Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 1

[26th] […] Began to Cut wheat in lot […] & finished there clear & Hot. […]ing wheat to day - by new Barn & Johns’s [Bra] nch & then fresh field opposit Crews’s going to start about 12 Oclock up on strait stone to cut wheat there, Hot & dry –

27th Cutting in fresh field & did not finish before it rained, after 12 Oclock I went to CH to Mr Hargrave Treadway & Mr Childrens, Hargrave & Treadway not there Rained in evening hard I got home by dark

28Raining this morning replanting Tobacco Several of our sows missing this morning got Pigs I reckon Raining in the evening

29th. cloudy this morning ¬replanting Tobacco sent to Mr Keen after plants, we have wed but little Tobacco, Jerrys starts after Pride Hunt at new London Academy this morning we are not done cutting wheat yet.

30th Sent little Henry to Yates Mill 5 Bushels Corn for meal for us & some for Henry I let him have 1½ Bus. all his finding - Plowing corn & weeding Tobacco, Finished Cutting wheat & cut some ^Oats I went up to W^m G Banks’s & settled my Acc^t Current as Exer JD Hunt Estate,

July 1st Sunday clear fair day & Cool Began to lay by Corn –

July 2. clear & moderate cool nights laying buy[by] Corn in fresh field & working in New ground Tobacco,- Hoe gang doing very little –

3. Plowed Cotton Sorghum & Corn by Granary & working out new ground Tobacco or pretending to it clear weather Jerry Bro^t John P. Hunt from new London Academy home last night safe & sound Sewed Peas in Cow Pen 

1866 July 4 Laying buy[by] corn […] field I Plowed myself yesterday […] of the day Milly & Ben at work in new ground - Clear & nights a little cool

5th made a sorter of finish weeding new ground Tobacco about 10 Oclock & gone to Lot to Plowing & weeding ^{Lila Plowing Tobacco}that down my wife & Pride gone to Mrs Colemans - to day I am here alone laying buy corn in fresh field, washing & working in Garden this evening –

6th. Put Our little hand full^Rye in old prize Barn this morning laying buy corn next to Stony p[o]int. I am going to take Charlotte & Ell & Lot up lot wheat this morning - working in Tobacco in Lot

clear & moderate weather ground getting a ^{little hard} Planted cucumber seed in Plant Bed & Beans in Sweet Potatoe patch, warm weather now

7th Laying buy corn Plowing & weeding down Lot Tobacco - I went to Mount Airy for Fannie,- fair weather Began to Cut Oats after dinner to day in Crews field. Oats very good

8th went to meeting at SS. not any of our folks here when we came back & a great to do in morning before starting I told little Henry he must be here about 7 Oclock he want in place put Molly in stable Pride went to catch her, she run out thro the gate broke the latch on big Gate broke the little gate & Big Gate at Barn, run about very after so long a time got Tom & her & stable & caught her & we got off late, Mr Keen & family came home with us none of them here very hot indeed & getting very dry & ground hard, - 

[…] Load of Oats wheat from Johns […]wing Potatoes Sweet & hilling them […] Billy finishing them Came here this morning […] Rained a smart shower last night & Continues drisling a little once in a while nearly all day, Laying Corn at mountain spring & will go to mountain field to day Lila Plowing Lot Tobacco Ben & Milly Ann & Charlotte weeding down Lot Tobacco

11th Fine Rain last night & still drisling a little Laying by Corn on mountain & Plowing Tobacco & weeding Lot & Billy & me made chicken Coop yesterday & he dug little trough for chicken Coop he Billy has worked here 2 days this time the 1st day he fixed flour tub made scaffold got forks for it etc etc hilled up part of my Sweet Potatoes Patch

12th. Henry old has gone after Load wheat on strait stone Creek, little Henry plowing in mountain field, laying buy corn weeding down Tobacco awhile in Lot till dew gets off then for Cutting oats, I went up to Kelleys for Fannie & to Cedar Hill Jerry ^yesterday was not at home gone to Mill they[8d?] my wife & Pride gone to Mr Keens to day

13th Henry gone after balance wheat on Creek little Henry plowing corn Milly weeding down Lot Tobacco, Charlotte too clear & growing weather will cut Oats again to ay & they will nearly get done, very hot weather

14th Cutting Oats & expect to finish ^{Did finish}to day uncle Billy put head in Tub & pulling up flax & help me hall up wheat this morning & finished only 2 good ^Loads in fresh ground & Crews old ^{house place}hou Pride gone to see Doran to day at Chalk Level Doran Came home with him 

1866 July 15th I went to strait Stone […] not many out, very Hot to day 90 in[…]

16th I went to Court & took depositions Tues[…] & got home that night Laying by corn & p[…] Tobacco & working with Hoes.

17. Same work.

18. Same work & I went to Mill Yates carr[i]ed 6 Bus. Corn & 1½ Bushels wheat for ourselves & a Bag full for Jerry did not get it ground, till tomorrow, very Hot to day clear & dry weather at this time

19 went to Jerrys lent shields & Mr Neal some corn as pr Due Bills

20 went to mill after Corn & flour this morning Bro Home ==

21st I went to Mr Banks & Mrs Smiths settled my acc^t & Rectified Error in In^t acc^t & settled up to 2nd July 1866 & acc^t Reported to Court by Comm. Banks

22. Staid at home to day – hands Laying by Corn Hilling up Tobacco in new ground Plowing it Lila Harrowed Turnip Patch Saturday

23rd. It Rained a little this morning & yesterday My wife & Ell gone to see Fannie Jacob & Kate Rode Bill Laying by Corn & hilling up new ground Tobacco, Lila plowing Tobacco Let Martha Neal have 1 lb soap

24 Finished Laying by Our ^Corn this morning in fresh field, Henry plowing Potatoes Irish & Sweet Hilling up Tobacco in new ground Plowing Lot etc =

25. Rained in evening finished Hilling up New ground & went into Lot Plowing & working that

26th sewed Turnip Patch this morning Plowing & working Lot Tobacco, I went up to Mr Kelleys & Jerrys to day

27th Plowing & Hilling up Tobacco began to Stack Oats put up 1 stack went to mount 28Airy to settle business for Fannie done it.

[…]illey & Joshua Hubbard […]ing Oats this evening & finished in […] field, 4 stacks wormed Toped & succorred over new ground Tobacco this morning Harrowing & chopping out Cotton Jerry went to Carting machine for us & Carried out Cotton had it picked & bro^t it home to day 23rdwool Rolls & about 100 lbs & upwards of Picked Cotton 400 lbs seed Grass bro^t it home this morning Rained in the evening, working out Cotton Patch & such as one I never saw before so Grassy & hard to work the Cotton frequently comes up when you pull up the Grass etc Ben did not go in the Cotton patch they quit stacking out at or little after 12, She did not go to Cotton Patch but went to washing & I finding her - Rained right smartly such a Cotton Patch & Tobacco ground I never saw in my life & the negroes seems to care or think nothing about it, dont half work as they ought to do.

29th clear this morning

30th Stacking Oats at water Lew on Crews old Henry & Ben Little Henry went off yesterday after Mr Bybee altered shoats to Hunt margaret a house or home & that without myself consent Just took himself off & said nothing now I told him do so again & him & his wife will both leave If he goes without my consent — Mr Bybee altered & fix 2 Red Sows shoats Cut them Cut 2 of the young sows shoats Turned out 1 young sow & 1 Boar, we are trying to work out Cotton & Tobacco but I cant ^trust them to any thing Hardly

31. Stacking Oats working out Cotton & Lot Tobacco I am going after Doran to day