Day Journals of James T. Redd - May 1851

Th 1st
went tomill
[brackets]

Rain this morning a pretty rain fair evening & cool I rode to the mill to see my timber etc. carryed Sister Conelia, [sister-in-law, wife of Brother Samuel, Cornelia Marchmont McLaughlin Redd, 1810-1889?] spoons etc to Molly at Ma, sent a letter to her from H Ann, etc Grimes took calomel & went home halling out manure on potatoe patch raked cotton patch pea patch & Bob working in shop etc.

Fri 2nd
Mrs Tompkins
$32.50
Sister
$10
[brackets]

Fair cold day a little frost & the ground frozen a little. I went to Mrs. Frances Thompkins she paid me 32 dollars & 50cts for a yoke steers Lewis Redd borrowed my rifle to day went to Mr Harrises I paid $10 to Sister Sarah money borrowed last Saturday Mama & Sister Sarah came up this evening Molly went home Emily is sick. Ben brought his horse by to day Bilep came by for hands to work on rode Planted Irish potatoes in peach orchard 3 bu halling out manure on cotton patch & potatoes etc ploughing cotton patch etc. Bob making water mellon hills etc.

Sat 3rd
Carmel
$18.36
$25
[brackets]

Fair coolday frost I went to Carmel to meeting Bro Broadus preached text 34d ct 5th verse Hebrews[Hebrews 3:5] I paid Wm Quarles 18 dollars 36cts he owes me 64cts change- the hire of Jim - stayed to the meeting of the sons they let the division room for $277 and 50cts Elliott Burruss undertook to build it Hacket went for a bushel potatoes at Cobbs Planted sweet potatoes commenced planting cotton peas etc halling manure to water mellon patch

Sun 4th
[bracket]

Rain most of the day I spent the day at home there was meeting at Carmel Lewis went to Ma, Cousin Francis went to Carmel & home from Mama,

M 5th
[bracket]

R H Snowed good deel it melted nearly as fast as it fell, a cool & disagreeable day it rained most of the night I rode to te river & to shop river is rising a little. Burning brush by the shop & halling wood this evening

Tus 6th
Martin 2 thirds day
[bracket]
Grimes 1 day

Fair cold day a large frost & little ice on the water the ground a little crusted Martin & Grimes came to day I wet to Ma, to see Mr Noel made a frame for the grape vines in the garden etc one in the yard etc E Cobb dined hear had his wagon fixed etc etc Martin 2 thirds d ploughing by shop ree planting corn halling wood working wheat grubing etc.

W 7th
Martin 1 day
Tate
Grimes 1 d

Faior, frost, cool day, I rode to my Barn after a piece plank & to Mama, Martin makeing a chimney piece for the parlor Ella sent Ira up to bring timber for work stand feet to be turned John Tate dined hear to day is coming to work Monday. Martin 1 d reeplanting corn halling wood at Mama, etc

Th 8th
Martin 1 day
Grimes 1 day

Fair a frost mild day Martin finished making the mantle piece this evening (2 1/2 days about it) Aaron & Grimes makeing horse shoes 20 od pair made Martin 1 d Reeplanting corn planting cotton ploughing corn by the House rakeing by the shop etc.

Fri 9th
Martin 1d
T Castle
Grimes 1d

Fair mild day we went to T Castle in the evening the Dr has a new pair of black horses to try Martin working on bed sted for me planted a few watermellon seed Martin 1 d plouging corn reeplanting etc

Sat 10th
[bracket]
Grimes 1/2 d

Fair mild I went to Carmel in buggy with Billy Quarles to temperance meeting Wm Quarles joined the sons to day Thomasia & Ella & Miss E Chiles went to meeting Ann Talley & William wir there had 2 speaches from Evins & the other from Bro Kingsford we went back to T Castle Wm Quarles paid me 60cts owes me 4 cts Grimes worked 1/2 day ploughing corn reeplanting etc.

Sun 11th
Bro Saml
[bracket]
[black hand sketch]

Fair very warm day I rode to Bro Saml & dined got some beens of Bro Saml butter we came up home stoped at Ma, to see Anna & Emily Talley Lewis at Ma, Dr went to see Mr Carter, child very sick he lost one a short time ago.

M 12th
Martin 1/2 day
Tate 1 day & 2 hands
Grimes 1 d

Fair very warm day indeed Mr Tate & his 2 boys came to work worked to day on the house for Moriah & Martha Mr Martin sick most of the evening Tate & hands went home Martin 1 d ploughing & weeding corn on the meadow at Mama.

Tues 13th
Martin 1 d
Tate & 2 hands
1d
Grimes 1d

Fair, very warm day indeed working on the cabins Tate & his hands Tate went home 1 hour by the sun Martin worked on bed sted & coalter etc hewing plates etc commenced hewing down the house etc etc I shot 2 blue birds from the martins -Betty Redd came to Mama, to stay Sister Sarah going to Richmond ploughing & weeding corn H went to joh Gatewoods for lines etc.

W 14th
[shuttle sketch]
Martin 1d
Smith & Mr B
the 2  1d
[ploy?]
Wm Swann

Rain a shower, a little shower last night. Thomasia & I went to T Castle worked 3 or 4 pieces cloth. Dr went to Richmond I rode to Providence came up home - Tate & Grimes went to meeting Martin & boys went after some poles for rafters commenced hewing etc. Betty Redd at Mama, Wm Swann going to Ohio with Terrell for horses ploughing & weeding corn the meadow etc.

