Day Journals of James T. Redd - January 1850

Tues 1
Boy Hired 18 dol

Fair very cold the coldest morning I have felt for a long time the win in the morning was west & changed to south w & s. east. I went to Mrs Hacketts to look for a boy started to go to Roburt Dickinsons saw Mr Burruss & turned back I went to Mr Quarles, s Wilson's & hired a boy, Jim for 18 dollars to give a hat & blanket etc & came by T Castle & dined brought up a coffee boiler & cups & saucers cutting & halling wood for mama with 2 carts from pines by big rock

W 3rd
deed for land

Cdy rained a little mild the snow is melting a good deel to day a south east win very still day Anna & Mr. Hill came hear this evening Dr sent me a deed & bond for Livy $12 - went to the river saw a hair & 3 flocks & cutting wood by Jack hald etc cutting & halling wooe for AMama, etc etc etc

Fr 4th

Snowed sale & bought some oats at 32 cts a bushel & stylyards [scales] etc etc together with a table 2 chests, 3 bls & some scantling [timber of slight width & thickness, as a stud or rafter in house frame]
cutting wooed halled a load got up my sheep stoped the ice pond etc sent to Mill for meal & chop

Sat 5th
T Castle
Carmel
sent for oats etc etc

Fair cold west win morning we went to T Castle I went to Carmel Bro Harris preached took a collection for the sextons house appointed a committy to build etc etc went back to T.C. sent to Rights for oats & things bought at sale. sent 2 carts got 27 bushels - oats. 17 bu for 31cts 10 bu for 32 cts amounting to $8.47 cts sent to Right, cutting wood for Mama, by Jack pond

Sun 6th

Cdy cold day east win I went to Carmel Bro Harris preached a good surmond Bro Harris went to T. Castle & Mr Harris William Lewis Redd dined there we came up home left Louisa Terrell & Llewellyn at T Castle

M 7th
oats

Snow a little last night Rainy day I spent the day in the house sick with a bad coald & caugh (north east win) put a stack of oats in the Barn made a pin & commenced beeting out etc

Tus 8th

Cdy moderate weather the w at east in the morning west in the evening hung up my last meat cutting wood next Canfields Hackett fixing tobacco prise [large press] sent for hhd [hogshead]

W 9th

Cdy most of the day mild weeather south & south west win fair to night - commenced prizeing tobacco [packing tobacco in casks] at Mama, saw Mr Harris at Mas, gave a note to Miss H Hill to send to Mr S Hill in Richmond fixed a division in coalts stable made a cart for John [?? son John Robinson Redd, 1846-1920] pricing tobacco cutting wood on the River by Canfields cleaning up hill side to put in corn

Th 10 th
candy stew
tobacco
cart body
cart etc

Fair mild a large frost a south and south east win cdy tonight. I went to T Castle for Louisa T & Llewellyn went over to Mr Butlers to see  Miss Eliza Chiles. She took measure for a over coart. saw Linnaeus at Mr B, the children had a candy stew to night Mary & Lucy Thad & Louisa pulling prizing tobacco makeing a cart body for Mama H & Robert cutting malling wood for Mama, I sent my cart to Carmel to hall logs for sextons house.

Fr 11th
cart
axle tree
Peter to sundries 50cts

Rain a very heavy one it come menaced last night stoped a boat 12 ock cdy & smokey the ballance of the day a south east win & south west this evening I made a axle tree for a small ox cart M & Bitty Redd came over to Mama, this evening - prizing tobacco halling leaves for self 5 loads rakeing etc

M 14th
snowed 10 in deep
hhd

Snow is commenced last night & snowed till this morning about 10 to 12 inches deep it drifted in places 2 or 3 feet I went to Mama had the ice house cleaned out & made a pair of boat legs out of an old pair. finished the tobacco hhd [hogshead] cutting up wood etc a west win mostly Edmond Redd came hear to day

Tus 15th
slay
Tobacco etc

Fair a cold night last a large frost a west w & south w I made me a slay body & fixed up the old one hitched the sorrell mair & road out etc etc Brought Barbara over to spend the night cutting & halling wooed sent Mama, tobacco to Depot the [lugs?] ther were gave $3 a hundred

W 16th
T.C.
Miss Butlers
hail
ice house
Rose

fair mild & west win the snow melted a good deel to day I went to T. Castle & carryed Louisa Terrell Molly Betty & Barbara spent the day hear I went over to Mr Butlers Miss Eliza Chiles cut out my coart to day. Ran after a hair caught him with puppies - hailed a little last night finished filling ice house with snow at Mama, - - sent to West field for Rose cow brought her home -

Th 17th

Cdy smokey mild the snow has traveled to day a good deal a south west win mostly - Molly & children went to Mama Bro Saml came by we raseed a hair got away Mr. Hill & Anna came by I fixed a cart tung to new cart etc etc etc cutting & malling wood dead pines sent to mill & lent my horse cart to W Swann Roburt had a gallon molases at 2/3d pd the money

Fr 18 th
Winstons shop
A candy stew at Mama
Brad sick
Hacket Dr
Thad Dr

Fair rain cdy & smokey a west win mostly - the most of the snow has melted a great deel to day went to Winstons shop & carryed 2 axes for Mama & a pack o tongs for self saw Mr Noell came for money Hackett & Thad came over for a gallon of molasses to carry to Mama, to have a stew Molly & children & Sister Sarah is to stew it etc. I gave Brag a dose of calomel [purgative] he is very sick poisoned I think Hadkett Dr to 3 gallons of molases one dollar - cutting & halling wood rail timber etc grinding axes etc Thad Dr to 13 cts worth molases

