Monday, September 12th, 1864

To day the boys are engaged picking peas. I rode down with the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] after some muscadines and succeeded in getting a basket full. John arrived with the wagon from Huntsville all safe and sound. Mr. Morgan's wagon arrived when he left in route for the saline. I sent by him 20$ specie to purchase some wool if possible for the little woman. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 90°.

Saturday, September 10th, 1864

To day we left our camp at Nelson's creek and drove to Huntsville, where I exchanged at the Penitentiary my four bales of cotton which weighed 1958 lbs for 198½ yards of osnaburgs and 144 yards of cotton Jeans after which we left Huntsville in route for Home with the wagons and drove 8 miles where the wagons camped at Nelson's creek for the night. I however rode to the river 13 miles and stopped with Mrs. Wyser for the night for which I paid her 10$. Mr. White and myself having parted company at Huntsville. Weather changeable & hot. Ther: 94°.

Thursday, September 8th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work on the house to save peas in. I let Mr. Keen have ½ bushel of meal. After dinner I left home on my horse Rob in route for Huntsville and rode 25 miles and stopped with Mr. Brown for the night and for which I paid him 20$. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 90°.

Wednesday, September 7th, 1864

To day John left for Huntsville, with the wagon, three yoke of oxen and five bales of cotton. The boys are at work putting up a house to save some peas in. In the evening the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] and I drove down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in the buggy and spent the evening. Hicks ground 1 bushel of corn. Weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 80°. At night Lieut. Allen and his comrad stopped with me.

Thursday, July 30th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work pulling fodder in the lower field. I assisted the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in pealing peaches to day for winter's use thus "making hay while the sun shines." Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] and Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] drove my horse and buggy down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and while there Sam paid over to Father [Joshua James Hall] the balance in money that he obtained from the sale of two bales of cotton to the Penitentiary after the 150 yds of cloth was deducted. Those two bales of cotton I loaned to Mother, and are to be by her paid back to me and delivered to me at the mills. they weighed 905 lbs gross. In consequence of the low stage of water in the pond I was unable to grind any corn. weather changeable and hot. Ther: 94°.

Wednesday, July 29th, 1863

To day the boys quit splitting boards and commenced pulling fodder which required their immediate attention. I ground 19 bushels of corn and 5½ bushels of Barley. I was enabled to grind this much because some person went to the upper mill and pulled up the gates, thereby giving me the benefit of their whole head of water. Roberta [Hall] came up but did not tarry long. weather clear & hot with indications of rain. Ther: 95°. at midnight the wagon arrived from Huntsville with the things obtained there by Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp]. It had very good success in the homeward trip.

Tuesday, July 28th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work getting boards. John commenced hauling rails. The sick have all recovered once more. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] got back from Huntsville having procured from the Penitentiary 151 yds of cotton cloth for our family and a like amount for Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. The wagon got down to Huntsville after much trouble and the loss of two yoke of oxen, which escaped and returned home. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode up to Mrs. P?'s and obtained some tallows. I ground 3 bushels of corn. weather changeable and hot with indications of rain. Ther: standing at 94°.

Friday, July 24th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work splitting rails to finish enclosing the mill field. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] & John missed their fevers and are recovering. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] is still sick and so is Jemima. I missed my chill & fever. the house does not look quite so gloomy as on yesterday. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] missed her fever and with a little care will soon recover. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] started on my horse Gladiator for Huntsville to attend to the procuring of some domestic from the Penitentiary. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Roberta [Hall] came up to see the sick. Mother remained all night but Roberta went home. I ground 12 bushels of corn. weather changeable and hot with indications of rain. Ther: 96°.

Wednesday, July 22nd, 1863

To day the boys are still splitting rails to finish enclosing the mill field. Martin with the wagon & 5 yoke of oxen loaded with five bales of cotton started for Huntsville. John went down to Fathers [Joshua James Hall] to work. I ground 6 bushels of wheat and 6½ bushels of corn. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still very sick. Dr. Murchison came to see her. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick, but still improving. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] was again taken with fever. I had a chill and fever myself. Billy Stewart, John Miller and Robert Stewart came out from Crockett on a fishing excursion and camped on the bank of the creek. weather changeable and warm with strong indications of rain. Ther: 93°.

Sunday, May 10th, 1863

To day the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & children remained down at Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] who is still sick but improving some. at night Father [Joshua James Hall] & Frank Stewart returned home from their Huntsville trip but without accomplishing the business for which they went. weather changeable & warm with indications of rain.

