Thomas Rigmaiden's Diary 1846 Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana File submitted by Carlton R. Adamson, Stuart MacKillican, William Quick and Clyde Vincent. File prepared by Connie Wise 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 1846 1. (Thursday) A little frost. Cut wood and corn stalks. 2. Fine day. Cutting up corn stalks. 3. Very pleasant day. Hauled wood and cut corn stalks. Eliza went to Pontal's. 4. Fine, pleasant day. E., Elizabeth & James returned. At home reading. Sukey here. 5. Cloudy with thunder and rain. Got a cow and calf from Jacob. Washington and Melia came to school. 6. Fine, cool day. Edward logging fallen trees. 7. Frost. Edward cut down a large pine for rails. 8. Very fine day. James came to school. 9. Cool, pleasant day. Edward splitting rails. 10. Frost. Cut wood and did other jobs. 11. Another frost. At home all day. Edward went to Antoine Corvel's. 12. A hard frost. Not very well. Did not attend school. Planted three beds of onions. Edward returned. 13. A little frost. Edward came to school. 14. Rain. Feloneeze delivered of a son about 5 P.M. 15. Cloudy with a little rain. James at Johnson's log rolling. 16. Fine day. E. went below at 2 P.M. 17. Fine day. Cutting corn stalks. 18. Rain in the evening. Went to Reeves' in company with Jack. *19. Rain all day and hard N.E. wind last night. Went to the Courthouse in company with Reeves and Price. Got there too late to vote. Went home with Johnson after dark. 20. Cleared off with frost. Returned to the Courthouse. Thence back to Johnson's. 21. Frost. Returned home by way of the saw mill. 22. to 24. Water too high to go to school. 25. Warm and cloudy. At home all day. Eliza at Pontal's and Jacob's. E. & Elizabeth went to Mr. Alston's. 26. Cloudy with a little rain. E. went to look for two hogs of Jacob's. Went to work at Johnson's yesterday. 27. Warm day. Let Justaff have a horse to go to the Post Office and down below. 28. Cloudy with some rain at night. Sowed tobacco seed. 29. Wet day. Got four papers from the Post Office. 30. Cleared off pleasant. 31. A little frost. Hauled some light wood and did other jobs. Justaff at work. FEBRUARY 1846 1. (Sunday) Frost. At home. Planted a few peach trees. Eliza at Pontal's and William's. Commenced another acre of corn. 2. Hard frost. Exchanged . . . . with Jacob for two three-year old beeves. Eliza at Jacob's. 3. A little cloudy. Killed the wild sow. Edward went to Jacob's to help him to cross his oxen. 4. Threatening rain. Eliza went below in company with Beckey. Cut up and salted my meat. 5. Rain most of the day. Hauled posts &ca for the room. 6. Cleared off with the evening. Finished my week's schooling. 7. Fine day. Hauled the sills for the room. Eliza returned as far as Jacob's. Did several jobs about home. *8. Cloudy with some rain. Had a visit from Isaac and his wife. Cut down two pines behind the corn crib. 9. White frost. Put up sills for the room. Ploughed for sugar cane. Took dinner at Jacob's. Thence to William Bilbo's. 10. Cloudy with some rain. Planted my sugar cane. 11. Very fine day. Edward assissting Justaff with the room. 12. Fine day. Rolled all my logs. 13. Rain. At home sick with the bowel complaint. 14. Cleared off. Still sick. 15. A hard frost. Went with Eliza to Jacob's. Thence to Olizime's. 16. A little frost. Edward hauled Olizime's corn from Jacob's. Eliza and myself took supper at Olizime's. At school. 17. A pleasant day. Olizime had his log rolling. 18. Rain. Edward sawing a cypress for shingles. 19. Cleared off cold. Hollyhock missing from her calf. Edward assisted by Olizime splitting boards. 20. Frost. Hollyhock came up. Took dinner at Jacob's. 21. A little frost. Burning a few log heaps &ca. 22. Some frost. Jacob commenced hauling. Settled with Jacob, he owing me $10.23. 