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After seeing the previous information from Richard Eppes, M.D. was interesting to more people than I thought I decided to type out/edit some more of the journal for everyone on here to view and enjoy. For brevity, those of you who don't look down at the other Eppes' journal posting...
Richard Eppes (1824-1898) by the period of these postings had been married twice. He graduated from the Universities of Virginia and Pennsylvania, at the latter he studied medicine. His first wife, Josephine Dulles Horner died in 1852 after two years of marriage as did her daughter. He remarried in 1854 to Elizabeth Welsh Horner, Josephine's sister. He oversaw a 2300 acre plantation with 130 slaves by 1860. He was valued at $160,000 in that final census year with slavery. The main house, Appomattox Manor, is a part of Petersburg National Battlefield's City Point Unit.
The following entries are primarily Christmas 1858 and Christmas 1859 accounts of money/time spent. Also included is the only mention of John Brown and his Harpers Ferry raid. Dr. Eppes was very ill when Brown was invading Harpers Ferry and so he was unable to write in his journal for several weeks. Enjoy!
Wind N. Friday Dec: 24th 1858 Therm: 8 ½ O.C.P.M. 36°
Paid Cypress [slave] $10 on ditching. Gave Davy $2.50/100 Christmas present Gave Booker a pass to go see his wife living at Mr John W Faulconer’s Essex County & $10. Booker has cut as he told me 6 cords of wood = $3 there [sic-they’re or there are] $1 due him as a Christmas present leaves a balance of $6 to be made up by him in cutting wood or some other way. [snip, includes an issue with an overseer at Bermuda Hundred farm, bring back the head carpenter, Dick]
Negroes Bermuda Farm Christmas Presents
William Lewis $5
Jim Harris $1. wood 5 cords $2.50/100. extra shocking 25¢ [Ed. Total-$3.75]
Nancy $1. extra 50¢
Solomon $1
Archer $1. 2 cords of wood $1.
Jack $3 present corn land not finished & not paid for [i.e., when he does the job, he gets paid]
George $3 ploughing & $1. wood 2 cords
John $1 present wood 5 cords $2.50/100 [total-$3.50]
Eliza $1
Patty $1
Martha Ann $1. & $1 present not drawn last year
Davy $1 wood 5 cords 2.50/100 [3.50 tot.]
Milly $1
Louisa $1 midwife 50¢ paid to date
Sucky $1
Dilsy $1
Henry $2
Mary Ann $2 last & this years
Davy 50¢ harvest 25¢
Ned 50¢ due 12 ½ ¢
Negroes [Eppes] Island Farm Christmas Presents
William White $3
Patrick $1 for clover fallow $1. pea fallow & $2. corn land last spring 1857. =$4
John $1 for clover $1 pea $2 corn land [tot. $4]
Frank $1.
Ned Oldham $1. wood 2 ½ cords $1.25/100 part Henry’s
Negroes Appomattox Farm Christmas Presents
Madison $10
Harriet $5
Susan $5
George $5
Stewart $4. wood 5 ½ cords $2.50/” = $6.50/100
Robert $2 oars $1.50/100 wood 3 ½ cords $1.75/100= $5.25/100
Toby $3. wood 4 cords= $2. = $5
Dick $1. & 1.75 to go after his tools at Mr R Eldridges.
Jim $1. wood 2 ½ . 1.50/100 = $2.50/100
Sarah $3
Jim 25¢
Tom 25¢
Charles Davis $1. ½ cord of wood 25¢ advance on 2 cords $1
Patty 25¢
Silla 25¢
Henry $1
Wind N. Tuesday Dec: 28th 1858 Therm 7 ½ O.C.P.M. 40°
[snip, info on travel to Petersburg and paying bills]
George our dining room servant was married tonight to a girl belonging to Mrs Wood by name of Anna Mrs Eppes gives them an entertainment in our kitchen
Paid $3. for candy for negroes. [snip]
Spent 56¢ for oyster & 25¢ for cegars, gave Robert [carriage driver] 50¢ Toby 25¢ & paid Nolands bill for repairs of breastpin &c 63¢ took no receipt.
Got a carriage whip of Dunn & Spencer for $1. not paid.
