Horace Purdy Journal, January 1863 Entry

Creator

Purdy, Horace, 1835-1909

Title

Horace Purdy Journal, January 1863 Entry

Date

1863-01

Description

6pgs

Subject

Danbury (Conn.) -- History.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal Narratives.

17th Connecticut Infantry Regiment

Abel Wheeler

Alfred Gregory

Bell Purdy

Brother Crawford

Brother McDonald

Captain James Moore

Connecticut Military Units - Civil War

Danbury Times

David Mills

Dr. Bulkeley

Eddie Purdy (son)

Elizabeth Mead

Father Griswold

George Purdy

George Starr

Gussie Purdy

Harriet Griswold Wheeler Stevens

Jacob Fry

John Brush

John Crosier

Joseph Ives

Joseph Young

M. Harris

Mother Purdy

Mr. Olmstead

Mrs. Burr Bradley

O. H. Swift

Philander Brotherton

William Buckley

William H. Curtis

Publisher

Western Connecticut State University

Abstract

1/1 Pleasant. I received $4.50 rent money from Mr. Swift in the morning. At about 9 o'clock I went to the Savings Bank and paid my net $21.00. I then went to the shop and worked until nearly 2 o'clock when I attended the funeral of John Basset's wife at the Disciple's church. After the funeral I came home and packed the box of good things and luxuries for George and took it to the Express Office in the evening. Mother and Belle were both down to help Gussie prepare the items for the box. I received a letter from George in the evening and hastily dropped just a few lines to him in reply I enclosed that receipt for the box. 1/2 Pleasant. I have been afflicted with a headache all day I worked in the shop until about 2 o'clock and then gave up and came home. I wrote a letter to George and mailed it in the evening. Gussie went downtown with me to look at Photograph Albums. She got a letter from her Brooklyn friend Elizabeth Mead. Louise stayed with Eddy to let Gussie go with me. 1/3 Pretty cold in the morning, but pleasant. I worked as usual in the shop. In the evening I rubbed my [hands] with salt peter and molasses. I went to the post office and before I came home I bought a looking glass and small earthenware pot to put down some butter in to send to George next week. I went up to Father's with the pot to get Mother to fill it with butter. 1/4 Cold last night and early this morning but the day has been pleasant and has grown warmer during the day, cloudy just at night and in the evening with even possibility of rain. I went to church in the evening, this being the first Sabbath in the New Year. Our Sabbath School devoted the hour to recitations of passages of Scripture appropriate for the occasion. Both teachers and scholars participated; it was a most interesting session. In the P.M., I wrote to George. Gussie wrote to Harriet and mailed both in the evening as she went to church. 1/5 Pleasant and warm. I worked as usual in the shop. I came from work a little earlier than common in order to go before the Board of Relief to swear off $700.00 from my tax list onto Alfred Gregory who holds my note for that amount. I afterword came home and packed a box of good things for George and took them to the Express Office in the evening. I dropped a line to George and enclosed the receipt for his box. 1/6 Sunshine, fog and rain in the evening. I worked as usual in the shop I gave Mr. Ashley some extracts from George's letter for publication I attended Hatters' meeting in the evening. I was excused before it was out and came home after. Mr. Swift spent the evening with us after he came home from his office. We had nuts, apples and cider. 1/7 Pleasant but it grew cold very fast during the day and very windy. I worked late in the shop. Mother called on her way to class in the evening. I mailed the Danbury Times to George and directed a letter to him which was left at Mr. Swift's office for him to direct and mail. I went to class in the evening. Br. McDonald led. 1/8 Pleasant and cold I was rather late getting to the shop this morning but worked enough harder to make up the deficiencies in time. I filed off the toes of my skates in the evening preparatory to using them. I went to the Post Office in the evening and stayed at Mr. Swift's office until he closed up and the walked up with him. We intended to go over to the pond and skate a little, but when we got to the house we concluded to stay by the fire as the night was pretty cold. 1/9 Cloudy all day with the prospect of snow. I worked as usual in the shop. Bell came down just before night to stay all night. She took care of Eddie in the evening and let Gussie go into the street with me. We did some trading and then went down to the Skating Park a little while. I took my skates and skated a little. We saw Jennie Fairweather there learning. This is the first of my skating for the season. 1/10 It began to rain in the P.M. and rained very hard in the evening. I went to market in the evening. I carried over to the church from Mr. Swift's office 75 of the New Lesson books which we have been procuring for the church. 150 were ordered but only half of them have come. I walked up with Joe Young. I rubbed my hands for the last time before I retired to bed. 1/11 Pleasant. Went to church in the morning Sunday school prayer meeting at noon, first of the New Lesson books were given out at the school. Isabella came up and stayed with Eddie to let Gussie start for afternoon meeting (which was the Sacrament Service) as I was very busy in the school and was necessarily detained quite late. Gussie went and I came home with a severe headache. Bro. Crawford was unfortunate during the communion and spilled some wine on Mrs. B. Bradley's bonnet strings. After tea I wrote a letter to George and then we went up into Mr. Swifts' part a little while. While there, Mother and Uncle Horace [Maybie] came in on their way to evening meeting. I sent my letter to the office by her. Uncle Horace came up yesterday and is staying over Sunday with our folks. 