Saturday, September 10th, 1864

To day we left our camp at Nelson's creek and drove to Huntsville, where I exchanged at the Penitentiary my four bales of cotton which weighed 1958 lbs for 198½ yards of osnaburgs and 144 yards of cotton Jeans after which we left Huntsville in route for Home with the wagons and drove 8 miles where the wagons camped at Nelson's creek for the night. I however rode to the river 13 miles and stopped with Mrs. Wyser for the night for which I paid her 10$. Mr. White and myself having parted company at Huntsville. Weather changeable & hot. Ther: 94°.

Wednesday, February 22nd, 1860

To day nothing done in the clearing. Albert still laid up with his foot. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] got 67 yds. of Texas Osnaburg's @ [13/2]? from me. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] visited Mrs. KEEN. Weather clear but rather cool.

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

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On this date . . . the 22nd day of February . . . in the year 1819 . . . James Madison Hall was born in Maryland. For some unknown reason, he does not mention his birthday in 1860, although he does make note of it in the following years.

• Osnaburg -- A coarse linen fabric that originated in Prussia. By the early 19th century cotton had supplanted linen in the production of many American fabrics. Osnaburg was applied to plain, coarse cottons made in imitation of the original osnaburg. In 18th and 19th century documents osnaburg appears as osnaburgh, ozenbrig, oznabrig.
• BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, May 31, 1862, p.1, c.5. We are informed that there are now 209 convicts in the State Penitentiary, which is now turning out near 6000 yards of Osnaburgs daily.
• BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, July 25, 1863, p.1, c.4. Bro. Lancaster of the Ranger seems to coincide with us in reference to the speculating the State is practicing on the Soldiers' families. He calls on other editors to express themselves on the subject. This call will probably be heeded by the country papers, but alas, the Houston papers are mum. Their reference for those in authority will not permit them to say a word. For two years that the war has been raging, osnaburgs have been sold to any one who could get in the first application at 18 cents a yard. But all at once it is determined to sell only to soldiers' families, and immediately the price is raised to 80 cents per yard. None others can obtain cloth now. The treatment the soldiers' families of this county have received from Gen. Besser must some day be made known.