lock in the forenoon, and two regiments of us stood the enemy
off along that line until about noon. Then they rushed us, and such of
us as could went away from there. Those that didn't are most of them
there yet. I stayed, because of a shot through my leg which splintered
the bone. The enemy trampled over me as they drove our men off the
field, and a horse stepped on my shoulder, breaking the collar-bone.
Then, when the Johnnies were driven back, I was mauled around again, but
don't remember much except that I was thirsty. And then, for months and
months, I was in one hospital or another; and finally I was discharged
as unfit for service, because I was too lame to march. I can feel it in
frosty weather yet; but it never amounted to much except to the dealers
in riding plows and the like. So ended my military life. I had borne
arms for my country for about three hours!

It was the eighth of January, 1863, when I got home. I rode from the
railroad to Foster Blake's in his sleigh, looked over my herd which he
was running on shares for me, and crossed Vandemark's Folly Marsh on the
hard snow which was over the tall grass and reeds everywhere. How my
grove had grown that past summer! I began to feel at home, as I warmed
the little house up with a fire in the stove, and rolling up in my
blankets, which for a long time were more comfortable to me than a bed,
went to sleep on the floor. I never felt the sense of home more
delightfully than that night. I would set things to rights, and maybe go
over to Monterey Centre and see Virginia next day. I could see smoke at
Magnus's down the road. I felt a pleasure in thus sneaking in without
any one's knowing it.

I had not gone to see Mr. Lusch in Waterloo, for I had learned that so
far from being killed, Captain Gowdy had come through Shiloh without a
scratch, and that he had soon afterward resigned and gone back to
Monterey County. It has always been believed, but I don't know why, that
he was allowed to resign either because of his relationship to the
great Confederate families of Kentucky, or because of his record there
before he went to Iowa. Anyhow, he never joined the G.A.R. or
fellowshipped with the soldiers after the war. I always hated him; but I
do him the justice to say here that he was a brave man, and except for
his one great weakness--the weakness that I am told Lord Byron was
destroyed by--he would have been a good man. I feel certain that if he
had been given a chance