Box 1, Folder 6: Diaries 1828-1830

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Feb. 1830

25th Spent most of my time at the arbitration room, Judge Bates gave much additional testimony - Several witnesses were examined. 26th Copied the weekly estimates for the contractors from 1827 up to July 1828. 27th Spent part of the time in assisting Judge Bates in making calculations &c. & the rest was spent at the arbitration. I gave my testimony on the subject. It was only a few questions in relation to the deposits, floodwood, shanties, &c. &c. 28th Sunday Stayed at home. 1st March Spent my time at the arbitration they were occupied mostly in taking the testimony of N. Berthoud &c._ rainy. 2d Spent time before the arbitrators, they took the testimony of Mr. Henry &...

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March 1830

...some additional testimony from Berthoud & Judge Bates - Got through with the testimony of the different witnesses but it was then too late for the Lawyers to commence their pleas and so they adjourned. Weather fair, high winds. 3d March Spent my whole time this day before the court. The lawyers commenced their pleas, Mr. Thurston spoke about an hour in the morning and was followed by the other lawyer who occupied the remainder of the day - In the course of his speech I was called upon to explain an extra charge for the canal; it had been laid wrongly by Mr. Henry & the contractors were obliged to excavate upwards of 3,000 yards of earth in consequence of it. This they claimed as an extra charge.

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March 1830

4th March Mr. Thurston occupied the fore noon in making his plea and at noon the case was submitted to the decision of the board of arbitrators, after being occupied near 2 weeks in giving in the testimony 5th Having got through with my tedious business, I left Louisville at 11 o'clock this morning in the Robt. Fulton for Portsmouth accompanied by Judge Bates. 6th Arrived at Cincinnati about 2 o'clock stayed til night. Spent the evening with Mr. Benedict and stayed at Henries Broadway Hotel. 7th Sunday Wrote a note to Mr. Wm...

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March 1830

...Woodruff, the engraver, enquiring of him what would be the cost of an engraving of the Louisville Canal &c. - Got underway again about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. 8th Arrived at Portsmouth at 2 o'clock & took perhaps a final leave of Judge Bates. Found that F.G. Bates had gone to New York the rest of the engineers which are stationed at Portsmouth have gone up the canal; so that I did not see them - Remained at Portsmouth the remainder of the day. Stopped at Peebles Inn. 9th Left Portsmouth at sun rise this morning on one of the stage horses for Chillicothe, where I arrived about 9 o'clock at night - Saw father at Madeira's Hotel where I stopped in. He gave me a letter from Pazzi, which states that he has got a situation in a printing office at a little town called Baltimore on the Ohio Canal 14 miles south of Newark near the deep cut - The paper is called the 'Canal Register'. He is managerof the office and gets $20 per month & board.

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March 1830

10th Rode up home this morning with Father. Stayed at home the rest of the day. 11th Rode up to Circleville saw Mr. Jennison and the rest of the party - Returned just at night - Weather damp & rainy. 12th Rode down to Chillicothe in the morning - father came down in the afternoon. I am to start tomorrow morning in the stage for Portsmouth where I am to remain about 3 or 6 weeks. Deposited in the bank of Chillicothe $50.00 13 Left Chillicothe this morning before day for Portsmouth where I arrived at sunset - rainy - roads bad 14th Sunday Sepnt most of the time in the Engineers Office. 15th Went up the canal as far as sec 243 where I layed out 3 stations of excavation. Returned to Williamson's where we stayed 16th Went up the canal as far as Branch Creek where we...

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Portsmouth Mar 1830

...above low water having rose considerably since the late rains. 21 Sunday Felt a little unwell, took some pills - Wrote a letter to Darius. Read in Thomas' Travels. 22d In the forenoon much rain - afternoon high winds - Spent my time in the office drawing a plan of a lock 23d Went over the river with the party to lay lock foundation but fond that the pit was dug 3 inches too low - Went back to Portsmouth to ascertain whether Mr. Cleveland would allow the foundation too low, or whether he would order it filled with gravel. He ordered the latter & I went over again. 24th Set pegs in the lock pit then went up the canal to Brush Creek- set stakes on sec 243. 25 A rainy day stayed in the house all day 26 Went up to Dr. Forker's job and then came down to below Pond Creek - River & Creeks rising - fell 2 times over Pond Creek before we were able to cross.

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Portsmouth March 1830

27th Came down the canal & went over the river in an old skiff heavily loaded - Found Mr. Chapman, who says that the contractors are not willing to abide by the decision of the late arbitration & that they have sued the company - He is going up to Circleville to propose for the bluffs from sections of canal near that place. 28th Sunday Saw Mr. Williams the canal commissioner who says that I may be required to go with Mr. Farron on the survey of the Miami Canal - Wrote a note to Mr. Farron stating that if his party is not yet made up, I should like very much to have a place in it. Saw a man. Baptized - went to meeting in the moring & [illegible], but in the afternoon I took a walk to see the ancient works - but did not find the more interesting part of them.

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Portsmouth April 1830

29 Went up the canal with Mr. Cleveland as far as Brush Creek - laid out work on sec 241 30 Commenced making a survey for alteration in the road below Brush Creek - But at noon it commenced raining - We did not get to this home until we were thoroughly wet. Cleveland went further up the river. 31st Finished our survey of the road in the forenoon and in the afternoon we laid out work on Sec 241 - Windy with light showers of rain. 1st April Waited at Brush Creek until noon when Mr. Cleveland returned & we went down the canal as far as Pond Creek - taking estimates &c. 2nd Continued on to Portsmouth where we arrived before noon - Bought a set of clothes of 'fine' cloth & a pair of pantaloons of grey - Wrote a letter to Mr. Dan Carrol inclosing [sic] an order he had given me on Judge Eades & requesting him to write me concerning the Louisville Canal.

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Portsmouth April 1830

3d April Remained at Portsmouth, spent most of my time in the office. 4th Sunday Stayed about home got a letter from Darius dated 28th March in answer to my last. 5th Went up the canal as far as Brush Creek. Set stakes on sec 240 6th Went up the canal & set stakes on sec 227. Returned as far as Pond Creek. 7 Went downthe canal & over to Portsmouth. Saw Mr. Adams from Louisville. Mr. Williams & Wm. A. Price arrived from Chillicothe in the evening - bought a blank book for diary. 8th Went up the canal, and laid out work on sec 242; returned to Portsmouth in the evening. 9th Stayed about home . 10th Attempted to take a ride in the sail boat but there came up a storm which blew us ashore and drenched with wet.