Thursday, September 15th, 1864

To day the boys are at work planting turnip seeds & repairing the fence around the mill field. John is engaged in hauling rails from the King house. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], children and myself drove down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in the buggy & spent the day. upon our return we found Capt. Peacock who had just arrived from Liberty on his way to the Saline. Hicks ground 3 bushels of corn. Weather cloudy with showers of rain. Ther: 76°.

Saturday, August 20th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work in the mill field. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & I rode down to the mill. Berta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Toby [Horace Oscar Hall] came up & spent the day. Weather changeable & warm. Ther: 78°.

Friday, August 19th, 1864

To day the boys are at work in the mill field. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & I rode down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] to see Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall]. Wolf was taken with a fever. Weather variable and warm. Ther: 86°.

Wednesday, July 27th, 1864

To day Bill finished pulling fodder in the mill field. John still complaining although he made a trip to the mill in the little wagon. Mrs. Keen came over & spent the day. Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Ag. came up in the cart and brought us twelve water melons. Florence [Florence Mahala Hall] & Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] are still sick. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 91°.

Monday, July 25th, 1864

To day Bill is at work in the mill field pulling fodder. I drove my buggy over to Mr. Keen's and got him to mend the spring, and to put a wrought iron back in my cooking stove. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and spent the day & took Fanny [Fanny Fitzsimmons] home with her in the evening. Florence [Florence Mahala Hall] is still sick. Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] has taken sick with fever. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 90°.

Saturday, July 23rd, 1864

To day the boys commenced pulling fodder in the mill field. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp], Florence [Florence Mahala Hall] & I drove down to the mill in the buggy but did not stay long. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up from Father's [Joshua James Hall] and brought Berta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] home with her. Father came up in the evening and took Berta home. I put up the little woman's loom ready for work. Weather clear and hot. Ther: 95°.

Tuesday, November 3rd, 1863

To day the boys went to the woods and commenced getting boards to cover the cribs, and the stables. John is at work chopping out the new ground in the mill field. I ground 10 bushels of corn and 2 bushels of wheat. Billy Stewart came out from Crockett, and stopped at the house with us. Mr. Hallmark came out after his flour and also staid with us. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I took down the flour mill in order to peck the stones. Weather cloudy & warm, with light showers of rain.

Thursday, October 29th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work at and finished sowing barley & wheat in the mill field. I ground 2½ bu of corn and 2 bushels of wheat. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode up to Mrs. Birds and back on hawk. Sam* is still at work on his shoes. weather changeable & warm at night however the wind hauled around to the north when it became very cold with a drizzling rain falling.


*Samuel Houston Sharp, my 2nd great-grandpa

 

Wednesday, October 28th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work sowing barley in the mill field. Nellie* rode down to Mother's** on a visit, she returned in the evening. I ground 4½ bushels of corn and 1½ bushels of wheat. Sam*** commenced making himself a pair of shoes, he being nearly barefooted, & none can be purchased these war times. weather cloudy and warm.


*Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire, my 2nd great-grandma
**Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts, my 3rd great-grandma
***Samuel Houston Sharp, my 2nd great-grandpa

Tuesday, October 27th, 1863

To day the boys commenced planting barley on the mill field. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts*] left early in the morning for home. I ground 19½ bushels of corn, and 4 bushels of wheat. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp*] killed two wild geese. weather cloudy & cool. 


[*Ancestors of the Keeper of this family history blog.]

 

Friday, October 23rd, 1863

To day the boys were compelled to stop working in the mill field to haul cotton from Mr. Leaverton's gin, he wanting the use of it for his own crop. they made 3 loads. I ground 18½ bushels of corn & killed two fine ducks. Weather changeable and cold with a strong wind blowing from the north. at night there was a hard frost which killed nearly all kinds of vegetation.

Thursday, October 22nd, 1863

To day the boys finished preparing the mill field to sow barley. I ground 3 bushels of corn. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode over to Mr. Keen's to have the balance iron of the mill repaired. In the evening I drove my horse Rob and buggy down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] after the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and children, whom I found all well. we returned home at night. weather cloudy with occasional showers of rain & very cold for the season of the year.

Wednesday, October 21st, 1863

To day the boys are preparing the mill field to sow in barley & wheat. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I had a great deal of trouble with the mill balance iron having to raise the mill rocks several times. we however succeeded in grinding 16½ bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. and children rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and remained there all night. weather cloudy & cold with indications of rain and a strong North wind blowing.

Tuesday, October 20th, 1863

To day the boys finished putting the fence around the new ground in the mill field. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I put the mill stones down. when I ground 6 bushels of corn. Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] is still down at her Grand Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts]. At night a strange woman came to the house and remained all night. who she was or what she was doing I could not learn. but as she behaved herself I let her depart in peace. weather cloudy & rather warm.

Monday, October 19th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work putting up the fence around the new ground in the mill field. John still hauling rails and made two loads. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] missed the chill & fever. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] went with Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] and entered her at Mrs. Brooks' school for one session and also put her to boarding with Major Wortham at 8$ per month. My daughter Florence attained her third birth day. she is very well grown for her age. Mother came by on her way home from Major Wortham's and carried Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] home with her. I ground 12 bushes of corn after which Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I took up the stones and pecked them. Weather changeable & warm with a very strong wind blowing from the S.E. and indications of rain.

Saturday, October 17th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work putting up the fence around the new ground in the mill field. John still hauling rails and made 2 loads. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is recovering from her sickness. The little Major [James Hall Sharp] is still sick and James [James Wrigley Hall] had another chill & fever. I ground 9 bushels of corn. weather changeable and warm.

Friday, October 16th, 1863

To day the boys are at work putting up the fence around the new ground in the mill field. John still hauling rails and made two loads. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] & the little Major [James Hall Sharp] are still sick. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill & fever. In consequence of the low water in the pond the mill done no grinding. weather clear & rather hot for the season of the year.

Thursday, October 15th, 1863

To day the boys are at work chopping out the fence row in order to enlarge the mill field. John is engaged hauling rails and made three loads. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came up to see Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] and the little Major [James Hall Sharp] who are still sick. Burt remained all night. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] ground 1½ bushels of corn. weather clear and pleasant.