History draft; handwriting of , John L. Smith, Jonathan Grimshaw, Robert L. Campbell, , Richard Bentley, and ; 101 numbered pages plus several inserted pages; CHL. This manuscript covers the period from 1 March 1843 to 31 December 1843.
<23> Spent the day in visiting my friends. [2 lines blank]
at 7½ a m the heavens exhibited a splendid appearance of Circles & accompanied by two mock suns for further particulars see Times & Seasons pa. 157.
there have also been the sword <has been> seen for several nights past, & <also> on the opposite side of the horizon, a black streak has been seen about the size of the light one; while the one is as black as darkness, the other has considerable of the appearance of the blaze of a comet, but it can <is> not be a comet, for it appears about 7 oclock & disappears about 9.
<24> I took a ride to Camp Creek, met , returned to Lib[b]eus T. Coons, where we warmed for an hour & then returned home.
<leave blank 2 or 3 lines>
<The papers report that Gen Napier <with 3700 English troops> gaind a brilliant victory over the Belochee Army of 27,000 22,000 men on the 17th. ult>
<In the evening> Two loaded teams arrive from , loaded with provisions, also 1 load from
<The St. Louis Republican says, “at Point Petre, W. I. [West India] Islands, 2000 persons ran together in the public square, when the Earth opened & swallowed the whole mass”.>
<25> In my <the> at 8 a m, heard a report from concerning thieves, whereupon I orderedpublished <issued> the following “proclamation “to the Citizens of (see wasp 191) to city”
received a letter from requesting me to lend him <the loan of> a cannon, to celebrate the organization of the new County of ; which I granted.
also received a letter from , with a bond for 1/4 section of land,
<I Mr. Mifflin of > issued a writ for the <ar>rest of A. Fields, for disorderly conduct, who was brought in drunk about noon; he abused the court, & I ordered him to <be> put in Irons ’till he was sober.
The <with my brother presiding> sat to day, on an appeal of Benjamin Hoyt, from the decision of David Evans, ; on a chargedof<having been tried for>accusing certain persons of being witches or wizards & using a divining rod, & burning boards to heal those whom he said were betwitched & using other incantations the Council decided to confirm the Bishops decision <which was “that Br Hoyt cease to call certain characters witches or wizards, & cease to work with his divining rod, & cease burning> a board or boards to heal those whom he said were bewitched”, on hearing the case, the Council decided to confirm the decision of Bishop Evans.
The St. Louis Gazette reports “an Awful Gale” within the last 6 weeks. 154 vessels were wrecked on the Coast of & 190 lives lost; on the coast of Ireland 5 vessels, & 134 lives; on the coast of Scotland 17 vessels 39 lives; & on the coast of 4 vessels & 100 lives. value of vessels & cargoes roughly estimated 4,170.000 <4,125,000>
The Thames Tunnel completed, opened for foot passengers, when 30,000 persons pass thro this first day.