Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1858 april 24th Jacob Graves has bot a mare of I do not Know, but of the Gipsy Company which is to work at plantation in Mikes place this year,- he says he borr= owed the money $115 of Mr Wm Cook to pay for her etc - & I take Mike home

25. This morning Raining & Snowing a little & continued till nearly 12 Oclock & very Cool wind & clouds from N E, Jerry & Sallie went to Fannies yesterday

26th This morning Raining & snowing we are shelling corn soon - quite cool wind from N E - Picking & cleaning slash plant Bed gone to Hilling & Planting Corn 9 Oclock

27th Very cool & windy to day. my wife gone to Mrs^Hunts Planting Corn below the House Sandy Bedding claiborne Harrowing some grassy places, alse & Jerry Smith in Garden till 12 Oclock & a little after. Mr Little came here to day about 10 oclock & bro^t Mr H Fletcher with him to get Shingles; - planted corn field snaps to day & Corn from Mrs Hunts & 2 years from Mrs Colemans in fresh part above House next to woods,-

28th I went to Jacobs & Pigs to meet Faris he did not come, Little & Fletcher getting shingles Planting Corn toward Orchard & left side of Path going thro field claiborne Plowing

29 Finishing Planting all our high Land corn, except a little they are Plowing Jordan coltering second years at Crews Sewed Guano broad cast, he is Halling out manure this side of branch in Lot.

30 Coltering & Hilling second years Land at Crews began yesterday after we finished planting our high Land Corn. Little & Mr Fletcher

getting shingles all this week, Turned my Sheep & colts next to Johns field one of my sows came up this morning has not got pigs yet, we are Harrowing & fixing our branch Land for corn & breaking up Tobacco Land to day Jordan coltering at Crews,

30th I went to Fannies to day & come back by plantation Jordan coltering for them to hill at Crews. Sandy & Claiborne breaking Tobacco Land & Potatoe Patch Henry Harrowing & fixing branch for corn

May 1st Beautiful day Trenching branch & Beding for Corn, Jordan coltering at Crews Balance Hilling after 12 Oclock - Mr Little & Fletcher has been nearly 5 ^days a p^s & Mr Little between 1 & 2 himself getting shingles equal to about 10 or 11 days for 1 hand & they say they have got all the timber sawed say 3400. upper place 1800 lower 1600

2nd cloudy & quite cool to day - wind N. E.

3rd Hilling & coltering at Crews till 12 oclock Henry & Sandy fixing Branch for corn till 12 then we planted flats & Just did get done Jordan Halling out wood off new ground at Mountain Spring, finished nearly - Hester & Mr Faris’s Jack this day I come back by Jacobs he is not more than half done planting corn — It has been cloudy & cool all day Paid Jerry $1:20.

4th went to Riceville Hilling & coltering at Crews Henry Listing for Corn & Peas there Beded up Garden 2 squares & Planted one before it commenced rain[in]g Jordan halling out manure on Lot Harrow Beds for Cotton & Potatoes etc.

1858 May 12 Very cool & Windy, wind from East wind blew hard all night, Hilling on Johns Branch & trying to finished there this Lugs^{& Picked Plant Beds}finished I am going to allen Scruggs to get him If I can to help Jas B Faris prize Tobacco,

13th Jordan coltering new ground,- began to colter & Hill Second years ground at Mountain this morning Little fixing his machine to get shingles,- fixing another colter this morning - Picked Plant Beds.

