Wednesday May 31” 1865

Took a walk with Polly over in the direction of Mr. Alloway’s their tenant’s house —  Mr. Dean is not able, at his age to labor much, he has his farm rented to Mr. Alloway who works it on the shares —

Tuesday. May. 30. 1865

Mr. Limley Wilcox was in this morning and told us that the late rains had thrown down some of the trestles between here & Marietta so that trains cannot get through & passengers have to walk round — advised us to wait a few days before attempting to go home —  Mrs. Lewis was here to spend the day.  she is a very pleasant lady — Her husband a Methodist minister formerly on this Circuit, is now a chaplain in the army, and is expecting soon to return to his family as his regiment is about to be mustered out of service —  Miss Maria Brawley, a friend of Annie’s, was here to tea.

Monday May. 29”. 1865.

Walked out with Mr. & Mrs. Dean & Annie to see their farm.  They have got a hedge of young willows set out, which will be very pretty if it proves to be a success.

Sabbath. May 28” 1865

As there is no preaching today at the village, Mrs. Dawes and I staid at home with sister Polly — Annie however went to teach her sabbath school class & Mr Dean to prayer meeting 

Saturday May 27” 1865

This is Ephraim’s twenty-fifth birthday    may he enjoy many happy returns of the day — We climbed the hill back of Mr Dean’s house and had a fine view of a part of the old Farm and the surrounding country.  Mrs. Emily Wyatt wife of John Wyatt Esq. having died suddenly was buried today —  Mr. Dean & Annie attended the funeral  —  We took a walk to the graveyard on the old Farm — Dr. L. Fulton has erected a very neat marble monument to the memory of his late wife Louisa Cutler Fulton — In this old grave yard the Ames’s, Walker’s, Rice’s and other of families of the old settlers have found their final resting place — And here lies my father’s brother Charles a man of superior abilities and fine culture who was smitten down by consumption in the prime of life —

Ephraim Cutler Dawes

Friday May 26” 1865

Rained again today.  But this only insured us a quiet day to talk, and visit with Polly so we enjoyed it very much.

Thursday May 25. 1865

According to previous arrangement Mrs. Dawes and I went to Amestown to-day.  We came by railroad to New England Station, brother William was with us going farther west, and Col. R. R. Dawes came with us to make arrangements for sheep-washing & shearing of the flock upon the Old Farm in which he has an interest.  We saw a number of derricks, tanks, and other indications of activity in the oil business, along the line of railroad and also on the road to Amesville.  They are now boring for oil near father’s old saw mill, but I believe they have found none.  There has been a great deal of oil obtained a few miles from here on Sharps Fork on the “Joy farm” and in some other localities —

Mr. Dean came in his large wagon for us to the Station & not only took Mrs. Dawes, the Col. & myself, but also a machine for rolling up wool, in his roomy vehicle.  The rain began to fall when we were about half way from the Station to Mr. Dean’s house and by the time we reached the latter place we were very wet not withstanding our umbrellas — Sister Dean & Annie gave us a cordial welcome, and a nice warm dinner — Finding that Mr. Wilcox had washed the sheep, after making arrangements about Sheep Shearing, Col. Dawes concluded as the rain had slacked and his business was accomplished he would return to the Station and take the evening train home — which he accordingly did —

Wednesday. May. 24. 1865

We had company here to tea this after noon viz Mrs. Burgess, Mrs. W. D. Bailey, Mrs. W. D. M^cClure and Mrs. S. C. Dawes.

Tuesday May 23. 1865

Lucy Dawes and Martha Colville came on the 11‘^o’clock train — Martha is making my black gingham dress —

Monday, May. 22. 1865.

We have enjoyed Mr. Wickes’ visit very much — he left for home this morning — William has gone again to Chillicothe —  —  Nancy went home in the P. M.

