August 1881

Page 94
        August the first 1881
This is the anniversary of sister Susans wedding   I have been thinking of it nearly all day been 38 year to day    I was so young and jay then didnt know what Trouble was but I know today    Mrs Taylor Spent the evening  am always glad to See her    Such a Senseible and reasonable woman
BTM]  Susan, Rhoda's sister married Johnson Harrison TOTTY, son of Harrison and Patsy (Johnson) TOTTY daughter of Miles and Mary (Totty) JOHNSON.   Mrs Taylor was most likely Mary Taylor wife of George Taylor.

2 Day  Louisa and Della Wooster Spent the day we all talked a good deal   I did not feel much like it though
BTM] Della Wooster is a NEW person that was never identified.  She was last mentioned on April 26th with her mother Old Sister Wooster going to visit the Taylor's

3 Day  I and Tillie wash    Lizzy Hester come to get Lillie to make her a dress   I go to Hunts  See Dollie Spend the evening enjoy my Self very well
BTM] To refresh, Dollie was the wife of Dutch Hunt mentioned with the family of Molly Springer.  Lizzy was the dau of Davis and Phebe Hester, all neighbor's of Rhada and Capt. Totty.

4 Day    Lillie Sewing for Lizzy   Mag and Sue at the well     Ida come Staying all night with Lillie (got the Seed wheat home)
BTM] The Totty family was fortunate enough to have one of the few sewing machine's in town.  Lillie was helping Lizzy Hester.   Mag and Sue were the sisters of of Frank's wife Mollie (Springer)  Ida Marshall was the little friend/neighbor of Lillie Totty.

5 Day   a little shower of rain   Louisa washing here  I have just read a letter from William Totty    Tottys Bend Tennessee  carries my mind back to when he was a little boy but he is not a boy now  he will soon be 27 years old    I think I will write him a letter if I ever have time for cooking and washing
BTM] Louisa is the dau of Capt & Rhoda.   William Totty is most likely William C. TOTTY, the 1st cousin of Capt Frank Totty and son of Lewis P. and Athelia (Baird)Totty of Tottys Bend, TN.

6 Day   Bart and Tilda Frank and Mollie come and Pea all gone to meeting to night but Tilda    I got Home from Ben Bomers this morning   dress a girl for Lou  (  )
BTM] Bart and Tilda (Totty) Traylor are Rhoda's dau and son-in-law, Frank and Mollie (Springer) Totty are son & dau-in-law.   Pea is the youngest son of Capt & Rhoda Totty.   Ben aka B. F. Bomar was listed in the 1880 census in household of Richard C. and Valentine Freeman as a farmer age 28 with he and his parents born in Georgia.

7 Day   Sunday All get in the wagon go to meeting at the Springs   hear the Baptist hold forth and hold forth it was   I didnt learn any thing   only he misquoted Paul.    He said Paul Said knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men   Harville and Mary come brought Sid and Lewis    I was glad to See the children  they look well and hearty   Frank and Mollie come home with us  staid all night
BTM]  John and 3rd wife  Mary (Mcgee) Harville brought Rhoda's grandson Sidney and Lewis over to visit.  They were the son's of deceased dau., Anna (Totty) Harville

8 Day  Sam Baird and Hunt here talking Some    hot and dry   no water for cattle only in the well    has to be drawed out for them
BTM] Sam Baird was the brother in law of Capt. & Rhoda, he had married Sarah Sandal Totty, sister of Capt. F. M., and the dau. of Robert and Matilda (Easley-Estes) Totty.

Page 95
9 Day   Mrs Marshall Spent the day toled her poor cripled child was nearly give out   I feel sorry for her
BTM] Have not identifed which child of Mrs Marshall was crippled.  She had son's Alexander 10, Marion 8, James 4 and Henry 2 in the 1880 census

10 Day  I go with Dutch and Mrs Marshall to the Berg in their wagon    Lillie washing her first washing by her self   clothes nice and white.
BTM] I wonder how/if Dutch and Mrs Marshall were connected, since Rhoda said she went to the Berg in "their waggon".   Lillie is growing up and taking on more chores by herself.

11  Day  Daniel and Rainy Will and Alice  Frank and Mollie all Spent the day..   So hot cant enjoy anything     Sick to night been So awful hot and I have had So much cooking to do for the last 2 weeks    I think I am bound to have a Spell of Sickness
BTM]  Daniel and Loraine "Rainy" (White) Spencer were kin thru Rhoda's half brother Samuel and Celia (Bryant) Spencer.

12  Day   hot as ever this morning   Still feel badly     Lillie ironing   geting ready to go to Audubon
13 Day  go to Audebon (no meeting)   meet brother Jasper at Dr Scotts glad to See him one time more    go to meeting at night hear him preach

14 Day   Sunday big crowd at the Arbor had an other Sermon 3 aditions    dinner on the ground!   So hot and dusty cant enjoy any thing   Come home  Mr Johnson and Williams here  Staying all night

15 Day  got up before day light to fix breakfast for those gentlemen   they left Pea gone to mill    I an Lillie both mount old ball   go to Franks   look down in the well Jase is in there    I can hear him but cant See him   there is So much damp in the well   we go to See Bettie her and the children all are looking well    Come home draw water for the Stock by this time it is dark.   We go to bed out in the yard    Sleep soundly   fear no harm
BTM]  Rhoda making the round's seeing her children, Pea, Lillie, Frank and son in law Jase Tillman, husband of dau Bettie

16 Day   hot hot and hottest   I think the ground is as hot to day as I ever felt it feels like embers   Pea gone he said to Franks   I gave him a good talk about carrying that old pistol   I hope he will think of it     Lillie gone to Barts to See how Dave is   heard he is Sick  Mrs Taylor Spent the evening    I all alone now   got hurry up and go to drawing water hear old yellows bell..   got done watering and and feeling too tired to Cook Supper   Lillie and I go to bed.. hear the wagon coming  those gentlemen got in in the night
BTM]  Pea gone to brother Frank home carrying an old pistol, wonder if he plans to use it or has it just for safety.   Lillie gone to sister Matilda "Tilda" Jane (Totty) TRAYLOR, wife of Bart.  Dave is their son David Spradling Traylor.   Drawing water from a well for the stock was a hard job.  Where was the Capt. evidently not home to help with this type chore.   Rhoda must have had extra rooms for boarders or renters to stay over at night.

