Day Journals of James T. Redd - December 1853

Th 1 st
Ox yoke
ploughing for wheat etc
guano

Fair cool day I made ox yoke & bough - Wm Robinson carryed [?] ring & staple h ome to [?] fallowing ploughing in manure etc scattering manujre on hills for wheat grubinb culling & halling wood shelling corn etc beeting guano

Fr 2 nd
yoke
steer
wheat sowed
Llew & gun
Anna, steers etc
2 prs S
guano &
1/2 bu wheat sowed

Rain hailed & snowed a little damp day I fixed the yoke & yoked one of my steers Buck walked him about put a single yoke on him & turned him loos finished sowing wheat sowed 3 kinds 3 lbs Foxwell & a hand full or two of mamoth - sowed 1/2 bu ball head Llewellyn lost my gun in the river I made pr tongs & got it out - oiled it etc. Mr Southworth is building him a kitchen etc sent Anna steers to her cut out 2 pr shoes Garlands & Katys sowed bad guano & 1/2 bu wheat raked it in fallowing grubing cutting etc sent to the mill for meal shelled corn yoked up a steer etc

Sat 3 rd
Merryman at work
Garland at Southworth
Carmel etc
hog pen
greens
ploughing

Fair most of the day cool I altered yoke & had Merryman yoked with cow halled rails & wood I sent Garland to help Mr Southworth build his kitchen I went to Carmel to Division & meeting Bro Coalman preached Bro Valentine at meeting & others. I went hunting shot at some birds Llewellyn sick halled rails & made a hog pen cutting & halling wood put away the greens ploughing etc grubing etc

Sun 4 th
Carmel Meeting

Fair cool day I went to Carmel Bro Coalman preached Bro Fox spoke a great many persons there Cousin F Fitzhugh at meeting Jimmy sent a letter to Ma,

M 5 th
10 hogs
stock etc
hogs etc

Fair snowed a little last night killed 10 hogs this morning hung them up in cow house I shot at halk & kooped a dog or two etc went for a lot for slabs new ground Mr Gouldin came by- Llewellyn complaining gave him medicine to night I made Ma a churn staf & dasher Mr G Southworth hear this evening killed 10 hogs fallowing grubing halled a lof & cutting wood etc etc etc etc

Tus 6 th
Hogs
988 lbs
Hall 1 day
Fitzhugh was sick
Molly & Frank
fallowing etc
Hogs
milk etc

Fair a large frost mild day I weighed my hogs the 10 weighed 388 lbs cut them out etc I hitched up buck & went with Hall after a log for slabs Fitzhugh wife & Molly came over to day Hall worked one day but a yoke on lamb [name of second ox] this evening Frank came to ditch fallowing cut out hogs grubing etc halling wood & shelled turn of corn sent to mill halled a lode slab timber etc

W 7 th
yoke up steers
timber etc

Fair cool day Fayett Fitzhugh & I went after slab timber hitched up new steers 3 yokes they drew finely halled a lode of lathes etc we went hunting to night Hall & Frank at work- 1d
Lanzy laid up with bile halling wood timber & grubing & fallowing on road left as you go to rock spring

Th 8th
Robinson & 2 hoes etc
ditcher
fallowing

Cdy & cold the ground frozen or crusted Robinson brought 2 hoes back - done them up working on ploughs to night etc I turned the steers loose took off the yoke etc cousin Fitzhugh quite poly & Thomasia had the head ach Wiltcher sent coal home 6 bushels Jessey broke axle tree I commenced a new one Frank ditching this evening fallowing halling wood gurbing etc

Fr 9 th
Hunting 2 B
Molly
ditcher
ploughing

Cdy and cold windy day Cousin Fayette Llewellyn and I went in hanover hunting I killed 2 birds Molly went to Ma,s this evening Mrs Fitzhugh sick - May sent for trowel Frank ditching etc etc I put old axle tree to cart etc fallowing grubing halling wood etc ploughing by the rock spring & stack etc

