Day Journals of James T. Redd - March 1853

Tus 1 st
Rain bough
put guano on wheat
finished striping tobacco

Rainy day a very heavy rain swamps very full I saw rain bough this evening finished striping tobacco & packed it away Bob shoemaking half sowling his shoes & Martha, I guanoed my patch of wheat finished striping tobaco. tobacco that I got of Mr Taylor weighed 80 lbs hung it up in barn shoemaking etc pulling cockle [small shallow boat]

W 2nd
old sow
Llewellyn at home
post etc
post weed etc

Fair mild day I turned out old sow & 3 picks saw 2 of the house pigs up to day went to River quite full Llewellyn could not get across I went to Mr Southwards he gave me 3 oak trees, got 2 in post the other in gate post & wood hued 11 or 12 this evening halled a load strat put it in barn halling post to shop & wood etc getting timber at old place Mr Southwards new ground 3 trees grubing getting hooks for tobacco box etc.

Th 3 rd
Tobacco box
R. Winston
Box Halling
covered plants

Fair cool day Garland & I made a box to put tobacco in, covered the tobacco over, R Winston came by this evening to get a bar of iron 1 in squair Llewellyn went to scool River has fallen a little makg Tob box grubing by shop halling wood from Mr Southwards burning brush etc covered plant beds cabbage plants up.

Fr 4th
shop account
post & rails

Snowy day, I made 2 lap rings 2 links - staple etc mortireing [mortaring] post etc Mrs Southward walked over this evening Llewellyn staid at home to day halled a load straw dug 3 holes in shed hewing post boring & mortireing etc etc etc etc etc etc

Sat 5 th
Prodivence
Dr
ploughing out oat land

Fair a cool day. the snow fell last night til it nearly covered the ground the most of it melted to day I went to Providence after the Dr he came up to see ["the" lined out] Thomasia she quite poly saw Mr G on his way to Carmel Llewellyn went to J Swans the Terrells came for puppy commenced ploughing for oats in corn land ploughed in new ground etc burning brush sent log tomill or timber for Mr Gouldin 6 feet long 2 wide halling wood etc etc

Sun 6 th
Thomasia & child
Dr A etc

Fair cold the ground in the morning was very hard frozen. Thomasia gave birth to two girls. sent for Dr Anderson, he came  up in the morning, went back home. Mrs Southward came over, Kitty staid allnight Aggy came up from Providence to stay with Thomasia

M 7 th
Anna,
oats 12 bu
shop accounts
ploughing for corn
bag guano etc

Fair milder pretty day I rode down to Anna, shaved Mr Hill etc brought up 12 bu oats & some chalf etc etc Mama, & Sister Sarah rode up John went to Ma, Llewellyn went to Bro Saml to night Mrs & Miss Terrells came this evening Mrs Southward George came this morning I mended rod to rake & on chain etc etc Ella sent up a letter to day by Charles ploughing for oats burning brush beet up by bag guano went for oats & chalf etc halled 2 loads wood moving rock iples by the barn etc.

Tus 8 th
Sowing oats
Ella
guano
commenced sowing
oats 10 bu
cabbage seed
rocks

Fair smoky day mild day commenced sowing black oats sowed 10 bushels on hill side next to River fresh land cornfield land Ella came up this evening & spent the evening. I went with her to meadow at Ma let Mrs Southward have a tin bucket guano ploughing for oats sowed 10 bushels & raked them in, ploughed ploughed 2 squairs in garden sowed peas & cabbage seed in box early York sowed guano in gully out land. moved rocks in orchard the piles put them in road burning brush grubing etc etc

Wed 9 th
Mama
Providence
3 bu oats of the Dr
79 lbs of iron
2 bu oats sowed

Rain a little shower cdy day I went to Mama,s & borrowed 15 bushels oats of her carryed 36 1/2 bu to Providence swaped 30 bushels with the dr the ruffle oats Lanzy got stuck in mud several times brought up a bag or 2 of potatoes irish I weighted bar of iron of Ma, 79 lbs sowed 2 bushels oats ploughed orchard for oats rakg new ground ree ploughing it it went tor oats 30 bu. Providence grubing burning brush

Th 10 th
load of corn
plants
potatoes
Llewellyn
Robinson
load of corn
potatoes
& plant bed etc
8 bu oats

