NEGenWeb Project
Resource Center
OLLibrary
December, 1847.] |
|
221 |
appointed for the National Convention to hear the new code of laws read and proclaimed, I beg leave to stay at home if you please, gentlemen.
Thursday, 9.--[This] morning at daylight, snow on the ground. Employed Mr Bowring to underpin my porch. He went to work. Mr Estes, the hog in principle, put out instead of staying to help Mr Bowring as he promised; but having secured his supper, lodgings, and breakfast "put out." Out upon such imposing churls! John Lynch called upon me and begged me to take him into my employment again. I told him nay, verily, I will have nothing to do with him nor any other man in whom no dependence can be placed. So he gathered up his duds and put out.
C. Graham called and spent the evening.
Friday, 10.--Keen sharp morning. Dr. Hewitt called to see Sophia. Pronounced her mending. Mr Bowring finished underpinning the kitchen porch. Mr Peery came over and spent the evening. Clear night.
Saturday, 11.--Saddled up Dragon to go to town, but went no farther than H. Jacquis's; lent him my horse and came home. The payment of the Cherokee Boy's money postponed until Monday. James Washington getting well. Cold nights and warm days.
Sunday, 12.--Staid at home, read and wrote. Mr Kezor and Mr Taylor left for Kansas, having completed their work on the new Church.
Monday, 13.--Went to town. Transacted some business, came home and staid there for that day.
Tuesday, 14.--Dr. Hewitt paid to the legatees of Cherokee Boy the amount due them, being $1,833.00. A general payment of debts then took place.
Wednesday, 15.--Went to Kansas to make oath to my statement in regard to some matters pending between the Isaac Zane's family and John Walker.
222 |
|
[December, 1847. |
Thursday, 16.--Got my mail out of the P. 0. No news. One letter from Harriet.
Friday, 17.--Staid in Kansas and rambled over the town viewing its advantages and disadvantages in a commercial point of view. The long promised steam saw-mill not yet in operation. Why this delay? Echo answers why.
Saturday, 18.--After the mail came in, took French leave and came home.
Sunday, 19.--Having a violent cold, staid at home, instead of going to hear the Deacon's dedication sermon in the new Church.
Monday, 20.--Cold morning. Mercury within eight degrees of zero. Cold all day. Made out an old unsettled account against S. Armstrong and sent it down by H. to Kansas for settlement and allowance, and got a bill of family goods thereon. Mr Dennis returned.
Tuesday, 21.--Mercury nearly at zero. At daylight 5o. To-day is Council day, and to-night the directors of the J. S. Company meet. Owing to the continued illness of the Principal Chief, the Co[uncil] adjourned till next Tuesday. No meeting of the J. S. Co.
Wednesday, 22.--Went to town. Came home and staid at home. Reading the "Wandering Jew."
Thursday, 23.--Mr Dennis presented his bill. Jupiter Stator, thou ancient preserver of Rome, what a bill. Well, presenting a bill is one thing, and getting it paid is another.
Friday, 24.--Bought in company with E. T. Peery, a potato hole of James Rankin, the contents of which we hauled home. Received an application from D. Young for the ferry.
Saturday, 25.--A merry Christmas to you all!
Went to Church. The annual Christmas sermon was preached by Rev. L. B. Stateler. Came home and found Mr C. Graham domiciliated by my fireside. Took a (Christmas toddy and) social chat. He put out, and I to my chores.
December, 1847.] |
|
221 |
Sunday, 26.--Mercury 60 above zero. Cloudy morning. "Keen blows the wind and piercing is the air." But we will repair to the sanctuary, lest we become infidels and deny the faith. Rev. L. B. Stateler preached. Then a subscription was opened for the finishing [of] the church. Subscriptions were liberal.
Attended church at candle-light. Esqr. Gray Eyes as usual gave us some of [his] ravings and rantings in the way of exhortation. Came home at 9 o'clock and ----
Monday, 27.--Meeting continued. Went to H. Jacquis's and spent a part of the day, the election of a ferryman being the topic of conversation, the candidates are D. Young, Tall Charles, Charles Split-The-Logs.
Tuesday, 28.--Council met at James Washington's. Proceeded to the election of a ferryman, and resulted in the election of D. Young. Received a message from the Delawares, informing us that they had received information of the appointment of two commissioners on the part of the Government to enter into a tri-party treaty upon the matter of the cession of land by the Delawares to the Wyandotts--whether this be true or not seems somewhat problematical.
