Tuesday, September 4th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Billy Sowell is still at work painting my house. Fanny had a chill & fever. Capt. John W. Redman is still with me. I am sorry to record that I was compelled to have a slight altercation with my boarder, Mrs. Tarleton, in order to protect my children from insult and abuse, all of which was very unpleasant to me & which I am determined to obviate by requiring her to seek other quarters. Weather cloudy and hot with a storm attended with rain in the evening.

Sunday, July 1st, 1866

To day I remained at home writing up this journal. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] and Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] are all sick with fevers. Fanny having missed the fever. The Str. Royal Arch arrived from Galveston. Weather variable and warm. Ther : 82°

Saturday, June 30th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall], Fanny and Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] are all sick with fevers. Mr. Gordon, Mr. Angell and Grand Ma Gayle all left on the cars for Houston. Col. Wrigley with the hands commenced to build a shop for wagon work. Weather clear and warm. Ther : 82°. Thus I close my notes for the month of June.

Friday, June 29th, 1866

To day I am at work are the warehouse. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] and Fanny all had another fever. Mr. Angell is still with me. Col. Wrigley with the hands finished the salt shed. Weather clear and warm. Ther : 82°.

Thursday, June 28th, 1866

To day I am much better after a night's sweet repose and am now ready and able to enter upon my business matters. Col. Wrigley with the hands are at work on the salt shed. Mr. Angell is still with me. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] and Fanny are all sick with fever. Weather clear & warm. Ther: 80°.

Saturday, April 28th, 1866

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] and Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] are recovering from the measles. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall], little Joe and Conney are still quite sick with it. Fanny went up to Mrs. Raniers and purchased a fine mess of strawberries for dinner. The Steamer Indian No. 2 arrived from Galveston with Maj. Bolling and Mrs. Stanwood on board, by the latter I received my lamps, oil and pocket knife and for which I paid her $12.50. The Steamer left for the upper [Trinity] river with a heavy load on board. Weather clear and pleasant. 

Monday, April 9th, 1866

To day I am busy at the warehouse storing hides. I drove up town in the buggy in company with Col. Wrigley. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove the negro woman Fanny off who has been living with us for some time for her thieving propensity. Weather clear and cool.

Monday, February 26th, 1866

To day I commenced papering the schoolhouse for Col. Wrigley and the one upon which he has been working. I am but little if any better of my cough and cold. Frank [Stewart] is still confined to his bed. Mrs. Massie is still here. Berta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Fanny spent the night at Mrs. Beale's* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring]. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Hall] is still suffering with sore eyes. Weather clear and pleasant.

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

Tuesday, February 6th, 1866

To day I worked at the warehouse, although suffering severely with the Cough and sore throat. The steamers Indian No. 2 & Col. Stell left for Galveston. Frank [Stewart] and Burta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] are still quite sick. Fannie is again up. Weather cloudy and cold with occasional showers of rain.

Monday, February 5th, 1866

To day the Steamers Indian No. 2 and Col. Stell came up to the landing from Walnut bluff and commenced discharging their freight. I walked down to the Warehouse and made out the bills of ladings for 52 bales of Cotton, although I am quite feeble and suffering severely with a Cough and sore throat. Frank [Stewart] and Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] are still very sick. Fannie is beter. Weather cloudy and cold with rain throughout the entire day. 

Friday, February 4th, 1866

To day I remained at home in consequence of my Cold, Cough and sore throat which does not seem to improve any. Frank [Stewart] & Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Fannie are all sick. The Steamers Indian No. 2 and Col. Stell arrived at Walnut bluff from Galveston. Weather cloudy and cold with drizzling rain.

Sunday, November 12th, 1865

To day I was compelled to work hard at the ware house. The Steamer Col. Stell left for Galveston. The Steamer Sunflower arrived from Galveston with a considerable cargo on board, the most of which we stored in the warehouse. We turned out for the Steamer Sunflower 280 bales of cotton. Frank Stewart is still quite sick. My son Jimmy had a chill and fever. Ed. Jones is much better. Fannie has entirely recovered. Weather cloudy and warm with a very hard rain at night.

Wednesday, November 8th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. The steamer Sunflower arrived from Galveston with a bbl onions, Bbl potatoes and some fruit for the children on board for me. We loaded her with 350 bales of Cotton & 52 beef hides. Jimmy had a chill and fever. Fannie is still improving. Frank Stewart is still quite sick. Hicks made one load with the big wagon to the public square. Weather clear and pleasant.

Tuesday, November 7th, 1865

To day I had my 5 bales of Cotton stored in the warehouse. Hicks drove my team making 3 loads from the warehouse to town. I am at work at the warehouse. Fannie is improving a little. Frank Stewart is quite sick. Weather clear and pleasant during the day, but a hard frost at night.

Monday, November 6th, 1865

To day my wagon and team driven by negro man Hicks arrived from the mills [in Houston County] with 5 bales of Cotton, my desk, and sundry other articles on board. The negro man John having run off and left it on the road and Hicks after turning out the oxen left, and I suppose my employment for good. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove up town in my buggy after some articles. Fannie is still sick. Col. Wrigley & I drove up town in Maggie's buggy after returning home, we all went over to Col. Wrigley's where the little woman, Mrs. Wrigley, Col. J. Wrigley and I all took a solemn vow, not to use any spirituous liquor as a beveridge for the space of one year. Weather clear and cold, with a hard frost at night.

Sunday, November 5th, 1865

To day I was compelled to work at the Ware house. Fannie is still sick. At night Col. Wrigley arrived home in the stage. Weather clear and cold with a hard frost at night.

Saturday, November 4th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Fannie is still sick. At night Frank Stewart arrived in the little woman's buggy, drawn by my mules. He reports all my relatives up at my mills in good health and that my wagon is on the road coming down. Frank is in very feeble health. Weather variable & cold with a frost at night.

Friday, November 3rd, 1865

To day I commenced again to work at the warehouse for Col. Wrigley at a salary of one hundred dollars per month. I drove up town with Col. Wrigley, who left on the stage for Polk County. Billy Stewart also left in route for Crockett. Fannie is still sick. I had two loads of wood hauled for which I paid one dollar per load. Weather variable and cold with a hard frost at night.

Tuesday, November 2nd, 1865

To day I was compelled to remain at home. Fannie is still sick. Billy Stewart is still with me. Weather cloudy and exceedingly cold with almost incessant rain throughout the entire day, which prevented any kind of work from being done.

Wednesday, November 1st, 1865

To day we arrived in Houston just at day break. we left the Steamer and put up at the Rusk House and after breakfast for which we had to pay one dollar each specie Stewart and I left Houston on the freight train for Liberty at which place we arrived about 2 O'Clk P.M. and for our passage we paid 4$ specie. I found all my family well except Fannie who is sick and confined to her room. Weather cloudy and cold with occasional showers of rain and a strong north wind still blowing.