Those boys who had entered the army at the age of twenty-one or under and served continuously from three to four years made a sacrifice for their country's cause that is not always considered. I refer to the fact that such service was rendered at a period of their lives when they should have been qualifying themselves to enter successfully upon their lifes work. If on account of poverty or other cause, the education of our soldiers had been previously neglected it can readily be seen that he would be placed at a disadvantage. He was handicapped as a business man because the education he was able to acquire while in the army, even if an officer, was not calculated to help him much in the management of private business. Finding myself at the close of the war face to face with these conditions I was led to realize more forcibly the extent of the offering made by many of our soldiers. As for myself upon returning to the walks of civil life, it was to be expected that I would make business mistakes and I made them.

I have heretofore stated that at the time of my marriage our combined worldly possessions amounted to $700.00. During the following sixteen months that I remained in the army we made a net saving of $100.00 per month. This included the amount saved by my wife at teaching two terms of school. Thus it is seen that when we went to housekeeping in the Spring of 1865 we had saved about $2300.00. Of this amount $1500.00 had been paid toward our house. A farm containing 120 acres had been bought for us by Mr. Pollard. The price paid was $3000.00 of which amount we had paid one half. At a later date he gave the remaining interest to my wife. The place was situated in the town of East Troy and was known as the Oren Moffit Farm. My father had worked the place during the season of 1857 and I knew it to be productive. The buildings were old but with slight repairs the were made comfortable. There was a good orchard of 150 bearing apple trees, which proved to be quite a source of income. We were favored each year with good crops and prices for all kinds of farms produce was very high. For example, wheat was worth from $2.00 to $2.50 per bushel. Pork brought $9.00 per hundred, live weight. Corn, oats, potatoes, apples and in fact everything we had to sell brought good prices. Wool brought 40 cts per pound and sheep, of which we had 150 head, was especially profitable. Gus, who had been so faithful while in the army, proved none the less reliable and trustworthy as a farm hand. We paid him $150.00 per year for his work and he earned it. He remained with us three years, was steady and strictly honest, and saved a good portion of his wages. This was certainly commendable for one who was born and raised a slave.

The second year we added to the size of our farm by the purchase of 25 acres of land adjoining, for which we paid $625.00. This made us a farm of 145 acres of good land which with good management would be sure to produce a fair income. Farming, like other business, required a certain amount of experience - as well as work - and good judgement to insure success. Experience must be learned at first hand, not given from one to another, hence we must get it as we pass along. Fortunately we met with a fair measure of success during those, our first years as farmers, but I would not claim much credit for it because bountiful crops and high prices would almost insure that in spite of management.

On the 22nd day of March, 1866, Lena R., our first child was born.

In September, 1866, my wife and I made a brief trip to Waseca County, Minnesota, for the purpose of meeting my father's family who had emigrated from Wisconsin to that place three years previously. We found the family well and comfortably situated with apparently a most flattering prospect before them. In 1863 I had sent father $400.00 to help him to secure the benefits of the homestead act and I was gratified to find that he had made a wise selection for a home both as to location and quality of land. Father and two of my brothers (the eldest and the youngest) had secured under the homestead law, 480 acres of choice prairie land which in the three years had been made to present the appearance of fairly well improved farms. It certainly looked as though father had at last "struck it rich" and was building substantially for old age. The family would be amply provided for and I felt a degree of pleasure that I had been able to contribute to this end. But I was counting upon an uncertainty. It required five years of constant residence upon a homestead in order to obtain a title thereto and that was a long time for father to remain in one place. I doubt if he had ever done this before and it surely taxed his endurance to the utmost. As soon as he received title from the government he sold or traded off his home and returned to Waupaca County, Wisconsin in a much worse condition financially than when he left there.

In 1881, while on my way to Minneapolis, I passes through the neighborhood where father had been among the first to select a homestead and I was told that land was worth $35.00 and $40.00 per acre. The saying that "to all an opportunity is given" was clearly exemplified in father's case. His opportunity had been golden but he lacked in staying qualities and had failed to secure the advantages that were within his reach. Such an opportunity never came to him again. In 1880, at the age of about seventy years, he surrendered to the inevitable. Mother died three years later. Both are buried in Waupaca Co., Wisconsin.

