Sunday, November 19th, 1865

To day I work at the warehouse all the forenoon & played chess in the evening with Col. Wrigley. Frank & Burt are still improving. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] purchased some pork for which I paid $2.50. Weather clear & cool.

Saturday, January 28th, 1865

To day John is engaged hauling wood. Hicks ground 17 bushels of corn & 3 bushels of wheat. Richard Pennington came down and I paid him in full for the pork I purchased from him. at night, a soldier stopped with me. Weather changeable and cold.

Thursday, January 12th, 1865

To day I rode 28 miles, gathering up pork for the families of soldiers, having taken with me the little wagon & mules. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came up and I let Mother have 100 lbs of flour. Hicks ground 8 bushels of wheat & 18 bushels of corn. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] had a chill & fever. Weather clear and cold.

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

Wednesday, January 11th, 1865

To day Mr. Pennington came down and we weighed the hogs that the boys killed yesterday which amounted to 1060 lbs of pork. I paid him $42.50 and owe him $31.70, Father [Joshua James Hall] & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up & remained for dinner. Hicks ground 10 bushels of wheat. Weather changeable and cold with a hard frost and freeze at night.

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

Tuesday, February 2nd, 1864

To day Hicks returned from Crockett with Mrs. Beale* [Elizabeth Lemaire Beale nee Waring] instead of yesterday as noted, he also brought out my gutta percha band which Capt. Peacock had purchased for me. Bill hung up the pork I had salted down. Mr. Keen is still at work on the mill irons. Weather clear & cold, with a frost at night.

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

Wednesday, January 13th, 1864

To day the boys cut up and salted down the hogs that Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] killed yesterday that is one half of the 3 that was cleaned down at Father's [Joshua James Hall] they weighed 205 lbs. Sam is at work making a pair of shoes. I ground 7 bushels of corn and 1 bushel of wheat. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] was taken very sick, with threatening symptoms of miscarriage. Weather clear & rather warm on the pork salted down.

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

Tuesday, January 12th, 1864

To day the boys are at work cutting up and salting down the pork killed yesterday. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode out to hunt hogs and succeeded in finding 3 which belonged to Father [Joshua James Hall] and which were carried down there to be cleaned. Sam is to get one half for his trouble in hunting and killing them. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] called in as she returned from a visit to see Mrs. Bird. I ground 21½ bushels of corn. Weather clear and cool but moderating fast, the ice is disappearing rapidly and growing beautifully less.

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

Saturday, December 19th, 1863

To day the boys are engaged in cutting up and salting down the pork killed yesterday. John is at work hauling wood. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode out hog hunting but was unsuccessful. he however killed two fine turkeys. Mother* [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] is still here. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is improving. I ground 7½ bushels of corn. I purchased two bushels of pecans, at 6$ per bushel & gave flour for them at 50¢ per lb. Weather clear and cold with a hard frost and freeze at night.

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

Friday, January 16th, 1863

To day the boys cut up and salted down the pork that I had killed on yesterday. Sam* Sharp ground only 2 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] went over to Mr. Leaverton's to assist in nursing his infant child in it's sick, but while the child died, it was the youngest child of Mr. Leaverton being only about 4 weeks old. weather clear and very cold with a hard frost at night.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. Margaret is his sister, and the wife of JMH.

Wednesday, January 14th, 1863

To day the boys are still engaged in getting out and hauling the garden posts. I ground ten bushels of corn. I had the most of my pork hung up to smoke and upon a close examination I found the most of my hams and shoulders were spoilt so much so as to render them unfit for use. at night Hicks & Louisa with my little wagon & mules arrived from Liberty after being out on the trip for nine days from Liberty and in consequence of the horrid state of the road they hauled almost nothing the mules being badly cut up and very much jaded. weather cloudy and cool and at night there was a perfect storm. the wind hauling around to the north it became very cold with a snow & sleet for several inches deep being the first snow of the winter.

Thursday, January 8th, 1863

To day Thomas W. Reed and Capt. Stubblefield came to see me & remained for dinner. From Mr. Reed & his wife I purchased a likely negro man of black color about 34 years of age by the name of Bill a slave for life and for whom I paid $1800. Mother [Mahala* Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and her & the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] went to see Mrs. Bird. I ground 18 bushels of corn. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is now entirely recovered from her late indisposition and is now up attending to her usual duties about the house. weather clear & rather warm on my pork.