1/12 Pleasant. I worked as usual in the shop John Brush has been around the shop drunk all day. He pretended to work a little but hindered the other men more than anything else. I paid Mr. Jacob Fry $6.73 for a quarter beef which I had of him. I paid also for the Sunday School $15.00 to O.H. Swift for Lesson Books, 150 in number. I attended Teacher's Meeting in the evening. They voted to have a Sunday School Festival on Wednesday evening the 28th of this month I walked up home with Mr. Swift and then we went down to the Skating Park for a little time. It was after nine o'clock when we started. 1/13 Pleasant in the early part of the day but cloudy in the P.M. I rose rather late this morning in consequence of retiring after midnight last night. I have worked all day in the shop, though I have been very sick with a severe cold. Gussie went up home and brought down George's nightcap which he wants me to send to him in the army to sleep in these cold nights. A General Class meeting at the church in the evening. Gussie attended while I stayed with Eddie. During the evening, I fixed the straps to my skates in a different manner from what they have heretofore been. I also copied the minutes of the Sunday School Teachers' Business meeting which was held last evening. 1/14 Feeling almost sick. I did not go the shop in the morning and in the P.M. only to finish off 4 hats of a dozen left over from yesterday's work. While doing so, William Curtis, discharged from Capt. Moore's Co. 17th Regt called at the shop. I procured a small box to send to George to send home his watch and bought some licorice and put in it. I wrote a letter to him before night. I bought a pair of skates for Gussie. The price of them was $1 [???], but as they were the last pair of the kind and pretty large for ladies' use, I procured them for [???] at Joseph M. Ives. Gussie attended the Festival at the Temperance Lodge in the evening by invitation and I went to hear Mason Jones lecture, subject Garibaldi. I accompanied Mrs. Swift to the lecture. Mr. Swift could not do so on account of tending door at the Hall. Before going in I took a letter from the Office by the evening mail from George. He is sick with the Jaundice. I added a postscript in the letter I was about to mail and mailed it. I mailed the matchbox and The Danbury Times also. After the Lecture while waiting for Gussie to return form the festival, I wrote another letter to him. Bell came down and stayed with Eddy while we were at the Festival and Lecture. It rained hard when Gussie came home. We retired about midnight. 1/15 Raining. Foggy and warm. Before going to the shop this morning, I went to the bank with the draft George sent to me for $10. I endorsed it and left it for collection. Father Griswold brought home a black dog today from New York. After tea, I finished my letters to George and Cousin David Mills. I sent George's nightcap to him in his letter. I went to the Office in the evening and sent the items. 1/16 A severe rainstorm. I have been to the shop all day though I have been nearly sick with my cold. In consequence of which, I have not earned much. Mother called on her way to meeting. Having lost the bottom of her lantern, she went into the street with me and then I lent her mine to go home with after meeting. Mr. Swift brought a new on e and I walked up by the light of his. Before doing so, I carried over to the church and put into the library the remainder of the new Lesson Books which I have had via Mr. Swift since Sunday. It cleared off about 8 o'clock in the evening. 1/17 Pleasant and cold. Bell came to see if I would go up home and spend the evening if Gussie would go up with Eddy in the P.M. I worked as long as I could see. After I went home I took Gussie's new skates back to Joseph Ives and exchanged them for another pair of cheaper ones and more suitable for her to use in learning. I waited until the mail came and then got a letter for Bell from George and then went up to Father's and spent the remainder of the evening. Father Griswold and Harriet Wheeler were up there with Gussie in the P.M. In George's letter, he said that the boxes of luxuries were received all right. We came home about 10 o'clock. 1/18 Pleasant and cold. I went to church in the morning. I was detained very late at the Sabbath School to distribute and take pay for the new Lesson Books. I came home so late that Gussie could not attend in the P.M. After tea, I wrote to George. Mother and Bell came in on their way to evening meeting. I enclosed a letter for Bell. Gussie went to meeting with them. 1/19 Pleasant and cold. I worked all day in the shop. After tea, I took my pieces of dried beef and my hams over to Mr. Olmstead to be smoked and then went to market and to the Post Office. After I returned I took my skates and went over to George Starr's pond for a short time. I found Philander Brotherton and wife over there. She was just learning having on skates for the first time. I assisted her a little. 1/20 Foggy. No sunshine in the P.M. I worked all day as usual in the shop. Eddy sick last night and today he has had a high fever. It left him just at night and he appears much better. I carried another piece of beef to be smoked over to Mr. Olmstead's in the evening. From there, I went to a General Class meeting at the church. 