Th 15th
Martin 1d
Mc
$1.50

Fair cool Dr McKenny came & plugged a tooth for me I paid him $1.50cts, went with him to Mama, he came up & dined meeting at Cty Line protracted for several days cuppled the rafters ploughing or coaltering the corn weeding etc halled up some shingles & planks.

Fr 16th
Cty Line
[bracket]

Fair pretty day Thomasia & I went to Cty Line to meeting Bro Phillips preached Bro Allen Wood & Davist spoke I rode to look at my wheat it is heading where I sowed the guano went to Mama, Betty is there Martin at Cobbs, Grimes at meeting Halling manure to potatoe patch byh the shop planting etc reeplanting corn & chopped around cotton halled 3 logs to mill brought a lode planks home

Sat 17th
Hill
Lewis
[bracket]
water mellon seed

Fair most of the day I rode to the mill & to Mama, saw Lewis Hall at Anna, Miss Mary came up from Richmond hackett went to B Gren to muster Negroes went to meeting at Cty Line - they baptized 12 persons to day Planted watermellons seed peas etc etc

Sun 18th

Fair warm I went to Carmel Bro Fox preached Sister Sarah came back from Richmond last evening Betty& Ma went to meeting

M 19th
Tate 1d
2 boys 1d
Grimes 1d

Cdy day Rained a little last night cool Tate & boys came to work work upon the house hewing down & halling plates etc etc I rode to Ma, Betty starte4d to scool to Mr Noel to day S Hill went down reeplanting corn weeding on the meadow by my barn halling [larths?] from the mill

Tus 20th
Tate & 2 boys
worked to day
lost 1 or 2 houses by rain lightening
Grimes 1 d
lamb [lamb sketch]

Rain a hard one this evening it thundered & lightened a good deel the lightening struck the chimney at Anna, & tore the clock all to pieces & chimney piece we went to Mama, this evening I went to Locust Grove to open the house for Noel. Tate  boys put up the rafters commenced sheeting etc Ploughing corn weeding by my barn old place killed a lamb to day
[Insert: 4 printed pages from 1864 almanac; information: moon's phases in March; moon's phases in April; Virginia County representatives; Confederate judges; actual weights of bushel of various kinds of produce; recipes for harness blacking & making copperas]

W 21st
Tate & 2 boys
1 day
Grimes 1d

Fair warm set out some cabbage plants tomatoes etc Tate & boys lathing & weather boarding the house etc sheared my sheep 2 6 or 8 Betty Redd came up this eve halling timber from the mill scantling etc sheared sheep etc brought up my wagon to be ironed weeding corn in the evening ploughing garden at Ma,

Th 22nd

Fair mild Miss Henry & Susan Hill came up to quilt to day I went fishing - caught 4 fish shingling the house Betty went to scool this morning w Harris came by this evening weeding corn etc by Canfields [Asher Canfield]

Fr 23rd
Tate 1 day
Brooks 2 day
Grimes 1 day

Fair windy day, I put a tung or pole to Cobbs wagon went to Ma, & Anna, Mr Hill spoke for a coalter went to see Mr Noel etc. Llewellyn went with Betty Redd to Bro Saml 9leeched foot) finished weeding corn by Anna, & weeding by the house at E g Hill halled some old shingles for house Smith sick to day shingling with old shingles --

Sat 24th
Henry Clarance
[bracket]
potatoes

Fair cool day I went fishing with Henry Frith & Clarance they brought some straw berries & went back this evening Llewellyn with them sent to T Castle for 1 bu irish potatoes to plant planted them by the shop, turned out my Coalts in the low field on the river. Grimes went to Cty Line weeding corn by the house planted potatoes etc.

Sun 25th
[bracket]

Cdy a little cool we went to Cty Line there was baptizing there Edward Cobb & wife were baptized Bro Allen preached Llewellyn came back from Bro Saml Molly came over to Mama went home again

M 26th
Martin 1 d
Tate 2 boys 1d
[bracket]
Grimes 1 d

Cdy day mild I went to Bro Saml I to get him to get some cole & iron in Richmond Molly sick, brought over a tin bucket of straw berries Betty Redd Betty Emma g. came up to spend the night - Tate & boys finished the house as far as they could go Martin came today made coalter for Mr Hill pole etc plouging & weeding corn finished by the houses & spring weeding peas cotten etc.

Tus 27th
Martin 1d
[bracket]
Grimes 1d

Fair mild I went to Ma, had a hive bees went back in the same hive went to see Mr Noel the girls went to school Martin finished the bad step & put up the mantle piece in the parlor went for some timber to make sithe cradles for Mr talley weed the cotton potatoes irish weeding corn by Mas, spring

W 28th
Martin worked from 8 (ock) till night
Grimes 1 d

Rain a very heavy one thundered & lightened a good eeel Thomasis & I went to Topy Castle this evening Miss ? Valentine at T. Castle I got very wet a very washing rane Martin working on sythe cradles ploughing & weeding corn by Mama,

th 29th
Grimes 1 d

Rain a shower this evening I rode to Ma, & looked at my wheat by Canfields weeding corn in the evening cutting down pines on river below Hackens creek - [J T Redd began entry & stoped because of bleed through]

Fr 30th
[bracket]
Grimes 1 d

Cdy day I rode to Mama, & to the scool house old [peace?] carryed Bettys [frock?] body down Mr Henry Hill at Anna, coaltering & weeding corn

Sat 31st
Carmel
[bracket]
Grimes 1 d

Fair most of the day I went to Carmel to meeting but few persons there I rode John horse - Bro Saml, cart came over with ploughs to be repaired - Betty & Lucy came up this evening - I planted 6 hills of watermellon seed Texas w. seed. Llewellyn went to T Castle - weeding corn by Mary, old house