Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 2

1845 June 28th. Mr. Johnson is this day finishing off the Comb of Brick House which Moon & Irby half done. Mr Johnson says he thought they knew how to comb off a House better than they did mine - he took off 4 Courses of shingles & is putting on 4 to stop the leak which is owing to bad shingling. The valley boards between old House & passage which Moon & Irby put up & the weather boarding on passage is taken off & done over by Mr Johnson, who says they were no valley boards at all merely a little thin piece of plank put under the shingles with a little groove on it which is not worth a cent — Chopping over corn this day on mountain Sewed turnips in garden about 26th or 27th Inst.

30. Halling up wheat, finishing laying by corn with plows this day -

July 3 Worked out Tobacco on Branch near house, began to Top tobacco Mr Murphys Nat Spencer & 2 white began to Plaster House or getting lathes this morning, began to cut oats 2nd July

3rd cutting oats tho cloudy & like for rain

1845 July 4. Cutting oats & Plasterers & work man here, Mr Johnson making Door to old House in passage up stairs. Plasterers finishing getting lathes this day

12 Plasterers finished off Dining room & have got one coat all over House Finished this day chopping our corn & Harrowed over mountain field & now Harrowing at Stony Point Weather tremendous dry & Hot & have had no rain for 3 weeks corn looks badly & everything else - in fact it looks like it will dye --

23rd Plasturers finished Plastering our House last Saturday 21st July 1845 then they were nearly two days & ½ about Two chimneys, weather very dry & Hot & windy equal to 1838. there will be not be anything made this year

26 still very dry & weather somewhat cool, cloudy yesterday & last night & little mist Rain but none to do any good, & the whole country dry allmost every where, never has been such a time Known by the oldest settlers; at the Baptist churches there has been fast days for

the Lord to bless with spiritual & temporal blessings. Yesterday it was at Strait Stone meeting house etc etc etc

28th. Still very dry & Cool. Streams all drying up Camp branch along the road by Mrs Smith dry & allmost dusty - a little water above in a whole — — — John McHany Died last July 1845. this year year is another sort worse than 1838 because the Draught is so much more extensive, & no oats hardly made & the most remarkable year ever Known its now July & the ground has not been really wet since 1st March last — 1845 1845

30 Some showers around us but none here - wind has been from NW more or less for a week or 10 days & very drying Corn all vegetables etc drying, Serious times, Treading out wheat and Grubing on branch never was so bad a prospect for corn it has now sold for five Dolls pb^l Poeple very sickly about Leesville & in charlotte. Colley Bradley Died last July

aug. 1st. Rained & Hailed about 4 Oclock in the evening a little shower about 12 Oclock last night or Rather this morning about 2 Oclock - the Hardest Rain I ever heard fall but one, 1836.

1845 August 2nd - Another shower Rain We are pulling up fence where the ^windwind Blew down last night, & toping Tobacco & Expect to Sew Turnip Patch this evening - put up steps at chamber doder^door this Branch Camp branch So called as high as I ever saw it in my life

3 good showers Rain about here today

4. Sun shng shining grubing & cutting on Branch, Halling manure to turnip Patch & Rails for Hog Pen

6th Yesterday Rained moderate and we Rep =lanted the Lot at Lilas House & the granary Lot & began to Hill up Lots & new ground - Fed shoemaking Henry cutting on branch alse breaking flax Phil gone to shop

9th. Hilling up new ground Tobacco Plowing Greens in Garden

18th. The weather has generally been seasonable since the 1st August. Working Out Garden this morning. Went to Lynchburg 13th & 14 to get Paints to Pain[t] House,-

21. Rains every night or day & sometimes both machine got out Mrs. Hunts, wheat woodings machine Wrote to Mr Taylor Painter to come the 15th & do our work.

1845 August 20th. Raised barn at new ground this day 22nd Henry this day gone to Doct Whites Mill with wheat corn & a stack & is to bring my Palings Home Fed sick yesterday & day before — Succoring & toping Tobacco this day

26th Picking Turnip Patch & finished Hilling up Lot at Henrys house My wife son Jerry & nurse Ann started from home on yesterday Sunday to go to Charlott cty V^a on a visit to Mr Overbys & Moseleys with Mrs Hunt - Fanny White sick - fine rain yesterday Sunday

Monday ²⁵26th. Clear fine day for travelling

Tuesday 26. clear fine morning Grubing & Phil cutting Henry & Fed gone to Mr L to raise houses — —

27. cutting on Branch & grubbing Mr Lewis spayed 14 shoats & cut six & Turned out 2 young sows & 1 boar Mrs Scrugs put cloth in the loom - My wife did not start to Charlott till Tuesday morning & Pleasant came here same day about 12 & stayed till next evening making ladden etc etc

28th Grubbing & cutting Henry getting slab timber I went to Jno D Hunts & Mrs Hunts, my dear Nanny been gone ever since last Sunday to charlotte, — time seems long

29 Topping succoring and worming Tobacco today - started a letter to Colo Smith about over our