1/21 Stormy. Snow. I worked as usual at the shop. I went to the Post Office in the evening and mailed the Danbury Times to George. I called on Dr. Bulkely at his office to consult him about Eddy. About 10 o'clock he was so much worse that I went to his residence for him. He had retired. He prescribed different medicine and said he would call in the morning. I took my beef from the brine in the evening and covered it with water in a tub and poured away the brine on account of its being so very salty. I intend to make new brine for it, one that will not be so salt. Gussie commenced a letter to Elizabeth. 1/22 Cloudy and a little rain. I sat up with Eddy last night until 3 o'clock this morning and then Gussie got up and I went to bed until morning. Mr. Swift had a tedious night also with his wounded arm. I sawed a little wood for him before I went to work. I took back my suit of clothes and finally got them for $16.00. I brought them home from Mr. Harris' last evening to try them on and decide upon taking them. He wanted $17.00 for the suit coat, vest and pants. I went to the Danbury Bank and drew the $10.00 that George sent the check for payable to me. It was after nine o'clock when I got to the shop. I have felt miserable on account of being up so late last night. The doctor came this morning after I left announced Eddie's complaint to be Diphtheria. The ' dozen [???] Questions books for Mrs. John Crosier came today. About ten o'clock in the evening Eddie was taken with strangling and I went immediately for Dr. Bulkely. His son William came with him. He prepared a wash for his throat and swabbed it out. Father and Mother Griswold and Fanny all came down. Father Griswold prayed with us before he went back. Fanny came down again to watch and we retired. 1/23 Eddie's sickness made it late before I went to the shop. Doctor came just before I went. He pronounced him much better. I came home to dinner. Doctor came again in the P.M. and found Eddie gaining fast. It cleared off just before night. I got a letter from George in the evening. Frank Butler's boy was taken with the Diphtheria today. 1/24 Gussie sat up with Eddie last night until 1 o'clock this morning and then I took her place and she retired. I went to the shop rather late but did but a little work. Came home from the shop. I went around by Mr. Olmstead's and got one of my pieces of smoked beef. I went to market in the evening. I received a letter from George this noon and another this evening. 1/25 Gussie sat up with Eddie last night until 1 o'clock and then I got up and she retired. He is better today. I attended church today and gave Bro. Crawford a notice to be read for the Sunday School Festival on Wednesday evening of this week. After Sunday School, I came home and slept a part of the P.M. The Union Sunday School concert was held at our church this afternoon in place of the regular service. After tea, father came down to see us. Mother has been sick also with the Diphtheria, but is now better. I wrote to George after tea and mailed a paper (Semi Weekly Tribune) to him. Fanny carried them to the Office as she went to evening meeting. After she had gone, I got up and directed a box of troaches to him and went down and mailed them. I returned and soon retired in order to get all the rest I could before getting up in the middle of the night to take care of Eddie again. 1/26 Pleasant in the morning, but it soon became cloudy, misty and warm. I sat up the latter part of the night with Eddie. On account of rest yesterday, I have felt more like work today and have improved it accordingly. Doctor pronounced Eddie to be much better today and he really appears to be so. I went to the Post Office in the evening and mailed Mother's letter to Harriet which I should have done last night but forgot it. I called at Doctor's office and talked with him about Eddie and then came home. I found Mother Griswold with Gussie. She gave me a talking to for not staying at home with Gussie and Eddie during the day instead of working at the shop. I did not think it necessary to do so as he appears to be better. 1/27 Stormy. Fanny stayed with Eddie until 2 o'clock this morning. Before going to the shop this morning, I deposited in the Savings Bank for George $10.00 which he sent by check from the army in Va. I left an order on Dr. Bulkely's slate for him to visit Eddie and leave medicine. He is much better today. I went to the Post Office and market in the evening. I ordered ' bushel oysters brought up tomorrow. 1/28 The ground slightly covered with snow this morning. It began to snow again in the middle of the day and continued all day increasing in the evening. I worked as usual in the shop. Our Sunday School Festival came off in the evening and considering the unpleasant weather, the children came out in good numbers and all appeared to enjoy it much. I attended but came home before it was over. Gussie stayed at home with Eddie, who is much better today. I brought some samples of the cake to Eddie. 1/29 A quite heavy body of snow on the ground this morning and still snowing Isabell stayed with Louisa up to Mother Griswold's after returning from the festival last night. She has stayed with Gussie all day and is to go up to stay with Louisa again tonight on account of our bed being occupied by Mr. Swift's brother. It cleared off just at night and is colder. 1/30 Pleasant. Isabella has been with us again today, but went home just at night. I worked as long as I could see. After tea I went up [house?] to engage Father for Jo. Young to saw some wood tomorrow. I then went to the Post Office and home. I received a letter from George. I took one from the Office also for Harriet from Abel. 1/31 Pleasant. I have worked hard as usual in the shop as long as I could see. Bell came down before dinner and stayed with Eddie in the P.M. to let Gussie go out to make a few calls. I went to market in the evening.