Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 9

1853 Decr 3rd Given out all the negroes their shoes, Fed alse Jordan, Henry & malissa had Blankets this year or to day – clear & fair day weather very cool Brought Filmore Home this evening, Mr Miller School Broke up last evening

7th Sent 2 Logs to yates for scantling 16 went to Mrs McCullocks after Plows etc Balance Cutting & Grubbing in new ground

8th Henry Halling 1 Log to Yates ^{for sheeting}this morning Balance Cutting Snowing this morning Haled another & then went to Mrs McC

9. Halled 2 this morning for sheeting plank & then an oak one for Box Plank & now one for Hh^d Staves, Balance Cutting in new ground very cold to day look like for snow

12 Halling Rails Round fresh ground Cutting & Grubing in new ground fine weather John D Hunt & Lady here last Saturday night. Mrs Overby Died in Charlotte as we hear on morning between 5 & 6 oclock in morning the 10th Decr 1853 Elder Plunket Preached his last Sermon on Sunday & I paid him in behalf of the Church $65–00

15th Decr Begun to Burn Plant Bed on branch above House over 20 yds square took us 3 days nearly

17th Sent Henry to Farris Mill 1 Bbl Corn & 1 Bbl wheat.

19 went to Court stayed 2 days about Decree to Divide McCullocks Est.

1853 Decr 20 & 21st Cutting wood for Plant Bed etc Sent for Steer at Mrs Hunt got from John D Hunt. 25-6 & 7th cold & fair, finished striping Our fresh ground barn Tobacco Saturday before X, Just began to ^{for Corn} Plow

29th Snowed all day yesterday, Snow about 4 Inches Deep Cate & Jacob gone to Mr Fitzgeralds Mrs Mosely & overbys 2 children here yesterday & to day. My nannie gone with her to John D Hunts. clear & cold to day —

30 Went to CH about Decree, Rained & snowed all day

31 Done but little disagreeable weather,

Jany¹⁸⁵⁴1st Snowed again shelling corn all day

2nd Halling Logs to Yates & Paid & over paid the Logs I owed him, he is to give some difference in Logs in Plank & the Oak Plank for Boxes he is to allow me 1½ $ pr Hundred I have carried 1 Large Log for that purpose —

3rd Cutting etc etc

4 Halling wood waggon & Cart, Just Hitched Our young steers to day

5 all Hands Cutting Nannie & Cate gone to Mrs Hunts & Jerry & sallie — I expect to go to D P Millers to day ¬

6 Sent to Farris Mill 2 Bbls grain & 3 D^o for chop 3 Bags Cotton Picked Hired Out McCullocks negroes

9 Snowed again 5 or 6 Inches Deep

10 Halled up Ice to day - cold weather Snow melted but little

11 Striping Tobacco wrote to my Papa Raining all day Henry bottoming

16 Cutting in new ground & Plowing

17 Raining taking down prize Barn & Striping - etc etc.

1854 Jany 28th The past week nearly the whole of week been at Mrs McCullocks with Surveyor Graves & Commissioner Dividing Land & the 7th of next is the sale & Division of the negroes of Jeremiah McCullock Dec^d we have a cold & part of the week wet, Our folks have been Cutting & striping Tobacco, Henry began to Hew down Barn but Did not finish, He is gone to mill this day to Millers 1 Bbl wheat for meal 3 Bushels of D^o for chop & 1 Bbl Corn for mean – Turned very cold last night, & is so to day

30th Halling wood waggon & Cart alse & Kitty stacking wood. Fed & Sandy Cutting, Jacob getting shingles – clear pretty weather – –

Feby 3rd Burnt^{& sewed} Plant On mountain & Covered it, Snowed a little

4th Halling wood waggon & Cart,- Turned quite Cold, went to Mrs Hunts to day

= 8 Rained nearly all day striping Tobacco nearly done prize Barn, finished yesterday Hewing down Barn nearly Burnt & sewed yesterday & the day before plant Bed in the Stash —

14 Since the 8th had sale & Division of Land & negroes at Mrs McCullock Paid E D Johns for his Int. in Jer. Eliza [?] & Elizabeth McCullock Jr Est. as refereed by Jno F. Patrick for me & Colo V. Dickinson for Mr Johns, Mr James M Fitzgerald attended to it for me Plowing for Corn malling in new ground This day striping Tobacco in prize Barn & trying to finish Raining to day 8 Lambs to this day - etc etc

23rd Febr 1854 Fencing around fresh field part of Our Hands Fed Sandy & Jordan malling Henry gone to Farris’s mill 15 Bushels wheat for flour & 6 Bushels Corn for meal — & 2 Bags Cotton to Pick etc etc — Fine weather about this time,-

24 Sent to Roll Logs at E G L. Plowing malling & halling wood, -

25 Plowing Halling wood for Mr Neal ½ day & Rails round Corn field malling & fencing etc etc

26 Rained all day long nearly Thundered quite hard & longer Branches very high Halling leaves waggon & Cart. Fed Sandy ²⁷& Jacob malling Balance with clem Raking leaves this morning clear & moderate

28 Henry is to go to CH to day for Mr Ja^s P. Lewis to carry the Miss Lewis up there Cutting & Plowing, Halled out straw

⁼¹⁸⁵⁴March 1st A Beautiful day Sandy Plowing Jordan Halling wood with cart making a part of our new ground fence Jacob & Fed malling

9th Sent to Mill Millers 6 Bushels Corn for meal. finished striping new Barn back Barn Garden

11 Plowed for Cotton & in garden sandy for corn Halling up Oats to sew Halled manure to Plant Beds & manured Beds on branch above House & at mountain My Dear Nannie Jere & Sallie gone to Mr Fitzgeralds to day, Rolled Logs yesterday to day Fed malling & chinking Log Heaps – turned cooler to day —

13 Trod out Oats to Sew Laid the balance of fence at new ground & making of it Jordan & Sandy Plowed for Corn clear fine day = Fed malling in new ground wood & Rails

14 Began to Sew Oats 3 Plows Henry halling Rails balance fencing malling etc.

15th March 1854 Sent Henry to Mr Hunts for 1110 lbs Guano fencing around Corn field Halling wood out of new ground =Sewing Oats this evening 4 Plows

16th worked On Road in the evening towards night there came up a thunder cloud & a tremendous Gust of wind Rain & Hail Blew down great deal of fencing etc etc, Doct Johns very Sick & Died

17th we are putting up fencing manuring Plant Beds in Stash, prizing Tobacco Halling out Leaves in Corn field & Halling wood with waggon till 12 then sewing Oats = 24 ever since last week have at work in new ground burning Logs etc etc Breaking up Corn ground Potatoe Patches etc etc — Sewing Guano back of Johns field for Oats this day Fed coltering in new ground alse & clem Grubing for corn Halled stack fodder this morning

27. Very Cold clear & windy ground so hard frozen one can scarcly plow sowing Oats Sewed 2 Bags Guano last week weighing 268 lbs & sewed 2 this morning weighing 274 lbs Coltering & fencing Sowing Oats 28th Sewing Oats Jordan Coltering ^28thSet clem Plowing - Fed & the balance cleaning up new ground

29th Thrashing Oats & Rye croping in new ground to Hill nearly done Sunday Oats finish to day -

April 3nd Very Cold night. Plowing for Corn Fed gone to Mill 4 Bus Corn 2 Bus. wheat & 1½ Bus. Rye, Nannie gone to Mrs Hunts,