by Alex Brooks
When the last episode ended, Holcomb had just returned on November 17, 1813, from a year’s journey to Eastern Massachusetts, his first extended time away from home. His father had asked him to come home to take over the family farm.
Holcomb left originally to escape the draft, but having secured a new “certificate” exempting him from military service because he is hard of hearing, he apparently felt safe enough to come home.
The War of 1812 is still happening across the country. Three attempts to conquer Canada have already failed. The war will continue for another year, including the burning of Washington D.C. in the summer of 1814, concluding with a treaty at the end of that year.
George settles in back at his father’s house and begins his life’s work of farming, wheeling and dealing.
December, January, and February were mostly taken up with chopping wood – sometimes for hire, sometimes for his own house. In the second part of February he started collecting timber and “shingle logs,” apparently for a building project, but he doesn’t let on what the project is. He and his father make occasional attempts to buy or rent a farm, apparently because the two of them are able to run a bigger farm than just their own.
April 5, 1814, Tuesday: “This afternoon I went to town meeting to the house of Widow Griggs Inn, I spent 12.5 cents. This evening I went to Mr. Harrisons and Mr. Newton to find out false reports of my character.”
May 19, Thursday: “Tonight I rode up to Wm Douglass and he drew a lease of my Father’s farm for me. One year it runs, that Samuel is to work for me and Father is to board us until Dec. next, and I am to return one half of every article that the farm produces.”
Four days later he goes down to Doc Main’s to see if he would assist George in buying the Dixon farm.
In May and June he spends a total of six days working on the highway to fulfil his “assessment,” an early form of taxation.
July 4th he goes to Lanesboro to inquire about a still. This seems to be the focus of his building project.
In July and August he does a great deal of haying, both for himself and for others. He frequently injures himself while working. On August 23, while mowing with a scythe, he cut his ankle and is lame again for several days.
He frequently exchanges work with other men in the community, and keeps careful track of who owes what to whom. This is how the town’s work gets done.
In mid-December his cousin, friend and primary farm hand Samuel Holcomb fell gravely ill. Christmas day, a Sunday, he went to visit Samuel (there is no mention that it is Christmas). On the 28th Samuel dies, and George Holcomb spends three days on the funeral and its arrangements. But not everybody died young – he notes that grandmother Abigail Holcomb died at the age of 94.