Page 96
        August the 17
I wash while Lillie scours the House   begins to look like business    Dick Coffey come home with Pea   him and Pea playing the accordeon..    gone back to Audubon to hear brother Jasper preach to night..    I am begining to want to get a letter from John..   Johnson and William left this morning
BTM] Johnson and William must have been the gentlemen that staid the night at Rhoda's home.

18 Day  all studying musick   I can begin  II strike  mary to the Saviours tomb..   Pea and Lilllie gone to Audibon to night
19 Day   Bettie and Mollie come to wash they think it will be the last time they will have to leave home to wash think they will have water in their well soon     I helped them on their horses with their babys and clothes    they looked like Dutch pedlars
BTM] Dau. Bettie Tillman and dau-in-law Mollie (Springer) Totty were going to Rhoda to do their washing at their well until their own wells hit water and were completed.

20 Day    Still hot and dry    I go to See Louisa   tell her I come to See about the Steer   Pea come   Said he had watered him at Hesters   got a letter from John he writes he is doing well    I am glad to hear it
BTM]  Rhoda was always so happy to hear from her son oldest living son John who was living in Arkansas with wife Sarah Ellen (Yandell).  It must have been hard on Rhoda to have her child so far away from their home.  John and Sarah were my great grandparents through their son Green Whitfield Totty.

21 Day   Sunday lying round reading the old path guide   Lillie gone to the Springs to meeting   her and Ida come back   Frank and Mollie eat Supper  I commenced to write a letter to John
BTM]  Anyone heard of the "old path guide"?, was it a newspaper or magazine etc.   Rhoda was always so faithful in answering John's letter right away.   She must have been so excited to tell me the latest news from home.

22 Day  Mr Dennis taken dinner    Louisa Started home with her children and clothes  it rained a little Shower   I guess She got wet   She had got about to the Creek
BTM] Mr Dennis was most likely James Dennis found in the 1880 census as a neighbor.

23 Day   I and Lillie wash and putter round waiting for night to come then it will be cooler
24 Day   the aniversary of our wedding day been 38 year to day Since I vowed before God and these witnesses to be true to the married like   where are the witneses to night  Scatered and gone most of them   gone to Eternity..   but thou God Seest me    I have never forgoten that no never    I think it is as Soleman an oath as ever was taken by man or woman..   it was Aug the 24th 1843 this 1881
BTM]  This documents the anniversary of Capt. Francis Marion Totty and Rhoda May (Spradling) Totty.

Page 99
        August the 25th 1881
Pea gone to Franks to See if he has water in the well    Lillie gone home with Mrs Taylor..   hot and dry    I was about to Say as ever but I dont think it is quite as bot as has been
26 Day    Pea gone to Pella carried my letter to mail it    got Back     him and Lillie gone to High point to night to meeting
BTM] This would be the letter she wrote to son John, that she asked son Pea to mail for her.

27 Day   Louisas birth day 27 to day   we all get in the wagon Start to meeting go by Franks hear the good news water in his well    I go look in See water So glad for the boy has worked hard So long    we go on to meeting    brother Castleman preaches like he has a big congregation   when there is only a very few   come back home   get a good drink at the well    Sam Baird    Staying all night    we all Set out in the yard and talk  till nearly 6
BTM] What better way to celebrate a birthday for dau Louisa (Totty) Gage, than to go to a meeting and listen to the word by brother Castleman.   Brother Sam Baird spending the night, most likely in one of the rooms Rhoda has available for those in need of a bed for the night.

28 Day  Sunday at the arbor set dinner   it begins to rain  cant enjoy our dinner    run in the House push round awhile all talking to young folks   Speaking Some of the old ones looking daggers at them..    all come out have another sermon.    Come home been a Storm   peach tree blown down everything wet   beds all wet in the house as well as out doors
BTM] Must have been some sort of storm for it to blow a tree down.

29 Day    go back to the arbor  brother (Jake) Castleman preaches on the trumpet  giving an uncertain Sound   I eat dinner with sister Whitly and Walker at the arbor   we come home they go to Pella to baptize Mrs Walker   Pea and Lillie go to the baptizing
BTM] This was most likely Amanda (Pierce), the wife of Hiram Whitly.   Mrs Walker could be  a member of one of several Walker families in Montague Co., TX.  More than likely this would be Sarah (Pierce) Walker wife of Andrew Jackson Walker and neigbor to Amanda Whitley.

30 Day  Meeting sill going on    nigger Lathams wife joined   Pea come home in the night last night   Lillie this morning    all commensed cotton picking    I would to out and help them but am not well   think I will go in the morning if I am well
31 Day  feel no better this morning   Pea and Lillie got back in the night  last night    said Mrs Reed joined    Frank got his cows   got plenty of water now   all picking cotton and this is the last day of Aug   glad to See it   but it is not as has been    not as glad as I was last year because it is not So hot.
BTM] Mrs Reed is most likely Nancy Reed listed as neighbor of Mrs Walker and Mrs Whitley listed above who was just baptised

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Transcribed from Original Diary by Birdie (Totty) McNutt ©2003