My great-grandfather fought in the Civil War. The long marches and extreme temperatures took their toll on his health. He apparently kept a journal, I would assume, all or most of his life. I am in possession of three of them. 1881, 1883,1884. I am going to start posting his entries from 1881, here. I hope you enjoy these. I am getting quite an education. What I can't figure out or read, I put in a  ________ or three dots..., editorial comments are in [ ]'s.

                                                     Henry Wells Spear Journal 1881

Sat. January 1st 1881

Spring Mills, NY

Still but cold. wind west

Put out thermon'r [thermometer?] and it run down to -20° coming up to +15° by 2 pm.

            Could do but very little in the Mill, yet about three times as much as yesterday.

            Had no new years; dick's folks did not come down and every thing was dull all day. I did not realize it until it was too late to remedy it.

            Everybody so out of the village tonight - off to some family or other doings.

            Succeeded in collating my fragments for 1st S.S. ... and then made a revised copy to cool.

            We enter the new year with unbroken links of home --

                        The prospect for '81 are not favorable from a business stand point, but God knows all about it. --

            May this be a better and happier year.