Sabbath, Dec. 7, 1862

Mr. Curtis preached to the Sabbath School children.  A very cold morning and day - the coldest of the season, the mercury at 12 degrees above zero.  The ice is drifting in the river and fears are entertained that at its present low stage it may freeze over.  The steam paddles go crushing through the ice.

Saturday, Dec. 6, 1862

A very cold morning.  Mrs. Burgess and Maggie went to Marietta on the morning train.  Lucy came down this evening to stay till Monday.  Brother Daniel who resides in Kansas arrived here this evening.  

Peggy's comments:
Brother Daniel Converse Cutler was Julia's half brother.  He was the youngest child of Ephraim Cutler and Leah Atwood.  After Leah Atwood Cutler died, Ephraim married Sally Parker who had 5 children:  Sarah, Manasseh, William, Julia, and Clara.  Sarah is the mother of Rufus and Ephraim Dawes who are fighting for the Union, and Kate Dawes who lives with the Cutlers, and Lucy Dawes who taught school in Marietta.  Manasseh died in childhood.  William and Julia continued to live in the Old Stone House where they were born.  Clara married and moved to Pana, Illinois.

Friday, Dec. 5, 1862

Maggie came down just at sunset to tell us of the death of Mrs. John Newton this morning at eight o'clock of apoplexy at her home in Marietta.  She was a worthy and amiable lady, and will be sincerely lamented.  She leaves two sons of her former husband, Mr. James Means, brother of Mrs. Burgess.  Thus within a few months our county has lost three very excellent, influential and wealthy Christian women --  Mrs. Winchester Dana, Mrs. Douglas Putnam and Mrs. John Newton.

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1862

Lizzie and I went to prayer meeting at Mrs. Burgess'.  Mr. Burgess read a chapter and prayed and then withdrew and we continued the meeting.  Mrs. Burgess, Maggie, Julia Greenwood, Mrs. Joel Deming, Grosvenor Converse, Mrs. B. C. Bailey, Mrs. W. D. Bailey, Lizzie and myself were present.  Lizzie staid all night at her mother's.

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1862

Kate and Nancy have been busy all day papering Lizzie's bedroom which they finished and John and George nailed down the carpet in the evening.  The room looks nicely.  Maggie brought little Sarah home and staid to dinner which I prepared and which she pronounced very good.

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1862

Pleasant day.  Mrs. W. D. Bailey called.  Maggie came and took little Sarah up to spend the night there.  Kate went to town and returned again today.  Sherman's division has left Memphis.  Ephe has gone back to his regiment.  There are predictions of a great battle in that region.  I had hoped that Ephe might be spared from further scenes of bloodshed.
Kate took dinner with Mr. John Newton.

Monday, Dec. 1st, 1862

All the family rose between three and four o'clock to see William off.  We had prayers and an early breakfast together when he started to Marietta in a drizzling rain, before daylight, going in a two horse buggy with George to drive, expecting to take the Wheeling boat and arrive in Washington tomorrow.  He feels reluctant to leave home this winter and does not have very pleasant anticipations of life in Washington.

Peggy's comments:
William Cutler, Julia's brother, was returning to Congress as a Representative from Ohio.  He had not been reelected, however, so he was a "lame-duck".