Sabbath May 21 1865

Rev. Thomas Wickes the Congregational minister of Marietta preached for us from the text “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” — an excellent discourse —      Mr. Hitchcock, the music teacher, conducted the singing — full choir —

Mrs. Wickes came home with us.  Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Bailey came in to talk with him about Christ’s second coming — a very interesting conversation.

Saturday May 20. 1865

William who has been away all the week on RailRoad business at Chillicothe and Ironton came home last night.  Still rainy — Ephraim was here to dinner also James Walton who got $15 of the money his mother sent —

Friday May 19” 1865

Mrs. Dawes went home.  Mrs. Cutler and Sarah spent the day at Mr. Burgesses.  Nancy cleaned the old kitchen to-day, having cleaned the sitting room yesterday — I got dinner.  Mrs. Rosa Roberts and Mrs. Mary (Devore) Carpenter came and staid to dinner.  Heavy rain —  I wrote to Annie Dean telling her that Mrs. Dawes and I would go to Amesville next Thursday.

Thursday May 18”. 1865

Showery — A train of cars passed up with returned soldiers said to be from the horrible prison-pen at Andersonville.  Who can say what the poor fellows have suffered there!  One shrinks from the recital of the cruelties which they have endured.  Mrs. Dawes came with Mrs. Cutler from Marietta and we wrote a letter of eight pages on Genealogical subjects to Rev. Abner Morse of Boston.  He is just now occupied in making out the “Cutler Genealogy”.  We sent him a draft for $50 to aid him in getting out his work.

Wednesday May 17” 1865

Planted pansies in my garden — Mrs. Cutler, Lucy Dawes & Sarah Cutler went to Marietta.  Emeline M^cClure came to see me and I went with her to call at W. D. Baileys — The boys finished planting corn.

Tuesday, May 16” 1865

Lucy spends the day here.  The trial of the conspirators who assassinated President Lincoln, by a Military commission, is now going on at Washington.  Reverdy Johnson acts as counsel for the criminals also, a son of Tom. Ewing is engaged to defend one of them —

Monday May 15” 1865

Lucy came on 11 o’clock train — Jeff. Davis has been caught in Georgia endeavoring to make his escape to the Sea coast.  He was disguised in petticoats.

Here is an account in Harper's Weekly about the capture of Jefferson Davis.

Sabbath May 14” 1865

Mr. Curtis preached.

Saturday May 13. 1865

William, Lizzie & Sarah went to town and James P. Walton came home with them.  Ephe has returned to Marietta from New York and Washington.  A. S. Bailey was here to tea.  Mr & Mrs Cutler & Sarah went riding in the evening.

Friday May 12 1865

There was frost last night — Mrs Dawes & Katy went home.  I sent a boquet to Mrs Hayden Smith — tulips &c.  Mr. B. C. Bailey came to tell us that Miss Julia Stone is dead and will be buried at 11 ^oclock — Mrs Cutler, Maggie, and Sarah attended the funeral going down on the train.  I made a boquet of white tulips & spirea, which Mrs Cutler took & which was laid upon her coffin.  William came home this evening.

Thursday May 11” 1865

A rainy day.  Busy with Mrs. Dawes writing to Rev. Abner Morse on genealogical subjects.  Katy Andrews is having a fine play with Sarah —

Wednesday May 10” 1865

Set out dahlias — Mrs. S. C. Dawes and Katie Andrews and Mrs. Hattie Perry came on the train & were here to dinner — Mrs Perry returning to town by the afternoon train — A rainy evening.

Tuesday May 9 1865

Mrs. Cutler & Sarah went to Mr. Burgess’s to dinner, to eat veal-pie and did not come home until after supper —  We have had so much rain lately that there has been little opportunity for gardening but it is pleasant to-day & I spent the after noon in the garden which now contains about two acres all of which is under the care & management of John Kunz our German gardener, except the flowers, which department belongs exclusively to me.  We have a good deal of choice fruit —

Monday May 8” 1865

William went to Cincinnati to day on Railroad business.  Bettie Gates went home.  I gave her a fine boquet of tulips & spirea.