*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.

Sunday, January 4th, 1863

To day I remained at home writing up this journal. I had some of my pork resalted & sold one bushel of Meal for 2$. Roberta [Hall] & Toby [Hall] came up to see the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and returned home in the evening. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still quite sick although she is still improving. weather changeable and cool.

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

Saturday, January 3rd, 1863

To day Sam* and I are both very busy in the Mill. we ground 35 bushels of corn. We also resalted the pork that I purchased from Mr. Dailey. Nellie* is still quite sick, although she is still improving. weather changeable and warm with occasional showers of rain.

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

Friday, January 2nd, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp and I resalted the pork that I purchased from Mr. Bird. Sam went down to Mother's [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and got a little tallow for the use of the mill. we then took up the Mill rocks and rebushed the spindle. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Hall nee Lemaire] is still quite sick but improving a little. I ground 14 bushels of corn. weather cloudy and warm with occasional showers of rain.

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

Thursday, January 1st, 1863

To day Sam* Sharp went to Crockett for the purpose of hiring a negro boy but returned home without doing so. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] sent Louisa up to assist the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in preparing and putting up her sausages as I have now got the entire control and possession of my mill I contemplate jotting down her earnings and out lay for the current year it is agreed however between Sam Sharp & I that he shall act as the miller I attending only during his absence. Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] is still sick but improving. I ground ten bushels of corn. weather cloudy & rather warm on my pork with a shower of rain at night.

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

Wednesday, December 31st, 1862

To day Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I cut up and salted down the porks that we killed yesterday. I paid Chester & Ann for their services in helping to kill & salt down the pork. Dr. Murchison & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came to see Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] who is still very sick, but they did not remain long. Mr. Pennington's time as Miller having expired he surrendered the mill keys to me and left for his home. weather clear and cool. 

Thus I close my jottings of daily events for the year 1862 now past & gone and whether God will permit me to live to keep the events around me of the incoming year is more than I can know but trusting in his mercy I shall enter upon the duty which is pleasing to me and may be profitable to my family and myself hereafter.

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

Tuesday, December 30th, 1862

To day I hired Chester & Ann to salt down the pork we got from Dailey on yesterday. after that was done we killed ten other hogs which weighed 1480 lbs of pork. Mrs. Bird came down to see Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] who is still very sick so much so that Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] was compelled to go after Dr. Murchison but he did not come down. weather clear & cold with a strong North wind blowing and a hard frost at night.

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

Monday, December 29th, 1862

To day I went to Crockett in my buggy and while there I purchased from Dr. Corley 25 bales of Cotton for which I paid him 17&#162 per lb. Mr. Thomas Dailey sent me 937 lbs of pork for which I had contracted some days ago at 14&#162 per lb. I employed Chester to cut it up which he did. Dr. Murchison came down to see Nellie* who is still very sick, he however returned home early. Mother* & Mrs. Bird also came down to see Nellie. Mother [Mahala] returned home but Mrs. Bird remained all night. weather clear & rather warm.

*This Nellie is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Mahala is her mother-in-law.

Sunday, December 28th, 1862

To day I employed two of Mr. Leaverton's boys, one of Mr. Bird's, Chester & his wife Ann, to salt down the pork purchased from Mr. Bird on yesterday, which they did and for their services I paid them 6$. Nellie* is still quite sick. Dr. Murchison, Mrs. Bird & Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] left for home. Nellie's sickness resuming a more alarming character, Dr. Murchison was again sent for but did not come, thus leaving us to manage the care as best we could. In justice to the Doctor I must here state that he was not at home when the messenger arrived there & hence he could not come. weather clear & cool.

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

Saturday, December 27th, 1862

This morning I sent down after Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and Mrs. Bird to attend Nellie* [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] in her sickness, and Sam* Sharp went after Dr. Murchison all of whom came to attend Nellie. I purchased from Mr. Bird 1100 lbs of pork for which I paid 15&#162 per lb. Mr. Leaverton's boys hauled another load of fodder from Mr. Renfro's weighing 1028 lbs. weather clear & cold with a hard frost at night.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. Nellie and Sam are 2nd great-grandparents. Sam is Mahala's son.