Fri Mar 1 01:24 PM  by Martha Elmore

About 3000 Italian prisoners of war were sent to Camp Butner, just outside of Durham, N.C., in September 1943 where they were engaged in work projects. Out of this group about 500 men each were sent to branch camps in Tarboro, Windsor, and Scotland Neck to pick peanuts for the local farmers. By the end of July 1944 these prisoners were relocated to camps outside of North Carolina due to difficulties in handling the men. The source for this information is NCpedia.org. Edward Cyrus Winslow (born 1886) of Tarboro, Edgecombe Co. N.C., was involved in many business enterprises including the horse and mule business, farm operations, land transactions, and a saw mill operation. This letter dated October 13, 1943, documents that Mr. Winslow did hire Italian WWII prisoners of war to pick peanuts for him. In this signed letter, E. C. Winslow attests that 2647 stacks of peanuts were completed by prisoner of war labor during the period of September 29 through October 9, 1943, and that at $.10 a stack he owes the government $264.70 for the labor.