> Why not civil war?

My great grandmother's brother, Frank Taylor, fought in the Union Army. He later became a bodyguard for Buffalo Bill. And that's all I know about him, and the personal side of the Civil War.

Keep in mind that doctoring was pretty primitive in those days. A doctor could set your broken bones and sew up wounds, and that's about it. You got better or you died. Doctors were called "sawbones" in those days.

> How long was “a while” specifically?

If I recall correctly, it took him 3 years. I don't know much about his finances.

I do know that his first job was shoveling coal in a steamship, which is a filthy, rotten job.

https://walterbright.com/trip/chas.html