Bovard Diary

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Scott County, Indiana
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THE BOVARD DIARY


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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8,1861

This is a pretty day. Here comes Caroline and Sabina Morrison for soap and ashes. Maria Jane washed to day. I spin 10 cuts of stocking. Jane then goes to Morrison's to see about coloring blue. James and boys takes the colts out to Jones.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1861

This is a beautiful morning. I want to go to meeting, our new preacher comes to day. James walks and goes to meeting but I mount a butterfly and fly over to meeting. Get there before the preacher. James looks two ways for sure. Marion goes home with Tommy and Ana. Comes home in the morning by Frankfort br my madder to color my flannel. Pap and mother are sick but want to go. I write a letter to Nancy Petro.

MONDAY, OCTOBER l4, 1861

This is a pretty day. I weave a yard and half, then pick the geese. James helps me, he is not well, he can pick first rate. We have lived together l8 years and the first time he even picked geese. What won't the wars cause to be done. Mother goes by the shop to get some shop work done. I set up Maria Jane's stockings for her to knit. James quills and reads the news at night.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1861

Up before daylight, get breakfast, then write some. Marion McKinley goes to Austin for the paper. Not much war news. Cloudy this morning, not quite so cold. I am some better, I am in hopes of getting well. Maria Jane comes. Here comes Marion with the papers. This is a pretty day, now it clouds up and looks like rain.

FRIDAY. OCTOBER l8, 1861

I weave this morning awhile, then I suds out yarn and color my red for my flannel. Mother goes by to Catherines, then her and Catherine comes to warp. Some clouds but clearing off. James grinds one kettle of cane juice this evening to boil to morrow.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1861

Marion boils his molasses this morning. Cool and cloudy. John W. Everhart comes with a jug for molasses. Maria Jane goes for grapes. Olivia Griffith comes and stays all night. I sew, make little Jimmy a new pair of breeches and wamis, then I patch some clothes, babe very cross. The boys goes to Griffith's, comes home late.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1861

A big muster at Paris to day. James goes, Marion takes the wagon, takes me and Maria Jane to the burying of Joseph Daisly. Tommy Jones comes and brings a letter from George Bovard. I received a letter from Nancy Petro to day. I go to mother's. We got news of a dreadful battle, Balls Bluff or Edward Ferry on the Potomac laat Monday and a wild cat battle in Kentucky the same day the federals whipped the rebels.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1861

This is a beautiful day. James takes the wagon, takes me and Maria Jane to Gilead to meeting. Marion walked and went to Gilead, the Campbellites are holding a meeting at the school house now. Getting cloudy. Frank, Ethe and Margy all comes to mother's to day, they went home by Catherine's to get their flannel.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1861

James and Marion goes to work at the cane to making lasses. I weave, cloudy, cool looks like rain. Morrisons still grind cane here on our mill. I am not well and never will be again, too slck to work but have to work too hard.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1861

Cool and cloudy, I weave in all my blue filling then cut out my blue jeans--19 1/2 yards. Mr. Stevens goes by, Mr. Griffith has a cabbage cutting tonight. Marion, Maria Jane and Freeman goes.

NOVEMBER 1861

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1861

Oh, how sick last night I was. Could not sleep much, am not much better yet. Mother comes by going to Christians. Marion goes to Charley Byfield to hear from the killed boys but does not hear. We think it is untrue and hope it is, the war is raging, no signs of ending soon. Many getting killed.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1861

I am too sick for any use, but have to work. I am so light headed, most heart broken, know not what to do. I never will be well I am afraid. We are talking of going out to Nancy's but I keep so sick that I won't get to go. Mother was here to day, brought me some apple butter and had on her new flannel dress. They have a corn husking. to night at paps. James and boys have gone and Maria Jane but I am right sick to night. I write some in my almanac to night. George and Aby parches them some corn. James and boys dug potatoes, they have 25 bushel now. Marion worked on the roads until noon to day.

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 14, 1861

I am somebetter. I cut out some sewing, thinking of taking a visit out to Nancy Petro's next Saturday. Lloyd Griffith comes to bring us a piece of beef. I sew at James new pants. James goes to Jonathan Everhart's with Jimmy 's boots. Oh how it rains.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 1861

Up early getting ready to start home. I begin to think of home quite often--afraid some of them are sick. I am right poorly this morning, cannot hardly ride in the wagon but get better. We have chicken and kraut pie, cake and lots of good things for breakfast. We bid them good-by then we started for home at sun rise. Cool air gets cloudy, looks like rain, does come a storm at night after we get home.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21, 1861

Yesterday was a day to be remembered. We went to Gilead to the Soldiers meeting but the sesech was too much for us. I took my blandet [blanket?], there was one more there but we brought it home with us again, the devil is loose there. Today, Mrs. Griffith comes to spool and warp her linen. I hem my flannel and take through what I can. Getting cloudy with cool air. I am not very well this evening.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1861

this is rainy Friday, for certain. How it storms. James starts for Austin but will have to turn back, so here he comes very wet, how the wind blows, the rain pours down. I start my flannel to weaving. I weave a yard, it weaves tolerable good, hut I have so much work to do I am most troubled to death.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1861

This is a cold raw day. I weave a yard and then help the boys bury the turnips and beets. James starts to look for the calves then hurrys home, goes to Frankfort to the election, comes home late, tired and cold. We do not hear of much news, but no battles for awhile.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24, 1861

James goes to Gilead to meeting, class meeting. Very cold and disagreeable, bad, cloudy day. Mother comes, I am not well and never will be well anymore but some day I have some hopes of being better, but better than worse.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1861

This is Thanksgiving Day. Maria Jane and mother goes to the Chapel to meeting hut I am rjght sick. Very cloudy. Mrs. Hoard comes and stays all day with me, James goes to the Chapel, Eastman preaches. I am right sick, not well enough to work, but knit some and get dinner.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1861

Some cooler. I cut out, sewing 8 pairs of jeans pants and 5 jackets then begin to feel chilly, take the ague in my breast, have a chill at night, right sick. Robert Foster is married to day to Mrs. Cox a widow. How the snow pours down. Charley Byfield comes to get his note fixed. I am trying to sew some.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 186l

This is not so cold, but enough yet, but the sun shines bright. I am hurrying to get the flannel. I weave three and one half yesterday. Mary Morrison comes. I get the flannel out against 2 o'clock. I send Catherine the reed.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1861

We get up early this morning. I go to mother's, take my flannel to suds out in the rain water. I am right sick. Mrs. Griffith comes to warp her linsy. I get so sick I have to go to bed much pain in my head. Mother comes awhile. James digs some roots to make me some tea. Oh cloudy and warm. I am very sick.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 14, 1861

This is a pretty day. James goes to Wooster to mill to get our flour that has been there for a week. Marion goes to the scliool house to help fix it for school. The children goes to Jonathan Everharts to get their feet measured for shoes. I am not very well. I sew and darn stockings. Margy comes with James and Maria Jane to stay all night.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 15, 1861

Oh what a pretty Sunday. This clear warm sun shines. I stay home all day. Mother and Catherine comes by this evening. Maria Jane went to Morrison's. We received two letters yesterday from the war, one from George Bovard and one from Josiah Tobias--they are well.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1861

Oh how troubled and vexed all day, everything goes wrong. I commence washing ihen here comes Jones and Matilda. Catherine's little girl is very sick she sends for me. Leave the dinner cooking and Matilda to tend it. No stove wood, oh how everything is upside down when I want to be smart. I go to Catherine's then hurry back to get dinner then Jones goes mill for his buckwheat flour.

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