These are a few bits from an obviously tumultuous time in James Milo's life, bouncing back and forth between older brothers and brothers-in-law:
When Docks ["Doctor Benjamin Franklin Hunt, 1832-1910, James's brother-in-law through sister Ellin] went back to town, Will went with. I was fifteen years old when we lived on the Perkins farm [probably the Christopher Perkins in Ray and Clinton County, Missouri] and from that time have fended for myself. During this winter I went to school awhile [presumably in Missouri] until Will [his brother William Nosler, 1840-1914, and my 2nd great grandfather] came back from Iowa when I quit and soon after went with Jerries to Nebraska [likely Nemaha County, Nebraska]. They soon returned but I staid and farmed with Bird [another brother-in-law, Bird Vowell, 1826-1902, who was in Nemaha in the 1860 Census]. I got five acres of corn for my summers work.
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| The general area where James would be about 1860 (Nemaha). From the "1856 Nebraska And Kanzas Atlas Map". Published by J. H. Colton & Co. |
I went to church one night with Francis Cook [not sure which church, presumably in Nemaha County or Johnson county, Nebraska there appeared to be an English Cook family, maybe this Francis was a member? I don't know if this Francis was a boy or girl]. This was my first adventure on that time. I was soon after "outwitted (or outmitted)" by Rachel Bents [probably the Rachel Bentz (1843-1924), daughter of John and Rachel Bentz, who lived in the next county over, in Johnson County, Nebraska by the 1860 Census, and later married Robert Shelly Brown.]], and that was my only total defeat in that time. It dampened my powder completely and I made no more advances in Neb.
Did he have a crush on Rachel, or did she beat him up? Or both? Not sure what is going on in that passage.
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