November 16
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
November 16, 1997
Worked from 8-1:30. Went 2 Goodwill with Dad and Becca. Went 2 pick up Ashley R. Homework. Came home. Ate dinner. Homework and T.V. Talked 2 Renée. Tummy-ache.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
November 16, 1960
Mrs. B. over and as usual went over to Carrie’s. Almost dark when Lo and Lily came then went to cabin. Told us all about trip and eating and so on. Glad to be home — sleep in own bed.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
November 16, 1938
Rainy, cool day. Daddy sang in chapel. Hymns. Usual classes. Home for dinner. Back again. Usual classes. Read a little. Mrs. Carroll’s class had to stay in our room during study period and in Spanish class s.p. last period. Talked to Mary a few mins. Then home. Helped Mother and then studied and practiced. Little Foster girl came for the milk and I loaned her some books. Daddy got home just as M. and I were getting up some wood. After supper I listened to One Man’s Family. Cliff came back. After that I washed the dishes and then answered Betty Loft’s letter which Miss Staples had brought. M. read B.’s letter and I got in a little trouble. Daddy listened to Fred Allen. Very funny. Took a bath and to bed.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
November 16, 1887
I put the roof on the wood shed this morning and have that job finished now. Put up some boards around the house to hold the saw dust backing I hope to put there tomorrow. It has looked and felt like snow today, but it has cleared off tonight and I think is colder. Came home from teaching and went to the mill and got my Buckwheat flour.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
November 16, 1871
Up at 3 a. m. After breakfast we packed eatables, and started for Lanes. The team and waggon was brought up last night. It was cold, but we took a lot of blankets and my comfort to wrap around us, so we did not mind the cold. The three miles ride to Lanes was truly grand. The sun was not up, but the gaily colored clouds were gorgeous. No one said “Morning red will bring down rain upon his head.” Although some of us may have thought of it. We reached Lanes at sunrise. Mr. Stafford got in, It was his team, and he drove. The Ninnescah was low, and we had no trouble to fording it. So different from last April.
After we reached the trail it clouded over, and became very windy. The trail was good traveling, yet the 20 miles to Wichita, in a big waggon was a long ride. The wind was so strong, it blew the dried cow chips on edge, and they rolled along on the trail like wheels. Philip told me that hearders and travalers, when out of wood, gathered them and burned them. In Wichita we sat in the waggon and ate our dinner of roast goose, chicken and pie, that we had brought along. We had our drafts cashed, and about 3 p.m. we started toward Augusta.
Night came on. Not being in sight of timber, we camped by a hay stack. It was too windy to make fire, so we had a cold supper, after which they put the waggon cover on which was a shelter from the wind. I slept in the waggon, and the boys by the stack.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
November 16, 1862
Cloudy & looks very much like rain. A little cool this morning. We have had some very pleasant days. I was down at Mrs. Fanning’s yesterday morning to see the flannel she is weaving for us. It is not thick enough I fear. I sold two turkeys one day this week for three dollars. Dear meat I think. Mrs. Rankin bought them. This is a dull, gloomy day. We have potatoe pudding for dinner sweetened with molasses as we are out of sugar. It is selling at 75 cts. per lb. & I will not give that. I will do without first. I will not go to walk this evening as Mr. Henry is not here to go with me. I can’t enjoy anything unless he partakes of it too. I think of writing to Lou, also Dora this evening or tonight but I dislike to write a letter so much, ’tis a perfect task. I write in my journal because it will be interesting to my little ones when perhaps I am in my narrow bed of clay. I took a walk this evening around the road & then up by the stalls. Atheline was along with Willie & Zona. Rather late when we got back, getting dark. This has been a long day to me. Sunday generally is when Mr. Henry is gone. I wrote a long letter to Lou at night after the children went to sleep & then read some in my bible.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Samuel P., age 34, London
November 16, 1667
