A. M. Perkins Journal
Submitted by Jan Stark JSMET1400@aol.com
Record of births of Negroes in the family of Dr. Frederick Perkins
The winter of [18]64 & 5 was one of the coldest experienced for years. 3 months Dec., January & February was a succession of bad weather one spell after another & in Feb we had the most severe sleet I ever saw. The ice on the trees was several inches thick & remained for several days breaking all the trees to pieces both in the forest and orchards nearly all the peach trees were ruined. For 2 summers previous to that there had been excessive droughts & very short crops & there was almost a state of starvation in many parts of the country.
The month of Febry 1857 was the most beautiful month I ever saw in winter. There was not a day in the month but what it was warm enough to set without fire & a great part of the time it was unpleasantly warm in the sun & ice had to be used in the water.
The winter of 1858 & 59 was remarkably warm & wet raining almost constantly & only 2 small snows which did not lay on the ground a day but owing to the wet the roads were in such a shockingly bad state there was no chance to get even to a neighbours house. On the first day of March I gathered nine different kinds of flowers in bloom in the garden.
April 16th & 17th 1854 were 2 as snowy days as I ever saw & bitterly cold.
The year 1854 was the hottest & dryest summer ever remembered in this country. For 5 months it was one continuation of oppressive heat & drought. There was scarcely any corn made as the ravages of the chinch bug in addition to the dry weather nearly destroyed the whole crop. Many did not make enough to fatten their pork. Corn was $5 in the fall.
On 18th day & night of January 1857 the deepest snow fell that had fallen in the remembrance of the oldest residents. It was accompanied with a severe wind causing it to drift to an immence (sic) depth in many places it was 10 or 12 feet deep & bitterly cold. A great many persons froze to death or were buried in the snow dirfts. It beat in houses & in fact in every place covering up springs & branches so as to be quite unable to find where they were. All the roads were quite blocked up & cars were stopped on the rail roads, passengers being obliged to stay in the cars all night.
(Ann Marie Perkins was the wife of Dr. Frederick Anderson Perkins. She was the daughter of Thomas and Harriet A.C. Washington Johnson. They lived in Louisa County Virginia and resided in the house known as Bloomington. She was born in 1805 and died sometime during the 1860s. The following entries were made in a journal I inherited from my grandmother. Ann Marie was my great-great-great-grandmother.)
Harriet A.C. Johnson, wife of Thomas Johnson, died April 20th 1820 in the 32nd year of her age.
Thomas Johnson of Roundabout Castle died November 3rd 1842 in the 59th year of his age.
Henry W. Johnson son of Thomas & Harriet Johnson died July 16th 1832 in the 24th year of his age.
Washington Johnson Perkins died 31st of May 1833 aged 10 months & 20 days. He was son to Frederick & Ann Perkins
Frederick Augustus Perkins son of Frederick & Ann Perkins died January 8th 1837 aged 8 months & 16 days.
David William Perkins son of Frederick & Ann Perkins died September 13th 1846 aged 9 months & 11 days.
Catherine Washington only daughter of Fredk A. & Ann M. Perkins died June 9th 1848 aged five months & 24 days.
Dr. Lewis W. Perkins son of Dr. Frederick & Ann M. Perkins died in St. Martinsville La. On the 27th of Sept. 1855 in the 26th year of his age of yellow fever.
Dr. William Q. Johnson son of Mr. Thomas & Harriet A.C. Johnson died in Memphis Tenn. on 12th of June 1844 in the 27th year of his age.
Frank I. Perkins son of Fred & Ann M. Perkins was killed on the field of battle on the 20th of July 1864 in his 28th year.
Nathaniel P. Perkins son of Fred & Ann M. Perkins died on the 28th of Sept. 1864 of disease contracted in camp in the 21st year of his age.
