Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1856 Novr 25th Mr Wyatt worked till Tuesday 10 Oclock about 1¼ days & then it rained & he went to the wedding balance striping Tobacco at mountain field Barn rained nearly all day

26 Striping Tobacco at mountain Barn Jacob went up to Fannies to see about measuring Corn for Henry & Sandy fixing hog pens killed sheep etc warm pleasant weather etc etc

27 Housing corn & finished & then Halled rails & began cow pen & Did not finish it, Killed Ram,- put Plank in Barn to fire, Mr Wyatt came this morning & in morning fixed gates & then him & Henry went to hewing Sills & Plates for Porch etc tolerable good day, moderate,

28th this morning striping Succors Jordan halled rails a little while in morning & then it began to rain & Rained all day — Mr Wyatt & Henry & Sandy went to hewing till 9 Oclock when it began to rain & stoped Henry & Jordan cleaned out new Barn & put some fire under Plank — still ^{at night}raining very wet & cool rain, desperate weather

29th Mr Wyatt left this morning still raining we are striping Tobacco at Mountain & fixing Hogs pens cow pen etc halling wood with cart Jordan with cart claiborne Cutting wood etc - Jerry Smith gone to Post office this morning — Rec^d a letter from My Bro John Graves Exr of my Fathers Est. etc Striped Tobacco till 12 Oclock finished cow pen Halled wood

30 Fine morning Sunday very windy last evening Fair this morning & moderate.

1856 Decemr 1st this morning fair & fine weather my wife gone to Mrs Hunts stayed all night Jacob came home Sunday but Did not finish Fannies Corn gone back this morning Mr Wyatt Came to work this evening Henry & Sandy helping him get Sills & Plates for Porch to day Fed alse & Kitty grubbing Lowry claiborne & Henry little cutting abram & Jerry Smith piling Brush. Jordan Halling wood etc = 2nd Decr. This morning raining, striping Tobacco at mountain taking down Tobacco in new prize Barn this morning. Mr Wyatt came to Breakfast & left. Abram Crewss Corn comes to 70¢ he having 3 Pecks & a half Bus. in nubbins on the husk. —

3rd Sent Jerry & Jordan to Capt Gilberts machine 2 Bags Cotton 1 42½ 1 D^o 50 lb Gross Fed alse & Kitty etc Halling leaves Mr Wyatt Henry & Sandy hewing etc

Decr 4th Jacob came home but prizing his own Tobacco & then he wants to go to Lynchg. Mr Wyatt Henry & Sandy hewed yesterday & at it this morning Fed alse & Kitty Grubing balance cutting Sent Jordan & Jerry to Faris cotton machine Cool fine weather wind does not ^{this morning}blow

5 Halled 2 Large Logs to Mr Yates for him for sawing Posts for Porch Henry Car^d 2 Bags Corn & 2½ Bushels Screan wheat for Chop Stuff - Jacob abram etc prizing Tobacco Fed & Lowry halling stacks Kitty & alse grubing claiborne & Sandy Cutting Jordan gone to Fannies to Raise Corn House

12th Jany 1857 little Henry gone to bring the horses back. had a pair of shoes put Fillmore at Dews shop & got 10¢ from my Nannie to pay for putting them on Henry went to Yates mill to day Carried 5 Bus Corn & got 2 Turns Meal, Carried another Log for Hh^d staves making 2 for Hh^ds staves Mr Wyatt came here this morning to sett up Hh^d & did not finish it

13 went to Shanks & sold his property for JD Hunt Mrs Coleman, Mr Wyatt fixed the crusher to day & finished Hh^d this morning Cutting big growth in new ground clear cold weather tho moderated a little, ground 2 Bbls Cob & corn to day etc,

14th Sent 1 One more Log to Yates for Hh^d staves making 3 there 2 Turns Corn for meal & Sent 1 Large Log to Dews for Hh^d staves Cutting big growth in new ground to day commencing Snowing about 12 oclock to day & snowed about ¾ hour & stoped still cloudy little has not come back yet Wednesday ^night

15th Cutting big growth in new ground fixed Cover for Cob Crusher this morning went to shop & had buggy mended etc, Cold day Thursday this day 15th little Henry got back from Charlotte a little in the night gone ^{4 days} We have one little lamb come some days ago

16th Last night about 3 oclock this morning we were alarmed by the Cry of Fire Peggy had caught a fire & with great difficulty we put it out Kitty & myself Kitty thought of the Pale of water & threw it on her & soon we

18th Jany 1857 we have had a dreadful night of it Peggy like dying all night Lester Coleman here Clem & Arch married etc & it commenced snowing some time in the night & this morning is Dreadfull on every living thing Peggy frequently inquires after her Miss Nancie, Snow drifted very much & I reckon Shoe deep or more — [?] Oclock, Same day Send for Doct Estes & Came about 11 Oclock & began to work On Peggy & She continued to get worse till Just before 2 she breathed her last while we were at Dinner tho Doct Gave her an injection of Castor Oil Spts Turpentine & soap Suds after she had a Passage in a few minutes She died, he also put on Blisters on her arms & ankles. etc, - she Died very Easy & Seemed to be pretty much in her senses to the last - paid Doct $2.00 Still Snowing hard wind blowing from N. E. & such a day I never saw in my life Snow has drifted very much

19th Snowed nearly all night & the Snow is about Knee deep generally & where it is drifted it is as deep as the fence & the wind has blowed the Snow all day like it was Snowing, the great= =est Snow Storm I ever saw allmost in my life. this morning & till nearly 12 Oclock we were cleaning the Snow out of our houses & dug the grave for Peggy But did not finish the coffin Mr F ^wyatt came & went to work on it about 2 Oclock in evening, done nothing also but Cut wood & make fires & feed, there was a bay mare came here yesterday Sunday in the storm

2nd Ground Hominey & Cobs for cows this evening Sent Mr Wyatt an axe ——————

3rd Tuesday another lonely night in part, I am generally distressed about Nannie, not hearing from her,- Cutting in new ground, Sent Jordan & Henry to Mill & to Mrs Hunts to hear from them If I can, Big Henry fixing fire place this morning etc, Seeding Clover Seed in Lot this morning by Garden -, Jordan has got back & no news of Bob nor any of them Lucy is like to Die at Mrs Hunts I am going over there this evening to see them Haled Out Straw this evening & wood for Mr Neale Jordan will go after he halls ^strawout Thank God when I got to Mrs Hunts this evening we found them all ^{they started from Mr overbys monday 2 stayed at Mr Roachesnight all}come from Charlotte & Nannie ^{Come from Bro Roaches by Mr Pannills home about 2 Oclock}we came On home this night;Lucy is Still alive, Sent her Some F. Brandy & whiskey —

4th Hung up Our meat 130 p^s & 20 Joles & put smoke under it, Jerry went to Mrs Hunts after their things, Lucy is Dead. Cutting in new ground, opening Lugs in new Barn Very pretty day wind from South,Im about done cutting new ground except old Logs & House Logs. —— Thank the Lord things are as well with us as it is. Nannie & Mrs Hunt & Jerry came thru mud snow & water the other side of the River Starting from Mr Overbys Monday 2nd with some diff -culties tho not serious ones they got to Bro E W Roaches Just about night stayed all night