Tuesday, May 22nd, 1866

To day the steamer Royal Arch arrived from Galveston, with a little freight on board. I worked at the warehouse. Capt. John W. Redmond came home having got in a drunken spree, lost his horse, saddle, blanket and coat and remained in the prairie all night. Hicks is engaged in hauling freight. He carried two chairs and the centre table to the shop for repairs. He brought home the curtain frames for the windows. Weather clear and pleasant.

Tuesday, May 15th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. The Str. Royal Arch arrived from Galveston & by her I received a wire safe & keg lard. Capt. Redmond commenced painting the house with the second coat. Weather cloudy & cool with occasional showers of rain and a very hard rain at night.

Saturday, April 7th, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. I sent all my furniture home that came down on the Steamer Col. Stell. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] is improving in health. My cold is better. Weather cloudy and very cold with occasional showers of rain throughout the day.

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.

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.

Saturday, September 9th, 1865

To day I am at work in the garden. In the evening my wagons arrived from the mills [Houston County]. one of them was driven by Hicks & the other by John with 3 yoke of oxen attached to each wagon. They brought down some provisions, 22 chickens, 4 bales of cotton and a small lot of furniture, and have been on the road 10 days. They however brought every thing safe. Weather variable & hot with a shower of rain at night.

Saturday, July 8th, 1865

To day I drove Mrs. Beale [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] up town and while there loaned her six dollars to purchase two pairs of shoes and one bottle of whiskey. She left sundry articles of furniture with us, for safe keeping. She then left on the train for West Liberty in route for Danville. Louisa is still sick. Weather variable & warm with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 86°.

Thursday, July 6th, 1865

To day Mrs. Beale [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring], let the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] have a cow & calf & sent several articles of furniture over to be taken care of. Billy Roberts left on his way for his house going by the way of Houston. Capt. Peacock came up on the Steamer Mary Hill from Galveston & stopped with me. Louisa is still sick. Weather variable & hot with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 86°.

Monday, June 26th, 1865

To day I am at work getting things arranged in the house and putting the furniture up assisted by Frank Stewart & Billy Roberts and after partially arranging the house I moved my family over from Col. Wrigley's and can now say that we are once more at home. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 90°.

Sunday, June 25th, 1865

To day Billy Roberts arrived with the wagons all safe and sound without breaking any of the furniture. Hicks & John looking very well. My family are all still over at Col. Wrigleys. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 92°.

Saturday, December 12th, 1863

To day the boys are at work on the stables. John is at work hauling wood. Capt. Peacock and I had a settlement for the rent of my house in Liberty which he is occupying. I paid him the freight bill on my furniture from Liberty to Hall's bluff which was brought up on the steamer Alamo which he was commander of her. The freight bill was 183$ but I deducted 50$ from it for lost articles. He then paid me $167 balance on rent & I receipted him in full for the current years rent of said house which expires on the 31st inst. He & Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] then left for Mr. Beavers'. I ground 20 bushels of corn. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode my horse Hawk down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day. Sam* had no success in hunting hogs. Weather clear and cold with a hard frost at night.

*This Sam and Nellie are 2nd great-grandparents to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is Sam's Mother.

Tuesday, March 3rd, 1863

To day the boys finished the cow pen. I commenced to stake the peas which are growing finely. Negro woman Louisa was taken quite sick. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 30 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] went down to see her Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. The Steamer Lone Star left Hall's bluff for Liberty. at night the Steamer Alamo arrived at Hall's bluff from Liberty with most of my house hold furniture on board. weather clear & rather cool.

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

Wednesday, December 17th, 1862

To day I am still engaged assisted by Bob in packing up my furniture making very poor head way but as I have now got the most valuable part already packed up I shall leave for the up Country [Houston County] to see my family without packing any more at present. weather clear & cool with a light frost at night.

Saturday, December 13th, 1862

To day I am still engaged in packing up my furniture, making rather poor headway however. I went to the office and settled with Mrs. Branch. Time is now hanging heavily on my hands and I am nearly worn out waiting for my wagons to come down for me [from Houston County]. weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain.

Friday, December 12th, 1862

To day I am very busy packing my furniture to move up the Country [to Houston County], where I am determined to settle permanently. Charley Lund came home on the cars from Houston. he succeeded in purchasing me two pair of cotton cards at 25 cts per pair. he also got me some coffee at $1.65 per lb. weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain.

Saturday, December 6th, 1862

To day I learned from Mr. Barziza that my old friend Frank L. Barziza departed this life on last Thursday after a lingering illness of some time with consumption. His remains will be interred at Liberty with Masonic honor. alas poor Frank may God have mercy upon him. I am loafing around town & done nothing in the way of packing up my furniture owing to the continued sickness of Bob. weather clear & cold with a frost at night.

Friday, December 5th, 1862

To day I done nothing in the way of packing up my furniture in consequence of the continued sickness of Bob. I went up town and loafed around the stores. weather clear but cold with a strong North wind blowing and a severe frost at night.

Wednesday, December 3rd, 1862

To day I am still engaged in packing up my furniture to move up the Country [to Houston County], but in consequence of the sickness of Bob I done but little. In the evening I went up town and there learned that the train of cars from Houston had run off the track doing serious injury to several of the passengers. weather cloudy and rainy making it very disagreeable and a strong North wind blowing rendering it quite cold.

Tuesday, December 2nd, 1862

To day I am very busy packing up my furniture, assisted by Bob, preparitory to my removal up the Country to my Mill [in Houston County] where I contemplate settling. weather cloudy, cold and rainy, making it exceedingly disagreeable and preventing me from doing much towards packing up.

Saturday, November 29th, 1862

To day Mr. Allen's wagon left Liberty in route for Crockett, by which I sent forward some of my furniture. I was then engaged in selling off at Auction some more of the goods of Mr. De Blanc, some brought a large price & some sold reasonable enough. weather clear & warm for the season.