Thomas Rigmaiden's Diary 1855 Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana File submitted by Jan Craven and Connie Wise 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 1855 (Monday) 1 Threatening rain. Rolled some logs in the potato patch. Boys returned fm the lake, brot me 40 lbs coffee & 4 lbs tobacco. Ball at Tenon's. 2 Still cloudy and warm. Clearng potato patch & burning logs. 3 Some rain. Killed the black barrow out of the black gang. 4 Rain all day. Creek rising. Cut up meat. Cut wood. 5 Threatenig rain; hard S. wind. Repairing potato patch fence. 6 Cloudy with hard S. Wind & rain at night. Shot ? . Mr. Quinn here. Little spotted sow in four choat gang came up with 3 pigs. 7 Cold. Disagreeable day, with a little rain. 8. Same as yesterday. Ball at Jacob's. 9 Continues cloudy and disagreeable. Cap Houston here with ? . 10 & 11 Cleared off pleasant. 12. A little rain. Repairing potato patch fence. 13 Day warm & turned cold at night. 14. Fine cold day. Reading. 15 Cloudy & warm. Eliza threshing rice. Js. & myself putting up fence. 16 Very fine day. Adolph & hy drove up my pet gang of hogs. 17 A little frost. Killed 3 hogs, Humphrey got 2 wg. 226 lbs. 18 Frost. Js. & Hy at 0. Vincent's daubing. Ball at Mr. Temple's. 19 & 20 Both warm days. 21. A remarkable cold day with hard north wind. Let A Derosier have 3 hogs, 2 got away. 22 A very hard freeze. Commenced ploughing in potato patch. 23 Partially & warm. Ploughg. Burning trash heaps. 24 Fine day. James got his sow up with six pigs. 25 & 26 Warm with a little ? at night the last date. Ploughg & finished cleaning up potato patch. 27 & 28. Frost. Finished ploughg potato patch. 29 A hard frost. Crossed cart to haul rails. Sowed two beds with tobacco seed. 30 & 31 Both days a very hard freeze. February 1 Hard freeze. 2. A harder freeze. Eliza & myself went to the prairie. 3 Hard frost. Rolling logs at Mr. Alston's. A ball at night. 4 A light frost. Had a visit from Js. Perkins. 5.Fine warm day. Sent Judd's bill of sale by Js. Perkins. Adolph killed hogs. 6 Fine day. Hy helping I. Lang; the other boys working at the old place. 7 Some rain before day. Humphrey got a hog from E. Avg.130 lbs. Splitting rails. Hy went to the prairie. 8. A slight frost. Employed as yesterday. 9 Cold pleasant day. Hy returned. Splitting rails. E. Making a room. 10 Cold morng. Splitting rails until dinner time. Stacked all split. 11 A smart frost. James & Isaac Long burning about Mr. Alston's old place. Eliza went in the cart to Mr. Alston's for ashes. 12 Rain most of the day. Split about 100 rails in the afternoon. 13 Fine pleasant day. Split upwards of 200 rails in the forenoon. 14 Some frost. Albert & Isaac Lang went to Pujo's; returned at 11 P. M. 15 Morning cloudy & cleared off. Cap Hutton here. No work today. 16 Frost. Rolled logs, and a little ball at night. 17 Rain at night. 18. Very cold rain all day. Reading. 19 Cold but cleared off. Henry & Lang splitting rails. 26. Frost. James with Mr. Alston to the lake. Hy helping Lang to split rails. 21 Frost. Mr. Alston returned. Hy & Lang went to meet the boat. 22 Partially cloudy. Hauling rails from the middle fence. 23 Cold in the evening with a little rain. Employed as yesterday. 24 Cleared off cold. Wrote a letter to my Brother of this date. Hands helping Adolph to clear. 25 A very cold rain last night and the coldest day we have had this winter. Adolph and Edward went to Lake Charles. 26 The hardest frost this winter and clouded up. They returned from the lake before sun rise. Hauling rails in the field. 