Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 6

1876 March 18. I expect to Plant my Patch Irish Potatoes this evening very cold & windy this morning & looks Some little like Snow Did Plant my Irish Potatoe Patch this evening very windy & very cold & cloudy - like for snow 19th clear this morning & no wind theremometer down to 17, ground hard frozen Sunday - & very cold, I have the rheumatizm very bad in my left hip & thigh can hardly get about

20th Snowing hard this morning and still very cold wind from north -- very disgreeable morning doing but little, I am still complain'g but some better Snow about 4 Inches Deep now raining Hailing & Snowing in evening -- weather quite cold, - Peter Adams come this morning

21st March cleared off this morning & quite cold this morning Just at freezing pint Peter came home yesterday morning did not do any thing Snowing Hailing & raining this 20 Mar. yesterday -- Snow dont melt much yet Peter got out 1 or 2 chairs to bottom for us,

22nd clear cold still morning thermometer 2[lost in margin] this morning every thing living smart Snow on the ground Peter at work on chairs etc Edmond shell corn yesterday Hauling wood to day Snow dont melt much the wind is still [al] to day

23rd Peter gone to Petty Johns Mill this morning to get Some meal for himself at Mill Carried 2½ Bus. corn for our meal & 4 Bus. for Edmond Dews meal, Edmond & his gang at work in his new ground to day chinking log Heaps etc. cloudy & likely for more falling weather

24th Edmond Burning his Log Heaps & Brush Weather cloudy & moderate Peter cutting this morning got our meal yesterday

1876 March 24th Cloudy & like for falling wh weather snow or Rain Miss Frankey Sick this morning Nannie Dews attending to cooking milking etc

25 Miss Frankie sick yet Rained nearly all night & Raining nearly all this morning & sometimes hard weather moderate ground powerfull Wet Edmond striping Tobacco Burning log Heaps etc Peter got out a chair to bottom this morning - Sun is to be in Eclipse to day visible

26 Miss Frankie about a little to day Did not see any Eclipse yesterday rained in morning & in evening smart wind blowd & Rain this morning quite cool & windy

27 cleared off pretty morning Peter & Edmond at work in their new grounds Edmond putting up fence that blew down friday last & cleaning of his new ground ^{To Colter} I am going to Mount Airy & may be to Riceville If I am able come back & went to Mr Starkeys had a settlement with he owes me Two Dolls now with calf skin he bot of me for Twenty five cents

28 Raining nearly the blessed day Tobacco too dry to strip doing but little all the House moderate to day -- Still Raining in evening regular all day about 12 oclock till night wind blew hard 1 Thunder cloud & Rained very hard till ^{nearly night}

29th Turned off cooler somewhat windy Edmond striping Tobacco Peter malling

30th Little windy weather warmer Jimmie gone to Yates Mill with corn for chop for cows & ½ Bushel wheat for me to eat ground like corn

1876 March 30. Edmond B Fitzgerald Esq & Mr Hudnel Came here last evening Sent My Watch to Lynchg to clean out fix the hands for me, by my Grandson EBF to Mr Clift Sent to Whitehead & Fitzgerald 5¼ lb Butter for coffee 1 [wor] under coat for Sallies Baby, wrote Sallie a note by Ed BF. Wind Rising wind dont Blow So hard in evening Edmond coltering to day a little Peter Malling to day.

31st Peter malling to day Ed Plowing ^{in new ground} Balance cleaning in new Beautiful morning let Jorden have my ^{cart & steers to day} Edmd Sewed over plant Beds to day --

1st April Saturday 1876 Cloudy & like for Snow Or Rain Edmd cleaning off his new Hauling Rails for cow pen & coltering got nearly ½ done his new ground Peter malling Rails weather moderate Lent my waggon Body to Thomas H Wooding 29th for a day or Two, Let has not come yet 3 days this day

2nd Sunday cloudy, & cool we stayed at ^{this day}

3rd Raining this morning & Raining nearly all day Fannie Moses here & Graves come with^{gone home Soon then 4th Inst} her, Peter & Edmd in Smith Shop at work to day