Sat 10 th
Anna
Ma
Terrells store
Fitzhugh Mrs. etc
Mill etc

Fair cool I went to lore barn for corn stoped at Anna, & Ma, Sister Sarah & Emily Sally went with me to Terrells store I bought a loaf sugar 7 3/4 lbs at 11 1/2 cts Fayett rode my horse to Verdon [in Hanover County] & to Bro Samls & dined I hitched up m y steers & halled 2 lodes woods Miss Hency & Emily came up this evening & stayed a few minutes Molly went to Mr Gouldins fallowing shelled a turn of corn sent to mill cutting & halling wood Frank ditching

Sun 11 th
Southw
Cty Line
Bro Saml

Fair cool I went to G Southwards for saddle for Fitzhugh to ride to meeting - we went to Cty Line Bro Allen preached Bro Saml came by & spent evening Molly & Emily went over to Mr Gouldins this morning from Ma,s

M 12 th
cart & calvs etc
ploughing by
stack

Fair a pretty day a large frost cold morning we went to shop & fixed little cart hitched 2 calvs to it etc. Sister Sarah & Sally came up this evening staid a while Frank ditching below slab on meadow ploughing back of stack grubing in meadow the Ditcher at work cutting & halling wood

Tus 13 th
hogs etc
Frank & ditch
ploughing

Fair cool day I made a single yoke & yoked up the 2 calvs killed hogs this evening G Wilson came by for hides went on Frank finished his ditch ploughing by the house & spring on land in front of house grubing halling wood killed 8 hogs etc etc

W 14 th
Hogs 878 lbs
store $2.94 cts
Hall 1/2 d

Fair most of the day cdy morning I cut out8 hogs weighed them they weighed 878 lbs makg in all 1978 lbs I have killed this season Fayettt Llewellyn & I went up to stoar I bought a pr pants 3 lbs coffee & some buttons etc all amounting to 2.94cts Hall 1/2 d fallowing cut out hogs grubing cutting & halling wood barking poles - Hall worked 1/2 of the d

Th 15 th
Mr H 1 d
Sister Emily
fallowing etc

Fair cold morning a large frost mild day Mr Hall worked to day nailing on skibs W Southworth killed his hogs Sister Emily came over this evening to see Cousin Fitzhugh Frank ditching 1 1/2 cts a yard fallowing by shop in front of the house cutting & halling wood grubing etc etc

Fr 16 th
Hall 1 d
fallowing

Fair cold morning a large frost Mr Hall at work we went after slab timber hitched 5 oxen met Dr A. Clarence came over & brought a letter for Firtzhugh we yoked Ma,s steer fallowing grubing curtting & halling wood etc went for slab timber

Sat 17 th
Hall 1/2 d
shed finished
fallowing

Rain most of the day I sawed out axle tree etc Hall worked 1/2 day he & I finished covering tobacco H. shed riving slabs [tearing them apart] etc Clarence went home & Llewellyn went with him Cousin Fayette & I [?] about shed etc fallowing halling wood et5c weaving cloth for the negroes etc etc etc

Sun 18 th
Carmel to a
Temperance meeting

Fair cool day Fayette & I went to Carmel to hear Mr Green speak on temperance w[e] walked down to Ma,s & Anna,s this evening I gave Dr A  a letter for Ella from Thomasia

M 19 th
ice p
axle tree etc

Cdy snowed a few flakes cold day I had the ice pond stoped & a rack for straw in the farm pen I finished the axle tree & put it on card Miss Hency & Betty came up this evening & staid a while made a turky rust [roost] etc stoped ice pond Frank ditching stoped ice pond made rack halling wood & cutting etc.

