Tuesday, February 27th, 1866

To day I finished papering the school house for Col. Wrigley. I drove up town and settled in full with Mr. Baldwin & Dr. Rives. Hicks & Albert are working in the garden. My cough & cold are no better. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] still afflicted with sore eyes. Frank [Stewart] still confined to his bed. I purchased from the Str. Col. Stell which is still here one Barrel of irish potatoes for which I paid 5$ specie. Weather clear & pleasant. Mrs. Massie still here.

Friday, January 19th, 1866

To day I drove up town and purchased a few articles from Dr. Rives. John Cochran arrived on the cars from Houston and brought over $10,000 gold to purchase cotton with. Frank [Stewart] still very sick. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] slightly improving. Col. Wrigley commenced digging a well at the convent. Hicks at work getting logs to store cotton on. Mrs. Basil Waring* [Harriett Waring nee Gill] after a short illness died. Weather cloudy & very cold. 

*This is a sister-in-law of Mrs. Beale aka Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring who is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. This is the ONLY record I have found of Harriett's date of death.

Thursday, December 24th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the stables. I sent John over to Rives' still after the demijohn & wallet also for some whiskey but he did not get any in consequence of the still house having been robbed the night before. I ground 12 bushels of corn, and Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 3 bushels of wheat. In the evening Capt. Peacock and I rode down to Fathers [Joshua James Hall] and back. Times are quite brisk at the house preparing for Christmas dinner. Weather changeable & cool with occasional showers of rain.

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

Tuesday, December 22nd, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the stables. I sent John across the Trinity river with Father [Joshua James Hall] to Rives' still after some whiskey, but they did not get any. they left my demijohn and wallet over there which will cost another trip. I ground 24 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy and warm with a hard rain at night.