The country in which I now found myself was comparatively new, and many of the improvements were inexpensive. If one could judge by the growing crops, and the large cribs of old corn, the soil was certainly productive and better improvements would come later. There was quite a considerable unbroken land in the neighborhood. Corn was the chief crop raised, though some wheat and oats was grown by all. There were no fences at all and but little stock was kept. The attention of the settlers was given to corn chiefly. Mr. Sweet was an extensive corn grower, and for several weeks after I commenced work I was kept busy plowing corn. This work at that time was done with a single horse and de------ plow. After the crop was "laid by", I hauled old corn to Pekin twelve miles distant. The corn was shelled, thoroughly cleaned, and put in two bushel gunny sacks. At that time this corn sold for 12 1/2 cents per bushel. Eighteen months later, owing to the war, such corn brought 75 or 80 cents perhaps more.

As wheat and oat harvesting came along I assisted in cutting grain about the neighborhood with a header. This was a fast way of harvesting. Twenty acres per day could easily be cut with one machine and put in stack as cut. I worked for Mr. Sweet about three months, then went to work by the day at threshing. I afterwards worked with a carpenter at building a house. I made my home with Mr. Sweets family so long as I remained in the neighborhood. Politics ran high with the people of that section, as indeed it did everywhere throughout the country in 1860. Lincoln and Douglas both had strong supporters and some personal friends there who worked the contest up to a very high pitch. Men, woman and even children took sides. Of course I favored the election of Lincoln, was a member of a "Wide Awake" Club and took as much interest in that campaign as I ever did in one since, though I was not then twenty years of age.

I have spoken of this as a productive section which gave promise of wealth as it became more settled and improved, yet I saw an objection to it then. As the season advanced sickness invaded every household. Fever and ague everywhere with plenty cases of typhoid fever. In some cases every member of a family became afflicted at the same time. Quite a number of deaths occurred in the neighborhood. During the summer I kept well. In truth I never enjoyed better health, but the trouble with me came later.

I remained here until the 6th day of October when I concluded to move northward, by easy stages, on foot. I expected to stop and work a month or two if I met with an opportunity. I was feeling remarkably well, and the first three days I moved at a pretty good pace. Probably I traveled eighty miles in the time. I passed through the towns Pekin, Peoria and Rome thence on north toward Princeton. On the morning of the forth day I felt a change creeping over me. I felt tired and weak. My bones ached and I could not eat. The people with whom I stopped over night urged me to rest up for a day. I moved on thinking that exercise would set me all right, but I did not improve. I felt very tired, and so sleepy that it was with the greatest effort that I kept awake as I moved slowly along. It was on Sunday and a warm day. I remember passing a country church. People were going into service, I suppose it was about eleven o'clock. Shortly after I sat down at the side of the road to rest and immediately fell asleep. I knew nothing until nearly dark when I was aroused by a farmer living near who asked me if I was drunk. He had seen my lying there all of the afternoon and supposed I was a drunken tramp. I told him I was not drunk, had not touched a drop of liquor, was tired and had stopped to rest. He kindly invited me into his house, where I passed a most miserable night. In addition to the tired feeling spoken of I began to suffer from internal soreness. Every motion hurt me. I ate no supper or breakfast. In the morning I rode four miles to Princeton with the gentleman with whom I stopped over night. The roads were very ruff, and every jar of the wagon hurt me severely.

Upon arriving in town I procured at a drug store a drink of Brandy thinking it might help me but I felt no effect from it one way or the other. It was the first and only brandy I ever drank, and it certainly did not help me. Strange that the thought had scarcely occurred to me that I was sick or threatened with sickness. It is is hard for a person nearly twenty years of age, who had never seen a sick day, to realize what sickness is. I greatly felt the need of rest, and I had about concluded to take the cars for Wisconsin when I met a gentleman, by the name of Cummings, who was very anxious to hire a hand for a month or two, for which he would pay liberal wages. His residence was twelve miles north of Princeton. He urged me to go out with him. I told him I was not feeling just right and I might not be able to work. Come out home with me, he said, and rest up for a couple of days and you will be all right. Well in truth I really thought so myself and I consented to go, and here I made a mistake. I can never describe the extreme suffering I endured in riding that twelve miles in a lumber wagon. Its every jolt was agony to me. At the end where I climbed from the wagon, I fainted away completely. This too was a new experience. I had never fainted before, I could not eat a mouthful of supper though I had not tasted food for forty eight hours. Well I went to bed and laid there helpless for five weeks with typhoid fever.