27 Frost & hard freeze. Went to the prairie, stopped at Mr.Moss's. NOTE: Humphrey's account, as follows, inserted here. William Humphrey to E. Rigmaiden l854 Dec 5 To 1 hog 184 lbs 1855 23 To ditto 477 lbs Jan 17 To 2 ditto 226 lb. Feb 7 To 1 ditto 130 " - 8 hogs wg 1017 lbs @4¢ 40.68 To 32 lbs coffee at different times @13¢ 4.16 To 5 yards towel cotton @ 14 .79 To paid Jackson & Mr. Alston 4.50 3-26 To 1 Beef 16.50 To 1 Do 16.50 $85.06 Sep 26 2 quarters meat de W. Tenons June 10 2 ditto from my Father Onlizime Roga 1855 To this account assumed by Adolph Derosier $10.00 To weaving a piece of cloth for 2.62 1/2 To 1 carrot tobacco 1.02 weaving a piece cloth 20 yds 3.30 Oct To weaving 36 yards cloth 3.25 $19.37 1/2 1836 Nov 10 carrots tobacco 10.00 1857 Jan 19 3 hogs @ $5 15.00 July 10 carrots tobacco @ .45¢ 4.50 Sep 40 lbs seed Cotton @ 4¢ 1.60 1858 14 carrots tobacco @ 75 10.50 Credit By amount of his improvement 60.00 " paid Clairburn and _for me 3.00 All paid this 14th August 63.00 Dec To 1 carrot tobacco to Melonee .75 To ditto sent by Valentine @ 75¢ 3.00 3.75 60.97 1/2 Dr 64.72 1/2 Adolph Derosier 1857 Jan To 1 hog to Adolph Escoubas $6.00 Apr 1 pair shoes 2.75 1858 Feb To 1 pair shoes for F & 1 pair for Henry " 4 hides 3 weighg 78 lbs. Aug To 1 pair shoes far @lf 1859 March To 1 pair Do for ditto Settled with him Mar lst 1859 he owing me $2.25 February 1855, continued 28 Another hard freeze. From Mr. Moss's to Pujo's, left my letter with Mr. Pujo to be put in the office and a letter of introduction to my Brother; got a few things here and returned home. March (Thursday) 1 Frost. 2. Frost. 3. Rain. 4. Fine day. 5. Pleasant. 6 Very fine day. Edward married by Mr. Foreman, had a very agreeable party, and all pleased with the entertainment. 7 & 8 Fine weather. Commenced laying my potato patch. 9 Quite cool again. Planted what ground has ploughed. 10 Partially cloudy. Could find no horse to finish planting. 11 Fine day. E. and James went to court as witnesses for Houston. 12 Warm and dry. Planted what potato hills were made today & the 13th. 14 Rain. Making potato hills. Soloman hauling rails for Adolph. 15 Cloudy & warm. Making potato hills. Boys returned from Court at 11 P. M. 16 A little rain last night. Finished plantg potatoes. S. ploughg for rice. 17 Cold rain, in the night. Finished ploughing, cutting logs. 18 Cold. 19. Frost. All hands cleaning up at the old place. 20 Cloudy. No oxen to be found. Employed as yesterday. 21. Cold rain. 22-23 24 Frost these three days. Cleaning over the creek. 25 Fine day. 26. Warm, rain at night. Commenced plantg over the creek. S. ploughg. 27 Fine cold day. Finished planting old pieces. Boys putting up fence & cleaning. 28 Partially cloudy & cold. Commenced cleaning branding pen when Temple came for Filoneeze. Finished ploughing the piece of low land. 29. Sleet at night. Went to the Lake with Isaac Lang stopped all night at John Smith's. 30 Fine day. Went to town in a perogue; returned home in the night. 31 Dry and cloudy. Very bad off with a pain in my side. April (Sunday) 1 & 2 Still dry. Cap and Sarah Houston here. Planting rice. 3 & 4 Rain at night the last day. Wrote Wm Perkins & sent by Cap. 5 Rain last night & this forenoon. 6. No rain. wind at N & NW. 7 Fine pleasant day. Putting up fence for the stock cattle. Hauling corn - received a letter yesterday from my Brother dated 2nd March. 8 Very fine pleasant day. Henry took a letter to the ferry for Dr. Hardy & Jacob 9 Fine day. Laying off land in the old field. Dr. Hardy here. 10 Morning cloudy & cleared off. The Doctor left. Hauling rails -yesterday and today. Putting manure in the hills. Hy went to the Lake. 11 Warm. hauling rails. Finished planting the old ground. 