Horace Purdy Journal, April 1862 Entry (Still Image)

Horace Purdy Journal, April 1862 Entry

Purdy, Horace, 1835-1909

10pgs

APRIL 01 – TUESDAY – Pleasant and warm in the morning, but cloudy in the PM. I went over to Alfred Gregory’s before breakfast to pay my interest to him, but as Jarvis Hull is holding my note unbeknown to me, I did not pay it. Mr. Warren moved out and Father Griswold moved into my upper rooms today. I stayed home in the forenoon and helped them. The Griswold’s took dinner with us. I went to the shop in the PM. We were paid off, or nearly so. I received all that was due me - $18.00. I earned 6/ and came home. Father Griswold’s folks took tea with us again tonight as they were not settled upstairs. Father Griswold fooled some of us after he had returned from New York and I to pay him off for it and to pay him for making a fool of me four years ago about Mr. Hurd’s pin factory fooled him at the dinner table by giving him a bottle of turpentine to pour out a glass of cider from. I attended our hatters’ Meeting in the evening at the YMCA room. It was a lengthy session. I was home late. APRIL 02 – WEDNESDAY – Cloudy with the appearance of rain, but did not get any. I have worked all day in the shop. I went to market in the evening and to class. I paid $3.00 to Peter from seat rent. Abel’s baby, Josie, is very sick. Eddie fell out of his chair making his nose bleed and frightening his mother very much but not seriously hurting him. APRIL 03 – THURSDAY - Foggy in the morning, but the day has been very pleasant. I have worked all day in the shop. Mother came in while we were at tea and stayed until meeting time when Gussie went with her to prayer meeting, while I stayed at home to take care of Eddie. Abel and Harriet’s baby, Josie, is better today. APRIL 04 – FRIDAY – I have worked hard all day in the shop. Gussie went up home to tea and I went up when I came from work. We stayed in the evening to George’s surprise party. I paid Quartius Chichester 75 cents, which with 25 cents which he owed me paid for my lightening rod point. APRIL 05 -SATURDAY – Cloudy and cool in the morning. It began to rain about noon. I not feeling well, came home after dinner. I went into the street in the evening. It was starlight and the moon shone brightly before we retired. APRIL 06 – SUNDAY – Eddie has a bad cold and we feel somewhat concerned about him. I attended church in the morning and came home as usual after Sunday School to let Gussie attend. Brother Pegg preached from the latter clause of the 13th verse of the 11th chapter of Hebrews. It is his last Sabbath with us as Conference meets this week. Mother came in after tea and stayed until meeting time. I went. It was a prayer meeting and a good one, too. Charles Stevens was in the church in the PM and in the evening with his bride, which is his third wife. She is Reverend John Crawford’s daughter of Redding. APRIL 07 – MONDAY – I went to the shop in the morning and worked until 2 PM and then went down to the Courthouse to vote. I then came home to the raising of Father Griswold’s house. Ephraim Gregory called on me for the interest on the note of $400.00 to Alfred. I paid it, the money having been ready since the 1st of this month when it was due, but on account of it having been turned out to Jarvis Hull for security, it was not presented before. APRIL 08 – TUESDAY – Cloudy with snow in the PM and evening. I have worked as usual in the shop. After tea, we put up a basket of articles for Mrs. Theodore Brothwell, formerly Elizabeth Clark, an old Amenia classmate of Gussie’s. It was to return her joke of 4 years ago when we began keeping house. She was married about a year ago and has commenced housekeeping this spring. I carried the box over in the evening. We have had a telegraphic dispatch today that the rebels on Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River have surrendered to our forces. APRIL 09 – WEDNESDAY – Cooler and windy. I have worked in the shop. Cloudy in the forenoon, but the sun shone a little before night. Another dreadful battle at Pittsburg Landing in Tennessee. It lasted all day Sunday and Monday when the rebels were completely routed and made good their retreat towards Corinth, Mississippi and at last accounts, our cavalry were pursuing them. Their General-in-Chief, Albert Sidney Johnston was killed and General Beauregard has an arm shot off. Our losses in killed and wounded is reported at between 18,000 and 20,000 thousand. That of the enemy is over 8,000. (Note: actual total casualties were approximately 13,000 for