Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 4

1873 March 18th Davy Hauling leaves Milton Raking quite Cool this morning - Lonesome time Now

[1]9th Hauling leaves again to day the wind Blew So hard yesterday Kit said he could not Sew Oats So stoped sewing oats at 12 oclock & went to Hauling Manure on Irish Potatoe Patch & finished last night this morning fixed it & Plantated it & Planting Some for themselves this morning yesterday Mary Plowing 1 Square in Garden Planted Peas Beets etc etc - Sewing Oats

20th Thursday. Thrashing Oats raining this morning Weather Moderate, fencing yard this morning in part finished thrashing & faned them Out Twenty nine Bushels 29 ^Bushels Sewed & to Sew. Kit opening my Lugs in each Barn, Raining more or less all day weather moderate Come up a thunder cloud in evening & turned Cooler -

21st Kit Mary & Sarah Sewing Oats Davy gone to Mr Woodings to roll Logs Milton Raking Leaves to day windy & Cool to day Sarah raking leaves after 12 Oclock & Milton Plowing

22nd Brought my Cattle from fresh field & put them in field next to Mr Lewis & Calves too Kit Mary & Milton Plowing in Oats Davy Hauling leaves^{Planted goard seed & Peas etc} Sarah raking Cloudy & like for falling Wea -ther my Hogs has ^not been up for 2 or 3 days. quite Windy Mr Whitehead brot Nannie Home & Doron come at night

23rd They left this morning for Brook Neal, Cloudy & weather moderated a little

24th Mary Kit & Milton Sewing Oats. Davy & Sarah Hauling leaves on Lot raining a little this morning

25 Scattering & Plowing in leaves on Tobacco Lot - Davy gone to Yates with Corn to Mill for meal corn & wheat ½ Bbl for Chop^{corn & wheat} for me ½ Bbl for meal 3 Bus corn for Davy 2 Bus. corn for Milton & Sarah & 1 Bag full for Kit for meal 1 Dutch plow Hoe missing that & little for Martin Sam Had last year

1873 Mar. 26 Rained nearly all day ^{day yesterday} cloudy all day yesterday & Smokey & Misted rain sometime this Morning ground too wet to Plow, gathering up old Irons etc etc to Carry to Mount Airy to get p[?] etc getting wood etc. Kit Sarah & Davy fencing corn field fence next to old orchard at 12 oclock Mary & Kit Plowing Lot. Davy Hauling wood Sarah & Milton scattering Leaves on Lot, I went to Mount Airy Carried old Irons & Plow P[o]ints Nannie a Coat & aprons etc etc pr Bill Wind Blew hard Sure enough, -

27th Beet up Cobs for Cows Kit fixed waggon [bols] etc, Cut up wood etc. Davy went to Halling out of new ground Sarah Shrubing new ground Mary Washing Kit & Milton for Corn I went to Mr Woodings

28 Plowing & Sctatering leaves on Tobacco Lot Kit & Mary Sarah & Milton raking leaves Davy Hauling I went to Mr Wm W Moses got my Plow Hoe Pinted Clouday & moderate weather

29th Rained last night taking down Lugs this ^morning could not get down all our Lugs ^down, wind blew Very hard & dryed the Tobacco So fast we had to stop Only got down what was on Barn back of Garden & what I bot of Sam in old prize Barn fencing this evening Davy went to Martins to Roll Logs Rec^d toll wheat from James Pannills plantation to day quite cold this night & the wind is very high yet

30th Pretty ^day I went to S Stone to Organise S School good many at S Stone moderate Evening -

31st Davy Hauling leaves on Tobacco Lot & Sarah Kit Mary & Milton Sewing Oats. clear moderate weather Sunday school Organised last Sunday

April 1st Breaking up ground for oats Davy Hauling Leaves, moderate weather

April 1st Mary Kit & Milon Plowing for Oats Davy Sarah & Patty raking leaves Rained about night I went to Riceville to day to get some shoe [unclear]

2nd Hauling logs gate Post out of new ground quite Cool thia morning -

1873 Finished Sewing all the Oats we have got

^{April 3rd}Oat Sewed about 28 Bushels gone to Plowing up Corn Land & Turning Over Lot Scattering leaves etc

3 Davy went over next to Edmond to Cut Path to Hauled rails along fence between me & Edmond Sarah Cleaning up in new ground Mr Guthrie from CH here] & fixed my clock & Charged me Two Dollars & fifty Cents beside his board & his Horse 1 day & night nearly fine weather at this time Mr Mattherly has my Cart & steers to day to hall rails. -

4th. Plowing for Corn etc Davy Hauling Rails over a long fence between me & Edmd Tucker fine day

5 Fine morning Plowing for corn Sarah Cleaning up in new ground Davy gone to Charles Millers Colrd to roll Logs Wm G. Banks here last night,