12 Dry and warm. E. ploughg on the other side. Got cupped (?) by Mrs. Alston. 13 & 14 Partially cloudy. All hands planting corn at Edward's purchase. 15 & 16 Still dry & warm. J. horse huntg. Hy & Ike hog hunting. Hauling rails. 17 Very fine day. James went a cattle hunting. E. ploughg. H & Ike splitting stakes. 18 Still dry. Wrote to my brother dated 21st. H & Ike working at Eds place. Haulg stakes. 19 & 20 Both warm dry days. E. planted corn on the other side, today lookg for horses. . 21 & 22 Weather continues without change. Sent my letter by Hy to the ferry. E. sowed rice. 23 & 24. Dry & warm. Ploughing pens on the other side. Penned wild cattle. Hoeing corn at the house. 15 & 26 Still dry. Jack branded & turned out the herd. Finished hoeing & replanting. 27 & 28 Very dry & warm. Eliza & Albert went to the Lake. (28) Edward & James to the prairie & back at night. 29 &. 30. Dry. Shearing sheep. Francis here. May (Tuesday) 1 Continues dry. Eliza returned fm the Lake. Mr. Mudd here. 2 & 3 No appearance of rain. Ploughing & hoeing on the other side. 4 & 5 Still dry & warm. Put fire in the woods. Hoeg, ploughg & hauling rails. 6 & 7 Threatening rain both evenings. E. ploughg old ground. No horses today (7th). 8 & 9 Cool pleasant. All hands hoeing over the creek. No horses to be found. 10 A little drizzle this morning, quite cool. Finished hoeing on the other side. 11 & 12 Quite cold. Wrote Messrs. Ambrose Larfear & Co., enclosing draft for $ 20.00 stlg. 13 A very fine rain. Henry took the letter to the ferry yesterday. Eliza at Ah's. 14 Fine pleasant day. Sowed pumpkins, watermellon and mushmellon seeds. Made some hills, and planted draws. E. laying off cow pens. 15 Warm. Adolph, planted his clearing. Hoeing rice. E. plantg, cow pens. 16 No appearance of rain. E. finished planting. Hoeg rice. Hy & E went to Reese's. 17 18 &19 Each day very warm & dry. Hoeing rice. Wash day (18th). 20 - 22 Dry and warm. Finished hoeg rice. Henry took my plough to Frank's on Sunday & returned today (22nd). Harrowed field at the house. 23 Very warm day. Fired the wood, got about 50 rails burnt. Harrowed rice. 24 Warm. Went to the Lake, stopped at Jacob's; had a partial settlement with him. he received the contents of the letter from Messrs. Ambrose Lanfear & Co. 25 Still dry and warm. From the Lake, stopped at the Ferry. 26 Very warm day. Returned home Arty & Louise with us. Agreed with Austin to cross my family for one year for $2.50. 27 No appearance of rain. Mr. Foreman preached here. 28 & 29 Still dry and warm. Minerva Reese here weaving. 30 A fine rain. Planted what hills were made in vines. 30 Cleared off. 31. Warm. All hands at work at the upper place. June (Friday) 1 Clear warm day. All hands at work hoeg & ploughg at the upper place. 2 Very hard wind all day from N. W. E., Eliza & Mrs. Austin went to Mr. Cole's. Minerva went home, Edward ploughg, at the upper place. 3 Quite a cold night & morning. 4. Warm with hard S. wind. Adolph helping us to plough at the upper place. Wrote to Sam'l Perkins, sent the letter by James who started this afternoon to go to the Lake with Reese. Eliza returned. 5 Fine day. Commenced a letter to my Sister dated 7th inst. Plantg corn at the upper place. 6 Still dry. Finished planting. Finished my letter. C-ne replanted corn in pens. 7 A very fine rain; commenced at midnight & continued until 8 A. M. Made potato hills in tobacco patch, and planted more than one half of it in vines. James returned and brought 50 lbs coffee, and a brl shelled corn. 8 A very cool day. Js ploughg in the corn at the house. Hoeing & planted a few peas. 9 Warm. Not quite finished ploughing; broke plough handle. Planted a few peas. 10 Still warm. Killed a beef, let Mr. Humphrey have two quarters. 