Tuesday, September 1st, 1863

To day the boys are engaged in hauling logs to build a cotton house, or rather a house to store away cotton in. Hick's tar kiln has turned out to be a failure. I ground 2½ bushels of corn. A drove of about 600 beaves got into the mill pond and done considerable damage to the levee, tearing away a portion of it, and utterly destroying my boat. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting but had no success. he however made a first rate basket while in the woods. Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up and spent the day. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill & fever. weather clear and very hot.

Thursday, August 27th, 1863

To day the boys was compelled to quit chopping logs in order to work on the mill levee in consequence of a small rend made in it last night. John succeeded in finding his oxen. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode Hawk down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and back. Mr. T.R. Dailey delivered 3590 lbs of lint cotton. In consequence of the low water in the pond, the mill could not grind. weather very changeable. at 7 o'clock A.M. the Ther. stood at 60°, and at 3 o'clock P.M. it stood at 92°.

Wednesday, July 15th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the mill levee and finished all I contemplate having done on it at this time. John left with the wagon and team for Corley's gin after another load of cotton. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick and I am perfectly satisfied that she has the typhoid fever. James [Hall] has recovered from his sickness. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up to see the children. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I ground 8 bushels of corn and 8½ bushels of wheat. weather cloudy, hazy & gloomy. Ther: 82°.

Monday, July 13th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the mill levee. John left with the wagon and team for Corley's gin after a load of cotton. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] are still sick. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] missed his fever and is improving. I ground 9 bushels of corn and swoped 1 bushel of meal for corn. Capt. Stubblefield came up and I went fishing with him. we had good success. weather cloudy and very gloomy. Ther: standing at 80°.

Saturday, July 11th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the mill levee. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up to see the children who are still sick. I ground 15 bushels of corn. In the evening Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] and I went fishing. we had fine success. weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 88°.

Friday, July 10th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work on the mill levee. John returned from Corley's gin with a load of cotton 5 bales. one of his oxen fell from the Hurricane bayou bridge and was seriously hurt. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up to the house to see the children who are still sick. Billy Stewart left for Crockett. I ground 3 bushels of corn. weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 88°.

Monday, July 8th, 1862

To day my hands are still at work on the mill levee. John again went hunting and succeeded in finding his oxen. Billy Stewart stoped and remained with us all night. he is on his way to Crockett from his trip to Palestine. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Father [Joshua James Hall] went to Crockett to remain all night and Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] went down to Mother's to remain and take care of the children [Roberta & Toby] until Mother's return. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] is improving, but my babies are still sick. In the evening Billy Stewart and myself went fishing with tolerable success. weather changeable and very warm. Ther: 96°.

Tuesday, July 7th, 1863

To day my hands are still at work on the mill levee. John is still engaged in hunting his oxen. Sam Sharp was taken sick and so was both of my babies again taken with fever. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up to see the children but returned home in the evening. weather clear and very hot. Ther: 96°.

Monday, July 6th, 1863

To day my own hands are at work on the mill levee having no assistance whatever. John is engaged in hunting up his team. I drove my horse (Rob) and buggy to Crockett and back. while there I procured a Surgeon's certificate and was discharged from the Militia as far as the Surgeon could do so. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] again missed her fever and is recovering slowly. Jim [James Wrigley Hall] is well. Father [Joshua James Hall] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up and took Roberta [Hall] home, she has been staying here for the past few days. weather clear & very hot. Ther: standing at 96°.

Saturday, July 4th, 1863

To day my hands with the two of Mr. Leaverton's and two from Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] are at work on the mill levee. Sam Sharp and I finished repairing the mill forebay. I was drafted in Crockett to serve with the Militia. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick and my son James [James Wrigley Hall] was taken with a chill and fever. Weather changeable and hot. Ther: 90°.

Friday, July 3rd, 1863

To day my hands with the assistance of the two from Mr. Leaverton are still at work on the mill levee. Sam Sharp rode my horse Rob to Crockett and back in order to have his name stricken from the Militia roll. Dr. Murchison came to see my daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] who is still quite sick. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] is much better having missed his fever. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] left for home early in the morning and came up again in the evening. Weather changeable and hot. Ther: 88°.

Thursday, July 2nd, 1863

To day my hands assisted by two of Mr. Leaverton's hands are still at work on the mill levee. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] and I partially repaired the forebay of the mill. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Roberta [Hall] came up and remained all night. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick and my son James [James Wrigley Hall] was taken with a fever. weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 86°.

Wednesday, July 1st, 1863

To day we are still at work on the mill levee. I have no hands however but my own and one from Mr. Beasley. we done a good day's work, and got the levee pretty secure against the high water from the upper mill. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] and Mrs. Bird came up and remained for dinner. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick. weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 86°. At night it rained very hard which gave me great fear that the levee would be washed away again & thus lose all of our work for the past two days.

Tuesday, June 30th, 1863

To day I commenced again to repair the mill levee with the same hands I had on yesterday. we worked hard all day and got the levee of sufficient strength to resist the high water let down from the upper mill. Mr. Charles Beasley came over and paid me for a pair of wool cards that I had procured for him while in Houston. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick. weather changeable and hot with the Ther: standing at 84°. Thus closes my notes for the month of June.

Monday, June 29th, 1863

To day I quit everything else and commenced with my own hands assisted by one from Mr. Beasley, 2 from Mr. Dailey and one from Dr. Murchison to repair the mill levee. After working all day, the high water from the upper mill destroyed our labor for the whole day, leaving me just as I commenced in the morning. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and kill a ? beef. My daughter Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] was taken sick with a fever. weather changeable & hot, Ther: 84°.

Sunday, June 28th, 1863

To day I sent my boy Hicks around the neighborhood in order to procure some hands to repair the mill levee. John came home from Corley's gin, with another load of cotton 7 bales. immediately upon his arrival one of my best oxen in the team (Roland) died. I suppose from being overheated. so misfortune never comes singly. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], children & myself drove in the buggy down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] where we spent the day. weather changeable & hot. Ther: 86°.

Friday, June 26th, 1863

To day the boys finished working the bottom field. John came home from Corley's gin with another load of cotton 7 bales. Mr. Cox left for home. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 6 bushels of wheat, when the mill dam broke and washed away about fifty feet of the levee. Mr. Keen came to mill and was compelled to remain all night in consequence of the high water in the creek occasioned by the braking of the levee. weather cloudy and showery with the Ther: at 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.

Saturday, February 14th, 1863

To day the boys are at work in chopping down & removing some forest trees out of the house yard. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] and Hicks are engaged in making a gate for the horse lot. I am at work on the garden fence & in setting posts. In consequence of the high stage of the water the mill dam gave way & required the labor of all hands nearly the entire evening to repair the break. Sam ground 13 bushels of corn. weather cloudy with hard showers of rain throughout the entire day and rather warm.

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