Tuesday, March 28th, 1865

To day Mrs. Byrd came down & spent the day and I cut out for her 2 sets of bridle fittings. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and children came home from Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. The mill done no grinding in consequence of the high water. The Elkhart creek is looming full and still rising. Weather variable & pleasant but there was a very hard rain at night.

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

Sunday, March 19th, 1865

To day I am engaged in writing up this journal. Billy Roberts rode down to Father's [Joshua James Hall] & spent the night. Mrs. Byrd came up & spent the day with the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Weather cloudy & warm with occasional showers of rain.

Sunday, March 12th, 1865

To day I rode my mule John over to see John Wortham and spent the day with him. I found poor John perfectly demented. In the evening I arrived at home & found Father [Joshua James Hall], Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Mrs. Byrd and Miss Wilson all there and had spent the day with the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Weather variable & warm with a very high wind blowing.

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

Thursday, March 9th, 1865

To day John is at work filling up the stalls in the stable. All the women are at work in the garden. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came home from Mrs. Byrds. Hicks ground 6 bushels of wheat & 21 bushels of corn. Sam* Sharp came home from the army on a short visit. Weather changeable & cold with an occasional shower of sleet at night there was a hard frost & freeze which I think will destroy all the fruit & vegetation now put forth. 

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

Wednesday, March 8th, 1865

To day John & I planted one acre in corn and then worked in the garden. Mrs. Byrd came down and spent the day. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] returned home with her and spent the night. Hicks ground 8 bushels of wheat. Weather variable with a light rain. At night it turned cold & there was a hard freeze.

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

Sunday, February 12th, 1865

To day early in the morning I again visited the pidgeon roost and succeeded in killing 61 of them. James Roberts, Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire], Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] and Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up and spent the day. Mrs. Bird also came up & spent the evening. Weather variable & pleasant it clouded up in the evening and rained nearly all night.

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.

Tuesday, November 29th, 1864

To day the boys are at work hauling rails. I rode over to Mr. Keen's & to Mr. Dailey's in relation to the supplying the families of soldiers with subsistance for the next year. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] called by as they returned from a visit to Mrs. Bird's. Hicks ground 2½ bushels of wheat and 16½ bushels of corn. Weather cloudy and warm with a light shower of rain.

Saturday, November 5th, 1864

To day the boys are at work in the mill. Dr. Murchison came to see the sick. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] & little Major [James Hall Sharp] are still quite sick. Wolf was also taken with fever. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Mrs. Bird came up to see the sick. I wove one yard on the jeans, Hicks ground 9½ bushels of corn. Weather variable cold & very windy.

Friday, November 4th, 1864

To day the boys are still hauling wood. I sent John to Prewitt's tan yard after my shoes but did not get them. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] has recovered from her illness, but Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] & little Major [James Hall Sharp] are still sick. Wolf was also taken with fever. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Mrs. Bird came up to see the sick. I wove one yard on the jeans. Hicks ground 9½ bushels of corn. Weather variable cold & very windy.

Friday, October 21st, 1864

To day the boys are at work sowing Rye in the little field. Mrs. Bird spent the day with us. In the evening Father [Joshua James Hall], Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up on a visit. I made three surcingles for Mother, Florence [Florence Mahala Hall] went home with Mother and remained all night. Hicks ground 2 bushels of corn. Weather variable & cold, with a hard frost and freeze at night.

Sunday, October 9th, 1864

To day, Father [Joshua James Hall], Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Mrs. Bird, Capt. Stubblefield and his wife with Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] all came up and spent the day. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode down to Mother's and remained all night. Weather clear and cool.

Monday, September 26th, 1864

To day the boys are engaged in killing a beef. I rode up to Mrs. Birds and assisted Emily to beam and draw in a piece of jeans. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came home with me from Mrs. Birds. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] still has fever. Hicks ground 2 bushels of corn. Weather variable and warm. Ther: 88°.

Sunday, September 25th, 1864

To day Aunt Leaverton came up and spent the day. I am engaged in writing up this note book. In the evening I rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] where I found Mr. & Mrs. Keen also Mrs. Bird who has been staying there some time. Fanny came down to Mother's shortly after I got there. Weather changeable & warm. Ther: 86°.

Wednesday, September 21st, 1864

To day the boys are still at work pulling corn and hauled in two loads. Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] is still here. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode up to Mrs. Birds after Emily who came down and put the thread in the loom to weave the surcingles, after which the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] wove about one yard. I am at work around the house. Hicks ground 4 bushels of corn. Weather variable and warm. Ther: 84°.

Monday, September 5th, 1864

To day the boys are engaged in hunting up my oxen. Mrs. Bird left for home early in the morning and I loaned her a beef hide. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down to Hall's bluff to see Mrs. Stubblefield and spend the day with her. Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] is still here. Hicks ground 2 bushels of corn after finishing the forebay floor. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 95°.

Sunday, September 4th, 1864

To day the boys went out and drove up some of my oxen. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up & spent the day. They brought Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] home and Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] on a visit. Billy Stewart's wagon left for Crockett & I sent him 30 lbs flour. Mrs. Bird stopped in on her way from church very sick and remained all night. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 95°.

Wednesday, August 31st, 1864

To day I went down to the mill in the little wagon with the boys. we took up the old floor in the mill forebay and put in all new sleepers. I had the assistance of Mrs. Bird's boy Emory and 3 from Father's [Joshua James Hall] to wit: Chester, Martin & Joe. We undertook to stop a leak we found in the head spiling of the mill but were not successful. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & spent the day. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 94°. Thus closes my notes for the month of August as well as the summer, but as it is not the end of warm weather I will give the state of the Ther: for one Month more.

Thursday, July 21st, 1864

To day the boys went down to Father's [Joshua James Hall] and killed a beef. I rode my horse hawk as far as Mrs. Bird's and there I borrowed her horse Jo and rode to Crockett. while at Crockett I purchased 1 oz. quinine for 300$. 1 oz. blue mass 45$. 5 combs 50$. 2 lbs. blk. pepper 60$. In the evening I returned home. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up & spent the day. Weather variable and hot. Ther: 90°.

Monday, July 18th, 1864

To day the boys are engaged in hunting up a beef steer but did not succeed. Mrs. Bird came up and spent the day. I cut all the hair off of her head as close as I possibly could in order to cure the latter*. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in the evening and brought up Fanny Fitsimmons with her who has been entrusted to my care by her father to raise and take care of. Hicks ground 7 bushels of corn. Weather changeable and hot. Ther: standing at 92°. [*It was common practice for a chronically ill person to crop their hair very short.]