Friday, February 8th, 1861

To day I went to Crockett and instituted suit against Mr. Bracken. returned home in the evening bringing 20 lbs. 4d nails. Father [Joshua James Hall] came up in the evening. Still at work on the mill house. weather cloudy & cool with every prospect of rain.

Thursday, April 26th, 1860

Today I left Sumpter in company with Daniel Dailey and Guy Stokes and came as far as Dailey's residence where I was overtaken by Sam* Sharp and remained all night. The remains of M. H. Bracken were interred in their last resting place. at home still at work in the cotton. weather clear & warm.

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

Wednesday, April 25th, 1860

Still in Sumpter. To day the jury in my case came into Court with a verdict of "not guilty" thus setting me free again. on the occasion I treated ? to all the champagne wine that the town of Sumpter did afford. And for the balance of the day and night myself & friends got into as comfortable a little "tight" as it ever befell man's lot to encounter with every thing passing off to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. The remains of Madison Hall Bracken started for Crockett in the control of his father, to be interred in the grave yard at Crockett. at home hands still in the cotton. weather clear & rather cool.

Tuesday, April 24th, 1860

Still in Sumpter. In my case the witnesses all testified and arguments closed about 9 o'clock P.M. when the court proceeded to charge the jury and who retired to consider their verdict about 10 o'clock P.M. To day Madison Hall Bracken, a young man whom I had raised and educated, departed this life, in the 19 year of his age. at home still at work in the cotton. weather clear but cool.

Sunday, April 15th, 1860

Still in Sumpter, I went to see Mat. Bracken and found him very sick with the typhoid fever. I also attended the funeral of Dr. Evans at Sumpter. weather changeable & warm.

Saturday, April 14th, 1860

To day we are still in Sumpter. Madison H. Bracken started down to Sumpter and was taken sick at his brothers at home. finished planting cotton. weather cloudy & cool.

Review of Hall's Journal - Part One

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

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

In our Houston County Library there is a three hundred and twenty-five page Journal that's going to prove of interest to many descendants of pioneer families living in Houston County. This Journal has just recently been presented TO THE LIBRARY by Mrs. Mahala HALL BROWNLOW of Shreveport, La., and her nephew Robert L. HALL of Anahuac, Texas.

The Journal is of the Civil War period, and was kept by JAMES MADISON HALL when he lived at Hall's Bluff during the years 1860-1866.

Here, we feel that we should give a biographical sketch of James Madison HALL, who kept the Journal -- and to this we turned to our ever highly prized "History of Houston County" written many many years ago by Judge A. A. ALDRICH; and from this, in part, we quote.

"James Madison HALL was the son of Joshua A [James] HALL. He was born February 22nd, probably in Maryland. He came with his father to Houston County as early as July 1st, 1839. He married Cornelia A. BRACKEN, as early as 1851.

"James Madison [HALL] was elected district clerk in Houston County in 1847, and held the office until 1857.

"About 1858 he and his first wife were divorced and he later married his stepsister, a daughter of his stepmother, Mahala HALL, with whom he lived until his death in 1866."

The Journal "covers the entire period of the Civil War from 1861 to 1866. In this he has preserved some valued history of that period."

"James Madison HALL was the son of Joshua H [James] HALL. The records show that JOSHUA J. HALL was here as early as July 1st, 1839; and that he was owner of more than twenty-three thousand acres of land on which he located his home, and on which he lived up to the time of his death. He later married the widow Mahala L. SHARP, the daughter of Elisha ROBERTS, a pioneer citizen of San Augustine County. Soon after reaching Houston County he established a warehouse and business at a point on the bank of the Trinity River, near his home, which, ever since, has been known as Hall's Bluff.

"Hall's Bluff," as Judge A. A. ALDRICH wrote "was quite a business place where cotton was shipped to market on steamboats that plied the river to and from Galveston. The business of hauling cotton to that point, and goods from that point, to Crockett merchants, was a regular trade before the coming of the railroad."

To be continued . . .