When my wife and I returned from our visit to Minnesota my youngest brother, William, came with us to Wisconsin. A few months later he married for his second wife, Eleanor Pollard, the only sister of my wife. Of him I will only say that he possessed , in a large degree, at least one characteristic of his sire - he liked to change his place of abode about as often as did the birds of the air and he managed to accumulate about as much.

When we had reside upon our Wisconsin farm three seasons, in which we had met with a reasonable measure of success, it was decided by my wife and I that we would offer our farm for sale, with a view of seeking a new home elsewhere. We were induce to take this step because of the fact that I was having a great deal of trouble with my throat. I had suffered from frequent attacks of quinsy or diphtheria or the two ailments combined. Five times in three years I had been down with the disease, each time seemingly worse than ever before. During my stay in the south I had experienced no trouble from this cause which led me to think that something in the Wisconsin climate was responsible for it. It was with the hope that a change might prove beneficial that we decided to move from Wisconsin to Missouri. I will add here that in this respect our anticipations were fully realized. The change of climate, or some other cause, brought relief. In January, 1868 we were fortunate enough to find a party to whom we sold our farm. The price obtained was $37.50 per acre, an increase over the cost price, of fifty percent. Our personal property was sold at auction at satisfactory prices.

On the 5th of February I started out to look for a home in Missouri. I went via Milwaukee and Chicago to Quincy, Ill. where I walked across the Mississippi River upon the ice. On the 7th I passed through Missouri over the Hannibal and St. Joe railroad to Atchison, Ks. The next day I went to Kansas City and from there to Holden, a new town on the Mo. Pacific Railroad in Johnson County, Mo. Holden was merely a railroad station at the time but there was evidence of thrift and its few inhabitants predicted great things to be. Other railroads passed through the town afterwards and it did become quite an enterprising place. I traveled over Johnson, Henry, Cass and Jackson Counties and I found that they had all been more or less settled previous to the Civil War and that they had suffered severely during that conflict. Buildings, fences and fine orchards had been destroyed and farms had been abandoned to grow up to rank weeds. Here and there stood a brick chimney that served to mark the spot where somebodies home had been burned. It was near the Kansas border, and the battle was fierce along that line, and the inhabitants themselves had been divided upon the questions of the war and each side had tried to inflict all of the damage possible upon the other. The result was that the country was devastated as completely as was that along the line of Sherman's march through South Carolina.

The soil was generally good, the general lay of the country was all that could be desired, especially was this true of Johnson and Henry counties and land could be bought at reasonable figures. But to me the scarcity of timber was a serious objection to the country. This was in the days before wire fences were known and it would require timber and lots of it, I thought, to rebuild those destroyed homes and to improve the extensive prairies that had never been under cultivation. I spent a week or more in looking the country over and then returned to Wisconsin without buying a home though I was favorably impressed with much I had seen.

We were intent upon making Missouri our future home and we finished settling up our business affairs with a view to that end. We provided ourselves with a good team and outfit, put some of our household goods into our wagon, boxed up the rest for future shipment and we were ready to go. It was on the 27th day of April, 1868 that my wife, daughter Lena and I started upon our trip to Missouri. We had some means with which to buy us a home and we looked to the future with bright anticipations. But now, looking back nearly thirty-three years, I am inclined to regard such an enterprise as extremely hazardous. We were taking our chances upon unknown conditions and staking our all upon the outcome. I believe that were one of my own sons to undertake such a move, I should predict for him - as was freely done in our own case - complete failure. Yet time has proved that for us it was not an unwise move. Of course in the years that followed we encountered hardships and plenty of hard work, we endured privations and disappointments, though in a greater or less degree, these would have come to us had we remained in Wisconsin. But in looking back from the present I realize that during the long years we have enjoyed more of the sweets of life than of the bitter, we have, to a satisfactory degree, improved our financial circumstances and, generally speaking, we have enjoyed a good degree of health. Above all else I am convinced that it has been greatly to the advantage of our children to grow up in the grand old state of Missouri. If this is true we are amply repaid for all it cost us.

It was our intentions to cross the Mississippi River at Rock Island, hence we moved in about a south-west direction. We passed through Geneva, Harvard, Rockford, Dixon and Prophetstown, following the general course of the Rock River. The Spring of 1868 was backward and very wet. Heavy rains fell from day to day which made the roads next to impossible, in places along the river bottoms the were completely submerged. Luckily we were not heavily loaded, our team was strong and true, and at length we arrived at Rock Island. Here instead of crossing the river as we had intended we took passage upon a river steamer sown to La Grange, at which place we landed in Missouri on the 6th day of May. From La Grange we drove sixty miles due west to *Novelty, Knox County, where lived Mr. Daniel Eggleston and family, former residents of East Troy, Wis. an old acquaintance of the family of my wife. In our drive into Missouri we were delighted with the appearance of the country from the first. Grass was green, trees were in nearly full leaf and flowers were abundant and very fragrant everywhere.

