POCKET DIARY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN J. BUSHONG

Researched by Russell and Gloria Bushong

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Stamped on the front of the Pocket Diary is: F. J. Bushong Date on the Diary is 1864
Note: We have punctuated it to make it easier to read. He wrote mostly straight through each entry with no punctuation between sentences.
Friday, January 1, 1864:
Was at Philip Bushong's in Indiana on a visit from Clinton Co. Iowa . It snowed the night before and was very cold all day.

Saturday, January 2, 1864
Went to Peter Bushong's in the morning. Stayed there all day. Weat her pretty cold.

Sunday, January 3, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. Weather cold.
Monday, January 4, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. It was pretty cold.
Tuesday, January 5, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day.

Wednesday, January 6, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. Chopped some firewood. John B. H upp and I.

Thursday, January 7, 1864
Went to Suman's Mill with John B. Hupp for a load of bran with fou r horse team. Broke through the ice with two horses crossing stream near mill.
Friday, January 8, 1864
Went to Jacob Miller's. Stayed till evening.

Saturday, January 9, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. Helped John Hupp saw some fire wo od at woodpile.

Sunday, January 10, 1864
Went to singing at Dunkards Church in a sleigh. A. Funk conducted t he singing.

Monday, January 11, 1864
Went to Middletown with J. B. Hupp. Went back to Peter Bushong's. A . Funk and family were there. Went to town again at night. Stayed till about midnight. A. Fun k and family started west.

Tuesday, January 12, 1864
Went to Phillip Bushong's in the morning. Ate dinner there then w ent to Michael Minnick's. Stayed there all night.

Wednesday, January 13, 1864
Went to Jackson Bushong's in the morning. Stayed there till afte r dinner then went to M. Minnick's. Stopped there a while then stopped at Phil. Bushong's. We nt to Peter Bushong's in the evening.

Thursday, January 14, 1864
Went to Sylvanus Neese's with Bettie Bushong horseback. Stayed ti ll evening. Went back to Peter Bushong's.

Friday, January 15, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. John Hupp and I chopped some wood on woodpile.

Saturday, January 16, 1864
Went to Net Brigg's? {name illegible} in the morning. Stayed al l day. Katie Bushong was along. Went back to Peter Bushong's. Set up with Dollie Prophit til l 2 o'clock Sunday morning.

Sunday, January 17, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. John Hupp and I got dinner. It wa s warm and the snow melted considerable.

Monday, January 18, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's. Went to Middletown with J. Hupp on sled. I t snowed all day.

