Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 2

17th Richard Whitehead started to Lynchg w[...] of Our Tobacco I found waggon 2½ Bushels Corn in Ears & 50 fodder for him, will Top Tobacco to day & chop in Lot Tobacco Sam is going is going with Richard Whitehead

18 Choping new ground Tobacco Plant Bed etc & finished about night I went to J. J. Powers ^{after [?]}

19th Getting apples to day this morning at Stony pint wormng & succoring Lot Tobacco, to day

20 Topping all our Tobacco & gone to Branch to clean it off at the Lower end, Ben & Lewis worm & succoring over there Tobacco. I went to C H & failed to see Capt Treadway after going up there Richard got home tonight & left Sam at Creasys out of his Head, Clear day & Hot

21st Fair Day I am going up to see Sam

22. ^{met Sam coming home} Gathering up apples to carry to Mr McC[?] Charles Miller to make brandy for every Bus. apples he gives me one 1 Gallon good Brandy

23 Keatts gone this morning to Creaseys Its Very Smokey & has been for 2 or 3 days past

24th Packing up & Gathering apples this day

25 Keatts Cutting cleaning up on Branch - & went to see^(Edmond

26 Naney & me went to association at Mount Pleasant our fold[folk] drying fruit Keatts at work on^Branch & went to Carry apples to Millers to still 12½ Bus. Edmond Tucker came here to Ditch my Spring Branch Out yesterday to clean out Lower part @ 2½¢ a yd, & the upper part where he Cuts it out 5¢ a yd & I find him next to the Corss fence is to be 6 feet wid[e] for 30 or 40 yds to draw all the water in it. Tom Lane is to Cut my Hay instead of Charles Miller to come Monday morning @ 4/6 a day to cut & & rake up & Carry out on hill Side to shock or Stack, Clear good weather very warm indeed tolerable dry weather now

27th Cloudy & likely for rain, Getting up Peaches

28th Staid at home Doct Perrow came here to day to see Sam Gilbert says he is not deranged & gave me direction what to do for him & is to send me a

some medicine for him to take I paid him $3.20 & Owe him now for Sam 25¢ which I am to pay him hereafter, Geo Coleman Pride Hunt Mr Starkey & his wife here to day Warm Weather

29th 29 Sent Mr Keatts to Mr Woodings to Raise bars Edmond Ditching here Tom Cutting Hay Toping over our Tobacco worming & succoring

29 & 30 Edmond Ditching Tom Lain cut Hay Mon day & Tuesday & will get done to day Wednesday worming & succoring Tobacco I went to Mr Hunts place Tuesday & shop Still Cloudy & likely for rain went to see Jacob Graves & he was not at home

31st Raining hard some of my Hay caught on the Branch put up 8 shocks yesterday began to rain at 9 oclock all caught that Tom cut to day E[d]mond gone home,

Sept 1st No rain to day Gathering up apples to carry to Mr Millers, Halled some wood Tom cutting Hay Edmond Ditching, Keatts cleaning of[f] Ditch ½ day We have halled 12½ Bushels apples to Mr Millers

2nd We will carry another Load of apples this morning 22¼ Bushels carried making 34¾ Bushels in all Rained this evening & at night about all night

3rd Cloudy & like for rain yet toping ^Tobacco worming & succoring Over Our Tobacco again, Halled out Tobacco Stalks & put them over Plant Bed, on road & covered with Brush to burn again toping & worming our Tobacco Rained Very hard & a good while

4th Cleared off a Beautiful day quite clear I am going to Prayer Meeting at S. S. this evening

5 Fine morning clear & moderate weather Pulling fodder Tom here Bled myself to day

6 Pulling fodder wormed Tobacco in morning I went P.O. old place & Mr Jos. L Adkinsons etc tyed up fodder in evening

7 Worming & succoring Tobacco Put in 2 Poles to stack fodder carried fodder to Poles worming & succoring new ground to day tying up fodder fine weather for Saving fodder etc

1870 Sept 8th Tom Lain here pulling fodder worming & succoring Tobacco -

9th Cash paid Tom Lain in full last night Say Sole Leather 25 Cash $1.00 he owes me 5¢ in change

9 Sent Sam to Millers Mill this morning 8¾ Bushels Wheat for flour for my self Sam carried - 2 Bushels wheat for himself & 1½ Bushels Corn I lent him I sent ½ Barrel corn for meal & Keatts sent some I sent some Rye for Chop for Hogs sent 1 Bbl for flour & 1 Lam[b] to Rudd My Old Sow I found dead in the Pasture yesterday Nannie & me went to Mr John Pringle fine weather yet

10th attending to fodder to day setting in Poles to stack fodder worming & succoring Lot Tobacco gathering Peas etc etc

11 Went to meeting Nannie & me Saturday I went Sunday Clear fine weather this morning

12th Worming & succoring in morning pulling fodder to day down on branch put up 1 stack Blade this evening fine fodder —

13th Worming & succoring Tobacco in Lot Caroline washed yesterday & to day— tyed up fodder etc

14 Pulling fodder worming & succoring Tobacco this morning & then pulling fodder

15th Very foggy & like for Rain this morning Pressing out Peach mobby this morning I cannot get any hands.

