Thomas Rigmaiden's Diary 1856 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, 1856, (Tuesday) 1 A hard freeze and cloudy. Boys cutting logs over the creek. 2 Rain most of the day. 3. Cleared off cold. Cutting logs on the other side. 4 & 5 A hard frost both days. 6. Partially cloudy. Killed black barrow. 7 Fine moderate day. Rolled logs. Edward gome to his place in the cart. Wrote letters for Mr. Lang and Mr. Solvence Turner. 8 & 9 Partially cloudy and cold. Burning logs. Boys at work on the other side of the creek. Adolph and Albert gone a hog hunting. 10 Rain most of the day, with a hard freeze as it fell. Liza delivered of a little boy at about 3 P.M. Adolph & Albert returned. 11 Cold wet day, and thawing the ice off the trees, accumulated by the freeze, yesterday. Eliza and Mrs. Turner went to Mr. Alston's, Mrs. A. delivered a little girl about 4 P.M. 12 Still very cold; the sun shone for a few minutes. Killed a spayed sow. 13 Cleared off pretty cold. 14. Fine day. Grubbing. Js and E. at Eds. Place. 15, 16 & 17 A very hard freeze these three clays. Mr. S. finished splitting rails. 18 Fine day, wind south. Hy at Adolph's. Finished cleaning up the clearing. 19 Rain last night and this even'g. Js & Hy at Jn. Fork's clearing. 20 Cold cloudy day. Jacob's browney died, and I skinned her. 21 A hard freeze. Mr. Alston finished splitting what rails he wanted. 22 A harder freeze than yesterday. Chs. Bell, Js, Oh & Hy splitting rails. 23 A light freeze and clouded up. Grubbing. Boys splitting rails. 24 Cloudy most of the day. Finished splitting rails. Got 1500. 25 Rain last night, and this evening. Adolph went to Derosier's. 26 Rain all night with hard S.E. & S. wind. Eliza put up a ps. clothq 27 & 28 Very hard freeze both nights. Js & Hy at work at Mr. Alston's. 29 & 30 With frost both mornings. Boys at Mr. Alston's cutting stalks. 31 A little rain last night. Ed daubed his chimney. Paid Humphreys salt. ( my note- could be "Laid" Humphrey's ? ). FEBRUARY (Friday) 1 Fine day. Went with James to the Lake, stopped at Austin's. 2 Very thick fog & fair. Fm A's to the Lake, thence to Onlezime Roya's. 3 Turned cold. Fm 0.R's home. 4 & 5 Very hard freezes. Hy went to the prairie. 5 Rain most of the day. &. Some rain. Cutting corn steaks. 8 & 9 Both days a smart frost. Eliza went to Houston's. 10 Cloudy with rain at might. E. crossed the cart to move. 11 Cleared off cold. Adolph rolling logs. 12. A light frost. 13 A little frost this morng. Rolling logs in the other side the creek. 14 A little frost & clouded up. Eliza & Hy went to Houston's and returned home at night. James and Albert cleang up field on ther other side. 15 A little rain this morn'g. Wrote to my Sister of this date, and Saml Perkins. 16 Fine warm day. Sent my letter by Mr. Alston. Eliza had a quilting. 18 Turned cold again. 19. Cloudy. Cleaning up field. 20 Cloudy, with rain at night. Got a load white corn fm the old house. 21 Fine cold day. Grubbing and stacked corn. 22 & 23 Cloudy both days. Grubbing & fixed gap. 24 & 25 Rain. 26 Rain all day. 27. Movg fence at the old house. 28 Cloudy & warm. Hauling rails for potato patch. 29 Rain. MARCH (Saturday) 1 Rain last night & this morning. No work done today. 2 Cleared off cold. 3. A little frost. Put up rail fence to the garden. 4 &5 Both days cloudy. Fixing fence at the house field. Haulg rails. 6 Rain. Eliza went to Napoleon Alston's. he died before she got there. 7 Rain all night & most of the day. Eliza returned. A.M. went home. 8 & 9 Cleared off pleasant. Peach trees blossoming. Js returned from the Lake. 10 Rain. 11. Fine day. Making potato hills & bedded potatoes out. 12 Rain. Ploughing ridges for tobacco. Eliza at Alston's making soap. 13 Rain all night and most of the day. Hy haulg rails to the old house. 14 Rain at night, day cloudy. Makg potato hills & planted. 15 Partially cloudy & warm. Got 1/2 barrel of corn fm. Mr. Alston. 