Tuesday, July 31st, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Dr. C.L. Tarleton, wife and child [Annie Woodall McMulin nee Tarleton] came to my house to stop until he could make arrangements to keep house. Capt. John W. Redman also came to my house and put up with me, he having arrived on the cars from Sour Lake. I sent my wagon up town after their baggage. Weather variable and hot. Ther : 94°.thus closes my notes for July.

Thursday, February 15th, 1866

The forenoon of to day I worked at the warehouse and the evening I spent at home. I am still suffering with my cough and cold. Capt. John W. Redmond arrived in the cars from Sour Lake and stopped at my house. Frank [Stewart] is still confined to his room. Hicks worked in the garden. Albert worked for Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring]. The children are still afflicted with the sore eyes. Weather variable and cold, with strong norther blowing and hard freeze at night.

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

Tuesday, October 17tth, 1865

To day I am still at work at the warehouse and sent forward 39 bales of Cotton to ? William Leaverton arrived on the cars from Sour lake and put up with us. Weather variable and cool with a light rain at night.

Monday, October 16th, 1865

To day I commenced clerking for James Wrigley in his warehouse at a salary of $5. per day, or if I remain as much as a Month, then at 100$ per Month. William Leaverton and my sister Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] arrived from the up Country [Houston County] on the stage and put up with me. Roberta is to go to school. They left all my relatives well. William Leaverton left on the cars for sour lake. I purchased from J.F.Carr & A. Drew 21 bales of Cotton at 23 Cts./lb. for a/c of Col. Wrigley. I received family letters from the up Country by Mr. Leaverton. Weather variable  and warm. [My copy of this page is not very clear.]

Saturday, September 16th, 1865

To day I drove up town in my buggy, and while there I purchased from Mr. Bristley one barrel of flour at 11$ one half barrel Mackeral at 11$ one ½ barrel Sugar at 18$ and two decks of cards at $1. I done nothing in the way of papering. Charles Leaverton arrived on the train from Sour Lake, and left immediately on the same train for Houston, and as said train attempted to pass over the trestle work in the river bottom the work gave way and precipitated the Locomotive, tender and one of the platform cars into the bottom although it was a smash up among the cars, it mercifully happened that no person was hurt in the least. A special train came over from Houston after the passengers, and they all left on it. Weather changeable & hot with occasional showers of rain.

The Houston Tri-Weekly Telegraph
September 20, 1865

Friday, September 15th, 1865

To day Charles Leaverton left on the train of Cars for Sour Lake. I am still engaged in papering the parlor. In the evening I drove down to John Booth's and paid him up in full for the time I boarded with him during last summer. Weather cloudy and warm with showers of rain throughout the entire day.

Tuesday, August 8th, 1865

To day I drove up to the depot and waited until the cars arrived, in order to see William Leaverton, who came in them from Sour Lake, in route for Houston. Fannie & Florence are sick again with fever. Weather variable & hot. Ther: 86°.

Friday, August 4th, 1865

To day I drove up to the cars to see William Leaverton off. he left on the train for Sour Lake. . . . bushels of corn from Capt. Cameron and carried it to the mill being . . . The Steamer Mary Hill left for Galveston. Weather clear and warm with occasional showers of rain throughout the day. Ther: 86°.

Thursday, August 3rd, 1865

To day my new woman Jemima came back home, bringing her Mother home with her who I suppose I will now have to support in order to keep Jemima with me. I drove my horse and buggy (with John Booth in Company with me) down to Richard Coles. we remained there for dinner. William Leaverton spent the evening with us. he is waiting for the cars to carry him to Sour Lake. The steamer Mary Hill arrived from Galveston. Weather cloudy and warm. Ther: 88°.

Wednesday, August 2nd, 1865

To day William Leaverton arrived from my mills. he informed me that my relatives are well and the mill in successful opperation. He is on his way to Sour Lake. He brought the little woman some apples and a package of letters. He remained for dinner in order to wait for some letters I am engaged in writing. Weather cloudy and warm with a very hard rain. Ther: 86°.

Saturday, August 23rd, 1862

To day I am still busy working on the tax rolls for Sam. Charley Lund returned on the cars from his trip to Sour Lake, having left his wife there. The boys are at work on my fence. weather changeable & hot with a shower of rain in the evening. Ther: 91°.

Friday, August 22nd, 1862

To day I am still engaged in making out the tax rolls for Sam. The steamer Ruthven arrived from and departed for Galveston. Sam with the boys are engaged in the ware house handling freight all the forenoon. Charley Lund left on the train of cars for Sour Lake. Bill finished making one of the large gates in my fence. weather changeable & hot, with a shower of rain in the evening. Ther: 91°.

Tuesday, August 12th, 1862

To day I am very busy writing in the War tax Collector's office. Sam Sharp still engaged in making out his rolls as Assessor & Collector. Charley Lund came home on the cars having left his wife at Sour Lake. Bill is still at work on the gates and finished the large wagon one. The other boys are at work in the swamp getting out pughes. weather changeable with occasional showers of rain. Ther. standing at 95°.

Monday, August 11th, 1862

To day I am very busy writing in the war tax Collectors office. Charley Lund and his wife left on the cars for Sour Lake, there to rusticate for some time. Sam Sharp still at work on his rolls. E.H. Cushing arrived from Houston on the cars and came to see me. Bill still at work on the house yard gates. weather changeable & hot. Ther: 95°.

Thursday, September 13th, 1860

To day we left Sour Lake and rode 15 miles to Hardin while there I examined the records in relation to Mr. Numsen's land claims. expenses of the day $2.40. weather clear & warm.

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Texas Day by Day . . . Abolitionist minister lynched in Fort Worth . . . On this day in 1860, abolitionist Methodist minister Anthony Bewley was lynched in Fort Worth. Bewley, born in Tennessee in 1804, had established a mission sixteen miles south of Fort Worth by 1858. When vigilance committees alleged in the summer of 1860 that there was a widespread abolitionist plot to burn Texas towns and murder their citizens, suspicion immediately fell upon Bewley and other outspoken critics of slavery. Special attention was focused on Bewley because of an incendiary letter, dated July 3, 1860, addressed to a Rev. William Bewley and supposedly written by a fellow abolitionist. Many argued that the letter, which urged Bewley to continue with his work in helping to free Texas from slavery, was a forgery. The letter was widely published, however, and taken by others as evidence of Bewley's involvement with the John Brownites in Texas. Recognizing the danger, Bewley left for Kansas in mid-July with part of his family. A Texas posse caught up with him near Cassville, Missouri, and returned him to Fort Worth on September 13. Late that night vigilantes seized Bewley and delivered him into the hands of a waiting lynch mob. His body was allowed to hang until the next day, when he was buried in a shallow grave. Three weeks later his bones were unearthed, stripped of their remaining flesh, and placed on top of Ephraim Daggett's storehouse, where children made a habit of playing with them.

Wednesday, September 12th, 1860

To day I left Liberty on the John mule in company with Geo. Numsun & after riding 31 miles we arrived at Sour Lake. expenses $3.35. weather clear & warm. the ride to say the least of it was very unpleasant.