23. Cloudy. Went below in company with Olizime. Stopped at Mr. Ryan's. 24. Rain. Went to a ball at Pierre's. 25. Still cloudy. Returned home. 26. Fine day. Did several little jobs. 27. Cloudy. Eliza and Edward went below. 28. Rain most of the day. Sick most of the day. MARCH 1846 1. (Sunday) Fine day. Eliza and Edward returned. 2. Very fine day. Cleaning up the field. 3. Warm. Set out an onion bed. Eliza planted some beans. 4. and 5. Warm. Doing several jobs, covering the room &ca. 6. Rain. Put logs together. 7. Very fine day. Cleaning up the new clearing. Edward went to Fork's log rolling. 8. Warm day. Mrs. Alston here. At home all day. 9. Very warm. Edward returned. Set some log heaps on fire. 10. Cloudy with rain at night. Cleaning up new ground. Cut up meat. Ploughed a little in potatoe patch. 11. Cool, pleasant day. Employed as yesterday. Edward went to Jacob's to assist him to daub chimney. 12. Fine day. Cutting corn stalks in the new ground. Set some log heaps on fire. Edward returned as far as Pontal's. 13. Cool and pleasant. Commenced burning off my field for planting. Planchet logged. 14. A little frost. Planted part of the old ground. Olizime killed a large hog for me from Jacob. Not fat. 15. A light frost. At home reading my papers. 16. Cool and pleasant. Not quite finished planting. Very tired. 17. Cloudy. Finished planting. 18. Warm. Planted cotton and a little rice. Ward here. 19. Cloudy with S wind. Harrowing and ploughing in the rice patch. Commenced another row of corn. 20. Rain last night and cleared off. Cleaning new ground. Edward hauling rails and making a cow penn in potatoe patch. 21. Cloudy. Justaff went below with Olizime. 22. Rain. At home reading. 23. Rain. Justaff returned. Repairing hen house. Edward went to Olizime's. 24. Very fine day and cool. Working in new ground. Justaff making room windows. 25. Cool pleasant day. Killed a black sow. Employed as yesterday. Edward looking for gentle cattle. 26. Continues fine. Edward hauled plank from Jacob's and thrashed out rice. Employed as yesterday. 27. A pleasant day. Got the dairy home and big plank from Jacob's, plank measuring 15-1/2(?) feet. 28. Still pleasant. Justaff laying floor. Working in new ground. Edward ploughing rice patch. 29. Cloudy. Thinned my peach trees. 30. Rain. Finished grubbing and cutting corn stalk. Edward looking for the beeves. Horses missing. Cut door to the room. Set some log heaps on fire. 31. Cloudy. Found horses and beeves. Attending to the log heaps and doing other jobs about the house. APRIL 1846 1. (Wednesday) Fine day. Commenced making potatoe hills and ploughing in the new ground. Got a quarter of a forequarter of meat from Pontal. Commenced a letter to my sister Lucy dated second inst. 2. Cloudy. Finished my letter to my sister. Not sent. 3. Rain all day with a very hard wind. Got my horse saddled to go to the Big Woods but did not go. In the evening Christeen got alarmed and came over here with her family. 4. Cleared off in the forenoon, but it rained and blew again at night. The water rose sweeping the whole of my field fence with it's fury. Came up to the sill of the house and continued rising until 7 o'clock P.M. 5. Cloudy with a little rain in the morning. The water fell about 6 inches last night. 6. Rain. Shocked most of my corn that got wet. Peter assisting me. Mr. Alston brought us some coffee as far as William Bilbo's. E. went for it. Heard from all our neighbors. All safe. Water falling fast. 7. Wet, disagreeable day. Eliza washing. Made a fence round the garden. Justaff came over. Finished shocking my corn. Water nearly out of the potatoe patch. 