Gave Robert a coat $7.50/100. purchased at Scott & Harrison & Co. [readymade shop in Petersburg]
Day clear & beautiful. Told Patrick that I would pay $5 for a lighter load of straw if brought over by Island hands.
Wind SE by S
Therm: 7 O.C.P.M.
56 [Ed. Note- degrees]
Sunday Nov: 20th 1859.
Day mild and warm. Feel much as a lost to spend the Sabbath profitably as we have no services in the churches now either Episcopal or Methodist Messrs Dugger & J B Proctor called and spent an hour this afternoon. Mr Dugger informed me that there was much excitement in Petersburg last night on account of a telegraphic message received from Gov: Wise to send on volunteers to Charleston to repel and invasion of 500 Abolitionists who were encamped on the borders of the State to rescue Brown & his party who are condemned to be hung the first on Dec: 2. & the others Dec: 16 for the late murders at Harpers Ferry. He stated 180 troops left Petersburg this morning for Charleston Jefferson Cty Query? How is all this excitement to end, South & North, shall we haver quiet again or shall we have a seperation of the Union? We truly live in exciting times and the vista of the Horizon is gloomy indeed.
Paid Milly [slave] 25¢ harvest money today.
Tuesday Dec: 27th 1859
Wind N E by E
Therm: 7 ½ O.C.P.M. 41°
According to appointment with the negroes on Bermuda plantation I crossed over this morning taking my tape measure with me and previous to measuring the corn in the barrel measure I took accurate measurement with the tape line which gave length of shed 36 feet, Breadth of shed 9 ft 8 inches and height of corn piled in shed 4 ft 11 inches, these measurements by Peddar’s Rule ought to yield when measured in the barrel 142 7/12 Barrels, by the Old Rule multiplying length breadth & depth or height by 8 and cutting off two figured to the right as in multiplying dollars & cents, yielded 13668+ Barrels [snip does more corrections with this barrel jazz ,but I hate math and since I’m the one retyping then I get to cut this part as it is of little interest.]
James S Gilliam Jr left us this morning [one of the overseers] gave him $50 to get in small change & send me by Dick [slave] which I received this evening
Received 5 pairs of shoes & 1 pair of boots by Sandy [slave]
Paid George $2. Dick $1, Sarah $1, & Patty $1, the last 50¢ too much. [All previous are slaves of Eppes.]
Wednesday, Dec: 28th 1859
Wind N E Therm: 8½ O.C.P.M. 28º Snow
Paid Wm L Crawford overseer at Island plantation $125, balance due him on wages as overseer on Island farm for this year 1859. Paid Mr Crawford also $5.50/100 money paid by him for repairs on wheat machine and $5.00 which he paid Mr James E Ray for five barrels of lime for me, making in all $135.50 paid him and took receipt for same. Not having change I gave Mr Crawford three $50 notes=$150. which makes him in my debt $14.50. Crawford asked me to loan him $100 or $125 but as I did not know what demands I might have for money I told him I could not say whether I could lend him or not & would not be able to do so until Jan: 10th 1860.
Presents
Madison (our Butler)
Harriet (maid)
Susan (cook)
Sarah
Patty 50¢ too much
Sandy (gardener deserved nothing)
Robert
Stewart (Foreman)
Toby (head ploughman) for good ploughing on wheat fallow
Frank
Booker
Charles Davis $1.75 extra 3½ cords of wood cut
Soloman
Archer
Dick 2 doors & 1 window made $3.50
Ned Oldham 1 door $1.50 & 1 window 50¢=$2.00
Henry 2 doors & 1 window=$3.50 Lost Christmas present whipped
Ursula assistant cook 50¢ extra for good coffee
Jim Spratley
George house servant
Sally Webb
Tom Dick & Jim boys lost their Christmas present pistol stolen
Had our first regular Snow storm last night snow 1 inch deep wind N.E.
Dr Harrison called this evening, does not spend the night, took Tyro away with him
Saturday Dec: 31st 1859
Wind N.E. Therm: 7 ½ O.C. P.M. 28º Snow
Paid Charles David $1 for whitewashing room at Hopewell. Paid Solomon $1.50 for 149 ft oak timber extra sawing. Paid Sarah $2. balance of X [Christmas] present. Paid 25¢ for cegars.
Gave Stewart Robert & Charles passes to go to Petersburg.
