd. No negro will be allowed to use ardent spirits, or to purchase or bring any upon the plantation, or to keep any about his person or house, and any one infracting this rule (a rule deemed essential to the preservation of the health and morals of the negroes, as well as of the order and good government of the plantation) shall be severely punished.
4th. Stealing, lying, adultery, fornication, profane language, fighting and quarreling, are all prohibited by the laws of God and man, and must be invariably punished according to the nature and degree of the offence.
5th. No negro will leave the plantation without a written pass from the manager.
6th. No negro shall sell anything without a written permission from the manager, specifying the article or articles to be sold.
7th. No negro not belonging to the estate will be allowed to visit the premises without having in his possession a written pass from his master or manager.
8th. No negro will marry another off (or not belonging to) the estate, without the consent of the proprietor. As such connections lay the parties at all times liable to separation, besides being attended with other evils and inconveniences, they will be but rarely allowed to take place. No negro shall, under any circumstances, marry a free negro or free mulatto. Men having wives off the plantation will be allowed to visit them once a fortnight by getting passes from the manager.
9th. All running about at night is strictly prohibited, and any negro shall be found out of his or her quarter, without permission of good reason, between 9 o'clock and day break, shall be punished.
10th. Cleanliness in their persons and houses must be uniformly and strictly required of the negroes, and punishment must be used, if necessary, to enforce a rule so highly important, whether regard be had to health or morals.
Every negro will be required to dress in clean clothes every Sunday morning. The houses and yards must also be clean and in order every Sunday morning, when they will be inspected by the manager.
11th. The punishment to be made use of will be,
1st. Whipping.
2nd. Standing in the stocks from Saturday night until Monday morning, or during other holidays, with only bread and water for food.
3d. Deprivation of the meat ration.
12th. It is almost universal with negroes to lie, feign ignorance or prevaricate when called upon to give evidence against others. This sort of combination must be broken up, and when detected in such practices, the offender must be punished according to the degree of the offence.
13th. These rules will be read to the negroes by the manager once each year; also such of the rules under the heads of police, stock and implements, a apply to the negroes.
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RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE OF THE NEGROES.
1. The most entire submission and obedience will be required on the part of every negro, both to any agent or to the manager, and any negro who shall resist such authority must be arrested at all hazard and forthwith punished until he submit, and to the satisfaction of the agent or manager who has been resisted.
2nd. In case of the resistance of any negro, every other one present will be reqired to assist in arresting him, and should any negro refuse when ordered to arrest another, he shall be punished just the same as if he himself had resisted.
3rd. No negro will be allowed to use ardent spirits, or to purchase or bring any upon the plantation, or to keep any about his person or house, and any one infracting this rule (a rule deemed essential to the preservation of the health and morals of the negroes, as well as of the order and good government of the plantation) shall be severely punished.
4th. Stealing, lying, adultery, fornication, profane language, fighting and quarreling, are all prohibited by the laws of God and man, and must be invariably punished according to the nature and degree of the offence.
5th. No negro will leave the plantation without a written pass from the manager.
6th. No negro shall sell anything without a written permission from the manager, specifying the article or articles to be sold.
7th. No negro not belonging to the estate will be allowed to visit the premises without having in his possession a written pass from his master or manager.
8th. No negro will marry another off (or not belonging to) the estate, without the consent of the proprietor. As such connections lay the parties at all times liable to separation, besides being attended with other evils and inconveniences, they will be but rarely allowed to take place. No negro shall, under any circumstances, marry a free negro or free mulatto. Men having wives off the plantation will be allowed to visit them once a fortnight by getting passes from the manager.
9th. All running about at night is strictly prohibited, and any negro shall be found out of his or her quarter, without permission of good reason, between 9 o'clock and day break, shall be punished.
10th. Cleanliness in their persons and houses must be uniformly and strictly required of the negroes, and punishment must be used, if necessary, to enforce a rule so highly important, whether regard be had to health or morals.
Every negro will be required to dress in clean clothes every Sunday morning. The houses and yards must also be clean and in order every Sunday morning, when they will be inspected by the manager.
11th. The punishment to be made use of will be,
1st. Whipping.
2nd. Standing in the stocks from Saturday night until Monday morning, or during other holidays, with only bread and water for food.
3d. Deprivation of the meat ration.
12th. It is almost universal with negroes to lie, feign ignorance or prevaricate when called upon to give evidence against others. This sort of combination must be broken up, and when detected in such practices, the offender must be punished according to the degree of the offence.
13th. These rules will be read to the negroes by the manager once each year; also such of the rules under the heads of police, stock and implements, a apply to the negroes.
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