Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 1

8th March 1866. Sewing Oats […] Wind Blowing Cold Billy gone […] Triming up Trees, finished working in […] Went to Mr East to see Sister Yates for ch[…]

9th. Windy & Cold Sewing Oats in Waterloo field Claiborne finished Coltering new ground yesterday Halled up 1 Stack Oats 8th this month. making 2 Halled up to use, with the one Just Halled Mr Pringle has paid my Federal Tax on land & Jno D Hunts Estate also Tom Hodnetts as it was charged to Estate – I am due Mr Pringle myself $14.09 & Due D^o for Estate JD Hunt $16.73 & also for Tom Hodnetts 372½ acres charged to Estate p^d by D^o $5.51 making p^d for Estate JDH $22 24- pr Due Bill as Exer. to JA Pringle & $14.09 for myself

10th Sewing Oats at Waterloo claiborne set up Tar Kill this morning & then Harrowing in Oats I went to meeting at S. Stone to day

11 Strait Stone meeting I went day unlikely

12 Sewing Oats at Waterloo 3 Plows, claiborne likely to get done Coltering in new ground Like for Rain & Raining a little now

13 Sewing Oats at Waterloo 3 Plows claiborne Bushing them in with steers, Jere & Nannie Carried Doran Hunt to school to Miss Ivy Mebane to board at Chalk Level with Mr DR Hunt @$12 or under, fine weather

14th. Sewing Oats Waterloo, burnt off Broom Sage to Sew Oats hereafter above spring I went to Fannies & Jacobs & Jerrys to day

15. Finished at waterloo to day & went down in Johns s field I went to Mr W^m H Wallers to get him to pay my Federal Tax on 59. acres I bot of him, gave him $4. to pay it also gave Jerry my Revenue Tax list & 5$ to pay that, on Carriage Buggy etc at Court

[…] Sent $20 p^s Gold to sell for me […] $130. for $100 If not bring it back […]g Oats in John’s field, fanned Oats & it rained […] while this morning is little cooler ^off & cleared Plowing & sewing another p^s wet Land above spring at Waterloo did not get done,

17th. Finished Sewing Oats at Waterloo, sewing in Johns field where we sewed winter oats Halled out Straw & halled some wood I went to Riceville to hear Mr Brown Sent 2 Letters On One to JC Boxley & one to James R Crenshaw, very cold & windy

18th. I went to Prayer meeting at SS. weather more moderate

19th Got 1 Stack Oats & little more this morning Crushed Corn sorghhem seed & Cobbs for Cows Sewing Oats John’s field to day fine weather & dry

20. Raining this morning doing very little got out some flax to break, but broke none Henry Hooped Hh^d to put meat in & they fanned out about 10 Bus Oats this morning after dinner they started to Plowing but looks very much like rain

21st Sewing Oats to in John’s field nearly done Mr. W^m. W. Moses bro^t a note from Cap^t Wilcox Danville stating from my note to him the Case of Green Hunt, reporting one was droped This day I gave to W^m W. Moses 2 Certificates Will of Mr J M F. appraisement & division & a number of Rec^ts to him of Fannies I had in my possession, etc etc etc

22 March, clear & cool Sale advertised of Corn fodder Oats & Molasses sale on ⁶ 6- Friday the 6th april next. Terms at Sale, - finished sewing Oats Sewed 58 Bus. in all Plowing Cotton patch Potatoe Patch & sewed Turnips by Granary Mr Bybee came & spayed by shoats & Henrys Sold

23rd. Sent 3½ Bus. Corn for me 2½ Bus. Corn for Henry for meal, to Yates Mill Sent 1 Bus. Corn to Abram Dews Black Smith. & 2 Bushels wheat for flour by claiborne

23rd March 1866 I went to Mr Wa[…] [Ell?] the Gold he paid Mr W^m Vau[…] Direct to Ed Roberts & charged 50¢ for […]

24th Rained yesterday evening & last night […] off this morning & pretty day Plowing & Halling rails around Corn field fence I went to Ja^s Easts & Joshua Hubbards Sowed over plant Bed above House Tobacco & Collard see to day

