Thomas Rigmaiden's Diary 1842 Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana File prepared by Jan Craven File submitted by Carlton R. Adamson, Stuart MacKillican, William Quick and Clyde Vincent. NOTE: If you have information about any of the people mentioned in this diary, please contact Jan Craven at jcraven@usunwired.net ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ JANUARY 1842 1. (Saturday). A little rain. Went to a ball at Pierre's. Spent a pleasant evening. 2. Went with Eliza to Mr. Ryan's. I went to the store and got my papers. 3. White frost. Reading all day. 4. Cloudy. Employed as yesterday and writing. 5. Rain. Wrote a letter to my sister Lucy dated 6th inst. 6. Fine day. Peter came. * 7. & 8. Assisted by George and Peter to take the schooner "Darion" to Pentato. Got there at night. 9. Some rain. Pierre had my things hauled down to the schooner. George and Peter and myself stopped on board. 10. A little rain. At the landing all day. Eliza came down in the evening. 11. Rain. In the evening went as far as the store. Found a drunken set there. 12. Cool. Started with all my family on board. Mr. Moss took my cart back. *13. 14. & 15. Pleasant weather. This last day go to the landing at Jack's Creek. George went home and brought a horse for my family. We all went to his house and left Peter at the schooner. 16. 17. 18. & 19. Two first days fine. Last day rain. Hauling my things home and took on corn, chairs, etc. 20. Frost. Started to take the schooner down. Left the landing about 10 A. M. Got down as far as Ward's. 21. Frost. Left our camp about 8 A. M. and got down to the bend in the lake opposite Prien's. 22. Another frost. Got down to the store a little after sunrise. Took our chairs, etc., and then went in company with Mr. Ryan to his house. Gave Peter an order on Mr. Moss for $3.50. *23. Went to Lambert's, thence to the store, then back to Mr. Ryan's. Got several articles for Marceline which are entered in my book. *24. Cloudy. Started with my cart and at Big River, it commenced raining. Got to Jacob's about 3 P. M. Took dinner there and got home before dark. Marceline in company with us. Got 1 barrel corn for Jacob. 25. Rain most of the day. Did several little jobs in the forenoon. In the evening commenced clearing. 26. & 27. Fine weather and warm. Marceline and myself clearing. 28. Very warm. Marceline clearing. Myself employed as yesterday. 29. Still warm. Myself employed at sundry jobs about the house. 30. Warm and hard rain in the evening. Sukey and Melissa here. Went to George's. Borrowed 1 barrel corn. Got wet. 31. Cleared off. Employed hanging door and avoiding bedstead. Marceline did not work today. FEBRUARY 1842 1. Cloudy with some rain. Marceline and myself clearing. Still very warm. 2. Cloudy day - rain at night. Went to George's. Got a barrel shucked corn and three in the shuck. Marceline clearing. 3. Very hard rain last night. Marceline and myself cutting up logs. 4. Fine cool day. Marceline and Edward started to the race run by Pierre and Armstrong, won by the former. The water too high for me to go. In the evening cutting logs. 5. Cloudy. Cutting limbs and piling brush. In the evening with my family to George's. 6. Rain most of the day. At George's all day. Could not get home. 7. Cleared off. Melissa and family returned home with us. Working on my corn crib. 8. Chopping and piling brush. In the evening went with my family to George's. 9. Hard frost. Returned home. Chopping and piling brush. 10. Cloudy with a little rain. Edward returned. Chopping and piling brush. *11. Rain. Edmund Vaughn here. Assisted me to put up my clock. Did very little work. 12. Cloudy. Went to George's for a little food, etc. Marceline returned sick. 13. Fine day. Hauled smoke house rafters and cutting gallery posts. Eliza went to Jacob's. 14. Cloudy with rain. George and Melissa here at night. Marceline cutting logs. Myself at little jobs. 15. Fine cool day. Raised my smoke house. Got some axe helves. 