Sabbath May 7” 1865

A Methodist Minister named Munroe from Parkersburg preached for Mr. Curtis.  He seems a loyal earnest man.

Saturday May 6” 1865

A Thunder Storm with heavy rain last night which occasioned a slide of the Railroad track near Repperts, this prevented the Cincinnati train from getting down till 8 o’clock this morning — Col. Dawes here & Bettie Gates with him.  He took her & Sarah into the carriage to go over the hill to see the sheep & lambs, but a shower prevented them from going farther than the mill.  William went to Big Run with Waters and Norris to look over the coal property they own there.

Friday May 5” 1865

Rainy — William went to town.  Martha Colville went in the afternoon to Marietta.  She is going to sew for Mrs. S. C. Dawes & will be there two weeks.

Thursday May 4” 1865

Busy in the garden.  Nancy has cleaned her own room & the upper entry to-day.  Investigations by the War Department prove that Jeff. Davis knew and approved the assassination of President Lincoln as did Saunders, Clay &c in Canada — President Johnson has issued a proclamation offering $100,000 for the capture of Davis and $25,000 apiece for four others.  William came home — a thunder shower this evening.

Wednesday May 3d 1865

A pleasant day.  Mrs. Cutler went to town and got from Cadwallader’s the pictures for Annie E. Cutler’s Memorial.  She brought me a pretty black, striped with white gingham dress & a net.  My little scholar’s Sarah Cutler & Lucy Bailey began Botany today.  Sarah Emerson called to see the tulips her brother Capt. Geo. D. Emerson is with her.  —  —  Mrs. Terril is here  washing bedding —

There is quite a stir in the neighborhood about a piece of villainy perpetrated lately upon Joline Hopkins.  His credulity was imposed upon by a well-dressed man and woman who pretended to be able to point the place where treasure had been concealed by the Indians —  They wrought upon the superstition of the family until they fleeced them of about $3500 mostly borrowed for the occasion from Bill Scott — This money was put into a chest which was locked and the key given to Hopkins who was forbbidden to open it for a certain number of days on pain of breaking the spell which was to double their money &c.  These impostors made off with themselves two or three days before the time appointed for opening the chest.  On examination the greenbacks were missing and their place filled with old spelling book leaves & blank paper.  Mr Hopkins now saw they had been swindled and started in pursuit, being obliged to borrow money for the purpose — Bill Scott went over at once & took a mortgage on Hopkin’s farm to indemnify himself — unless the Swindlers are caught and made to disgorge the loss to Mr. Hopkins will prove a serious one, and may result in obliging him to sell his farm.

Maggie Voris here to tea.

This is the photograph used in Annie's Memorial.
Little Sarah Cutler with her sister, Annie Cutler.
Annie died January 11, 1864

Tuesday May 2. 1865

Very cold last night, but a dense fog saved our fruit from injury — William went to Chillicothe — Major Dawes went on the morning train.  He is going East to Washington and New York — His health has suffered from too close confinement to business.  I hope the trip may do him good.

James Walton came down for his Spring coat which Martha has made for him —

Mrs. Cutler & Sarah went to see Maggie this afternoon and then in the carriage to singing school.  Mr Hitchcock the teacher has just heard of the death, from wounds recieved in battle, of his brother Myron Hitchcock — therefore no singing school.

May 1st 1865 - Monday

A very early spring.  The fruit trees are done blossoming and are out in full leaf.  We have been using lettuce from our garden for some time — The potatoes, onions, beets, and peas are growing nicely.  I have more than a thousand tulips in blossom now.  The Reeves Spirea is also out in bloom and is very beautiful.  Mrs. Cutler and Sarah at Mr. Burgess’s — Maggie Voris got home from Cincinnati to day — Major Dawes here to spend the night.