Wednesday, September 20th, 1865

To day I worked on the hen house for the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Capt. John Redman is still with me. Hicks hauled the beef hides out of my carriage house and stored them in Wrigley's warehouse. The evening I spent over at Mr. Trowell's. Weather variable and hot.

Thursday, February 18th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks finished the hen house for the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. I remained at the house around the fire to keep from freezing. The weather is cloudy and bitter cold with a hail & snow storm. at night it was exceedingly cold, with a hard freeze and frost.

Wednesday, February 17th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is still at work on the hen house. I ground 23½ bushels of corn. Weather changeable and bitter cold with a hard freeze at night.

Tuesday, February 16th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks still at work on the hen house. I ground 19 bushels of corn and 1½ bushels of wheat. At night a soldier stopped with me. weather changeable & cold.

Friday, February 12th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is still at work on the hen house. I sent over for Mr. Keen who came and examined a sow & some shoats. The sow is in my mark but strange to say the shoats are in the mark of J.H. Leaverton. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & children drove down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day there. I ground 5 bushels of corn. Weather clear and pleasant.

Thursday, February 11th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is still at work on the hen house. I ground 2½ bushels of corn. At night four soldiers stopped with me. They belong to Lane's Regiment of Texas Volunteers. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still staying down at Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. Weather clear and warm for the season of the year.

*This Nellie is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is her mother-in-law.

Wednesday, February 10th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is at work putting up the hen house for the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up from Mothers [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] but returned there again in the evening. I ground 17½ bushels of corn. Weather clear and pleasant, but rather cold at night.

*This Nellie is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is her mother-in-law and is Margaret's mother, as well as the mother-in-law and step-mother of JMH.

Tuesday, February 9th, 1864

To day the boys are at work plowing in the bottom field. Mr. Coburn passed on his way to Magnolia with a gang of impressed negroes in the government service. John is at work hauling the logs in to build the hen house. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up in the evening and Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode home with her. I ground 1½ bushels of corn. Weather clear and warm, but cold at night.

*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.

Monday, February 8th, 1864

To day the boys are at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is at work getting logs to build the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] a hen or chicken house. The little woman rode up to Mrs. Beazly's to get some weaving done. I ground 19½ bushels of corn. In Crockett there was a negro man by the name of Sam, the property of Dr. J.A. Cooley, hung for attempting to commit a rape upon the person of Mrs. Billy Moore. Weather clear & pleasant but cold at night.