Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1853 Feby 3rd alse got out this morning Henry Pidling about House yet my wife gone to Mr. Lewis’s & David Millers, We are cutting Big growth & expect to get done awhile before night, Jordan halling wood,- Fine weather indeed, moderate; Fixed yesterday to take down prize Barn Tobacco Sent Jerry to store after [P?] etc

4th Finished Cutting this day & have Burnt 4 Plant Beds, Jordan Plowing to day Fed Halling up Balance of stalks off wheat, expect one or Two to go to malling & some to shrubing Corn Land – Jacob gone after Catharine Spiller at Mr Fitzgeralds, been there 3 or 4 weeks

5th Raining this morning, Finishing cutting & Halling up corn stalks out of wheat, alse & Henry yet in house; striping tobacco in middle Barn & Expect to finished there to day & then for striping in prize Barn — Weather warm, my Boar gone for a week,

6th Very warm & Raining, Just did stripe Tobacco in middle Barn, & Packed down Lugs & Hung the good & second yesterday – Raining nearly all the^day

7 cloudy & like for Rain took down nearly all the prize Barn of Tobacco & striped some there & finished striped new Barn back of Garden,- Halled one Load from mountain to overseers House to Striped moderate weather, Hung up meat Saturday last –

8th my wife & Cate gone to J D Hunts visiting Malissa & Kitty grubing Corn Land Johns field Killed Beef & veal this morning. Jordan Plowing up Irish Potatoe Patch, Fed Jacob & sandy malling Halled out straw Halled leaves etc etc etc – Planted Irish Potatoe Patch in cow pen

9th Sent to mill to day 4 Bus wheat for fine flour 7½ Bushels corn for mean covered Irish Potatoe Patch with leaves.

1853 March 6th On Friday last it snowed Smartly till 10 Oclock we were striping Tobacco We have had only 3 Small Snows this winter no Lambs or calves yet – still very cold Jacob & Cate gone to Rices to day Halled wood yesterday ½ day – —

7 Plowing till 12 Oclock then trod out oats cutting down stacks malling & cutting wood in new ground - fine weather — Sent alse to Shop with Plow —

8 Treading out 2 stacks oats more to day Plowed this morning making new ground fence & malling wood & Rails like for Rain weather moderate

9th Halled Rails around Corn field fence finished new ground fence & sent to shop

10th upset fair part of fence next to Mr E. Lewis malled Piled wood etc Began to sew Oats, sewed nearly 5 Bus. Cate & myself went to Mrs Thompsons Henry & Fed sawed shingles Blocks Prizing Hh^d Lugs this day etc —

11th Rained this morning put manure on Plant Bed above House prizing Lugs got Hh^d about full, striping Tobacco Rolled some of our Logs this evening 5 Heaps the other side of Johns Branch,- cleared off

12th Turned Out Hh^d Lugs Sewed Oats Halled wood Run fence at Tobacco Lot, cut stalks & Raked Some fine day – – –

13 Went to meeting at S. Stone fine day

14th Sewed Oats malled & Cut Corn Stalks etc

15 Sent Henry to D Millers to Roll Logs Sewing Oats, & working in Garden Planted onions Potatoes & Peas, etc -

16 Halled wood Plowing for oats etc Set up Hogh^d to day upsetting Tobacco Lot fence fine weather Fanny while here

23rd June¹⁸⁵³ Federick Out this morning cutting our Fresh ground wheat to day nearly done in Lot cut some in Lot this morning, cloudy & Hot Abraham Crews cutting to day 2nd Day

24th Cutting wheat in fresh ground at mountain

25th Cutting at home next to middle barn & finished in evening, We have hired abram Crews 3 days in Harvest @ 3/- & David Millers young Charles a little over 1½ days,- & Jacob has cut nearly all Harvest ever since last ^{say 3½ or 4 days}monday Jordan Sandy & Lowry had measles this week & clai too tho he got out this morning, no rain yet very & cool this morning tho the first of this was very Hot weat. Cate home yesterday from Doct Thompson I sent for ^her Nannie & Cate gone to David P. Millers this evening

29th very Hot & Dry weather, looks like the sun will search every thing on the ground We are Cutting Our Oats this week had Mr McHaneys Phil 2 Days,- nearly done Cutting out oats got some to cut at Mr Neals

July 2nd Halling up wheat yesterday & to day halling now from fresh ground weeding Second years Tobacco Land Jordan & sandy ^{Mrs McCullock Died this}Laying by Corn in Johns s field - very dry & tremendous Hot -

3rd July Mrs McCullock Died this day about 3 Oclock Cate ^gone to Mr F. this day

4 Mrs McCullocks Funeral Preached by Mr Hurt great many People buri[e]d about 5 Oclock this day

5 Halling up wheat & choping in Tobacco above House fresh ground

1853 Sept 20th Nannie & Sallie gone to Mr F. this morning in Rain 21st Cutting tops & working In Fodder to day

22, Henry gone to D P Millers to raise barn make ready to cut tobacco worming & succoring third Thirds Ground cloudy & like for Rain —

24 Began to Cut tobacco in new ground Yesterday cutting to day & yesterday all Finished Fodder except Tops fine weather

26. Housing^{new ground} Tobacco in Prize Barn Fair fine weather, worming & succoring –

28th Peter Died yesterday Buck, Sometime ago Brown another young steer sick with Postul lost 8 Cows Heifers Steers etc- to this day had to stop halling Rocks for under Pening of Barn on a/c of Browns being sick worming & succoring second yrs ground Skinning Logs for Tren Poles in Barn gather= =ing Peas Cotton etc etc

29th Raised Our prize Barn on Road Brown Died, wormed & succored over thirds yrs ground

30 Lost 10 Head cattle in 12 months all my work steers but one young one Cutting Tobacco in Second yr ground to day Some frost last night, one of our Hogs Dead Ann & alse came to me yesterday morning very soon to go with them home but was raising my barn & Capt E. Fitzg went

Oct 7th We have stack Our Tops worming & succoring Cutting & Housing Tobacco we have filled prize Barn new Barn at fresh ground & new Barn back of Garden have Cut upwards of 3500 Stacks & a good deal standing in Lot & fresh ground yet wrote to Pallison Boxley this morning & sent to Doct Whites Mill 10 Bushel Corn for meal when Capt Fitzgerald carr^d Ann & alse home arch ran away next morning

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.