Tus 20 th
hunting killed
2 turkeys
[turkey sketch]
3 bu wheat etc

Fair cold day the coldest we have had for a long time. Cousin Fayette & I went to look for the turkeys I saw 4 killed 2 and shot at 2 more the two weighed 16 1/2 lbs started them in Ma,s on meadow pines near the ivy hill shelled a turn corn & faned out 3 bu wheat & sent to mill cutting and halling wood etc etc etc

W 21 st
Sale
Hogs
25 cts

Cdy day very cold day Mr Gouldin came by on his way to sale Cousin Fayett Llewellyn & I went to the sale at Mrs Thompkins,s I bought 4 hogs for $20.50 cts robinson work came to $3.79 cts I gave 25 cts to Dr Flipper borrowed 25 cts of J Burruss cutting & halling wood etc

Th 22 nd
turkey hunting
Ma,s
killed 4 hogs

Rain a little to night cdy day Cousin Fayett and I went after a old gobler I shot at him went over the river & we rode to Ma,s saw Bro Saml at Ma,s - sent Bob for the hogs at Mrs Tompkins,s killed them Llewellyn came home this evening from J.S.,s sent for hogs killed 4 cutting wood etc

Fr 23 rd
girls
Ma, &
hunting
tobacco

Rain till evening we went to shop to fix a [dum?] ox etc Cousin Fayett & I went to Ma to look for turkeys etc Lucy & Mony Gouldin at Ma,s the Gouldin[s] & Betty Redd came up to day put some tobacco in the barn cutting & halling of wood etc etc

Sat 24 th
Providence for colt
Cousin Fitzhugh,s
turkey killed
Frank ditching

Fair cold day windy Fayet & I went to Providence after my colt brought it up saw [Luke?] the Drs overseer & Ella & John & Cousin Fayett & wife & Johny went to Ma this evening I went to loar barn after 2 bags corn Lucy came after them etc Wiltshier killed one of my turkeys to day Tom came for [?] shoes, I gave Frank my note for $8.20 cts for ditching- hallilng wood cutting etc sent corn to mill and brought up flour etc

Sun 25 th
Cty Line

Fair cold morning pretty day I went to Cty Line Bro Dickinson preached Bro Allen red his yearly report etc good many persons Fayett was at meeting

M 26 th
Killed 5 B
John etc
Cousin Fayett &
Lucy

Fair cold evening I went hunting killed 5 birds several persons hunting in Hanover I went to look for John & Edmond they wer lost as I thought went went to Terrells store etc cousin Fayett came up this evening Lucy came to night

Tus 27 th
Ma,s
Bull
Hair etc

Fair cool day we went to Ma,s and dined cousin Fayett & I went to Mt Airy -hunting killed 1 hair saw a turkey in Mt Airy Wm Samuel was at Ma,s we yoked up the bull at Ma, - & tide him up

W 28 th
Ma
Turkey
party
John etc

Snowy evening it fell about 1 1/2 in deep went down to Ma,s & hunting saw Cousin Fayette & Charles Gouldin I started an old gobler in Landorah John  put a handle in in flat iron & mended a hinge for Mr Harris, they went to Mr Talleys to party from Mama,

Th 29 th
[bird sketch]
Ma
etc

Fair windy & cold day I went hunting in Landorah killed a turkey weighed 8 1/2 lbs Llewellyn went with me saw Track in Mr Harrises, Llewellyn started to Bro Saml,s this evening Lanzy came with a letter from Mrs Syms to hire him I rode to Ma, this evening Fayett & Lucy went to Mr T.

Fr 30 th
Hatch is to
hiring
Mr Gouldin &
dined

Snowy day it commenced last night it is about 2 1/2 in deep - I went to the hireing at Hatches [negroes hired] for 130 dollars to work on farm Bro Saml - & Edward at hiring - we went to Mr Gouldins & dined John & Sam wer there and Llewellyn Mony etc

Sat 31 st
Carmel meeting
Charles G &
Saml Redd

Rain & Snow to night I went to Carmel meeting no preacher about 2 dozen persons Bro Anderson red & prayed etc Bro Saml came home with me Edmond was hear they went home this evening. Charles & Saml came this evening to spend the night- Lanzy came this evening Bro Saml hired Agnes to Ruskin [halled rails from hog pen & fenced in the top stack halling wood.
Fair d 234 Rainy d 88 S d 9 cdy d 30 clear 2 fog w 365d