Monday, April 16th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse loading the propeller Royal Arch. I sent forward to Frank Hitchcock 57 Bales of Cotton by the Royal Arch. The Steamers Shreveport & Indian No. 2 worked their way through the raft and bridge and left for Galveston. The Steamer Arizona arrived from Galveston and proceeded on up the river. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is still doing her own housework. Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] is sick with fever. Weather clear & pleasant.

Thursday, January 11th, 1866

To day the Steamer Kate after taking on board 95 bales of Cotton from the flat boat left for Galveston with Frank Hitchcock on board. I had a partial settlement with him. I purchased from Sansom who is in charge of the flat boat a lot of rails some planks & 2 skiffs with one saddle blanket for all of which I paid him $250. I am at work making out accounts for the Str. Kate. James Wrigley raised the second string or row of posts for the Cotton shed. Weather cloudy and cold with occasional showers of rain.

Wednesday, January 10th, 1866

To day the Steamer Kate arrived from Galveston with a heavy freight on board. Frank Hitchcock came up on her and we had a fine settlement in relation to the cotton I purchased from him. I am very busy discharging the freight from the Kate. I received by her 2 Bbls potatoes one for Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] also 1 box of Cod fish. Capt. Chandler presented me with a fine large red fish which was a nice treat. F.M. Sansom* came down the river with a flat boat & 110 bales of Cotton on board, a large portion of which was shipped by the steamer Kate. Weather cloudy and cold with indications of rain. [*possibly this man]

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

Saturday, September 2nd, 1865

To day I drove up town in my buggy with Frank Hitchcock, who left on the train for Houston. I then came home and commenced pulling corn out of my little patch, in order to open a pasture. I got from Mr. Jackson 9 lbs of beef, and paid him up in full for all the beef I had heretofore purchased from him, which amounted to the sum of $7.²⁰. I am again afflicted with another boil on my posterior just opposite where the first one came. Weather clear and hot.

Friday, September 1st, 1865

To day I remained at home and worked a little in the garden. Fawn again missed the fever and I believe is now recovered from this present attack. Frank Hitchcock came over from Houston in company with Col. Jim Wrigley who is very sick & now confined to his bed. They both came over in the cars, Frank to see me in relation to cotton matters. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] paid Miss Jinnie Patillo in full for what chickens she had heretofore purchased from her. I am still afflicted with the itch. Weather clear and hot.

Tuesday, June 2nd, 1863

To day I am still in Houston and very busy in making and packing up the several small purchases of different articles sent for by me. I am getting very tired of remaining in Houston but as there is no way of leaving it for the present I must remain contented. at night Frank Hitchcock & myself again visited the Theatre in company. weather clear & hot. Ther: 90°.

Monday, June 1st, 1863

To day I am still in Houston and commenced making several little purchases for the various persons who sent by me for the same, and am very busy getting them together. Frank Hitchcock came down from Washington County to see me & with whom I spent a pleasant time. at night we visited the Theatre together. expenses of the day 15$. weather clear & very hot, as it is the first day of summer I shall commence keeping the stage of the Thermometer, which I contemplate keeping up throughout the entire summer. at 3 P.M. (and at this hour for the season I shall always note) it reached in the shade 90°.

Tuesday, February 10th, 1863

To day Hicks is still at work on the house fence. The other boys are splitting and hauling rails. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] made a first rate wagon gate for the house yard. I ground 13 bushels of corn and wrote to F. Hitchcock in relation to cotton. In the evening the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & children with myself drove down to Mothers [Mahala* Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in the buggy after some garden seed and shrubbery. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still improving. weather changeable with occasional showers of rain and rather warm for the season of the year.

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

Saturday, November 1st, 1862

To day I very busy with the boys at work in the ware house getting Frank Hitchcock's things hauled to the cars in time for the train in which we succeeded and Frank also left on the cars for Houston. Bob hauling corn. weather clear & pleasant. 

Friday, October 31st, 1862

To day Frank Hitchcock came over from Houston on the cars and deposited with me $15,500 to purchase cotton with up the Country [i.e., Houston County]. I am busy assisting Frank in getting his things out of the Warehouse to be shipped over to Houston. The boys are still hauling corn. weather clear and pleasant. Thus I close the jottings for the month of October.