16 Cloudy & cold. 17. Cloudy cold, dull day. Sowed 6 row tobacco seed. 18 Still cold and cloudy. Sowed more tobacco seed. 19 Pleasant. 20 Very fine day. Preaching here. 21. Pleasant. Hy went to the prairie. 22 Fine day. Hy returned. Finished buring brush & logs on this side. 23,24 & 25 All fine days. Planted the little clearing and harrowed it. 26, 27 & 28 Fine cool days. Planted the field at the house. 29 Threatening rain and turned warm. Harrowing; not quite finished. 30 Pañtially cloudy & hard S. wind. Took dinner at Mr. Alston's. 31 Cloudy & cool. Made a small cow pen. Log rolling at Edward's. APRIL (Tuesday) 1 A very hard S.E. wind and a little drizzle. Eliza went to Mr. Reeves', took my ploughs. Doing several little jobs. 2 A fine shower last night & this morning. Staked & ? dered field fence. 3 Pleasant day. 4. Pleasant. A-h assisting laying off rows for planing (evidently planting). 5 Quite cool. Finished planting corn as far as the old house. 6 & 7 Pleasant. Breaking balks. 8. Quite cool. Finished breaking balks. 9 Dry & cool. H. commenced breakg up rice patch. Repaired cart & harrow. 10 Cool & pleasant. Ploughing in the forenoon. Got about 3 brls corn fm Mr. A-n. 11 Still Cool & dry. Boys returned from Onlezime Roya's little ball. 12 & 13 Partially cloudy. Plough'g rice patch. Eliza went adolph's. At home alone. 14 & 15 & 16 Cloudy. Replanted ? with the hoe in the house field. 17 A little rain at night. Js. went to the Lake. 18 & 19 Fine pleasant days. Js returned 18th. Cleaning up in the ? swamp. 20 Quite cool. Eliza and Albert went to Houston's & returned. 21 Cold morn'g. Henry ploughing in the orchard. Commenced a letter to my Sister dated 25th inst. James went a cow hunting yesterday. 22 Threatening rain. Finished my letter and wrote to ? .Adolph & Mr. Alston went to meet the cow hunters. Haul'g rails. 23 A hard rain last night & this morn'g. Ploughing in the orchard. Made gap. 24 Fine day. Replanting corn in little clearing. Planted sugar beans and some potatoe draws. Sent my letter to the post office by Jake Pantal. 25 A nice shower this morn'g. They penned the cattle here last night. All hands cow hunting and herding. Finished replanting. 26 Hard S. wind & rain at night. Mr. A. branded and turned out the cattle. 27 & 28 Rain both days. Replanted the old ground, & replant field at home. 29 Cloudy, with rain at night. Eliza went to Ike's Catherine delivered of a little baby, it died shortly, and was buried at the grave yard. 30 Rain last night and this ? . Finished ploughing by the house over creek. MAY (Thursday) 1 & 2 Both very varm days. Hoeing & replant'g. Got a qr meat fm Mr. Alston. 3 Cloudy & warm. Sowed rice, and planted corn in the orchard. 4 & 5 Cloudy both days. Js plough'g & plant'g by the houses on the other side. 6 Rain last night. James went to the padling boat. Having got away. 7 Rain. Js looking for Having. Soloman harrowing on the other side. 8 Rain & cool. Replant'g & scroping corn. James found Hoomy at Onlezime's. 9 Cool, rain in the even'g. Ike & Albert finished replanting on the other side. Mr. Alston, Adolph Js & Albert went to join the cattle hunters. 10 Rain all day. It was today they went to join the cattle hunters. 11 Very fine day. The worms very bad, and have been so since planting. 12 & 13 Both fine days. Penned the cattle in the big pen. Replanting. 14 Rain until 10 this morning, then cleared off. Mr. Alston branded, parted out beeves for Gill, he turned the herd loose. 15 Very fine day. Henry went to the Lake. Replanting at the old house. 16 Cool and pleasant. Employed as yesterday. Js plough'g in the wood field. Hoeing cane in clearing. Henry returned. 17 Quite cool. All hands employed as yesterday. Worms still very bad. 18, i9, & 20 Continues cool. Js hoeing potatoes. Hy finished ploughing in the woods field. Finished replanting at the old house. 21 A warm day. Hoeing tobacco. Adolph & Penn Farris plough'g corn in the old ground & commenced plough'g in the field at the house. 22 Morn'g cool, day warm. Adolph & Penn plant'g the wood field. 