Tuesday, January 19, 1864
Was at Peter Bushong's all day. N. E. Tidler came there in the eve ning with John B. Hupp. Stayed all night.
Wednesday, January 20, 1864
Went with Andrew Bushong & G. Delinger to J. Millers in a sleig h then went to Philip Bushongs after Bettie & Katie Bushong.
Thursday, January 21, 1864
Left Middletown, Ind. at 1 o'clock. Arrived at Chicago at 10:30 . Left Chicago 11:00 P.M.
Friday, January 22, 1864
Got to Fulton, Illinois about day light. Walked across the river o n the ice to Lyons Iowa. Left there about noon. Stopped at I. Lawrence's. Got my supper. Too k Sam and Peacock home to H. A. Hart's.
{Believe that Sam and Peacock were oxen} Saturday, January 23, 1864
Went to Mrs. Pate's in the morning. Stayed there till after dinn er then went back to Hart's. Went to Camanche at night. Got letter from L. Spitzer & Jim Gili land.
Sunday, January 24, 1864
Went to Arthur O'Hara's before noon. Stayed till evening then wen t home to Hiram A. Hart's. Took possession of my mules Tom & Jerry. Fed all the mules and hor ses.
Monday, January 25, 1864
Was helping H. A. Hart thresh in the afternoon. Sam Nickeson & hi s brother-in-law threshed for him.
Tuesday, January 26, 1864
Was threshing for H. A. Hart all day.
Wednesday, January 27, 1864
Was threshing for H. Hart all day. Went to Camanche after nigh t in a sled with Joe Resler & R. Miller.
Wednesday, February 3, 1864
Was at H. A. Hart's. Went to Camanche afternoon. Got mules' harn ess fixed at Wm. Beck's harness shop. Stayed till after night.
Thursday, February 4, 1864
Went to Beaver Island with sled. Chopped and took home a load o f wood for H. A. Hart. Joe Resler went too.
Friday, February 5, 1864
Went to Beaver Island with a wagon. Chopped and hauled a load of wo od home.
Saturday, February 6, 1864
Went to Beaver Island. Chopped and took home a load of wood. Wen t to Camanche after night. Played Euker at Westfalls. J. R. was along.
Sunday, February 7, 1864
Was at H. A. Hart's all day. Got dinner for Joe Resler and Van Lue.
Monday, February 8, 1864
Was helping H. A. Hart thresh all day.
Monday, February 15, 1864
Was husking corn for H. A. Hart. Broke my doubletree. Made a new o ne in the evening.
Tuesday, February 16, 1864
It was very cold and I stayed in the house all day.
Wednesday, F ebruary 17, 1864
It was very cold. I stayed in the house till noon then Joe and I went to Ca manche.
Thursday, February 18, 1864
Hauled straw to Camanche to Martin Downing.
Friday, February 19, 1864
Went to Beaver Island. Chopped and hauled a load of wood home.
Saturday, February 20, 1864
Was hauling hay into the barn. Took a load of straw to Camanch e in the evening for Westfall.
Sunday, February 21, 1864
Was at H. A. Hart's all day. Bob Miller was there.
Monday, February 22, 1864
Was husking corn for Hiram A. Hart all day.
Tuesday, February 23, 1864
Was helping H. A. Hart thresh all day.
Wednesday, February 24, 1864
Was husking corn for H. A. Hart all day.
Thursday, February 25, 1864
Was not very well. Went to Camanche with Arthur O. Hara in hi s wagon. Then went home with him. Stayed until night.
Friday, February 26, 1864
Was husking corn for H. A. Hart all day. Wrote a letter to Jame s Gililand and one to J. B. Hupp at night.
Friday, April 15, 1864
Was harrowing in wheat for Dan Pate. Dolph Pate came there for seed w heat. It rained about 2 hours. Dan, Dolph and I played Euker while it was raining then Ji m & I went to harrowing. It rained again and we went to the house. Did not go out any more.
Saturday, April 16, 1864
Was harrowing in wheat all day for Dan Pate. Dolph was there agai n after more seed wheat. I went to Hart's in the evening. Joe R. & I went to Camanche at nigh t horseback. Van Lue was there.
Sunday, April 17, 1864
Was at Hart's all day. Wrote a letter to Andy Bushong. Had a fuss wit h Van Lue. Was about to knock him down with a chair. Cleaned out my trunk afternoon.
Monday, April 18, 1864
Went to Camanche in the morning. Got some cough medicine then went t o Pate's. Was working for Dan afternoon harrowing in wheat.
Tuesday, April 19, 1864
Was working for Dan Pate all day harrowing in wheat until about 1 0 o'clock. Plowed the rest of the day. Dan went to Clinton. Put a letter in the post office f or me to Andy Bushong.
Wednesday, April 20, 1864
Was working for Dan Pate's. Jim Pate & I went to D. Nichols fo r a load of hay with the oxen before noon then plowed oxen afternoon.
Saturday, July 2, 1864
Went to Lyons to *Baileys Circus. They had a hypopotamus. Took Flor a Hart and the boys up. Dan Pate gave me some money at the circus.
Sunday, July 3, 1864
Was at H. A. Hart's all day. Ike Lawrence and wife came there in the mo rning. Stayed all day.
Monday, July 4, 1864
Was plowing corn all day in stalk ground. Worked Peacock.
{Peacock mus t be a oxen} Tuesday, July 5, 1864
Was plowing corn all day in stalk ground and got done plowing corn. Wo rked Sam. {Sam must also be a oxen} Wednesday, July 6, 1864
Was helping Bob Miller clean wheat for H. A. Hart all day. It was ve ry warm and the wheat dusty.
Thursday, July 7, 1864
Was working for H. A. Hart all day. Was cleaning wheat till noon. Aft ernoon cut more wheat on the Baker place.
Saturday, November 5, 1864
Went to Lyons City to a Democratic meeting. Went to Camanche an d joined the prosession. We went through Clinton. Got home about 10 o'clock at night.
Sunday, November 6, 1864
Was at H. A. Hart's all day reading novels.
Monday, November 7, 1864
Was husking corn all day. Charley Mumby helped me. We got in two l oads and husked some on the ground.
Tuesday, November 8, 1864
Went to Camanche to the election. Hauled a load of straw down fo r Charley Mumby from Millards. Ate dinner at Mumby's. Stayed in town till night. It rained al l the afternoon.
Wednesday, November 9, 1864
It rained and I done nothing all day. Played Euker with Mrs. La wrence, Flora Hart and Kate Miller.
Thursday, November 10, 1864
Was hauling shelled corn to Camanche to E. G. Butcher's all day.