We remained at Novelty eight or ten days, being hospitably entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Eggleston. They tried to induce us to buy land in that vicinity and we spent some time looking about the county but we found none that seemed advisable to buy. Much of the unimproved land that was for sale was too flat and the hard pan was very near the surface. There was not a railroad in Knox County at that time.

Finally we left here on the 17th of May moving in a south-west course. It was our intention to make our way to Johnson County unless we found a place to suit us before we reached there. We drove through Macon County from its north-east corner to near the middle of its southern boundary line, passing through Macon City on our route. Entering Randolph County, south of College Mound, we drove in the direction of Huntsville. Three miles north of that place we stopped for the night with Mr. Joseph Hammett, a farmer and extensive land owner. Upon being informed that we desired to purchase a home, Mr. Hammett tried to interest us in some of the farms or unimproved land he had to sell. These farms and vacant lands were situated in Randolph and Macon counties and he urged us to stop a few days and look at them and this we concluded to do. First he showed me several improved farms in the vicinity of Huntsville but there I did not like nor did the general appearance of the country thereabouts suit me. It was too broken.

We then drove to Callas, Macon County, where James W. Hammett, a son of Joseph Hammett, resided. I liked the looks of the country here much better. After looking at several farms and unimproved tracks of land in this vicinity I finally selected a quarter section of unimproved prairie land - S.W. 1/4 Sec. 24 Tp 57 R16 - which with 25 acres of timberland we afterwards bought off James W. Hammett. We paid $3500 for the 185 acres which was a high price for unimproved land but I had seen nothing that suited me so well at the price. It was good land, situated 2 1/2 miles form Callas and in a good neighborhood. On the 24th of May, 1868, we moved our few household goods into a rented house in Callas and sent for those things we had left behind. I hired a carpenter (Geo. J. Henderson) by the day and working with him myself, we hurriedly built a house upon our place which was ready for occupancy on the 13th of July.

It was too late in the season to raise a crop, even had our land been fenced and prepared for planting. I at once let a contract for making rails, as fencing was of first importance where the outlaying range was covered with stock. During the late first-year I had 8000, eight foot rails made. I found it to be no small task to haul these rails a distance of three miles. By the 1st of September I had got twenty-five acres of prairie broke and I sowed twenty acres of it to wheat and five to rye. The wheat made a yield the next season of 27 1/2 bushel per acre which I sold directly from the thresher at $1.10 per bushel.

On the 5th of October, 1868, Linden M. our second child was born.

In the fall of 1868 and following winter, I hauled, with our team, enough rails to make one mile of fence, nine rails high. In time for spring planting I had forty acres ready for corn, which made a good yield, though the season was very wet. Corn was in many places injured by it. During this season I set out 150 apple trees, dugs a good well and otherwise improved our place. The following winter I stall-fed my first car load of cattle. I bought the cattle of J. G. England and I did very well in feeding them. Our second and last crop raised by us on this farm, that for the year 1870, was also a good one with quite an increase in acreage. We remained here scarcely three years but in that time the place had been made to present the appearance of a very well improved farm. About 115 acres had been broken and put under a good state of cultivation with good fences and other improvements. To accomplish it all in the length of time required a good deal of hard work.

But we were destined to make one more change before our home became permanently fixed. In the Spring of 1871 we traded our place for another one in the neighborhood containing 135 acres more and of a better quality of land. The place we traded for was mostly of second bottom land, adjoining an extensive bottom range which was not likely to be fenced up for years, an important consideration in the business of stock raising. This place, like the one we let go, had been enclosed less than three years, and was fresh land but the improvements upon the place had been badly neglected. Indeed with the exception of fencing there was scarce any improvements at all. The house upon the place had burned down shortly before and the only building left was a log stable, 12 feet square. Nearly lumber enough had been hauled to build a small house but there was no well, no orchard, nothing in fact except the land which was of excellent quality. I hurriedly built a cheap house, 14 x 24 feet and on the 20th day of April, 1871, we took possession of our new home.

