Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 8

1850 Sept 28th Sent Henry to saw & Grass Mill 2 Bus. Corn & 2 Logs one for square edge Plank the other for Gates into Laths clear fine day weather warm

29th went to Doct Ch^s E Millers Funeral at H Anderson Fine Day - good many poeple—

30th Halling up Tobacco from new ground to prize Barn had that full from new ground & ^over80 sticks

Oct 1st. Halling Tobacco from fresh ground to new Barn got that over half full first cutting worming & succoring over all we have stacked all our Blade fodder last night

2nd Firing Tobacco Halling Tops from fresh ground to feed on, worming & ^{lot by new Barn}succoring in Cutting Buck^wheat to day - where we want ^{our tops}to stack

3 Finishing firing prize Barn & quit in new Barn. Clear & Cool this Day

4th Cutting over Tobacco again --

5 Halling Rails Poles & forks for Stack frame Stacked Buck wheat Diging Irish Potatoes etc etc etc

7&^th8 Cutting Tobacco stacking Tops pulling late fodder, Halling up Tobacco etc

10th Car^d Cider to Mr Lewis s to Still Hanging Tobacco Tying fodder & Halling up Tobacco about this time finished Cutting Tobacco yesterday Clear & warm at this time

22nd Have been cutting Tobacco, been to Lynchg with a Load of wheat etc etc etc. Since the 10th its now clear & fine weather, went to Court stayed 2 days

23 Harry came Here monday morning & Fed went to Mr Hodnetts in his place -- getting plates Joist & Rafters for Henry’ House began to throw down Hills in big second yrs ground for wheat etc

1850 Oct 23 Hanging Our last Tobacco John came this morning & I sent him to Mr Hodnetts to take Federicks place, — I am to give Lester Coleman $5. or $6. a month^{for John} Mr Lewis taken sick the 17th of this month had 2 Docts Thompson & Walkup with him & lingered 10 days & Died with Gravel — On the 27th at one Oclock in night, he Died without moving his hand or foot —

28th ^{Mr Lewis} Buried this day a little after 12 oclock we are sewing wheat & Harry is at work on Henrys House & overseers —Henry is Halling wood, weather clear & cool we have gathered about 20 Bbls corn Out of fresh field —————

29. Sewing wheat, fixing to raise Houses for ^{& Henry}overseer

30. Sewing wheat & finished fresh ground ^{Sewed 7½ Bus there} this morning Raised Houses & sewing wheat choping around stumps

31. Digging Sweet Potatoes at work on Houses Beautiful Weather about this time —

Novr 6th Harry still here Fed shoemaking 3 Plows Sewing wheat, alse & chaps choping down corn in Tobacco Lot by Top stack to sew, wheat there weather fair & mild Henry gone to Mrs Colemans to Help raise corn house

=7th novr. Sent Henry to mill this morning 4 Bus. corn, & get my own sheeting Plank there & also wrote an order for $1.50 worth cheap sheeting Plank. Fed shoemaking, 3 Plows Sewing wheat alse getting out Buck wheat Harry laying upper floor for overseers House cloudy & like for Rain this morning

11. John Coleman worked at Colo. Smiths 2 weeks & 4th days & 2 days for me making 3 weeks in all, Fed shoemaking been sawing shingle Blocks to day Lila & Jane spining. alse raking leaves etc etc.

1850 Sept 9th Rained we were Plowing, ^{& Hilling} up our tobacco by new Barn & Rain stoped us Fanned Out Wheat & shelled corn Rained nearly all night

10. worming & succoring & toping Our Tobacco cloudy & like for Rain ———

11 Pulling Fodder in Johns’s field till 12 Oclock & then finishing Hilling up lot by new Barn — tying up fodder in evening

12 Sold W^m Waller A p^s Land supposed to be over 100 acres to be surveyed^shortly by next to Mrs Hunts for 3$ pr acre $100 to be paid next June 1851 & then from 1st June one & 2 years for Balance, to be settled as soon as surveyed.

