January 14 Monday – The Alonzo Child left for New Orleans.

January 11 Friday – The Alonzo Child arrived in St. Louis.

January 8 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child left Cairo for St. Louis.

January 7 Monday – Brother Orion wrote Sam from Memphis. His letter of introduction to Samuel Taylor Glover (1813-1884) was intended to obtain a letter of introduction to Edward Bates (1793-1869), Lincoln’s attorney general. Orion hoped to get a government position to provide his family with a stable income and to pay debts We had a had a hearty laugh, as well as some of our acquaintances of the feminine gender (in my absence) heads of families, over your last letter. … I am greatly obliged to you for the Tri-weekly Republican till 1 st next April.

December 26 Wednesday – Sam petitioned to join the Polar Star Masonic Lodge Number Seventy-nine of St. Louis, the largest in the state. In so doing, he promised “to conform to all the ancient established usages and customs of the fraternity” [MTL 1: 106-7; Strong, 88]. Sam would rise to the level of Master Mason by July 10, 1861 [Jones 364].

December 11 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child arrived in Cairo, Illinois, where it laid up until Jan. 8 1861 due to ice in the river.

December 4 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child left for St. Louis.

December 1 Saturday – The Alonzo Child arrived in New Orleans.

November 30 Friday – Sam’s 25 th birthday.

November 23 Friday – The Alonzo Child left for New Orlean