A Big Anti-Rent Meeting
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, August 30 1844: We hayed some and this afternoon. I rode with Henry P. Wylie over to the Presbyterian meeting house to an anti-rent meeting, quite a crowd, one Mr. Thompson and Doctor Boughton addressed the meeting. Quite a number appeared there in Indian style and my two sons attended the meeting.
Saturday: On this evening I took my single wagon and my son John F with me we went to Lebanon. I called to Gays and Sons and paid in cash one dollar for eleven pounds sugar, and I carried the widow Anna Clark one peck of plums and I trusted her for them, price 59 cts. I called in to Doctor Bates with my son John F. to have his tooth pulled but the Doctor broke it off and left it in, no pay.
Monday: On this evening I walked up to Caleb Jolls to make inquiry concerning the anti-rent boards being taken down by Van Rensselaer Torys.
Tuesday: We worked at haying. Today brother Simeon Wylie came to my house and I rode with him to Canaan Corners and there we found one of our anti-rent boards and post but could not find out who had taken the said anti-rent board and carried it to Canaan. We came home by way of Whitings Pond and in New Lebanon I called to Lias Dikes to see what was the excuse why he had not come and paid me for my beef cattle. He was not home.
Friday: September 6: On this evening I and my son Geo P rode to Lebanon in our two wheel carriage. I called to Lias Dikes and he paid me up for my four head of beef. He paid me 47 dol which makes sixty three dollars which fulfills the contract. On the way down I called to James Henry Rich to see if my two horse pleasure wagon was done but it was not.
Saturday: Today I took my two wheel carriage and took my wife and Charlotte and rode to the west part of Lebanon to Mrs. Murphy’s and took dinner there. I took up a note of eighty dollars that Fanny Roberts held against me and I paid the interest which is one dol and four cents.
Tuesday: I rode up to Squ Nathan Howard’s shop and engaged the Irish Charley to new shoe my horse tomorrow and I called to see Orra Holcomb’s child that was dangerous with a wound on the head by falling from bed.
Wednesday: This morning I walked up to Nathan Howard’s shop to the Irish Charley and got one of my horses shod and I paid him the cash 83 cts. From there I walked to Squ Amos James and got a subpoena and walked home again and it was one o’clock at night when I got home
Thursday: We dug potatoes but our potatoes are badly rotted.