John F. Leaves For Cincinnati
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday December 9, 1848: Today I am quite unwell with a pain in my eye. I took phisic and my two sons cut shingle tree and drew.
Saturday: Today my two sons took the two horse wagon and carried twenty bushels of carrots to the blacksmith Spencer. I let John F. have three dollars and 50 cents and he bought a valice and he paid three dol and 50 cents for a hat.
Monday: Today I and Geo P. went to Pittsfield to Squ J. M. Gold, sent for us to come to council with us concerning the suit that my daughter Charlotte has with Marcellus Ross. While I was in Pittsfield with Squ Gold in his office he did ask me for money to pay expenses of my daughter’s suit and I paid him ten dollars. Today my son John F. helped Mr. Odell saw shingle blocks and then walked up to Sylvester Gardner’s to see if he could get a chance to ride to Albany but after I returned home I told him not to go that way to go south, and on this evening we, that is my family, we all made out to John F. seventy dollars in cash. I only handed in 21 dol 50 cts. This morning H. P. Wylie’s first son born.
Tuesday: This morning at four o’clock Geo P. took the one horse wagon and carried John F. to Canaan Depot to go to Bridgeport and to New York and then to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Wednesday: Today I chopped a shingle tree, a large chestnut and Geo P. helped saw off two logs and then we took the ox team and drew them down.
Thursday: Today Geo P. butchered eighty turkeys. Mr. Aaron Merrils and wife and Hiram Newton and Chauncey Baldwin and MacNaut’s wife helped together with our own family. Today Reeve Odell went home sick.
Friday: Today Geo P. took the two horse wagon and carried his turkeys to Pittsfield and put onto the railroad to go to Boston market, and he carried Charlotte to F. Jay Wylie’s and left her on a visit. I let her have one dollar.
Saturday: I walked to Squ Strait’s and engaged him to come and take the affidavit of old widow Lydia Landers concerning what she was told by Marcellus Ross what his age was and I went to brother Samuel Beers and took dinner.
Monday, Dec. 18: This morning Reeve Odell returned to making shingle, he returned this morning to his work and health better, and towards night Squ Strait came to my house and I fetched the old widow Lydia Landers to my house and Squ Strait took her affidavit concerning what she knew that Marcellus Ross age was twenty three years.