JOURNAL OF HENRY HAMILTON FLOYD
OF
CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 1852 - MAY 1853 May 1852. Saty 1st.
Clear day. The ladies very busy preparing the children for the party this afternoon. At 5 P.M. the children all met at Mrs. Harby's & marched in procession to the New Academy, which was most tastefully arranged. Susan was made Queen of the May & wore on her head a beautiful crown of Jewels made by her cousins, Mary & Rosalie. Her dress was a tarleton, white, with a wreath of cedar round the skirt, & a wreath made of white
flowers went over her shoulders, Mifs Susan Dufour made the firs speech, being a maid of honor. Mifs Josephine Curtis, Archbishop, spoke next & Mifs Leonora Cohen proclaimed her Queen when Susan replied. The pieces were well selected & very well delivered. Mag wore a white drefs trimmed round the skirt with cedar blue flowers & a pretty wreath of black berries & flowers round her head. Kate wore a white drefs trimmed with cedar & on her head a wreath of flowers,
principally hearts ease. (seventieth page ) Augusta's drefs, white, was trimmed with cedar & pinks & on her head she wore an artificial wreath. Charlie, Dick & Sammy were very becomingly dressed. Many persons were present, and every one seemed to enjoy themselves. A table with quantities of cakes &c. was spread, which the children did ample justice to. Susan & Dick opened the ball with a polka & they really performed admirably. After that all the children danced until
11 at night. I left the ladies to enjoy the party at 9 while I went & took supper with Alonzo Dufour. Sun. 2d. Clear & warm. Mon. 2d. Clear & warm. Mary D. Floyd & myself covered the octagon ottoman that I made some weeks ago. Tues. 4. Cloudy
& a tremendous blow from N. E., with a little rain. Last night it blew a gale from the N. Mordina, Sammy, John G. Floyd & myself left St. Marys on the Steamer Welaka after breakfast & all of us but John were landed at Cabin Bluff & got here about noon. I sent John Floyd to the Rev. N. A. Pratt, Roswell, Cobb County, Georgia. I gave John $50 to hand to Mr. Pratt as one qrs. tuition, & $25 to pay his expenses. While in town I put up for Mary D. Floyd a set of window curtains
in her parlor. It rained very hard here last night, accompanied with hail. John fished on Wednesday last, & two drum were captured, one by Will & one by Pompey. I sent Ned to St. Marys soon after I came, with letters for Florida. I heard on the Welaka today that Portroyal had been struck in the breast with a knot by Mr. Butler the day before he died, & that probably caused his death. Mr. Stephen D. Fernandez wrote me to visit Jacksonville as soon as possible as the hands are very
much dissatisfied with Mefsrs. Moody & Coulter (Butler?) to whom they are hired, & that he, F. could scarcely keep them from running away. Wed. 5. Cloudy & a hard N. E. wind. Rain last night & this morning. I made two tortoise shell rings (eighteenth) today for Mary D. Floyd who wishes them for Mifs Jenny Grant. Ned returned from town late this afternoon. Planted peppers. My corn is
looking well, but the high wind has injured the potatoes, melons and fruit trees very seriously. I picked a can full of very large strawberries yesterday & sent them to Mary & Rosalie. Thurs. 6. Cloudy & hard N. E. wind. I made a towel stand for Mary D. Floyd after a description of one she saw in Savannah. I made also, with Sam'l A. Floyd's assistance a drinking cup of cocoa nut shell. Fixed in glafses
in my room windows where they were wanting. Fri. 7. Cloudy & a fine shower in the morning. Wind still fresh from the N. E. I finished the towel stand today. As I made some alterations in it I think it is far the prettiest one that I have made. Sent the boat to Cabin Bluff late this afternoon as I expect to go to St. Marys tomorrow, & from there to Jacksonville, E. Florida, on
businefs. Clear. I left Cabin bluff at day light in my boat and got to St. Marys between 9 & 10 A. M. Clear. Attended to some businefs. Portroyal examined by physicians & no marks of violence were visible altho some persons believe that he was injured by harsh treatment. No proof, however, & I had to let the matter drop. Dick & myself dined at Mr. S. Fernandez & after dinner Mifs Belle Fernandez & myself played billiards against Mr. & Mrs. Fernandez, & we were
defeated. Sun. 9. Clear & very warm. I left St. Marys at 7 A. M. on the Steamer Welaka, taking Dick Floyd with me, for Jacksonville, E.F., & reached there near one P. M. Had an uncommonly rough time. Tue. 11 Clear & pleasant. We left Jacksonville before light & reached St. Marys about 9 A.
M. Last night I had the tooth ache so badly that I got no sleep 'til nearly day light. I was sorry to hear on my (nineteenth page) arrival here, Sat'y last, of Col. John H. McIntosh's death. He died in Savannah on the 6th inst. This is John G. Floyd's birthday. He is sixteen years old. Wed 12. Clear & warm. Doing little or nothing in town. Thurs.