16. Fine day. Marceline chopping. Myself chopping and piling brush. 17. Cloudy. Forenoon chopping. In the evening went to Jacob's to assist rolling logs. 18. Rain in the forenoon. Finished rolling logs for Jacob and came home. 19. Fine cool day. Went to George's log rolling. Stopped there all night. 20. Sunday. Cool. Returned home. Sukey, Melissa and Becky here. MARCH 1842 1. (Tuesday) 2. & 3. George, Marceline and myself clearing. George returned home ...(cannot read the rest). 5. Eliza went to Beckey's spinning. I went in the evening. 6. Sukey, Beckey and their families returned with us. 7. Log rolling at ...(cannot read) 8. Rolled Pontal's and Jacob's logs and returned home. 9. Rolled George's logs. 10. Marceline and myself clearing. Ready to go below. 11. Went to Post Office. Received letter from my brother James with draft for 20 Lbs. 12. Went to the river. Let Pujo have my draft. Got $25 from him. 13. Went to Pierre's, Lambert's, then to Mr. Ryan's. Marceline returned home. 14. Started for home in company with Austin and stopped all night at John Mallet's. *15. Eliza had spinning. Lewis from below. 16. Marceline and myself clearing. 17. Marceline clearing. 18. A little rain. Assisted by my neighbors rolling logs. Lewis from below. 19. Marceline went to Guidry's in the evening. Got all my logs put together by dinnertime. 20. Fine day. At home. 21. Warm. Making gap posts, etc. Marceline returned. No work today. 22. Still warm. Marceline splitting rails. Myself sundry jobs. 23. Continues warm. Marceline and myself went to George's to make potato ridges. George and Jacob gone to gather their cattle. In the evening Eliza came. 24. Returned home. 25. Wrote a letter to A. Dumartrait, enclosing two receipts each dated 11th April for $20. 26. & 27. Marceline split rails. *31. Went below in company with Edward Landry. Stopped at Pierre's. APRIL 1842 1. (Friday). 3. Fine day. Started from Pierre's with Pontal and my cattle. Penned at Mr. Berry's. * 4. At home 3 P. M. with my cattle. Marceline quit me. Offered to settle with him. He refused, wanting 11-1/2 days to finish his two months. 5. Made gap posts and other jobs about home. 8. Broke the cart. Had to stop to repair damages. Beeves got away. 9. Eliza at Jacob's. In evening at George's. 10. Got two cows from Jacob, which he assisted me drive home. 11. Got Pontal's beeves and hauled all my rails. 15. Eliza and family went to George's. 16. Eliza had spinning at George's. 17. Mrs. Ryan accompanied us home from George's. 22. Went to Big Woods. Got 10 lbs. of corn at Reese Perkins' and Mr. Thomas Bilbo's. Stopped all night on way back at John Mallet's. 24. Cloudy. Started from Pierre's. Took dinner at Mr. Ryan's, thence home. Left my cart on this side little river. Found Eliza at Jacob's and stopped all night. 25. Went for my cart and got it safe home. *26. Jacob got my cart to go to Fork's place. Austin came to plough. 28. Hoed over the potato ridges in George's field. 30. Eliza went to Melissa's spinning. MAY 1842 1. (Sunday) 2. Edmond came ro split rails. 3. A little rain last night. Edmond split rails till Jack came for him to go home. Cut up a large white oak that had fallen across the fence. Eliza working at a cow penn. Edward went to bring Beckey home. Jacob brought me my papers, last no., 457. 4. Cool day. Split a few rails and cleared a little. 5. Pleasant and cool. 6. Ditto. Lent Roulette to Edmond. 7. Still cool. Clearing in the morning. In the evening went with George to Alston's. 8. Cool. Got a fore quarter of a three year old beef from Alston. Returned home. 9. Warm. Before breakfast, clearing. After, commenced hoeing my corn. 10. Warm. Hoeing. 11. Austin came to plough. Eliza and Melissa went to Alston's. 12. Still warm. Edmond splitting rails. 