July 1881

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          July the first Day
          This is the first day of July
          And every thing is hot and dry
          The good cool water at the well
          Seems better now than tongue can tell

Evening

          The rain decends the lightning blazes
          The Sun with holds his Scorching rays
          The thirsty earth is wet again
          Thanks for the coold an glorious rain
Wrote a letter to Bettie 
[BTM] Writing Poems seems to be handed down into the generations.   Love reading these original poems by Rhoda.   It seems Rhoda is anxious to hear a word from her daughter Bettie who went to Eastern Texas by train on the 27th of June. 

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1881 July 2    Day cloudy and pleasant this morning glad with it    so different from yesterday   Pea and Lillie gone to the Singing     Cap’n and I Spend the evening at Mr. Taylors   Take Supper with those good people
[BTM]  I believe Mr. Taylor is Uncle George and wife Mary Taylor where they took supper.

3 Day   Sunday    Captain and I and Lillie go to Mrs Marshalls   meet Mrs Blanks   See Mrs Marshall poor crippled child feel So Sorry for it crawling round    Ida come home with Lillie
[BTM]   On the 1880 Montague Co., TX census the two youngest children of Mary Marshall in HH# 353/354 were Alexander age 10, Marion age 8, James age 4 and Henry age 2, Rhoda did not give name of Mary’s  crippled child and brother of Lillie’s best friend Ida age 12.

4 Day    hear the cannons roaring out South west of Jacksborough     I reckon celebrating the 4th   well we are clebrating at home     Pea Sick this morning     hoeing cotton   Lillie and Ida fooling found..     hear the president is killed
[BTM]  James Abram Garfield was the 20th President of the United States.  He was shot on July 2nd 1881 by Charles Jules Guiteau at the railroad station in Washington D.C., who was a disgruntled office seeker.  He did not die until September 1881, after a long painful illness and later from blood poisoning.     He was only in office of the Presidency from March 4th  1881 when he was sworn in, until September 1881. 

5 Day     hot    plow fell on my hand   hurt it bad    threw it over the fence that Seems to be all the revenge  I can get and that is a poor thing   hand hurting all the time    Cap’n and Pea hoeing Coffey and Armstrong at the well children crying
[BTM]  Rhoda surely must have been a very strong and stout woman to be able to throw a plow over the fence, but then again anger or pain can cause enough adrenalin flow to make anyone very strong.   This may be the wives of Dick Coffey and the new neighbor Armstrong who Rhoda saw at the well with the children earlier in her Diary.

6 Day   Curtis and Green took dinner they are Cattle men   this day a year ago we was at the picnic  at the Burg      hot    hope it will rain again..
[BTM] The identity of Curtis and Green were not mentioned by first name.   I wonder if they were  from Montague Co., or just driving their cattle through the area?

7 Day   Pea and Lillie getting ready to go to Singing     Mr Springer Called about the Hodges School house     I feel lonely this evening with out any cause that I know of      feel like I have before when something terible was going to happen     but I dont think I am at all Supersticious.   And Still there is a great weight on my mind that I cant Shake off.   It may be the heat causes the presure of feeling   it is Some relief to write the State of my mind
[BTM] Sounds like Rhoda had a sixth sense about things or happenings around her. 

8 Day  cut out my basque..   Pea   Lillie and Sim gone to the Burg to Singing to night   Steve Castleman come   he Said to See old brother Totty
[BTM] According to the 1880 Wise Co., TX census Stephen F. Castleman was living in HH with his parents and family.     Jos L. CASTLEMAN age 52 KY, Nancy C. CASTLEMAN his wife  age 49 AL, Stephen F. CASTLEMAN Son age 22 AR,  James D. CASTLEMAN Son age 17 MS, Sallie M. CASTLEMAN Dau age 15 MO,  Soame J. CASTLEMAN Son age 13 MO,  Ira E. CASTLEMAN Son age 11 MO, Nancy C. CASTLEMAN Dau age 8 MO.   Since Steve was age 22, he could likely think of Capt. F. M. as “old brother Totty”.   Brother and Sister Pea and Lillie TOTTY went to Forestburg with Sim Hester. 

9 Day    Pea gone to the base ball club   Sim and ………. To the Burg    heard Rook and Bell Oxford had ……… Pea didn’t come back  (       phounching ……..)
[BTM]  Can anyone identify who Rook, Bell are.  Oxford was most likely William Oxford or his son or nephew listed in his HH on 1880 Montague Co., Census & neighbor of John’s and Sallie Mitchell.      Where there are dot’s the edge of the page was illegible.   Anybody have any idea what phounching is? 

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July the 10th
Sunday    Alan Dermid Come home with Pea  I am glad to See Alan    Lizzy Hester and Mary Jane come to See Lillie..    we cooked a chicken pie   had a good dinner    Frank and Mollie brought Edith   the little Scamp growing like a pig
[BTM]  Another one to identify.  I could not find anybody by the name of Alan Dermid in the census records for Texas.   I wonder if the name could be Dermott or McDermott?   Lizzy was the sister of Benjamin “Sim” Hester, and Mary Jane was most likely the daughter of Ben and Louisa Gage and the grand-daughter of Rhoda and Capt. Totty.   Frank and his wife Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Springer TOTTY were the son and dau-in-law of Capt. & Rhoda, and they brought their new daughter Edith to visit her grandparents.

11 Day    Captain got a pain in hip    gave out going to the reunion   Lillie badly disappointed   Ida come to go     never Seen children hate to give any thing up so bad  Lillie gathered her fine dress  went home with Ida to go with them    didn’t get to go come home at night   rained a big rain this evening
[BTM] Could this be the annual picnic or reunion at Forestburg? Or some other unmentioned reunion?   This could be arthritis or some type injury causing Capt. F. M. Totty pain,  will we ever know.   Lillie went home with her best friend Ida Marshall to go to the reunion with them, only to be disappointed once again.   I am sure the “big rain” was most welcome on a hot July summer day.

12 Day     got in the waggon went to Barts  found nobody at home     got a water melon and left  come back to Franks   eat dinner   got my chicken   I am like the boy about his clothes I would have him or have died..   Will Taylor come home from School with Pea
[BTM] Rhoda was disappointed to miss her dau. Tilda and her husband Bart, but got a watermelon to eat.   If memory serves me right, Rhoda mentions watermelon often, most likely one of her favorite summer fruits like mine.     Interesting new saying that I have never heard before.   Will Taylor is highly likely the son of “Uncle” George and Mary Taylor.

13 Day    extremely hot   Cap’n working at his gate   Lillie and I washing and pottering round
14 Day   Cap’n plowing cotton     him and old ball both sweating..  I went out carried a pitcher of water   Pea’s birth day  19 to day..  hig rain
15 Day    thought I would go to Bens but gave it out   Ben and Louisa come  I was So glad  wanted to See them    Sim and Lizzie gone with Pea and Lillie to the Burg to night
[BTM] Ben and Lousia GAGE, Rhoda and Capt.’s daughter came for a visit as if they knew Rhoda wanted to see them.    Sim and Lizzie Hester were neighbors of the TOTTY family and most likely came to go with Pea and Lillie to Forestburg for singing.

16 Day    Pea and Lillie gone back to Singing Cap’n gone to Bob Beans to See about his steer
[BTM] Bob Bean was the son of William and Betsy Caroline (Reeves) BEAN, the grand-son of William S. and Nancy Anna Caroline (TOTTY) Reeves.  Nancy was the sister of Robert TOTTY and Aunt to Capt. F. M. TOTTY.

17 Day   Sunday      hot hot   lots of company   Ed Baird and Caroline  Mrs Sallie Mitchel  Lou and Albert Baird  Frank and Mollie  Joe Marshall   all gone to night   Lillie home with Lou   Pea and Marshall to the Baker meeting
[BTM] Ed and Caroline BAIRD were the children of Samuel M. and Sarah Sandal (Totty) BAIRD, Sarah was the sister of Capt. F. M. and sis-in-law of Rhoda.    Sallie “Mitchel” was the wife of John Mitchell and found in the 1880 Montague Co., census in HH# 430/431, neighbors of John and Anna (Totty) Harvill.   Lou and Albert BAIRD were the children of Sam and Sarah Sandal (Totty) BAIRD.    Son, Frank and wife Mollie (Springer) TOTTY and Joe Marshall may have been the son of Joe and Mary Marshall.   Or Joseph Marshall from Cooke Co., age 12 or Joseph Marshall from Dallas Co., TX. Age 14 in 1880 census.  R. M. and Mary E. Marshall from Grayson Co., also had a son named Joseph Marshall age 16 on the 1880 census.

18 Day    Cap’n gone after Lillie   Pea to School    I all alone   glad to be alone awhile    do as I please   didn’t last long   Cap’n and Lillie   got in about 10 hungray
[BTM]  Oh how I remember the peace and quite when all the family was off to school and work, but would look forward to them getting back home safe and sound.

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July 1881
19 Day    Curtis here with his cattle  drawing water now he turns them out    here they go  Some one way Some another   helter skelter     mens sweating  horses panting     get some of them back in the lot Some gone to the bottom   haveing one of George Beans times after them    but they are like the boy  they will have them or die..  got them  come back for dinner   Started again    gone off very well    I am glad of it..  I and Lillie go to Mr Taylors he is in a Strange fix face swollen mouth drawn to one side  keeps winking with one eye..  they all laughing at him  he don’t care..    Sam Baird   Sim and Pea Staying all night
[BTM]   Sounds like Mr. Taylor might have had a stroke with the description Rhoda gave.   The “cattleman”, Curtis back with his cattle, no mention of Green being with him and what a time they were having with them settleing down, they must have had a hard trip. 

20 Day    extremely warm or rather I Should Say hot  don’t think hot weather ever hurt  So bad  but this is the last time  I put a wet rag on my head fell better   Cap’n reading the Courier about Garfield   every body Seems anxious about the President (that is) every body that has any good Sence    Some don’t know or care for anything  I and the Cap’n go to Franks  he is diging a well   Henry helping him
[BTM] Capt. Totty was reading about the injury and illness of Republican President Garfield from the gun shot mention on day 4 above.   Rhoda trying to keep cool with placing “a wet rag on her head”, no air conditioning in those pioneer days. 

21 Day   Frank got his Sow and pigs    Captain and I wrote a letter to John         got Supper Set it out in the yard  So hot thought  we would enjoy it out there     Pea Sim and Steve Castleman Come took Supper   gnats got in everything   I was glad to get back in the room if it is hot
[BTM]  Son Frank must have been keeping his sow and piglets on his parents farm.   Too bad we don’t have a copy of the letter they wrote to great grandpa John Whitfield TOTTY, would love to read it.   Bugs kept them from enjoying their supper out in the yard.

22 Day    hot hot  thundering round   Pea and Lillie  gone to the Burg this evening  be glad when the School is out 
23 Day  last of the Singing   Captain and I go with Pea and Lillie..  best Singing I think I ever heard   professor Maxey is a Smart man got a big brain..  heard Mrs Long and McLane is to be married Tuesday
[BTM]  Professor Maxey could likely be Jesse B. Maxey found in Precinct 4 of Montague Co.    Elizabeth Long was listed as a widow in the 1880 census of Montague.   McLane was the teacher Rhoda has mentioned several times in earlier diary entries.

24 Day   all go to High Point   brother Castleman preaches   fights  the Baptist and whips them Too for he strikes with the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God   we eat dinner at Bens
[BTM] Ben is Benjamin A. Gage, husband of Sarah Louisa (Totty) GAGE, daughter of Capt. and Rhoda.

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July the 25th    Cap’n Started to Denton to meet Jase and Bettie     I go to Taylors  leave Lillie and Ida Marshall to keep House   Mrs Taylor and Mrs Long Cooking and fixing for the wedding    I come home draw water for the cattle and hogs makes me think of last Summer when Capn was gone nearly all the time    Pea and Sim come at dark
[BTM]  Don’t you just know that Rhoda is getting excited about daughter Bettie coming back home from their visit to Eastern Texas after almost a month.   Mary Taylor and Elizabeth Long getting things ready for the wedding.    Capt. Totty was out on political trip’s last year when he was running for office and later lost his bid.   Son Pea and his friend Sim Hester came in after dark.

26 Day  this is the day Jase is to be at Denton    I hope he is there  now or this Side of there Comeing looming for home..   I and Lillie go to the wedding at Taylors   See Levi and Mrs Long married has not been a year Since I Saw them both with their other companions  but they are gone and it is all right for them to marry   I hope they will do well    Mary Douthit Stayed all night with me told me all about Charly knocking her down   I am Sorry for Mary    God pity them both and pity us all   is all I can Say
[BTM] Jase and Bettie TILLMAN making their way back home from East Texas, most likely visiting relatives in Upshur County.    Levi is listed on the 1880 census record of Montague Co., as Levi McClane age 33, his wife Rebecca age 29, must have died sometime after the 1880 census.   They also had children John(14), Pleasant(11), Sarah(8), Edger(5), Edna(5) and Woodie (8mos)McClane.  Widow Elizabeth Long age 36, had children George A.(15), Ora A.(12), and Hettie LONG (10).   Combined they now have a large family of 9 children. 

27 Day    hurrying to put on dinner before Bettie Comes got it on    go to the window   See them come looming down the Hill glad to See them   Cloudy to day    Mollie and Bettie Staying all day
[BTM] Rhoda’s husband Capt. TOTTY, with daughter Bettie and family coming from Denton after their East Texas visit.   Rhoda must be beside herself with joy.    Dau-in-law Mollie, wife of their son Frank and Bettie all staying for a visit to most likely play catch up on the latest from Upshur Co.

28 Day    Cap..n gone to the Burg   I get in the waggon   go home with Bettie and Mollie     Joshua moveing out of Jases house   Louisa and Ben there    Jase brought the New Translation   I am glad to See it think it is a good thing
[BTM]  The New Translation is likely the new Bible.   Sounds like a family gathering at Jase and Bettie house. 

29 Day   I and the Cap.n lying round reading    Lillie gone to the School home to Sims exibition       Sam Spencer and Dick Coffey come home with Pea
[BTM] Pea and his friends come come home.  Sam Spencer may likely be Samuel Spencer son of Rhoda’s cousin, John W. and Isabella SPENCER of Cooke Co., or Samuel Spencer son of Daniel and Loranie “Rainy” M. (White) SPENCER.   Benjamin “Sim” Hester was earlier trying to get a school going, but this is most likely is the Hodges School House.

30 Day   Sim Seting talking on the Scriptures  he is very Smart got good Sence..   well this ink beats a Shot gun   Warren Come Said he was born in Kentucky  raised in Alabamy  educated in mississipi  made a grand rascal by the war  lives in Texas by compulsion is a Shouting methodist and is 52 years old his father was a cambelite  has a wife and 5 children  he Staid about an hour
[BTM]  Warren, another new individual mentioned by Rhoda, she mentioned everything but his given name. 

31 Day  we go to Montague Springs meet a great many old friends   Griffit preaches  I don’t learn any thing   come home     Steve Castleman and Pea come from the Hard Shell meeting at High Point
[BTM] Rhoda has in the past(May 9,1881), called the Baptist as hard shell preacher’s.   High Point and Montague Springs were both communities in Montague Co., Texas 

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Transcribed from Original Diary by Birdie (Totty) McNutt ©2002