Snowing today but melting as fast as it falls. Mr. Means, Lizzie and William took dinner at Mr. Burgess.
The following extract from a letter of Hon. T. Ewing of Lancaster, Ohio to William dated Nov. 24/62 gives some curious facts respecting the winter of 1806 & 7. "The Ohio river is low and cannot rise until it is moved by the spring rains. The earth is dry and a foot and a half deep and our late long and heavy rain has but moistened the surface. The season is like that of 1806 & 7 when the winter closed on low streams. They froze to the bottom and the springs ran over the surface forming glaciers near their sources. The Ohio was frozen to the depth of six feet, the ice forming an arch, did not rest for support on the water, but when the farmers cut in to get water for their cattle, it did not rise but they dipped it as out of a well with a bucket attached to a pole. The river will probably be bridged for two months. Tell your people to look out for small marauding bands from the other shore, horse thieves, especially and if the first band succeed they will annoy you all winter. I wrote to Gen. Wright. He says they will protect our border against large parties but we must protect ourselves against small robber bands."
Lucy Dawes and Mr. Means here to tea. Both went to Marietta on the evening train. Mr. Means has much to tell about the workings of rebellion in Kentucky in the Big Sandy region.
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