13. Warm. As yesterday. *14. Very warm. Edmond finished splitting 500 rails. Cole and Emily at George's. 15. Sultry day. At home. Eliza, Beckey and Sukey went to Alston's. Jack and Jacob to dinner. *16. A little cloudy. Hoeing. Escubas and his brother came here. 17. A fine shower. Hoeing. 18. Clear. Hoeing. Lent Jacob a tin bucket of salt. 19. Warm. Finished hoeing my corn and commenced planting the remainder. 20. Very warm. Finished planting. Mrs. Alston delivered of a son. 21. Still warm. In the morning did a few little jobs. Then went to Pontal's and took dinner there, thence to George's and returned home at night. 22. Dry and warm. At home all day. George and family here. Ward paid me a visit. 23. Continues dry. Did very little work today. 24. Drizzly. Ward left. Hoed some. 25. Clear. Hoed and hilled some rows of corn. Got 1/4 of a yearling from Alston. 26. Very warm. Pontal hauled rails until the cart broke. Hoed a little. 27. Still dry and warm. Hoed in the corn. Got Roulette up. *28. Pleasant day. Went below in company with George, Melissa and Adolph. 29. & 30. Very warm. Waiting at Mr. Ryan's for Pontal. He did not come. 31. Cloudy and a little rain. Returned home. Took dinner at Jacob's. Found Eliza there. JUNE 1842 1. (Wednesday) Very warm. Commenced hoeing in my last planted corn. Edmond splitting rails. 2. Warm. Hoeing. 3. A little drizzle. Hoeing. Edmond splitting rails in the forenoon. 4. Very warm. Hoeing. Jacob cut a cart road around his field. Adolph assisted. 5. Continues very warm. Jacob and family spent the day with us. 6. Still warm. Pierre paid us a visit. Hoeing. 7. Dry and warm. Hoeing. 8. & 9. Very warm these two days. Hoeing. Escubas brought letters for his brother. 10. Warm with some thunder. Escubas returned. Hoeing. 11. Warm day. Hoeing. In the evening, went to George's to assist him to kill a beef. 12. Still dry and warm. Assisting Edmond splitting rails. 14. Cloudy. 28. Pontal and Sukey here at night. JULY 1842 1. Very warm day. Hoed a little. 2. Fine pleasant day. Made a cow penn. Cows not to be found. Edward and I went to Mr. Alston's. Got some tobacco plants. 3. Pleasant day. Went to Jacob's. He very sick. George found our cows and drove them up. 4. Fine day. Went to Buchannan's to the election for governor, etc. Received a letter from my sister Lucy. From thence to Mr. Ryan's. 5. Warm. Went to Pierre's. Looked for my hogs. Eliza planted corn in the cow penn. 6. still warm. Went to the store. Settled with Pujo by note. 7. Fine day. Eliza went to Jacob's. He still sick. Pujo and Adolph came up. 8. Warm. Spent most of day at Jacob's. 9. A little drizzle. Hoed a little. 10. Cloudy. Went to Jacob's. He much better. 11. Went below with the intention of settling with Bourgeois, but no one put beeves in his drove. Stopped at Pierre's. 12. Cloudy. From Pierre's went to the store. Thence to Mr. Ryan's. Eliza planted ...(cannot read). 13. Rain. Returned home in company with Austin. Found Jacob better. 14. Some rain. Hoed in the corn. 15. Rain most of the day. 16. Cloudy. Hoed. 17. Warm. Home all day reading. 18. Cloudy. Hoed. 19. Fine day. Got a 3 year old beef from George. Paid him a 1/4 ..(cannot read). 20. Warm. Hoeing. 21. Cloudy. Finished hoeing new corn. Grubbed in new corn. 22. Day warm. Rain at 10 PM. Hoeing. 23. Little rain. Employed as yesterday. 24. Cloudy. Went with Eliza to Jacob's. Got a barrel of corn from him. 25. A little rain. Sewed some cabbage seed. Finished hoeing cow penn. 26. Hard rain 11 A. M. Eliza at Pontal's and Jacob's. 27. Rain at 3 P. M. Cut some logs for crib. 28. Fair. Went to Alston's. Brought Eliza home. 29. Day fine. Rain at 9 P. M. At home all day. Not very well. 30. Cloudy. At home all day reading and writing. Beckey came and got a tin bucked of salt. 31. Very hard rain with thunder and lightning at night. At Jacob's most of the day. Eliza at George's and Pontal's. AUGUST SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER MISSING NOVEMBER 1842 7. Fine day. Went with George and Jacob to look for a beef. Could find none. 8. Very pleasant day. Killed a gentle beef. Let George have a quarter and Jacob a quarter. 