Chapter IV · Chapter 4

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

possessing life

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

not in a state of sleep; completely conscious

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

plural of “battle” — a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

propose a payment

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

marked by eagerness to resort to violence and bloodshed

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

placed in a grave

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

a loving feeling

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

a clergyman ministering to some institution

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

plural of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

plural of “confederate” — a supporter of the Confederate States of America

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

developed or executed with care and in minute detail

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

plural of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

move gently or carefully

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

dismiss, usually for economic reasons

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

plural of “goose” — web-footed long-necked typically gregarious migratory aquatic birds usually larger and less aquatic than ducks

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

a farewell remark

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

longing to return home

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

negotiate with much give and take

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

and nothing more

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

at risk of or subject to experiencing something usually unpleasant

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

engage in

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

hit with a missile from a weapon

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

plural of “swamp” — low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Including the week it had taken me to get from home to my regiment, three weeks had elapsed since I bid good-bye to my friends, and I wanted to go home.

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

at the time that

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

which person or people

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

in the company of; together with

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading I would lay awake nights and think of people at home and wonder what they were doing, and if they were laying awake nights thinking of me, or caring whether I was alive, or buried in the swamps of the South.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading I had now been fighting the battles of my country for two weeks, and felt that I needed rest, and one day I became so homesick that it _did_ seem as though it would kill me.

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading It was about the time of year when at home we always went off shooting, and I thought how much better it was to go off shooting ducks and geese, and chickens, that could not shoot back, than to be hunting bloodthirsty Confederates that were just as liable to hunt us, and who could kill, with great ease.

desire strongly or persistently

From this reading I Yearn for a Furlough--I Interview the General--I am Detailed to Carry a Rail--I Make a Horse-trade With the Chaplain--I am Put in Charge of a Funeral.