The Life Of George Holcomb – Dysentery Plagues The Community

Sunday, August 18, 1822: Today I took the single wagon and my wife and child with me. We rode to Doctor Elijah Graves. I went to be bled, but said doctor was not home. We returned and went to Lebanon to Doctor Hall’s 12 cents and got it in opium. Said Doctor Hall also bled me and gave medicine to both my side and he gave medicine for my wife too. Today mother is quite unwell with a relapse of dysentery.
Monday: Today some rainy. My side continues lame. Samuel threshed two bushel and a peck of wheat. I took the single wagon and rode with my child, for she is unwell with a relapse. We went as far as Mr. Newton’s. My wife went. We carried Mr. Sylvenas Carpenter’s reed and sent little Simeon Wylie home with it while stopped to their house. Today brother Wm went after Doctor Graves for his children has a relapse of dysentery.
Tuesday: I continue quite unwell. Doctor Graves called as he was returning from a visit to brother Wm’s children and left me some bilious pills and tonight I took them. Today I stirred out a little hay and Father went to Shouts to mill and carried two bushels of rye, and carried Wm one bushel of wheat. Today we heard of the death of Lucyann Post, late of this town, which is now living in Lenox, the daughter of the deceased Samuel Post. I am informed said Lucy is buried today, for a number of her Stephentown friends went to Lenox to attend her funeral. She died with a relapse of dysentery.
Thursday, September 5: Today Henry Barnhart fetched his sister Lucretia to Brother William’s.
Sunday: Towards night I took the covered wagon and caried my wife and child Eleanor and Lucretia Barnhart to Lebanon to the pool, and said Lucretia went in to the hot bath, and I paid 25 cents for her going in. Said Lucretia is somewhat deranged.
Monday: Today I took the single wagon and carried a barrel of new cider to Nancy Griggs Inn to an officer training. I sold it mostly out. I got five dollars and eighty cents.
Wednesday: Today my side is quite lame where I hurt it some time ago with the wagon. I expect I took cold and it settled there.
Thursday: Today I took the covered wagon and my wife and child, and we went to Doctor Graves. I got a strengthening plaster for my side and one for my child.
Holcomb was apparently very pleased with the proceeds from selling cider at officer training, for he went to a number of other training sites after that to sell cider, going as far away as Pittsfield.
Wednesday: Today I took the double wagon and one and a half barrels of new cider and carried it to Lanesborough to muster training. I got a little over five dollars for the barrel I sold out. I took one counterfeit ten cent piece, and had another five-cent by the same fellow, but I detected him, and he snatched back the pewter piece and then denied handing such money. I was informed his name, but do not recollect it at the present, and I was informed that he lives in Cheshire.
Thursday we drew in our top stalks. The horses got frightened and backed the wagon and load out of the barn and turned over and flung one horse over the other and we had to cut the harness to get the horses up. Tonight Wm carried said harness to Rueben Andrews’ shop and had it mended. We threshed rye part of the afternoon, on the day Doctor Stephen Hall was buried, who died yesterday morning with the quick consumption.