Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1856 Jany 21 Have been to Sale at Fannies 15th there nearly all the week very disagreeable weather under foot tolerable over head till Saturday night it began to Snow again & Snowed all day Sunday & till in the night this is 3 weeks in succession it has snowed very deep Snows, this last one nearly as deep as any I went to meeting Saturday, — very disagreeable weather for Pigs Lambs & [e]very thing else,- we are doing but little to day Jacob is at Mr overbys & has been since the 5th Inst = lost some pigs chickens & Lambs

22nd Another very Cold day & we are doing little or nothing but feed & make fires, very Cold & wind high from N W. & cold enough to freeze any thing almost, lost 2 more pigs at House,- - Snow melts but little any where Chip Came this evening to start to Mr Overby & for Jacob to Come home but the weather is so disagreeable I would ^not let him go = 23rd weather moderate a little halled up some wood & halled one waggon Load of wood for Mr Neal 1 little Lamb living yet all my pigs Dead but 7 in the woods We have Fannies Blackey here trying to break her to the waggon & Henry Clay up there Since about 10 or 15 Jany Inst. This day I wrote to Emond D Johns some time before X & this day I wrote to Dan^l R Hunt Rich^d & John Graves Green city V^a Ruckersville P.O 24th clear & cold Halled up a little wood worked Blackey & Pompey She done only tolerable one more Lamb Dead, we have put all our Pigs in a pen here at the house to try & save them, -

26 Halled wood for ourselves & Halled ½ day for Miss Neals, weather Cold & like for snow, Rough sure enough

1856 May 15th Henry & Jordan Coltering on Johns s Branch for Tobacco - Cleared off Milly had a fine Heifer Calf about this time, Hilling at stony pint Coltering & fixing Johns’s Branch to Hill Sandy Harrowing^{& fixing} Corn

16th Plowing Beding & Hilling On Branch this morning we took down all the Tobacco we had striped & cooped it & expect to deliver it the next week,- began to

17 Strait Stone M day very pretty weather

18th cloudy & warm this morning going to Court about McCullocks matters & waller Hilling on Branch Cutting off new ground Hills & finishing Hilling at stony pint. Henry plowing in Corn field — –

19. Hilling on Branch & Cut of new ground Hills Henry Plowing in Corn field I went to Court - fair & clear

20. Car^d another Load tobacco making 1st 1938 lbs & this day 1971 lbs @ $8.50- Picking Plant Bed above House finished Hilling all But Lot - this day

21 Picking Plant Bed in Slash this morning Scattering manure & Plowing Lot -

22nd Henry gone to Mill ^{1 Bushel Corn} Replanting Corn on Branch & Weeding Corn on Johns’ Branch etc Cool & dry Jordan sick again Buck sick Doct has been here about 11 times in all

23rd Coltering & weeding Corn Plowed scattered manure on Lot back of Garden Plowed & worked Irish & Sweet Potatoes etc Jordan & Abram sick Doct has been here Some 12 or 13 times to ^{see them in all} I am sick taken this morning Swimming in my head & cant stand up all day Took [water stain] does Colomel etc and this 24th day I feel rather better my head is clear and I can stand & walk about Cool morning

July 22nd 1859 J D Hunts Estate D^r To JW Graves 4½ Butter @ 15¢ 1 lb Butter for D^o 15¢ charged

Commencing 11th March 1856. This morning I Fed my Dogs as usual Caesar I reckon got Chocked & Dyed in 2 minutes or 4 minutes, we are treading out Oats this morning fencing about Tobacco Tobacco lot. Very like for Snow Soon this morning Very cold indeed windy & tremendous yesterday — Jordan Halling Rails around Corn field fence & lot at House yesterday & to day – — wrote to Dan^l Brown Indiana in this month etc etc

14 Plowing for corn till yesterday began to sew Oats Plowing Tobacco Lot by Garden Henry & Jacob Finishing Garden, Jordan halled Rails 2 days this week & finished malling wood in new ground, alse cleaning out Stable, Kitty Clem etc cleaning up on Branch Light full of Snow the 13th Thursday in evening