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

Wednesday, May 6th, 1863

To day the boys finished replanting & hoeing the corn in the bottom field and commenced splitting rails to enclose the mill field. Father [Joshua James Hall] & Frank Stewart left for Huntsville. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting and killed a fine deer. In the evening the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], children & I went down in the buggy to see Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts], who is sick again. Roberta [Hall] came up and I sent her and Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] home on Hawk. we remained all night with Mother. weather changeable & very cold for the season of the year.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma, and is Sam's Mother, as well as the step-mother AND the mother-in-law of JMH.

Saturday, August 30th, 1862

To day we left Huntsville and drove 12 miles and crossed the Trinity River at Tuscaloosa. Thence 6 miles further and camped for the night at Smith's. no incidents on the road to note. weather cloudy & showery with a very hard rain at night. expenses $2.75. Ther: 86°.

Friday, August 29th, 1862

To day we left the camp at Davis' and drove 27 miles to Huntsville, where I stoped at Sims Hotel for the night. On the road I met Mr. Swilley and purchased from him a rash of flour to be left at my house in Liberty. At Huntsville I met W.H. Cundiff & learned all the particulars from old Houston County. weather cloudy & rainy all day. Expenses 75 cts. Ther: 84°.

Tuesday, August 7th, 1860

After running all night we arrived at Huntsville for breakfast and to the Grand Junction at 10 P.M. expenses of day $1.60. weather warm & clear.

Wednesday, July 11th, 1860

Wednesday, July 11th, 1860. After travelling all night I arrived at Huntsville Ala for breakfast, having slept little or none and of course much fatigued. after breakfast I proceeded on and arrived at Chattanooga Georgia for dinner and after dinner to Cleveland Tennessee for supper. expenses of the day $1.70. weather warm & clear.

Saturday, June 23rd, 1860

To day I left Huntsville and staid at Wysers at night. at home the hands still in the cotton. The little woman still at her Mothers. Weather changable & warm.

Friday, June 22nd, 1860

Still in Huntsville. at home hands still in the cotton. The little woman at her Mothers. weather changable & warm.

Thursday, June 21st, 1860

To day I arrived in Huntsville. at home hands still in the cotton. The little woman at her Mothers. weather changable & warm.

Wednesday, June 20th, 1860

To day I started to Huntsville and arrived at Clarks for dinner & in the evening went to Wyser's. at home still at work in the cotton. weather changable & warm.

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Tuscaloosa Springs (also Wyser's Bluff). Situated on the Trinity, ten miles north of Huntsville and thirty miles south of Crockett. On his 1849 map De Cordova noted its location at the mouth of Mill Creek. In 1858 a stage stop with accommodations operated at these red, black, and white sulphur springs. The 1860 Census reported G.A. Wyser as hotelkeeper. In 1866 the San Antonio Daily Herald noted it as a "very strong sulphur spring." The springs evidently operated until 1870, as Johnson noted it on his map. The 1886 USGS Bulletin 32 said that locals used this sulphureted spring. . . . from Taking the waters in Texas: springs, spas, and fountains of youth by Janet Valenza. Google Books.

TUSCALOOSA TX (Walker Co., Houston Co.)
Post Offices & Postmasters of Texas

• Wyser, Chas. S., 27 Aug 1858
• Wyser, Gustavus A., 30 Jan 1860
• Wyser, G. A., 12 Jly 1861 (CSA)
• Wyser, Miss Nannie E., 10 May 1866
• Cg'd to CALHOUN'S FERRY, Houston Co., 4 Jan 1869

Review of Hall's Journal - Part Three

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

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

Hall's Bluff

James Madison HALL and 'the Little Woman' as he called his wife, found happiness and contentment in making a home at Hall's Bluff. First, the land for the house had to be cleared, which took quite a bit of time . . . then, the site for their houses had to be settled upon, and finally, in Time, the house was built and furnished. The furniture, finally arrived, by steamer from Galveston. The Journal records of how the furniture was left out on the banks of the Trinity River, so urgent was the need of the steamer to go up the river and of how fast and furiously 'all the hands had to work' to get all the furniture hauled to the site of the house before the rains descended!! Matting was also brought up, by steamer, for a floor covering. Then, IN TIME, there was a garden plot to be decided upon, then planted and culvitated by the hands, with 'the little woman' in charge of supervision. Then, there were rails to be split and pickets to be made for the yard fence, and for fence to be built on the place (rail fences) and then oxen had to be used for plowing the cleared fields in order that they could plant corn or cotton.

There were many, many trips to be made to Crockett to buy additional supplies for the house or for the farm in general. Occasionally there were trips just to pay the Doctor, and settle accounts when due, or to visit friends in Crockett or, up-country. There were occasional trips further away from home such as to Liberty, overland by horse-back, or, by steamer or to Livingston, Sumpter, Dailey, Coleto, Huntsville, Galveston, or Houston.

To be continued . . .