(Frederick and Ann Marie had three sons who grew to adulthood, Thomas, Robert, and Physick Philip. Thomas married Mary Elizabeth Melton, Robert never married, and Physick married Henrietta Hackett, daughter of Dr. Wm. R. and Mary P. Johnson Hackett of Louisa Co.) They had three children, Annie, Frank and Lucy. Frank and Lucy died in the late 1800's. Annie married David A. Young in LeMars, Iowa. They had three children, Will, Bessie and Reginald. Reginald died childless and Will never married. Bessie married John Ogilvy and they had two children, Don and Annis. Don married Betty Meis had a daughter, Jean. Annis married Herald Stark and had three children, Pete, Linda and Jan.)
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Record of births of Negroes in the family of Dr. Frederick Perkins
Tom son of Roxy was born April 21st 1827
Ellen daughter of Sophy was born August 10th 1827
Martin son of Sophy was born May 13th 1829
Joe son of Roxy was born August 23rd 1830
Mary daughter of Sophy was born March 13th 1831
William son of Fanny was born January 21st 1832
Ann daughter of Roxy was born January 2nd 1835
Washington son of Roxy was born March 23rd 1838
Henry son of Sophy was born March 12th 1839
Polly daughter of Roxy was born April 10th 1840
Andrew son of Sophy was born December 3rd 1841
Robert son of Roxy was born April 9th 1843
Sarah Ann daughter of Sophy was born January 26th 1844
George Minor son of Mary Ann was born May 31st 1844
*Jani daughter of Mary Ann was born July 6th 1847
*died 48
Mildred daughter of Ellen was born August 29th 1847
*Lewis son of Mary Ann was born May 25th 1849
*died Aug 9th 1861
*Margaret daughter of Mary was born January 15th 1850
*died January 12th 1864
Nancy daughter of Ellen was born January 19th 1850
Davy son of Lucy was born March 25th 1850
Elizabeth daughter of Ann was born March 8th 1851
**Nicholas son of March Ann was born January 9th 1852
**carried off by the yankees (sic) Mar. 1865
Woodson son of Ellen was born April 18th 1852
*Frances daughter of Lucy was born Oct. 10th 1852
*died Mar. 1862
William son of March was born January 2nd 1854
Adda daughter of Ann was born June 6th 1854
Amanda daughter of Ellen was born July 6th 1854
*Pattie daughter of Kate was born July 16th 1854
*died Aug. 2, 1856
*Albert son of Mary Ann was born July 27th 1854
*died Sept.. 20th 1861
Nat son of Lucy was born April 6th 1855
Kitty daughter of Ellen was born March 11th 1856
Laura Ann daughter of Mary was born November 27th 1856
Harriet daughter of Lucy was born January 18th 1857
Tom Jefferson son of Ann was born March 16th 1857
*John son of Kate was born June 11th 1857
*died Jan. 28th 1858
Sam Jackson son of Polly was born December 24th 1857
Marcella daughter of Mary Ann was born March 9th 1858
*Bettie daughter of Lucy was born June 13th 1858
*died June 1859
Henry son of Mary was born September 18th 1858
Sophy daughter of Kate was born Nov. 25th 1858
Lynsay son of Ellen was born July 19th 1859
Florence daughter of Ann was born November 16th 1859
Mildred Ann daughter of Lucy was born October 4th 1860
Willie Ann daughter of Pollie was born Nov. 23rd 1860
Secession daughter of Mary was born April 3rd 1861
Rose, *Blanche & *Maud daughters of Kate all at one birth were born September 6th 1861.
*Maud died Oct. 22nd 1 month & 16 days old
*Blanche died August 1862
Lee son of Mary Ann was born January 4th 1862
Minor son of Ellen was born January 7th 1862, one of twins. The other, a girl, died
Belle daughter of Lucy was born May 18th 1862
Philip Physic son of Polly was born May 13th1863
Susan daughter of Mary was born May 14th 1863
Jimmie son of Kate was born Nov. 13th 1863
Margarita daughter of Lucy was born April 10th1864
Sarah Ann daughter of Ellen was born July 8th1864