Wednesday, 29.--Feel unwell. Weather unusually warm. "Summer heat." Staid at home. H. Jacquis called upon me; chatted upon politics. Went to town in the evening.
Thursday, 30.--Warm. Mr Noble called. Went to Mr Cotter's, bought some tallow. Called at H. Jacquis's and found him sick with the pleurisy. Returned to him in the night and gave him some medicine. Left him at 8 o'clock.
Friday, 31.--Called upon H. J. Found him some better. Came home. 12 o'clock, "Summer heat." Unhealthy weather.
Dorcas returned from her visit to Kansas.
Something suspicious going on at the Deacon's. More women there than is common. Well, my suspicions are con-
224 |
|
[January, 1848. |
firmed. The Deacon has had the good fortune to have a son born to him on the last day of the year, 1847. Watch night at-the Church.JANUARY, 1848. Saturday, 1.--A happy new year to ye all! I attended in company with the Deacon and J. M. Armstrong, on the other side of the Missouri River, to purchase marketing. Bought eight bushels of apples and a bag of corn meal. Got my effects home. The family attended the party at J. M. Armstrong's. Came home at 9 o'clock. No mail. Heard the report of fire arms all day at Kansas. These are doubtless salutes. Silly fellows. This looks too puerile for men.
Sunday, 2.--Sabbath. Our folks being desirous of going to Church, I staid at home to keep house. C. B. G. called upon me and showed me a letter from John Walker, containing some menacing threats to the Wyandotts. Poor vindictive creature, spare thy malice, thy impotent rage. You can not browbeat the Wyandotts into anything wrong.
Monday, 3.--Mrs. W. went to Kansas and I worked upon my smokehouse. Signed a recommendation in favor of F. Cotter, who is an applicant for the Shawnee ferry.
Tuesday, 4.--This being Council day, I must attend. H. Jacquis being sick, his place must be supplied by a substitute as the law provides. The girls are going to Kansas on a visit to the Chick family.
Wrote to Col. Goodin upon the subject of the patents sent to him in October last.
Wednesday, 5.--Cold morning, thermometer 150 above zero. Called upon H. Jacquis and found him much worse.I entertain serious fears-he is laboring under a severe congestion of the lungs.
Hauled wood. Went over to see Jacquis, found him worse. Symptoms alarming-bathed him in hot spirits. Came away in the evening.
January, 1848.] |
|
225 |
Thursday, 6.--Went over early to see Jacquis. Alas! my fears were realized. He departed this life at 12 o'clock at night. The Council assembled at my house to make arrangements for the funeral, when the following program was agreed upon: the funeral to take place to-morrow at 11 o'clock, the procession to march under the direction of the marshal, to the Church, where an oration will be delivered on the life and character of the fallen Chief. Then to close with religious services. Thence to proceed to the burying ground. After the funeral service is read, then the burial and benediction.Orator of the day, W. W.
Chaplain, Rev. E. T. Peery.
Marshal, S. Armstrong.Friday, 7.--Beautiful day. The solemn ceremony of the burial took place in accordance with the above arrangements. Never have I seen so large a concourse of Wyandotts on a similar occasion.1
Saturday, 8.--Rose at 5 o'clock. Fury, how it [is]
1 Henry Jacquis belonged to that part of the Wyandot Nation composed of the Barnett and Charloe families. Margaret Charloe was a sister of Henry Jacquis. He was a good man and highly esteemed by the Wyandots. J. M. Armstrong named a son for him. He was more French than Indian. The Wyandots pronounced the name "Jocko." I find the following in the "History of American Missions" (Worcester, 1840), page 722: "The Rev. William D. Smith, having been appointed missionary to the Western Indians, was set apart for that work by special prayer in the Presbyterian church at Cross Roads, Washington County, Pa., on the 12th of May, 1833. He immediately commenced his journey to the west, on an exploring tour. On the 19th of June, he arrived at the house of Mr. Joseph Barnett, near the mouth of the Kansas river, about 350 miles from St. Louis. Mr. Barnett's grandfather was a white man, who had been made prisoner by the Indians almost in infancy. Always residing among them, he knew nothing of his parentage, and was a complete Indian in all his habits of thought, feeling, and action. His son, the father of Joseph, resided at Lower Sandusky, in the northern part of Ohio. Here he first heard the gospel in 1801, from the Rev. Mr. Hughs, who had been sent as a missionary explorer among the Indians by the Presbytery of Ohio. His meditations on what he had heard, and the labors of the Rev. George Scott among his people the next summer, led to his conversion. He was the 'Wyandot Chief' whose history has been published by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society." Joseph Barnett had married a Shawnee girl, who had been educated at the Maumee Mission, and in 1832 removed with the Shawnees to their Reservation near the Missouri. (See my note on the Charloe Family for further information about Jacquis.) He was buried in Huron Place Cemetery, but no stone remains to point out his grave.16
226 |
|
[January, 1848. |
snowing. Increasing in violence--a regular "nor' easter." Kept close quarters. At one half past one o'clock, snowing furiously, rivaling the snow storms of Nova Scotia.
