Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 15

30th Oct 1861. nearly done to night sewing wheat on Creek, finished Digging Sweet Potatoes & cutting Corn halled some wood this morning. I went to Fannies to day & agreed with Ja^s W Mitchell as her overseer

31st Finished Harrowing in wheat on Creek cleaned out Ditches & Drains for wheat sewing Tobacco ground at home sawed up Logs for Corn House cutting & Pilling or stacking corn where we are going to sew wheat at home I went Ja^s Templetons to see about his wife & children gave her some money for Bacon & went to aspen Grove Hackled some flax hitched Tom to waggon done very well

Novr 1st Sewing wheat in lower part of field towards Creek. Cutting down corn, Halled wood this morning Bushed wheat where they are plowing Picking out Cotton I went to old Place for Mrs worsham to Cut out negroes Coats & shimmeys Stayed all day Ju[s]t at night began to Rain Raining nearly all night every cold Rain,

2nd Raining this morning making Baskets & at work in shop till 12 oclock & waggon & steers halling Logs for Corn House Charles went to Chalk Level after Papers & letters,

3 We all went to Green field to meeting ^{to hear Lacy}

4th Sent Henry to Mr Millers Mill with 1 Log to pay for sawing one for slates for Granary Sent 2 Bags Cotton to Pick ^2547½ 72½ lb of cotton not including Bags Sent $1. to get Cotton for Cate, cutting & Halling wood this morning with steers

5th Had cotton machined got 1 Lot Plank for Granary inside Car^d 1 Log sewing wheat cutting down I am going to aspen Grove my wife & all gone to Fannies & Kates & I am alone Bushing wheat with Chumbly getting gate Post. I gave out 3 Bbls old Corn at aspen Grove to feed on,

1861 Novr 6th Sewing wheat & finished nearly Bushing Tremendous windy Blustering day I went to election at Strait Stone, Cutting wood in new ground

7th Mr Roland Came here to shoe make at 3/pr day, Sandy came at 12 oclock, made hog shelter Bob made scaffolds. Henry went to aspen Grove after Corn & Lamb, & 1 also for chumbly & then Halled leaves & made water furrows in wheat. I went to aspen Grove measured up over 25 Bbls in Corn House on hill for plantation & 6½ Bb^ls nubbins began to day to work in our Corn a little Sent Bob to Riceville for Bale Cotton for chumbly Bybee & Mrs worsham fine day - Doss made 1861 13 stacks Oats, 13 stacks Blade fodder, & sorry crop corn we made here 10 stacks Oats & 16 stacks fodder & corn ^good

8th Raised Corn House to day I went to Mr Hunts & clothes cut for negroes by Mrs Worsham^{pt 2 days} Mr Roland here making shoes to day & tomorrow for Mr Hunts children, wheat sewed at Plantation 39½

9th Bushels Doss says 40 Bus. wheat sewed on Creek. 10½ Halled up Boards this morning ^{Do sewed here at home 8½ _{sewed at home -}} sent 19 Jerry Smith to mill, sewing wheat & finishing pulling off corn some of them - covered Corn House & made Door to it to day. I went to grubing, Sent 2 Bushel Corn to mill for meal to day,

10th. I went to meeting & Kate —

11th Pulling ^{Miss Mary Faris came here again to work 11th monday morning} off corn till 12 Oclock & then I am going to Plantation after 12 Bus. Corn & 2½ for chumbly^{for meal} Sent Smith with Hester to Faris Chalk Level ^{Roland & Miss Mary Faris at work monday morning} & Car^d 1 Bus. wheat to grind for me, & send green to Riceville with Shoe thread back, Hester & Mr Faris Jack twice to day

12th Novr 1861 I went to John W Lewis to appraise Virginia Lewis Est Finished Pulling off Corn that Come off Creek Low grounds to day to night they began to shuck. chumbly complaining & does but little in the day Sallie complaining again with sore throat & Doct. Wooding call here to see her going home

13th Shucking corn. chumbly still sick Sent for Doct wooding to see Sally came in the night,

14th Shucking corn, wooding gone, Mr Roland & Sandy shoemaking Sally I am in hopes is better - I went to aspen Grove to day shucking corn went to old place shucking corn there - Rained a little Mr Roland done shoemaking here worked 7 days Mr Bybee has been ^{^ sick} nearly 2 months chumbly complai[ni]ng nearly all summer & fall

