In addition to carrying documents, he may also have carried a notebook. It was very common to carry a small book to record payments, monies owed, crop prices, or any commonplace thing. We have a notebook belonging to DH's great-great-uncle, where he wrote down things like the above, plus snatches of songs he liked, poems he admired, original poetry, and, interestingly enough, the constitution and minutes of a "polemic club" he and his friends founded in Stewart county, GA. The club was to discuss and debate ideas and issues of the day. I recall one debate on the issue of beauty and goodness. Unfortunately, he recorded only the final vote, and only rarely, portions of the points made.