In making our trade we contracted a debt of $2000. which added to the $1500. other debts we owed at the time. made a financial burden that sat quite heavily upon us for a number of years. The payment of interest at 10 percent annually was quite a task of itself. But our land was fresh and productive, we raised fine crops of corn and hay with an occasional good crop of wheat and we not only paid the interest promptly but gradually reduced the principle of our debt.

On the 18th day of August, 1873, Clinton L. our third child was born.

In the Spring of 1874 I made application for pension from the Government based on hernia incurred by me while in the army. I had hesitated to apply for a pension and the thought I would not do so, but I found that as time wore on the injury became more and more a source of trouble and danger. Finally upon the advise of friends I concluded to make the application. Though I produced the evidence in the case as required, yet as in most cases of like character, it took time for its adjustment. In May, 1880, I was granted a pension of $20. per month with arrearage back fifteen years to the time I left the army. The first payment of arrearage from the government amounted to $3600.. Upon receipt of this I was able to pay off all of our debts, increase the amount of young stock upon the farm and to make some needed improvements. Shortly after this we purchased 110 acres more land adjoining for which we paid $2150. This increased the size of our farm to 370 acres of choice, well improved prairie land besides 80 acres of timber land, one and a half and two miles distant.

On the 7th of August, 1881, Myrtle M., our fourth and last child was born.

As our children became older the question of their education occupied the thoughts, more or less, of their mother and myself. It was our desire to give them all of the advantages that our circumstances would admit of. They were quite regular in their attendance at the district school but we wished to give them additional opportunities and it was with this object in view that we sent our daughter Lena to the Catholic school for girls located at Chillicothe, Mo. She entered this school in the fall of 1884 and remained one term of eight months making very satisfactory progress in her studies but she did not care to return for another term. She remained at home until March 7th, 1888, when she married Peter N. Decker, a young farmer of the neighborhood, who by honorable dealing and gentlemanly conduct, had won the respect of his neighbors. They are well situated upon a fine farm two and a half miles from our home.

Linden M., our eldest son, took a two year course in Smith Business College at Kirksville, Mo., graduating in the Spring of 1888. He was unwilling to long remain away at school preferring to return to the farm. On the 4th of October, 1893, he was married to Miss Heather Allen, daughter of E.D. Allen. She, like Linden, was born and raised upon a farm in Callas Township. They settled upon our home farm at once and have in the main controlled it since.

Clinton L., our second son, was in attendance at the Kirksville School (normal) nearly two years, leaving there in the Spring of 1891. The following winter he attended school at Callas. He afterwards entered upon a two years course at the St. James Military Academy of Macon, Mo., graduating from there in the Spring of 1894. On his second year here he was honored with the appointment as Captain of the Military Company of the school. After leaving here he taught three successive terms of school at Callas and vicinity.

In the Fall of 1896, Clinton concluded that he would like to study the profession of medicine. Myrtle, our youngest child, had arrived at the age of 15 years and she, too, was entitled to the advantages of a good school. It was finally decided that my wife and I would go to Chicago and provide a home for the two children during their attendance at school. Clinton entered the medical department of the Northwestern University for four years course and Myrtle became a student at the grammar and high school of the city.

There were two principal reasons why we decided to make our temporary home in Chicago. First we felt confident that it would be to the advantage of our son and daughter to board at home. Then again we concluded that the 28 years of continuous work upon our Missouri farm entitled us to the benefits of a vacation or rest. We realized in fact that a change of some kind was an absolute necessity, especially was this true in the case of my wife. Either from partial paralysis or from some other cause, she had almost completely lost the use of her right arm and was much in need of rest if not medicinal treatment. We had strong hopes that she would be benefited by a change and in this we have not been disappointed. She has regained the use of her arm and both she and I have been physically benefited and that, too, without the use of medicine.

We are now spending our fifth winter in Chicago, the school vacations being spent in our Missouri home. In June, 1900, Clinton graduated as a full fledged MD.; Myrtle has been studious and made commendable progress and expects to graduate from the Engleswood High School in the Spring of 1903. In speaking of our children, it is moist gratifying to be able to say that each one of them has always enjoyed a good degree of health and this, too, without the use of drugs. I attribute this first to the fact that each possessed a robust constitution and second to the careful and wise management of them at an early age by their mother.

Chapter Twenty --->