Wednesday, August 23rd, 1865

To day I walked up town to try a negro boy, who broke into the store of Mr. Skinner, but the parties not being able to identify the negro under arrest as the one who committed the offence, I discharged the negro. In the evening Mr. Trowell, Perkins & Cameron came over to my house and amused themselves playing whist. The Steamer Ruthven arrived from Galveston, and is now engaged taking on board lumber for the U.S. Government. Weather clear and hot. Ther: 94°.

Monday, May 29th, 1865

To day I am still at Booth's. Capt. Harrison and I took a long hunt after squirrels. In fact I am now willing to hunt all the time in order to occupy my mind and keep it from dwelling all the time upon home. A large party of gentlemen came over on the cars from Beaumont and put up at Booths, entirely crowding us out. Be it remembered that the President of the United Sates (Andrew Johnson) issued his proclamation liberating and freeing all the negro slaves in the south. and by this high handed and unlawful act I am deprived of nearly all my property that I have been working for for the past 30 years nearly all the Capital that I had being invested in that species of property. Weather clear & hot.