JOURNAL OF HENRY HAMILTON FLOYD
OF
CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 1852 - MAY 1853 April 1852 Thus 1st.
Cloudy and light showers. Wind from N. and quite cool. John G. Floyd started for St. Marys in the buggy about 11 A.M. Augusta has suffered much lately with the toothache. Fri 2. Clear and cool. The boy returned this afternoon from St. Marys with the buggy. Mr. Fred Clark, of St. Marys came here this morning and left about noon, taking with him six small steers which I sold him
for $6.50/100 each, total $39, which amount I will pay to Mary D. Floyd, as the cattle belongs to her. Maty sent me a box of chips as an April Fool. I expected a box of cigars and instead of the cigars I got the chips. I am regularly humbugged by Mary and Rosalie every 1st April. Saty 3d. Clear and pleasant. After breakfast, Charlie Floyd, little Sammy and myself went to the creek mouth to fish;
on our way we stopped a short time at Fairfield. I got to the fishing ground on the firat (sic) qr. ebb and fished until three qr. flood. About (eleventh page) half flood I had a bite and caught a very large drum. There were three other boats anchored near mine and in each boat one drum was hooked; none caught but mine. We got back near Sun set. Dr. Delaroche was here soon after I left this morning, and remained a short time. Sun
4. A little cloudy in the morning, and warm. Clear and pleasant afternoon. I started Will on horseback to St. Marys, to go to the Hermitage tonight. I send the horse for John G. Floyd to ride out. I wrote Col. R. F. Floyd and Mrs. Caroline Blackshear today. Mon 5. Cloudy and very high wind from S. W. A light
shower. Sent to have some cattle driven up, only a few young calves found. I made two feet for a towel stand. The 1st sweet rose opened yesterday and 1st pink today. Tues 6. Clear. John Floyd arrived near noon, and after night Will came bringing his truck. Harry had the fever again this afternoon. I got a letter from Col. Thomas Bourke saying that the executors of Mr. Wm. H. Mongin
were willing to give up the boat, Thos. F. Bryan, which Mongin presented me during his lifetime. I also got a letter from Capt. John B. Gallie, mentioning that Mr. John Murchison would give for Mary D. Floyd's girl, Laura, $650, which I will accept for Mary as it is a good price. Laura is a likely girl, sixteen years old. This is the birthday of poor Sister Julia. Had she lived 'till now she would have been 37 years old, but God willed it otherwise and we had to submit to a great loss which
will be more severely felt hereafter than now. Wed 7. Clear and windy. Cool this morning. Before light John and I walked to Fairfield, there took a boat, and at sunrise anchored at the creek mouth to fish. Only one bite had in the boat, and that by Quash, who caught a drum. Got back at 10 A.M., and in the afternoon sent the boat to Cabin Bluff, from which place I expect to start for St. Marys
early tomorrow morning. Thus 8. Clear and pleasant. I left here long before light for Cabin Bluff where I got in a boat and a little (twelfth page) after sunrise I was at Kings Bay. I examined the buildings at Kings Bay and found them past repairing, so I will build new ones as I contemplate moving there. Reached St. Marys about 10 A.M. Fri
9 Clear. Paid Mary D. Floyd $40, the amount I received from Mr. Fred Clark for the six steers which I sold him a week or two ago. Saty 10. Clear. Doing little or nothing in tow. Mary D. Floyd very sick today. Sun. 11.
Cloudy and a good shower. Did not attend church on account of the bad weather. Mon. 12. Rainy morning. Clear afternoon. Yesterday week Mrs. John Hull was landed in Brunswick and taken to her father's Mr. Stephen King's, for internment. She died a few days after giving birth to twins, and they died also. Mrs. Hull died in Savannah. Saturday last John Floyd and Quash fished near Horse Pen Bluff and Quash caught a
drum. Tues. 13. Clear and beautiful day. About 10 this morning Mary D. Floyd, Rosalie S. Floyd and myself left St. Marys and I was landed at Cabin Bluff and the ladies proceeded to Savannah. Mifs Sarah Ann Seabrook was also on board on her way to Charleston. Heard on the Steamer that Portroyal, belonging to the estate of Sister Julia, died yesterday in Jacksonville. The day before he was quite well. I met John
Floyd at Cabin Bluff, where he was fishing. He caught one drum and Ned two. I sent Alonzo and Sandy to Savannah this morning as their master, Capt. John B. Gallie wrote me to send them. I also sent Mary D. Floyd's girl, Laura, as Mr. Jno. Murchison offered $650 for her and Mary concluded to sell her. Dr. Henry Bacon paid me for Mary D. Floyd $18 as wages for Cinda, from Jany 1st, 1852 to April 1st. He also had in his hands $18, (thirteenth page) the hire of Myra, which I
told him to retain and give the Estate of Mrs. Mary E. King credit for it as the estate is in his debt. I found on my return my crop and gardens much improved; every thing has grown astonishingly. Wed 14. Cloudy all day & a herd rain in the afternoon. I transplanted cabbages & tomatoes. Around the stalk of each cabbage I wrapped a piece of brown paper to prevent the cut worms from cutting them down.