Cdy most of the day east win I went to old place for a load corn Hall had my cross cut saw yesterday at Anna, I planted irish potatoes back of peach orchard put guano  & chaff & straw I drill ploughed [drill plow to sow wheat and turnip seed in furrows three rows at a time] the patch & Llewellyn staid at home sick Robinson ptg & plough last night halled a load corn & halling old chaff & straw to potatoe patch planted potatoes sowed plant bed in garden sowed guano in it I sowed 8 bu Partler oats sowed guano on new ground grubing & ploughed potatoe patch etc

Fr 11 th
sent to mill for planks &
meal
hen house
halling etc

Rain it rained most of the night rained in morning cdy day I sent Bob to mill for meal & planks etc I commenced a hen house back of smoke H. patched the garden Johny came by, went back to Ma sent to Mill carryed 2 logs for rails shelled a turn corn halled some short wood cut it etc halling logs of new ground grubing burning brush etc etc etc

Sat 12 th
Hen house
Miss Heney
ploughing

Cdy day warm day I worked on henhouse finished putting up the body & hued it down Garland helping me Miss Heney & Sister Sarah came up this evening Kitty came to night to spend the night halled a load of straw & top fodder up bob ploughing by ice house grubing burning brush etc halled 2 logs for house

Sun 13 th
Ella
40 geese
$2.00

Cdy morning fair evening warm or mild day. I spent the day at home saw 40 wild geese, Ella came up to day went home in the evening Kitty hear to nigh I pd Lucy $1.75 cts for July Ann

M 14 th
oats Anna
Ma,s
trees
oats 3 bu etc etc

Fair a cool evening mild morning I sowed the orchard by barn in oats sowed guano etc I went to Anna, shaved Mr Hill & I brought up some turnip sallid [salad] stoped at Ma,s John went down to Ma,s to day sent Ella some apple trees Molly got back from Richmond with Saml C. Redd sowed guano in orchard & oats 3 bu raked them in etc ploughing in corn field halled manure to potatoe patch planted the ballance of patch grubing worked up asparagus beds planted peas etc set up cabbage plants.

Tues 15 th
Bone bed
Clarence
ploughing for oats

Fair very cold morning the ground hard frozen cold day I went to old place for load of bones and put them in hot bed Clarence came with Llewellyn to night Mr Southward got 10 bu of his oats out my barn I stoped at Ma, Miss Cla., Rolens is teaching scool cut & hall some short wood ploughing for oats halled a load board etc grubing burning brush

W 16 th
Eugene
sowed 12 bu oats
guano etc etc

Fair a cold morning the ground frozen this morning I sawed down the corners of hen house Eugene came home with Llewellyn to night I sowed 12 bu oats to day ploughing for oats and rakg in I sowed 12 bu in corn field back of the barn sowed some guano etc siftered a bag of guano etc halled a load chaff & wood burning brush & logs in new ground & on meadow

Th 17 th
saw
2 bu oats
37 in all

Rainy day I sowed 2 bu oats & raked it in wheted saw etc etc Eugene & Llewellyn went to Ma, this evening to spend the night sowed 2 bu oats & some guano working on post & shelling a turn corn etc

Fr 18 th
Ma, &
old place
3 bls corn

Fair very windy day I put rafters on hen house Llewellyn did not go to scool L & Eugene went to Ma,s I went to Ma, & old place for a load corn 3 bls Bro Saml. Phillips at Ma, sent a log to mill & corn got pieces for boat & planks halled stack top fodder & a load corn from old place grubing burning brush etc halled a load wood cutting etc

Sat 19 th
Old place
Carmel
oats 3 bu

Fair cool day I went to old place for corn brought up 2 cart loads went to Carmel to a temperance meeting a Mr Strudivent spoke but few persons had a meeting of the sons in evening Bro Peniton is very sick parelized sowed 3 bu oats to day some guano & ploughing by kitchen loging up wood grubing halling corn & wood etc etc

Sun 20 th
Carmel
Ella & Miss Fanny etc
[calf sketch]

Fair d Raining a little to night I went to Carmel Bro Fox preached met Ella & Miss Fanny Noel they came up & spent the day - Anna & Miss Lydia Swann came this evening etc Linnaeus came by to night from Clifton [Fairfax County] Charles Gouldin at meeting Black cow has her first calf feemale

