Scott County, Indiana
Genealogy
and History
Used with Permission
JULY 1861
MONDAY, JULY 1, 1861
This is a fine morning. I go to the store, comes a hard rain about 1 o'clock, James, Marion, Isaac harvest--they get soaking wet. Mr. Hepworth comes and looks at the farm, has another man with him. I hurry home and get dinner. We have plenty of young potatoes and beans and some cucumbers. I get Maria Jane a new dress and now we sew at it. Mother comes awhile. The comet is here on a visit--very bright with a long tail--north west.THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1861
Babe not much better. I do not get much work done. James goes with Andy Morrison to James Tobiases. Muster--gets home late, babe very sick. The boys plows corn, I do not feel well. I bind my fan and a hat, do some needle work. James joins the muster to day.End of page 51
THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1861
I am still not able to work much, sew some and cook. Sick babe. I go to mother's a few minutes, she gave me a little mess of apples to bring home the first we have had this year. Mr. Hepworth is here to day a visiting all day. Catherine comes in the afternoon. Mother comes awhile, quite warm, looks like rain then clears away. James and Marion still works at their oats. We have visitors to day. This is the day of the battle of Bull Run.WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1861
This is a very pretty morning. I take the children and go and pick a bucket of berries. Babe cross and sick. Jimmy's sick. Mr. Smith goes by from Wilersons, stops awhile. James finish hauling wheat and then worked at his oats. Mother comes awhile. William stops awhile, says he is a Union Man.THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1861
This is a very warm morning. Mr. Smith comes early to help me pick wool. Stays all day. We get right smart picked. I made some blackberry preserves. Some clouds does not rain. The blackberries was never so plenty at this season. What a call for men for war--going on all the time, what battles will we have pretty soon.FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1861
We have to wash to day. I help the boys haul wood then commence washing. Marion went to Austin for the papers. No more fresh battles but getting ready for some. Mr. Griffith sent for me to come and spin sewing thread. I go in the afternoon, spin better than 2 cuts, babe and Jimmy are better, the children pick berries. The katy-dids are singing.SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1861
Very, very warm. We bake loaf and iron. James cuts oats and then goes to his muster down to Uniontown. Thunders all day off and looks like rain--very sultry. The Peacocks comes to papa to stay all night, then goes to Williams and Ikes, they hates this nigger. Mother and I went to the carding machine but did not bring our rolls horne because we are for the union, they sure are very strong. John stopped last night. Received a letter from Nancy Petro. All are well.SUNDAY, JULY 28, 1861
This is Sunday morning. We are tolerable well. James and Freeman goes to Gilead to Sunday School. Maria Jane and Marion goes to the school house to meeting. Tilda Foster comes home with Maria Jane, Catherine and Ethe comes awhile, we then goes to mother's a afternoon. They all look at me as they would look at a thief because I am not a seceder.End of page 52
AUGUST, 1861
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 1861
This is a very warm day. James takes the wagon and goes to Carmel to a basket meeting--takes all the children. Comes a storm, we stop at Stephen Days till the wind and rain is over, does not rain much there but east of there the rain poured down.MONDAY, AUGUST 5, l861
Very warm, yet looks like rain. Mother goes by to Catherine's. Mrs. Griffith still weaving. I spin at my flannel chain. I have good rolls this year but can not work much, not well and babe cross. So much fuss about the war and so many going to war and so many getting killed. How glad I would be if there was no war.FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, l861
Oh, dear me, I am so weak as an old cat this morning. Oh how warm--we want some rain, we have to wash to day. James goes to Austin for the daily paper. Maria Jane goes for Olivia to help wash some quilts. Then we clean the house. Miller Morrison comes now. We have a good rain at 6 o'clock. How glad we are, thunders and lightnings and wind blows.MONDAY AUGUST 12, 1861
Still very cloudy, thundering now, we have a shower. Marion gone to Mr. Trulocks for Jane to come and spin-they get there by ten o'clock. She spins 13 cuts. Maria Jane spins 10 cuts. I am rnaking pear preserves. I patch and cook and and mind babe. Now we hear the thunder--now we have a good rainy--James sows his turnips.TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1861
Very cool this morning after so much rain. All up early. Made a fire to warm by. I have a very sore foot, pains me very much. Babe very cross, the peaches are ripening. James plows and hoes his potatoes. The girls spin. I write and patch and cook. Everybody talks of hard times--wheat--75c, butter--6c, eggs--3c, coffee--20c, tea 25c per quarter pound, pears $1 a bushel, potatoes--40c bushel, apples--40c, pork--3c pound, and sugar 10c lb. We are expecting every day to hear of a great and dreadful battle in Missouri. Great preparations are being made.End of page 53
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1861
This is a fine day. I wash. Jane Trulock is too sick to spin, goes to bed, gets better in the evening. Maria Jane irons the clothes and I spin some sock yarn, double and twist it, then goes to mother's a few minutes. Babe very cross.TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1861
Cloudy. John and mother goes to town. Catherine and children comes to warm mother's flannel. James not well, very hoarse, cannot hardly speak, plows all day. In the evening Janie and me goes to Mrs. Hoard's a few minutes, then home. I fix plaster on his breast.MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1861
