JOURNAL OF HENRY HAMILTON FLOYD
OF
CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 1852 - MAY 1853 April, 1853. Fri. 1st.
Clear. I hunted this morning and started several deer. Had bad luck. Jimmy had fever from 11 o'clock 'till late at night. Sister Sarah spent the day here and left for home in the afternoon. Satry. 2. Clear and warm. In the afternoon, Sam'l A. Floyd, Mordina, Charlie Floyd, Sammy and myself took a walk to the Saplin Thicket, one mile and a half from here on the Hermitage Road, and Quash was sent with the dogs
to drive the Bar Drive. A large doe was soon on foot and I havge seldom heard a finer cry of dogs. In 10 or 15 minutes the deer came directly for me. I was between the drive and saplin thicket, and when it got in 30 yds I fired one barrel and the (sixty eighth page) other at 40 yds. The deer seemed to be badly wounded and I expected to catch it in 100 yds., but it ran on and the dogs could not capture it in a half mile chase. The shooting was poor, but I cannot attach any blame to myself for
I had excellent aim. The deer, I think, was shot too low. Sun. 3d. Clear day. I had some beef cattle driven today as I expect Mr. Frederic Clark tomorrow to come for them. Mon. 4. Cloudy. Very high wind from W. S. W. A light shower in the afternoon. Mr. Fred Clark came this morning but was too unwell to carry the
cattle. He only remained a short time. I sent the boat and hands to St. Marys early this morning. Tues. 5. Clear and cool. Winds high, S. W. I started my boat and hands yesterday to St. Marys and after night one of the boys came back from Cabin Bluff saying that they could get no further on account of the high wind. I went to Cabin Bluff this morning and on my way down drove for deer. Near where the cart was
burnt a large buck was started and he came out in 80 or 90 yards of me when I fired one barrel and killed him. He ran a qr of a mile after being shot. I started two deer near Cabin Bluff, but they got away without being fired at. I put fire to the woods this afternoon and a large deer was routed (a large buck). The fire was on the Neck, the left of the road from here to the old corn house. Jimmy sick this morning and Mordina went to bed sick at dark. Wed.
6. Clear and pleasant. Mordina quite sick, in bed nearly all day. I started (sixty ninth page) the boat and hands to St. Marys before light this morning. I had everything ready to go to Cabin Bluff this morning to camp and fish and hunt, but Quash and Ned were sick and I postponed it. Had sister Julia lived until today she would have been 38 years old. Thurs.
7. Clear and pleasant. Charlie Floyd, little Sammy and myself went to Cabin Bluff to fish and hunt. When on my way to the Bluff I started a deer in the same drive that I killed the buck out of the other day, which drive I will hereafter call Yankee Drive, and started a large deer which I fired one barrel at 50 yds and Quash fired also, 20 yds. His gun had in it only a squib. The deer escaped. Quash had another shot at a deer, 40 yds,
coming out of the branch leading from Jack Wright's hammock. The drum beat prettily for biting, but we had not a single nibble. The boat returned from St. Marys to Cabin Bluff at 11 A.M. We got back home near sun down. Fri. 8. Clear and rather cool. Mordina and Bourke sick. Commenced breaking Nancy's oldest colt, a young horse named Selim. Commenced weaning Bourke, or Tom Bourke, on
the 6th inst. Satry. 9. Clear and pleasant. I took a hunt this morning and had a very long shot at a small doe deer near Jones Field. Only one deer seen. Got back at 11 A.M. and at 12 started Will for St. Marys with letters. I wrote for John G. Floyd to come home. I made will ride the young horse, Selim, on the hunt and he performed very well. (seventieth page) Sun.
10. Clear and warm. Little Bourke quite sick today with chill and fever. Will got back in the afternoon. Neptune, son of Isaac and Sylvia, came here today on a visit to his parents. He is owned in Savannah by Mifs De la Motta. It rained a good shower after night. Mon. 11. Clear. High wind N.E. I hunted nearly to Black Point and only saw two deer. No
shots. Got back at noon. Sent my boat to Cabin Bluff near night as I expect to go to St. Marys tomorrow morning. Tu. 12. Clear and pleasant. Charlie Floyd and myself went to Cabin Bluff early this morning and there took my boat for St. Marys. Reached town near noon. Wed. 13. Clear.