8. Very fine day. Put the corn out of the cart on the crib to dry. Getting rails out of the bay gall. The water falling very slow. 9. Another fine cool day. Put the fence up round the corn field, assisted by Mr. W.B.'s Issac. Received a letter from my sister Lucy and Landry. 10. Cloudy. Wind south all day. Worked on the fence in the forenoon. In the evening put what corn there was on the corn crib inside. Got a quarter of meat from Olizime yesterday. 11. Cloudy and warm. The water falls slow. Putting up brush. E. at William's log rolling. 12. Very cold wet disagreeable day. Went with Eliza and Mary Ann to the cypress log. Could not cross. On our return, fell in a gully up to my waist. 13. Rain and cold. Cut a few logs. E. at Pontal's log rolling. Made a few potatoe hills. 14. Fine cool day. Rolled logs. Set three on fire. Making potatoe hills and planting. Justaff went below. 15. Very pleasant. Wrote a letter to my sister Lucy. Nearly finished making potatoe hills. Justaff returned. 16. Fine day. Buring log heaps and clearing new ground. Finished potatoe hills and planted them. Sent my letter to the post office by Justaff. 17. Fine day. Went below in company with Olizime. Took dinner at Pontal's. Thence to Mr. Ryan's. 18. Cloudy. Went to Pujo's early. Took breakfast there. Thence to gather Olizime's cattle and Peirre Petit's. 19. Still cloudy with rain in the evening. Returned home by way of Olizime's with his cattle. 20. A few showers. Edward ploughing in the new ground. Myself hoeing corn next to the house. 21. Rain in the evening. Edward ploughing. Myself hoeing. 22. Cloudy. Commenced planting new ground. 23. Little showers. Planting. 24. Cloudy with hard S. wind. Rain at night. Finished planting. Hoeing old corn. 25. Rain most of the day. Could do no work. 26. Very fine day. At home reading. Sukey and Christeen here. 27. Rain all the forenoon. Cleared off about 4 P.M. Hoed a little after the rain. 28. Fine, pleasant day. M. A., F. and myself hoeing in the old corn. Edward looking for the horses. *29. Still pleasant. E. at William's in the forenoon. Got a forequarter of a beef from Jack. Pierre paid me a visit. Hoeing the old corn. Lastee and Traveal came with Pierre. 30. Very fine day. Traveal ploughing. Feloneeze and myself hoeing. MAY 1846 1. (Friday) Very fine pleasant day. Traveal ploughing. Employed as yesterday. E. hauled some rails. 2. Continues pleasant. Mary Ann went home with Jacob. 3. Fine day. Justaff brought my papers. *4. Cloudy with rain. Went to Pujo's to the election of Senators. Prescot and Cook, candidates. From thence to Mr. Hampshire's in company with Temple and Wing. Adolph arrived. 5. Fine day. From Hampshire's to Mr. Moss's. Took dinner. Thence to Adolph Derosier's. 6. Cloudy and very warm. Could not get home in consequence of high water. Stopped at Olizime's. 7. Fine day. Edward crossed me in the trough. The water falling very slow. 8. Warm. Finished ploughing over the corn. Hoeing. 9. Fine day. Killed a 5-year old beef. Hoeing. 10. and 11. Both fine days. Hoeing. 12. Threatening rain. Finished hoeing over the first planted corn. *13. A fine rain. In the evening went to Mr. Thos. Hick's. Adolph working at the plough. No work in the field. 14. At 4 P.M. we were visited with a dreadful gale from N.W. accompanied with rain, hail, thunder and lightening, rising the river again. In the morning replanting corn in the new ground. 15. Cleared off pleasant. Clearing up the damage done by the storm. E. killed two deer. 16. Very fine day. Received a letter from my brother James with a draft for 20 lbs. sterling. Hoeing corn. 17. Fine day. Got upset crossing the river. Stopped at Olizime's all day. Could not get home. 18. and 19. Warm. These two days at the prairie. Sent the boat up with articles got from Pujo. 20. and 21. Some rain this last day. Edward returned. Colonel Temple here. Got things home safe. 22. A fine rain. Let Temple have five barrels corn. 23. A little shower. 