Parker recounts his active career spanning four decades from 1850-1890 in this candid and insightful autobiographical work. From his years as a young lawyer in Iowa to his involvement in Republican politics during the Civil War, Parker's unique perspective sheds light on major events of the era as well as lesser-known stories of everyday life. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.