14th Jordan coltering new ground balance Hilling at fresh ground & cutting them off Henry went with waggon up to Cedar Hill to hall Logs out of new ground halled 9 to Worshams & left 4 or 5 to Hall yet, we have finished planting greens in Garden,- Hester ranaway at Jacobs halling Logs with Jim but did not thank the Lord hurt any thing much, worsham is to saw the Logs into weather boarding Square edged Plank & slats to put smoke house 3 or 4 Inches wide & ¾ think [thick] to Keep out rats after its daubed the Plank we want to cover a shelter for waggon Carr^d 2 Turns 4 Bus. Corn to worsham ^{& got it}for meal

15 Hilling & Coltering at mountain fresh ground Jordan coltering new ground

16th Sunday School Commenced this day

17th I went to Court, took down all our Second rate Tobacco this morning & Pack it ready for prizing & cooped the Lugs ready to carry away- Sold Faris’s to anderson for $8 around etc to be deliv^d soon as possible went to Coltering & Hilling in evening

18th waggon & cart Halling out manure Balance Hilling at mountain, Sandy with Henry & Jordan Halling out manure — Very hard rain in evening & after it we [drea?] Tobacco Plants

19th May Planting Tobacco at mountain this morning, and it is still raining a little,- cutting off new ground Hills at Crews to day Lila helped planting Tobacco to day - Jacob got collard plant, to day 12 Oclock Still raining ^{a little} Mr Little tryed his machine to get shingles has proved a failure & they have began to day rive & draw having lost one or Two weeks projecting

20th Finished at Crews & this evening cutting off & Planting Johns Branch, & will finish there early in the morning If nothing happens then we will have planted near 50.000, being the hills we have made at this time little getting shingles to day & Fletcher — cleared of[f] windy & rather cool, —

21st Finished planting Tobacco at John’s Branch, & we have finished planting our Hills made up to this day Halling out manure & replanting Corn to day We have fine Tobacco Plants this year,- Very cool & windy Little & Fletcher getting shingles My 4 Sows that has been missing so long has come up & all got Pigs the 2 Black ones has got 8 a piece the Black Spotted one only has 4 & the Brown one has 8 making 28 in all, & a little Black sow got to have Pigs yet,- all likely, only one calf this spring Milly has a Heifer calf, – delivered Mr Faris Tobacco House Key to Mr Pig to take down as it sold to Mr Anderson for $8. pr 100 lb to be delv^d soon 22nd replanting corn, Halling out manure

22nd wagggon & Cart & finished, did not get done replanting corn, very cold weather at this time I went to Jacobs & Johns to day —

23rd I went to S.S. to Sunday School & Mr Anderson Preached for us,- quite cool & windy

24th whitsintide negroes working their Patches etc 25th Harrow flat Land for Tobacco in Lot then Beding for Tobacco after 12 Oclock

1858 June 7th Cloudy & like for Rain, foggy — — 8th Thined corn last evening plowing corn Jordan halled 2 Loads of wood 2 Loads leaves for & 1 stack Blade fodder & Turned out steers in Pasture – This morning weeding corn by malissas House Plowing Henry Coltering cotton & Irish Potatoes & Greens in Garden, I went to Pigs Jacobs & Jno Shields & Ja^s Shields to make arrangements to Carry Faris Tobacco to anderson & am to give scruggs & shields $2.50 a Load-, Plowing & weeding corn at this

9th time put out some good Tobacco to sun Nannie gone to Mrs Hunts, Sent Jordan to dig grave at Mr Neals for Robys child to day - took in Tobacco at night

10th Henry Coltering corn Jordan Sandy & claiborne throwing Dirt from corn balance weeding after Henry cloudy this morning

11th Plowing & weeding corn, I went to Riceville to Carry Faris Tobacco & delivered to anderson 2600 & some pounds as Rec^d [sh?] @8$ —

12, This morning drawing plants & replanting till it rained It began to rain about 7 or 8 oclock & Rained tremendous hard 2 or 3 hours they finished replanting Johns^s Branch, in morning & finished replanting all but Lot by alse house

13th Rained a little to day went to meeting & Sunday School. Johns children 3 of them came here, Henry complaining at this time & I gave him a dose of medicine last night

14th Raining this morning cleaning out Tobacco Barns etc Hung up our Bacon this morning Finished replanting Tobacco & thining corn

15. Plowing & weeding corn, cleared of[f] very pretty Sent Jerry to Andersons after money for Faris Tobacco & my Lugs, got no money at all