Spy Battalion was mustered out on June 16, 1832, he started on
the journey home with a merry group of his companions. He and his
messmate, George M. Harrison, had the misfortune to have their
horses stolen the very day before, but Harrison's record says:

"I laughed at our fate, and he joked at it, and we all started of
merrily. The generous men of our company walked and rode by turns
with us, and we fared about equal with the rest. But for this
generosity, our legs would have had to do the better work, for in
that day this dreary route furnished no horses to buy or to
steal, and whether on horse or afoot, we always had company, for
many of the horses' backs were too sore for riding."

Lincoln reached New Salem about the first of August, only ten
days before the election. He had lost nothing in popular esteem
by his prompt enlistment to defend the frontier, and his friends
had been doing manful service for him; but there were by this
time thirteen candidates in the field, with a consequent division
of interest. When the votes were counted, Lincoln was found to be
eighth on the list--an excellent showing when we remember that he
was a newcomer in the county, and that he ran as a Whig, which
was the unpopular party. In his own home town of New Salem only
three votes had been cast against him. Flattering as all this
was, the fact remained that he was defeated, and the result of
the election brought him face to face with a very serious
question. He was without means and without employment. Offut had
failed and had gone away. What was he to do next? He thought of
putting his strong muscles to account by learning the blacksmith
trade; thought also of trying to become a lawyer, but feared he
could not succeed at that without a better education. It was the