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Note: t. There he met the frontiersman in all his glory, but he was not delighted with the picture of western life and, after working for a freight company some little time, he returned to Iowa. He taought school until the spring of 1864 and then entered the Union Army., enlisting in the 46 Iowa Infantry. His regiment was assigned to the duty of guarding railroad property, principally in the South, and he was mustered out in the the fall of 1864, after serving the time for which he had enlisted. Returning to Iowas, conscious of having discharged hisduty to his countyr, he attended shcool at Tabor Academy for a time and then followed teaching for several years. In the meantime, however, he had completed a course in a commercial college in Chicago. He had thus thoroughly fitted himself fo the transcation of business in the comercial world, and soon found a position as clerk and manager of the warehouses of the ffirm of Henry Lee and c. of Red Oak, Iowa.
In the fall of 1879 he met with a most peculiar accident by being struck by lightning while in a granary moving some grain. The lightning melted a hole through his watch case nad burned his clothing badly. Portions of his obdy were paralyzed, and he was rendered perfectly helpless for some time. Shortly after his recovery a horse fell on him, breaking hisleg and crippling him for life.
In the spring of 1882 he came to Nebraska and took a soldier's claim in the Harrixon Township, Buffalo County. He later took a tree claim, and now has 325 acres of good land under a fair state of cultivation on which ha has planted 15,000 trees and erected a commodious frame dwelling, which attests his present prosperity. Forrestr and his estimable wife are active members of the Prsbyterian Church. He belongs to the G.A.R. and affiliates with the Republican party, although he is not politician. (The foregoing excertps are from the Buffalo County record probably compiled by Johnny Harse and published about 1885 at Kearney, Nebraska, USA. Each man told his own story to the reporter).
The following is part of the letter George wrote on May 23, 1866 to his sister Fannie while he was studying in Chicago.
Dear Sister:
I improve a few moments this evening to write you. I received both of yourletters. was glad to hear you wer well. I dreamed two or three nights that you were in trouble and felt concerned. I presume it was caused by my fretting to hear from you and home since Ihand not heard form home until yesterday isnce i came. I write every week and had been away 6 weeks without hearing form them. I got considerably blue. I am here aloneamong strangers and have no enjoyment. Only hard study and writing letters, so if I don't get them to answer I am deprived of the pleasur of reading and writing.
i am getting along well with my studies, bu tI am in a mess tonight with some notes I got discounted at the Bank. I wish you would wirte them. I am in actual business now. Have passed through the three departments of theory. I can't say how long I can remain here. It costs a great deal more than i bargained for. I think i will babel to stay two more months and I guess that wil put me nearly through. I like it very well It gets more interesting as i rogress and it is hard too. Great many of the boys go away before they failry get started. It is so hard for them and they have not he will to push it through. When I leave it will be for some other reason. I and my partner nhave adpoted a system of living so it doesn't cost os much. our lamp has gond out and I will cease until morning..I am at is again. It is cold enough for winter here. I do believe it never gets warm. All the better of the health of the city. We hav no sickness here. eople have to go out of the city to die. (The rest of the letter is illegible.)
From a letter written by his son, Marmaduke M. 16 Mr 1947:
In the fall of 1882 my fahter and mother went from Percival, Iowa to near Miller, Nebraske--then knonwn as Armada--dring a team and wagon and looking for homestead land. they filed on a quarter section 7 miles northeast of Miller nad returned to Iowa. About Mar 1882, they went again to Miller by team. I was the bby with(about 2 months old. they lived there until about 1906, when they moved ot Hastings, Nebraska, for the schools. Druing their stay at miller they added to their land by taking an addiritional 160 acre tree claim, later receving 80 acres more from Oliver C Forrester (5) at his death.
Note: George had not yet reached his majority when he decided to accept the advice of Horace Greeley to go West and grow up with the country. He started out with Central City, Colorado as his objective poin
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