Diary of Algernon Hilton, September 1849

5 - Since my writing I have been very sick indeed with the fever.  This is third day of my being up & I am not able to walk many steps at a time.  Today Father is regaining his health slowly.  Hyram is sick now with the fever nearly every day.  I do hope he may get off easier than I have & that I am done being sick for this fall.  I do pray most sincerely.  My horse died yesterday.  What ailed him, I do not know.

6 - I am gaining in strength every day.  I am beginning to be tired of confinement.  Studying some plan to get up to Mr. Hickman's so as to get a horse of his.  How I will manage it I do not know, except by borrowing a horse to ride up & see Mr. Hickman.  Hyram was very sick yesterday again, but is better today.  I am strong in hopes that this is the last of his sickness this fall.

7 - 11 P.M. so far today & Hyram is not sick & this is his sick day.  I am gaining strength slowly, I believe.  I have nothing to write about so I can't fill up this journal much.

8 - Hyram was not sick yesterday, so all of us now in a mending condition.  I still gain strength slowly.  I walked over to Mr. Simmons this morning, which is a full 1/2 mile & I do not feel much worse by it.  Hyram & Edgar went a fishing this morning & have not got back yet & it is now after 11 A.M.  If I was not so awful lonesome I could get well faster I think.

10 - Father had a fever all day yesterday & last night, but is clear of fever this morning.  We came to the conclusion yesterday evening amongst us to leave, all of us leave & go out on the river to Donaldsonville, at any rate.  We may go from there to Thibodeaux & maybe to the sea shore.  We want health & I am certain we will not get it by staying here.  We got a team & I got to town this afternoon.  We expect a boat every minute.

11 - The Dorwel came down in the night last night & we left Alexandria on her at 9 this morning.  We stopped at Gordon's landing nearly all the afternoon, taking a man's house furniture aboard.  Chairs, bedstead & bedding.  We took some 12 head of horses aboard & 12 or 15 head of cattle.  We left Gordon's landing just in the dark of the evening.

12 - When we got up this morning we found ourselves in the old Mississippi.  We landed at Donaldsonville about 2 P.M.  Had our chests put on the bayou bank close to the Bayou Botts landing & H & E & myself camped there on the bank.  Father took supper and lodging at a hotel.  Father still has the fever off & on.

13 - Father had a fever all night & I think he has some now.  I begin to feel right serious about his sickness.  I will try & get him to take medicine freely today.  Hyram has hired a horse this morning & has gone down the bayou.  He is to Mr. Shafer's after the money he owes us.  Sent a letter to Uncle John.

14 - Father's fever left him yesterday evening & he rested well all night & has been well all day today.  Hyram got back this evening, being a day sooner than he looked for him.  He got 80 dollars on Mr. Shafer's note.  Our plan now is to get a skiff & go to the sea shore & spend a week or two there.  We want to get started from here on Monday, this is Friday now.

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Diary of Algernon Hilton, October 1849