Diary of Hiram Harvey Hurlburt Jr - Chapter 30

A part of the Diary of Hiram Harvey Hurlburt Jr

About the time Sarah was approaching the shadow that we could not avoid yet hoping to be passed through and stay with us awhile longer; a lady came through the Rebel lines at Chattanooga Georgia, to reach her northern home, from which she had been absent several years. When we were children we had played together, when older we had attended school together. I was her senior most a year in age, yet she was older in the ways of the world, had married Dr. Edward Smith of Western, N.Y. but had buried him. He had consumption. Then she studied and graduated at Fort Plain N.Y. and excelled in music, painting, and the French language. Then an opportunity came for her to teach in Holstein Conference College at Ashville N.C. She retained her position there until the Institution stopped on account of the Civil War. Then she went home with some of her girl students to South Carolina and became a teacher governess for some time. But the war grew more desperate, and there was no other course than to get north; as she had some extra pupils, she went home with one by the name of Dawse to Chattanooga, Tennessee; it happened soon after her arrival there; that General Grant had laid siege to that City. The family where she stopped were obliged to go in the basement as shot and shell had passed through the dwelling. Mrs Smith nee Herendeen made application to Gen. Grant. When Grant found a northern lady wished to get home to the north; he took her in a box car traveling all night alone with him only when aids came to the Generals for orders. In the morning they reached Nashville, Tennessee. Here she changed her Confederate money for green backs receiving one dollar of green backs for ten of the Confederate. She had to use economy to reach her deceased husbands friends at Western N.Y. After a short stay, she came to her mother’s Mrs Eliza Herendeen of Weybridge.

Mrs. Smith was very much affected at the condition she saw me, being use to the disease she could see where I must suffer, her whole heart was called to baby Kate as well as to the eldest Nellie; and when Sarah had left the baby clung close to her, and the baby’s love was met as strongly by Mrs. Smith. I did not realize for some time, what a possible help she was to me in lighting the load of grief; but after some months I became aware what a friend I had. I had heard her mention she must soon be making exertion to find her work again as teacher somewhere.

When I sensed this situation, her going away, What should I do? What could I do for her? To invite her to join with me to make a home again a home to my little ones, for her to take such a place, to leave her cherished work on which she has expanded so much time and money? it seemed to me absurd to think of such thing, and it would be extremely selfish on my part to entertain such thoughts, as I tried to press back such an unwise contemplation.

But what will not a good woman undertake when her sympathies are called in to action. I have always considered my baby Kate, won for me a splendid woman, a woman who could repose perfect confidence in the one she had devoted herself to love. I am not a poet, or even a rhymster, never could find the plan of rhyming without bungling. But I was in such a state of mind one day that I must pen something.

Some rhymes I would make, without any haste
     Of a lady, I knew of beautiful taste;
An eye that is dark of language divine;
     A hand that a prince would most certainly pine.

This angel one’s name, ah! shall I relate;
     It dwells on my lips with feelings so great;
Sweet Helen! Dear Helen, I long for the day.
     When I shall be with you, no more for to stay.

The thirteenth of September, is destined to be,
     A sweet pleasant time for you and for me;
If Providence willing our hearts will unite,
     And love one another by day and by night.

Sweet Helen you've taken much care on your mind;
     An Ellen and Kate, I hope they’ll be kind
A dear loving mother I am sure they need
     For which I will love you so truly indeed.

These lines I will finish and leave in the "till";
     Where we have some keys, that fit at will,
So now my dear Helen, I bid you good bye;
     In hopes that your pen to me will reply.

At this time the acquaintance of these parties had passed to a firm understanding of each other’s feelings. We could look to childhood, remembering of one anothers actions at School and parties, all of which acquaintance was pleasant to dwell upon.

Where we went to stay some days, having Kate with us at Amsterdam, N.Y. Delta and Western N.Y. Fort Plain and Chattanooga. It was remarked that we appeared like old married people.

When our first son Carl came to bless our union we both felt the responsibility to do our best to make a home; we both had experience that made us sometimes grave.

I am going to have the privilege now of explaining why I did not make more advancement in getting dollars together so as to have a home of my own earlier in life.

My Father Hiram H. Hurlburt, Senior, went San Francisco, Cal. in 1849. He was injured by his horse, in the spring of 1861. His driver was sick, and he went himself to the city with his meat to furnish his customers. The horse not well broke runaway injuring his stomach, it was claimed by his physician that the outlet to his stomach grew up, that no food could pass. When he found the end was near he made his will. I was appointed executor here. He sold his ranch to a Doctor Treadwell taking cash $1,000, the balance on mortgage at 12 per cent.

Soon after his death Dr. Treadwell sold to a party; then after a short time this party, wishing to cover up his property from his creditors sold again to another person. After this other party had his affairs arranged he claimed the property back; but the last purchaser did not remember any such agreement; word brought out their revolvers, each fired, one died in ten minutes the other lived until the next morning. This happened on the corner of Stockton and Sacramento Streets, San Francisco. Immediately both these families went to law to see which should own the realestate.

This was in law over seven years. But was settled and the heirs had their portion devided to them in June 13th 1868. So one can readily see that I was not really twenty one until over forty one years of age; my life had been spent in making payments, in taxes and livings for two families, and it appeared to me the right thing to do under the circumstances. The check for each heir was one thousand nine dollars and 30 cts.