Sunday, December 31st, 1865

To day I am engaged in making out bills of lading for the Steamer Kate & Sloop Luna, both of said boats are still here. Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] came over and spent the day. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] had another chill and fever. Frank [Stewart] is still improving. Weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain. 

Thus I close my notes for the month of December and for the year 1865, which has just passed and gone and now remembered with the things that were. Whether the Almighty wll spare me to record the daily events of things passing around me for the incoming year is more than mortal man can know but trusting in his goodness and mercy I shall enter upon the pleasing task which to me is useful as a book of reference and may here after be profitable to those who have an interest in my affairs.

The Galveston Daily News

Houston, Sunday, December 31, 1865

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

Saturday, December 30th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the storehouse. The steamer Kate & sloop Luna arrived from Galveston with a small freight. I shipped by the Steamer Kate 71 beef hides & 9 B/C [bales of cotton]. I then drove up town to attend a meeting of the citizens to raise a police guard, but it all ended in smoke. ? finished splitting up my wood and I paid him $2⁵⁰ specie for his labor. Weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain.

Friday, December 29th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the store house. I drove up town and waited until the [rail]cars came in from Houston, by them I received several Articles for Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring]. Col. Wrigley still confined. Frank [Stewart] is still improving slowly. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] missed the chill and fever. Weather cloudy & cold with occasional showers of rain.

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

Thursday, December 28th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the storehouse arranging papers &c. from the utter confusion into which they were thrown by the burning of the warehouse. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill and fever. Frank Stewart is improving slowly. Col. Wrigley is confined to his room from sore eyes and burns received at the fire which destroyed the warehouse. Weather variable & cold, rain at night.

Wednesday, December 27th, 1865

To day I am at work at the old store house, which we have converted into a warehouse, and had the 500 sacks of salt, which came up yesterday on the Royal Arch, stored away. The Steamer Royal Arch left for Galveston, with a very small freight. Weather variable and cold.

Tuesday, December 26th, 1865

 
To day I am still at work at the Warehouse. The propeller Royal Arch arrived from Galveston with 500 sacks of salt on board consigned to James Wrigley. The salt was discharged too late to attempt to put in the warehouse. At night between the hours of 12 & two some infernal incendiary applied the torch to Col. Wrigley's large and very excellent warehouse consuming the entire building with about 324 Bales of Cotton besides a large lot of furniture & various other things. The loss by the conflagration will be at least 50,000$. Thus sweeping from Col. Wrigley the accumulation of years of toil. Weather variable & warm with occasional showers of rain.

Monday, December 25th, 1865

To day I am very busy at the ware house loading the steamer Kate & sloop Luna. we put 135 B/C on them when they left for Galveston. The only thing I had in way of Christmas festivities was a first rate dinner which was gotten up in the little woman's [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] happy style. Weather variable and warm, for the season, with occasional showers of rain.

Sunday, December 24th, 1865

To day I am very busy at work at the warehouse. We shipped 146 B/C* by an extra train of the T&N.O.R.R. for Houston. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove up town and purchased divers and sundry toys to be distributed to the children to night by way of presents from St. Nicholas put into their respective stockings. Weather variable and cool.

Image of Thomas Nast's St. Nicholas from
Harper's Weekly, December 1865

*bales of cotton

Saturday, December 23rd, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. The Steamer Kate & Sloop Luna arrived from Galveston and brought me a barrel of oysters. I discharged the Steamer and made out all her freight bills. Weather cloudy & cold with occasional showers of rain throughout the rain [sic, i.e., night].

Friday, December 22nd, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Hicks hauling for Mr. Wrigley, he also made another load for Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring]. I drove up town and finished trying the negroes. One of them I discharged and the other I held to bail to answer the offence at the District Court. We received by express $15,000. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove up town and purchased a few articles for the children. Weather cloudy and cold.

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

Thursday, December 21st, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Hicks hauled two loads of things over to Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring]. I purchased another hog weighing 112 lbs for which I paid 5 cts per lb. In the evening I drove up town to try a couple of negroes for burglary. The trial was continued until to-morrow. Weather cloudy & very cold.

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

Wednesday, December 20th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] & family moved over to her home at night. Hicks hauled over one load of wood to her. Ed. Jones left for the up Country [Houston County]. Weather cloudy until late in the evening when the wind came out from the North & it became intensely cold.

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

Tuesday, December 19th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] & family are still with me, she paid the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] 5$ being the Amt. I loaned her last summer. I loaned my horse and buggy to Ed. Jones, to drive out, Courting. Weather cloudy & rather warm with occasional showers of rain.

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

Monday, December 18th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the Ware house. I drove up town and got the little woman's [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] bonnet, hat, &c, which had been sent over from Houston, & I find I owe a balance of $5.50 on the bills of purchase. Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] & family are still here. Ed. Jones arrived from the up Country. Frank [Stewart] still very sick. All still have the itch. Weather . . . 

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

Sunday, December 17th, 1865

All the forenoon I worked at the warehouse and the evening I spent at home. Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] & family are still here, the wagon & servants that came down with her, left for their home in Montgomery County. Thus relieving me of 3 negroes & 6 mules to feed. Weather cloudy and cold.

*3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog

Saturday, December 16th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] missed the chill and fever. Frank Stewart has a relapse and is now very sick with diarrhea. At night Mrs. Beale [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring*] and her whole family with three servants and seven horses arrived from Montgomery County, and stopped with me, to be taken care of until she can arrange to go to housekeeping. Weather cloudy and cold, with light drizzling rain.  

[*This Mrs. Beale is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.]

Friday, December 15th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. We are all still offering with the itch, which clings to us with great pertinacity and will not yield to medical treatment of any kind so far. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] had another chill and fever. My daughter Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] attained the second anniversary of her birth day. Weather cloudy & intensely cold with a hard freeze all day & night.

Thursday, December 14th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. I loaned negro Porter Steve two dollars and fifty cents to give a party with at his house. My whole family are afflicted with the itch. Frank is slowly improving. Weather variable and very cold, with ice plenty, being the coldest night of the winter so far.

Wednesday, December 13th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the ware house. I purchased another hog weighing 150 lbs for which I paid 7$ specie. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove up town after a few articles and also purchased for me some tobacco. Billy Duncan arrived from his trip up the Country. Weather variable & intensely cold with a strong North wind blowing. At night all the water in the different vessels was frozen and the ponds around town were covered with ice.

Tuesday, December 12th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the ware house. Frank [Stewart] is still improving. I am some better with the itch, or rather I am some little relieved from it. I purchased one hog, for which I paid 5$. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill and fever. Weather variable and cold, with a strong north wind blowing.