Th. 14. Clear. I had fever today. Fri. 15. Clear. Satry. 16. Clear. I had fever. Sun. 17. Cloudy and a light shower. High wind.
Mon. 18. Clear and high wind. Tues. 19. Clear and very windy. Wed. 20. Clear. I left town in my boat and got to Cabin Bluff at 2 P.M. Dicky Floyd came out with me. John G. Floyd landed at Cabin Bluff this morning from the Steamer Jasper. Dick and I rode here from the Bluff.
Quash, who was at the Bluff waiting for me caught one drum and one large bafs. 2 drum caught since I left. I saw Duke Hamilton in St. Marys on Sunday. He was on his way to Florida. Thurs. 21. Clear. John Floyd and myself fished at the creeks mouth. We went (seventy first page) down at noon and got back before sunset. John caught 2 drum, Ned 1, Will lost 1 and caught 1, and I hooked none. Fri.
22d. Clear and warm. At 11 A.M. John G. Floyd and myself started for Cabin Bluff, where we had sent the boat, and at noon, the last of the ebb, commence fishing. We remained until 4 P.M. without having a single bite. Got back before sunset. Satry. 23. Clear, and warm in the middle of the day. Early this morning John G. Floyd and Mordina left on horseback
for Cabin Bluff where they took my boat for St. Marys. I began to break my filly, "Little Toosie" and Dicky Floyd's pony, "Woodrat". Toosie was very wild and cut many capers, but in a few hours she was ridden. Rain si much needed. Sun. 24. Clear and warm. John G. Floyd returned from St. Marys at 8 this morning. He walked from Cabin Bluff here in 1 hour and 8 minutes. The boat got here about ½ past 9 A.M.
John says that he reached town yesterday about 11 A.M. Mon. 25. Clear. Mr. Fred Clark came here this morning and bought 10 head of small cattle for $55. Some of them were mine and some belonged to the estate of Mrs. Julia R. Floyd. John G. Floyd went fishing at the Horse Pen Bluff this morning at 2 P.M. (sic) I joined him and we went to the creeks mouth. John caught at the Bluff a bafs and I caught a large turtle
at the creeks mouth. No drum bites. We got back near dark, having left the boat at (seventy second page) Horse Pen Bluff and walked up. Tu. 26. Clear and cool. John and I started on a hunt this morning but when near New Ground Road Ned was taken so sick that we had to return and send a wagon for him. About 10 A.M. we went again and started a deer in Yankee Field. It escaped. I sent the ox wagon
as far as Hermitage this afternoon on its way to St. Marys. Rose went in it as Mordina sent for her by John Floyd. Hard N. E. wind. Wed. 27. Clear and cool. At ½ past 4 this afternoon Sam'l A. Floyd, John G. Floyd, Richard S. Floyd, little Sammy and myself walked nearly to the Horse Pen Bluff and sent Quash with the dogs to drive Spring Garden. They made no start. Next, put in the Old Field and drove the margin
from the Causeway to the old Spring. They soon started a large buck and John fired at him with a rifle nearly 300 yards (30?), and he came out to me near the Horse Pen Bluff. I killed him on the spot, 1st fire, 40 yds. We got back near dark. Jimmy had fever today. Thurs. 28. Clear. The wagon got back about 3 P.M. and brought my buggy. Heard of the death of Mr. Wm. King, of Alabama, the Vice President of the
U.S. John and I went to Black Point after dinner, and after supper fire hunted until 9 o'clock and saw nothing. Fri. 29. Clear and cool early this morning. John and I hunted this morning and drove first the Half Moon. 4 deer sneaked out to me and I fired at one nearly 80 yds and I fired with a rifle at one about 40 or 50 yds. Started another deer near Cabin Bluff. Got home at 1 P.M. Bourke had a
high fever today. Satry. 30. Clear and hot. John, Dick and myself walked to Horse Pen Bluff and fished an hour or two and went in the boat to Fairfield; from there walked here. We had no succefs. Between one and two o'clock John and Dick left in the buggy for St. Marys to attend their sister Mary's wedding which comes off on Monday night, May 2d. | 
