Thursday, January 18th, 1866

To day I drove up town in the buggy after a few articles for the little woman [Margaret* Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and while there collected the freight bills for the Steamer Kate, which said boat I learned was burnt up on Red fish bar on her downward trip with 85 bales of Cotton. Frank Stewart & Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] are still sick and do not improve any. I sent over to Houston for some iron bars to brace the Cotton shed. Weather changeable & warm.

*This Margaret is a 2nd great-grand-aunt to the Keeper of this family history blog, and is the wife as well as the step-sister of JMH.

Thursday, December 28th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the storehouse arranging papers &c. from the utter confusion into which they were thrown by the burning of the warehouse. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill and fever. Frank Stewart is improving slowly. Col. Wrigley is confined to his room from sore eyes and burns received at the fire which destroyed the warehouse. Weather variable & cold, rain at night.

Tuesday, December 26th, 1865

 
To day I am still at work at the Warehouse. The propeller Royal Arch arrived from Galveston with 500 sacks of salt on board consigned to James Wrigley. The salt was discharged too late to attempt to put in the warehouse. At night between the hours of 12 & two some infernal incendiary applied the torch to Col. Wrigley's large and very excellent warehouse consuming the entire building with about 324 Bales of Cotton besides a large lot of furniture & various other things. The loss by the conflagration will be at least 50,000$. Thus sweeping from Col. Wrigley the accumulation of years of toil. Weather variable & warm with occasional showers of rain.

Sunday, April 23rd, 1865

To day I am still in Liberty and still stopping with Capt. Peacock. Weather clear & rather cool.

Sunday, December 11th, 1864

To day I remained in the house around the fire. It was so cold and disagreeable that one cannot move about out of doors. Weather clear with very high wind and a hard freeze at night.

Thursday, August 10th, 1864

To day the boys are at work pulling fodder. I rode my mule John to Crockett and put up with Billy Stewart. I found Crockett nearly consumed by the recent fire. Weather variable & hot. Ther: 94°.

Wednesday, August 3rd, 1864

To day Bill is at work in the lower field pulling fodder. I sent John to Crockett after some sugar. by him I sent to Billy Stewart 2 bushels of meal, 50 lbs. flour & 3 doz. eggs. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] also rode to Crockett & while there Nellie procured for me from Mr. Craddock a saddle for which she paid 95$. I learned that Crockett was nearly consumed by fire on yesterday. The fire broke out about 10 o'clock a.m. and burnt until 2 o'clk P.M. consuming in all about 25 houses. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & I with the children drove down to the mill & while there Mr. Miller the Govt. agent called upon me for one half of my cotton, which I declined to let go. Weather changeable & hot. Ther: 95°.

Tuesday, May 10th, 1864

To day the boys are at work planting out tobacco plants. Billy Stewart & Billy Cundiff left for Crockett. I attended the mill and ground 12½ bushels of corn. At night a traveler stopped with me. Weather variable & cold so much so as to require fires for comfort.

Sunday, March 20th, 1864

To day we were all compelled to remain indoors & sit around the fire in consequence of the cold and rain. In fact it rained throughout the entire day, and the rain was attended with a severe hail storm.

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.

Friday, January 8th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work covering in the stables. John is at work hauling wood and it keeps one hand busy to run the fires during the present cold spell. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and spent the day. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I ground 10 bushels of wheat. Weather clear and bitter cold. The mill pond still being frozen over.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Sam is her son, and is a 2nd great-grandpa to Keeper.

Sunday, January 3rd, 1864

To day I remained in the house writing up this note book and hovering around the fire it being a cloudy, dark, gloomy and misty day, so uncomfortable as to prevent one from stirring about. I weighed my daughter Josephine who weighed 9½ lbs. rather light compared with the other children.

Friday, January 1st, 1864

This being the first day of the current year, I commence my notes of the events that take place immediately around me, and in which I have any interest. 

The boys are at work chopping and hauling wood, which is very essential during the present cold spell. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I ground 17 bushels of corn and 10 bushels of wheat. 

Weather clear and bitter cold. I think some what colder than yesterday. I thought I would freeze at night although I kept a fire in my room the whole time.

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

Thursday, December 31st, 1863

This morning the ground was covered over two inches deep with snow. Father [Joshua James Hall], Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and Mr. Thomas Sharp all left, the two former for home and the latter for the wheat region. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I ground 6 bushels of corn & 10 bushels of wheat. In the evening the boys commenced work after their Christmas holliday. 

Weather clear and bitter cold, the mill pond being frozen entirely over one inch thick and it continued to freeze all day even in the sun shine. At night it froze all the little woman's eggs in my room although I kept a large fire in it throughout the entire night. It is decidedly the coldest spell of weather that I have ever experienced in the State of Texas, after a residence of 28 years. 

Thus closes my notes for the month of December and also for the year 1863 just passed and gone and now numbered with the things that were. whether the Almighty will spare me to chronicle the daily events of the incoming year is more than I know but trusting in Him, I shall enter upon the pleasing task, which is useful as a reference and may be profitable to those who have an interest in me.

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

Thursday, May 7th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work splitting rails to enclose the mill field. I went fishing and caught a nice mess. In the evening the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], children & myself returned home from Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] when Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] & Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] drove down there to remain with her. she is still quite sick. Sam ground 15½ bushels of corn before he left. The little woman & I set out some potato slips. weather clear & cold as much so as to require a fire for comfort.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents. Sam is Mahala's oldest living child.

Monday, March 23rd, 1863

To day the boys are at work fixing up the fence around the bottom field. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting cows & calves, but without any success. I assisted the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in the garden. we set out 150 cabbage plants also planted water mellon & cantelope seed. Margaret Hall [his daughter from his 1st marriage?] went over to Mr. Leaverton's to spend a couple of days. weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain. The wind hauled around to the North making it realy cold, so much so as to require fires and make them feel quite comfortable.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. He is also the brother-in-law as well as the step-brother of JMH.

Sunday, March 22nd, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp & I went out fishing and caught a very nice mess. Roberta [Hall] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up to see the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] and the children. The boys drove up three cows with calves from Mothers [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. weather changeable, with occasional showers of rain. at night it rained very hard and turned pretty cold, so much so as to make a fire quite comfortable.

*This Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma, and is Sam's mother. She is also the mother-in-law as well as the step-mother of JMH.

Thursday, December 4th, 1862

To day I done nothing but set around the fire at home in consequence of the rain & cold. it rained all day and was exceedingly cold, with a hard North wind blowing.

Sunday, October 26th, 1862

To day Capt. Peacock and Charley Lund came down to the house but in consequence of the cold we were all compelled to remain in doors, snugly seated by a comfortable fire. weather clear with a hard frost at night.

Saturday, October 25th, 1862

To day it was so exceedingly cold that we all remained by the fire at home except my friend David Wakelee, who left on the cars for the City of Houston. The boys still hauling corn. weather clear, with another freeze at night.