25th stayed at home very Cold & windy

26th Cold & windy yet. Halling wood Plowing for Corn in fresh field

27. Lent Jerry my Horse Plowing for corn Coltering little new ground in fresh field & finished Ben cleaning up Shrubing etc cloudy to day

28 Same work & halling leaves this evening

29. Sent little Henry up to Cedar Hill for my new mould[mole] Board n^o 3. Plowing for Corn claiborne & Ben cleaning up on mountain for Corn cloudy & like for Rain, put sheep manure on plant Bed above house Pleasant morning & before night cleared very & Cold very Cold, Plow fixed this morning runs elegant, I am mending buggy Harness since 10 Oclock & not done it,

30th. not quite so windy & Cold to day Plowing up Corn Land on Top of mountain & cleaning up Clear & Cool

31. Total Eclipse of the moon last night Cloudy this morning & like for rain Plowing & cleaning up for Corn in fresh field I went to Mr Pringles but did not see Sewed over slash Plant Bed with Cabbage & Tobacco Seed –

April 1st Fine day Sunday Jacob & family here finished Plowing for Corn yesterday etc

2nd april Holiday Fine day beautiful weather Mary James Graves Cut out my Coat & pants

[…] Plowing second years ground […] Ben shrubing & fencing to day [… A]ll hands fencing corn field fence […Milly] Ann out to day with them fencing cloudy & like for Rain the morning. We have 8 Lambs at this time Nannie went to Mrs Colemans & Jeres yesterday

5. Sewed flax at overseers House

6. Began to Hill in fresh ground Listing Corn Land Milly Ann been working out this week - I went to Sale at JD Hunts

7. Sent ^{little Henry} to Mill Yates this morning 3½ Bushels Corn for us for meal & 3 Bushels for Henry claiborne gone to Mrs Colemans to Roll Logs Henry Plowing Milly Ann & Ben Hilling cloudy & like for Rain Jerry started to Franklin about day this morning after Sally rained very little & cloudy I went to meeting^{S. S.}

8. Rained last night & Raining this morning & very Cool, indeed, little Henry came back yesterday from Mill & did not do any but fix up fence by plum bushes & put some Top fodder in House, & went off nobody Knows where he is gone

9th. This morning cold & windy lost 2 Sheep lately & 1 Lamb, forking manure at Cow pen this morning heard this morning Kate S Moses was sick nannie gone up there to day Ell gone with her Covering up plant Beds this night with Pine Brush its so ^cold We are afraid the plants will be Killed by the frost, -

10th To day I went up to see Kate & found her very ill took up my Sweet Potatoe Seed at Cedar Hill Kept tolerable got back in the night, & found our folks Cutting up about I do Know what, all dissatisfied about nothing more than they say they dont get no fodder stacks & straw Lila cutting up ^{about the} the Pigs I told Henry I would take my Two pigs they had, & feed them & have them, they were hilling & listing for Corn, took Brush off Plant Beds Lila did not want to Keep any Pigs for me

11th April This morning planted […] & they have all gone to work, I don[…] whether little & claiborne will stay they have gone to work I reckon Billy Hunt Came here yesterday broke some flax, & to day he is fixing Grave yard & he help plant Sweet Potatoes Jerry has not returned yet - got back with Sallie to day

12th This morning Henry bro^t the 2 Pigs over that was mine he had in the Cut up night before last Lila said she would not feed them any more, I told Henry that I did not want them to die bring them over to my pen, he done so & the Hog clause in our agreement is at an end Hilling & Plowing to day —

13th -Plowing & Hilling for Tobacco Listing for corn weather fine finished hilling fresh ground

14th Going over to Stony p[o]int to fix up the out side fence for Pasture to day put 8 young cattle in field where we are going to tend corn 4 young Heifers 2 steers 1 Bull & 1 Cow going have a calf shortly Thundering this morning & like for rain, -

15. like for Rain some Thunder my wife & Sallie gone to see Kate to day. I went to strait Stone Prayer meeting not many out.

16th Rained last night & Raining moderately this morning claiborne came home late doing but little pretending to fork up manure at stable yd, Kate not much better yet. – Big Henry does very well so far, weather moderate,