23 A little shower this even'g. Finished hoeing out the tobacco. 24 Warm. Eliza, Alston & myself went to the Lake, rece'd a letter from my Brother dated 17th ulto with a draft of L20.00 which I gave to Pujo and got $18.00 from him. 25, 26, & 27 Weather continues dry. The worms taken the corn in the old ground. 28 & 29 Dry. Eliza went to Ike's Boys hoeing. 30 & 31 Dry & Warm. Hy. went to the Cole's with Mr. Alston & Adolph. Js. hoeing. JUNE, 1856 (Sunday) 1 Morn'g quite cool, day warm. Ike and E. cut a bee tree. E. & MA returned late. 2 Some appearance of rain. Got Plough sharpened. Replanting on the other side. 3 Still appearance of rain. Wrote to my Brother, dated 5th inst. James plough'g on the other side. boys replanting. 4 A little rain last evening. Finished replanting & hoeing little clearing. 5 Fine shover this afternoon. Plough'g and harrowing on the other side. 6 Fine day. Js, Hy & Bell went to the Lake. Killed a 3 yr old beef fr Hy. 7 & 8 Dry and warm. Boys returned. Rece'd a letter fm my Sister & one from Sl p. 9 Coninues dry. Adolph plough'g in the rice. Hy & Albt hoe'g on the other side. 10 Appearance of rain before day but got none. A-h finished plough'g rice. Wrote to Samuel Perkins, & sent the letter by James. 11 Still dry. Js. plough'g little clearing. Hy & A hoe'g on the other side. 12 Quite a warm day. Penn assisting us to hoe on the other side. 13 Day warm, a little rain at night. Js. & Albert went with me to the prairie. 14 Very warm. Returned home, met with Adolph he returned with us. 15, 16, & 17 Dry and warm. Penn took my ploughs to Ritters'. 18 Still dry. Js plough'g the other side. Hy & Albert hoeing. 19 A little appearance of rain. Boys employed as yesterday. Got 1/4 meal fm Mr. Alston. 20 Several fine showers. Planted a few potatoes hills in the garden. 21 & 22 Rain both days. Sowed little clearing in peas. Planted a few more hills. 23 Another rain. Finished plough'g balks in fld at house and ploughed some in ole ground. 24. Two hard showers. Hauling rails. Planted Vines. 25, 26, & 27 Warm days. Mak'g potato hills. Hauled cross fence, and made a big pen. 28 Dry and warm. Ploughing and sowing peas on the other side. 29 A little shower, but not to do any good. Employed as yesterday. 30 A fine rain. Killed a 3 yr old beef got from Js. Ploughing & sowing peas. JULY, 1856, (Tuesday) lst & 2nd Both fine days. Penn plough'g on the other side. Hy. plough'g fld at home. 3 & 4 Warm, warm days. Finished plough'g on the other side. Hy at Lake. 5 A little cloudy. Hy & Albert returned. 6. A fine rain. 7. Fine. Planted vines. 8 & 9 Fine weather. Boys assisting in gathering Napoleon's cattle. 14yself heoing. 10 Still dry. Went to Mr. Alston's to the sale of Napoleon's effects. Js. went to the prairie. 11 & 12 Both warm days. Hy & Albert hoeing in the other side. My on this:= 13 & 14 Still dry and warm. Adolph ploughed the rice; Hy & A-t howing it. 15 & 16 Partially cloudy. Hoeing rice. Finished hoeing the field at home. 17 A very fine rain. Planted vines in the even'g. 18 & 19 Fine. Plough'g and mak'g hills. 20 & 21 Fine rains both day, Planted about 12 or 14 ridges with vines. 22 Rain in the evening. Sowing peas in the Pine Wood field, and Eugene ploughing. 23 No rain. Finished up planting vines in the big pen. Sowed and planted hills in garden. 24 Warm. Planted some hills in house field. Hauling rails for big pen. 25 Pleasant. Hauling rails. Pulled a few barrels fodder at House field. 26 & 27 Hard rain both afternoons. Cut some tobacco for the first. Took in fodder & tobacco. Hauled rails till 11 A.M. 28 Rain the afternoon. Made hills and planted vines at old house (old potatoe patch) 29 Several hard showers. Sowed some peas in the orchard. Planted some vines. Commenced a letter to my Sister of this date. 30 A very hard rain this afternoon. Finished my letter. Hauled a load or two of rails. 31 Another hard rain. James plough'g with Black at Edward's. End of Book III