15th I kepted by request of President Davis as a fast day to almighty God to thank him for his Kindness to us as a Poeple & pray for a Continuance - for him to bless armies & bless us in the southern confederacy

16th measuring up corn to day here & at Plantation measured here made on Creek 45 Bb^ls & 5 Bb^ls nubbins, & measure up 48 Bb^ls old & new for plantation use at aspen Grove & put 15 Bb^ls new in Corn House on Road for us, have about 15 or 20 Bb^ls of old Corn there wooding has been here to day to see Sallie again

17th. Fine morning & we are at home to day –

18th. Sent to Mill & got 6 turns 12 bushels meal & some slab Puncheons for Corn House floor Put away Irish Potatoes Cabbage & Beets, fixed cow pen, put up short corn after fixing floor in new Corn House Bob & Sandy shoemaking.

1861 Novr 18th Sandy making Mrs Hunts Peggs shoes Bob making his own, all our negroes here had half soles. nearly – measured up at as= pen Grove 10 Bb^ls more corn in my corn house making 25 Bb^ls made this year & 5 Bb^ls nubbins to day - Mrs Hunt gone to Mrs Coleman

19th I went to Cap^t Gilberts place to Divide Land 2 days Halled up corn, Rained, done but ^little

20th clear morning Halling up corn & expect to finish I am going to Cap^t Gilberts again Sandy done shoemaking & gone home

21st Finished halling up Corn here to day & began to shucking - Put in Corn House to day here at Cedar Hill 10 Bb^ls good corn the 22nd & at aspen Grove 15 bb^ls good. 5 of which is put in shed or shelling room for overseer & put up 1½ bb^ls short corn & finished making 75 Bb^ls good & 20 Barre[l]s nubbins I went to Cap^t Gilberts to day making 4 days Dividing Land, - Raining to night when I got ^home,

23rd I went to Aspen Grove, Doss gone Killed Beef weighed about 85 to the quarter Housed all corn we had shucked here etc

24 I staid at Home Mrs Hargrave came in evening, yesterday & to day went to Mrs Colemans. Mrs Hunt went there last wednesday.

25 Shucking Corn here to day & finished shucking quite cool & Housed about 80 Bb^ls good & about 20 Bb^ls short. My white & Blacks spotted sows has 7 Pigs a p^s making 14 & the young Black wattle has ^{^ 4} Pigs but we

26th have not found her my old sow. Died Mrs Hargrave came down & carr^d Mrs. Hunt this day to Court House with her I went down to Cap^t Gilberts Sale to day & property sold very High Particular Hogs 26th 

27th I went to aspen Grove Plantation have not found Black sow ^{found her 4 Pigs 18 in _all}yet. Halling & Cutting wood with steers It took Chumbly all day to bring stack Oats home from Doves with waggon 2589 lb Pounds

28 Halled wood Cutting Chumbly & Henry Halled Fodder & Corn from Doves to day I went to Cap^t Gilberts Place to Divide negroes. they came by here after me

29th. Halling wood & Leaves to day I went to Fannies & Kates etc to day going to hall gate Post, Hall wood claiborne & little going to Mrs Pannills to shuck corn Balance may go to James Kelleys to shuck corn to come back at night

30th. sent to Mrs Pannills 2 hands to shuck Corn sent in evening to Kellys to shuck corn. etc etc etc

Decr 1st stayed at home Kate her[e]

- 2 went to Court House after Sallie Halled & cut wood in new ground to day began to Rain in evening & snowed this night

3rd I went to aspen grove put Put up Plates negro^House Shelled Corn sent 4 Bushels wheat ^{for flour}& 2 Turns Corn ½ Bb^l each Corn ^{sent ½ Bbl corn from same for chumbly-} for ourselves for meal overseer & Bob working on shelter for steers & Gate, to day - let Miss Mary Faris have 3½ Bus-^wheat

4th. Finished Gates & Put up Bars, - Riving Boards for steer House, - Mary Faris gone Home & finished Cloth.

5th Stayed at home to day fixing Gates made 1 new, put up bars cut & Halled wood.

6th I went to Bro. Gilberts, covered steer stable Put up some Turnips for seed covered Turnip Patch, Cutting in new ground & Halling wood Sent Henry to Mr Millers mill with Log to pay for Sawing Plank for Granary, have 1 Long there