16th Working on fodder some worming ^{new ground} & succoring

17th. going to Millers Mill after flour & will Carry 1 Barrel & part of another of Peach Mobby & Some apples & 2 Bushels Corn for Martha Neal lent her worming & succoring New ground Tobacco Stacked all the fodder we have pulled, - put up 2 little stacks this evening Smith & Welch has been here to day to buy Sheep & cattle Could not trade

18th ¹⁸⁷⁰ Sunday I started to Court it rained before night

19th Monday got back from Court fine day they pulled fodder on Branch & finished, Wyatt & Bailess helped us to day. clear pretty day

20th. Sent to Mill after flour & meal this morning worming & succoring Tobacco & began to Cut & hang Tobacco & House this evening 138 Sticks ^{to day}housed Wyatt Boys & Bailess 4 of them & Mariah here to day

21st Same Hands & Tom Lain here to day & Cutting & Housing Tobacco fine morning getting a little cool of nights

22. Tom Lain Mariah Smith 2 Wyatts 2 Bailess again to day cloudy & like for rain

23rd At work in new ground & Lot Cutting Tobacco Tom, & Ed Bailess & Andrew Wyatt Caroline in evening – fair day – – Began to fire new prize Barn Rich^d is Curing new prize Barn & I help him Cut & Hang his Tobacco next week

24th Saturday Cutting & Hanging & housing Old prize Barn Tom Ed Bailess & Andrew Wyatt helping us got my Waggon home to day Halling wood to cure new prize Barn got 18 Bus Coal from old Simon to cure new prize Barn pretty weather Richard began to cure new prize Barn Friday morning [steeming?] of it till Friday night rested till Saturday morning Cured it Saturday Sunday night by monday morning quit new prize & began on old prize barn

25th Sunday Richard firing new prize barn

26th. Ed & Andrew Wyatt here worming & succoring Lot Tobacco, daubing old prize Barn & getting stumps to fire with fine weather yet

27 Finished worming & succoring Ed ^Bailess Keatts & Ben helping Mr Whitehead cut Tobacco to day –

1870 Sept 28th Cutting down & Hauling up Corn Hauled up Tops & Corn to day. cloudy this morning & liked for rain. I have been firing Tobacco ever since Monday morning day & night

29th Fired Tobacco 2 Barns this morning choping fire wood Shelling Corn etc – rained all the evening nearly Keatts did not Come back here after 12 Oclock we shelled all old Corn we have & Fanned out the Hh^d of Bowden wheat in Hh^d & upwards 3 Bus b[?]dy Sam me Ben & Lewis & fed every thing ^roadin

30th Raining & very wet time

Oct 1st Cleared off & I went to Jacobs old place P.O. & Allen Scruggs & We have Pitched on 2nd Monday in Oct. to referee the matter about hire of negroes the year of the surrender with Mr A Scruggs & H C Hancock to be settled at Mount Airy - Mr Pringle my referee

2nd Sunday Raining this morning weather moderate Rained the blessed day & sometimes very hard

3rd cleared of[f] this morning tho it rained nearly all night worming & succoring Tobacco Keatts gone to Mr Wallers to get him a home

4th Pulling fodder worming & succoring Tobacco in Lot & new ground etc Keatts will cut some grass to day Sam chinked & daub Barn back of Garden

5. Sawing & Riving Boards Sam & Keatts gathering up Hay & fodder fine weather I & nannie went to Mr Lewis to [day] Ben went to Mill for me & Keatts to day

6th Keatts Andrew Wyatt & Ed Bailess helping Rich[ard] Whitehead cut & Hang Tobacco to day Sam sick Ben & Lewis cleaned out stable & Piled up Corn in evening cloudy–

7. Halled up Sams fresh ground Corn & mine above Grave yard Cut & Hung & carried Nannies Tobacco to Mr Whiteheads Barn 35 or 36 sticks to Cure, got some Hay & got up & put in house our Broom Corn, Sam out this evening –

8th Will Hall 1 waggon Load leaves in stable & then we will cut over our Tobacco & Pile it Sam out fair beautiful weather