The majority of the Thomas Maguire collection revolves around plantation records from 1834 to 1876. There are two ledgers Maguire kept from 1834-1838, and 1838-1839 with chronological lists of purchases of various quantities of supplies. An account book from 1883 to 1884 contains similar information. A third account book belonged to John E. and James H.C. and recorded shipments of goods in relation to their mill from 1879 to 1890. Another account book from 1850 is almost completely in short hand. In the back of the 1850 account book there are several loose papers describing the oath and history of the Heroines of Jericho, who were the wives and widows of Masonic members. The collection includes one volume of Thomas Maguire's farm diary from 1859 to 1866. This is the only complete volume included, but there are photocopies of pages from 1866 through 1896. Also included is a copy of John M. Harrison's 1949 transcript, The Promised Land: being a Glimpse of Ante-Bellum Georgia taken from the "Farm Journal" of Thomas Maguire. In this extract Harrison chose journal entries written between 1859 and 1876 and simplified their content to offer a glimpse of glimpse Antebellum Georgia. The introduction to the transcript has a short biography of Thomas Maguire and includes an overview of the diary. The diary follows the daily happenings on the plantation, including weather, farming schedule, family comings and goings, and the development of the Civil War. In his diary, Thomas Maguire describes daily farm life; the buying and selling of goods such as cotton; the spread of smallpox and efforts to provide vaccinations. Maguire often makes references to the anxiety and excitement leading up to the Civil War. Dozens of entries mention preparations of Georgia units, sightings of Union prisoners-of-war, and Sherman's march through Georgia. On July 21, 1864 Thomas Maguire wrote that the Yankees robbed his house and ravaged the town of Rockbridge. In an attempt to prevent further harm to his property, he attempted to hide food and supplies, but Union soldiers continued to steal them. On November 16th he hid in the woods while Union soldiers attacked the plantation and shot his livestock. During these years, Maguire writes that many local slaves attempted to escape and join the Yankee army, although farmers thwarted their efforts. Although Thomas lost property and many farm hands, the plantation continued to function in the post- war years, although with less prosperity. The 1866 will of Thomas Maguire is also inside in the Farm Diary. The collection also includes some correspondence, mostly written between the Maguire family. Some letters deal with Thomas Maguire's involvement with the Temperance movement. Additional loose papers include business records, a list of ladies who knitted socks for confederate soldiers in 1863, a list of property stolen by the Yankees from the Maguire plantation, and a pamphlet commemorating Thomas and John E. as Masonic Masters. The collection also has an autograph album belonging to a person identified as "Dodie" with signatures from 1893-1902.