Rainy, cloudy all day. James goes to John Smith's to see about threshing our wheat, then cleans the thrashing floor, The boys cuts wood. I feel tolerable well to day. I spin 8 cuts, bake loaf bread and patch.FRIDAY. AUGUST 30, 1861
James and Marion goes to Hoards to help thrash but comes back then goes to Morrison's for the wheat fan then cleans wheat and oats. I tend the kiln all day. John T. Tobias comes to warn the hands on the roads next Monday and Tuesday. Beautiful day. This is James complaint of being tired and with pains in his breast.SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1861
This is a beautiful Saturday. We hurry to get our work done. I go to mother' s then bake, patch, wash, starch, iron. Mary Morrison comes for peaches. Now we fix to go to John J. Tobias in the wagon with mother and all the children to get our likeness taken. There was a house full of folks getting their likeness taken. Mr. Gregory had a sweating time. We had 11 pictures taken on one plate for 25c--that was cheap enough. Get home late. James right sick. Cool evening. Marion stops at Cass.SEPTEMBER 1861
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1861
We are off to town this morning. Cloudy day with hot sun, very warm day. We took peaches and wheat , feathers and eggs--got to town before night. 65c for wheat, 50c for peaches, 5c for eggs, and 25c for feathers. I get me and Maria Jane a new delane dress l2 1/2c per yard. Buy indigo, cotton, coffee and calico.End of page 54
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1861
This is a cool morning. James stayed in the wagon, I stayed at Mrs. Claflins Tavern. We both took breakfast on fresh beef and sausage with warm coffee and biscuit. Trading done, start for home at noon. James right sick get home after dark-children all well. While we were in town I wished that old traitor Jeff Davis was dead, the market was stowed with peaches. Went to the courier office and signed for the paper--five month--paid 50c.FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, l86l
Foggy this morning. I am not well cannot work much today, but I write some. Maria Jane irons the clothes, babe very cross--not well. James goes to Christians this afternoon to the frolic. Marion McKinley Bovard plows for wheat. F.G.M. hauls wood with their calves for the stove. Now I will sew some and finish Maria Jane's dress. Mr. Smallwood comes.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1861
Now I feel like work this morning. I am some better but quite weak. I suds out some jeans fulling the wash with all my might. Maria Jane goes to Griffith's for copporas. [Copperas is a dye fixative for textiles.] Here comes Knelly and Wilce Morrison says if I want to take a visit to Retreat to be at the school house at one. I go to Retreat in the buggy with the Morrison women. Hannah Phillips picked the sage, the horses cut a flurry and Freeman got hurt.FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1861
I am at Retreat this morning, fine pleasant time for visiting. I have a good view of the cars. Now me and Mary comes home in the buggy by ourselves--have a good time, but when we come, here comes Griffith to tell us that our men had to go to war, how sad we feel at the news. James helped Torn Smith thrash yesterday and helps the Spearses to day.SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1861
Cloudy yesterday. Oh how it stormed last night, thundered and lightening [sic]. We looked all night for James Captain to call him to camp but to our joy he did not come. This morning cool and cloudy. Here comes John for me to cut and make his pants. I cut and make at them. Here comes Mary Morrison to suds out her yarn. James goes to Crothersville to a speaking. End of page 55SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1861
James got home alive yesterday evening. The search was about to devour him. There was a mistake about the soveren calling out the home guards and I am glad for one. Mother comes by going to meeting, stops long enough to wish old Lincoln dead. Here comes Mrs. Sampson and husband, stays all day, this is a fine cool day. Smith and Hall have a meeting at the school house.MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1861
Old Mrs. Smith joined the Campbellite yesterday, will be emersed to morrow at the mill. I sew at John's pants, I color my jeans chain, get a good color. Catherine comes to tie jeans, Mother comes to get some flour. John stops awhile, takes dinner with us. I get a good color. The meeting still goes on.TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1861
This is a pleasant day. Mrs. Smith emersed to day at the mill. A fight takes place at the school house, these sesch and one union man of course the union man retreated with sore bones--poor fellow he has three sons in the army. Fine day for baptising and fighting all three good Camolites or camel fights makes no difference, their preachers leaves them after that, got scared out. What will this world come to yet for fighting and lying. Lord have mercy.THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 26, 1861
I am tryingto spin, spin 8 cuts then sew at James pants. Catherine comes to tie jeans for me. She agrees to spin some flannel filling for rolls, so I must hurry and go to weaving. I have 35 yards of jeans to weave, 12 yards of check flannel and 25 yards of linsy. Cloudy, looks like rain. I get up at night to sew.FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1861
This is a very cool cloudy day. Mists rain in the evening. Blows like winter. Mother comes awhile, I sew, finish James pants, I am thinking of going to muster to morrow to Mr. Letts. Maria and I washes the clothes, Knelly Morrison comes for soap. How my heart aches with trouble.SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1861
This is a very cold morning, up early to go to the muster. Mr. Griffith comes. He says the seseches is getting very strong in Kentucky. The war is raging--getting worse. We take our dinners with us. Catherine goes with us, the children stay here. We have a fine time seeing the folks muster. Most too cold to be comfortable--Col Malock and Mr. Hill gave a short address to the soldiers which was good.End of page 56