Sunday, 9.--Coldest morning we have had this winter. At sunrise the thermometer stood 20o below zero. Last night at 8 o'clock it was 50 above. Here is a fall of 25o.
Monday, 10.--Cloudy. At sunrise the temperature at zero. Kept close quarters all day. Read, wrote, and pondered over matters in futurity. M. R. W. hauled me a load of fodder.
Tuesday, 11.--Weather cloudy and moderate. Sent two letters to the office, one to Harriet and one to Mrs Barrett, Senr. Called upon the widow Jacquis. In the evening cut her some wood. Mrs W. went on a visit to C. B. G.'s. Mr Barstow came and spent the evening with us.
Wednesday, 12.--Mr Peery brought our mail, but not having time to read now, I will lay my papers aside "till a more convenient season."
Mr Dennis brought Mr Waldron to examine the carpenter work done by him on my house and fix upon the price.
Thursday, 13.--Dark foggy and misty morning. Sent to the P. 0. an obituary notice of the death of Henry Jacquis to the editor of the Ohio State Journal. Went to town. No crossing the Kansas river in consequence of the thawing of the "ice bridge."
Friday, 14.--The weather continues the same as yesterday, damp, foggy and cloudy. I hear of our people being sick. Unhealthy weather. Thermometer temperate.
Saturday, 15.--Some colder this morning, having frozen some last night. Went to M. R. W.'s and got the oxen. Cut and hauled some wood for the coming week. This thing of chopping is not quite so agreeable to "flesh and blood" though I do not think it, as an employment, very injurious, to the flesh, blood, or bones.
January, 1848.] |
|
227 |
In the evening Uncle James Rankin came and spent the evening with us. Clear and beautiful moonlight night.
Sunday, 16.--Wrote a letter to Jesse Stern upon land business and wrote also to Hugh Barrett a friendly communication.
Our folks returned from meeting and informed [us] that Esq. Gray Eyes handed a letter from Rev. J. B. Finley to be read to the congregation. It being read in Wyandott its contents were not fairly understood.
Monday, 17.--Clear and beautiful morning.
Called upon M. R. W., he being sick with a violent cold, and found him improving Went to town. No ferrying, the river being frozen over.
Mr Dennis brought over Mr Waldron's award. Jupitator what a bill. At the prices fixed in the award, a carpenter will make in a year $1,700, and be boarded besides. Carpenters ought to become rich at these rates, but Mr Dennis and I settled without any reference to the award. In the evening visited the Deacon.
Tuesday, 18.--Council met and after some small matters were disposed of proceeded to the election of a councilor to supply the vacancy caused by the death of H. J. After several ballotings George I. Clark was elected to serve till the 15th of August ensuing.
Wednesday, 19.--Staid at home and did but little.
Thursday, 20.--Hiatus.
Friday, 21.--Went to Kansas and got mail.
Saturday, 22.--Mr Thos. Dennis called for his pay. Paid him, not wishing to be in debt to such a whining, simpering, and over honest man.
Sale of H. J.'s property took place under the management of G. I. Clark and James T. Charloe, administrators. Property sold enormously high. Bought nothing "as is my wont" in such cases.
228 |
|
[January, 1848. |
Sunday, 23.--Sick. Staid at home of course.
Monday, 24.--Employed Mr Noble to assist me to haul some wood and fodder.
Tuesday, 25.--Council met. Transacted sundry business. Appointed G. I. C. and J. M. A. a committee to call upon Major Cummings, Indian agent, and make certain inquiries about the appointment of commissioner to conclude a tri-party treaty between the Wyandotts, Delawares, and the U. S.
Wednesday, 26.--Went out gunning, but killed nothing. Went to town--Found the Kansas river rising.