13. worming & succoring new ground Tob^a & Covering Barn there — etc etc

14th Sent to saw mill waggon & Cart 3 Logs 1 Long & 1 short. both, to be sawed into squared Edged Plank[s] 3 Bushels wheat for negroes & 1½ Bushels sent for flour, 1 Bushel of which got of Mr Neal who made 17 Bus. ½ Bushel of mine own crop toping over new ground to day wormed & succored ^alsoit & Covered our Barn ourselves this day —

⁼15. Rained in evening did not go to ^{at Rices}meeting

16. Rained in morning cleared off in evening Succoring & worming Tobacco at House Some spining Fed making Cates shoes,-

17. clear & cool Toping & worming & succoring ^{all over}Tobacco not Hardly half done Pulling fodder yet & not cut a Plant of Tobacco Pulling fodder in Johns’s field this –

18th Pulled fodder till evening & then so cloudy & like for Rain we stoped wormed some Tobacco & toped some & cut fresh ground tops

19 Pulling fodder, Put sheep in lot this morning I went to Mrs Colemans’ to see about her Bay stand stole clear & warm my wife gone to Mr JD Hunts. & a day or Two ago went to Mrs Hunts

20th Sept 1850 yesterday it rained & did not stop till sometime in the night, most all & in fact all caught in rain we have pulled. I never saw such a time about saving Blade fodder in my life, we have not put up a stack yet & have none good & nearly done pulling tho dampest fall I ever saw & also latter part of the summer — Clear this morning Cutting tops Henry carried in cart Tobacco sticks to new ground from prize Barn my wife did not get back last night

21st Cutting tops Tying up & Blades stacking etc to day clear put up 3 stacks Blades last night

23rd clear morning - fine on Tobacco — Began to Cut Tobacco at mountain field this morning Put up 4 or 5 stacks Blade fodder & expect to put up several more to night, in Johns field not quite done cutting tops in Johns field, have old ready & next to Orchard to put & cut tops yet,

24th Stack our Blade fodder thats pulled 9 stacks Finished cutting over new ground Tobacco to day 4 scaffolds upwards of 1000 stacks there,

25 cutting to day in little & big second yrs ground my wife & Cate gone to Mr. Fitzgeralds,

26 Did not quite finished cutting over once Finished this morning Pulled Down all our Blade fodder to day clear warm weather

27 Cutting Tops & shocking them to day — Henry gone to mill 1 Long Hart Log for flooring Plank carried ½ Bbl corn, & we have Rec^d the Plank for the 1st Long Log we carr[i]ed but have [not] got any the short ones yet

28th Getting up apples for Vinegar Shocking Tops Tying up Blades & finishing fodder to day except stacking Turn back as I skiped 2 pages

1850 Novr 19th Halling up Corn yesterday & to day I have Just got from CH likely for Rain -

24th we have been getting up & Housing corn this week & not done getting where there was no wheat sewed Rained 2 days this week — John Coleman worked here this week making 1 week more one month in all Lila & Malissa & Clem has Blankets this winter Raining this evening

Novr 25. Give to Mr Fitzgerald & Fanny White Tom Perry we are Putting up our Greens & Halling wood etc clear fine day —— Capt Fitzgerald got fountain out of Jail in Montgom^{ery CH}

30 Finished our corn this morning Halling wood Fed Shoemaking Rained hard last night made about 120 or 130 Barrels in all warm weather about this time — Jordan gone to mill Expect to send^{this evening} Henry

1st Decemr. 1850 clear in morning cloudy in evening I went to Mrs Colemans & Mrs Hunts —

==2nd Mr Owen came here to help about ^Houseoverseer Mr Tucker came to shingle it cloudy all day

3rd Both here shingling overseers House Henry Jointing shingles cloudy all day – Federick & alse Halling up stalks 2 days Balance Fanning out wheat & Buck wheat made 123 Bus. good wheat & 17 Bus. screan [tolled?] to be sent to Capt Gilberts mill is 6½ Bushels good wheat including Mr Neals, & nearly 1 Bus screan,

7th It has been raining & quite cool nearly all this week Thursday night Friday & Friday night it rained very hard indeed still cloudy & Raining Owen left yesterday evening — Began to strip Tobacco in middle Barn making up Farm Pen & shelters to day Building overseers House chimney about this time