Wednesday, January 28th, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp rode my horse Ratler to Crockett and back. The boys are still at work on the garden fence. I ground 18½ bushels of corn. Mother [Mahala* Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & the children are still here. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] and the Major [James Hall Sharp] are doing very well. weather clear & cold with a frost at night.

*Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is Sam's mother.

Monday, January 26th, 1863

To day the boys are at work on the garden fence. Sam* Sharp is still at work making the loom for Mother [Mahala* Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and progressing very well. Roberta & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up to see Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] and the little Stranger [James Hall "Major" Sharp] and who are doing very well. I ground 8 bushels of corn. weather cloudy and cold with occasional showers of rain. at night there was a hard freeze.

*Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is Sam's Mother, and is the mother-in-law as well as the step-mother to JMH.

Sunday, January 18th, 1863

To day I had the mill rocks taken up. I remained at home writing up this journal. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] still sick but is improving & bids fair to recover from her present attack without injury. weather cloudy, warm and a drizzling rain throughout the entire day which made it very disagreeable. at night it rained in torrents, swelling the Elk Hart creek very high almost to overflow.

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

Saturday, January 17th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the garden posts. I ground 46½ bushels of corn when the balance iron of the mill stones gave way thereby preventing me from grinding any more. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] was taken sick again with one of her spells and with strong symptoms of a miscarriage she being well advanced in a state of pregnancy. weather clear and rather cool.

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

Thursday, January 8th, 1863

To day Thomas W. Reed and Capt. Stubblefield came to see me & remained for dinner. From Mr. Reed & his wife I purchased a likely negro man of black color about 34 years of age by the name of Bill a slave for life and for whom I paid $1800. Mother [Mahala* Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and her & the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] went to see Mrs. Bird. I ground 18 bushels of corn. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is now entirely recovered from her late indisposition and is now up attending to her usual duties about the house. weather clear & rather warm on my pork.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Nellie is a 2nd great-grandma and is Mahala's daughter-in-law.

Tuesday, January 6th, 1863

To day I finished the temporary stable that I began on yesterday for my horse Rob. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 19 bushels of corn. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still improving and now bids fair to be up in a day or two if she has not back set. weather clear & cool. the wind blowing from the South almost a perfect gale.

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

Monday, January 5th, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp rode my horse Rob to Crockett in order to hire a negro man, but returned without having accomplished his mission. Father [Joshua] & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up to see Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] and the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. I ground 10½ bushels of corn. In the evening I commenced a temporary stable to keep my horse Rob in. I sold 1 bushel of meal for 2$. Nellie* is still improving although quite sick yet. weather changeable & warm for the season.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is his mother. Nellie is his wife. Margaret is his only full sibling, and wife of JMH.

Sunday, January 4th, 1863

To day I remained at home writing up this journal. I had some of my pork resalted & sold one bushel of Meal for 2$. Roberta [Hall] & Toby [Hall] came up to see the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and returned home in the evening. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still quite sick although she is still improving. weather changeable and cool.

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

Saturday, January 3rd, 1863

To day Sam* and I are both very busy in the Mill. we ground 35 bushels of corn. We also resalted the pork that I purchased from Mr. Dailey. Nellie* is still quite sick, although she is still improving. weather changeable and warm with occasional showers of rain.

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

Friday, January 2nd, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp and I resalted the pork that I purchased from Mr. Bird. Sam went down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and got a little tallow for the use of the mill. we then took up the Mill rocks and rebushed the spindle. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Hall nee Lemaire] is still quite sick but improving a little. I ground 14 bushels of corn. weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain.

*Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is Sam's mother.

Thursday, January 1st, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp went to Crockett for the purpose of hiring a negro boy but returned home without doing so. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] sent Louisa up to assist the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in preparing and putting up her sausages as I have now got the entire control and possession of my mill I contemplate jotting down her earnings and out lay for the current year it is agreed however between Sam Sharp & I that he shall act as the miller I attending only during his absence. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still sick but improving. I ground ten bushels of corn. weather cloudy & rather warm on my pork with a shower of rain at night.

*This Sam and his wife, Nellie, are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is Sam's Mother.

Wednesday, December 31st, 1862

To day Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I cut up and salted down the porks that we killed yesterday. I paid Chester & Ann for their services in helping to kill & salt down the pork. Dr. Murchison & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came to see Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] who is still very sick, but they did not remain long. Mr. Pennington's time as Miller having expired he surrendered the mill keys to me and left for his home. weather clear and cool. 

Thus I close my jottings of daily events for the year 1862 now past & gone and whether God will permit me to live to keep the events around me of the incoming year is more than I can know but trusting in his mercy I shall enter upon the duty which is pleasing to me and may be profitable to my family and myself hereafter.

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

Tuesday, December 30th, 1862

To day I hired Chester & Ann to salt down the pork we got from Dailey on yesterday. after that was done we killed ten other hogs which weighed 1480 lbs of pork. Mrs. Bird came down to see Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] who is still very sick so much so that Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] was compelled to go after Dr. Murchison but he did not come down. weather clear & cold with a strong North wind blowing and a hard frost at night.

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

Sunday, December 28th, 1862

To day I employed two of Mr. Leaverton's boys, one of Mr. Bird's, Chester & his wife Ann, to salt down the pork purchased from Mr. Bird on yesterday, which they did and for their services I paid them 6$. Nellie* is still quite sick. Dr. Murchison, Mrs. Bird & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] left for home. Nellie's sickness resuming a more alarming character, Dr. Murchison was again sent for but did not come, thus leaving us to manage the care as best we could. In justice to the Doctor I must here state that he was not at home when the messenger arrived there & hence he could not come. weather clear & cool.

*This Nellie is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma, and Nellie's mother-in-law.

Saturday, December 27th, 1862

This morning I sent down after Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and Mrs. Bird to attend Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] in her sickness, and Sam* Sharp went after Dr. Murchison all of whom came to attend Nellie. I purchased from Mr. Bird 1100 lbs of pork for which I paid 15&#162 per lb. Mr. Leaverton's boys hauled another load of fodder from Mr. Renfro's weighing 1028 lbs. weather clear & cold with a hard frost at night.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Nellie and Sam are 2nd great-grandparents. Sam is Mahala's son.

Friday, December 26th, 1862

To day I am engaged about the mill and rode down to Father's in the evening. Mr. Leaverton's boys hauled me from Mr. Renfro's 1034 lbs of fodder. at night Nellie* was taken very sick with strong indications of her confinement. weather cloudy & warm with occasional showers of rain.

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

Tuesday, October 7th, 1862

To day in consequence of my having divided and deeded away Father's interest in the lands that we held in common I made a new will disposing of my property differently from what my prior one done. to this last will Nellie Sharp & William P. Leaverton are witnesses. I remained about the house all day reading. weather changeable & hot.

Friday, October 3rd, 1862

To day Bill returned from Crockett with my mail matter. William Leaverton rode across the Trinity River to Mr. Broady's to get some shoes for the little woman & Nellie. he returned with 3 pair. The little woman is quite sick with the neuralgia in the face. weather changeable & hot.

Sunday, September 28th, 1862

To day I went in Company with the little woman, Nellie*, Laura & Roberta fishing. we had fine success having caught over 100. Mr. & Mrs. Bird spent the day at Fathers. weather clear & hot. [*This Nellie is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.]

 

Friday, September 19th, 1862

To day William Leaverton rode hawk to Crockett to attend a barbacue given to Sibley's soldiers. he returned in the evening. I amused myself fishing and had excellent success. Mother is slightly indisposed. Nellie has entirely recovered from her indisposition. weather clear & pleasant.