11 Still & warm. Finished ploughg at the house; hoeing ditto. Planted peas. 12 A very cool morning. Ploughing corn in the old ground. Hauling rails for cow pen. 13 Very warm. Corn twisting. Made cow pen in the big pen. Finished ploughg. 14 Still warm, and dry. Planted peas in ploughed ground. Wood on fire, the other side. 15 Warm. Went to the Lake. 16. Fine rain. Wrote the Messrs. Ambrose Lanfear & Co and to Andrew W. Makin enclosing $3.00. At night at Austins. 17 Returned home. 18. A little rain. James sick. 19. warm. 20. Rain. 21 Thursday. Fine day. Catherine went with me to the prairie. 22 Warm. From Paul Pujo's went to Joe Ledoux's, thence to the store. 23 A fine rain. From the store to Mr. Moss's. 24 Got going to Derosier's. 25 Some rain after my return home. Agreed with Claiborn to cross one year for $3.00 26 Fine day. 27. Rain. Js & E. ploughing wood field. Made big pen. 28 A little rain. Hoeing in Pine Wood field. Mr. Alston penned 81 head of cattle he got from Isham Reeves. Ike helping to hoe. 29 Two hard rains. Hoeing at the other side. E. planted pines. 30 Rain. Hoed in the forenoon. Cut hide for ropes. July (Sunday) 1 Rain. Had a dream last night that presages some bad event. 2 & 3 Both fine days. Ike helping to hoe, Hoeg rice. Js went a cow hunting. 4 Very warm day. Finished hoeing on the other side, and the rice. 5 Warm. Sawed some peas ? in the Pine wood field. Eliza at jack's. 6 Very warm. Wrote a letter for Mr. Lang to Jm C Griffith. Young black missing. 7 Appearance of rain. Went to the Js Perkin, for 1/2 brl of corn fm him, and had it ground, returned home. Cow hunters returned and penned here. 8 A very fine rain. 9. & 10. Both warm days. Killed a beef fm Mr. Alston. 11 These last three days cloudy and warm. Hy sick. E. harrowing. 12 Very warm days. Mr. Alston branded and turned out the herd. 13 & 14 Appearance of rain, both these days. Finished ploughg over the creek. 15 & 16 Rain both days. Made and planted potato hills in the big pen. 17 & 18 No rain. Made potato hills & planted vines. Adolph sick. 19 No rain. Went to Adolph's, he sick with the Ague and fever. Eliza there. 20 Some rain. Went to the prairie with Ike Jackson; they returned ? from the store to Sally's, got Jolly & returned home next day. 22 & 23 Rain. Planted vines. Eliza at Adolph's. Mary Ann sick. A-h better. 24 25 & 26 Rain each day. Made Potato ridges, and planted vines. 27 & 28 Threatening rain with a little drizzle. Put away 46 bunches fodder and pulled a little in the house field. Pantal paid us a visit. 29 No rain. Henry and Isaac Long went to the Big Wood. 20 & 31 Warm days. Finished pulling fodder at the house field. Killed a three year old beef, let Mr. Humphrey have two quarters. August (Wednesday) 1 Day warm & clear; evening cloudy. Took in all my fodder. 2 Rain in the evening. Isaac Lang and Catherine married by Mr. Foreman at 11 A. M. Had a little dance at night. 3& 4 A little rain the first day. 5& 6 Rain the first day. Pulling fodder. 7 8 & 9 Not much rain these three days. Finished pulling fodder this side. Ed. Pulling at home. Js & S. D. at Humphrey's place. 10 No rain. Got all my fodder dried and tied up, about 300 bundles in all. 11 A few light showers. James went to the Ferry. Hy at Adolph's. 12 Fine day. 13. Fair. All hands pulling fodder at Ed's, I at the Humphrey's place. 14 A very severe storm with rain and hail. E. lost what fodder was pulled. 