Diary of Edward Bates, Saturday, July 9, 1859

Sat (the 2d. time) to Mr. Cogswell¹⁹ the painter, for a portrait. Mr. C.[ogswell] seems to be an excellent artist : His picture of Joseph Charless²⁰ is to the life.

Mr. Woodson's²¹ daughters, Jennie and Nelly are here also Sally, Julian's wife —

This year, I have attended less than usual to the cultivation of the lot — The grapes have been a good deal neglected, not trained and pruned rightly. A great deal of the fruit has been destroyed by the rot, still, there is enough remaining for an ample family supply. Our supply of berries — goose — rasp and straw was scanty — Blackberries promising, not yet ripe.

I have a curiosity, in the shape of a Japan potato. A small piece was planted in April 1858, and grew feebly that year : Left in the ground last winter, It is now growing boldly, the vines (spiral like the hop,[)] runs [sic] on tall poles, and now I think, if stretched out straight, would be 20 feet long. It has a multitude of blooms, or rather buds, not expanded, on the upper part of the vine, and, on the lower part, at the foot stalk of the leaves, little round tubors [sic] or potato[e]s, now about the size of duck slot [sic]. . . .

I think the vine is as handsome as the Madeira vine, but not so odorous. The potato[e]s in the ground I cannot judge of till next fall.

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¹⁹ William Cogswell of New York lived and painted, at various times, in New York City. Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, and California. He did a Lincoln portrait and also the "President Grant and Family " of the National Gallery in Washington, and the portraits of Grant and of Chase in the Capitol.

²⁰ Supra, June 4, 1859, note 75.

²¹ A cousin of Mr. Bates whose mother was a Woodson. The Woodsons lived on Dardenne Prairie (infra, July 30. 1859, note 61).

SOURCE: Howard K. Beale, Editor, Annual Report of The American Historical Association For The Year 1930, Vol. 4, The Diary Of Edward Bates, p. 30