a white mark". He quickly aimed and fired, and the man in the saddle fell to the ground, apparently dead. Around August 1862, Joe began having difficulty with his eyes due to frequent use of the telescopic sight attached to his rifle. He determined to take his appeal to the highest authority in the land, and boldly addressed a letter to President Lincoln: "Mr. Lincoln: – I have done some service to the country, and my eyesight is ruined doing duty. I would like to be discharged. California Joe." Shortly thereafter, he received his discharge. Later life Upon returning to California, Truman Head took a position as a customs inspector for the port of San Francisco. He died on November 24, 1875, and was buried in the GAR plot at Mountain View Cemetery. Military honors, including a 21-gun salute, were provided by a detachment from the San Francisco Cadets, Company H, Second Infantry, led by Corporal P. Hanna. On January 31, 1933, he was reinterred at the San Francisco National Cemetery at the Presidio. References Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper (Pegler 2004) Year of death missing Union Army soldiers 1809 births