Friday, March 22, 1839: I rode up to Squ Nathan Howard’s and carried two old bibles that were Father’s and had his name and marriage in them.[private] Said Howard wanted them to prove my father’s marriage at the City of Washington in order to get the pension that was due to Mother during her lifetime.
Sunday: Today we heard that Henry LeRoy went to the woods yesterday morning and was killed by the fall of a tree and was not found until today.
Tuesday: This morning I walked down to old widow Booge’s on an errand for Mr. Amos Chapman to inquire if she let out her farm but she does not. Today I chopped wood to the door and cleaned stove pipe.
Thursday: This forenoon I drew manure onto the garden and this afternoon I took the single wagon and carried my wife to James Adams Jnr on a visit and I walked down to Hiram Brown’s to a nomination meeting for town officers. I went to said Brown’s as one of the committee to help make a nomination for town officers. I was on the nomination for assessor. I paid six cents for bitters and I returned to said Adams and took tea and spent the evening and we got home about eleven o’clock.
Friday: Towards night I took my two-horse pleasure wagon and carried my wife and daughter L. Angeline out to brother Samuel Beers. When we got within half a mile of there the reach to the wagon broke and split the hind bolster and we walked from there and left the wagon on the road. Brother Beers happened along at the same time we broke down and helped us getting to his house. It is quite rainy this night.
Monday, April 1: On this evening I walked over to Hiram Newton’s. I went there to see brother Sylvester and Benjamin Carpenter on account of town meeting. I accidentally happened to be at said Newton’s this evening to what was called a revival meeting. The invitation was very urgent to all to express their feelings and after a space of silence Deacon Gillet Goodrich turns to me and says Mr. Holcomb do you believe there is such a thing as religion, then without answering him the question and asked him if he thought I was a human being, he answered and said he thought I was, I then in rather an angry tone of voice said to him what he asks me such a question and his answer was he had asked Daniel Gardner the same question.
Tuesday: Today I took my single wagon and my son John P rode with me to town meeting, our republican ticket was all elected (he used to be federalist) except Simon Cranston and Geo W. Glass in said Cranston’s room for overseer of the poor and I was elected as one of the assessors. Today my expenses were over one dol and fifty cts for the cause of republicanism.[/private]