Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1858 Decr 14th I went to Capt Fitzgeralds for Fannie to day but did not see him went to Aspen Grove, wrote for Bro. Yates nearly ½ the day, gave out Malissa 1½ Bus meal & a p^s Bacon, Cothran striping Tobacco in new prize Barn, Halled leaves in evening sent Buck to Mill with 2½ Bus. wheat for him & let Miss Neals have 2 Bushels — Has not rained to day but cloudy —

15 Rained nearly all day some Striped Tobacco & went to Worsham saw mill

16_ Chumbly & Cothran here to day Mr Cothran Came about 12 or one at work on his overseers House Henry Halling Rocks Planks & p^s Brick from Mr Hunts that he gave me

17th Mr Cothran & Chumbly are here at work On Overseers house, Mr Cothran spayed & marked my shoats here except one sow shoat got out, fine weather, Halled some plank from Mill, & owe Worsham for sawing a little & nailing on 2 pr s & shoes

18 All here at work on overseers house & finished about night Henry halled 2 Loads of wood about night,- at aspen Grove Fed & Buck halling leaves fixing shelters etc --

19th Sunday likely for Rain or snow this morning Clem Come home a little in the night,-

20th Sunday likely for Rain Monday I got up at 5 Oclock in morning & Raining stop about light & I went to Court rained several times in day I got back a little in the night Rained hard about night Kitty began to shrub orchard Claiborne & Henry Cutting wood etc, down at aspen Grove building Cothrans chimney -

21st All at some work here & at aspen Grove, I went to Division at Mrs Hunts Rained some & very windy - Mr Cothran House got on fire sunday morning & burnt smartly at top from bad chimney,- & monday morning sent Henry down there with [Planks] to Repair & finish chimney - etc etc

22. Sent Jerry down to aspen Grove he gave out a Bushels mean,- I went to Mrs Hunts sale, bot a Cow, out stack etc chumbly moved up here this morning,- Henry & waggon here now lowry went back, with cart,- I dont know what they are at down at Aspen Grove,- at work in new ground & moving Kitchen to Cothrans & putting it up

23rd Killed our Hogs here. Halling wood etc. fixing stables etc etc — At aspen Grove Cothran, is finishing his Kitchen chimney daubing etc - etc — Pretty weather at this time, yesterday we halled a Load of Oats bot at Mrs Hunts & some other things to day Lowry bro^t our Turkey from aspen Grove — — I was there, etc

24th I was at aspen Grove the day before give out meal flour & meat till wednes=day next —

25. at home all day - -

26 Sunday at home all day read to Negroes Christmas day & Sunday too.

27. Claiborne at home plowing Mrs Chumbly ^{in apple orchard}got my horse gone to her Fathers Sent Henry to Vaughans & then to Mount Airy, Big Henry gone down to aspen Grove getting shingles I am at home Jacob has not staid at home more than 2 or 3 nights in a fortnight he is at Johns Mrs Colemans & Mounts Airy etc etc.

1858 Decr 27th Beautiful weather this morning Cleared of[f] fair & moderate -

28th Claiborne Plowing making 2 days. Jordan & Lowry cutting Logs for Henry House & a shop in evening filling up gully & making bridge, Henry down at aspen grove getting shingles, etc

29th Claiborne Still plowing Henry getting shingles, Sent meat by Jordan to plantation this morning -, - cloudy & like for Rain Nannie Sallie & Jerry at Mr Hunts.

-30 Claiborne - Henry etc Halling leaves till 12 Oclock began to work this morning Rained a little I went to Plantation overseer fixing shingles awhile in morning & then they all striping Tobacco here & at aspen Grove —

31 Rained Striping Tobacco at both places -- Rained all —

Janry 1st 1859 Raining all morning striping Tobacco Mrs Hunts & Mrs Hargrave here, - striped Tobacco till 12 Oclock & then halled wood, fixing shingles etc

Sunday 2nd Janry cloudy & I went down to aspen Grove & stayed all night —

3rd Killed Hogs down there, & deliv^d Mr Cothran his part as overseer Henry Carried Kitty down there, cutting wood here, & after Killing Hogs Lowry went to mill from there carried 10 Bushels Corn for meal 7½ to Come here & 2½ for a standing Turn for aspen Grove they down there went to work at new ground Henry bro^t Balance Pork home & then halled wood, at night we salted it up,Mr Chumbley fixing shingles for smoke house

1859 Janry 11th Halled Rails around Corn field fence, etc fixing at aspen Grove to burn a plant Bed tomorrow morning Carried a Milch Cow from here last Monday morning Still cold weather

12 & 13th Burnt 2 Plant Beds here & sewed them on Road, Mrs Hunt stayed here 2 days & quite unwell with head ach Fannie & Kate Came down yesterday weather moderated —

14 Raining this morning fix up bellows etc in shop, striping Tobacco - got our plant Bed Caught yesterday -

15 Finishing plant Beds this morning Halled up Stack fodder Plowing in Peach orchard trimed up the trees & Hewing Logs for Henry’s House Cothran is at work in Tobacco

16 Went Court House car^d Jerry to live with Mr Hargrave, Bot 19 yd mouslin for Cate & Nannie & 1 yd Jeans for triming paid Hargrave for Jacob $7.00, Plowing here & shingling smoke House, Nannie Kate came home Sunday evening & taken sick —

18. Same work nannie sick yet — yester =day cold & windy - to day fine weather

19th Shingling smoke & Plowing Peach or chard - fine weather

20. Burnt Plant in Partnership at aspen Grove on Road, 30 by 16 — Bro From there clock Potatoes chaff etc Mr Chumny covered little House —

21st began to Hall - wood etc & then Rained & we went to striped Tobacco, warm Rain —

21st Janry¹⁸⁵⁹ Kate & Mr Dallas gone up To Fannies Mr Dallas gone on to Mount Calvery to Bro Masons meeting & I sent Bro. Mason $20 Collected of Bro Hunt by Mr Dallas - In the evening I went to See Bro. Hunt who is sick, & while there it began to lighten I started for home rode very fast Just as I got to my stable it began to Rain & the wind blew & caught me in stable & such a Tornado I never Saw, blew off the Top of our chimny Fodder Stack of Tops & blew one Blade Stack all over the field & some in the woods & nearly all of fence from last years ground on by spring next to House blew Top off Rhodas House part of Henrys & clems 6 or 8 Trees in yard blowed down & shingles off Kitchen & Granary & some boards off stable, one Barn of clements & all of Mr Kelleys Oats stacks down, & like to have Turn Ours over Charles allen got caught Coming from Spring lost his Piggin one shoe & his Hat, & he said the wind liked to have carried him away - all of Our hands from aspen Grove & overseer & nearly all of Bro Hunts helping us fix up the fence cover the houses are here to day & will not get done I fear but Thanks be to God none of our lives are lost,-

22nd Fencing pulling up fodder stack etc etc all day had about 25 hands covered houses etc

23rd cool day -

24 went to aspen Grove, our folks cutting up Trees in yard Halling wood etc Mr Chumb went to Mount Airy to day