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I have got to the bottom of my page and will leave those happy scenes of
yore which can neer be recalled the ever present present which few
would like to dwell on and retire to my bed to loose for awhile in the
arms of Morpheus perhaps thought of the Present
25th Christmas day I have been about home to day the most of the
time it has been one of the quietest Christmas days I have ever spent
as I have seen no drunken men and no wild Frolicking during the day
26th I have been striping tovbacco to day the morning was wet
and disagreeable but the evening has been clear and Pleasant
27th I had com any at my house to day But was too unwell to enjoy
myself with them I was verry unwell all night
28th This is lovely Sabbath morning looking more like a spring
morning than a December one I feel much better this morning than I did
on yesterday allthough I am not as well as I could wish this is the last
sabbath in the year 62 how thankfull we should be to the giver of evry
good and perfect gift that we are spared through the strife and turmoils
of another year to spend the last sabbath day in peace allthough circums
stances to day have somewhat marred the peacefull quiet of this day the
negroes of the estate had to be divided on yesterday and to day as I saw
one who has been with me since his infancy go off crying allthough a
slave holder and have been Raised with Negroes yet to day I could allmost
curse the institution of slavery
29th Went to Henderson to day in company with Garrett Mitchell
this was a verry pleasant day
30th I went with F. G. Eakins to survey a Portion of my mill Land
that I had sold to William H Floyd we got our dinners at Thos Smiths
and then surveyed the Land we Begun at the lowest corner of the Original
Mill Survey at a sugar tree and Elm Thence south 59 East S93 Poles to
a poplar Hickory dogwood and ash thence north 30 east 1hh%Ypoles to a
Sugar tree white oak and sweet Gu  Thence north 6l° West 60 Pole to
chinckapin Oak and Sugar Tree in Lame & Co Line Thence South 290 west
lhh Poles to the Begining This was a Blusterry disagreeable day
3lst The Clouds broke away last night and this mornings sun rose
V ckaar and pleasant as if intent on smiling on the departure this event-
full year never in the history of this once happy but now ruined country
has there been a year so crowded with events as this The two contending
armies have fought hundreds of Battles with varying successes untill at
its close after Loosing hundreds of Thousands of Brave Men one can hardly
tell which Party have the advantage sometimes I have thought the con-
federates would be overwhelmed by the immense number of the Union forces
and again when these overwhelming armies were driven back by men seeking
Freedom and Fighting for their home I have thought that the god of Battles
was surely on the side of the south and she would yet prevail But this is
in the future as its seems we are no nearer the end than when this unnatural
wainfirst commenced I fear the next year will be but a repetition of this
and if so the sufferings of the world will find no Parallel in history The
United States will be one vast field of desolation and misery a National
debt which it will take centuries Extinguish if ever the Cotton operatives