AUGUST 1880

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August the first    Sunday all to to meeting meet round the Lords table once more feel so thankful    Anna is here again   so glad of that      we have dinner on the ground   eat and talk and then smoke and talk   give brother Savage the parting hand after preaching    and come home    See a light at the House think the Captain is there   Frank and Pea go on with 
the wagon to Mr Springers    I Hurry on by my Self to the House to See the Captain    get here when lo and behold there is nobody here everything dark    I feel Crawley but put on a bold front    light the lamp look round   get Franks pistol and Set down   don’t know what else to do   Frank comes in about an hour is utterly astonished to find me along  Cant Solve 
the mystery of the light   got a postal from Suse  So glad..
[BTM] Eating on the ground is what is called a “picnic” then and still today.   That is quite a mystery about the light she saw in the house.   Rhoda got a letter from her sister Susan Spradling TOTTY from Missouri.

2 Day   all alone   boys gone to School     I go to Mr Taylors talk with Mrs Traylor awhile    come home   Mollie and Sue here   have a laugh about Davis and the pin..   think Jim Castleman  ought to be whipped if it would do any good   but he would just be Jim all the Same   brother Sim come home with Pea   talking on Scripture   to night So diferent to what it has been
[BTM] Rhoda went to visit George and Mary Taylor her neighbors.  According to the 1880 census George Taylor and his parents were born in Kentucky and Mary was born in Indiana.   Mollie and Susan Springer were daughters of  Franklin and Elizabeth (Smith) Springer.  Wonder what happened  to Davis and the pin and what Jim Castleman had to do with it.

3 Day   boys and Lillie gone to School again  I mount Fanks<sic> pony going to See Anna  get there  Stay till after dinner   her and me go to Mrs Petits   I lug a bucket full of peaches    Come home find the Captain at home   parching Coffee   brothers Steve Castleman and Sun Hester Come Home with Pea  to go to Montague   Springer to hear the Methodist
[BTM]  Rhoda and Anna went to visit Anna’s neighbor,  Mrs Petit the widow Louise PETTIT from Tennessee, she was the next door neighbor of James Harvill, and also widow Mary Southward.  Mary Southward is later to become married to John Harvill after the death of his wife Anna.

4 Day   Mr. Totty and me alone to day he is gathering our first turn of corn  To Hull      me Cooking Cabage and peach pie    Cool wind from North    feel like fall of the year    Sam and Billie come glad to See them    Billie and Pea gone to meeting
[BTM]  Hulling corn, picking the silk and nubbing the corn was quite a job down on the farms.   Rhoda is also cooking cabbage from her garden and Rhoda is making a peach pie from peaches she picked at Mrs. Pettit’s.   Sam Baird and most likely his son William C. Baird came for a visit with the Totty’s were always glad of.

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August the 5th      Sam and Billie Start for home   Ben and Louisa come    me and Louisa 
work   Jase gone to the Burg getting ready to go to Eastern Texas
[BTM] Sam and Billie Baird were returning back to Cooke County.    Dau Louisa and husband came over and helped Rhoda work.  Jase TILLMAN was likely making a trip to Upshur Co., in East Texas.

6 Day    Lillie ironing getting ready to go to meeting at the Cure School Home   Jase Started this morning
[BTM] Lillie ready to go to a gospel meeting.  While Jase TILLMAN, (husband of Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" (Totty) Tillman and Rhoda's s-i-l), started his trip to East Texas, was he going to visit family?

7 Day   Pea gone to the Burg to get Ball Shod..   come back    him Lillie Mr Totty and my Self get in the waggon and Start up Denton   I enjoy the drive very well   looking over the Same ground I have traveled over 24 years ago   what a change   fields of corn and cotton and nice Homes  Stand on the Same ground which then was the haunt of the red man and wild beasts..   we get to brother Cures find brother Royal and family and brother Hester and his family there   Sister Cure is Cooking in the room   her and others…   all Saying Sharp things Seem to be very busy fixing for the meeting   we eat Supper go to meeting   after meeting go 
home with brother and Sister Savage    think there is 30 or 40 people Staying all night at brother Savages
[BTM]  Ball was the Totty’s  horse, they had a quaint way of naming their animals.   The Totty family was going to a gospel meeting in Denton.  Rhoda is reminiscing  about the trip they made from Hickman Co., Tennessee to Cooke Co., Texas.   Even today when visiting old family grounds things change a lot from the way we remember them.

