Wednesday, December 14th, 1864

To day the boys are at work chopping wood. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and spent the day and while here assisted the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] in drawing the thread into the harness and slay for her linsey. Hicks ground 18 bushels of corn. Weather clear and rather warm.

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.

Monday, December 12th, 1864

To day the boys killed five hogs which only weighed 738 lbs. I helped the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] to spool thread for her linsey. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] came up from Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day. Hicks ground 5½ bushels of corn. Two soldiers stopped with me for the night. Weather clear & cold with a freeze at night.

Saturday, December 10th, 1864

To day the boys went out hunting hogs but without any success. I assisted the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] to spool some thread to put in the loom to weave some linsey. Hicks ground 5 bushels of corn. I paid Mr. Parker 30 lbs of flour for some tallow I purchased from him some time since. Weather changeable & cold with freeze at night.

Monday, December 5th, 1864

To day the boys are fixing up the garden fence. I am at work spooling some thread. Hicks ground 5 bushels of corn. Weather variable and rather warm.

Wednesday, November 2nd, 1864

To day the boys are at work chopping & hauling wood. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] left for home and took Jimmy [James Wrigley Hall] with her. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire], Fawn [Florence Mahala Hall] and little Major [James Hall Sharp] are still sick. I took the thread out of the loom and put it in again having missed one sley eye. Hicks ground 23 bushels of corn. Mother got 19 lbs of cotton. Weather cloudy, rainy and cold.

Tuesday, October 25th, 1864

To day the boys are engaged hauling fire wood. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] and Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] rode down to Hall's Bluff and spent the day with Mrs. Stubblefield. I am at work drawing the thread through the harness. Bert [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] came home with the little woman. Hicks ground 1 bushel of corn. Weather variable and warm.

Wednesday, September 21st, 1864

To day the boys are still at work pulling corn and hauled in two loads. Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] is still here. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode up to Mrs. Birds after Emily who came down and put the thread in the loom to weave the surcingles, after which the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] wove about one yard. I am at work around the house. Hicks ground 4 bushels of corn. Weather variable and warm. Ther: 84°.

Tuesday, September 20th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work pulling corn and hauled one load in. Roberta [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] is still here. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down to Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] in the wagon after some thread to weave surcingles. I am engaged working around the house. Hicks ground 2 bushels of corn. Weather variable and warm. Ther: 84°.

Thursday, August 11th, 1864

To day I left Crockett in Company with Billy Stewart and came out by the way of Simpson's. I obtained from Mr. Simpson a qt. of whiskey and borrowed a decanter. I got from Mr. Downes in Crockett 56 balls of thread being a part of what I left with him for sale. Weather cloudy & hot, with occasional showers of rain. Ther: 95°.

Thursday, August 4th, 1864

To day Bill is still at work pulling fodder. John returned from Crockett with 200 lbs of sugar and the saddle. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] & Mrs. Keen came up and spent the day. Mrs. Keen again drew the thread in the harness & sley of the loom which the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] had had cut out. Florence [Florence Mahala Hall] & Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] both had fevers. I am rather unwell myself. Weather changeable and hot. Ther: 93°.

Tuesday, July 26th, 1864

To day Bill is still at work pulling fodder. John done nothing in consequence of a bruise received on his finger in taking the stove out of the wagon. Mrs. Keen came over and drew the thread in the harness and sley of the little woman's [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] loom and wove about ¼ yd of cloth. Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] rode down to the mill & back. Florence [Florence Mahala Hall] & Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] are still sick with fevers. Weather clear & hot. Ther: 90°.

Saturday, February 6th, 1864

To day Hicks finished covering in the cribs. The other boys killed and cleaned two hogs which weighed 256 pounds. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] rode down to Mothers [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] to get some thread sized and warped. I ground 30½ bushels of corn. weather clear and cool with a hard frost at night.

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

Tuesday, January 5th, 1864

To day the boys are at work on the stables, covering them in. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode down to Hall's bluff after some lead. I ground 8 bushels of wheat & 2½ bushels of corn. Weather changeable & bitter cold, the mill pond still being frozen over, and ice plenty. Mr. Hughes stopped with me for the night & from whom I purchased some sewing thread &c.

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

Monday, February 23rd, 1863

To day the boys are splitting and hauling rails to put up a cow pen. Sam* [Samuel Houston Sharp] went to Mr. Lacy's after some seed potatoes and succeeded in getting 1½ bushels, which was the best he could do. I finished the reel & reeled some cotton thread for the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. I also ground 1½ bushels of corn. In the evening I assisted the little woman in planting out some button onions in the garden. weather changeable & rather cool.