9. Fine day. At George's digging potatoes. 10. Cloudy. Employed as yesterday. 11. Rain most of today. Making axe helves and other jobs. 12. Fine day. Jacob and Eliza assisting me covering corn crib. 13. Somewhat cloudy. Went to Alston's for a sow he promised me. He was gone to Reeves'. 14. Rain. Jacob and George came to finish corn crib. Not quite enough boards to finish. 15. Rain. Hauled a load of potatoes from George's. 16. Hard wind with rain. Adolph and I finished covering corn crib. 17. Cold unpleasant day. Sawed the corners of the corn crib. 18. Hard freeze. Reading in the forenoon. In afternoon cut wood. 19. Frost. 20. Cold. 21. Rain. Went as far as Big River and returned. *22. Cloudy and cold. Went to Allen Coward's to the wedding of Martha Perkins. 23. Fine day. From Allen's to Bourgeois and back to Berry's in company of George and Edward. 24. Cloudy. Returned home and hauled 10 barrels of corn in the shuck got from George. 25. Threatening rain. Digging slips and hauled them home. 26. Pleasant. Went with George and Jack to get a beef. Succeeded and returned home. 27. Wet, disagreeable day. Killed my beef at George's and hauled it home. 28. Rain all day. 29. Damp day. Cut up meat. Got 3-1/2 bowls of salt from Alston. 30. Very fine day. Working at corn crib and did other little jobs. DECEMBER 1842 1. (Thursday) White frost. Doing little jobs about home. Edward digging pinders at Jacob's. 2. Very pleasant day. Edward and myself employed as yesterday. Jacob and George went below. 3. Warm. All hands employed digging slips at George's. Melissa and family here. 4. Fine day. Melissa and Eliza went to Alston's. At home all day. 5. Cloudy. Digging potatoes. 6. A little rain. Began to make stables. 7. Rain. Working at my stables. Austin here. 8. Fine. Made stable for Adolph. 9. fine day. Cut wood and did other jobs. 10. Cut wood and put fodder in the crib. 11. Went below with Edward, Mary Ann and George. *12. 13. & 14. Frost. Isaac Vincent married on the 15th. Stopped at Mr. Ryan's. 16. Frost. Returned home and drove hogs got from Pierre Trahan. 17. Cloudy. Killed two hogs. Cut up hogs and salted them. 18. Continues cloudy. Lent Melissa 6 small bowls coffee, 3 today and 3 another day. 19. Cloudy. Adolph and myself cutting wood all day. 20. Fine day. Employed as yesterday. 21. White frost. Employed as the two foregoing days and doing other little jobs. 22. Fine day. Went to Bourgeois'. Received some money from him, and thence to Mr. Buchanan's. 24. ..... Elizabeth at 12. The horses came up, and I started. Got to Mr. Ryan's soon after. Took dinner there. A ball at night. Beckey delivered a little boy last night. 25. Fine day. Went to Pierre's and back to Mr. Ryan's. *26. & 27. Rain at night the last day, while at Mr. Michel's to the wedding of Plummer to Artemise Rivere. Returned to Mr. Ryan's. 28. Fine day. At. Mr. Ryan's. 29. Returned home, leaving 4 hogs in Allen's penns. 30. Fine day. Went to Allen's fro my hogs. Drove them as far as Jacob's 31. Hard frost. Drove two of my hogs home. Remainder of the day reading. FOOTNOTES. JANUARY 7. & 8. Peter - Schooner "Daron" - Pentato - 13. 14. & 15. Jack's Creek - 23. Marcelene - 24. Big River - the Calcasieu River. FEBRUARY 11. Edmund Vaughn - MARCH 15. Lewis - 31. Edward Landry - APRIL 4. Settle - Suggests contractual agreement between Rigmaiden and Marcelene. MAY 3. Jack - 12. Cole and Emily - William and Emily Moss Cole 16. Escubas and brother - 28. Adolph - NOVEMBER 22. Martha Perkins - DECEMBER 15. Married - Isaac Vincent married Elizabeth Lyons. 26. & 27. Plummer - Artemise Rivere - If you have information about any of the families mentioned in the Diary, please share your information so that these footnotes can be more complete. Contact Jan Craven at jcraven@usunwired.net