Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 13

Halling wood, Claiborne Jointed some shingles Chumney & Jerry Smith at work on Kitchen Raining before night regularly – little Henry in House not much the matter tho taking Physic, I stayed at home all day

2nd Rained all night Raining this morning hard taking down tobacco in new prize Barn little Henry & his mammy in house Tobacco not hight enough to take down Just done to strip, did not get down any Rained all day Just about night,

3rd looked like clearing off sometimes to day toward evening cloudy & began to rain, & about 10 oclock in the night sunday began to snow sent for Doct AW Thompson for Betsy at JD Hunts place

4th. This morning snow about 3 Inches Deep not very cold, going to hang up Our meat to day – Doct A.W.T. staid all night This day is Election Day for members to convention at Richmond, Hung up 139 p^s Bacon & 23 Joles, getting & halling wood, I went to Election & left my Bundle Papers, & sent Henry for them to night, Jerry I reckon took them out when he took out some apples & chestnuts. got my Papers Henry got back at 12 oclock

5. Cutting & hewing Granary work on Kitchen Halled up stack Oats & 1 stack fodder I went to Plantation in evening

6th. Finished shingling Kitchen & Granary Logs & Halled leaves all day nearly – Bob came this morning from CH

7th Bob gone to shop, fixing Kitchen this morning

1861 Feby 7th. Sent Claiborne to Allen Scruggs to Roll Logs. overseer Harry & Smith getting Rafters for Carriage house & Granary & Henry began to halled wood, but the wind blew so hard, like blowing every thing away I thought it was dangerous & stoped him, I sent for my Boar at Adams & got him got all now. This morning I swapted Jim off with W^m Shields. & got $20 to Boot & got a large Bay Horse called Ball, said to be 12 yrs old, Sheriff Witcher here to night,-

8th This morning Cutting & Halling wood,- John come at 12 oclock to fix Kitchen chimney Balance working at new ground I went to Plantation to measure Ditch & sent my note to Elder J. Hubbard for Ditching for $24.85 to be paid shortly. -

9th I went to meeting. got Robin shod behind had wheat ground for Henry - - Our hands at work in new ground

10th cloudy & like for Rain, Nannie & Fannie went to meeting at S.S. I staid at home

11th. It has been cloudy & Rained a little during the evening, overseer & Claiborne went to Aspen Grove to burn Plant Bed. Bob here to day fixed Kitchen & well & then went to malling new ground on road & Henry & Smith halled manure out of Plant Bed & put it on Corn field, [Geo.] Mr Y Miller & D Logan here to day Nannie steptoe etc. here also, Logan & Miller came to buy Cider

12th I went to Yates shop got Ball shod before new shoes old nailed on behind, went to aspen Grove Carried Seeds Tobacco etc to sew on Bed Burnt yesterday p^t ours on road next to Lewis our folks malled till 12 Oclock then fixed to burn plant Bed in woods Harry Plowing for Corn, took down some Tobacco

In prize Barn this morning & covered it this evening, fine weather to day —

13th. Burning plant Bed in woods left hand side of Road to day. Bob here, finished it except Sewing & fencing & covering, put [Him] manure & Guano on it,- cloudy this evening -

14 Bob gone after Mrs Hunt Nannie gone to Mrs Colemans & Dawsons, Fencing Plant Bed & sewed it & covered Harry plowing with new Two Horses for Corn, - Sewed clover seed here & at aspen Grove at this time,

15. Burnt Plant Bed at aspen Grove yester day,- Rained on it last night, Killed Hog down there & salted it to day we are malling & carried 2 Turns Corn for us & got one from mill, Chumney sent 1 & got it. Cleared off Mrs Hunt not come yet. I went to old place & Sam^l worsham this evening also - -

16 Burning plant Bed here on road, Rained in evening, & caught it not finished - Rained & & hailed & wind blew hard, Thundered & lightened & very disagreeable evening indeed —.

