had for farm use. Bolts on the Carryall were tightened, the horses all had to be
new-shod--the eight teams of Oxen also shod for this long and tedious undertaking--cattle
sold--turkeys disposed of--chickens and geese had already been taken care of. Hogs wore
killed and smoked earlier than usual and everything that would not Cure properly given out
for immediate use. Andrew would keep the homeplace for a while and let Moses or his father
dispose of it at such time as they felt definitely settled in Texas, he told everyone who
asked. Quietly he went about disposing of the lots in Bolivar he had bought thinking his
sons might some day want to build and settle down in that place. The Virginian property
was sold to great advantage as it was near the prosperous little town of Tazwell. Farm
lands other than the homeplace were bought by the married brothers and by young Margarets
husband, Abram Young.
Thomas and Sarah Cavitt Maxwell came visiting to bring the travelers a wonderful present
that would make their travels easier Sarah said--a newly imported hand turned steel mill
for making cornmoel. Nobody owned one in the Community and Tom Maxwell's chest rose
with considerable pride as his wife told of his getting this now invention in
Philadelphia. It had been brought from England where they were being made in quantity
already.
The sister who most hated seeing her baby brother leave was Sister Mary; for her son,
Cavitt Armstrong, and the young brother, Andrew, were almost like twin sons to her.
A page from Andrew's account book at time of their selling out to go to Texas makes
interesting reading:
Bolivar Tennessee - 1835
Andrew Cavitt account book-1835-Jan. to Oct., sale of property at Bolivar Tennessee when
making plans to move to Sterling, Robertson Colony
(Oct 1-1835"To John Johnson at sale (1 chest 6.oo, 1 pair andirons 2.00, Trundlo bed
1.00 (Oct. 1835 to Joshua Wilson at sale (1 bedstead 8.00, 1 Cow 16.00, to steel 18 lbs. @
20¢ (To 75 bundles of fodder to Contract to iron wagon frame and food trough (Oct. 1835-to
Halbard Scott at sale (20 bus sweet potatoes at 40e 8.00, to 1 hammer 4Ooo (to 1 shovel
1.50S 1 table 3.00, bedstead 3.00, 1 table 2.00S 1 sofa 6.oo (Oct.1835, Robert H. Stuart
at sale, (1 grindstone 4.00S 1 bookcase 9ff00, 1 Clock 15.00, 1 dining table 7.00 (To 2
gal. lampoil 1.00, 1 bedstead 5.00, 1 pro andirons 2.622 (1 looking glass l.00, hay 11.00,
Corn 62 tubs 2.00 Oct. 1835 to David Turners sale on 12 months Credit to 1 bellows 25.00
to 4 hand hammers 5.257 to 1 sot horse shoeing tools 2.50 to 2/pr. tongs and punches 9 30
lbo anvil November to 42 turkeys at .50 each.