Monday, January 22nd, 1866

To day I am at work at the Ware house. Hicks & Albert are engaged hauling logs to store the Cotton upon. Col. Wrigley finished the well at the convent. Frank [Stewart], Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] are all still sick. Wrigley consumated his contract with Mrs. Buckley to teach school until the 1st day of July next. Weather cloudy and cool.

Friday, January 19th, 1866

To day I drove up town and purchased a few articles from Dr. Rives. John Cochran arrived on the cars from Houston and brought over $10,000 gold to purchase cotton with. Frank [Stewart] still very sick. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] slightly improving. Col. Wrigley commenced digging a well at the convent. Hicks at work getting logs to store cotton on. Mrs. Basil Waring* [Harriett Waring nee Gill] after a short illness died. Weather cloudy & very cold. 

*This is a sister-in-law of Mrs. Beale aka Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring who is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. This is the ONLY record I have found of Harriett's date of death.

Tuesday, February 9th, 1864

To day the boys are at work plowing in the bottom field. Mr. Coburn passed on his way to Magnolia with a gang of impressed negroes in the government service. John is at work hauling the logs in to build the hen house. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up in the evening and Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode home with her. I ground 1½ bushels of corn. Weather clear and warm, but cold at night.

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

Monday, February 8th, 1864

To day the boys are at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is at work getting logs to build the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] a hen or chicken house. The little woman rode up to Mrs. Beazly's to get some weaving done. I ground 19½ bushels of corn. In Crockett there was a negro man by the name of Sam, the property of Dr. J.A. Cooley, hung for attempting to commit a rape upon the person of Mrs. Billy Moore. Weather clear & pleasant but cold at night.

Monday, October 12th, 1863

To day the boys are at work hauling logs to complete the corn cribs. I ground 17½ bushels of corn. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting but no luck. Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up & spent the day. weather changeable and rather cool.

Saturday, October 10th, 1863

To day the boys are getting and hauling logs to complete the corn cribs. I ground 2½ bushels of corn. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] was taken with a fever and is quite sick. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting but without any success. weather clear and rather warm.

Thursday, September 24th, 1863

To day the boys finished putting up what logs they had hauled for the corn crib. Hicks made a temporary bed for my wagon to haul corn in from the field. Bill commenced pulling corn down. John spent the whole day in hunting his oxen. Sam Sharp [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode up to see Mr. Heflin & render a list of his taxable property. The mill done no grinding. I commenced putting the floor in the corn crib. weather clear & very hot.

Friday, September 18th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work hauling logs to build the corn crib. Mr. Dailey delivered 1276 lbs of lint cotton. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is still at work on my clothing to take to the Army. In consequence of the low stage of the water in the pond the mill could do no grinding. weather cloudy with a strong North wind blowing making it very cold for the season.

Thursday, September 17th, 1863

To day the boys are at work hauling logs to build the corn crib. Mr. T.R. Dailey delivered 3722 lbs of lint cotton. James [James Wrigley Hall] missed his chill and fever. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went hunting but had no success. I ground 2 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is very busy making up my clothing to take to the army with me in the event that I am conscripted and have to go. weather changeable & rather cool with light showers of rain.

Wednesday, September 16th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work chopping logs to build a corn crib. John lost the entire day hunting his oxen. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and children drove down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in the buggy and spent the day there. James [James Wrigley Hall] had another chill and fever. I ground 5 bushels of corn and 2 bushels of Rye. weather cloudy & warm with occasional light showers of rain.

Monday, September 14th, 1863

To day the boys are at work chopping logs to build a corn crib. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode Hawk down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and back but failed to bring Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] home with her. Wolf is still improving and will soon be well. James [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill and fever. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode over to Mr. Keen's after my saddle but did not get it. I ground 7 bushels of corn. weather cloudy & warm with occasional showers of rain.

Thursday, September 10th, 1863

To day the boys were compelled to go into the woods after more logs to complete the Cotton house. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Father [Joshua James Hall] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up and spent the day. Clara & Carroll are still very sick, so much so as to require the attention of a Physician, in consequence of which I sent for Dr. Murchison. Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] was again taken with the fever. In consequence of the low water in the pond the mill done no grinding. weather clear & hot.

Saturday, September 5th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work hauling logs & preparing to put up the cotton house. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode over to Mr. Keen's after my saddle and also to the Post office. Father [Joshua James Hall] came up to see us but did not remain long. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] missed his chill and fever. In consequence of the low water the mill done no grinding. weather clear and hot.

Friday, September 4th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work hauling logs to build the cotton house. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went hunting and succeeded in killing another fine large buck. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] is still sick. In consequence of the low stage of water in the pond, the mill could do no grinding. Ellen came up and brought Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] home who went down with Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] yesterday and spent the night with her. weather clear & hot.

Thursday, September 3rd, 1863

To day the boys are still at work hauling logs to build the cotton house. Hicks tar kiln is now running very well. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] is still sick. I ground 11½ bushels of corn. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting and succeeded in killing a fine large buck. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up home and Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up with her and spent the day. weather clear and very hot.

Wednesday, September 2nd, 1863

To day the boys are still at work hauling logs to build the cotton house. Hicks is at work building another tar kiln which he fired and it is turning out very well. I ground 2½ bushels of corn. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] to spend the night and Roberta [Berta Downes Halyard nee Hall] went home with her. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] went out hunting but had no success. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] had another chill and fever, which makes the little fellow look very bad. weather clear and exceedingly hot.

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, August 26th, 1863

To day the boys commenced getting logs to build a cotton house. John lost the entire day hunting his oxen. The little Major [James Hall Sharp] is still sick. I ground 19 bushels of corn. weather changeable & cool. Ther: 81°.

Monday, March 9th, 1863

To day I sent Hicks in company with Captain Rose as far as the residence of my old friend Dan Dailey's in hunt of my horse Gladiator. I am still engaged in fitting up the rooms about the house. The boys commenced working at the lower field in chopping & burning logs. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground one bushel of corn. weather cloudy & cold with strong prospects of rain.

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