JOURNAL OF HENRY HAMILTON FLOYD
OF
CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
FEBRUARY 1852 - MAY 1853 September, 1852. Wed. 1st.
Clear. I sent the boys to drive up cattle and they brought up 20 calves besides cattle. I was taken with fever about 4 in the afternoon. In fact I don't believe it has been off since Monday night. Thurs. 2d. Cloudy and a shower. I was very sick last night, and today Dr. Delaroche was sent for and he and sister came in the afternoon and returned near sunset. I sent Ned to St. Marys this morning. Fri.
3. Clear. Ned returned from St. Marys this morning. I was taken with fever in the afternoon. Satry. 4. Clear. I pafsed a most wretched time last (thirty-eighth page) night, being very delirious and the fever never went off until tonight. Mordina sent Ned to St. Marys for some medicines. Sun.
5. Cloudy and rainy. I am a little better today. Mary D. Floyd wrote me that my daughter, Kate, fell down on Friday last and broke her arm. Jimmy had a fever today and a fit. I got the fever about 2 o'clock. Mon. 6. Cloudy and rainy. I was quite sick all last night and today. Dr. Delaroche and Sister Sarah came here this
morning and staid (sic) a few hours. Tues. 7. Cloudy and a shower in the afternoon. The fever left me this morning for the 1st time since 2 P.M. Sunday last. Wed. 8. Cloudy and a shower. Mordina was in bed with a hot fever all day. I sent Ned to St. Marys this morning. This is the birthday of Mary D. Floyd
and her brother Richard. Mary is 20 years and Richard 9 years old. I am clear of fever but quite weak and feeling badly. Thurs. 9. Clear and hot. Mordina better. Will returned from town at 10 A.M. Kate is better. Mary wrote me that Mrs. Stephen King died not long since in the Western country. Mr. King and part of his family went west in search of health and only a short time ago one of his daughters, sixteen years
of age, died there of measles, and I believe the same thing killed Mrs. King. Fri. 10. Clear and hot. Mordina had fever nearly all day. Hands breaking corn. Pompey killed yesterday a very large buck near middle field. Satry. 11. Cloudy and a shower. I left for St. Marys early in my boat, T. F. Bryan and reached town about
10 A.M. (thirty ninth page) Sun. 12. Cloudy and rainy day. Quite cool. The boat could not return as the wind was high- N.W. Mon. 13. Clear and lovely day. Very cool. Sent my boat home. I am in town doing little or nothing. I feel rather better than I have felt for several days. Tues.
14. Clear and pleasant. My boat, T. F. Bryan came from home this morning and I had him put in Mr. Wentz's yard to be repaired. Duke of Wellington died. Wed. 15. Clear and pleasant. Thurs. 16. Cloudy and high wind, N.E.
Fri. 17. Clear and wind still high, N.E. Satry. 18. Clear and pleasant. It rained very hard last night. Sun. 19. Clear. Rosalie quite sick today with sick head ache. Yesterday Will came from Bellevue and Mordina wrote me that some of the children had been
sick. Mon. 20. Clear and pleasant day. Will, who came down on Saturday is too sick to return. Tues. 21. Cloudy and a shower. Wed. 22. Cloudy and rainy. Thurs. 23. Clear and very hot.
Fri. 24. Cloudy morning and a shower. I got a letter from Mordina saying that Mother and Sam'l. A. Floyd were sick, and that old Maum Sally was dying. The letter was written yesterday and further stated that Col. Tho's Bourke and Mr. John DuBignon had just arrived at Bellevue. Satry. 25. Clear and pleasant. I sent a boy
with a letter for Mordina, and he went to Black point with it and returned tonight, bringing me a note from Sister Sarah, saying that Maum Sally died yesterday morning at 3 o'clock. In the afternoon I walked to "Lovers Leap" where some young men were shooting with rifles. I took a shot 15 yards and drove the centre (sic), after which a match was (fortieth page) made. Mr. Randolph McDonald, Mr. Williams Proctor and myself shot against Major David Bailey, Mr. James Smith, Jun'r and Mr. William
Smith. Our side was victorious and we won a bottle of champagne. Distance only 15 yards, shot by the word. Again, David Bailey and James Smith shot against Randolph McDonald and myself, the same distance and manner, or another bottle and we were beaten. I then proposed to shoot against Mr. Smith to see who should pay for both bottles, and he lost. Sun. 26. Clear and warm. I left St. Marys at 11 o'clock this
morning and reached here near two P.M. We stopped at Fernandina, on Amelia Island to take in cotton. I came out on the steamer Planter and we reached Fernandina in 38 minutes from the time we left St. Marys. The distance is always called 9 miles. From Fernandina to Cabin Bluff we took one hour and a half against wind and tide, distance 20 miles. David Bailey and James Smith were passengers, and Bailey and myself exchanged rifles until we meet again. I found Sister Sarah and Dr. Delaroche
here. The Dr. left near sunset and Sister Sarah remained. Mother was taken sick on Monday last and the fever scarcely been off since. She had been very ill. Col. Tho's Bourke and Mr. John DuBignon left here the afternoon of their arrival. Mon. 27. Clear and pleasant. Mother better. Mordina and Jimmy had fever today. Sister Sarah left for Black point in the afternoon. The hour I got from Mr. B. Brown (forty-first
page) in exchange for George I swapped the other day for Chatham, the colt I raised from my mare, Sally. Chatham is four years old today. Tues. 28. Clear and pleasant. Mordina, mother and Jimmy had fever today. I sent Ned to St. Marys. Wed. 29. Clear and cool. Mordina had fever and the baby also. Ned got back near 2 P.M. and brought me a
letter from Mifs Mary D. Floyd. She mentions the death of Mr. George Long's only child. It was buried yesterday. On Monday last I painted my buggy, just having put on it a new pr of shalves which I paid $6.50 for in St. Marys. The buggy now looks as well as new. Thurs. 30. Clear and high N.E. wind. Mother and Mordina had light fever today. Sam'l A. Floyd and myself rode to Fairfield this morning and got back
near noon. While there I overhauled the arms and cleaned them. | 
