Saturday, December 12th, 1863

To day the boys are at work on the stables. John is at work hauling wood. Capt. Peacock and I had a settlement for the rent of my house in Liberty which he is occupying. I paid him the freight bill on my furniture from Liberty to Hall's bluff which was brought up on the steamer Alamo which he was commander of her. The freight bill was 183$ but I deducted 50$ from it for lost articles. He then paid me $167 balance on rent & I receipted him in full for the current years rent of said house which expires on the 31st inst. He & Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] then left for Mr. Beavers'. I ground 20 bushels of corn. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode my horse Hawk down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day. Sam* had no success in hunting hogs. Weather clear and cold with a hard frost at night.

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

Monday, April 13th, 1863

To day the boys commenced to plant the bottom field in corn. Charley Hall left for Crockett. I made Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] a pair of shoes and commenced to replant the little field in front of the house. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 30½ bushels of corn. The steamer Alamo arrived from Liberty at the Kickapoo shoals for a load of corn. weather changeable & cool with occasional showers of rain.

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

Thursday, March 5th, 1863

To day I am engaged at the bluff [Hall's Bluff] in watching my things, and which I found in a damaged condition. The Steamer Alamo passed down the [Trinity] River from Magnolia. she lay at the bluff about 2 hours & then proceeded on her way to Liberty. The boys are busy hauling my things home. they made 2 loads with the mule team & one with the ox team. in the last load by the mule team I returned home from the bluff. My horse Gladiator run off & Hicks has been out all day hunting him but without success. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] is engaged in pecking the mill rocks and putting them in good running order. weather cloudy & cold with very high wind blowing and occasional showers of rain & very disagreeable.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. He is also the step-brother as well as the brother-in-law of JMH.

Wednesday, March 4th, 1863

To day Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp], Hicks & I are at work in relining & fixing up the mill fore bay & in putting up a new bridge tree head. The other boys are at work plowing up the little field in front of the house to plant corn. Sam ground 6½ bushels of corn. In the evening I took Bill, the little wagon & mules & drove down to Halls bluff after some of my articles, which I found on the bank of the river where they had been landed by the Alamo. I was compelled to camp out at night & sleep what little I got on the bank of the river, which was exceedingly disagreeable. weather changeable & very cold.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. He is also the brother-in-law as well as the step-brother of JMH.

Tuesday, March 3rd, 1863

To day the boys finished the cow pen. I commenced to stake the peas which are growing finely. Negro woman Louisa was taken quite sick. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 30 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] went down to see her Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. The Steamer Lone Star left Hall's bluff for Liberty. at night the Steamer Alamo arrived at Hall's bluff from Liberty with most of my house hold furniture on board. weather clear & rather cool.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma, and is Sam's mother. She is also the step-mother as well as the mother-in-law of JMH.

Friday, April 26th, 1861

To day the steamer Alamo passed down the river with but little freight. James Wrigley left on the Ruthven for Galveston. business is very dull. weather changable and rather warm.

Thursday, April 18th, 1861

To day the steamer Lone Star left for the upper river having a pretty fair freight on board. The Steamer Alamo also passed up and the Steamer Col Stell passed down. The river is still rising. weather clear & pleasant.

Monday, April 8th, 1861

To day the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and myself made titles for the negroes sold & named on yesterday. The Steamer Alamo passed down ladened with 900 bales of cotton. The river still rising and in fine boating condition. weather clear but rather warm.

Sunday, March 3rd, 1861

To day I and the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] with Florence visited Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. I also went to Beaver's landing to see the Steamers Lucy Guin & Alamo which are now lying at that landing. In the evening I returned to Mother's where the little woman & myself remained for the night. weather cloudy & very disagreeable.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. She is also the stepmother as well as the mother-in-law of JMH.

Saturday, February 16th, 1861

To day Charley Lund came to see me, who had just arrived from Liberty on the steamer Alamo as far as Cairo. we are still at work on the mill house. Bill ground 11½ bushels of corn. weather clear & cold with a hard freeze at night.

Review of Hall's Journal - Part Six

The Houston County Courier
Crockett, Texas
Thursday, February 2, 1967

Hall's Journal of 60's
Reviewed For Readers
By H. B. Milburn

Worry and Sweat

At this time -- 'we pause for a commercial'!! Well -- NOT REALLY! But, at this time we DO PAUSE to think of how, through the many, many years of destruction that Old Man Trinity River has wrought to SO MANY FARM OWNERS, Land Owners, up and down the Trinity River -- as know that there has been enough worry and sweat, enough to make a fellow 'just lay down and die'! So -- at this time we might just as well, put in a sort of 'commercial' for all Texans who have shared the worries and tribulations of farms -- and business dealings in connection with the overflows of the Trinity River -- and of the Thousands of Texans who have been interested in harnessing the Trinity River to better serve TEXANS as a whole.

The mythical 'Arabella' of The White Heron's who knew of the troubles of mankind, all along the banks of the Trinity River -- troubles caused by heavy rains and floods, comes vividly to mind, even as one reads of the overflows back in the days of James Madison HALL. Businessmen and friends of the Trinity River Authority projects will readily call to mind 'the Voice of Arabella 'calling to' fellow Texans 'to rise and follow' the flock -- of white Heron's' to Anahuac to partake of FISH and then settle down to discuss matters regarding the Trinity River, that the Trinity could BETTER SERVE ALL TEXAS, AND TEXANS. Today -- the harnessing of waters at the Little Elkhart Creek Damsite is but one of the major steps on the projects along the Trinity River. It is going to help, tremendously, for all Texans. But let's get back to the Journal and SEE what was taking place at Elk Hart Creek, just 106 years ago.

"Monday, January 14, 1861", James Madison HALL wrote "Today, it rained torrents, swelling the Elk Hart to the utmost capacity, and putting us in fear that the Mill Levy would 'again' be washed away. Towards evening, however, the wind hauled around to the north and the rain ceased."

And, on "April 7th, 1861 -- HALL entered this: "Today, the steamer Ruthven arrived, and James Wrigley returned home from Galveston. The river rose 7 feet plumb water, and the steamer Col. Stell started for the upper river with a large freight -- --."

"Monday, April 8th, 1861", HALL entered this: "the steamer Alamo passed down ladened with 900 bales of cotton. The river still rising, and in fine boating condition."

"Wednesday, April 11, 1861," HALL wrote this: "The steamer Lucy Guin passed down with little freight. The river is very high, and still rising with every appearance of an overflow."

HALL entered the following on: "Friday, April 19th, 1861 -- "today the river attained the greatest height, coming within about two feet of the warehouse sills, and overflowing a large scope of country below and above the point. But little business doing in the way of selling goods."

And so, reports of the overflow continued, and HALL's accounts of the damage done to the Mill, and to his fields, and to life in general along the river were told in a most interesting manner.

To be continued . . .

Sunday, May 12th, 1861

To day the steamer Alamo, Capt. McKee came up and was detained here some time on account of the rail road hands failing or refusing to open the draw in the bridge. after a couple of hours detention she was enabled to pass through. weather changable in the day and a hard storm & rain throughout the night.