the Union and 11,000 for the Confederacy) The report is likely exaggerated. Thirty-four guns were fired this evening in honor of the victory. APRIL 10 – THURSDAY- Cool and windy. I have worked in the shop as usual, although I have had a severe headache. E.S. Huntington was buried at 2 o’clock this PM. The accounts of the late battle at Pittsburgh Landing today gives the number of killed, wounded and missing as much less than last night’s account. It puts it as low as 5,000. Fanny stayed with Eddie in the evening, so that Gussie and I could attend the Prayer Meeting. APRIL 11 – FRIDAY – I have worked hard all day in the shop. I went into the street with George in the evening to get him a vest on an order of mine from Henry Crofut so that he could pay me the money. We selected one at Charles Stevens’. The price was $4.50. APRIL 12 – SATURDAY – On my way to the shop, I left a 5 gallon can at Benedict & Nichols to be filled with kerosene oil. It was filled and sent up. I got an order on Mr. Crofut for Charles Stevens and Hoyt to pay for George’s vest. Fanny took care of Eddie in the evening to let Gussie and I go into the street to call on Elizabeth Brothwell. She was not at home, so we went to Mr. Rowan’s and their we found her. APRIL 13 – SUNDAY – A beautiful day. It being Conference Sunday, Brother Woodruff was sent to preach for us. His text was Acts 20:35. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I came home after Sunday School and Gussie went in the PM. I went for Dr. Bulkley for Mother Griswold before evening meeting. Father and Mother came down and went to church with us in the evening. Brother Woodruff preached from John 21 and the words, “Simon Peter” in the second verse. It was an excellent sermon. He reviewed the traits and proclivities in the character of Peter and represented him as he was, a Christian hero. The church was crowded. He returns to Conference at Waterbury in the morning. Fanny took care of Eddie this evening so that we could both attend church. APRIL 14 – MONDAY – I worked as usual in the shop. The men were paid $5.00 each. In addition to the $5.00 cash. I also got an order on Benedict & Nichols for $5.00 more. Our Annual Sunday School Teachers’ Meeting for the election of officers was held this evening. I had to go to market which took so much time that I did not attend. This morning before breakfast, I grafted two of my cherry trees. APRIL 15 – TUESDAY – I have not felt very much like work today. I came home early. Mother and Mrs. Cyrus White were here in the PM. Mrs. White took tea upstairs with Mother Griswold and Mother went home before tea. I was last evening elected Secretary and treasurer of our Sunday School Society. I am undecided as yet about accepting. APRIL 16 – WEDNESDAY – I have worked as usual in the shop. Mr. B. Bradley brought the Secretary Treasurer’s books to me at the shop today, I having been elected on Monday to those offices in our Sunday School Society. I was pretty tired when I came home from work. Father Griswold came home from the Conference on the evening train. Gussie went over to Cousin Frank Boughton’s in the evening and stayed very late. I rocked the cradle and drew up a new Sunday School Teachers’ roll. APRIL 17 – THURSDAY – Pleasant and very warm for the time of the year. I worked in the shop as usual. I came home from work a little earlier than usual on account of company. Hannah Gregory and Elizabeth Clark, as it used to be, now Mrs. Theodore Brothwell. We had a pleasant visit with them. They stayed a while in the evening and then Gussie went as far as the Post Office with them. I received another good letter from Cousin David Mills. A part of it was dated at Winchester and a part at Edinburgh, Virginia. APRIL 18 – FRIDAY – Fast Day. The shop has been closed and I have worked around home repairing walks, etc. In the PM, Abel came and took up the two cherry trees north of my house which I gave to him. I helped him transplant them in his yard. After tea, Father Griswold and I drew the line for the stone work to be built on the west of my garden joining him. I took care of Eddie in the evening to let Gussie go to the store to do some trading. APRIL 19 – SATURDAY – Mr. and Mrs. Staples were buried this afternoon at 4 o’clock. William Witherspoon and John Pollett came home with me this afternoon. Witherspoon came for some black currants. APRIL 20 – SUNDAY – Cloudy and a little rain. The sun shone a little just at night. This is the first Sunday of the new conference year, being the only one in the year in which Father Griswold will be