Commenced snowing about 2 O.C.P.M. still continues, quite a heavy fall up to the present hour
Richard Eppes (1824-1898) by the period of these postings had been married twice. He graduated from the Universities of Virginia and Pennsylvania, at the latter he studied medicine. His first wife, Josephine Dulles Horner died in 1852 after two years of marriage as did her daughter. He remarried in 1854 to Elizabeth Welsh Horner, Josephine's sister. He oversaw a 2300 acre plantation with 130 slaves by 1860. He was valued at $160,000 in that final census year with slavery. The main house, Appomattox Manor, is a part of Petersburg National Battlefield's City Point Unit.
The following entries are primarily Christmas 1858 and Christmas 1859 accounts of money/time spent. Also included is the only mention of John Brown and his Harpers Ferry raid. Dr. Eppes was very ill when Brown was invading Harpers Ferry and so he was unable to write in his journal for several weeks. Enjoy!
Wind N. Friday Dec: 24th 1858 Therm: 8 ½ O.C.P.M. 36°
Paid Cypress [slave] $10 on ditching. Gave Davy $2.50/100 Christmas present Gave Booker a pass to go see his wife living at Mr John W Faulconer’s Essex County & $10. Booker has cut as he told me 6 cords of wood = $3 there [sic-they’re or there are] $1 due him as a Christmas present leaves a balance of $6 to be made up by him in cutting wood or some other way. [snip, includes an issue with an overseer at Bermuda Hundred farm, bring back the head carpenter, Dick]
Negroes Bermuda Farm Christmas Presents
William Lewis $5
Jim Harris $1. wood 5 cords $2.50/100. extra shocking 25¢ [Ed. Total-$3.75]
Nancy $1. extra 50¢
Solomon $1
Archer $1. 2 cords of wood $1.
Jack $3 present corn land not finished & not paid for [i.e., when he does the job, he gets paid]
George $3 ploughing & $1. wood 2 cords
John $1 present wood 5 cords $2.50/100 [total-$3.50]
Eliza $1
Patty $1
Martha Ann $1. & $1 present not drawn last year
Davy $1 wood 5 cords 2.50/100 [3.50 tot.]
Milly $1
Louisa $1 midwife 50¢ paid to date
Sucky $1
Dilsy $1
Henry $2
Mary Ann $2 last & this years
Davy 50¢ harvest 25¢
Ned 50¢ due 12 ½ ¢
Negroes [Eppes] Island Farm Christmas Presents
William White $3
Patrick $1 for clover fallow $1. pea fallow & $2. corn land last spring 1857. =$4
John $1 for clover $1 pea $2 corn land [tot. $4]
Frank $1.
Ned Oldham $1. wood 2 ½ cords $1.25/100 part Henry’s
Negroes Appomattox Farm Christmas Presents
Madison $10
Harriet $5
Susan $5
George $5
Stewart $4. wood 5 ½ cords $2.50/” = $6.50/100
Robert $2 oars $1.50/100 wood 3 ½ cords $1.75/100= $5.25/100
Toby $3. wood 4 cords= $2. = $5
Dick $1. & 1.75 to go after his tools at Mr R Eldridges.
Jim $1. wood 2 ½ . 1.50/100 = $2.50/100
Sarah $3
Jim 25¢
Tom 25¢
Charles Davis $1. ½ cord of wood 25¢ advance on 2 cords $1
Patty 25¢
Silla 25¢
Henry $1
Wind N. Tuesday Dec: 28th 1858 Therm 7 ½ O.C.P.M. 40°
[snip, info on travel to Petersburg and paying bills]
George our dining room servant was married tonight to a girl belonging to Mrs Wood by name of Anna Mrs Eppes gives them an entertainment in our kitchen
Paid $3. for candy for negroes. [snip]
Spent 56¢ for oyster & 25¢ for cegars, gave Robert [carriage driver] 50¢ Toby 25¢ & paid Nolands bill for repairs of breastpin &c 63¢ took no receipt.
Got a carriage whip of Dunn & Spencer for $1. not paid.
Gave Robert a coat $7.50/100. purchased at Scott & Harrison & Co. [readymade shop in Petersburg]
Day clear & beautiful. Told Patrick that I would pay $5 for a lighter load of straw if brought over by Island hands.