Thursday, 27.--Tore down my shed and did sundry other nasty jobs. In the evening a Mr Waldo of Independence called and staid all night. Had a long and interesting confab with him. A democrat "dyed in the wool." Deacon Peery called and chatted about the on dits of the day.
Friday, 28.--Beautiful morning. The weather looks like spring. At I o'clock the thermometer" temperate." Called over to M. R. W.'s, not at home. F. A. H.'s negro ran away. He and John Lynch gone in pursuit of him."Niggur Sambo run away.
Didn't come back till Saturday."No news. Ennui!
Saturday, 29.--Cold and cloudy. Went out this morning in the hopes of killing some game, but killed nothing but a squirrel. Poor reward for my toils. I'll have it for dinner. Sent to the P. 0. At 2 o'clock P. M. it commenced raining. Reading Albert H. Gallatin's article on the Mexican war. So far I regard it unanswerable. Dark, rainy, and gloomy night.
Sunday, 30.--Rainy morning. Mr Graham called for a day's visit. Just heard of the death [of] Tauroomee's wife Theresa. She was an amiable woman, affectionate, sociable, and agreeable. 3 o'clock P. M., snowing. Phoebus! What weather!
February, 1848.] |
|
229 |
Monday, 31.--At sunrise the thermometer stood 15o above zero. Prospect of a warm day, this last day of January, 1848.
Waiting for Sophia's return from Kansas. She returned about 12 o'clock. In the evening Captain Waldo called upon us on his return from the fort, and staid all night. He informs [us] that General Scott has been arrested on charges preferred by Generals Worth and Pillow, and a court martial ordered to convene at Vera Cruz.FEBRUARY, 1848. Tuesday, 1.--Beautiful morning. Captain Waldo set out on his journey home. Council day. I must attend. A letter was read in Council from Major Cummins in relation to the tri-party treaty. Nothing satisfactory upon the subject. All equivocal. The Government is determined upon "foul play" upon us poor Wyandotts.
Wednesday, 2.--Went to Kansas and put in the P. 0. a Santa Fe newspaper and a map of Mexico and California addressed to John Shrunk, Editor of the "Lower Sandusky Telegraph." Received a letter from Harriet. Settled with S. Armstrong and McCoy and Martin in our house-rent concern, the latter up to the 31st of December, 1847. Amount due up to this date from S. Armstrong $17.43. Amount due from McCoy and Martin up to December 31st, 1847, $31.05.
Thursday, 3.--Attended M. R. W.'s raising. Labored hard all day. A windy, cloudy and unpleasant day. Did not finish the raising. Postponed till Saturday next.
Friday, 4.--At daylight commenced snowing. Cold and stormy. About noon it partially cleared up. Hauled wood and some corn out of Henry Jacquis field. In the evening J. M. A. and his two little girls came over to spend the evening. Had a concert.
230 |
|
[February, 1848. |
Saturday, 5.--Cloudy morning.
Sunday, 6.--Hiatus.
Monday, 7.--In Westport.
Tuesday, 8.-- "How beautiful falls
From human lips,
That 'blessed word forgive.'"Wednesday, 9.--Came home. T. H. Noble staid all night.
Thursday, 10.--Martha and Dorcas went to Independence intending to stay till Saturday.
Friday, 11.--Employed Mr. Noble to cut and haul some wood. In the evening C. G. came on a visit and staid till bed time. A long and pleasant colloquy.
Saturday, 12.--Devoted my time to burning old logs and dry trees. Spring weather truly. In the evening Adam Brown called and delivered my mail from Kansas with President's Message and accompanying documents. A truly mammoth document!
Martha and Dorcas not returned yet. We are uneasy about them.
Sunday, 13.--Cloudy morning. Read the news and wrote a letter to A. Guthrie,1 a sort of salmagundi affair, upon all sorts of subjects. Warm day. At 4 o'clock P. M. it commenced raining and rained till 8 o'clock.
Monday, 14.--Cloudy as usual. James White-Wing came as per agreement to work for me. Martha not returned yet. What in the name of Moses can keep her?
Tuesday, 15.--Returned from their journey.
Wednesday, 16.--Went with the girls to Kansas, they being invited to attend Isaac McCoy's "infair."
Thursday, 17.--Remained in waiting the arrival of the Haiden, expecting to find Harriet on board coming home to spend her vacation, but was disappointed.
1 Mr. Guthrie was kept in Washington most of his time by the Wyandot Nation to look after their affairs. He was in Washington at this time.© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller