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For the year 1863
Prior (1862)
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1863 - Book #13
2 Jan Eldress Lovma Salsbury came to get Jannet Angus to go to SF to doctor Mary Hathaway who
is quite sick.
3 Jan A man and woman from Newtonville came "tohave something done to the woman's teeth;
Sat. her face was quite swollen. "
5 Jan Daniel Patner of Brooklyn brings his daughter Henrietta to stay"if she likes tolive here."
6 Jan Evvy Viola Shufelt is brought by her mother and a man named Vroman to stay if she likes it.
7 Jan N. White goes to Albany after six boys from Rhode Island and Jesse Harwood has 4 girls from
the same place.
11 Jan Sistersnow in Office aie Abbie Messenger, Sarah Dean 7 Moriah Treadway and Laura Prentiss.
15 Jan Rained all day and none of men went from home but four of the Rhode Island boys ran away
from school 7 2 belonged to. ChF, 2 to 2d Order,
16 Jan Rain and cold wind. Boys came back, said they could not get anything to eat and had to
sleep under a pile of boards.
22 Jan Sally Hill and her sister=in-law came to have something done to her teeth.
4 Feb Will iam See ley died at West Family (2d Family).
6 Feb Luther Wells died. Oldest brother in this Society -89. .-
One of Rhode Island boys ran away.
9 Feb Sylvester Prentiss, Henry Bussell and 3 hired men begin getting ice tofill ice house.
19 Feb "Charles Leigh arrived here this afternoon. He has left the hospital at Washington where he
has been confined by sickness. He has got sick of a soldier's life and took leg leave."
Jesse Harwood took back toProvidence, R.I. two boys and one girl from 2d Order and one
boy from ChF.
24 Feb C. Copley, Ann Buckingham and Moriah Treadway "go to Albany to see about the Treasury notes. 1
Chauncey brings home a little girl named Julia Frame whose father has consumption.
26 Feb C. Copley and some of 2d Family brethren go to the River Farm with Garret WJtbeck to survey
the pond. The land formerly belonged to the ChF except one acre.
27 Feb A man named Dibble from Will iamsburgh brings three children whose mother isdead.
28 Feb Dibble takes his oldest boy with him, leaves girl (Margaret) and younger boy (Joshua).
Lucy Scranton came from Albany to see her brother, Henry.
10 Mar Man named Hamilton came "to see ifwe had any improvements in building wash houses or
anything else that would be an advantage to them. He spent most of the day going about
and will stay over night.
10 Mar DAB and Elder Sister went to Troy with some of the sisters from SF tohelp them buy a
(cont.) sewing machine.
18 Mar We now have 12 hired men, mostly to work on wood.
20 Mar General Gansevoort and lady called here.
23 Mar Joseph Collins to CHF to "can up some dried sweet corn."
25 Mar Collins to WF to can something for them.
26 Mar Collins to ChF to put up apple butter.
7 Apr Man named Edward King comes from NYC. He is to help Collins in canning this summer.
8 Apr Winfield Scott here in company with a young (word missing). He has been discharged from
the army.
11 Apr Margaret Dibble is takento Albany to get boat to NY to return to her father.
14 Apr Learned that a man named dromon, quite aged 7 who lived on Schdy Turnpike, had hung
himself.
18 Apr "The firstchickens hatched this year today. "
20 Apr N. White takes Joshua Dibble to Albany to get boat to NYC.
22 Apr Mary Stewart came from 2d Family to see Physicians about some children that have
whooping cough.
24 Apr Elder C.C., N. White and boys go to River Farm to set out seed onions.
A millinerfrom Broadalbin came after bonnets.
27 Apr Maria Mason is taken to Niskayuna depot to go to Troy where she has a sister.
John Fort's son brought a little girl, Annie, to stay with us if
she likes it.
30 Apr "Day is appointed by the President of the U.S. to be kept as a day of fasting and prayer."
Thurs. The family has meetintUn morning at 9 a.m. and in afternoon attend to cleaning.
1 May Some go to Niskayuna "to plow the corner lotby Miller's grocery to seed itwith spring
wheat"; some go to "South farm to see about getting seed in the ground, "
2 May Adda Wood's grandmother came and wanted Adda to go and see her mother who is out of
health and deranged at present.
4 May Albert Lomas came to help Betsy and Sarah clean the upper part of the Meeting House.
5 May Some from all the families came to clean the Meeting House - 16 for dinner.
6 May Woman from NY brought 11 year old girlnamed Albina Hasset for us totake.
12 May C. Miller started for Illinois.
15 May Sylvester and hired men began to dig a ditch to lay down logs to bring water to the Office
from the cistern in the orchard.
19 May The Sisters are having a bee.-.to make bonnets this week.
26 May "Secretary ^
Seward and daughter cjled here a short time."
9 June Go to River Farm after a load of cans that Collins has been making for us.
13 June A woman came from Saratoga to bring her son to leave with us.
18 June C. Miller took Canterbury visitors to railroad in Albany and on way home with Levi Shaw
"got turned over and his arm broken." Levi brought the team home and one of the neighbors brought
Chauncey. Dr. Wade came in evening to set his arm.
19 June Two brethren go to "cold spring" after the soap grease that Chauncey left there yesterday.
23 June Philip Smith had 40 fowls stolen in the night -almost all of his early chickens.
25 June Stephen Wells took three sisters to NF and on way back, horse took fright and threw him
and Ellen Ward from wagon. Ellen had collarbone broken and other bruises.
26 June Nelly, a young colt, taken sick in evening. Elder C. Copley, Daniel (Sherman), DAB
and Ann Buckingham were up doctoring her$ :.until2 a.m. when she died. Brethren opened
her up and "found her inwards were broken, causing her death."
27 June Two Quaker women came and wanted to stay overnight. Sent to SF.
29 June E. Collins, his wife, his workman and wife, and the blacksmith wife were here - we have
33 for dinner.
30 June, Sisters pick strawberries "inevery direction."
1 July Edw. Collins comes to can some strawberries.
7 July C. Miller went to Troy with Daniel Sherman - 1st time out.
10 July Nearly al I the family are picking currants for jel ly and Edw . Col I ins came to can currants.
13 July Strawberries nearly done - currants and raspberries coming on fast.
14 July "Dr. David Tittle came here to doctor the two fit boys. " Had a round with them both.
15 July Some brethren and sisters went after shad berries, had good luck.
17 July Collins and his man are making jelly and canning peas.
18 July "James B(urk) has been making extracts (for) some time. M. Wells has been stilling a
week or more, something or other."
18 July Desire Harwood died at 2d Order. "Her spirittook its flight from this vain worldof
(cont.) glory at 5 a.m. "
20 July A woman named El isa Tracy from Troy with a 14-year old girl Jessie she wants us to take ,
Mon. Stayed until Wednesday when they were taken to Newtons Corners to get a stage to Albany
24 July Jessie Tracy and her brother, Charles, 10 years old, brought from Albany.
27 July "Edward Collins has lost a small child and he stays at home today to bury it. 11
30 July "We have a great many loads of folks come here today, to see and be seen. "
Thurs.
4 Aug Five I Jttle
girls came to see Evvy Shufelt. *
6 Aug "Proclamation from the President to have this day kept as a day of Thanksgiving and
Thurs. prayer. We had a meeting at 8 a.m., then went about our usual employment. "
10 Aug Have been shelling and canning peas since July 17 but on Aug. 7th noted "there has been
quite a loss in thecanning business by peas spoiling."
We now conclude to stop putting up peas and begin on string beans.
12 Aug Two women came, each with a boy they wished to leave, but itwas concluded not to
take them,
13 Aug A stageload of people from the Home Lawn A visited and traded some; a great many more
people came which made ita very busy day for us,
17 Aug Very much haying at River Farm - 116 loads.
24 Aug The house full of company. About a dozen ladies walked here from the Home Lawn to
Mon. trade some and many others came through the course of the day.
28 Aug Oscar Merchant died some time during the night in a fit.21 years old. His mother lives
in Albany and C. Miller went to tellher of his death.
29 Aug John Decker brought Oscar's mother, aunt and cousin from Albany to attend his funeral,
and then took them home again.
31 Aug Eliza Tracy came to see her children.
3 Sept DAB goes to Saratoga Springs with Adelaide Ingham, Sarah Ann Wood, Caty Ferguson and
Samantha Bowie.
Thurlow Weed and his daughter Harriet come with an Englishdoctor they call Sir Henry
Holland.
4 Sept Charlotte Yale died at SF . (not in cemetery)
DAB and party returned late in evening.
5 Sept Moriah Treadway to move to dwelling house, Lydia (Annas) takes her place in Office,
Caty Ferguson fills vacancy in elder's order.
9 Sept Adelaide Ingham moved to family deaconess 1 room. Ellen Busselltakes her place to live
with girls in Stone Shop.
15 Sept Canning corn and tomatoes.
29 Sept Polly Wicks died at WF.
2 Oct Sisters cut up apples and make a part of them into apple butter and dry the balance.
"We pared 25 barrels, a good day's work. We had a new machine x that one person could
pare a barrel of applies in 20 minutes.
5 Oct Albino Hosack's mother and a man came here and had dinner. (Hassett, on 6 May.)
9 Oct The sisters cut26 barrels of apples to dry.
18 Oct Lydia (Annas) came out of the kitchen and Abbie (Messenger) goes in; she (Abbie) has
not done any kitchen work for 4 months; the longest time in her life. She is today 51 yrs.
19 Oct C. Miller went to Schenectady to get a jacket for the large copper kettle (formerly used
for dying), now to be placed beside the one C.M. bought in NY, both to be used for
extracts, apple butter, etc., heated by steam.
A great callfor apple butter this year.
>
20 Oct Sisters cut 20 barrelsof apples for apple butter.
21 Oct Edw. Collins canned apple butter - 80 doz. - very hard days' work which took until evening.
Albert Lomas and William Bussell went to Albany for things forthe school and library.
22 Oct Some sisters pack up apples, the rest are labelling cans.
"Caroline, Janett and Matilda are working on the roots and have been for weeks. There
have been from 14-16 hired men for the last6 weeks and I cannot say how much longer. "
28 Oct All hands engaged in gathering apples. Collins came to can a few doz. tomatoes, also
apple butter. 2d Family came to stew a kettle of apple butter. Our sisters put. it
up for
them after 9 p.m. "
30 Oct "A general rush in the orchard. They finish gathering apples today, between 600-700
bushels of apples picked up today. Henry Scranton leads in making cider.
3 Nov James Burk is now tending to extracts and boiling cider. In his absence George Price tended
and the new kettle collapsed because the safety valve "got glued up with cider. "
4 Nov Evvy Shufelt's mother and sister came to see her, walking from and back to the depot.
George took the kettle to Schenectady to have it fixed.
6 Nov The Ministry came about 4 p.m. to visit. "The firstintell igence we had was : beautiful
singing down in the woods or lane, which brought all concerned out in sight. "
i
10 Nov "Ann Buckingham went to the Ministry Shop relative to leaving the Office as she requested
iton account of poor health when the Ministry was here last."
Steam kettle has been repaired and is set up again.
12 Nov Sisters cut apples again - 25 bbls.
Ann is "going into the family" and Elizabeth Seely w i l l
come to the Office to take her place,
19 Nov Asa Seaton moved to ChF to 1 ive. 71 .years oldbut bright and active.
26 Nov "This is kept forThanksgiving. Ministry all went to the families and administered the
giftof general opening. We keep the day same as the Sabbath till after dinner.
"We have 14-15 hired men. Hope they are true to the Union (quite a regiment). "
28 Nov "Ministry had meeting and speak more fully of the gift of general opening, etc,"
29 Nov We arise at 4:00 and assemble at 4:30 in our meeting room with the Ministry. We had a
Sun. short meeting and retired to begin the duties of the day.
2 Dec Almira Watkins went from Office to live with Eldress Elanor and Orpha DeGroat and
Jerusha Truair have gone to1 ive at SF "and be a help there."
7 Dec Trying to get all theircanned vegetables to Albany to be shipped before the river closes,
10 Dec River now frozen and shipments have to be made by railroad.
Go to Waterford to get feed for horses and cattle.
"Last night most of the fowls took up their abode in the hen house, the one or two are so
willful that they restin the tree. "
15 Dec Lydia went to the Stone Shop to work on baskets with Ann (Buckingham).
21 Dec Sylvester took p.m. train to Mt. Lebanon "to ask counsel of the Ministry about selling
some wood. "
Eliza Tracy came to see her children.
24 Dec Sylvester went around the neighborhood to try to sellthe wood off the 60 acre lot.
25 Dec "This day being Christmas we keep it very much as the Sabbath day, "
30 Dec Garret Witbeck came to survey the 60 acre lot. Sylvester, William & Henry Bussell, and
several hired men assist. They lay itout in 1/2 acre lots to be sold at auction.
Book #14
1864 (At this time 7Lydia Annas is definitely the authoress of these journals.)
1 Jan The hired men all go to keep the New Year but Daniel McCarty. He stayed and waited
on the Sisters.
2 Jan Go on with the surveying. Pretty cold.
5 Jan Jesse Harwood, Sarah Taylor and Hester Gustin of 2d Order come to see how the ChF
Sisters manage their range as they are having trouble with theirs. Lucy Fuller goes back
with them to show them some things, and stays over night.
The wood lots are sold off. Elias Ireland, auctioneer,, Average $50 per acre.
Brought home another coal stove. This is the second this winter. "All are anxious to
have them. The Eldresses and Ann each haore one in their shops."
9 Jan Sylvester went to Ireland'sCorners to have the wood lots signed and sealed according to law.
Brought from Albany "our sack of palm leaf - over $60 worth. 11
13 Jan Elizabeth Seeley and Lydia nailed down the carpet, put some hay under it.
Began to make draw baskets, Elizabeth is learninghow.
15 Jan Lydia is going to theshop to work on baskets with Ann and Matilda.
Mary H. wove 26 bonnets, Mary Jane Price 24, IsabellaB. wove 30 yds of forebraids.
19 Jan A poor man with inflammatory rheumatism ame and stayed all night.
20 Jan Sylvester went to see the poormaster about this man.
Mary Ann Ayers came to get Jannet to see Deborah but Janett could not leave Brother
Abram who needs a great deal of care.
21 Jan Took things to Albany for a fair being held in Albany for the benefitof the soldiers.
23 Jan Took JessieTracy to her mother.
25 Jan Mary'-Hallenbeck wants to leave. Mrs. Buell will take her in her family and "she has
a good place if she w i l l
behave herself."
Elizabeth Seely and Lydia canned apple butter, Geo. Price soldered the cans.
26 Jan Justice Harwood, Rebecca Carter and Emeline Clark came to see Brother Abram. (He
must not be expected to live.)
"Two women and three girls came from Niskayuna to get the girls taken. They had dinner,
then went to 2d Family and, I believe they kept two of the girls or agreed to."
27 Jan Sylvester went around to the families to see about giving to the Sanitary Commission
and where to have itleft.
30 Jan "Sylvester went to the Centre (Watervliet) to see if the back house for the Ministry Sisters
is done. In afternoon he went and brought ithome and itrained in the evening and he
had to get some sheets and cover it. "
For the year 1863
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