Tuesday, October 28th, 1862

To day I am busy in the office. My friend Frank Hitchcock left on the cars for Houston but before doing so he presented me with a pair of fine blocks for the use of the mill. The boys are busy hauling corn. weather clear & very cool.

Friday, October 24th, 1862

To day my friends Frank Hitchcock and David Wakelee came over from Houston on the cars and took up quarters at my residence. Sam Sharp busy packing up for his trip up the country. The boys still hauling corn. weather clear, with a strong wind blowing from the North making it very cold. At night a freeze being the first ice of the season.

Sunday, August 24th, 1862

To day the steamer Ruthven came up from Galveston, and my friend Frank Hitchcock came up on her. he presented me with a bottle of fine brandy which wasn't hard to take. I remained at home nearly the entire day reading & writing. weather changeable with a hard rain in the evening. Ther: 91°. 

Wednesday, August 13th, 1862

To day I am very busy writing in the office of the war tax Collector. The Steamer Ruthven arrived from Galveston and my friend Frank Hitchcock came up on her. He left on her in the evening for Galveston. Sam* Sharp with the boys are busy in the Ware house braking out freight. At night I had a party of gentlemen who called upon me & we spent a pleasant time at a game of euchre. I weighed some cotton for E.A. Boothe in the morning. weather changeable & hot. Ther. 95°.

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

Friday, August 1st, 1862

To day after bidding adieu to my friend Frank Hitchcock I left Houston on the cars and arrived in Liberty about 12.M. In the evening I remained at home feeling somewhat fatigued from my journey, or from some other cause. weather changeable with a shower of rain, but rather hot. Ther. standing at 96°.

Thursday, July 31st, 1862

To day I left Galveston in Company with Frank Hitchcock, on the Steamer Ruthven bound for Houston, at which place we arrived at night, when a general meeting took place in the Cabin, & which passed off to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. weather clear & hot. Ther: 98°. Thus closes the jottings of the journal for the month of July.

Wednesday, July 30th, 1862

To day I am still in Galveston. I took dinner with my friend D. Wakelee and in the evening, Frank Hitchcock, David Wakelee, Burns & I chartered a hack and went down to Prince's establishment, where we had a regular jolification and spent a pleasant time. Upon our return we drove over to the gulf and had a regular sea bath which done me great good. I found however after I arrived in the City that I had forgotten my watch and had to employ a negro boy to go down the Island after, who returned in the night with my watch. thus passed one of the most pleasant days that I have had this summer. weather clear & very hot. Ther: 98°.

Tuesday, July 29th, 1862

This morning the Steamer Ruthven arrived in Galveston after running all last night. After seeing Mrs. Trowell safely home, I put up at the Washington Hotel. I spent the day very pleasantly in Galveston with Hitchcock, Wakelee and others. I took dinner with Hitchcock & found his family all well. In the way of business Galveston is perfectly dead. The blockading vessels are still off the bar being five in number. weather clear & hot. Ther: 98°.

Monday, July 14th, 1862

To day I am engaged in the office. Sam* Sharp left on Hawk for Tarkington's prairie on an electioneering tour. Frank Hitchcock and family left on the Steamer Ruthven for Galveston, leaving me a batchelor's establishment to keep. The boys are engaged in hauling Mr. Hitchcock's furniture down to the boat and in hauling my pughes up home. Bob is at work for Charley Lund. This being the third anniversary of my marriage with the little woman* [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], I celebrated it in a becoming style, and hoping that our future life together may be spent as pleasantly as the past three years for I can truly say that the last three years has been an oasis in my life. weather clear & hot. Ther: 98°.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. The little woman is Sam's sister.

Tuesday, July 8th, 1862

To day I am very busy at the ware house with all hands in storing away F. Hithcock's freight, and in getting 29 bales of Cotton off the lower wharf which the steam boat hands broke out and did not remove. Jack McKim is quite sick and has been so for a few days. weather clear & hot. Ther: 95°.