4th Spot one of our Cows had a She Ca[lf] last night. which we call Lilla She clean & right clear pretty morning Edmd & his gang striping Tobacco in old prize Barn Peter gone to his new ground

5th clear moderate morning Peter & Edmd working on Road to S. S. M. H. X laying Jimmie coltering in new ground Wm etc Shrubing in new ground to day

1876 April 6th Very cool morning & ^clear Nannie went to Mrs Pearcys & Major Yeatts to day - Mrs Rover has got a good deal Better got bac =k home to dinner, clear cool day Peter gone to Charles Wallers to Roll Logs Edmond & his gang in his new ground coltering & cleaning up quite cool Spot our cow done well calf likely

7th. Fine frosty morning still clear sewed our Orchard Grass seed on wheat & clover in wheat fresh ground above Road gone in field 3 Horses to finish Sewing Oats not quite done coltering new ground then Breaking up corn Land -

8th. Peter & Jimmie Plowing for corn Edm Finished coltering new ground & Halled Some wood, I went to Riceville to day to Seen Jacob & May James. Clear pretty day -- - Weather moderate

9th Nannie & me went to Strait Stone Meeting clear and & fair weather moderate

10th Edmond & Wm Fencing ^{for corn}Peter & Jimmie is

11th. Peter Plowing for corn Jimmie Plow up Edmds Garden Edmond Harrowing in wheat over clover Seed & Orchard Grass Seed this morning clear pretty morning Edmond Plowing in Garden till nearly ^night night

12th Peter Plowing for corn & Jimmie too Edmond & his gang fencing to day

13th Peter & Jimmie Plowing for corn Edmd ^{went up to Depot 12th Nannie & Come went up 12th} fencing & his gang except Jim he is Plowing too, Nannie & me went up to Mr Whitehead's to See about Guano Got 5 Bags Sea Fowl @$5 bag $25.

14 Fencing Edmd Dews & his gang Peter Plowing Peter & Edmond opened Tobacco in morning in evening Edmond fencing Rained in morning Evening & at night Jimmie went to Mill did not

1876 15 Jimmie gone to Mill Yates after flour etc 15 & then to Plowing ^{or draging} for corn Rained Smartly last night Peter gone from home to day Edmd Hauling rails for Cow Pen in Pasture, Clear pretty morning Planted Snaps Irish Potatoes etc yesterday in Garden Snaps & corn ^too Planted goard & Little Powder goard Seed

15 Raining yesterday in morning & at evening I went to Mount Airy to day - after Papers etc 2 of my shoats missing over towards EGL when I found them - only 8 now & ought to be 10 what is gone with them I cant tell

16th Easter Sunday pretty morning I am poorly with rheumatism Edmond helped Martin Smith Roll Logs Yesterday - I went to Mount Airy yesterday - weather moderate

17th quite cool this ^day made my Hot Bed of yams etc Potatoes ^{from Mrs Powers} Jacob Sent me Sewed my Plant ^Beds over this morning

Easter ^{Sewed some cabbage seed}Monday sewed meal over b[lost in margin] of my Beds this morning to Scare the flies off as they are eating the Plain generally Sewed cabbage Seed next Martha Neals this morning, we all Stay at home this Hollady - Miss Frank Smartly Complaining but about

18 Edmond Plowing Peter fixing wood body for waggon, Edmond cleaning corn Land, I am poorly my self -- Jimmie gone to Mill carried 1 Bus. corn for me meal & Some chop for cows Peter's wife is Sick to day Rained a a little to day Jimmy got Molly & Tom old shoes nailed on by Abram Dews get my meal & chop at Yates.

19th Edmond Dews Started up to Staunton River Depot after Guano, Sea Fowl 4 Sacks 800 lbs. Carried Some Bacon near ¹⁴⁶ 146 lbs 1 Rock chair & Stove for Sallie Cool frosty morning Jimmie cleaning up for Tobacco at Piny old field, Peter covered with brush on of plant Beds last night