Henry Moore diary

This collection consists of a diary written between the years 1807 and 1809. It records a merchant's trip from Baltimore, Maryland to Knoxville, Tennesse where he establishes a business. The authorship has been attributed to Henry Moore, an early nineteenth century Baltimore merchant who lived in Knoxville during that time period.

Baltimore city directories indicate that Henry Moore, merchant, had two brothers, John and George. All were possibly the sons of George W. Moore, a Baltimore flour inspector. Evidence in the diary bears out the existence of brothers John and George, and also mentions sisters (pp. 31 and 33).

The diary commences with a description of the 29-day trip from Baltimore to Knoxville detailing the terrain, fellow travelers, and inns along the way. On April 3, 1807 the diarist purchased a merchant's license. A license for Henry Moore was not recorded in Knoxville until May 8, 1807.

Moore's place of business must have been located near the Tennessee River. Beginning with the entry for March 6, 1807 he records the number of families traveling past his place, some traveling on the river. The implications are that these families are moving. Mention is made of their possessions, including slaves. Moore counted 100 slaves in the possession of the Butler family as they moved past (pp. 35).

The diarist was an amateur naturalist. There are many descriptions of plants and a number of sketches. He was also interested in caves and visited several in the Knoxville area and on his trips.

Moore kept track of his incoming and outgoing correspondence, as well as the weather and level of the river. Various trips are mentioned. Brother George was out traveling between March 28 and May 26, 1807. Between the 1st and 17th of June, 1807, Moore records his own trip to Nashville; and between the 1st and 28th of July he records a trip back to Baltimore.

At this point the diary is discontinued until January 1809. The diary ends on February 3, 1809. Indications are that the diarist is still living in Knoxville.

The last two pages consist of some memorandum notes, including people and places he should see on his travels and various helpful facts on the subject of agriculture.

The entire diary is a xerox copy of the original held at the Queen Anne's County Library.