Scott County, Indiana
Genealogy
and History
Used with Permission
OCTOBER 1859
SATURDAY OCTOBER 1, 1859
Here is Saturday, very pleasant. I patch some. James hauls wood, kills a mutton in the evening. Isaac and Ashberry Belch comes to stay all night. I receive a letter from Nancy Petro. Maria Jane and Aby both sick with bad colds. Have to work too hard.SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 , 1859
Lovely morning. Feel thankful that all is as well with us as what it is. Children better. I stay at home all day. James goes to Gilead to meeting. Catherine comes awhile and I send for pap to come out and eat dinner. Mother has gone to Margy Peacocks. Such a pretty clear cool pleasant day.WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1859
Clear and cool till noon then cloudy. I went to mothers in the forenoon. We have a notion to go to the fair to Vernon tomorrow. James commences cutting corn this morning. I spin, starch and iron and bake some pumpkin pies. Mother and George comes out to stay all night, ready for the fair. Melville is sick. James goes to Gilead at night.End of page 20
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1859
Cold--very cold. Melville better. Now we start for the fair before daylight. Leave the children in bed. We get very cold. Heavy frost. Arrived at the fair--safe. Saw a many nice things but thinking of the children at home I did not see much pleasure. My head ached and I felt sick and wanted home. The roads are good. The moon shone bright. We arrived home at half past eight at night, found the children in bed. All well, then I wished I had took my time easier. Mother and George went on home, tired and hungry.SUNDAY OCTOBER 9, 1859
Some clouds then clears away. We have a good mess of beans and corn for dinner. I feel well but the rest are all sick with sore throats. Maria Jane goes to Mr. Foster's. Very cool.MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1859
Pleasant morning. I commence spinning. My tooth aches. I finish spinning--spun my dozen. Oh how I suffer with tooth ache. The Roseberry girls are here. James cuts corn. Clear all day. Heavy frost.WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1859
Cool--some clouds. Margaret B. comes to color. I colored to day and finished twisting stocking yarn. Mother and Tilda Foster is here. I scoured out some yarn to day.THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1859
I start to the pedlar but do not go all the way--he did not have no cotton yarn. Marget come to day and colored her yarn. Cloudy, looks like rain. I go with Margy to mother's. We fill some jugs with tomatoes. I still have the tooth ache. Abner Sinclairs birthday.SUNDAY OCTOBER 16, 1859
Nice pleasant morning. I went to mother's awhile--left the children with James. Maria J., Delilah B., Ann Stevens went by to mothers this morning. Very cloudy.THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1859
Sleeves rolled up. All in a hurry--now the coloring is to be done. Here goes Christian Young and Isaac S. I color red and green--dip the blue for Margy P. Mother and Catherine comes. I boil the cotton for the jeans. James cuts and hauls wood. Isaac goes by--he is going to town tomorrow. James is sick. Cloudy this morning.End of page 21
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1859
I go to mother's to warp my blankets. Spooled them last night. The rest in bed. K. come for the kettle to make preserves. James digs potatoes and I color blue, work at my weaving, pick beans and a thousand other things. My hands are so chafed I cannot work with ease. Mother comes a minute or two. James writes notes for the meeting house. Babe cries.SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1859
Blessed Sabbath morning. Debby and Ethe goes by to the post office, taking a ride for their health. James and myself goes to Gilead to meeting to hear Mr. Potts preach.THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1859
I finished weaving my blankets to day, spool some at my carpet chain. Cold and cloudy--looks like rain. Moses and family comes to paps to night. Mother has the tooth ache. I am not very well.FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1859
Now I hurry my flannel to see how it will look. I scald some too, boil bark to color jeans chain, but here comes brother Moses and wife and children and pap and mother and Catherine, and children comes. Not well.SATURDAY OCTOBER. 29, 1859
Cloudy and co1d. Abby is sick. I commence weaving my flannel. Oh how beautiful it is. Mother goes by to Catherines. We bury our cabbage, beets, squashes and color jeans cotton and carpet rags, render tallow, make some candles, and sew on my blankets.NOVEMBER l859
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1859
I commence early to boil syrup, boil all day. Catherine and children comes-stays a1l day--warm and pleasant. Go in the afternoon to grind cane. Mother comes in the evening.FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1859
Pleasant morning. I boil syrup cane juice till noon, then wash and warp my jeans at night. James helps me. Pap and mother went to Paris to day. Mother bought a fine shawl---$6.30. Clear day but very windy and smoky. Dry time--we wish it would rain.End of page 22
SUNDAY, N0VEMBER 6, 1859
Very smoky. Sleep late. My throat is sore--bad cold. Brother Moses and family goes home to day. James goes with me to Gilead to meeting. Mr. Potts preaches--his text was "Enoch walking with God 300 years and then was not for God took him." Come home late. All well, we left little Jimmy home with the rest of the children. I write at night. The children reads their books and make noise enough.WEDNESDAY, N0VEMBER 9, 1859
Pleasant and warm. We beam our 40 yards of jeans--takes us one hour to beam it--put it through the gears and reed. Mother comes with some filling. James still works at fixing our house-the doors and windows. We begin to want rain very bad--the corn is turning yellow for want of rain.MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1859
Up early this morning--commence washing with frozen water. The children goes to school. I wash hard. Get done against 2 o'clock. Norwood Tobias is here for dinner. Mother goes by to Catherines. James goes to mill with corn to Mayfields then hauls wood. I weave at my jeans. We are all well.FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1859
