The Arms & Equipment in the Civil War Message Board - Archive

Clock repair / any guesses?

My great-grandfather mentions in his diary for 1863 being sent out from camp to repair clocks for people. He was a farmer from Amite county, Mississippi so I have been wondering where or how in the world he learned this trade. Was this something he may have picked up by trial and error or was this skill something that was probably taught to him? Anybody care to take a guess?