*This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog. He is also the brother-in-law as well as step-brother to JMH.

Saturday, July 7th, 1860

To day I arrived in Galveston about 6 o'clock A.M. & put up at the Tremont where I remained all day. expenses of $6.75. weather clear & warm.

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CHARLESTON MERCURY, July 7, 1860, p. 4, c. 1. From the Journal of Commerce. Sewing Machines.-- Women are not yet wholly superseded, being useful in their appropriate place -- in fact absolutely indispensable. Yet the improvement attempted in the Sewing Machine has exerted an important influence upon her social state. Besides, this machine, though of but five years' existence, has effected great mechanical results. As an invention, it has arrived at a rare degree of success. Not a few, either from want of tact or energy, or on account of the worthlessness of their inventions, have entirely disappeared from the arena of trade, "leaving no trace behind" save the wreck of fortune.

The Sewing Machine is being introduced into general use, with a rapidity of which few have any conception. Hardship may result in some instances from the substitution of this instrument for hand labor, but is, no doubt, destined to confer a lasting benefit; its advantages are circumscribed to no particular class, and are unlimited in their application. With occasional slight modifications, with a view to more complete adaptation, the machine works its way among different classes of tradesmen. It promises permanent relief to the wearisome bondage of the sewing woman. Its celerity is incredible. Each one of Wheeler & Wilson's is calculated to do the work of ten ordinary sewers. Women's powers, whatever their cultivation, are unable to compete, either in rapidity, precision, or finish; from one to two thousand stitches per minute is not unusual. On shirt bosoms, the number per minute is about fifteen hundred; in cording and binding umbrellas, two thousand. Thousands of machines are sold for family sewing, several families often uniting in the purchase of a machine, and passing it around as needed; and among them are those of affluence and the highest respectability.

Sometimes a woman buys a machine for gaiter-work, for instance; hires female fitters in sufficient number to keep her constantly employed, and pays them $4 or $5 per week, often leaving a handsome profit. A woman has been known to make as high as $60 per week, with two fitters. Sewing Machines are getting to be extensively employed in making mantillas, hat and cap making, etc. Machinery has already done much to emancipate men from exhausting toil--has developed the industrial arts, and quickened the wheels of commerce--so that, instead of depriving the laborer of his means of support, he is only enabled to apply his powers to the greatest advantage.

Another subject worthy of notice is the great improvement which has taken place in the quality of sewing silk, twist, thread, &c., made necessary by the rapid and accurate movement of the Sewing Machine. We now produce thread in this country, which far exceeds any of foreign importation, in strength and evenness of texture. If the foreign and domestic are looped together and jerked asunder, the former, even of the best descriptions has been found to yield in the greatest number of instances.

The Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine has prepared tables, showing by actual experiment of four different workers, the time required to stitch each part of a garment by hand and with their Sewing Machine. The superiority of the work done by the Machine, and the healthfulness of the employment, are advantages quite as great as the saving of time. Subjoined is a summary of the several of the tables:

Item	Time By Machine	Time By Hand
Gentlemen's Shirts	1 hr. 16 mins.	14 hrs. 26 mins.
Frock Coats	2 hrs. 33 mins.	16 hrs. 35 mins.
Satin Vests	1 hr. 14 mins.	7 hrs. 19 mins.
Linen Vests	48 mins.	5 hrs. 14 mins.
Cloth Pants	51 mins.	5 hrs. 10 mins.
Summer Pants	33 mins.	2 hrs. 50 mins.
Silk dress	1 hr. 18 mins.	10 hrs. 22 mins.
Merino Dress	1 hr. 4 mins.	8 hrs. 27 mins.
Calico Dress	57 mins.	6 hrs. 37 mins.
Chemise	1 hrs. 1 mins.	10 hrs. 34 mins.
Moreen Skirt	35 mins.	7 hrs. 28 mins.
Muslin Skirt	30 mins.	6 hrs. 1 min.
Drawers	28 mins.	4 hrs. 1 min.
Night Dress	1 hr. 7 mins.	10 hrs. 2 mins.
Silk Apron	15 mins.	4 hrs. 16 mins.
Plain Apron	9 mins.	1 hr. 26 mins.

Seams of considerable length are ordinarily sewed at the rate of a yard a minute. The Lock Stitch made by this machine is the only stitch that cannot be raveled, and that presents the same appearance upon each side of the seam. It is made with two threads, one upon each side of the fabric, and interlocked in the centre of it.