6th Clouday this morning moderate weather

7th. Davy Hauling Manure in Garden & Potatoe Patch Hauling rails on Cross fence of Corn field Milton & Sarah Shrubing & Cleaning in new ground

8th Plowing for Corn Mary & Kit Davy Hauled up Stack Oats Patty Helped him Directly after Dinner the Cry of fire Tom Owens new ground Doct Haleys & we were fighting fire all the whole evening & the fire coming on towards Mr Templetons & he did not Stop Ed nor Andrew at all & I am told that even Mr Owen did not stop his Plow when all the rails around his new ground Was burnt up etc etc fine weather

9th. Plowing for Corn & cleaning up around my new prize Barn for fear of fire, fire broke out again to day about 1 oclock above Mr Templetons all my hands stoped again Wind blew tremendous hard & it rained a little about night this I hope we we shall not pestered to day about fire, more fires out in the woods this Spring than I ever Knew 1 Spring & as much damage done generally

1873 April 10 Milton & Sarah Cleaning up in new ground before Davy Coltering no fire in woods yesterday 9th about here that I Know off Mr Mattherly Came but I let him off to go to Mr Woodings Cleaning up in new ground & Plowing for Corn Davy Coltering in new ground no Stir yesterday about fire or anything else Weather Cooler

11th Davy Coltering in new ground Milton & Sarah Cleaning up Kit & Mary Plowing for Corn, no fire this day, more fires out in woods & more damage done than for many years about here, Turned a little cooler

12th Kit & Davy gone to Martin Smiths to Haul rails, ^{for fence} & Logs for House If they Can Sarah & Milton Working Cleaning up in new ground, Mary Washing her Clothes this morning I have to fix found Kit & Davy & Mules Corn, & Martin is to find himself When he works hire, quite Cool

13th I Went to meeting to day -- Cool day.

14th Kit & his hands at work Plowing for Corn Davy Coltering in new ground. quite cool Lent Martin Smith 1 colter & Colter Stock Abram Dews fixed my waggon to day Kit help him 3 hours etc etc paid him in full for it,

15. Plowing for Corn Kit Mary & Milton Sarah Cleaning up & Shrubbing, Davy Coltering in new ground no fire in woods this week that I ^{hear of} all my fresh ground wheat looks very well

16th Raining this morning thundering & lightening We Will Shell Corn one or Two Hours this morning tolerable Cool rain planted Cucumbers yester =day Mus mellons water mellons & Sally Worked Peas began to a ^rain rain little after 12 oclock Stoped the Plow Spot had her calf 1st day of April Sooc] had hers 14, both bulls, & likely calves, doing but lit[tle] the evening quite Cool Rain

17th Running 4 Plows to day for Corn Davy Hauled 2 Loads rails for Cow pen, made Cow pen below Turnip Patch Rained in evening, Sarah made Cow pen burned brush new ground & Cleaning in Corn f[ield]

1873 April 17 Raining Still this evening quite Cool now

-- 18 Plowing for Corn I went to Henry Dillards Shop & Mr Whiteheads Rained in evening a little

19 Plowing for Corn to day quite cool Davy gone to Mr Woodings

20th I went to Sunday School this day

21st Plowing for corn Davy Coltering new ground Sarah & Milton changing fence at Black Smith Shop etc, & by Kitchen Cloudy & Cool

22nd Plowing for Corn & Coltering in new ground

23 Hilling in new ground coltering same & Plowing for Corn I Started for Court & Staid till Thursday

24th Began to Plant Corn Molley Miller droping for Davy Mary Covering Kit laying off still Cloudy & like for rain & quite Cool Day Coltering new ground Sarah & Milton Hilling I got home

25th Rain'g a little this morning Hilling & Coltering in new ground Kit Mary & Mollie Miller planting Corn this morning, Turned my yound Cattle Out This morning quite Cool yet, - 5 in number, Bull Dolley Bettie Linda & Ben a young Steer planting

[2]6 Corn Kit Mary Davy Mollie & Sarah Hilling & coltering new ground Planted 3 long rows Irish Potatoes the 1st we planted up very well cloudy & very cool

27 Planted Corn ½ day then fixed Gate on Mountain Kit Davy etc Planted I Potatoes &C for themselves etc Mot Graves & her children came down friday evening & Stayed till Sunday evening

27th. I expect to go Sunday School to day cloudy & not very cold this morning

28th. Raining this morning very Cool began to plant Corn did not plant but little while began to ^Rain Davy began to cut little ditch in new ground Sarah & Mollie Miller fencing on Cross fence Mot Staid near 3 days & went Home, wrote to Griffith Neale & sent letter up Tom Creasey by Calvin to put in the office very dark morning Mot brought me a puppy, called Rush