15 & 16 Both very fine days. All hands pulling fodder. Mrs. A. at Eli's. 17 A fine rain. Finished pulling fodder at both places. 18-23 Cloudy and warm. Killed a three old beef. Let Mr. Humphrey have a qr. 23 A good shower. Repaired cart. Ike hauled a load of corn fm his fld. 24 & 25 Rain both days. Ike hauling another load. Wrote Mr. Lee, sent via Reese. 26 Rain all the forenoon. Mr. Alston brought the news of the death Mary Ann's oldest son and one of her daughters. Eliza started to go there, but returned. 27. Rain in the evening. Eliza & Js vent to Mr. Reeves'. 28 No rain today. Ike hauled his last load of corn. Hoed weeds in the clearg. 29 Rain in afternoon after Eliza's return. All hands pulling corn at Mr. Alston's. 30 No rain. All hands assisting Mr. Alston to gather in his corn. 31 Rain all night, attended with severe storm, which blew down fences and a number of trees. Hy went to the Prairie for coffee, he returned before sunset. Mr. Alston finished gathering his corn out of his old ground, he got fourteen cart loads out of it. September (Saturday) 1 Rain; the storm abated about day break. Repairing fences blown down. 2 No rain. E. & Adolph went a fire hunting and killed four deer. 3 A hard rain in the evening. Hauled six loads of corn out of the H. Field. 4 A little drizzle. Commenced pulling corn on the other side of the creek. 5 A hard rain. Finished pulling; got 2 1/2 loads of white & 2 gourd seed. 6 Rain. Adolph gathering his corn; he got seven loads. 7 & 8 Rain both days. Got 11/2 loads of corn out of old ground & stacked. 9 Rain. Reading. 11. Fine day. Went to Onlezimes in the evening. 12 Warm day. From Onlezime's went to the Lake, returned home on the 17th having passed most of my time at Austin's. 18 to22 Some rain. Myself not disposed to do much work. 23 Cloudy & warm. 24. Warm. Commenced cutting the rice. 25 A little rain. Stacked what rice was cut. 26 A hard rain in the forenoon. Killed a 3 Yr. old beef from Lenon. 27 The first cold day this fall. Minerva Reese married. 28 Turned warm again. A ball at Mr. Alston's last night. 29 Rain most of the forenoon. Sowed onion seed. Ploughed cow pen. 30 Fine cool day. Henry went to school down in the prairie. OCTOBER, (Monday) 1 Cool. Finished cutting rice. Got some meat from Mr. Humphry's. 2 Fine day. Hauled pumpkins out of wood field. Picked peas at Mr. Alston's. 3 Pleasant day. Hauling gourd seed corn fm. Edwards. Picking peas. 4 Rain all the eveng. Hy returned. Pickg peas. Eugine haulg pumpkins. 5 A hard rain all night. The water rose up in the yard fence. 6 Cold pleasant day. Water falling. Zac & Patny Nichols here. 7 Fine cool day. Pickg peas at Mr. Alston's. Myself at sundry jobs. 8, 9, & 10 Cool, and not a cloud for the last six days. Repairing fences, & c. 11 A few flying clouds and pleasant day. Doing sundry little jobs. 12 Clear Pleasant day. Commenced a letter to my Sister dated 17th inst. 13 A little frost. Finished my letter. Eliza went to Mr. Alston's. 14 Fine day. Reading. 15. Some rain. Haulg. ? Pumpkins with Albert . 16 Rain most of the day. Eliza went to a quilting at Mrs. Alston's. Mr. Alston at the Lake. Got spotted sow up with five shoats, ear marked and altered them. 17 Rain all night and forenoon. Hauled wood. E. gone to cut cypress for boards. 18 Fine day. Eliza quilted Catherine's quilt. Edward splitting boards. 19 Pleasant. 20 & 21. A little rain both days. Eliza went to Mr. Humphreys. 22 A heavy fog in the morning. Doing several little jobs. 23 Rain before day & some after. Look dinner at home, after went with Eliza and Henry to the prairie, stopped at Mr. Moss'. 24. Frost. Went to Pujo's thence to Sallys. 