Rained all day--commenced before daylight. James commenced his sled--went to paps for an auger--took their salt home. I wove all day. James quilted some. We are glad to see it rain. Jimmy went barefooted. He is a good boy--I do not get to nurse him much. I do not get to read my Bible enough--too much work to do.SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1859
Cloudy, make a kettle of pumpkin butter--very good. I weave some. Mother comes out awhile. I fill quills. Maria Jane irons, James finishes his sled. Marion went to the [post] office. Freeman and Melville and Aby and George all disobedient children. I hope they will get better.SUNDAY, N0VEMBER 20, 1859
Blessed Sabbath morning. We are all well as common. Up late this morning. James and I went to Gilead to meeting. Brother Potts preached. His text was, "Ye are my friends as long as you do whatsoever I command you."--l5 chapter and 14th verse of St. John.End of page 23
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 1859
Up early this morning. James goes to husk corn for Mrs. Miller, then hauls corn in the afternoon. I weave hard afternoon and mind the children, cook dinner, sweep, wash in the forenoon, sew at night thinking how much work I have to do and how to get it done.THURSDAY, N0VEMBER 24, 1859
This is Thanksgiving Day. I feel thankful that all is as well with us as what it is. Pap and mother have gone to Deborah's to day. Cool, and cloudy. James hauls rails for his fence--then is very sick at night. I weave all day--almost out of heart. So much to do here. Here comes Mary Ann Tobias with Ruth's jeans. My thoughts don't get much rest.TUESDAY N0VEMBER 29, 1859
Up early and off to town. Beautiful day, warm sun--some streaked white clouds--cool air--white frost. The children goes to stay with Catherine. Isaac goes to town [obviously Madison]. We get to town before sun down. James stays at the tavern and I stay at Mrs. Byrds. I seen and heard many things, but with very little satisfaction arid poor encouragement. This is a very wicked world, but I do not see much of it. I did not sleep much. The boats made such a noise and I was uneasy about home and children.WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1859
Leave town at half past 9--sick and tired. Not enough money to buy what I need. James buys 5c worth of cake and l0c worth of cheese. We get home just dusk--the roads very good. We stopped at Julia Roseberry's a few minutes. A beautiful warn day--begins to look like rain in the evening. The children all well--done well. Marion and Maria Jane goes to a spelling to night. I slept very sound last night was very tired. Little Jimmy was such a good babe at town--never cried to trouble me any. I bought Maria Jane a shawl for $l.25. Caroline McLain come home with Maria Jane from spelling.DECEMBER 1859
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1859
Still raining. High water-rains all day--commenced sleeting in the evening. No school--the children come home at noon. I spooled Ruth's jeans. The notorious Mr. Brown was hanged to day in Virginia St. [She meant "Virginia state." Abolitionist John Brown was hanged at Harper's Ferry, a town in that part of Virginia that has become West Virginia.]End of page 24
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1859
I stay home with the children--keep Catherines babe and she goes to meeting. James, Maria Jane all went to Chapel to meeting. Slippery walking--sleet and snow frozen mist rain-thaws. I write some at night. I went to help feed the sheep.THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1859
We was cold last night. The coldest time I ever seen, do not get much work done. I sew all day and tell scripture stories to the children-hear them say lessons. James cuts wood and does the feeding. Oh how my tooth aches. Sad company. All well.FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1859
Some moderate this morning. I commence weaving this morning. But have to quit and wash the clothes. I fry some crills. Sew and nurse the babe. Hurry--try to get some work done--too much to do to get along with our troubles. James went to mill with some buckwheat in the sled-hauled wood.WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1859
James helps pap kill hogs to day. I weave. James comes home at noon then goes to Maria Byfield's to saw timber. The children goes to school. Little Jimmy is beginning to walk around. Frozen some--snow on the ground. Plenty to eat--not much work--these days are so short.FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1859
Up early--James off to town. Mary Foster comes home with Maria Jane from school to stay all night with us. Marion goes to husking of corn to Christian Young's. I wove to day. Catherine come to day. I sew at night. Little James Carvossa waik all over the place now.WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1859
James cuts wood yesterday. I went to hunt him in the evening--thought a tree had fallen on him--found him still cutting wood. I waded through the snow. I weave till noon then wash. Mr. Belch comes, takes dinner with us. Takes till dark to wash the clothes. Very tired. William went by from mother's.FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1859
Now I have a cold time. A hard day's work to render. Up late, done all my work to day. Plenty of meat and lard this year. Pretty good sleighing now--but I have no time to spare.End of page 25
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1S59
Here it Christmas morning. We looked for visitors last night but did not come. Begins to thaw, the snow is melting fast. James took me to the meeting in the sled then to Mr. Thornpsons--then home in the evening. Mother is here, She had company to day. We are all well. We have crulls and corn bread and sausage and sause to eat.ARTICLE IN ALMANAC--Donati's Comet of 1858
The splendid appearance made in the heavens by this cornet in October will long be remembered by those who have had the pleasure of beholding it. On some favorable evenings its tail extended across the firmament for the distance of forty-five degrees. When nearly setting behind the western horizon, its tail streamed up halfway to the zenith. Centuries may pass away before another sight of such surpassing magnificence shall be seen. [Note of 2007: It's unclear if Sarah entered this by, copying from a publication, or if a later typist entered it.]