JOURNAL OF HENRY HAMILTON FLOYD
OF
CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 1852 - MAY 1853 July 1852. Thurs. 1st.
Clear morning. Cloudy afternoon and heavy rain with much lightening. No less than six severe claps. Sam'l A. Floyd and myself hunted this morning on the neck in Spring Garden. (twenty sixth page) A very large buck was started and got off without being fired at. Little Sammy had a hot fever nearly all day and Mother got it late in the afternoon. The boat returned from St. Marys near 10 A.M. The recent hard rains have completely destroyed all my Carrots, Irish potatoes, Cucumbers, Squashes
&c. they have rotted. I am giving the negroes the cabbages as they are also rotting very rapidly. Fri. 2d. Clear morning. Cloudy afternoon with some lightning and a shower. Hands listing land for slips. Sammy had fever again today, and Mordina not very well. Sent the boat to Cabin Bluff late in the afternoon as I expect to go to St. Marys tomorrow morning early to bring the young ladies and
children out. Satry. 3. Cloudy and a hard rain. I rode to Cabin Bluff before light and went from there in my small boat to St. Marys carrying three extra hands. Reached town about 8 A.M. and found Susan sick with fever. Sun. 4. Cloudy and a very hard rain about noon. Got the news of the death of the Hon. Henry
Clay, of Kentucky. He died on the 30th of June. Mr. Clay was one of the greatest men, in every sense of the word that the United States has ever produced and his death is a Material Calamity. Mon. 5. A little cloudy but no rain. At 1 o'clock this morning in my large race boat, Thomas F. Bryan, I left St. Marys, having with me Mary D. Floyd, Rosalie, Charlie, Dick, Mag, Susan, Kate and
Augusta, and reached Fairfield at ½ past nine A.M., where I had to stay an hour waiting for the tide to rise. Sammy, during my absence, was quite sick. The young men of St. Marys commenced firing as (twentyseventh page sic) we left this morning in honor of the day. The last heavy rains have injured my melon vines and I expect to make but a few. The small boat arrived soon after we did with our baggage. She started two hours before us. Tues.
6. Clear 'till late in the afternoon when it became quite cloudy, blew hard for a short time and rained a little. We had one very hard clap of thunder. Hands planted one and a half tasks of slips. Wed. 7. Clear and pleasant day. Wind N. E. This is the anniversary of my second marriage; it has been just 10 years. It is also the birthday
of Col. R. F. Floyd who is 42 years, and Mrs. Caroline Blackshear, who is 46 years old. Hands preparing ground for slips. Quash is not well. He has been complaining of great pain in his back for several days. Thurs. 8. Clear and very pleasant day. Little Jimmy sick with fever. After an early supper Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself fire hunted. Went up the Shelby Road and around Coopers Swamp, returning on the Black
point road. Did not see an eye. Reached home ½ past 10. Commenced stripping fodder. Fri. 9. Cloudy and a shower. Hands planted one task of slips after bringing in the dry fodder that was pulled yesterday. Sat. 10. Little cloudy in the morning and a shower. Stripping and bringing in fodder.
Afternoon clear and cool. My son James very sick with fever and fits. Harry had a fever today. Sun 11. Clear. The children better. Charlie R. Floyd is thirteen years old today. The negroes at the funeral feast for Tenah today. Monday, 12th. Clear weather. Samuel A. Floyd and myself took an unsuccessful hunt. Jimmy had fits again. Harry has the
fever. Stripping fodder. Tuesday, 13th. Weather clear and warm. Hunted, and started three deer without shooting any. Harry had fever. Negroes stripping fodder. Sam'l A. Floyd's horse, Whale Bone Bill, down with him near Pumpkin Branch. (twenty eighth page) Wed. 14th. Very warm and clear. On Monday last when Jim was so sick Dr. Delaroche was sent for and he came after
dinner and left before sunset. Jimmy had a high fever today and was threatened with fits, but fortunately escaped. Harry had a fever also. Sister Sarah came here this morning and returned in the afternoon, taking with her Mary D. Floyd, Rosalie, Susan and Margaret. Hands stripping fodder. Thurs. 15. Clear and very hot. Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself hunted this morning and started two large bucks near "Yankee Field", a doe
in Coopers Swamp, which I snapped my rifle at, and a large buck near Shelby House; no shots. The ladies and children returned from Black point in the afternoon. The sick children returned from Black point in the afternoon. The sick children better, although Jimmy very fitful. Janet sick. The other hands stripping fodder. Fri. 16. A little cloudy and a shower in the afternoon. Jimmy better. Harry
had fever. Hands stripping fodder. After supper, Mary, Rosalie, Susan, Charlie, Dick, Mag, Kate, Augusta and myself went to Fairfield to remain all night. We went over in the boat. Started the small boat with the baggage this afternoon. Sun. 18. Cloudy and a hard shower in the afternoon. We left Fairfield at day break in the boat, Thomas F. Bryan, and got to St. Marys near 11 A.M. I was sorry to learn that
Dr. G. Percival Cohen died in Jefferson on Monday last. Mrs. Curtis had a son on Monday last and he died on Sat'r'y. He was called Henry Seabrook. Mon. 19. Clear. In St. Marys. Wrote letters &c. Tues 20. Clear. I started from town just at daylight and reached here at 10 A.M. The (twenty ninth page) small boat arrived soon
after. Found the children better. Dr. Ambler came here after dark. Hands finished stripping fodder yesterday, and bedded today one task of land for slips. Wed 21. Clear and hot. Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself took a short hunt this morning and saw nothing. Dr. Ambler doing some work, in dentistry, for Mr. Sam'l. A. Floyd. Hands planting peas through the corn. Thurs.
