Autobiography of Julia Ann Barr Hamilton

Part 3 of 8

“Well, someone started a school but couldn’t get many books. As I remember, we had spelling books, a few arithmetic, and read in the Testaments. Our school house was built out of logs, halved off flat on one side, other logs sawed off to lay them on. No backs at all to the seats and we had to stay much longer than children do these days.

We only had a three-month school. At recess and noon, we girls had our houses, brought things from home to play with, our rag dolls (as I never seen a store-bought doll until I was about 12 years old). But we had lots of fun, and it was inno¬cent fun. When I started that school I was in the third reader.

Sister Elizabeth had our books, but the other children there didn’t have any. Margaret never went to school after we came to Texas, or Elijah, or John.

Well, now I come to 1857. Father went up to Bell County and bought a farm, but before we went up their sister Margaret married a farmer by the name of Allen Peebles. He had a nice farm and two Negroes, Robert, and Rose.

Then they loaded up and started. As T remember we had two big wagons with four or five yoke of oxen to each wagon and had a lot of cattle to drive. Father and Mother didn’t go with us as Mother wasn’t able to travel, and she kept brother Edmond with her. Just brother Elijah, John, sister Lizzie, and I, and three Negroes and, 1 believe, William Houchen was along.

Well, the roads were muddy, and we sure did travel slow. I think it was we were a month on the road. A few days before we got to our new home, Father overtaken us (he was in a two-horse wagon). He told us we had a little sister. He left Mother at the doctor’s.

I don’t remember how long it was before Mother got home. Our new home was a four room, 16 by 16-foot log house with an 11-foot hall between. Father closed the hall and made a room. Then there was a porch all the way, and they closed up one end of it and made a room to cook in after we got our stove.

I don’t think I went to school that year at all. We had a big cow pen, milked 30 cows, and gave most of the milk to the hogs. We sold butter at 12 1/2 cents a pound, and it was good butter, too. What she couldn’t sell, she rendered it up and put it in cans to be used for cooking.

We were sure proud of our little sister. She wore a little lace cap trimmed with ribbon and great long dresses. Her name was Mary Ann. I got a good many spankings on her account. I would get tired of taking care of her.

Spring came and then summer. There were great preparations for a big camp meeting. All turned out the cows and horses if they had any and went down in Stam¬pede Creek. There was a fine spring there where they built a big arbor, strawed, and everybody camped. Had a good time. You could hear the shouting until midnight and sometimes the preacher and good folk that felt like it would stay all night with a mourner, or more talk, pray and sing. We would get up morning and go out to pray at sunrise. Some of the women would stay at camp and get breakfast.

One morning it seemed like everything was dead. The preacher preached, called for mourners, but no one came. He sat down and called on Grandfather to talk. He got up and tried to sing. He never could carry a tune, but he sang all the time. He called for mourners to kneel at their seats and right there I found my Savior. I was born again in 1858, and it was no guess work, for I knew.

Brother John, sister Lizzie, and Father were all converted at that meeting. I know my precious Mother was happy! She never made any noise about her religion, but lived it and taught it to us children, and I thank God for a good mother and father, for I know he was good. After the meeting we went home.

Well, that fall I went up to Grandfather’s, went from there to Old Perry near where Moody now is. I think the school lasted six months. That was the longest term I ever went to Texas. Nep Horn taught that school. Then I went to one school three months taught by a girl. We called her Miss Ellen. I think her last name was Leach. I then went another three months. I have forgot the teacher’s name.

Then Father bought a piece of land down on the Leon River and built a house. While he was building it, the stork visited Mother again. Brought home a little boy this time. His name was Marion Francis. After a while we all moved down there, rented out the Stampede farm. Before the year was out, my little brother had taken the chills. Father had shingles. He was sick a long time, told Mother as soon as she could get possession of the other place to move out there, as it was this hole we were in, Leon Bottom, and the other place was prairie.

So, another sad day came to us. Father died. That was in the year 1860. There was lots of excitement, talk of war. Nearly everybody that was old enough joined. I went with my sister Lizzie and her feller to a barbecue at Old Perry. There were lots of soldiers, men making speeches, and we had lots of good eats.”

(To be continued)