8 Day   Sunday meet a great many Strange faces at the arbor     brother Royal preaches    we have dinner on the ground after which we have another Sermon  and meet round the Lords table with the brothers and Sisters     then Come home find Bettie and Rob keeping House   very tired     Betie and me get Supper and now we are ready to go to resting
[BTM] Mary Elizabeth “Bettie” Totty TILLMAN and her son Robert were visiting her parents home while her husband Jase was in East Texas.

9 Day   Bettie Lillie and Frank all Start     Mr Totty Starts    of to the Burg  and from there on an electioneering tour     So I am alone  pottering round and writing   get lonely get on Joe go to Bens where lo and behold here is Daniel and Rany Spencer   glad to see them
[BTM] Rhoda’s children along with her husband Capt. Totty leave Rhoda at home alone,  as usual Rhoda get’s bored and goes visiting  another child’s home where she has a pleasant surprise and finds her nephew Daniel and his wife Rainy (White) Spencer.

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August the 10th  1880     Frank and me all thats here this morning   he goes to his School   Mary Douthit Come Sewing on the Machine   Daniel Spencer and family   Louisa and 
Bettie Come   we get a good dinner and all talk at once some times..   and now they are all gone   I think of a great many things I wish I had Said     I go to the well draw water   fill my barrel    come back to the House heat the Stove and have Supper   when Frank gets here he will be here directly  I think and then I will not be lonely..    I feel to Thank my maker this evening that it is as well with me as it is..   I have plenty to live on and Health to enjoy it      my children and friends are all well as far as I know and that ought to Satisfy any of us while we Stay in this world      having food and raiment we Should Strive to be content..    Frank Bettie and Lillie   Joe May and Mr Clatis come   I am not lonely now
[BTM] Sounds like Frank is now teaching school.    Rhoda and family all having a good visit, but sounds ot me like Rhoda is trying to talk herself out of another depressive state of mind, and who better to talk it out with then God.

11 Day  Frank had to dismiss School gone to the pin   heat     Pea and Jim Castleman gone with him   Bettie and me washing..  (rain)   Mary took dinner..     got through reading the old testament    Frank gone to the Cure School House to night
[BTM] Frank must be the school teacher at the Cure School House.   What is the pin?  Seems like it never fails to rain when a washing is being done.

12 Day    Pea gone to take up School   Lillie Staid at home  I am not well this morning    Mollie come by been helping   Mandy..   I have been thinking of what brother Gower Said   we cant go back and undo any thing that we have done or Said  no not one step if we make a wrong one it just remains..   how careful then we Should be all the time to just do right..   as we don’t have but one moment at a time to live in ..  well if we would just do the best we could in the moment it would all be right.. for the moments go fleting by and will Soon be gone and that is all the time there is for us   when this life is passed   time ends with us..  and eternity begins   it wont matter with us if ten thousand  years go on here on earth it will not be our time   we have had time     I feel lonely to night   nobody here but me and Lillie and She is asleep
[BTM] So lookes like Pea is helping Frank teach school?  Rhoda still fighting depression….   being lonely has always brought on a bout of depression for her in the past.

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August the 13th Day   Frank and his pap got in after midnight..   Lillie went to the School House the evening   Bettie Come home with her
14 Day   got in the wagon and went to the burg heard  brother Royal preach   went home with Nerva for dinner    Bettie Staid come back and left Lillie  at brother Whitlys expect to go back in the morning
[BTM] Nerva, is Minerva Jane (Ross) COMBS, wife of Lewis Henry COMBS.  They 
were neighbors of Rhoda and Capt. Totty.   Rhoda’s daughter Bettie stayed with her while and dau  Lillie stayed with Hiram C. Whitley, a neighbor of Rhoda’s nephew Lewis Henry TOTTY.