24. Fine. Took boat home. 25. Very warm. Hoeing in new ground. 26. A fine rain. Employed as yesterday. 27. Rain most of the evening. Hoeing in the morning. Edward looking for the beeves. Could not find them. 28. Showers in the evening. Finished hoeing the new ground. Found the beeves and hauled some rails for cow penn. 29. Hard wind and rain before day, then again at night. Finished a cow penn and split 52 stakes in the forenoon. 30. Fine day. Repairing fence all around. 31. Hard wind and rain at 7 P.M. W.B. and Louis were here and Christeen and family. JUNE 1846 1. (Monday) Rain most of the day. Could do no work. River rising. 2. Hoeing and hilling potatoes. 3. Very fine day. Adolph ploughing in the old corn. Some. . . . .hoeing corn. 4. Some showers. Commenced hoeing rice. Adolph ploughing. In the morning hoeing cotton. 5. A hard rain last night at 11-1/2 and this morning at 4. Trees in the orchard and manured some tobacco hills. 6. Rain again. Planted some tobacco and potatoe draws where missing. Coward and Adolph at William Bilbo's hoeing. 7. Cleared off pleasant. At home reading. 8. Hard rain last night. Cleared off. Adolph ploughing. Commenced sowing peas. 9. Threatening rain. Finished sowing peas. Wrote my brother James. 10. Fine day. Hoeing rice. 11. Continues fine. Employed as yesterday. E. took my letter to the post office. 12. Still warm and fine. Hoed over the small patch of rice. 13. Fine day. Hoeing in the old corn. 14. Continues fine. At home reading. 15. Still dry and warm. Hoeing in the rice. 16. Dry and warm. Got snake bit hoeing amongst the peach trees. Hands employed as yesterday. 17. A little shower. Hands hoeing rice and ploughing potatoe ground. Edward killed a deer last night. 18. and 19. Rain most of these two days. 20. Rain until about 4-1/2 P.M. Adolph worked for Mr. A. 21. Very fine day. At home. Edward and James could not get from Olizime's, the creek too high. 22. Very fine day. Commenced making potatoe hills for vines and planted some in the evening. 23. Another fine day. Employed as yesterday. 24. Threatening rain. Visited by a mocking bird, the first since we have been here. Adolph ploughing in the new ground. Others making potatoe hills. 25. Some rain yesterday evening. Today fine. Hoed over tobacco. Adolph ploughing. Others engaged making potatoe hills. 26. Fine day. Hoeing in the garden. Finished ploughing new ground. All hands hoeing in the same. 27. Threatening rain. Finished hoeing in new ground and sowed peas. Crossed Adolph's horse. 28. Warm and dry. At home all day. Edward went below with Olezime. Sent my draft by him for 20.00 lbs. 29. Very warm. Ploughing and making potatoe hills. Some hoeing rice. Edward returned. Brought me $15.00 from Pujo. 30. Another warm day. Hoeing in the rice. Feloneeze making potatoe hills. JULY 1846 1. (Wednesday) A fine rain at night. Feloneeze making potatoe hills. 2. A little shower. Planted vines. Eliza and Edward went below. Christeen and family here at night. 3. Rain all round us. Hoed a little in the garden. 4. Appearance of rain. Started to go to town. Returned. Jack's Creek swimming. Girls washing. 5. A shower or two. Eliza and Edward returned. Olezime drove up his cattle. 6. Rain before day. Feloneeze making potatoe hills. Moved the cow penn. 7. A very fine rain. Planted some vines. 8. Warm day. Made a few potatoe hills. 9. Very warm day. Feloneeze making potatoe hills. Hoed a little in the cotton. 