Thomas Rigmaiden's Diary 1865 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 (Sunday) 1865 1 Frost. Returned from the Lake, and took dinner at Adolph's. 2 Turned warm. Returned home, and found Sol ploughing in the pasture. 3 Fine day. Jackson and Sol went a hog hunting. 4 Cloudy, threatening rain. Hauled some light wood. 5. A very wet day. 6 Fine day. Sol went to Adolph's and raturned. 7. Frost. Matthews & Sol hog hunting. 8 Cloudy, rain at night. A large company here. Kept me from my devotions. 9 Rain all night and day. 10. Cloudy. 1lth A little rain. Ploughing these two days. 12 A hard frost. Cooly had a beef killed for Catharine. 13 Another frost. Eliza went to Jackson's. Made two onion beds. 14. Clear and cold. 15 Cloudy. Mrs. Jackson's little baby died. Spent the day in prayer, reading the Bible. 16-18 Frost. Splitting rails. Planted onions. Eliza went to Bennet's the 17th. 19 Cloudy. Sol went with helare to go to Lacasine. Planted more onions. 20 Cloudy with a little drizzle. Finished planting what onion there were. 21 Rain last night. Wrote Edward by Robt Huggins. Felonise went to Reese Perkins'. 22 Cloudy, drizzle day. All alone, no disturbance to my devotions. 23-25 Hard freeze each day. Eliza came home and brought me a pr shoes from Bennett's. 26 & 27 Cloudy. Sol returned. Wrote to Albert. 28 & 29 Cloudy with rain. Sol went a hog hunting with Jackson and Mitchel. 30 Fine day. Planted a bed of onions. 31. Rain. wrote my Brother dated 23rd. February (Wednesday) 1 Rain. Received a letter from Albert 15th ulto. Finished my letter. 2 Rain night and day. Sol returned; they killed nine hogs, only one for me. 3 Rain, and partially cleared off. Wrote to Albert and young Reese Perkins. 4 Rain. Trimmed a few peach trees. Sol and Felonise went to Reese's. 5 & 6 Rained all night, and until 9 this morning. Water from Creek up the yard. 7 Cleared off cold. Trimmed more peach trees. 8. Frost. fixing field fence. 9-11 Frost each morning. Trimming trees in the garden. Employed as yesterday. 12 Fine day. Spent in my usual devotions. Eliza wrote to Jake. 13 Rain all the forenoon. Splitting rails. 14. Rain & cleared off. Sol made a raft. 15 A light frost. Grubbing up briers. Killed a hog out of the pen. 16 Fine day. Sol splitting rails. Doing several little jobs. 17 Pleasant. Went to the Lake. Gave in my propery, assessed at $172.50. 18 Very fine day. Paid Mr. Goos a visit. Gave Austin Jake's letter. 19 Cloudy with rain. Returned as far as Adolph's with Johnson Thomas. 20 Fine day. Returned home. 21 A wet day. Wrote to Ed and Albert, sent the former by Bell. Sol at Edward's. 22-24 Rain nights & days. Sol & Antoine came home from Edward's. Water high. 25 Cleared off. 26. Clear days Catharine wrote to Albert inclosing $20.00, sent by via Bell. 27 Rain. Sol & Antoine at sundry jobs. 28. Cloudy. Sol went to fix fences at Edward's. March (Wednesday) 1 & 2 Cloudy, with some rain. Sol & Antoine working at Edward's. Grubbing up briars. 3 Cloudy, with a little rain. Finished at Ed's. Killed a sow out of Js gang, eight head left. 4 Cleared off cold. Sol hog hunting with Jackson. Sowed some tobacco, & grubbed briers. 5 Partially cloudy. Eliza went to Edward's. The day spent in my usual devotions. 6 Very fine day. Planted two rows of corn and some pepper seed in the garden. 7 Rain in the evening. Cutting corn stalks. Catharine's mare bogged, and died. 8 Rain most of the night. Employed as yesterday. 9th Rain, and cleared off cold. Ed. came home. 1O A smart freeze. Sol harrowing in the old pasture. 11. Frost. Finishad harrowing. 12 A little frost. Wrote to Albert, to be sent by Ivans. My Sabbath employed as usual. 13 Rain at night. Made pinder ridges & planted them. Hoed 2 onion beds. Hauled Manure. 14 Rain last night, day cloudy. Hauled wood. Cleaning big stable. 15 Cloudy, with a little rain. Not much work to day. Eliza put up 35 yards of cloth. 16 Fine day. Laying off old ground. 17. Pleasant. Finished laying off. Fenced tobacco patch. 18 Pleasant day. Rolled logs. 19th Rain in the eveng. Had a visit fm Mr. & Mrs. Reese Perkins. 20 Hard rain all day. No work. 21. Cleared off. Laying off old ground. Meat & potatoes gave out. 22 Fine pleasnt day. Bedded out potatoes. Grubbing briars in potato patch. 23 Continues pleasant. Commenced planting potatoes. Employed as yesterday. 24 Still pleasant. Finished planting potatoes. Ploughing in old pasture. Hoeing onions. 25 Clear, cool day. Wrote to Jacob, sent the letter by young Berry to Adolph's. F., S. & A. to ? Perkins. 26 A little drizzle. Wrote to Albert, the rest of the day spent in my usual devotions. 27 A hard rain. Laying off bottom land. Hoeing onions. 28 Fine day. Hauling manure. Sol at Reese Perkins' log rolling. Ed started back. Workg in garden. 