John G Floyd went raccoon hunting today & caught a very large fellow. Chance, a negro boy is very sick with pleurisy. Tenah is also quite sick. Hands hoeing corn. Thurs 15. Cloudy morning. Clear afternoon. Sent Ned to St. Marys. Chance very sick & Tenah also. Setting out cabbages on the margin of the marsh near the boat house. Fri
16. Clear & very pleasant day. About noon John Floyd & myself went to the creeks mouth to fish for drum. We walked to Fairfield & took the boat there. At low water the drum commenced biting & bit slowly & regularly until about 4 P.M.? when we left for home. John had 5 bites & caught 4. I had 4 bites & caught 4. Quash 4 & caught 2. Adam 2 & caught. Total 12 drum. Soon after
our return, Mr. Robert Kennedy came from Mr. Alex. Holzendorff's (sic). Chance & Tenah still quite sick. Mr. Bunkley's boat was also at the creeks mouth & the crew, 3 in number, got 6 drum & lost 4. Satry. 17 Clear morning. A heavy rain & some hail between three & four P. M., after which it cleared up. Mr. Kennedy left late in the afternoon. Jno. Floyd & Mr. Kennedy made an unsuccessful
hunt this morning. Ned did not return from St. Marys until late today as the steamer from Florida did not reach St. Marys until late last night & he was ordered to wait until the boat came. Chance & Tenah still very sick. John Floyd's bay filly had a horse colt about 10 days ago & my mare Maggy had a horse colt three (fourteenth page) or four days since. It is black. Sun 18. Clear &
cool. Wind W. & blew hard. Before light this morning I went to Cabin Bluff to take the steamer Welaka to Jacksonville, Florida, but she pafsea on without stopping & I returned here to breakfast. Chance, I think, rather better. Tenah extremely ill with what I take to be pleurisy. Mon 19. Clear morning. Cloudy afternoon & hard W. wind. I sent the boat & hands to St. Marys this morning for corn.
Tenah no better. Chance improving. Finished planting out cabbages. Two of the picans (sic) which I planted some months since are coming up, & 10 oranges, the seed I saved from the oranges I obtained on Lake Monroe, E. Florida. There oranges were the best by far that I have ever seen. Tues 20. Cloudy morning & a shower. Afternoon clear. Very high W. wind & quite cool. Chance much better & Tenah a
little so tonight. Wed 21. Clear, cool & a very high W. wind. As the wind must have prevented the boat's returning from St. Marys I sent Quash on horse back for the mail & to carry a letter to the office. Tenah as ill as she can be, and, without a change for the better soon happens, she must sink. Thurs 22 Clear, cool
& wind W. but not so high aw it has been for some days. Tenah died at 5 o'clock this morning. She was the most valuable woman on the place & altogether an excellent woman. The boat got back about 2 P.M. & Ned was left in St. Marys to bring any letters which may come from Florida tomorrow. Quash was back at 6 this morning, bringing me two letters from Mary D. Floyd and one from Rosalie S. Floyd. Dr. Parsons charged $25.50 for fixing their teeth. When Capt. John B. Gallic spoke to
Mr. John Murchison that Laura was there for him he said that he never authorized any one to say he would buy her; that it was a trick of Laura's father, Harry, to get her to Savannah. Capt. Gallic wrote me that he was requested by Harry to say that his master, Mr. Murchison, would give $650 for Laura. Commenced using tobacco salve on Charlie's sore leg yesterday. Augusta has fever this afternoon. I tried my Irish potatoes today and they are bearing well; some of them plenty large enough for
use. A piece of land 209 feet on each side is just an acre. As tobacco salve is very good for old sores, toe nails that grow in the flesh &c., I will here write the recipe for making it. One plug of tobacco, one oz. of tallow, one oz. of bees wax, one oz. of turpentine from the tree. Boil the tobacco in a pot until all the strength is out, strain it off, put it on again & add the above ingredients, then boil it gently until all the water is boiled out. Fri.
23. Clear & pleasant day. John Floyd & myself & Quash went to Cabin Bluff to fish for drum off the bluff. John caught one & Quash one. I had no bite. ,5 sharks two or three feet long were captured. Returned near sundown, end soon after Ned returned from St. Marys. Saty. 24 Clear & rather warm. Early this morning John
Floyd end myself walked to Fairfield & from there went in a boat to the creeks mouth to fish. John had 2 bites & caught 2 drum. I hooked 2 & got 1, Ned caught 1, Will I & Charles 1, total 6. I caught a turtle & Will caught one. Neither Charles nor Will ever caught a drum before today. We got back at noon having stopped at Fairfield a little while on our return. Mrs. Lang sent a boy here to look for a stray horse. Augusta had a high fever today, and Mordina not well. Mary
& Rosalie Floyd were to leave Savannah for St. Marys at 10 o'clock this morning. Sunday, 25. Clear & pleasant. I sent the boat & hands to Cabin Bluff this afternoon, expecting to go to St. Marys tomorrow morning. Picked snap beans & turnips for the first (sixteenth page) time this season. They are producing abundantly, Augusta better today. James had a fever. Mon. 26.
Cloudy all day & in the afternoon a hard N. W, wind & a heavy rain. Early this morning, Charles Floyd, my son Sammy & myself went to Cabin Bluff & there took the small boat for St. Marys, which place I reached at 9 A. M. Mary & Rosalie returned yesterday in the Welaka from Savannah. Mary brought me a beautiful handkerchief marked with her hair & Rosalie brought the nicest ink stand I ever saw. Tues.
27. Clear day. Sent the boat home. Made tax returns to Mr. Paxton, the receiver. Wed. 28. Clear. Doing little or nothing in town. Thurs. 29. Clear. For several days I've suffered much pain with jaw ache. Fri. 30.
Clear, John G. Floyd & Mordina & Augusta went to Black Point yesterday, and early this morning left Cabin Bluff in the small boat & reached here, St. Marys, at 9 A. M. Augusta has a bad tooth ache. | 