10. Fine day. Went below in company with Edward, Adolph and the two girls. Stopped at Mr. Moss's. 11. to 13. Rain these three days. 14. Rain. Pierre and Valentine branding. Got a quarter of a cow from Pontal. *15. and 16. Both days rain. Jack gathering a drove of beeves for Mr. Simmons. He took dinner here. 17. Fine day. No work. 18. Fine. Hoed over cotton patches. Christeen went below. 19. Threatening rain. Adolph and I went to the herd. Afterward found white sow's gang. 20. Somewhat cloudy. Sold Mr. Simmons a beef of Edward's and one of my own for $15.50. 21. A fine rain. Commenced pulling fodder at the bottom of the old corn. Christeen returned. 22. Some rain. In the evening went to the Big Woods. Stopped at J. Perkins. 23. Fine day. Returned home. Paid my postage of newspapers to the 30th September. 24. No rain. Eliza went to Jacob's. 25. Warm. Eliza returned. Pulled fodder. *26. Very warm day. Went to Jacob's in company with Mr. Alston. Dined at Reeves'. Paid my taxes. *27. Still very warm. Returned home. Dined at Mr. Cole's. Hands employed pulling fodder. 28. A fine day. Harris employed as yesterday. Got a hind quarter of a 4-year old stag from Mr. Alston. 29. Continues dry. Pulled a little fodder. 30. Fine rain. Finished pulling fodder and tied some up. 31. Very fine rain. Took in all the fodder. Adolph and Olezime cut down two cypresses. Cut tobacco the 27th. AUGUST 1846 1. (Saturday) Fine day. Edward and James went to the lake yesterday. Sawing and splitting boards. Split 200. 2. Rain in the neighborhood. Eliza and myself went to William Bilbo's. Olezime went to the prairie. *3. A little drizzle. Neely paid me a visit. Split about 260 boards. 4. Warm. Adolph made a bedstead. 5. A little rain. Edward returned from the prairie with his mares. Brought me a foot . . .? 6. Very warm day. Branded three colts, one for Pierre. Jacob in the settlement. Did not come to see me. 7. Rain in the evening. Adolph and Edward pulling fodder at Olezime's. 8. Fine day. Binding corn in the field. 9. Threatening rain. At home. 10. Rain all the evening. Commenced pulling fodder in the new ground. *11. No rain but cloudy. Brought the fodder to the yard. Made it up in piles in the evening. Gibson Perkins here. 12. Rain. Tied up fodder. Not quite dry. 13. Rain again. Put the fodder out to dry. Taken with the ague while W.J.. . . was here. 14. Rain all day. Took peach syrup. Feel better. 15. Another hard rain. Had the ague very severe today. 16. A fine day at last. Feel better. The water upon the bottom. 17. No rain. Pulled some fodder and tied it up. Took a dose of Ipicac at 11 A.M. Taken with the fever again. Got a forequarter of a three-year old beef from Mr. Alston. 18. A very hard rain and wind in the evening. Pulled some fodder and cut some tobacco. Got all in before the rain came. 19. Rain in the evening. Finished pulling fodder and brought all in before the rain. Took another dose of Ipicac and escaped the fever. Olezime went below. Water high. 20. Rain. Olezime came from the prairie with the news of Mr. Ryan being very sick. Water falls very slow. 21. Another rain. Eliza, Christeen and Sukey went to see their father. No fever today. Earmarked 6 pigs. 22. Rain in the evening. Went to look for my wild hogs. Could not find them. In the evening James found them by little gully. Toted the white sow home and fed her. 23. Cleared off a fine day. The creek rose last night, but took a fall today, after being over the banks for 9 or 10 days. 24. Fine, pleasant day. Cut rice in the low ground. Edward killed a deer. 25. A very fine day. Eliza returned. 26. Continues pleasant. Thrashed out the rice. Got 1-1/2 bushels. 27. Threatening rain. Intended to have gone below, but declined it. Olezime and Stephen went. 28. Rain this forenoon. Edward and Adolph looking for a beef to kill, but could not find one. 29. & 30. Fine days. Edward and Adolph out again looking for a beef to kill without being about to find one. 31. Threatening rain. Eliza, Mrs. Alston and myself went below. Found Mr. Ryan very sick. Also Mrs. Ryan. SEPTEMBER 1846 1. (Tuesday) Rain in the evening. Went to Pujo's. 2. Rain. Returned home. Took dinner at Mr. Berry's. Did not get wet. 3. & 4. Fine. Not well. Thrashed a little rice and cut some. Edward went below in company with Sukey. 5. Hard rain. Cut a little rice in the morning and some tobacco. 6. Very hard rain and wind. Waters rising. 7. More rain. E. returned. 8. Fine day. Cutting rice. The river very high and rising. 9. Another fine day. Landry brought in the melancholy news of Mr. Ryan's death, who departed this life the day before yesterday (7th). Cutting rice. 10. Finished cutting rice and tied up a few bundles. Commenced breaking corn and hauled part of a load. Got two quarters yearling from Olezime. 11. Threatening rain. A shower. Tied up rice and stacked it away. Thrashed some rice. Not quite a barrel. 12. Very fine day. Breaking corn and hauled two loads. 13. Very warm day. At home reading newspapers. 14. Continues warm and dry. Breaking corn. Could not find the beeves to haul it in. Picked what cotton was open. 15. Fine pleasant day. Found the beeves and hauled three loads of corn. 16. Very warm. Hauled two loads corn. 17. Continues very warm for this season. Edward with Olezime since yesterday. Hauled two loads of corn. 18. Another very warm day. Finished breaking and hauling corn - in all thirteen loads. Edward returned. 19. Still warm and dry. Finished stacking corn. E. went below with Christeen and family. 20. Morning cool, the day warm. Commenced a letter to my sister Lucy, dated the 19th inst. Mr. Alston here. 21. Cool and pleasant. Commenced picking peas. Went to the school house to finish my letter. No spectacles. 22. Fine day. Finished my letter. Heard of Mr. Bilbo's death. He died on the 20th instant. Bought half of a five-year old beef from Pontal for $4.00. Received a letter from my sister Lucy. Picking peas. 23. Rain in the evening. Paid William a forequarter of meat. Branded our calves last Sunday. Picked a few peas. *24. A little rain. Took my letter to the Post Office. From thence went by way of Choupique. Stopped at Prater's. 25. Cleared off cool. From Prater's, went to Pierre's. He sick. Thence to Lambert's. 26. Cool, disagreeable day. From Lambert's to Mrs. Ryan's and the store. Stopped at night at Mrs. Ryan's. 27. Fine, cool day. Returned home. 28. Very pleasant, cool day. Hands employed picking peas. 29. Pleasant, cool day. Hands employed as yesterday. 30. Cool. Killed a cow got from Olezime. OCTOBER 1846 1. (Thursday) Very fine day. Let Olezime have two quarters meat. Picking peas. Adolph and Edward went a boar hunting. 2. Cool morn'g. the day warm. Picking peas. 3. Still cool and pleasant. Went with Eliza to Mr. Alston's. 4. Very fine day. Eliza went to see her mother. Finished picking peas. Adolph and Edward cutting down pines. 5. & 6. Fine. Brought boards out of the swamp. Edward and Adolph employed as yesterday. 7. A little rain. As yesterday. 8. A light shower. Edward and Adolph cutting down pines. Trimming pines and making brush heaps. Eliza returned. 9. Very fine pleasant day. Employed as yesterday. 10. Fine day. Trimming pines and making axe helve. 11. Continues cool and pleasant. Edward and Adolph went with Jack last night a fire hunting. Killed a buck. Went to Pontal's. 12. Cool day. Christeen returned yesterday. 13. & 14. Fine weather. Went below and returned. 15. to 17. Cool and pleasant weather. Employed splitting boards. 18. Fine day. Went to Pontal's. 19. The first frost. Killed a fat black cow belonging to Pierre. Cutting a few pine limbs. 20. A little frost. Cut up the meat. Dug some pinders. Got light wood and fire wood. 21. Warm, pleasant day. Doing several little jobs. 22. & 23. Dry. Done very little work these past 2 days. 24. Continues dry and pleasant. Mr. Alston paid what coffee he was owing. Did several little jobs. 25. Appearance of rain. Had a visit from William Bilbo and his wife. Edward and Adolph went to town. 26. Warm day. Cut a little wood and did other jobs. Olezime went a cow hunting for the last time this year. 27. Cloudy with a little drizzle. Adolph and Edward returned. Cut a little wood and did other jobs. 28. Fine day. Went below. Stopped at Mr. Moss's. 29. & 30. Some rain. Had preaching at Mrs. Ryan's. *31. Very fine day. Returned home, accompanied by Marceleet. NOVEMBER 1846 1-2. (Sunday) Fine weather. At home reading. Others making preparations for the morrow's marriage. *3. Fine pleasant day. Pierre accompanied the wedding party to Olezime Vincent's where they were married by Mr. David D. Foreman. On their return partook of a dinner prepared for them. 4. Still pleasant. Pierre went to William Bilbo's. 5. Cool. Pierre, Edward, Elizabeth and William went below. 6. Frost. Helped William to fix the old ford. Adolph assisting Olezime. Edward returned. Catherine sick. 7. Pleasant day. Edward and Olezime went a boar hunting. Adolph assisting Jacob to haul. Catherine very sick. 8. Threatening rain. Took a walk to Jacob's. Catherine a little better during the day. At night, worse. 9. A little drizzle. Gave Catherine calomel. Commenced digging potatoes. Sukey and Pontal here. 10. Warm. Digging potatoes. Catherine a little better. 11. Continues warm. Employed as yesterday. 12. A fine day. Finished digging potatoes. Eliza put up a piece of cloth for coverlids. 13. Rain. Got in all the potatoes. Edward, Adolph and Olezime went to look for my lost hogs. 14. Fine day. Covered potatoes. Edward went with Olezime a boar hunting. Austin here. 15. Very pleasant day. Eliza went to Jacob's. Edward returned. He killed nothing. 16. Cloudy with a little rain. Commenced a letter to my sister Lucy dated 18th inst. Dinner at Bilbo's. 17. Fine day. Covering potatoe house. Writing. Took dinner at Jacob's. He not at home. 18. Hard rain last night. Cut some wood & did other jobs about the house. 19. Very fine day. Killed a cow belonging to Edward. Jacob got a forequarter. Adolph and myself split some rails in the evening. 20. Hard frost last night. Cut up meat. Finished my letter and sent it by Austin. 21. Fine. Splitting rails. 22. A little frost. Went with Eliza to Jacob's. Edward and James went to the prairie yesterday. 23. Hard frost and clouded up. Splitting rails. 24. Very hard wind and rain. Splitting rails. 25. Frost with ice. Elizabeth returned yesterday. Edward and Adolph splitting rails. Cutting corn stalks. 26. A very hard frost. Cut some wood. Eliza went to Jacob's. Child sick. Edward and Adolph splitting rails. 27. Very warm, cloudy day. Split a few rails and cut a little wood. Elizabeth at Jacob's. 28. Warm and cloudy. Hauled some wood and light wood. Edward went a boar hunting with Jack. 29. & 30. Warm. This last day went below with the cart. Had to leave it at Olezime Vincent's. DECEMBER 1846 1. (Tuesday) Warm day. Went below with the cart. Stopped at Mr. Moss's with Eliza. 2. Rain. From Mr. Moss's to Pujo's. Got wet. Purchased several articles. 3. Fine day. Mr. Moss had my things hauled as far as Olezime Vincent's. Thence home. 4. & 5. Cold. Hands employed getting out boards and drawing. 