13. A little cloudy. Very dry time, & rain much needed. I woke up this morning with two inflamed spots on one of my legs which are very painful. Fri. 14. Cloudy in the morning, clear afternoon. The boat came for me & Mordina writes that Gussy has been very sick. On Wed. last she had a fit. Mary & Rosalie pasted some paper on cloth
to go in the library, & I varnished it. My leg was very painful today, & I had a light fever. Satry. 15. Clear. I started, from town just at daylight and landed at Cabin Bluff where I met my horse & reached here about 3 past 10, A. M. Found Gussy quite sick & am sick myself. Everything has grown rapidly since I left. Cucumbers & squashes fit to eat, also carrots. Corn in tassel. Sun.
16. Clear. I was very sick all day with fever & dysentery. Mother also very sick. Dr. Delaroche & Sister Sarah same after dinner & returned late in the afternoon. Mon. 17. A little cloudy & a light shower. I am still quite sick, and last night was one of the worst nights I ever pafsed. Tues. 18.
Clear & warm. Mother had fever again today. My leg is so painful I can scarcely walk at all, & I am in other respects not well. Sent Ned to St. Marys. Wed. 19. Clear & warm. Mother better. I am still very lame. Ned returned from St. Marys bringing me letters, one of them from Mary D. Floyd. Thurs.
20. Clear. Being unable to walk I am pafsing my time reading, which is not a very pleasant occupation to one accustomed to a stirring life. Sent Ned with a horse & buggy to St. Marys; (twentieth page) started him in the afternoon to go as far as the Hermitage tonight. I sent the mare Nancy in the buggy, but she had not proceeded far before she reared up behind broke out of harness. Nancy was put in harness today for the first time. I
had to send Taylor in her stead. Had the office thoroughly cleaned day before yesterday. Fri. 21. Cloudy morning and every prospect for a good rain, but it only gave us a light shower. Clear afternoon. I am a little better today. Satry. 22. Cloudy morning. Clear afternoon. Had cattle driven. Ned returned in the afternoon
with the horse, Taylor, leaving the buggy as he said that horse wouldn't draw coming out. The buggy is in town. Not much more than a mile from here there was much rain yesterday. Mary D. Floyd sent me a beautiful white vest which she and Rosalie embroidered and made by Mary. It is really beautiful. Sun. 23. Clear and warm. At 3 o'clock this morning Mordina was taken sick and at 4 A.M. she had a son who I
have called Thomas Bourke after my friend Col. Tho's Bourke of Savannah Geo. Mother not well today. Mon. 24. Clear morning. Cloudy afternoon and a very light shower. Sam A. Floyd and myself hunted this morning and put the dogs in bar drive. They started something which I supposed to be a bear, as one of the dogs came out wounded. One deer was seen by Quash near the Park Field and, on our return, when between the
two rice field bridges two deer were seen on the left, running in the Cypress Gall. Sam'l and I went back on the new ground road and sent Quash to drive them out. They came out, and as they pafsed me in 50 yds I fired at one with my rifle and it immediately dropped behind the other and I think I hit it. Had (twenty-first page) no dogs to pursue it. Mother sick with fever again today. As I expect to St. Marys tomorrow to carry Augusta I sent the boat this afternoon to Cabin Bluff to wait for
me. Tues. 25 Clear morning, cloudy in the afternoon and a shower after night. I left here early this morning with Augusta for Cabin Bluff and there got in my boat and arrived in St. Marys at 10 A.M. I received from Jacksonville 100 bushels of corn which I ordered shipped to St. Marys. I met John L. Hopkins in town. He came from Savannah on Sunday last, having gone there in the Florida, a steamer that runs
direct from Florida to Savannah without touching at the intermediate places. Wed 26. Clear morning. Cloudy and heavy shower in the afternoon. John and Rosalie rode cut in a buggy and came near being struck by lightning. I was sick today, and Gussie nearly crazy with toothache. Thurs. 27. Clear. I was sick nearly add day. Yesterday I
sent my boat home with a load of corn. Fri. 28. Clear morning. Cloudy afternoon. I left St. Marys in the Gaston, was landed at Cabin Bluff where I met my horses and reached here at half past one, P.M. I was quite sick last night and had fever all of this day. Sam'l A. Floyd was talen (sic) sick on Wednesday, last, with a fever and I found him in bed on my arrival. He is, however, better. Very
little rain here since I left. Satry. 29. Cloudy nearly all day and two showers before noon and a good rain about sunset. I was sick with a fever all last night and had it lightly today. Sam'l A. Floyd better. On Monday last I gathered all the cucumbers from my garden that were fit to use and this morning I picked 47 large ones, besides left some on the vines which were yellow. (twenty second page)
Sun. 30. Cloudy and showery. I am much better today. I was sick all last night. Mon. 31. Cloudy and a heavy rain from 9 A.M. until 5 P.M. I sent Chance, Ned and Will to drive a cow and calf to St. Marys for Mary D. Floyd. They go as far as the Hermitage tonight. Sam'l A. Floyd, Sen. and little Harry have fever this afternoon. I
sent four letters to the post office, one to Col. Richard F. Floyd, the others to Col. Isadore W. Garnie, Mr. S. D. Fernandez and Mr. John G. Floyd, besides I wrote my valued correspondent Mifs Mary D. Floyd and Mifs Rosalie S. Floyd. | 
