Tuesday, March 28th, 1865

To day Mrs. Byrd came down & spent the day and I cut out for her 2 sets of bridle fittings. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and children came home from Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. The mill done no grinding in consequence of the high water. The Elkhart creek is looming full and still rising. Weather variable & pleasant but there was a very hard rain at night.

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

Monday, March 20th, 1865

To day I made John drive up some wild shoats, which I marked. Hicks ground 8 bushels of wheat. Mr. Hester & William Long stopped with me for the night. Weather cloudy & cool with an exceedingly hard rain at night which raised the Elkhart creek very high or full.

Sunday, February 26th, 1865

To day James Roberts left for the army. Father [Joshua James Hall], Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came up and spent the day. The Elkhart is still very full. Weather variable and cold.

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

Saturday, February 25th, 1865

To day John hauled a load of wood and then drove up a gang of my wild shotes. The creek is so very full that the mill can do no work the wheels being some 5 or 6 feet under water. Weather clear and cold.

Friday, February 24th, 1865

To day John is engaged hauling wood. The Elkhart is still very full. Hicks ground 4 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy and cold with a hard rain at night.

Thursday, February 23rd, 1865

To day John is engaged in hauling fire wood, I loaned Col. Smith's boy 2 yoke of oxen to haul a load of corn to the war widows. Hicks ground 18 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cold with a rain at night. The Elkhart is still very high. Father [Joshua James Hall] & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up & spent the evening.

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

Wednesday, February 22nd, 1865

To day John is engaged hauling fire wood. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Roberts] is engaged in gardening. I sent to Billy Stewart by his boy Harry 80 lbs of flour which makes 140 lbs that he now owes me for. I this day attained the 46th anniversary of my birth day. Hicks ground 20 bushels of corn and 8 bushels of wheat. weather cloudy & warm with a rain throughout the day and night. The Elkhart creek is looming high.

Wednesday, February 8th, 1865

To day we done comparatively nothing, waiting on the water to fall in order to repair the levee. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] & Mr. Elisha Daughtery came up and spent the day. They took Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] down to her grand Ma's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] with them. Weather clear & cold with a hard frost and freeze at night.

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

Tuesday, February 7th, 1865

To day we are all at work on the mill levee. The creek is now falling and the levee is secure from further danger. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up but did not remain long. Weather clear & cold with a frost & freeze at night.

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

Sunday, February 5th, 1865

To day Billy Stewart and I drove down to Mothers [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and remained for dinner. I purchased from him negro woman America & her child Claudine for which I paid him ten bales of cotton. The creek is still very high. The levee is still in great danger and Hicks was compelled to run the mill and ground 15 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy and very cold. 

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

Saturday, February 4th, 1865

To day Billy Stewart came out from Crockett and remained all night. It rained all day and all night raising the Elkhart creek higher than ever known. The mill levee commenced giving way and God only knows whether we will be able to save it. The wind hauled around to the north & it became cold.

Wednesday, February 1st, 1865

To day Mr. John Burrows & E.P. Baugh the guard who have been for some time stationed at the mill were relieved and Thomas Hill & Edward Graham were mounted in their place. The boys done nothing in consequence of the rain. It still continues to rain and the Elkhart creek is looming high. I am fearful the mill levee will not be able to stand the pressure now against it. Weather warm.

Thursday, December 29th, 1864

To day Sam* Sharp and John rode down to Stubblefield's mill to see Mr. Malone in relation to his conduct on yesterday but they were unsuccessful. Lt. Neil's Regiment & Waller's Battallion passed by the mill and camped about 3 miles below the Elkhart creek at what is known as the Pridgeon field. I was troubled a great deal by the soldiers & 4 remained for dinner. Hicks ground 8 bushels of wheat. I delivered to Cox's wagon all his flour. Weather changeable & cool.

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

Monday, December 19th, 1864

To day the boys went out hog hunting, but as usual without any success. I made a pair of shoes for Toby [Horace Oscar Hall]. Hicks ground 15 bushels of wheat & 23 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cold with a hard rain all day & night, which raised the creek pretty high & gave me a good head of water.

Friday, June 10th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work chopping out the corn in the new ground. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] is still here with us. Hicks assisted me in the mill. we ground 7 bushels of wheat and 12 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & warm, with a hard rain raising the creek very high. Ther: 80°.

Thursday, June 9th, 1864

To day the boys are at work chopping out the corn in the new ground. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] is still with us. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] purchased from Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] 50 lbs of lard which Bill brought up home with him. I attended the mill and ground 12 bushels of wheat. I let Father [Joshua James Hall] have 2 bushels of meal on account. Weather cloudy & warm. It rained nearly all day raising the creek very high. Ther: 83°.

Monday, February 29th, 1864

To day Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] made the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] a pair of shoes. The boys done nothing but ?. I ground 7 bushels of wheat. Weather cloudy and bitter cold with plenty of hail & sleet. It rained all day when it was not hailing and also rained throughout the whole night which caused the creek to raise very high. Thus I close my notes for the month of February.

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

Thursday, July 16th, 1863

To day the boys are at work pulling fodder in the little field in front of the house. John returned home from Corley's gin with another load of Cotton 5 bales. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick. I ground 8 bushels of corn. In the evening Billy Stewart, John Miller and Wm. Wingfield came out from Crockett on a fishing excursion and camped on the bank of the creek. weather changeable & hot. Ther: 82°.

Tuesday, February 17th, 1863

To day the boys are busy at work in carrying sand to stop a rend in the mill dam. The water is fearfully high in the Elk Hart and the Mill dam is just on the wiggle. the water however is falling a little and probably the mill dam may stand the presure. In the evening the boys went after a load of wood and bogged down and in their effort to get the wagon out of the bog broke an axle tree, thus giving more trouble. Be it known and remembered that Sam* Sharp took a strole out in the woods with his gun and while out succeeded in killing a fine Deer, the steaks of which when nicely broiled was not hard to take. The whole face of the low lands is still covered with water. weather cloudy & cool with misting rain throughout the day.  

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

Monday, February 16th, 1863

To day the boys are busy in repairing a rent in the levee. Sam* Sharp ground 11½ bushels of corn by way of assisting to run off the water which is very high and I am fearful that the levee will be swept away. weather cloudy and rainy. In fact it rained incessantly throughout the entire day raising the Elk Hart about as high as I ever saw it before. It also rained all night and the water is fearfully high, requiring the attention of all hands to save the mill levee. Massaline who run away is I learn in jail at Crockett.

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