M 21 st
Anna, Ma,
oats
rose seed
Saml
ploughing

Fair a pretty day mild day, I went to Anna, I shaved Mr Hill stoped at Ma, saw Miss Fanny I sowed or planted my Callyfornia oats planted some rose seed in a box etc etc etc Llewellyn & Saml Gouldin came to night and brought a ruster [rooster] ploughing in low grounds in river for oats halling rails pasture fence grubing burning logs brush etc covered tobacco & watered it

Tus 22 nd
Ma,
Oats 50 bu
16 1/2 bu of Ma
Oats 10 bu

Fair most of the day a shower small I went to Mama, & borrowed 1 1/2 bu oats finished sowing sowed 10 bu to day makg 50 in all 30 bu Goldin oats. I went to Winstons shop did not see him saw Thacker Sam went home Finished sowing oats sowed 8 bu sent tomill twice for meal grubing burning brush opening water furrows etc

W 23 rd
troft
Pd tax $18.90
$1.00
coal 5 bu
gate
ploughing etc

Snow a flurry or two very windy day it thundered several times I made a troft [trough] for cattle burning logs etc Rice came for tax money - pd him $18.90 cts pd Wm Robinson $1.00 for shopwork. Winston sent my coal home 5 bu ploughed patches John is to get apple trees of me finished opening water furrows ploughed patches grubing burning logs brush etc halling wood sent after chaff etc

Th 24 th
cart of Ma,s
James & Llewellyn
ploughing

Fair, cold morning cool day windy I cut the doar to her house sent for Mama,s cart to carry tobacco to Depot burning logs etc etc Sprinkles tobacco etc Ella sent compost to [?] Llewellyn went to James McLaughlin ploughing on swamp listing for corn loging up wood burning it etc grubing

Fr 25 th
Tobacco 867 lbs
Depot
Letter etc
Depot etc

Fair mild day windy I weighed my tobacco & packed it in box it weight the good 631 1/2 lbs & the lugs or second 235 1/2 Lanzys 16 lbs Bobs 20 lbs makg 867 lbs mine. Mr Taylors part 60 lbs sent to Depot sent a letter to H. Ann Anderson etc I made a doar to hend house sent Bob to Depot with tobacco Lanzy halled a load chalf up ploughing grubing burning brush logs etc

Sat 26 th
fire
beehive
ploughing
loging etc

Rain a little this morning very windy day mild burning logs fire got away in new ground, gave the people evening holiday Robert brought my bee hive from Mama, put it up cherry tree etc John at Mama,s ploughing ploughed turnip patch burning logs grubing opening water furrows sent corn & cobs tomill Lanzy cutting poles for a house for himself

Sun 27 th
Cty Line

Fair cool day I went to Cty Line to meeting Bro Allen preached a great many persons at meeting I carryed a note to Mrs Anderson saysshe's coming down shortly to see us

M 28 th
Ma, Anna
Linnaeus
Bro Saml & land

Cdy evening fair morning I went to Ma,s & Anna,s shaved Mr Hill, went to Linnaeus saw Mary & children saw Tem at Lins went to Bro Saml he bought land in Nick Gouldin,s track or Mr Buttlers gave $6.02 1/2 cts a acre bought the land for Edmond John & Saml went down this evening to town John Noel dined at Bro Saml

Tus 29 th
fencing
knives
Winston
ploughing etc etc

Fair mild day I put up the fence on creek the cows got in my wheat Sister Sarah came up this evening & brought up some knives to grind I ground them Winston came to shop brought his shop book ploughing around the stack for corn grubing burning brush fencing on creek etc halling rails wood etc etc etc

W 30 th
Depot
Richmond
Depot etc

Fair mild I sent a veal to Depot with my trunk by Bob. I rode down & pd $1.25 cts & went to Richmond went to W Dandridge,s at night I went to Aunt Mary's - Wm T is sici & Aunt Mary A Dick went down to Richmond Bro S came after I started sent to Depot calf etc ploughing by the shop halling rails grubing etc.

31 st Th

Fair warm day I spent the day in Richmond soled my tobacco the best for $6.75 cts a [?] soled a veal for $3.50 cts etc lugs for $3.00 a hundred I saw cousin Lud Thompkins I bought a pr pants and hat $1.50 cts  & other things ploughing in new ground grubing halling rails etc grubing etc

 

R 5/F 20/S2/C4