Wind SE by S
Therm: 7 O.C.P.M.
56 [Ed. Note- degrees]
Sunday Nov: 20th 1859.
Day mild and warm. Feel much as a lost to spend the Sabbath profitably as we have no services in the churches now either Episcopal or Methodist Messrs Dugger & J B Proctor called and spent an hour this afternoon. Mr Dugger informed me that there was much excitement in Petersburg last night on account of a telegraphic message received from Gov: Wise to send on volunteers to Charleston to repel and invasion of 500 Abolitionists who were encamped on the borders of the State to rescue Brown & his party who are condemned to be hung the first on Dec: 2. & the others Dec: 16 for the late murders at Harpers Ferry. He stated 180 troops left Petersburg this morning for Charleston Jefferson Cty Query? How is all this excitement to end, South & North, shall we haver quiet again or shall we have a seperation of the Union? We truly live in exciting times and the vista of the Horizon is gloomy indeed.
Paid Milly [slave] 25¢ harvest money today.
Tuesday Dec: 27th 1859
Wind N E by E
Therm: 7 ½ O.C.P.M. 41°
According to appointment with the negroes on Bermuda plantation I crossed over this morning taking my tape measure with me and previous to measuring the corn in the barrel measure I took accurate measurement with the tape line which gave length of shed 36 feet, Breadth of shed 9 ft 8 inches and height of corn piled in shed 4 ft 11 inches, these measurements by Peddar’s Rule ought to yield when measured in the barrel 142 7/12 Barrels, by the Old Rule multiplying length breadth & depth or height by 8 and cutting off two figured to the right as in multiplying dollars & cents, yielded 13668+ Barrels [snip does more corrections with this barrel jazz ,but I hate math and since I’m the one retyping then I get to cut this part as it is of little interest.]
James S Gilliam Jr left us this morning [one of the overseers] gave him $50 to get in small change & send me by Dick [slave] which I received this evening
Received 5 pairs of shoes & 1 pair of boots by Sandy [slave]
Paid George $2. Dick $1, Sarah $1, & Patty $1, the last 50¢ too much. [All previous are slaves of Eppes.]
Wednesday, Dec: 28th 1859
Wind N E Therm: 8½ O.C.P.M. 28º Snow
Paid Wm L Crawford overseer at Island plantation $125, balance due him on wages as overseer on Island farm for this year 1859. Paid Mr Crawford also $5.50/100 money paid by him for repairs on wheat machine and $5.00 which he paid Mr James E Ray for five barrels of lime for me, making in all $135.50 paid him and took receipt for same. Not having change I gave Mr Crawford three $50 notes=$150. which makes him in my debt $14.50. Crawford asked me to loan him $100 or $125 but as I did not know what demands I might have for money I told him I could not say whether I could lend him or not & would not be able to do so until Jan: 10th 1860.
Presents
Madison (our Butler)
Harriet (maid)
Susan (cook)
Sarah
Patty 50¢ too much
Sandy (gardener deserved nothing)
Robert
Stewart (Foreman)
Toby (head ploughman) for good ploughing on wheat fallow
Frank
Booker
Charles Davis $1.75 extra 3½ cords of wood cut
Soloman
Archer
Dick 2 doors & 1 window made $3.50
Ned Oldham 1 door $1.50 & 1 window 50¢=$2.00
Henry 2 doors & 1 window=$3.50 Lost Christmas present whipped
Ursula assistant cook 50¢ extra for good coffee
Jim Spratley
George house servant
Sally Webb
Tom Dick & Jim boys lost their Christmas present pistol stolen
Had our first regular Snow storm last night snow 1 inch deep wind N.E.
Dr Harrison called this evening, does not spend the night, took Tyro away with him
Saturday Dec: 31st 1859
Wind N.E. Therm: 7 ½ O.C. P.M. 28º Snow
Paid Charles David $1 for whitewashing room at Hopewell. Paid Solomon $1.50 for 149 ft oak timber extra sawing. Paid Sarah $2. balance of X [Christmas] present. Paid 25¢ for cegars.
Gave Stewart Robert & Charles passes to go to Petersburg.
Commenced snowing about 2 O.C.P.M. still continues, quite a heavy fall up to the present hour