At the office all the morning, and at noon took my Lord Bruncker into the garden, and there told him of his man Carcasses proceedings against the Office in the House of Commons. I did [not] desire nor advise him anything, but in general, that the end of this might be ruin to the Office, but that we shall be brought to fencing for ourselves, and that will be no profit to the office, but let it light where it would I thought I should be as well as any body. This I told him, and so he seeming to be ignorant of it, and not pleased with it, we broke off by Sir Thos. Harvy’s coming to us from the Pay Office, whither we had sent a smart letter we had writ to him this morning about keeping the clerks at work at the making up the books, which I did to place the fault somewhere, and now I let him defend himself. He was mighty angry, and particularly with me, but I do not care, but do rather desire it, for I will not spare him, that we shall bear the blame, and such an idle fellow as he have 500l. a year for nothing. So we broke off, and I home to dinner, and then to the office, and having spent the afternoon on letters, I took coach in the evening, and to White Hall, where there is to be a performance of musique of Pelham’s before the King. The company not come; but I did go into the musique-room, where Captain Cocke and many others; and here I did hear the best and the smallest organ go that ever I saw in my life, and such a one as, by the grace of God, I will have the next year, if I continue in this condition, whatever it cost me. I never was so pleased in my life. Thence, it being too soon, I to Westminster Hall, it being now about 7 at night, and there met Mr. Gregory, my old acquaintance, an understanding gentleman; and he and I walked an hour together, talking of the bad prospect of the times; and the sum of what I learn from him is this: That the King is the most concerned in the world against the Chancellor, and all people that do not appear against him, and therefore is angry with the Bishops, having said that he had one Bishop on his side (Crofts), and but one: that Buckingham and Bristoll are now his only Cabinet Council;1 and that, before the Duke of York fell sick, Buckingham was admitted to the King of his Cabinet, and there stayed with him several hours, and the Duke of York shut out. That it is plain that there is dislike between the King and Duke of York, and that it is to be feared that the House will go so far against the Chancellor, that they must do something to undo the Duke of York, or will not think themselves safe. That this Lord Vaughan, that is so great against the Chancellor, is one of the lewdest fellows of the age, worse than Sir Charles Sidly; and that he was heard to swear, God damn him, he would do my Lord Clarendon’s business. That he do find that my Lord Clarendon hath more friends in both Houses than he believes he would have, by reason that they do see what are the hands that pull him down; which they do not like. That Harry Coventry was scolded at by the King severely the other day; and that his answer was that, if he must not speak what he thought in this business in Parliament, he must not come thither. And he says that by this very business Harry Coventry hath got more fame and common esteem than any gentleman in England hath at this day, and is an excellent and able person. That the King, who not long ago did say of Bristoll, that he was a man able in three years to get himself a fortune in any kingdom in the world, and lose all again in three months, do now hug him, and commend his parts every where, above all the world. How fickle is this man [the King], and how unhappy we like to be! That he fears some furious courses will be taken against the Duke of York; and that he hath heard that it was designed, if they cannot carry matters against the Chancellor, to impeach the Duke of York himself, which God forbid! That Sir Edward Nicholas, whom he served while Secretary, is one of the best men in the world, but hated by the Queen-Mother, for a service he did the old King against her mind and her favourites; and that she and my Lady Castlemayne did make the King to lay him aside: but this man says that he is one of the most perfect heavenly and charitable men in the whole world. That the House of Commons resolve to stand by their proceedings, and have chosen a Committee to draw up the reasons thereof to carry to the Lords; which is likely to breed great heat between them. That the Parliament, after all this, is likely to give the King no money; and, therefore, that it is to be wondered what makes the King give way to so great extravagancies, which do all tend to the making him less than he is, and so will, every day more and more: and by this means every creature is divided against the other, that there never was so great an uncertainty in England, of what would, be the event of things, as at this day; nobody being at ease, or safe. Being full of his discourse, and glad of the rencontre, I to White Hall; and there got into the theater-room, and there heard both the vocall and instrumentall musick, where the little fellow stood keeping time; but for my part, I see no great matter, but quite the contrary in both sorts of musique. The composition I believe is very good, but no more of delightfulness to the eare or understanding but what is very ordinary. Here was the King and Queen, and some of the ladies; among whom none more jolly than my Lady Buckingham, her Lord being once more a great man.
*(The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S., edited by Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A., London, George Bell & Sons York St. Covent Garden, Cambridge Deighton Bell & Co., 1893.)