What was going on in the Mt. Gilead community in Scott County, IN in 1860
December, 1860
Tuesday, December 4, 1860: Mother (Jane Waldsmith Young) goes on to the store, then goes to Christians–he is sick. I sew and knit and nurse, cook, scold–trying to get some work done. James (Bovard) goes to paps (Abner Young)–gets money for his taxes. Cloudy, snowed some. Mother goes by from Crises–says he is some better.
Wednesday, December 5, 1860: James off early to Lexington to pay his pap’s taxes. Pap’s taxes–$27.00. James taxes $12.00. Catherine comes. We make mother some new caps to day. I make two–Catherine one. James gets home at 3 o’clock. The children goes to school. Isaac comes for Catherine to help her home.
Saturday, December 8, 1860: Margaret has a young daughter this morning. She calls her Florelle Agnes. Cloudy last night. James comes for me with the wagon. We get home at 3 o’clock. Quite cool. James goes to Everharts for my shoes.
Wednesday, December 12, 1860: James still cutting and hauling wood, goes this morning–gets my shoes. Hang them to the joist–I’ll send them back in the morning. They must have been the pair that Noah forgot to take in the ark. Mother comes to see if James is going to town to day.
Thursday, December 13, 1860: Here goes James with the said canoes or shoes as the case may be. Pap comes, I go to pap’s for mother to mind the babe till I can pick the geese. Pap helped James gather corn, getting colder all the time. I dress some chickens. Maria Jane (Bovard) goes to Catherine’s to stay all night.
Sunday, December 16, 1860: James comes home at 7 o’clock last night, safe and sound. We are all well this morning. James, Marion, Maria Jane goes to Gilead to meeting. Eastman preached at Gilead.
Wednesday, December 19, 1860: Rains all day. James makes door latches, fixes the doors. There is no school to day. The children at home all day–what a noise they keep. I sew hard all day. Marion goes for my new shoes. The creek up. The babe not well–very cross (Charles Lincoln Bovard). I have bad cold and sore throat all the time.
Saturday, December 22, 1860: Clearning off. Mother goes by to the office. We salt up six fine fat hogs. James helps me do the work, finished the sausage and lard against night. Mother come by from the office–brings the paper. Get a letter from Maine.
Monday, December 24, 1860: James cuts and hauls wood. I go to Mrs. Griffith’s a few minutes, then home. Fry some crulls. John Young comes by–gives me a candy apple for a Christmas present. James went with me to Mr. Griffith’s at night to stay till bed time. Him and Ivan went to debate then come home.
Tuesday, December 25, 1860: Here is Christmas again. Oh how thankful ye are for the blessings we have received this last year. James fixes the old sled, takes me a sleigh riding to Williams. Mother goes to Cris’s to eat roast goose. James goes on to mill, gets our flour, then to home.
Friday, December 28, 1860: Quite cold. I stayed all night. They have a young daughter but it is dead. It will be buried at Coffee Creek this afternoon. James comes after me, then hauls corn, then goes and carried the little babe to the grave. Catherine is here to day. I am very tired and sleepy. The children at school to day.
Saturday, December 29, 1860: Marion and Freeman goes to the shoe shop to get shoes mended Old Mr. Barney Miller comes for day. James hauls wood. We scrub, and clean the house then James takes me to mother’s on the sled to fix a can for her. Marion goes to the office. The papers are filled with war news and secession. I feel bad–do not work much.
Sunday, December 30, 1860: I do not feel like walking to Gilead to meeting. James goes. Brother Miller preached. John Young and John Foster come by going to meeting, and K. Young is with them. All gone–now I read all day. Catherine goes by to mother’s. Mother is sick. Maria Jane goes with her–gets a mess of kraut.
Monday, December 31, 1860: The old year is most out. I do a large washing. Beautiful day for the last day of the year. James gathers corn in the Morrison field. Maria Jane goes home with Morrison children from school. Marion and K. Young goes at night, they have lots of fun. James does not go to the debate tonight. I do not get much work done.