I was born in the Wisconsin territory to homesteaders in Columbia County. I was drafted into the infantry at Portage, Wisconsin and did not have $360.00 to buy my way out of the draft. I was assigned to Company K of the 8th infantry and sent to St Louis for assignment. I fought through out the civil war and was with General Sherman on the march to the Sea. I was mustered out of the army at the end of the war in Alabama. I enlisted in the Calvary and was sent to Texas to Fort Griffin.
Deciding the peace time Calvary was not for me, I mustered
out and moved to Runnels County and took up ranching.
To supplement my ranching activities I assisted the
various
lawmen into bringing lawbreakers and criminals to justice. I would also collect
bounties on men wanted
by the law. I
prefer to bring in the
lawbreakers dead as they are a lot less bothersome to transport.