Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Mary Louisa Michel Journal, June 8-11, 1849

[Mary Louisa Michel Journal, June 8-June 11, 1849, near Weverton, Maryland. Age: eleven. Additional paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.

Many thanks to William Myers, Mary Davy, Sally Young and Sue Davis for their ongoing research collaboration; specifically to William for providing scans of the original document, and in turn many thanks to Peter Johnston Binckley and Patricia D'Arcy "Trish" Binckley (1951-2007), at the source.]                   

June 8. This morning directly after breakfast, my loved parents set out for Weverton. They wished to look at some bedsteads, and took Willie along to comeback with mother, as she intended returning in an hour or so. I soon cleaned up the house and was writing my journal, when, who should make his appearance but Willie alone, bringing me word to dress Sue and myself, and go down to Mr. Wever’s to spend the day; we were soon ready, and Lucy went half the way and carried Sue; as soon as we got there Sue and Willie went down to the branch to play; and I, with 
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Mrs. Wever’s permission, got me a very interesting book. About eleven Mr. Wever came home, carrying his water-level and, putting it down in the porch, called is to look through the telescope, which was an excellent one, bringing a field that we just could see with our naked eye, so close that we could count the panels in the fence.

He brought us a letter from uncle Edward; we found that it pertained to good news, that uncle E. while in the market yesterday, came right up on uncle Robert Michel, and surely if he is that near, he will come up and see us; uncle Edward is coming up the last of next week, is not that good news, but besides all this, uncle Edward is going to Paris in three months!

After dinner some ladies came in, and, the evening until early tea, was spent, by them, in laughing, talking, and walking, and by one, in reading . . . we had some excellent strawberries for supper, directly after which we started home; good luck seemed to follow us, for we had just got out of the gate, when a wagon came by going up our way, and with the driver’s consent, father put us children in and we

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Had a very nice ride home; after taking a little turn in the garden, we went to bed.

June 9. This morning, soon after breakfast, mother sent me down to Mrs. Kirkhart’s to beg some horse radish and garlic, directing me to go, if I could not get any there, to Mrs. Cushion’s; Mrs. K. gave me some horse radish but said that she had no garlic; thinking that perhaps Mrs. C. had some, I went up there: she had no garlic;  but she said that she could give mother as much horse radish as she wanted. She gave me  large bunch of flowers, and what was prettier than all, a rose colored cactus; when I got home, I found Mrs. Pier there, who admired my flowers very much. I made a beautiful flowerpot out of my flowers, and had a good many left that I gave to Lucy, who made a flower pot out of them and set them on the kitchen shelf.

Soon after father and Mr. Pier went up to the Ferry, and mother, Willie, Sue and I went down in Mr. Eccles’ field and got a large basket of walnut leaves to make bay sauce; mother soon made her sauce; soon after we went up on the hill

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and set Ellen the black hen. After dinner I went up stairs and did my Saturday’s work; after which I read “Stephen’s Arabia Petraea” that Mrs. Wever lent me. About five o’clock father came home in the rain for it was raining and soon after we had supper and went to bed, not however without taking our usual bath.

June 10. [Sunday -- blank.]

June 11, This morning, as usual, father went up to the Ferry, and mother soon after he started went out in the garden and worked for about two hours, setting out cabbages and beets; while she was this engaged, I finished cleaning up and went up stairs and got my lessons; when mother came in she was very tired, and laid down a little while; I said  my French lesson, which was very long,, and just as I finished, mother fell to sleep; when she awoke we had dinner: after which I said my history lesson and sat down to my sewing; but the cloth was stiff and I did not feel well: so I made poor progress; after sewing about an hour and a half I ran about a little and commenced a little wheel=barrow to carry stones in

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to build our house. Supper was nearly ready and father had come home, when we saw a horse come galloping along, a saddle on and his bridle hanging over his neck going up the road, mother, Willie, and myself started down the road immediately (father being too tired) thinking that the horse must have thrown some body; when we got to uncle Duckett[']s, Horatio was standing out there, he said he knew that it was Cap. Claggett’s horse; mother sent Willie on to the top of the next hill, but he soon came back saying that he could see nobody; soon after we saw some ladies and gentlemen riding, coming towards us and knew that if any body had been hurt they would have seen him, and we went back home. Soon after we had supper and went to bed.

[Mary Louisa Michel (1838-1930).
Mother = Jane Mary Johnston Mitchell/Michel (1811-1892).
Father = Harvey Mitchell/Michel (1799-1866).
Willie = William Manning Mitchel/Michel (1839-1908).
Sue = Sue Henry Mitchell/Michel (1845-1940).
Lucy = enslaved servant. 
Mr. and Mrs. Wever = either Caspar Willis Wever (1786-1861) and his wife, Jane Catherine Dunlop Wever (?-1859), or closely related family members. 

Uncle Edward = Edward William Johnston (1799-1867).
Uncle Robert Michel = Robert Crump Mitchell (1807-1872).
Weverton and Knoxville were located on the Baltimore & Ohio rail and Chespaeake & Ohio canal lines, just north of the Potomac River and the Virginia boundary line.] 

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