25 A little frost. Visited at all the houses before, then returned to Mr. Moss'. 26 Turned a little warmed. Returned home. Commenced feeding Black. 26 Very fine day. 29 Partially cloudy. Humphrey & family here. 29 Cloudy with a little drizzle. Dug a few Potatoes. 30 Rain most of the day. 31 Fine day. James & Albert digging potatoes. Solomon at Ike Lang's. NOVEMBER (Thursday) 1 Fine day. Hy & Albert digging Potatoes. Sol returned. 2. Rain. Employed as Yesterday. 3 Some rain. Finished digging, got one bank. Albert & F -eeze went below yesterday. 4 Rain. All the voters went to Barnes Creek to the election; Adolph below. 5 Rain most of the night and A.M. The creek rising. 6 Cleared off. Mr. Alston returned. 7.. Fine day. Edward returned. 8 Cold Pleasant day. Thrashing rice. Commenced on the potato heap. 9 Fine day. James returned. Thrashing rice. Black sick. 10 & 11 Both days cloudy, Edward killed a large hog. Cutting logs. 12 Warm. Eliza went with me to the Lake; stopped t Jacob's. 13 Still warm. In the evening went to the Austins'. Eliza signed Power of Attorney. Gave Doctor Sanders a letter to Lum Perkins. Paid Louis LeBanc my account in full to day. 14 Fine warm day. Returned home, Took diner at Houston's. 15 & 16 A little rain both days. E. & Adolph digging potatoes, boys' helping. 17 & 18 Both Cold days. Killed a black spayed sow; not fat. 19 & 20 Cold pleasant days. Mak'g potato house. Got 2 qra. meat from Mr. Alston. 21 & 22 Both pleasant days. Finished potato house; and daubbed it. 23 Threatening rain. Digging potatoes in tobacco patch. Ike Haul'g corn. 24 A very hard rain in the evening. Made a shelter over potato house. 25 No rain, but not quite cleared off. Finished digging potatoes in the tobacco patch. 26 Turned cold and cleared off. Eliza stopped at Mr. Alston's last night. 27 Very fine day. E. & Js hauling logs at Humphreys' place. Waters high. 28 Cold day. Went to the prairie, stopped at night at Mr. Moss's. 29 Still Cold. From Mr. Moss' to the store, thence to Simon Vincent's; rece'd $32.00 fm him for 2 beeves sold, still owing him xxxx paid. 30 Morn'g cold; rain in the afternoon. Albert & myself returned home. Commenced corn in the big crib. DECEMBER (Saturday) 1 Cold pleasant day. 2. Cold J. & Adolph killed two hogs in the wood. 3 Cloudy with a little rain at night. Commenced digging potatoes. 4 & 5 Both fine days. Finished digging the last day in big patch. 6 Very pleasant day. Covered potato bank, and cut some logs. Eliza at Adolph's. 8 Cloudy with rain & hard wind at night. Cut logs. 9 Cleared off cold. Mr. Alston drove up a drove of hogs, Edward's spotted sow with them. 10 & 11 Frost both mornings. Threshing rice. Finished cutting logs on this side. 12 Partially cloudy. Finished threshing rice. Blk listed sow came up with 5 Pigs. 13 Rain in the afternoon. Killed a four year old beef. 14 & 15 Rain both days. 16. Cleared off. Eliza at Mrs. Alston's. At home reading. 17 Fine cold day. Doing several little Jobs. 18 A hard frost. Buring logs. 19 Rain at night. Mary Ann and James returned from the Ferry. 20 Frost. Killed a hog had up fattening. 21. Very hard rain. 22 Cleared off warm. Henry returned from the Lake: got a sack of salt. 23 Cloudy cold day. Killed the ? . 24. Cloudy and cold. 25 Rain, Sleet, and a hard freeze. Spent a very lonesome day. 26 Cleared off with a severe freeze. 27. Still harder freeze. 28 Light rain most of the day. Killed the spotted & yellow barrows and black sow out of the black gang. 29 Cloudy and cleared off cold in the evening. Ed. raised his house. 30 Cloudy and freezing all day. 31. Still cloudy and very cold.