Driving 100 Sheep Home From Pawlet
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, September 13, 1849: Today we passed on through Manchester and into Paulet to one Mr. E. F. Clark’s and he went round the town to help us look for sheep and then we returned home with said Clark and stayed.
Friday: This morning Geo P. paid our bill to said Clark Tavern, we had supper and lodging and horsekeeping and fifty cents for going with us yesterday in the afternoon to look for sheep and then we went up town to Mr. Tobias Hewlitt’s and took breakfast and Geo P bought fifty ewes at 87½ cents and fifty wethers at one dol and twenty five cents apiece and said Hewlett gave two wethers and then we took dinner with said Hewlett and then we started for home with our sheep. We came on to the town of Rheuport which was 14 miles to Mr. Manley’s and stayed.
Saturday: We came on to Manchester courthouse and I stopped to a harness maker’s shop and paid one dollar for a new umbrella with the nub broke off the end of the handle. Some rainy today, and we drove all day and got tonight into Shaftsbury to Mr. Draper’s and stayed.
Sunday: We came on through Bennington court house and through Pownal into Williamstown one mile and a half south of the colleges to Mr. Prindle’s and stayed.
Monday: We came on home through Hancock. I called in Hancock Village to Mr. Acox and he invited me and took dinner with him and paid eighteen dollars on the three hundred dollars note of Mrs. Turner’s, and gave a new note dated back to April the first. We got home before night.
Tuesday: Towards night I took the one horse wagon and carried my wife to Hiram Newton’s to see Miriam Newton for she is quite out of health. This forenoon my two sons went over to my Rodgers farm and Geo P. sorted out his ewes, 51 of them.
Monday, September 24: This morning I walked over to Orlando Rose on the widow Brown’s farm and tried to hire Geo P. sheep pasture but could not and Geo P. went and hired Truman Merrils pasture for them, and took them there today at two cents per head a week.
Wednesday: Geo P. took the one horse wagon Sarah with him, and went to Troy to the County Cattle show and fair.
Thursday: John F. went twice today up to Truman Merrils to have sheep buyers look at Geo P. sheep that is to sell.
Friday: Today two men from Ghent, their names are John Gaul and H. Cornelius, came and bought of Geo P. a lot of wethers at one dollar and seventy five cents apiece, five of them mine, eighty eight of them and then another lot of mine fifteen dry ewes at one dollar and 88 cents apiece and a third lot of fifteen lambs at one dollar per head, and paid in all two hundred and one dollars for the one hundred and twenty one sheep.