17th I started to court Jerry stayed all night

18. Come back from Court, cut malled & halled wood to day & began new ground fence

19th Finished planted Bed & Sewed it on the road & malled & put up new ground fence & halled Boards to Cider House & Barn — snowed this day

20th Rained last night. Cleared of[f] this morning Plowing & Covering Cider House etc Cutting & malled pine wood. Mr Geo. Pannill here;

21st Went to aspen Grove made 2 pr plow lines then went to mount airy, our folks fixed & chinked Cider House Cutting & malling Plowed till Dinner Bob here, very windy Cool day –

1861 Feby 21st [Bought] of Mr Geo. Pannill 59 acres of Land including Low grounds on Creek, to be paid for as viz For the 59. acres $750. ½ to be paid in 12 m^os. & the other ½ If not paid to Carry In^t. from 22nd Mar. 1862 till paid, Mr Waller (Hampton) to make a Deed in fee for it when money p^d. to Mr P, paid 22nd Feby 1861 on said contract $1.00 pRec^t

22nd Fix water gates on Creek Land bought of Mr. Pannill Plowing Cutting to day - Drawed of Cider 5 Bb^ls. at Mr Hunts place

22nd.23 Sent to Chalk after Papers & letters & to mill

24^{Plowing & in new ground till began to rain} then striping Tobacco till night

24 went to Prayer meeting - cold day

25 been Hunting my Big white & spotted sow Cant find her, been missing 3 days fixed Cart body plows. raking in new ground Henry plowing for Corn balance in new ground cutting malling, Bob this evening digging holes to move bee House

26 Halled up 2 stacks to sew & thrashing out moved Bee House, planting I[rish] Potatoes by smoke House, Plowing Garden, Halled up stack fodder to day, Bled Ball sent to shop 1 Large dleaver to mend. plow Plate for new Plow 2 [St. ]Hoes to Lay & steel & steel to work 10 lbs I reckon - looks likely for Rain to - night

28. Cutting & malling, Halling Rails. Plowing – fine weather - about this time, –

March 1st Mr Barksdale here last night & we settled to this day, Cutting malling & Halling wood to day Claiborne gone to Mr Blanks to roll Logs, sent Charles to Aspen Grove carried Jordan & Abram ½ soles & Cap. for shoes & Coller & back band for Molley, Sent Smith to Chalk Level to -^day Winding out Oats measured up 30½ Bus.

14¹³th March 1861. I have ^^been to Charlotte Richmond & Louisa Lynchg & got back this day our folks has been working in new ground coltering on road, etc Just been to sew oats here this day my wife sent to [smudged] Mrs Cole

& Mrs Johns & Scared about something etc etc

14th Sent Bob ^^{& claiborne} to old place to Roll Logs Sewing Oats, fencing here to day — Raining a little Sewing Oats, burning Brush etc Fencing in early part of day

15th Sewing Oats & fencing, Nannie & me went up to Mr Moses to day & settled with them & Jacob P. about my trip to Louisa, etc - & they gave me my commission to buy me a horse ^{altho I offered to give it to them}etc I gave Mr Moses my horse Ball I got from W^m Shields; expect to Roll Logs at aspen grove tomorrow; very good weather

16h All hands but Smith & Charles went to aspen Grove to Roll, & I went too & it will push them to get done sent Phil to shop by Pal Smith went to Mill & Chalk Level, clem piling Brush & trash

17th Rained all day I staid at home Fannie W Fitzgerald here cool rain

18th cloudy & like for Rain, Halled up stack Fodder & Oats this morning - very cool 15 or 16 Lambs at Plantation, one stole last Friday night or day did not ^{that is did not finish}roll all the Logs. It began to snow a little about 10 or 11 Oclock & by 12 It Snowed very fast till late in the evening 3 or 4 Inches Deep & real winters day. We halled up 1 stack fodder & 1 stack Oats & began to Hall wood till evening then went to striping Tobacco it has been cold ever since Friday - work in new some this morning

19th Striping Tobacco to day halled up 1 Load dry wood, finished all the Tobacco we had down I went to Mr Hunts Place to have spring branch Ditched We have sent 2 hands to Mr Hunts place to Roll Logs 1 hand to Blanks’s 1 to Allen Scruggs 1 to whitehead & 5 to aspen Grove to roll this spring - snow till [faded] to day - & 1 to Ja^s Kelleys to Roll