It is a trying position for one to fall sick among strangers, nor is it less unpleasant for a family to have the burden of caring for a sick stranger thrown upon them. This was the situation I found myself in, through no fault of mine, or of the other parties most interested. Here I was as helpless as a child, with no one near upon whom I had the least claim. I had money to pay for doctors services, and a reasonable board bill, but I had none to pay for the extra care and I got but little of it. Mr. Cummings I believe was an upright, honorable man, but he worked very hard, and of course was unable to devote much time to me, besides this I think the poor man had trouble enough of his own. His wife was a case to get along with. It seemed to me as though her chief delight was in making her husband miserable. He was patient and kind to her, but she had no kind word for him. She seemed to enjoy good health, but disliked to work. She rarely cooked meats for her husband and hired hand. Luckily she had no children. Only once during the five weeks of my sickness was my bed-clothes changed, but of course I had no claim upon her.

A young man who worked here by the month was to me a good samaritan. An intelligent man full of Christian sympathy and good cheer. He worked hard, yet he found time to set by my bed and speak words of encouragement, or perform some kindly act. It seemed to me then as though I never could have lived in that low, narrow chamber, had it not been for those friendly visits. I have forgotten his name, but I hope he has been prosperous in life. I think I was fortunate in securing a good doctor. I don't think he gave me much medicine, perhaps it was not necessary, the cure had to run its course, but it was a source of encouragement to see a doctor occasionally. In addition to fever, I was afflicted with boils or carbuncles which increased my discomfort greatly. At the end of five weeks I was reduced to almost a skeleton, and so weak I could not stand without support. I fainted frequently in my attempt to assume an upright position, still I thought the symptoms more encouraging. I had felt a degree of indifference as to the outcome before, now I realized there was a chance for recovery and I felt hopeful. I had an intense craving for food, especially for milk. Although milk was not allowed, I obtained a sufficiency of nourishment so that I slowly gained strength. At the end of six weeks from the time I stopped here, I was able to slowly move on again. My sickness had cost me, in doctor bill and board, $45.00. I had but $2.50 left. Of course I was obliged to walk and walk very slowly. Five miles a day at first taxed my strength to the utmost. Gradually I was able to increase the distance slightly.

My general course was about north. I remember passing through Amboy, Ashton, Rockford, Beloit, Elkhorn and East Troy. I stopped over night with farmers along the was, and everywhere I was shown the utmost kindness. I came across a number of Scotch families, whom I found without exception to be hospitable and kind. I do not remember how long I was in making the trip to East Troy, Wis. but it was a long, tedious march. I suppose the distance was about 150 miles, perhaps a little more. I rode on the cars from Beloit to Elkhorn, otherwise I walked the entire distance. I arrived at East Troy just at night, after a hard days tramp. I had but twenty five cents in money left. Five miles from here brother Frank was at work for Charles Miller. I had hoped to reach there, but I could not I was tired out. Spending ten cents for a lunch and fifteen cents for a bed I remained at East Troy. Early the next morning I commenced the walk to where I found Frank. I was so changed in appearance that he failed to recognize me until I spoke to him. Then his first words were "For Gods sake, have you got any money?" I suppose he thought from my looks that I was starving to death. He was impulsive and generous to a fault. I stopped one day with him and obtained three dollars with which I paid my way to Waupaca Co. I had been gone about nine months, had returned without money, somewhat broken in health, but I had obtained quite a fund of experience.

I arrived at home the last day of November. I was still weak but my appetite was good and I felt I was gradually improving. A few days rest and I would be right again. But I was doomed to disappointment. Within an hour after getting home I was attacked with a severe Ague Chill followed by a high fever. I suffered from this cause on every second day, until the first of April, when I supposed the disease had worn itself out, and myself pretty nearly so. From this time I gained strength very rapidly, and shortly after was looking around for a job. About the middle of April I obtained work driving logs and I was constantly exposed to weather and water, but I improved steadily, and was soon as strong as ever. I continued at this work about three months at the end of which time I went, with others, to Green Lake County to work at wheat harvesting. This work, at that time before the days of self-binders, required quite a force of men. I worked for a Mr. Wrightman near Ripon who was a extensive wheat grower.

The question of Civil War had by that time become a fixed fact, and excitement ran high among all classes of people. Great preparation was being made by the government to maintain its authority at whatever cost. The disastrous defeat of the Union forces at Bull Run, July 21st aroused the masses at the North to a most enthusiastic determination to uphold the government. Men could not be equipped as fast as they presented themselves for enlistment. In September the First Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry went into camp at Ripon. This was the first military organization I had ever seen, and from the first I had a strong inclination to enter the service, but though I should prefer the infantry arm rather than the Cavalry. After harvesting was finished I worked at threshing in this vicinity until the First of October when I returned to Waupaca County to enlist in the 14th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.

Chapter Five --->