6. Pleasant. Went as far as Francois Vincent's on my way to the election. *7. Hard rain and wind at night. Election at Pujo's. Candidates- Dupre and Lewis. 8. Cleared off. Stopped at Mrs. Ryan's all today. The old lady quite well. *9. Rain at night. Returned home in company with Nat and Sophy. 10. Frost. At home. Not well. 11. Frost. Hands employed getting out boards. 12. Another light frost. Hands employed as yesterday. 13. Warm. At home all day. 14. Very warm. Cutting corn stalks and packing up boards. 15. Cloudy with a little rain. Eliza went to William Bilbo's. Mrs. Bilbo returned with her. Cut a little wood. 16. Rain in the morning. Thrashed some rice. Edward looking for wild hogs. Cut corn stalks. *17. Frost. The two Perkins came at 12 N. Cut some wood and corn stalks. Out of meat. 18. Another frost and clouded up. Cut a little wood and some corn stalks. Gaburn went home. 19. Frost. Killed a gentle barrow. Cut some corn stalks. Caught a wolf. Hogs came up. 20. Threatening rain and cold. Went with Eliza to Jacob's. Edward killed a turkey. 21. A little sleet last night, cloudy and rain. Cutting corn stalks all day. 22. Cloudy all day. Got a speckled sow up with 7 pigs. Cutting corn stalks. 23. Continued cloudy. Killed three barrows in the woods. Brought them home on our horses. 24. Fine pleasant day. Cut up the hogs. Found a spotted sow with 4 pigs. Edward went below. 25. Warm. At home with the few of my family that were left. Listed sow had 7 pigs in the field. 26. Very fine day. At home all day. Edward's sow had 7 pigs in the field. Pontal here. 27. Another fine day. In the evening went below. Found Edward's horses at the big river and took them down as far as Mrs. Ryan's. 28. The day fine, rain at night. Returned home with Olezime. Drove up some of his hogs and two I got from Francois Vincent. Fell in the creek. 29. Rain in the morning. At home reading with a sore finger. Edward and Adolph looking for sows. 30. Cloudy with a little rain. Employed as yesterday. 31. Hard wind with rain at night. The wind turned to the north. Adolph and Olezime looking for the missing sows. FOOTNOTES JANUARY 1846 19. Reeves - Price - David Price, b. ca. 1790, Canada. FEBRUARY 1846 8. Isaac - Isaac Vincent. Wife - Elizabeth Vincent APRIL 1846 29. Lastee & Traveal- Sons of Pierre and Sally Ryan Vincent. MAY 1846 4. Prescot - Cook - Temple - Leonard Temple, b. ca. 1800, Tenn., Living 1850 w/Jacob Harmon, Jr. Wing - 13. Thos. Hicks - b. ca. 1810, La. JULY 1846 15. & 16. Mr. Simmons- Probably William Simmons, b. ca. 1796. 26. Reeves - Possibly William Reeves, Sr. 27. Mr. Cole's - Probably Abraam Cole, b. 1808, d. 21 Aug. 1849, md. 6 Jan. 1826 Luvicy Alston. AUGUST 1846 3. Neely - Neyland (?) 11. Gibson Perkins- b. ca. 1820, possibly son of George Perkins. SEPTEMBER 1846 24. Prater's - William Prater, b. 6 Oct. 1798, d. 5 May, 1850, son of William and Agnes Berwick Prater. He md. 13 August 1822 (Court House) 27 August 1822 (Lafayette Church) Fanny Lyons. OCTOBER 1846 31. Marceleet - Marcelite Vincent married Austin Clifton. NOVEMBER 1846 3. Wedding party - Mary Ann Rigmaiden md. To Adolphe Escoubas. In the event that this was a double wedding, the other parties would have been Marcelite Vincent and Austin Clifton. David D. Foreman, b. ca. 1820, possibly a Justice of the Peace or a person authorized by the parish to perform marriages. DECEMBER 1846 7. Dupre - Lewis - 9. Nat - Nathan Clifton Sophy - Sophie Reon Clifton, wife of Nathan 17. The two Perkins- probably James and Rees W. Perkins ARCHIVIST NOTE: Information provided by Mary D. Walker -12/24/1999 - indicates Adolph DeRosier was the father of Alfred (Sr.) and had been a Seminary student in France but had left that country before being ordained as a priest. Alfred W. DeRosier