22. Clear morning and a cloudy afternoon with a light shower. Early this morning Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself hunted. Drove the margin of Jones Field towards the Yankee field and the hounds started near Yankee Field and took towards Shelby. We did not see what they were running. Seven old bucks sneaked out the drive the dogs were first put in and ran back through Jones field. They came out, three in one drove and 4 in the other. Dr. Ambler
left for St. Marys this morning. He charged Sam'l. A. Floyd $15 for the work he did yesterday. Hands planting peas. Fri. 23. Clear and warm. I commenced making two small center tables, one 4 inches in diameter on the top, and the other 3 inches. Hands planting cow peas, and finished, having planted between 5 & 6 acres. Satry.
24. Clear and pleasant. Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself hunted early this morning. One deer was started near Yankee field and escaped. Two bucks, one a very large fellow, started in Coopers swamp and Quash had two shots, the first time about 70 yards and the 2d time 150. No meat. Got back at 9 A.M. and at 11 sent Ned to St. Marys. Working on my tables.
Sun. 25. Clear morning. Cloudy afternoon and two showers. Mon. 26. Cloudy and a heavy rain near 2 P.M. until dark. Ned returned today, being detained in St. Marys by the non arrival of the steamer until a late hour. Mary D. Floyd wrote me that old Mrs. Robert Miller died in St. Marys on Thurs. last. Mrs. Miller was a very old citizen and for
(thirtieth page) many years kept a boarding house in town, but for the past 3 or 4 years has been imbecile. Tues. 27. Cloudy and a light shower. Early Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself started on a hunt. On the margin of Middle field a large buck was started and I fired once and Sam'l once, in complete gun shot but the bushes were so high the distances very bad. Little Sammy and myself had the fever today, and I have it
hot now while writing. I began yesterday to make a miniature wash stand and nearly completed it today; dimensions height 4 inches, width 2 ½ inches, length 3 ½, which seems to be a very good proportion. Hands planted one task of slips, and hoeing slips. Wed. 28. Cloudy and showery. I had a hard chill for two hour and a very high fever today. Early this morning Sam'l. A. Floyd and myself hunted. Saw two deer near
the cypress drive and the dogs started one in that drive which sneaked off. Next drove Peru Drive and on my way to it a good sized buck ran by me in 40 yds. and my rifle snapped. The dogs soon started and my rifle snapped again at one of two deer that came out in 70 or 80 yds. of me. Hands preparing land for slips. Tues 29. Clear and hot. I had a severe chill and high fever. Sammy had chill and fever also.
Sent Ned to St. Marys with letters. Hands planted one task of slips. A runaway negro seen on the place by some of the negroes. Fri. 30. Clear and hot. Sammy had fever today and Mother had it lightly. Ned returned from town. Charlie and Dick, also all of the servants with Mary D. Floyd sick, so she wrote me. I missed the fever today and finished the wash stand. Satry.
31. Clear morning. Cloudy and rain in the afternoon. Mordina and myself went to Fairfield in the (thirty-first page) boat this morning and staid (sic) a little while. Hands planted one task of slips. I gathered from my garden some hard corn yesterday. | 
