Monday, April 10th, 1865

To day John F. Carr, John Beazley & myself with 6 negro fellows left Smithfield on the flat boat in route for Liberty. we dropped down the river 30 miles and tied up for the night. At home Hicks ground 5 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] let Mrs. John Wortham have 50 lbs of flour. Weather cloudy & cool with a rain throughout the day & very disagreeable at night.

Thursday, October 14th, 1864

To day the boys are preparing the little field to sow Rye. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and Mrs. Downes rode over to Mrs. Beazley's and spent the day. Billy Stewart & I went fishing with fine success. In the evening I rode down to Father's [Joshua James Hall] with him and was then taken quite sick. we returned home, & Stewart remained with me for the night. Hicks ground 3 bushels of corn. Lieut. Allen & a soldier stopped with me. Weather variable & rather warm.

Thursday, October 13th, 1864

To day Father [Joshua James Hall] & Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came up and purchased from Mr. Day ten pounds of wool. I also purchased from him 12 lbs of wool, after which he left. Bill arrived from the tan yard with the leather. I am quite sick. Hicks ground 6 bushels of corn. Mrs. Beazley and Mrs. Downes came over and spent the day. Mrs. Downes remained all night. Billy Stewart came out from Crockett and remained all night. Weather variable and rather cool. 

Wednesday, October 5th, 1864

To day the boys are still hauling cotton and made one load, which finished all that I had at Mrs. Beazley's. The soldiers left that stopped here last night. I am engaged and wove out my girths. Hicks ground 2 bushels of corn. Weather clear & cool with a light frost at night.

Tuesday, October 4th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work hauling seed cotton from Mrs. Beazley's and made two more loads. I again rode up to the war tax assr. to correct my inventory. Mr. K. Murchison came by and from him I purchased 62 pounds of wool for which I am to pay him 310 lbs of flour. Father [Joshua James Hall] came up & remained for dinner. Three soldiers stopped for supper and 2 others came & staid for the night. Hicks ground 6 bushels of corn. Weather clear & cold with a frost at night being the earliest frost I ever remember to have seen during my residence in Texas.

Monday, October 3rd, 1864

To day the boys are at work hauling seed cotton from Mrs. Beazley's and made two loads. I made Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] a bridle & then rode up to the War tax Assessor & rendered a list of my property. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & children came home in the evening from Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and Burt came up with her. Hicks ground 9½ bushels of corn. Mr. Ezell who stopped with me last night left early in the morning. Weather changeable & rather cool.

Monday, February 22nd, 1864

To day the boys are at work plowing up the lower field. I ground 17 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode up to see Mrs. Beazley but did not remain long. Be it remembered that the writer of this note book this day attained the 45th anniversary of his birth day. Weather clear and quite pleasant.

Monday, February 8th, 1864

To day the boys are at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is at work getting logs to build the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] a hen or chicken house. The little woman rode up to Mrs. Beazly's to get some weaving done. I ground 19½ bushels of corn. In Crockett there was a negro man by the name of Sam, the property of Dr. J.A. Cooley, hung for attempting to commit a rape upon the person of Mrs. Billy Moore. Weather clear & pleasant but cold at night.

Saturday, September 26th, 1863

To day the boys are still pulling and hauling corn they made 2 loads. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I finished putting the floor & lining to the other corn crib. I ground 2 bushels of corn. Clara had a chill & fever. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & back. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode up to see Mrs. Beazley but did not remain long. weather clear & hot.

Wednesday, July 1st, 1863

To day we are still at work on the mill levee. I have no hands however but my own and one from Mr. Beasley. we done a good day's work, and got the levee pretty secure against the high water from the upper mill. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] and Mrs. Bird came up and remained for dinner. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick. weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 86°. At night it rained very hard which gave me great fear that the levee would be washed away again & thus lose all of our work for the past two days.

Tuesday, June 30th, 1863

To day I commenced again to repair the mill levee with the same hands I had on yesterday. we worked hard all day and got the levee of sufficient strength to resist the high water let down from the upper mill. Mr. Charles Beasley came over and paid me for a pair of wool cards that I had procured for him while in Houston. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick. weather changeable and hot with the Ther: standing at 84°. Thus closes my notes for the month of June.

