by Alex Brooks
In the last episode, Holcomb’s son was born, on October 9. Astute readers will have noticed that this is less than 7 months after his April 15 wedding. Holcomb says surprisingly little about his courtship, marriage or his wife’s pregnancy in his daily journal. In today’s column we will gather all of the entries possibly bearing on the wooing and winning of his wife, nee Lucinda Wylie.
Nov. 29, Sunday: Tonight I went up to Goodrich Hollow school house to singing school.
Dec. 8, Tuesday: This evening I attended singing school at Mr. Simeon Wylie’s.
Dec. 13, Sunday: This evening I attended the singing school up Goodrich Hollow school house.
Dec. 30, Wednesday: Tonight Barnum Clark took Wm’s horse and went to Pittsfield after a fiddler to play for us.
Jan. 1, Friday: This evening we danced to brother William’s house. Our bill was one dollar and 13 cents apiece.
Jan. 5, Tuesday: Tonight I went to singing school at Mr. Simeon Wylie’s.
Jan. 11, Monday: This morning I went to Simeon Wylie’s and borrowed one hundred dollars.
Jan. 12, Tuesday: This evening I reckoned with Mr. John Wylie and settled and balanced all accounts.
Jan. 13, Wednesday: Tonight I went to Mr. Elisha Bennett’s to singing school.
Jan. 21, Thursday: Tonight I went to a party to Capt. Abner Bull’s. (an inn)
Jan. 26, Tuesday: Miss Salley Smith rode with us down to Simeon Wylie’s.
They go to singing school at the school house near Simeon Wylie’s on Feb. 16 and March 2.
Mar. 10, Wednesday: Hiram and Orsemas Holcomb and myself hired Jesse to carry us a sleigh ride to Bigelow’s tavern in Lebanon and gave him one dollar. We took along four ladies sleigh-riding.
March 17, Tuesday: Tonight I took the sleigh and carried cousin Louisa Eggleston and Lucinda Wylie and Lydia Bennet and Alma Russell to Mr. Hazard Morey’s on a visit.
March 24, Wednesday: This evening I went up to Mr. John Russel’s to singing school.
March 27, Saturday: Today I took the cutter and carried Eleanor and Lucinda Wylie to Pittsfield to trade. I went by way of both Shaker villages and came home by Broad’s Tavern.
March 30, Tuesday: We came to Cousin Eggleston’s and put out our horse and took supper and to Elisha Bennet’s to a party. We stayed at Willard Bennet’s tonight.
March 31, Wednesday: I did chores, I went to Capt. Bull’s, and I walked over to Platt’s store. I bought a skein of thread for L. Wylie, two cents cost, she paid.