Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

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

1859 Feby 15th Chumbly fixing his House floor Tight Henry halling Rails clem shrubing Balance cutting Logs for stable etc etc Still cloudy & like for Rain

16th Henry claibourne & little Henry went to aspen Grove to strip Tobacco,- I went to mount airy & then down there,- Chumbly & the Balance skinning Slab Timber & he riving, & Covering House & cleaning out old shop etc to burn - when we get out of wood, etc

17th Henry claiborne & Henry came ^^home this morning bro^t from aspen Grove ^ ^brot^ Our Carriage, Chumbly triming Orchard in Corn field filling up Gullies clem & Jerry Smith Grubing Claiborne & little Henry plowing, Henry gone to Tho^s Hodnetts to help him Roll Logs - went between 9 & 10 Oclock - - - -

18th Raining again, Piling & counted shingles from Rob^t Walker & then they all but Jerry Smith went down to aspen Grove to strip Tobacco Striping back of Garden; Raining nearly all day, very wet time it has Rained nearly every day this week Some, warm for the time of year & has been all this week

19 I went to Mr Vaughans claiborne & little Henry at aspen Grove Striping Tobacco Henry & Mr. Chumbly gone to Mr Kelleys to Roll Logs, - cloudy & Raining a little all day, Sorter drizling -

20th Still cloudy & warm,

21st I went to Court yesterday to Day Returned Halling Rails fencing etc - Halling wood

[2]2nd Chumbly gone to Kelleys to Roll Logs Henry ^etc Plowing claiborne malling clem & Jerry

1859 Feby 22nd Smith & Clem Shrubing I am going to Aspen Grove

23rd Clem Planting I. potatoe, overseer & working on Logs Sent to Mill this morning claiborne & little Henry Beding for corn planted out some Peach Trees, — etc

24 I went to aspen Grove to day & to Sarah J McCullocks ^{[? Cr ]J W Graves Esq Esq}Halling Logs & Plowing for Corn, [?] JW Graves

25. Raining & Hailing this morning making a long Ladder, Harrow & spining & making a Baskets till 12 or 1 Oclock & then went to halling Logs for Barn etc

26. Raining & Hailing this morning but cleared off after a while & they went to Halling Logs for Barn, & my wife Started to the CH to see Jerry

27th I went to see Doct Johns tolerable good day.

28 Halling Logs this morning for Barn moderate weather yet Jacob here yet went to allen Scruggs yesterday & got him to take back the Horse he bought by giving him $3 done so tho it was Sunday halling wood & leaves

March 1st Mr Robey Came here to work in Black Smith Shop Mr Chumbly with him Haling out manure till 12 Oclock & then leaves in field clem little Henry ^{& Smith}Cutting down corn stalks where we are going sew Oats

March 2nd Mr Roby & overseer in Shop Henry & Claiborne Halling leaves & Oats balance finished Cutting down corn stalks etc,- our coal will only last 1 day more Fine weather at this time, Kate here

3rd Mr Roby & overseer in Shop balance Thrashing Out Oats to sew. Raining all day. quite Cold, began last night,

1859 March 15th Moderate weather —— but very wet. Cant Plow Halled up another Stack Blade fodder did not hall up fodder Halled wood fixed office & Porch etc Mr Chumbly done up chimney & chinked & daub it

16th Mr Chumbly Henry & claiborne all gone to Roll Logs at Mr Hunts Clem Lila working in Garden Planted simbling Cucumbers & set out some Trees in Yard, little Henry & Jerry Smith Plowing to Sew Oats, fine weather Sewed Collard Seed over in Plant Beds Clara had a Heifer 12 or 13 this m^o. at aspen Grove.

17th Piling manure in cow pen Sewing & Bushing in Oats this morning Mrs Hunt & Nannie gone to see Mrs Scruggs, to day - cloudy weather

18 I went down to aspen Grove got 5½ Bus Seed Oats making 30½ Bus Overseer & negroes beginning to put up Barn etc negroes House & began to Rain hard & wind blew very hard blowed down a great deal of fencing again, Rained till nearly night Sent Henry to Carried 2½ Bus. for Chumbly & bro^t home our Turn yesterday —

19 Laying foundation of negroes House Sent a Turn Corn ½ Barrel for us & bro^t back Chumbleys wind blows very hard yet & has Turned a good deal colder — Cutting malling & Plowing after morning

20 Turned more moderate –

21 I went to Court on ^Mrs stones business Plowing & sewing Oats & Rye in Peach Orchard fixed bridge cut & malled wood & Rails put up fencing etc —

22 Finishing sewing Rye in Peach orchard

1859 April 16th Finished planting corn to day, made Box for cellar fire place & Mr Chummy laid the Hearth, & fixed the place in setting Room, John nearly finished the chimney except pencilling the bottom, Halled 1 Load of wood, & took down^Poles- etc at chimney - John has been here at work on chimney 5¾ days,-

17th Snowing this morning like all the world Several Inches deep turned cooler

18. Went to ^court yesterday qualified as Exer of the Estate of J D Hunt Dec^d. Halling wood in morning then went to Halling & Coltering in second years ground, Tuesday 19th I went to Gran field to Mrs Pannills son W^ms Funeral Plowing & Hilling —

[2]0 Wednesday went to aspen Grove, Hilling & Coltering - fine weather at this time

21st Went Mrs Hunt to see Mr Hubbard Settle with Yates etc etc Coltering till 12 Oclock Halling out manure & Hilling all day — Nannie gone to Mrs Fitzgeralds to day —

22 Coltering & Hilling till it Rained about 12 Oclock then Halling wood cutting & malling wood, Riving Tobacco sticks & clem spining. I went down to work on Road from Camp Branch to good Hope, finished about 12 oclock, Nannie got home this day, about 2 Oclock this evening

23rd Rained again last night, Sent to Mill for overseer, Halling wood & manure to day Riving Tobacco Cutting & splitting wood. Turned very cool last night & the wind blows Hard ^{& cold} I went to Cedar Forest to warrant v^s Est J D Hunt Dec^d etc had Bill shod at yates behind etc etc.