Milford, Indiana, January 13th, 1861 
There is something in the memoirs of a persons life, that cheers and gives edification to the heart when we look back upon a well spent life:  in our old age.
 I will in this book give a few instances of weekly occurrences. In the year 1853, on the 26 of Feb. I left my parental home.  I was at time thirteen years of age.
 My knowledge of literature at that time was limited in Arithmetic to proportion and in Orthography I was as far advanced as the common school teachers could take me and was as good reader as my teachers, and was as good pensman as I am at the present time. That summer I worked on a farm near my birthplace, and when winter came I went to school, And in the following spring March 13th 1854, I started for Barhtolomewe County, Indiana, and arrived there safe on the 18th inst. and from that
