Friday, July 6th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Hicks still hauling lumber from the flat boats. Col. Wrigley left on the train for Beaumont. The hands finished shingling in the wood shop. Florence [aka Pet aka Fawn aka Florence Mahala Hall] missed the fever. Weather variable and hot with showers of rain. Ther: 86°.

Thursday, July 5th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Florence [Hall] still has fever. Col. Wrigley and hands are still at work on the wood shop. Hicks still hauling lumber from the flat boats. At night I loaned my horse and buggy to Ed. Jones to attend a wedding up town between Mr. Thompson & Miss Beacher. Weather cloudy & hot with occasional showers of rain. Ther : 88°.

Wednesday, July 4th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Hicks still hauling lumber from the flat boats. Florence [aka Pet aka Fawn aka Florence Mahala Hall] had fever all day, indeed the fever has not cooled off of her since she contracted it. Col. Wrigley and the hands are still at work on the wood shop. I rode up town on the wagon to attend a meeting of the City Council. Weather variable and hot. Ther : 90°.

Tuesday, July 3rd, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. The steamer Royal Arch left for Galveston. Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] had another fever. Hicks still hauling lumber from the flat boats. Col. Wrigley and the hands are at work on the wagon shop. Weather variable and hot with a light rain in the evening. Ther : 86°

Monday, July 2nd, 1866

To day I am very busy at the Ware house unloading and loading the Royal Arch and several wagons. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] is much better. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] & Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] had another fever. Hicks is engaged hauling freight & lumber from the flat boats. Weather variable and cool with a hard rain. Ther : 80°.

Monday, May 14th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Grand Ma Gayle and Ida arrived from Houston bringing the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] some drapes. George and Montgomery finished breaking up one flat boat. Hicks worked in the garden. I am still afflicted with sore throat & itch. Weather clear & warm.

Friday, April 27th, 1866

To day I am still at work at the warehouse. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall], Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall], Joe & Conney are all down with the measles. Hicks is at work in the garden. Messrs. Marbert & Gregg finished the gallery and I paid them for repairing it $25.50 specie which I regarded as very high price. A flat boat came down the [Trinity] river from Pine bluff with 64 bales of Cotton on board. I am still without a servant and the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is still doing her own housework. Weather clear and pleasant. 

Thursday, April 12th, 1866

To day I am still busy at the warehouse. Col. Wrigley left on the cars for Houston. I landed all the flat boats which I had purchased on the flat in front of the Cotton shed. Weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain throughout the day.

Tuesday, April 10th, 1866

To day I am busy discharging the steamer Emory which had just arrived from Galveston with a full freight. After discharging her, she dropped to Adam Bowen's flat boat and commenced taking on board a load of Cotton. The raft above the bridge has completely obstructed all navigation of the river above this point. Weather clear & pleasant, but cool at night.

Friday, April 6th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. The steamer Col. Stell came down the river loaded down to the guards with cotton and by her I received 28 bales of Cotton also my parlor furniture and one box of bacon. I paid 127$ specie freight on said articles. After putting out my freight she left for Galveston. The Steamer Arizona took the cotton off of Capt. John T. Smith's flat boat and left for Galveston. Col. Wrigley came over from Houston on the cars. Weather cloudy and cold with occasional showers of rain throughout the day.

Thursday, April 5th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Three more flat boats came down the river commanded by John T. Smith, Wash Rose & Mr. Brown. The Steamer Sunflower came down the river & I shipped on her 130 bales of Cotton when she left for Galveston. The Str. Arizona also came down the river and remained all night at the landing. Weather cloudy & cold with a hard rain throughout the day & night.

Wednesday, April 4th, 1866

To day I am engaged at the warehouse. Dr. Brashears' sister was buried at West Liberty. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] does not seem to improve much in her general health. Another flat boat came down the river with 300 bales of Cotton on board, John Murchison in command of it. Weather cloudy and cool with a terriffic rain.

Tuesday, April 3rd, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse storing cotton. Two more flat boats came down the river, upon one of which commanded by W.H. Farish I had 28 bales of Cotton. I paid him 112$ gold freight on same. Dr. Brashears borrowed Col. Wrigley's wagon to haul the remains of his sister to West Liberty for interment. Bolivar Sublett came up and took dinner with [his cousin] the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Weather cloudy & cool with a high wind blowing.

Monday, April 2nd, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse marking weighing and storing Cotton. Three flat boats came down the river upon order of ? Bolivar Sublett* came bringing 130 bales of cotton. he came up to the house and took tea with [his cousin] the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Miss Brashears, sister of Dr. [Thomas] Brashears departed this life, after a long lingering illness. Weather cloudy & cool with a hard wind blowing. 

*1st cousin four times removed to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Saturday, March 31st, 1866

To day I am busy receiving and discharging 113 bales of Cotton that has just come down from Hall's bluff on a flat boat belonging to A.J. Walston and for bringing which I paid him $172 gold. I received a letter from My relatives up the Country [in Houston County] informing me that they were in good health. My Cough is but little if any better. At night the steamers Shreveport and Sunflower arrived from Galveston bound up the river. Weather cloudy and cool. Thus I close my notes for March.

Friday, March 30th, 1866

To day I am busy at the warehouse discharging weighing & storing the Cotton which came down on Carr's flat boat. Capt. John Redmond arrived on the Cars from Houston and put up at my house being quite sick. My cough is no better. Weather cloudy and rather cool.

Thursday, March 29th, 1866

To day Ed. Jones left on a collection tour up the Country [to Houston County]. John Carr arrived from Smithfield on a flat boat with 83 Bales of Cotton on board. I am at work at the warehouse. My Cough is rather worse than it has been for some time back. Capt. B.L. Taylor came down and I advanced him 150$ on 2 bales of Cotton. Weather variable and cool.

Wednesday, January 10th, 1866

To day the Steamer Kate arrived from Galveston with a heavy freight on board. Frank Hitchcock came up on her and we had a fine settlement in relation to the cotton I purchased from him. I am very busy discharging the freight from the Kate. I received by her 2 Bbls potatoes one for Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] also 1 box of Cod fish. Capt. Chandler presented me with a fine large red fish which was a nice treat. F.M. Sansom* came down the river with a flat boat & 110 bales of Cotton on board, a large portion of which was shipped by the steamer Kate. Weather cloudy and cold with indications of rain. [*possibly this man]

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

Wednesday, April 12th, 1865

To day after taking Dr. Baldwin on board we dropped the flat boat down the river 32 miles and arrived at Liberty at 1 O'Clk P.M. & tied up above the rail road bridge. I went up to and stopped with Capt. Peacock. I found all my friends in Liberty well. Weather cloudy and cool with occasional showers of rain throughout the day.

Tuesday, April 11th, 1865

To day we dropped the flat boat down the river 45 miles and tied up for the night at the plantation of Dr. Baldwin. at home Hicks ground 13 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy & cool with occasional showers of rain.