Rather than stay in New Orleans an expences---boarded a little old unsafe boat on --- January called Ridsly, she ran ashore 3 times thinking she was going to sink, some where on Black River she put us out on the bank and went back to New Orleans. We lay there 2 days and night. The 2nd day- Pa & uncle Elza Quinn went hunting with there new guns they had made to order in Ala. to kill Bar with when they got to Arkansas,while they was gone the boat Prinston came along on her first trip. Uncle Ald waved his hat and she landed and they began to put the things aboard. I was afraid they was going off and leave Pa & Uncle Elzia in woods but just as they was going to pull in the stage Plank, they came in with some squarls and ducks. When we got into the Qyachita River, a very crooked place in the river, the boat ran into a tree top and tore down both chimneys and tore the piolet house off, but no other damage was don.

We landed at Willimington and the next day they came to carry us to Granfather Greenwoods who had moved to Ark the year before. He was living 8 miles from Champangnol, Union Co., father bought a clame of 160 acres from a man name Hufman. With one little log house on it at one dollar and 24 cts per acre. In a few years we had put up good houses on the road. Before Ma died was my hapies days I and brother William and George played up and down Soap Creek that ran threw our field and was full of fine fish, we had grape vine swings by cutting vine off at the ground, run a peg threw them at the bottom to stand on and we could swing 30 or 40 feet. One day I, Billie and George was thinning corn, got to pitching corn at each other from that, got to making up balls of mud and throwing them at each other. I hit him in the ear with one and he fell down and commenced trimbling, walling his eyes around and said I had killed him. I thought I had & broke for the house for Pa. When I had gone 30 or 40 yards he rased up and said, " where are you going?" When I looked bak and saw him sitting up I was so glad.

After Ma died ,Father broke up house keeping and rented his place to a widow woman just from Georgia by the name of Ridgel. Pa and I worked 2 years at the carpenters trade when he married widow McDonal and brought all his children home again. It was here that I went with my first girl, Miss Queen Kelly. The next was Miss Trissie Loge of Champagnolle and Miss Puss McAfee. I and Miss Puss came very near to marrying. I began to think I was a man. I did not ask Pa when I wanted to go anywhere. I would go to Champagnolle every Sat. evening whare all the merchants in town kept free whiskey for all the customers. I could not withstand the temptation and got tite good many times. I found me a new girl, Miss Bettie Crawford . I first met her at a quilting bee and i decided to do something smart. I jumped on my horse, galped to town and bought 2 bottles of snuff, came back and threw them on the quilt, thinking the Crawford girls, 3 of them, would enjoy the treet and neather of them used it and I was sold out for I got it especly for them.

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