14th A beautifull day indeed clear & moderate

15th Went to meeting at Strait Stone fine day -

16th Beautiful day. pretty Cool & dry at this time Plowing up & sewing Oats On branch malling wood & Halling out new ground took up Irish Potatoes this day set out Turnips for seed about 100 in Turnip Patch last week,- clem alse & Kitty Piling wood in new ground,-

17th Raining to day Sewing some Oats Shoe mending fencing sent Henry to store, sent 1/6 for Paint & allum

20 Finished fencing Sewing Oats by Malissa House windy - - Fannie White here this evening Jerry & George Edd finished nailing on old Paling [water stain]day - Striping to day & yesterday [smudge][water stain] Rain, sent Mrs Moseleys will to [water stain] Geo. - Sawed about 40 [water stain] etc

24th March 1856 Given Fed Henry Jordan & Sandy some flour this morning — Went to Mrs Hunts & meeting House yesterday Striped tobacco all day Saturday not Rolled Logs yet nor finished sewing Oats – My wife went to Mrs Hunts yesterday,very windy to day. I went to Mr John D Hunts to day

25 March Rolled Our Logs & sent to Yates Mill 3 Bags Corn for meal carried 1 Log for Garden Paling & brot home 2 Bags meal & Garden Palings – windy day & moderate

26 Beautiful morning Halled up stack Oats to sew Sandy & Lowry Plowing in Oats Fed & Claiborne malling Balance fencing where wind blew it down yesterday, - let Mr Mr Lewis have 1 Bushel Oats Sallie started to school this 16th March 1856

27 Finished sewing Oats Sewed about 55 Bushels

28th Sewed flax Patch Plowing for Corn - Halling leaves out of new ground on ^Land Corn Began to Colter in fresh ground, Swingled flax this morning,- Clary Had a Heifer calfvery windy cool & dry weather yesterday we had a light fall of snow & very windy - all day Blowed down fencing again — we have only 4 Lambs to this day — —

29th Plowing for Corn Halling wood getting leaves for corn corn field etc Finished Raking new ground Coltering in Fresh ground fixing Barns there etc

30 Went to Mrs Moseleys Funeral Sermon Preached at Strait Stone Church by Elder Burton from Charlotte cty V^a from 14 Chapter Revelations & 1 Verse Beautiful day little cool Hymns Sunday at her Funeral Virginia Selection 484th 476th 467th Hymns Solemn day -

31st cleaning up & Halling from Ground Henry shilings shingles Plowing for Corn My wife gone Mrs Hunts Beatifull day little cool & very [water stain]

April 1st Began to Hill to day Halling [water stain] Henry getting shingles sent Lowry [water stain]

Who moved him and he has him to find till christmas, I give him at the rate of $125 pr year I have to pay Mr Hunt at that rate from this day 17th day of Sep[tember] When he begins to work for me —

17 ^Sept fixing to Cut Tobacco, etc worming & succoring fresh ground Tobacco Mr W Adams Sets in to work for me this day Protracted meeting going on at S. S. M. H. cloudy & like for Rain, —

18th Cutting & hanging Tobacco in fresh ground and tying up & stacking fodder — meeting going on all this week at S S M H 10 or 11 mourners Mr Witherington with us

21st Great meeting at Strait Stone some 8 or ten professed & to day 7. I think Baptised by Bro. Maran Bro Witherington with us none has given in that professed at this meeting yet

22nd Julia Boyd came here yesterday to go to meeting Sent her home this morning – Housing Tobacco in new prize Barn to day Pulling fodder not quite done put 3 or 400 stacks of Tobacco in new prize Barn -

23 Housing Tobacco this morning – cloudy & like for rain —

24th Cut & Piled Tobacco all day

25th Cut Piled Tobacco all day & finished all the ripe Tobacco, no frost to bit tho 2 mornings Smart frost & quite Cool

26th Hanging Tobacco to day & typing up fodder Fair & cool, my wife Started up to Fannies & I sent Clem to stay till next Tuesday 30 Kate has been complaining ever since she went to Bottetourt about 4th Inst Sept 1856

27th Hanging Tobacco in Lot & as busy as we have been all the week Adams has not hung any Tobacco at night or tyed up any [water stain]