home on unless something special happens. He preached for us in the morning from Luke, 2nd chapter on the words, “on Earth peace”, from the 14th verse. He preached for Mr. Stone in the Baptist church in the PM. I acted in my new capacity as secretary of the Sunday School for the first time at noon. Our new minister, Brother Crawford, preached for us in the PM. His text was 1st Peter 1:3. Isabell came home with me at noon to take care of Eddie so that Gussie and I could go to church in the afternoon. Father, Mother and Bell were with us to tea. They stayed until evening meeting time when I went with them, Gussie staying at home to take care of Eddie. APRIL 21 – MONDAY – Stormy. I have worked as usual in the shop. George left $4.50 with Gussie this afternoon to pay me for a vest which I bought for him at Charles Stevens on an order from Henry Crofut. APRIL 22 – TUESDAY – rainy in the morning. I having to wait for a block, just before noon, I took my dinner pail and came home to dinner and then went back again in the PM. Two men (Irish) came just before dark and dug up an apple tree in my yard for John Pollett which I sold him last Saturday. I received a letter from Cousin Charley Mils this PM. He is in the army near Yorktown, Virginia, expecting a battle with the rebels soon. I answered it in the evening. Also wrote another to his brother, David, in General Banks’ division. APRIL 23 – WEDNESDAY – Windy and colder. It has been quite March-like. I left the shop about 3 o’clock to have a ton of coal put in my cellar (Lackawanna). I went to class in the evening. Brother McDonald led in the absence of Peter. APRIL 24 – THURSDAY – A little cool, but pleasant. I came home to my dinner for the first time in a long while. I received 6 ½ dozen Sunday School class books from New York for the school. I got Mr. Crofut’s order for $6.50 and gave it to Sherman Disbrow for a ton of coal which he put in my cellar yesterday. I came home from work very tired. Gussie went to market for me in the evening. APRIL 25 – FRIDAY - I have worked as usual in the shop. I went to market in the evening. George persuaded me to visit an association which Aaron Morehouse, he and others are organizing for the temporal and spiritual benefit of the young men of the town. I found that I had been proposed for membership and was to be initiated which I consented to. APRIL 26 – SATURDAY – We had quite a heavy frost last night although it has been pleasant and quite warm in the middle of the day. I was pretty tired when I stopped work tonight. On my way home, I bought a pair of shoes, price, $2.00. I got them at Elias Sanford’s I called at David Hanford’s and paid him one dollar for a pair of rubbers which I bought one year ago when I went away to the war. I burned up the rubbish on my garden before tea. I went into the street in the evening to get something for our breakfast. APRIL 27 – SUNDAY – Pleasant. Gussie went to Love Feast at 9 o’clock this morning and stayed to hear Elder W. Hoyt preach in the forenoon. I did not get to Sunday School in time to call the roll. Brother Crawford preached in the PM from Isaiah 28:16. Bell came down at 6 o’clock and went to evening meeting with Gussie while I stayed home to take care of Eddie. APRIL 28 – MONDAY – Peter Rowan and his man, Andrew Gould, came this morning to lay up the stonework west of my garden between Father Griswold and me. I paid Moses Baxter to help them. I age my order to Abel for the material to build my woodhouse. I worked until nearly 7 o’clock in the shop. When I came home it was cloudy and misty with a prospect of rain. APRIL 29 – TUESDAY – Cloudy with some rain in the middle of the day and in the PM, but it cleared away just at night. I bought a box of herring from a peddler at the shop. They cost me only 30 cents. I went into the street in the evening to get a loaf of bread. APRIL 30 – WEDNESDAY – On my way to the shop, I carried a gallon jug to Mr. Rowan to have some ale brought up to me. I came home at noon. Mother was with us to dinner. Harriet and Gussie went down to Retton’s this afternoon to get their pictures taken with their babies. I worked in the shop until about 7 o’clock and consequently, it was late before I got my supper. I went down to the Post Office after tea to mail a letter for Father Griswold and one to Cousin Phebe Palmer in Stamford written by bell. It is her first letter. Bailey’s Circus showed here this afternoon and evening.

1862-04

Danbury (Conn.) -- History.

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

Western Connecticut State University