15 Day   Sunday Cooked dinner and went back to meeting  brothers Royal and Savage preach   I went to Dr Fanings after preaching   come home   Lillie Staid with Nerva   Bettie come with us
[BTM] Rhoda did not say what the reason for the visit to the Dr. was for.   Lillie again staying with the COMBS family of  Lewis  & Minerva “Nerva” Jane Ross COMBS. Lewis H. COMBS was the son of  Leven Green and Jane Heady COMBS and step son of Nancy Unk Sinclair COMBS who are found in Montague Co., Census of 1880.

16 Day    We go back to meeting..    Meet at the Arbor  take dinner with Sister Adkins   come home meet Ben and Louisa going to meeting      Pea gone to Jases
17 Day   Frank gone to Bourlands  to Start to Gainsville in the morning..   his pap gone to the Burg    Ben and Louisa Come to Stay all night   Bettie got here at dark was crying     Pea did not come back from pella to Stay with her..
[BTM] Bettie must be afraid to stay alone in the house with Jase away and was likely upset because Pea did not keep his word and stay with her and as he also told his mother Rhoda.  The Totty’s were the most traveling people, seemed to be always coming or going somewhere.  Was it because traveling any distance from home made it a hardship to make the trip back home in the same day?

18 Day   Captain gone to the Burg again  I have been making him a pair of pants  Johny Jack Come this evening he is getting tired of Roston    Pea  Sim and Steve Castleman Called a few minutes   I think they are about half crazy
[BTM]  Johny Jack is most likely John Y TOTTY who is living in Rosston in 1880 for census, he was the son of John E. TOTTY and Elizabeth Caroline (Smith) TOTTY who had returned to Hickman Co., Tennessee after the death of her husband.

19 Day   Lillie ironing the Captain Sleeping   I Sewing and cooking cabage   the tin peddler here I get a pan and a dipper
20 Day   Betie Come I make her a dress    She is looking for Jase    We go to hear the Soul Sleepers after dinner   Neva Combs comes home with us Staying all night.
BTM]  Nerva COMBS is Minerva Jane (Ross) COMBS wife of Lewis Henry COMBS.  Bettie must be getting lonesome to see her husband Jase TILLMAN who went to East Texas.

21 Day   Pea got Home     Said Jase got home last night   we get in the wagon go back to hear the Soul sleepers Fare     done very well but I was disgusted with the others       come home to go to our meeting to night      Seems to be the hottest day I have felt in a long time      glad to get back
[BTM] Was the Soul Sleepers a gospel group, or a church meeting?  Bettie must be happy to have Jase back home where he belongs.   Wonder why Rhoda was disgusted with the others?

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1880 August the 22 Day  Sunday   Bart and Tilda brother and Sister Douthit Come home with us last night   we go back to meeting brother Savage preaches and baptizes 4 candidates    John and Anna was there I was glad to See them    I went to Jases  took a good nap of  Sleep   come back to the arbor and then to Chessers   got there all hands Seemed to be preachers  I never Saw people So much interested about the bible   Ball and Chessers was the Chief Speakers
[BTM]  All the gospel meetings going on during this month seems to be having an effect on many people, makes for good study when a revival is going on.  What a blessing to have people so touched by the word of GOD  and be baptized unto Lord through Jesus Christ.  John and Anna (Totty) Harville were there and Rhoda was always happy to see her children.   All the comings and goings this month must be taking a tole on Rhoda, it is good she could go to her daughters and have a good nap and rest up some.

23 Day   getting ready to go hear the Soul Sleepers..   went and we hear them   Fore said that Christ would Sit on the throne in the Spiritual Kingdom and David on his own Throne in Jerusalem   Said he Fore would be with Christ..   (thus Saidth Fore)  Doyal baptized 4 candidates   2 in the name of the Father Son and holy gost.. and two he left the Son out..  I 
think it was just a slip of Doyal but I would not have liked for it to have been me he was baptizing
[BTM] Was the Soul Sleepers a Gospel group? Gospel singers? Rhoda did not say for sure but sounds like Soul Sleepers could likely be a Gospel Singing Group at the Revival meetings that they are attending.

