Saturday, April 30, 2016

Diary of James Milo Nosler: Time in Nebraska and "Total Defeat"

James Milo Nosler (1843-1886), my 3rd great uncle who kept a diary for many years.  He was the youngest brother of my 2nd great grandfather, William "Will" Nosler (1840-1914).  The following is continued from my post "Diary of James Milo Nosler: Moving to Missouri".

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.  


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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