A backwoods Christmas, 1796

Back in June, I shared with you some excerpts from the journal of Francis Baily who was Running Mad for Kentucky in the winter of 1796 when his party got caught in a great freezing of the Ohio River, followed by a thaw. The freezing was bad but the thaw produced huge ice floes that stove in the party’s Kentucky boat. They managed to offload most of their goods and haul them up the river bank, where they took shelter in an abandoned hut.

Here is Francis Baily’s diary entry for Christmas Day, 1796:

December 25th, Christmas Day-Two of our party being ill with the fatigues we had undergone on the 21st, the task of superintending the conveyance of our goods devolved upon me. We had been employed at it the whole of yesterday; and as soon as daylight approached this morning we began the same career again, nor did we cease this routine, except to take the scanty pittance we had saved from the wreck, till the setting sun and our own weary limbs told us it was time to close the scene once more. I could not think of the happy moments which were enjoyed in my own country on this auspicious day, and perhaps by those whose remembrance is the most dear to me, without contrasting them with my present situation. Here am I in the wilds of America, away from the society of men, amidst the haunts of wild beasts and savages, just escaped from the perils of a wreck, in want not only of the comforts, but of the necessaries of life, housed in a hovel that in my own country wou1d not be good enough for a pigstye, at a time too when my father. my mother, my brothers, my sisters, my friends and acquaintance, in fact, the whole nation, were feasting upon the best the country could afford. I could not but picture to myself the fireside of my own home, where I saw them all assembled round; a beam of happiness perhaps glistening in every face, save when after dinner I was remembered in their glasses; then, perhaps, a sigh broke out from some of them, and the conversation might turn upon “where I was,” and “what I was doing;” but this dying away, I should soon be forgotten again, and they would return to spend the day in mirth and happiness. Ah! little do they think of the hardships I have undergone, or of those which seem to continue to press us. Little do they think that, while they are partaking of all the bounties of nature, that I am suffering the contrary extreme through want; and would gladly partake of the refuse of their table, or thankfully receive what they would give a common beggar at the door. Methought, if I could but make my appearance in the midst of them at this time, that I should scarce be remembered by them, my long beard, my rough and tattered clothes, and all together would puzzle them at first to conceive what stranger was come amongst them; at least, I think they would begin to chide the servant for admitting so uncouth a visitor before they would recollect or discover who I was. [pp 202-203]

Miserable he may have been, but he still conjured up a scene worthy of Dickens.

The temperature here in Kentucky at the dawn of Christmas Day, 2009 is 51 °F with a southeast wind gusting to 22 mph. The forecast says the wind will turn southwesterly during the day and temperatures will fall into the high 30s. The Ohio River is long since dammed to within an inch of its life and while it may well be running high, it is highly unlikely to freeze.

Wherever you are and however you may or may not celebrate Christmas may you be sustainably well housed and well fed.

Peace and good will to all.

And just to give you something to look at, here is a photo TR took of the redbellied woodpecker at our feeder on the solstice.

Possibly related posts:

Christmas at Keeneland

Sisyphus

A glimpse of the European perspective

Some Christmas cats

A good poor man’s country

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