24 Day   Sam Baird and the boys come this morning   the Captian and Sam gone up the Creek to try to buy a place    Jase and Bettie come her and Lille get the most of the dinner..   I cant hardly Stand the heat  recon I was nearly Sun Struck on Saturday  never felt So Strange cant bear the heat of the Stove on the Sun..   after the Sun goes down I can do very well if I Stay out in the yard..    boys all gone to bed   Sam and the Captain Seting out in the yard talking Some..  about the election and Lawyers and Montague and St Joe and nail Roads and CC White and So forth and so on   this is the aniversary of our wedding day been 37 years to day
[BTM] Sam Baird was Rhoda’s b-i-l who married Sarah Sandal Totty, daughter of Robert and Matilda (Easley Estes) TOTTY.   Sam was most likely the son of Edwin M. Baird of Hickman Co., TN and grandson of Samuel M. and Dorcus (Campbell) BAIRD.   Rhoda and Capt. F. M. Totty were married in Hickman Co., Tennessee in 1843 before they made their six week trip to Texas.

25  Day   Sam and the boys Start to Fugits      Mr Totty to Victoria peck      Pea and Lillie went to the picnic     Come back had a good deal to tell   Said there was a fight    I hear George Springer coming down the hill  hear him Say they fout a good while    Mrs Simpson Spent the evening..  Frank gone to Bob Beans
[BTM] Wonder who was in a fight?  Seems all are talking about the fight but not telling us anything.  Could Victoria peck be a place or a person?  Mrs Simpson was most likely Laura Simpson wife of Marion Simpson neighbors of Capt. & Rhoda Totty listed in HH#375-376 in the 1880 Montague Co., Census.

26  Day   Charley gone to the Burg took my letter    Frank gone after Margaret   She come I was glad to See Margaret    am always glad to See her
[BTM] Rhoda is most likely answering a letter from her son John Whitfield Totty and family who moved to Sebastian Co., Arkansas. 

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August the 27     Louisas birth day  36 to day   Margaret Staying with us   Pea gone off with Sim     Fank and Dutch at the well talking to night..   been another hot day
[BTM]  Rhoda seemed to  always remember her children’s date of birth.  Sarah Louisa TOTTY GAGE is their oldest child.    Rhoda spelled her son’s name as above, it should be "Frank" not Fank.   Boy’s all likely still talking about the fight.

28 Day   Charley and Mary moved to Freemans..     Mrs Traylor Spent the evening      Pea and Sim come fixed and Started again      I Scolded Pea for going so much   but he went all the Same     Frank and Dutch been to Montague     Frank got his Licence   I dont know whether I spelled that right or not
[BTM] Was the license to teach school?  Or more likely his “marriage license” to marry Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Springer!  Boys will be boys, always on the go at that age they sometime never think they are needed at home once in awhile.   Charley and Mary were recently members in the household of the Capt. Totty family.

29 Day   Sunday I go to Bens nobody at home when I get there     So warm and tired go in Set down    cant think of going any farther..  Ben and Louisa drive up been to our house   Margaret and Lillie gone to meeting..  Captain got home
[BTM] The heat is really starting to get to Rhoda, too bad she made that trip and missed them at her own home.

30 Day     Mr Totty Started again Frank went with him to the Burg    Said he Sold it..  Valentine Land and got the money   I recon it will Stay Sold this time    awful hot day   cloudy this evening  glad of that   would be glad it would rain and get cooler
[BTM] The Valentine Land must have been the land on Denton creek that Capt. and Sam Baird went to see about buying earlier in this month.  The land must have sold a number of times in the past with onbody staying long.    August was a hot month and Rhoda.

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Transcribed from Original Diary by Birdie (Totty) McNutt ©2001