29 Rain night and morning. Commenced planting old ground. 30 Cold, clear day. Planting as far as the wet land. Sent Albert's letter by Js Humphreys. 31 Fine pleasant day. Throwing furrows on each side planted corn. Employed as sundry jobs. April (Saturday) 1 Continues pleasant. Finished planting old ground, and the old rice patch. 2 Partially cloudy. The day chiefly went in my devotions. 3 Fine day. Planting and manuring cotton land. Planted butter beans. 4 Cloudy. Finished planting bottom field. Planted 2 rows corn in garden. Ed. returned. 5 Cloudy all day. Planting white corn. Sowed ocras & a few hills corn in the garden. 6 Partially. Finished planting white corn. Ed came back with Lile and others. 7 Rain last night and today. Sol planting potatoes at Ed's. Made some hills for cotton. 8 Weather as yesterday. Sol at Jackson's log rolling. Planted some silk cotton, and okra seed. 9 Rain until 12 M. Spent the day as usual. Edward and family here. 10 Cloudy all day. Edward went to look for his mare. Wrote to Albert. Planted some pumpkin seed. 11 Still cloudy. Ed & Sol returned having killed 2 hogs, Catharine's. Wrote to Jake, sent via Edward Moss. 12 A little rain. Harrowing bottom corn. Sol at Edward's. No work for me today. 13 Fine cold day. Planted indigo and popcorn. Planted muskmellon seed in the garden. 14 Showery. Edward killed a beef for Mrs. Reese Perkins. Eliza & I went to Adolph's. 15 Hard rain in the night, and some today. Went to Gills' and Bennet's, Delphine with us. 16 Fine day. Returned home, little river high. Mrs. Bennet and Nanee in company. 17 Rain. Wrote to Jake. Ed went back. Planted some tobacco plants. Sol & A at Edward's. 18 A little rain. Sol & A at Ed's. 19. Fine day. Replanting old ground. Reced letter fm A. & 2 for Dell. 20 Hard rain last night. Wrote to Albert, sent it to Adolph's. Sol ploughing in old pasture, and Antoine laying off cotton patch.Hoed my pinders. Onizime Roya here. 21 Cleared off cold. Ploughing in old pasture. Finished replanting old ground. 22 Near a frost. Planted cotton seed. Laying off pasture for rice. 23 A little frost. On ? day I offered up my prayers. 24 A hard rain. Sowed some rice, and yellow corn. In the morning replanting white corn. 25 Cold, but no frost. 26. Rain, morng and evening. Eliza went to Mr. Gills', sent 3 carrots tobacco. 27 Fine day. Killed a beef belonging to Albert. ? well today. 29 Very fine day. Wrote to Dr. Kirkman by Sol. Antoine breaking up middles in the ground. 30 Fine day. Undisturbed in my devotions to my Supreme Being. May (Monday) 1 Pleasant, cool day. Finished sowing rice and breaking up middles in old ground. 2 Fine day. Hoeing onions. Replanting corn these two days. 3 Very fine day. Replanting bottom corn. Sowed musk & watermellons in old pasture. 4 Weather as yesterday. Employed as yesterday. Hauling rails. Quite sick. 5 Continues fine weather. Finished replanting. Haulg rails, breaking middles white corn. 6 A hard rain. Wrote to Edward. ? came home. Working in the garden. 7 Some rain. Eliza returned to Gills'. Spent most of the day as usual. 8 A hard rain. Hauling rails. Antoine harrowing at Reese's. Quite unwell. 9 & 10 Fine day. Putting up pasture fence. Hoeing & replanting yellow corn. 11 Quite cool. Employed as yesterday. Wrote Albert to go by Valentine Roya. 12 & 13 Pleasant cool days. Finished my task of hoeing & replanting yellow corn. 14 Partially cloudy. Spent the day as usual. 15. Appearance of rain. Put up pasture fence. 16 Fine day. Hoeing rice. Eliza came home. took a dose of rhubarb. 17 Warm day. Wrote to Albert and Jacob. Mary Ann here. A little better. 18 & 19 Warm dry days. Wrote to Edward. Hoeing rice. Ploughing old ground. 20 Still dry and warm. Hoed some of my pinders. Liza had a beef killed. 21 No appearance of rain. Eliza returned to Gills and Mag and Tom came up. 22 Quite warm. Heard of the surrender of the State. Sowing peas and ploughing old ground. 23 Dry and warm. Sowing peas. Ploughing up cotton patch. Took a dose of rhubarb. 24 Fine day. Ploughing cotton patch and little clearing. Jacob came home at night. 25 Still dry and warm. Planted cotton patch, and little clearing. Hoed in the garden. 26 Continues dry and warm. Jacob went to Adolph's. Ploughing corn in bottom field. 27 Clear and cool. Antoine went with Reese Perkins for Albert and Ivans. 28 Dry cool day. Albert came home last night. Edward returned. Reading hymn book. 29 Morning cool, day pleasant. Albert went with Helare home. Ploughing bottom corn. 30 & 31 Dry day. Hoeing and ploughing. Sol got Margaret's horse up. June (Thursday) 1 & 2 Both fine days. Eliza came from Gills'. Jake went to look for corn and returned.