Sunday, January 11th, 1863

To day in the forenoon I remained at home writing up this journal also writing some letters. In the afternoon Sam Sharp and I rode down in the bottom to select a good ford and to select a site upon which to erect a house and make some permanent improvements from thence we rode down to Fathers [i.e., Joshua James Hall] and back home. weather clear & pleasant. Bill with the mule & cart returned from across the river all safe but did not succeed in getting his things for which he went.