Sat 19 th
Canfield Dr to 3 bls coal
a pair boots
[sketch of boot]

Fair a north & n east win cool morning a mild day Canfield had 3 kegs of coal makeing 9 or 10 in all Hackett & I went to Jerico pd 25cts for ?? etc. got a pair of shoes of Mr Tyler that he had to [grunt??] am to pay 3 dollars carryed a raol ?? leather tohave a pair coarse shoes made at 50cts I authorized Bro Saml to get Franks hire 107 dollars 88 cts & to pay Tyler 15 dollars for gun & gett 2 moal boards [for a cultivator] & a pr rappers [wrappers??] - Brag seems to be better barks a little cutting & halling wood etc.

Sun 20th
Carmel
Bartlett  Cr by 62 cts

Rain commenced before night cool & disagreeable day A east win mostly I went to Carmel with Sister Sarah & Lucy in barouch Bro Lowery preached Bartlett had 24 cts w flour & 38 cts molases

M 21 st
Boots
[black hand sketch]
wheat

Rainy day a north & north east win Rained all night last I went to Jerico tohave a pair boots made Tylerhad a paper tacks at 10 cts Dr. - Mrs Nancy Coalman died - faned out my wheat 56 bushels & put it in rail road bags Anna commenced faning Mama, commenced malling rails

Tues 22nd
high water
wheat to Depot
5661
Swann went to Richmond
Richmond

Clear most of the day a south west win Rained very hard last night I started to Bro Sam went as far as the mill the river is very high, Dr Gouldin came to Mama, last night went home this morning with Mary - sent my heat to Depot 3384 lbs wheat Wm Swann started to Richmond this morning I gave him some letters etc to get some things & to collect my money in Richmond of Mr Gouldin Franks hire & to pay Cheney $16.05 cts & Tyler $15 faning out Mama, wheat - sent to the Depot etc

W 23rd
grubing for oats

Fair cool morning mild day south & sough west win mostly I went to the mill commenced grubing on the river for oats by the mill saw Mr Gouldin the river has fallen a good deel in banks - grubing milling rails halling wood for Mama etc etc faning wheat this morning

Th 24th
ploughing by the mill
Dr Kean

Cdy Rain a little this evening a south & s east win mild day Lewis Redd spent the night went to T Castle this evening commenced ploughing by the mill & finished grubing in that field 2 double ploughs saw George Johnson at mill hird that Dr Kean is very sick in Philadelphia John Anderson came up this ploughing grubing mallling etc.

Fri 25th
Bro Sams
Mr Butlers
Jas T R
Anna etc etc
ploughing

Cdy Rained a little this morning very warm day a south & sough west win I went to Mr Butlers & carryed a wais coat to make my coat was not done get it to morrow went to Bro Sams met with James T Redd & Mary Louise & children dined there & came home this evening Miss B Hill & Anne started for Philadelphia Ploughing by the mill with 2 double & 2 single ploughts cutting & malling etc etc heard frogs hollow

Sat 26th
Spring
2 initiated
1 pair boots
1 pr shoes

Rainy the rain commenced last night showery to day a east & south east win warm day I cleaned out the spring etc etc Kemp Evins came bo see about Hiring July Ann I went to Jerico Harris & John Trevilian were initiated to night got a pair of boots and a pair shoes for Tyler $6.50 cts carryed a measure for Thomasia etc etc faning Mamas wheat etc

Sun 27th

Rain very warm day frogs hollowing to day a south west win we went to Mama, this evenign Rained a little this morning

M 28 th
axes
[black hand sketch]

Rain showery damp day a South W win mostly warm James T Redd, Charles & Edmond Redd came over & staid a while John Noel came to night Roburt weatherboarded the end of the barn etc. sent to Winstons for axes & tongs Hackett had 1 lb leather 1 paper tacks - halled a load straw halling wood for mama choping around my fence etc. Dr Lantz Kean died in Philadelphia last Sunday evening [Philadelphia, VA is near Suffolk]

Tues 29th
L Kean corps
James Taylor
wheat Depot

Fair & very cold win west & north west win Mr Till came & toled me about Lantz death lent him my horse & Roburt to go to the Depot for him. the corps Thomasia & I went to Mt Airy, [Taylor home near Warsaw, VA., a georgian plantation house] the funeral did not take place they got to Mt Airy quite late at night - James Edmond & Charles came over & sat till bed time Charles spent the night 3 carts went to Depot with wheat for mama 33 bags 4102 w [lbs?] wheat - malling cleaning around the fence Hackett bought a alamanack 6 cts for me

W 30th
funeral
wheat Depot
Fallowing

Fair cold morning north W & East win frost owl came last night after guineas, Thomasia & I went to Mt Airy to funeral burrial of Dr Kean Mr Wharton preached. the sons of Temperance met there etc etc Dr Kean died very happy
went to Depot about 16 bushels wheat for mama cutting & malling rails ploughing by mill 1 h

Th 31st
Bro Sams
Mr Gouldin
Fallowing

Cdy evening a south west win mostly to day I went to Bro Sams & by Linneaus saw Marcellius at Lins Mr & Mr Gouldin spent the day hear Bro Sam swaped horses with Ct Butler gave 15 to boot cutting malling halling for mama etc ploughing by mill etc.