Saturday, December 31st, 1864

To day I paid Dr. Murchison 310 lbs. of flour for 62 lbs. of wool purchased from him last fall. Hicks ground 20 bushels of corn and 5 bushels of wheat. Weather clear & cold with a frost & freeze at night. 

Thus I close my jottings for the month of December and for the year 1864 which has just passed & gone and now numbered with the things that were. Whether the Almighty will spare me to chronicle the daily events of the incoming year is more than poor mortal man can foresee or know but trusting in his goodness I shall enter upon the pleasing task which is meaningful as a book of reference and may hereafter be profitable to those who have an interest in my affairs after I shall have shuffled off this mortal soil and been reaped to the bosom of my ancestors. 

Friday, December 30th, 1864

To day I fixed the mill when Hicks ground 10 bushels of wheat. Sam* Sharp & Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] drove down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in my buggy and spent the day there. Weather variable & cold with hard frost & freeze at night.

*This Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is Sam's Mother.

Thursday, December 29th, 1864

To day Sam* Sharp and John rode down to Stubblefield's mill to see Mr. Malone in relation to his conduct on yesterday but they were unsuccessful. Lt. Neil's Regiment & Waller's Battallion passed by the mill and camped about 3 miles below the Elkhart creek at what is known as the Pridgeon field. I was troubled a great deal by the soldiers & 4 remained for dinner. Hicks ground 8 bushels of wheat. I delivered to Cox's wagon all his flour. Weather changeable & cool.

*This Sam Sharp is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Wednesday, December 28th, 1864

To day John rode out hog hunting and was arrested by Mr. Malone and his hogs taken away from him. Father [Joshua James Hall] & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and spent the evening. Hicks ground 5 bushels of wheat and 6 bushels of corn. Weather clear & cold with a hard frost & freeze at night.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Tuesday, December 27th, 1864

To day John went out hog hunting but without success. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & John Connell [son of Mahala's sister] spent the day with us. Sam* Sharp rode my horse Rob to Crockett and back. Hicks ground 15 bushels of wheat. Weather clear & rather warm.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa, and son of Mahala.

Monday, December 26th, 1864

To day the boys rode out hog hunting and succeeded in getting one. Sam* Sharp rode down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day there. Mrs. Bird came up and spent the day with us. Hicks ground 5 bushels of wheat. I purchased from Smith's negroes 22 bushels of potatoes for which I paid flour. A soldier stopped with me for the night. Weather clear and rather warm for the season.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is his mother.

Sunday, December 25th, 1864

Today Sam* Sharp & I with the children in the little wagon, Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] & the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in the buggy, all drove down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] where we spent our Christmas. We had a fine dinner & a good eggnogg. We passed the day very pleasantly. Weather cloudy & rather warm. 

*This Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. The "little woman" is Sam's sister. Mahala is Sam's mother.

Saturday, December 24th, 1864

Saturday December 24th 1864. To day the boys assisted me at the mill we ground 4 bushels of wheat & 23 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cool with occasional showers of rain. 

Friday, December 23rd, 1864

To day the boys are at work chopping & hauling wood. I assisted Hicks in the mill where we ground 10 bushels of wheat. Capt. John Wootters left for Crockett. Weather changeable and rather warm.

Thursday, December 22nd, 1864

To day Sam* Sharp and the boys again went out hog hunting but without success. Sam however killed a fine deer. I loaned Mother* [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] 300 lbs of fine dry salt. Capt. John Wootters came out & stopped with me for the night. Hicks ground 12 bushels of wheat. Weather clear and cold, with a hard frost at night.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is his mother.

Wednesday, December 21st, 1864

To day Sam* Sharp and the boys went out a hog hunting but without any success. I half soled a pair of shoes for myself. Hicks ground 13 bushels of wheat & 15 bushels of corn. George Alford & Frank Ward stopped with me for the night. Weather clear & cold, with a hard frost at night.

*This Sam Sharp is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Tuesday, December 20th, 1864

To day the boys went out hog hunting & succeeded in getting one. I rode up to the school house and paid Bodenhamer my war taxes, also those of Sam Sharp*. I had to advance upon Sharp's taxes or in other words loan him $256. I borrowed from T.R. Dailey $370 in old issue, which I am to pay back in new issue, with a discount of one third, or rather I am to pay him $246.⁰⁰ in new issue. Father [Joshua James Hall] came up and took Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] home with him. Hicks ground 12½ bushels of wheat & 23 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cold with occasional showers of rain and sleet.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Monday, December 19th, 1864

To day the boys went out hog hunting, but as usual without any success. I made a pair of shoes for Toby [Horace Oscar Hall]. Hicks ground 15 bushels of wheat & 23 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cold with a hard rain all day & night, which raised the creek pretty high & gave me a good head of water.

Sunday, December 18th, 1864

To day Mother* [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came up to see Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] and remained for dinner. Weather cloudy & cool with a hard rain and very disagreeable.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Sam is her first-born son, and is a 2nd great-grandpa to said Keeper.

Saturday, December 17th, 1864

To day the boys are at work hauling wood. Hicks ground 20 bushels of corn, and 3 bushels of wheat. Sam Sharp* arrived home from the Army on a 40 days furlough. He looks quite well but is sorely troubled with the itch. He lost my horse, Ratler, which is a heavy loss on me at this time particularly as another cannot be procured. Weather cloudy & warm with a hard rain at night.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Friday, December 16th, 1864

To day the boys are at work chopping wood. I finished the shoes I was making for little Major [James Hall Sharp]. Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] is still here. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came up to bring some papers and letters. Hicks ground 20 bushels of corn & 3 bushels of wheat. Weather cloudy & warm with occasional light showers of rain.

Thursday, December 15th, 1864

To day the boys are at work hauling wood. I am engaged in making little Major [James Hall Sharp] a pair of shoes. Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up and remained all night. My daughter Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] attained the first anniversary of her birth day being just one year old. Weather changeable and warm.

Wednesday, December 14th, 1864

To day the boys are at work chopping wood. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and spent the day and while here assisted the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in drawing the thread into the harness and slay for her linsey. Hicks ground 18 bushels of corn. Weather clear and rather warm.

Tuesday, December 13th, 1864

To day the boys are cutting up and salting down the hogs killed on yesterday. I warped the thread for the linsey. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came home from her visit to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and brought little Major [James Hall Sharp] home with her. Hicks ground 5 bushels of corn. Weather clear & rather warm for the season.

Monday, December 12th, 1864

To day the boys killed five hogs which only weighed 738 lbs. I helped the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] to spool thread for her linsey. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up from Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day. Hicks ground 5½ bushels of corn. Two soldiers stopped with me for the night. Weather clear & cold with a freeze at night.