Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 19

& the constable & several of his took him Buck & [unclear] him in May or 1st June last he ran off to Danville gone several days with a sore hand & I was fool enough to take him again & this Augt 6th & he has done not much since, only what he could with one hand the other in a sling to this day. little^Henrysick 2 weeks, Lila had a child & it died & she done but little for six weeks or more Big Henry been sick or in the house a week or more, only little Henry Mill Ann & Elvira has stuck close to business I sent for the Doct. once to see little Henry & such a time with my folks to have any thing done I never saw & Lila & Claiborne etc far from being right now. but I am bearing with them yet. [unclear 3 words]

1865 May I have had a conversation with the negroes at home after Jerry Smith went off & agreed with them to stay with me & do as they have been doing to work & attend to their business as usual & I am to cloth[e] them & feed them as usual, & all the plantation the same thing & the overseer was present there. they all agreed to attend to their busines at home as usual. JWGraves

Jerry Smith left me last April or 1st May 1865 for parts unknown to me Made a bargain & its signed here & at Aspen Grove as per agree ment dated — since that in May or June my negroes cut up very much Lila Sally Ben & Claiborne all went off 2 or 3 times. Lilas fix was such I did [unclear] any thing done with her to[?] impudent Mr. Hunt & Capt. John opposed Lila.

1865 May 29th. Made a bargain with JH Graves & myself for him to go down to Aspen Grove & he moves to day to attend with Lain the overseer & see to things there & keep together whats there & make a crop & I promise to give him the 10 part of [unclear] able corn wheat & oats for his his [sic] services & attention, as Mr. Lain is to do some work [unclear] in Plantation, finish house at Crews's[?] thats raised spoke cart wheel fix up yard etc. JWGraves

1865 May 29th Made a bargain with John R Whitehead for him to live here with me to help me attend to my businesses generally & his services & attention I am to give him to 10th pt of [unclear] corn wheat & oats for his services JWGraves