Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1858 Novr 22 Raining this morning all doing nothing scarcely, Fed making Bro. Hunt a pair of shoes to day - quite ^rainCold

29. The last week it has been rain[in]g & we finished gathering Corn at aspen Grove & finished Housing last Saturday Just about night, Mr James P. Lewis helped us shuck corn with 5 hands 1 day, no other person put away our Greens covered them & Turnip Patch about this time putting away Greens here this morning put up Fattening hogs here this morning, Henry fixing Carriage House & putting away Greens now Rained nearly all yesterday cleared off very pretty this morning —

30th Fixing for Killing Hogs at aspen Grove Raking leaves, took down part of new Barn Tobacco on mountain,

Decr 1st Killed Hogs & bro^t them up here Cutting out & Salted up near 2000 lbs Pork Chumbley Fed & Buck cutting wood to burn Plant Bed at aspen Grove for us.

2nd Jerry gone to Mr Cothrans to see him about moving him to aspen Grove we are halling Logs here & fixing to Raise overseers House, Covering Greens etc this morning drying fat etc tolerable good weather to day, Cool

3rd Raised overseers House & Kitchen Bro Hunt & Kelley help us, did not quite get done cloudy in morning cleared off

4th Finished Houses this morning Sent to mill & got the Turn of meal there Jordan claiborne & alse put up chimmy to negroe House fixed clems Fed & Buck cutting wood for Plant Bed at aspen Grove one sheep Dead there, one young Lamb there —

5th Decr 1858. All went to aspen Grove except Henry & family,- tolerable day —

6th Raining & striping Tobacco -

7th Raining & striping Tobacco here went to Aspen Grove 6th shelling corn fanning out nearly all day fixed Grind stone

8th Still cloudy & like for Rain,

9. cleared off in evening Striping Tobacco

10. Started after Mr Cothran Chumbly at work on his House up here Fed & alse cutting wood for Plant Bed moved sheep to mountain, etc etc

18th Cothran Came last night & he takes place of Chumbly at aspen Grove Henry went to Mill got little waggon at home & meal & 1 Turn flour for Negroes at Christmas brot Load up to Cedar Hill yesterday - from Aspen Grove - Cold clear day — This morning & yesterday getting slab Timber, Henry going to Faris Mill- to day get flour Horses shod get plank etc etc etc etc - clear day — got Flour & Plank at Fariss did not get Horses shod - had Mrs Hunt 1 Bushel wheat made into flour. got some Plank —

12 went to meeting — S. Stone

13 Raining this morning, Chumbly Sandy & Jordan Came up Henry halled 2 Loads wood, - rain Stoped him, striping Tobacco till evening worked a little on overseers Houses, Still cloudy —

14th Henry Halling up Slab Timber & wood Chumbly Jordan & Sandy at work on overseer House, Covered 1 Side & Scalped Kitchen

1858 Decr 14th I went to Capt Fitzgeralds for Fannie to day but did not see him went to Aspen Grove, wrote for Bro. Yates nearly ½ the day, gave out Malissa 1½ Bus meal & a p^s Bacon, Cothran striping Tobacco in new prize Barn, Halled leaves in evening sent Buck to Mill with 2½ Bus. wheat for him & let Miss Neals have 2 Bushels — Has not rained to day but cloudy —

15 Rained nearly all day some Striped Tobacco & went to Worsham saw mill

16_ Chumbly & Cothran here to day Mr Cothran Came about 12 or one at work on his overseers House Henry Halling Rocks Planks & p^s Brick from Mr Hunts that he gave me

17th Mr Cothran & Chumbly are here at work On Overseers house, Mr Cothran spayed & marked my shoats here except one sow shoat got out, fine weather, Halled some plank from Mill, & owe Worsham for sawing a little & nailing on 2 pr s & shoes

18 All here at work on overseers house & finished about night Henry halled 2 Loads of wood about night,- at aspen Grove Fed & Buck halling leaves fixing shelters etc --

19th Sunday likely for Rain or snow this morning Clem Come home a little in the night,-

20th Sunday likely for Rain Monday I got up at 5 Oclock in morning & Raining stop about light & I went to Court rained several times in day I got back a little in the night Rained hard about night Kitty began to shrub orchard Claiborne & Henry Cutting wood etc, down at aspen Grove building Cothrans chimney -

21st All at some work here & at aspen Grove, I went to Division at Mrs Hunts Rained some & very windy - Mr Cothran House got on fire sunday morning & burnt smartly at top from bad chimney,- & monday morning sent Henry down there with [Planks] to Repair & finish chimney - etc etc

22. Sent Jerry down to aspen Grove he gave out a Bushels mean,- I went to Mrs Hunts sale, bot a Cow, out stack etc chumbly moved up here this morning,- Henry & waggon here now lowry went back, with cart,- I dont know what they are at down at Aspen Grove,- at work in new ground & moving Kitchen to Cothrans & putting it up

23rd Killed our Hogs here. Halling wood etc. fixing stables etc etc — At aspen Grove Cothran, is finishing his Kitchen chimney daubing etc - etc — Pretty weather at this time, yesterday we halled a Load of Oats bot at Mrs Hunts & some other things to day Lowry bro^t our Turkey from aspen Grove — — I was there, etc

24th I was at aspen Grove the day before give out meal flour & meat till wednes=day next —

25. at home all day - -

26 Sunday at home all day read to Negroes Christmas day & Sunday too.

27. Claiborne at home plowing Mrs Chumbly ^{in apple orchard}got my horse gone to her Fathers Sent Henry to Vaughans & then to Mount Airy, Big Henry gone down to aspen Grove getting shingles I am at home Jacob has not staid at home more than 2 or 3 nights in a fortnight he is at Johns Mrs Colemans & Mounts Airy etc etc.

1858 Decr 27th Beautiful weather this morning Cleared of[f] fair & moderate -

28th Claiborne Plowing making 2 days. Jordan & Lowry cutting Logs for Henry House & a shop in evening filling up gully & making bridge, Henry down at aspen grove getting shingles, etc

29th Claiborne Still plowing Henry getting shingles, Sent meat by Jordan to plantation this morning -, - cloudy & like for Rain Nannie Sallie & Jerry at Mr Hunts.

-30 Claiborne - Henry etc Halling leaves till 12 Oclock began to work this morning Rained a little I went to Plantation overseer fixing shingles awhile in morning & then they all striping Tobacco here & at aspen Grove —

31 Rained Striping Tobacco at both places -- Rained all —

Janry 1st 1859 Raining all morning striping Tobacco Mrs Hunts & Mrs Hargrave here, - striped Tobacco till 12 Oclock & then halled wood, fixing shingles etc

Sunday 2nd Janry cloudy & I went down to aspen Grove & stayed all night —

3rd Killed Hogs down there, & deliv^d Mr Cothran his part as overseer Henry Carried Kitty down there, cutting wood here, & after Killing Hogs Lowry went to mill from there carried 10 Bushels Corn for meal 7½ to Come here & 2½ for a standing Turn for aspen Grove they down there went to work at new ground Henry bro^t Balance Pork home & then halled wood, at night we salted it up,Mr Chumbley fixing shingles for smoke house