Monday, June 29th, 1863

To day I quit everything else and commenced with my own hands assisted by one from Mr. Beasley, 2 from Mr. Dailey and one from Dr. Murchison to repair the mill levee. After working all day, the high water from the upper mill destroyed our labor for the whole day, leaving me just as I commenced in the morning. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and kill a ? beef. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] was taken sick with a fever. weather changeable & hot, Ther: 84°.

Thursday, June 18th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work chopping out the bottom field. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode up to Mrs. Beasley's and finished weighing the cotton that I had purchased from her which amounted to 20,000 lbs. in the seed. John came home from the shop with the wagon all well mended & in complete running order. Dr. Keen came over & spent the day. we went fishing & had very good luck. I ground 6½ bushels of corn. weather clear & hot. Ther: 87°.

Wednesday, June 17th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work chopping out the bottom field. John is still over at Mr. Keen's shop with the wagon. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up & remained to dinner. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode up to Mrs. Beasley's to weigh some cotton. In the evening the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode out after blackberries and succeeded in getting a considerable quantity. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] & Jim [James Wrigley Hall] are confined with severe colds. I ground 3 bushels of corn and worked around the house. weather clear & hot. Ther: 88°.

Tuesday, May 12th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work splitting rails to enclose the mill field. I am at work in the garden. Father [Joshua James Hall] carried Roberta* [Hall] & Toby* [Horace Oscar Hall] up to the school and there entered them with Mrs. Beasley for the current session. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 3 bushels of corn. weather changeable & warm.  

*Roberta (b. 1852) and Toby (b. 1854) are much younger half-siblings to JMH (b. 1819), the writer of this Journal, as well as to his wife, Margaret (b. 1840), aka "the little woman." Sam is the brother-in-law as well as the step-brother of JMH. Sam is also a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog.

 

Monday, February 2nd, 1863

To day the boys are still at work at and finished the garden fence. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] finished the loom for Mother [Mahala* Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] sent for and had her spinning wheel brought home. The boys commenced the house fence. I sent Mr. Pennington down to Mr. Beasleys after my glue kettle who succeeding in getting it and brought it home. I ground 1½ bushels of corn. Roberta [Hall] still here. weather clear and pleasant.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is his mother and is also the mother of Margaret aka the little woman which makes Mahala the mother-in-law as well as the step-mother of JMH.

Friday, January 30th, 1863

To day Sam Sharp* is at work making the loom. The boys are still at work on the garden fence. I ground 19 bushels of corn. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] left for home in company with Father [Joshua James Hall] who came up after her leaving Roberta here. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode Hawk up to Mrs. Beasley's and while there purchased a spinning wheel for which she paid 7$ cash. I wrote D. Richardson a letter directed to Austin in relation to the old "Argus" office which said office I sold to said Richardson for $1023.05 and gave him 12 months time on it dating from the 4th of October last & drawing 10% interest after maturity. weather clear & cool with indications of rain.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is his mother, as well as the step-mother and the mother-in-law of JMH.

 

Friday, October 10th, 1862

To day I remained at home. William Leaverton rode over to Mr. Richardson's in order to arrange the matter of dispute existing between him & Father in relation to a certain iron pot of his that Father had borrowed and which was accidentally broken while at the saline. I make this note in order to refresh my mind should a law suit grow out of the difference I being a witness to the whole transaction. James Beasley came over and remained nearly all day. William returned without affecting any compromise with Richardson. The little woman still improving. weather cloudy, with occasional showers of rain. The wind blowing fresh out of the North, rendering it very cold indeed so much so as to require fires for comfort.

Tuesday, September 30th, 1862

To day I received from Charley Beasley 5 bales of Cotton weighing 565, 536, 538, 538 & 501 lbs. for which I paid him ? cash. Wm. Leaverton started for Navarro but had to return in consequence of the high stage of the Trinity River. weather changeable and warm with strong prospects of rain. Thus I close the jottings for the month of September.

Saturday, September 27th, 1862

To day I sold to D.L. Burton seven beeves belonging to the little woman for $140. Charley Beasley came over to Father's & from him I contracted to purchase some cotton. William Leaverton with the boys assisted D.L. Burton in driving his beeves out to Mustang Prairie, at which place they arrived safe & returned in the evening. weather clear & rather hot.