1851
June 26th Thursday This morning went to washing the windows
on the outside the first thing after breakfast and
got the chambers in order Heat the brick oven and
baked cake bread &c for tea and a custard pudding
for dinner John & wife Miss Wait Alson & wife
and mother here to spend the day. John is making
a short visit will leave in the morning for
home. Have been to West Point
Evelina put her chambers in apple pie order this morning and baked up an array of food. She must have been outdoors as early as seven washing her windows. No gardening today. She had important company coming. Her mother, brothers John and Alson, their wives Huldah and Henrietta, respectively, and another woman, Miss Waite, came to spend the day with her. The family reunion continued.
The occasion was so special that Evelina baked a custard pudding to serve at dinner. This was not usual fare for her, perhaps because it used so many eggs, and the Ameses didn’t keep chickens.
Evelina again mentioned West Point in her diary entry, which suggests that it was much in the conversation, probably in the manner of a place John, Huldah and Miss Waite had just visited. Why did they go there? Did they know someone who was just graduating? The United States Military Academy graduated 42 men in June, 1851, most of whom would go on to fight in the Civil War, 26 for the Union and 9 for the Confederacy. Many would also serve in the Third Seminole War in Florida or hold posts on the western frontier.
evelinaames 