Friday, June 29th, 1866

To day I am at work are the warehouse. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] and Fanny all had another fever. Mr. Angell is still with me. Col. Wrigley with the hands finished the salt shed. Weather clear and warm. Ther : 82°.

Thursday, June 28th, 1866

To day I am much better after a night's sweet repose and am now ready and able to enter upon my business matters. Col. Wrigley with the hands are at work on the salt shed. Mr. Angell is still with me. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall], Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] and Fanny are all sick with fever. Weather clear & warm. Ther: 80°.

Wednesday, June 27th, 1866

To day I done but little work. I am however loafing around generally for want of sleep and rest from my dissipation last night. Mr. Angell is still with me. Hicks is at work on the salt shed. Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] & Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] both had fever. Weather variable and hot with a shower of rain in the evening. Ther : 92°.

Tuesday, June 26th, 1866

To day I attended a meeting of the City Council at which we passed several sanitary ordinances in order to protect the citizens of Liberty against the small pox which disease is now prevalent in the City. In the evening George Gordon and Henry P. Angell came over from West Liberty having walked nearly the entire distance, and being pretty well broken down. Mr. Gordon stopped with Col. Wrigley and Mr. Angell put up with me. At night I attended a party at Col. Wrigley's residence which was quite a gay affair. We danced until about 3 O'clock in the morn. Every thing passing off to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. The hands are still at work on the salt shed. Weather variable and hot. Ther : 92°.

Saturday, June 23rd, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Col. Wrigley & the hands finished the black smith shop, but are yet at work on the shed. The Str. Indian No. 2 arrived from Galveston and after discharging some freight she proceeded on her voyage up the [Trinity] river. The river is now falling very rapidly. I am still suffering with my afflictions. Capt. Dawson is quite sick & Confined to his bed. Weather variable & hot. Ther : 90°.

Friday, June 22nd, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Col. Wrigley & the hands are still at work on the shop & shed. Hicks still hauling lumber. I am still suffering with my afflictions. Weather variable & hot. Ther : 88°.

Thursday, June 21st, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Col. Wrigley and the hands are still at work on the black smith shop also on the salt shed. I am still suffering with my afflictions. Weather variable and hot with a light shower of rain. Ther : 85°.

Friday, June 1st, 1866

To day I am at work at the warehouse. Hicks & Steve are still hauling salt & finished removing the same. The steamer Indian No. 2 arrived from Galveston bound up the [Trinity] river, after taking on board 100 sacks salt, she proceeded on her voyage. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] & I are still sorely afflicted with the itch. As this is the first day of summer I begin to note the state of the thermometer as I have heretofore kept it. Ed. Jones arrived from Galveston on the steamer Indian No. 2. Weather variable and hot: Ther: 86°.

Thursday, May 31st, 1866

To day I am at work at the ware house. Col. Wrigley with the hands finished the ground work and laying the floor of the Warehouse shed. Hicks & Steve are at work hauling the salt out of the McKim house and piling it upon the platform or floor of the shed. Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] & I are still suffering with the itch or some other infernal sores. Weather variable and cool with occasional showers of rain. Thus closes my jottings for the month of May.

Sunday, April 1st, 1866

To day the steamer Indian No. 2 arrived from Galveston, bound up the river. It had to put on here 212 sacks of salt which consumed nearly the entire day. She left about 4 O'Clock for the up river. My cough is a little better. Weather variable and warm.

Wednesday, December 27th, 1865

To day I am at work at the old store house, which we have converted into a warehouse, and had the 500 sacks of salt, which came up yesterday on the Royal Arch, stored away. The Steamer Royal Arch left for Galveston, with a very small freight. Weather variable and cold.

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.

Monday, November 27th, 1865

To day I am still at work at the ware house. I assisted Col. Wrigley in putting up 6 Doz. brandy, which we shipped to D. Willis at Livingston, together with 38 sacks of salt. I sold my large road wagon to L. Jackson for 80$ specie and collected from him 4$ which I had heretofore loaned him. Weather variable and pleasant.

Saturday, September 23rd, 1865

To day the steamer Mary Hill arrived at Walnut bluff from Galveston with 300 sacks of salt on board, which were consigned to James Wrigley. I drove down there and got my freedman John from off of her. He having run away the trip before, and left here on said boat. He promised me upon his arrival home to faithfully remain out the time for which he entered into a special contract. The Steamer Mary Hill left for Galveston. In the evening I drove up town in company with James Wrigley and we were both regularly registered as voters of the County & State. My wagon driven by Hicks is engaged in hauling salt from Walnut bluff to the warehouse, and hauled 72 sacks at 10? per sack. Capt. John Redman left my house for parts unknown. Weather cloudy & hot with a very hard rain late in the evening.

Thursday, December 22nd, 1864

To day Sam* Sharp and the boys again went out hog hunting but without success. Sam however killed a fine deer. I loaned Mother* [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] 300 lbs of fine dry salt. Capt. John Wootters came out & stopped with me for the night. Hicks ground 12 bushels of wheat. Weather clear and cold, with a hard frost at night.

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

Tuesday, December 13th, 1864

To day the boys are cutting up and salting down the hogs killed on yesterday. I warped the thread for the linsey. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came home from her visit to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and brought little Major [James Hall Sharp] home with her. Hicks ground 5 bushels of corn. Weather clear & rather warm for the season.

Saturday, November 12th, 1864

To day Bill is engaged cutting up and salting down the beef & hog that I had killed on yesterday. Hicks, John & I are at work putting in the new ink, bushing, &c. in the mill. we succeeded in getting the mill started and ground 20 bushels of corn & 1½ bushels of wheat. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is sick. Weather clear & rather warm, but cold at night with a light frost.

 

Sunday, September 11th, 1864

To day I left Mrs. Wyser's in company with Mr. Silas Morgan and rode 41 miles and arrived home. I found the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and children all well. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] was also at home having come up on Friday last. I also found Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] upon a visit. Mr. Morgan stopped with me for the night on his way to the saline after salt. Weather changeable and hot. Ther: 95°.

Monday, August 29th, 1864

To day Bill drove the little wagon down to the mill carrying Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire], the children & I. we all commenced cleaning the house & putting it in order to move back into. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down in the evening. Nellie then rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] to stay some time. The little [woman], children & I returned home in the little wagon. John got back from the saline all safe bringing 1000 lbs of salt, equal to five sacks. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 95°.

Monday, August 22nd, 1864

To day Bill is at work thrashing out some wheat. I rode down to the mill and started John with his wagon & 3 yoke of oxen to the saline after salt. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day. Mr. Keen came over and bled my horse hawk. Weather clear and warm. Ther: 80°.