JOURNAL OF HENRY HAMILTON FLOYD
OF
CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 1852 - MAY 1853 January, 1853. Satry.
1. Clear and hot. It rained very hard last night. Doing nothing, not having horses to move camp and being out of provisions. Sanders killed a turkey which we had for dinner and Dan killed a raccoon which served for supper. Sent Mr. O'Berry to Mr. Williams' camp. (fifty seventh page) Sun. 2. Clear and hot. Mr. O'Berry returned from
Mr. Williams' camp and brought a small piece of pork, which is all we have to eat. 2 deer seen. Mon. 3d. Clear and hot until late in the afternoon when it became cloudy and rained. My mother is 81 years old today. We had nothing for breakfast but cabbage palmetto. Tom Clark and Andrew got back at 10 A.M. and brought us supplies and shortly after Mr. O'Berry came in with a large buck and Sanders and Dan Mickler
brought 3 of the largest and fattest gobblers I ever saw. I got a letter from Mordina and 2 from Mary D. Floyd and was truly happy to hear of Mother's good health and the other members of the family being well. One of my mules fell in a hole last night and broke his neck. We moved our camp. Pallecere and Jake sick. Tu. 4. Clear and cool. Gen'l B. Hopkins 53 years old today. Charles
and myself ran 15 miles. Jake sick. 5 deer seen. We. 5. Clear and pleasant. Charles and myself ran 21 miles. I saw 2 Indians today. I killed a turkey 50 yards this morning, and in the afternoon a doe at 70 yds. We began this T.29, R.32, on Tuesday. 18 deer seen today. Th. 6. Clear and
pleasant. I saw Mr. Williams on the West of this T. today and he said that his camp had been robbed yesterday by Indians. We did but 11 miles today and I walked 13. Fri. 7. Clear day. I ran 9 miles today and Charles the same. I walked 12 miles. 26 deer seen. Mr. Williams paid us a visit. Pallecere yesterday and today. Jake went out. (fifty eighth page) Satry.
8. Clear. Mr. Williams left us after breakfast and we moved in T.29, R.33, and each of us did 6 miles. 5 deer seen. Chas. Hopkins killed a turkey. Pallecere sick. Sun. 9. Cloudy and rainy. Last night it poured in torrents and this morning the water was several inches deep all over our camp ground. Sanders killed a gobbler and Dan a
turkey hen. Jake had chill and fever and Pallecere very ill. I wrote many letters today. Chas. and John Hopkins and Mr. O'Berry went to Mr. Williams camp this morning and got back in the afternoon. Six deer seen. Mon. 10. Alternately clear and cloudy. We remained in camp writing letters to go by the packman. Sanders and Dan each killed a whooping crane.
Tu. 11. Cloudy and a shower. Doing nothing. Wed. 12. Cloudy morning and rain in clear afternoon. I ran 7 miles today over very bad country. John Hopkins, Tom Clark, Mr. O'Berry, and Andrew left this morning for Fort Gatlin and perhapsn Mellonville for provisions. 2 deer seen today. Th.
13. Clear and pleasant. Had great difficulty moving camp only 2 miles and lost nearly all day. We ran 4 miles. 5 deer seen. I killed an alligator with my pistol yesterday and another nearly 12 feet long. Pallecere sick. I forgot to mention that Jake Mickler went with the others to Fort Gatlin. His health is so poor that he is going home. Fri.
14. Clear and pleasant. I ran 9 miles and Charles 7. I came very nearly being struck by a large rattlesnake. I killed him. I saw 1 deer and about 30 turkies. Charles saw 3 deer. This T.29, R.33, is the worst I have seen. Saty. 15. Clear and pleasant. Sent Sanders and Dan to Mr. Williams' camp to get some corn. Also sent Townsend to carry
the horses to a good pasture. Chas and Edy Humphreys chained and I ran the compafs. Did 9 miles and walked 13. Chas. had 3 shots at deer and killed a very fat doe in 15 feet of him. 5 deer seen. Sun. 16. Cloudy and some rain during the day. After night it blew and rained very hard. Our men returned from Mr. Williams camp and Chas. King Sherman came with them. Williams had no corn. Mon.
17. Cloudy and showery. Sherman left us this morning. Chas and I walked 5 miles to run the East boundary of this T.29, R.33., and began at the N.E.L. Got through near sunset and found our camp not far off, it having been moved by men left for that purpose. 2 deer seen. The country we pafsed over today was very rough and many swamps. We were in the water all day, and sometimes it was hip high. Tu.
18. Clear and pleasant. Chas and I ran 6 miles and finished the T. I killed a turkey while flying. It was 60 yds. Saw 2 deer, and Chas shot at one. Wed. 19. Clear and a little cool for this country. Sanders killed a whooping crane. Writing up note books in camp. Thurs.
20. Clear and cool. We left camp this morning and went into T.28, R.34, expecting to survey it, but about sunset Mr. O'Berry reached us having been sent by John Hopkins with our letters and among them was one from Major B. A. Putnam recalling Chas. Hopkins, Williams and myself. It seem that John Wilson, Esqr., Commissioner of the Land Office at Washington, would not confirm the contracts. We talked today 11 miles. Fri.
21. Clear and cool. Early this morning Chas Hopkins, Eddy Humphreys, O'Berry, myself and Chance left before sunset, having travelled (sic) through the woods 35 miles. The balance of the party was sent to the stationary camp to gather up our things and follow us. I found John at the Tohopetallaggee Lake. Saty. 22. Cloudy all day and hard
wind and rain after night. John Hopkins, Chas., Edy Humphreys, and myself started acrofs the lake in a canoe early this morning and reached its Northern shore at noon. This lake is 4 or 5 miles wide and 20 long. Left the lake at 1 P.M. and got to Fort Gatlin before sunset, having walked 15 miles. Sun. 23. Clear and cool. We left Fort Gatlin after 9 A.M. and got to Mellonville about 3 P.M. We rode down,
having obtained 3 horses. John and Edy on one horse. Mon. 24. Clear, windy and cool. Doing nothing. Anxiously waiting the arrival of the Steamer Thorn. (Thom?) Tu. 25. Clear and cool. Got on the steamer Thorn about noon and reached Volusia a little after dark.
Wed. 26. Reached Palatka at 11 o'clock. Thurs. 27. Left Palatka on the Steamer Florida and got to Jacksonville at 9 after night. Fri. 28. Doing little or nothing in Jacksonville. Satry. 29.
Clear and cool. I got a man named Hull to drive me to Kings ferry on the St. Marys River, expecting to meet the steamer Planter. We got to the ferry, a distance of 40 miles, and as the steamer did not come I got a 4 oared yawl boat from Mr. Dunbar and left for St. Marys and 8 o'clock that night. The weather was extremely cold. Sun. 30. Clear and cold. I reached St. Marys a little before day light. Mon. 31. In St. Marys. Sent Chance to Bellevue to meet me tomorrow at Cabin Bluff with horses. | 
