jack armstrong abraham lincoln

Before passing the bar examination in 1836, Lincoln had wrestled hundreds of people. History Teachers of America. It helped that Lincoln was 6’4", a height that was even more impressive at the time than it is now. According to the authorities, an intoxicated "Duff Armstrong murdered James Preston Metzker on the night of August 29, 1857. When the bully had tired of hearing tales of Lincoln’s wrestling skills and strength, he challenged him to a duel. Jack Armstrong's son William "Duff" Armstrong (1833-1899) was the defendant in the famous "Almanac Trial." Murder trial. Jack Armstrong was impressed with Abraham Lincoln's display of courage. According to WWE.com, the story goes that Jack Armstrong, leader of the local gang, The Clary’s Grove Boys, had heard about the store owner’s bragging and challenged The Honest One to a match. The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln is a 1924 American feature film directed by Phil Rosen and written by Frances Marion. Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln may be more historically accurate — and far more Oscar-likely — but "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" wasn't far off with its … As it turns out, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t the only head of state with a respectable athletic past. “They did some grappling and twisting, but neither man could throw the other to the ground. Offutt bet $10 Lincoln would win. Armstrong was charged with the August 29, 1857, murder of James Preston Metzker in Mason County, Illinois. Lincoln had a calming influence on the whole gang of Clary's Grove boys, and his charisma had the effect of repressing their violence. If this kid was so strong, maybe it was time for him to prove it. Pallbearers will be his grandchildren. Public Domain A late 19th-century illustration of Abraham Lincoln wrestling hometown bully Jack Armstrong. Jack Armstrong, the father, was dead, and Hannah Armstrong was a widow. A late 19th-century illustration of Abraham Lincoln wrestling hometown bully Jack Armstrong. Armstrong and his friends were known for mean-spirited pranks, such as forcing new arrivals in the community into a barrel, nailing the lid on, and rolling the barrel down a hill. The stage was set. Denton Offutt, in whose store Lincoln was a clerk, bragged that his employee was mentally and physically superior to any of the Clary's Grove boys. “We can only find one recorded defeat of Lincoln in 12 years,” said Bob Dellinger, director emeritus of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In fact, Lincoln had such a talent for grappling that he was eventually inducted into the wrestling Hall of Fame. His prowess in both hand-to-hand combat, and routinely identifying his opponents’ weaknesses, might have actually helped the strategic politician in his later life as President of the United States. To Armstrong’s credit, he called his friends off and declared Lincoln the winner. Before fighting Armstrong, Lincoln had reportedly already wrestled around 300 people. Lincoln had known the Armstrongs when he lived in New Salem as a young man, and his wrestling match with Duff's father, Jack Armstrong, had been an important initiation into local society. Armstrong agreed and the matter was ended in fun." Suddenly, Lincoln’s reputation as a young, capable lad who mastered the art of wrestling was viewed as a sign of leadership. The principal prosecution witness against Armstrong was a man named Charles Allen, who testified that he’d seen the murder from about 150 feet away. “For a time, the two scufflers circled each other warily,” explained the Abraham Lincoln Research Site, which has been archived by the Library of Congress. In a campaign biography by Chicago newspaperman John Locke Scripps, he praised how Lincoln “excelled in all those homely feats of strength, agility, and endurance practiced by frontier people in his sphere of life.”, “He was a proud competitor but a humble sportsman,” wrote cultural historian David Fleming. Although he was smaller than Lincoln, he was as strong as an ox. A chronology of key events in the life of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), lawyer, representative from Illinois, and sixteenth president of the United States. Despite Lincoln’s sole loss to a man named Hank Thompson during the Black Hawk War of 1832, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame has paid its respects to Lincoln by enshrining him in its roster of Outstanding Americans. The Boys: Jack Armstrong (1804-1854) “There was a big fellow named Jack Armstrong, strong as a Russian bear, that I could not put down; nor could he get me on the ground,” Mr. Lincoln once recalled. Abraham Lincoln. One particular match against local bully Jack Armstrong, for instance, turned him into a hometown hero. The exact logistics are foggy. He has been mythologized as one of the greatest Americans to The Lincoln Lobby and mural at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. At this time, where working at a store in New Salem, Illinois, Lincoln had … PETERSBURG - Crowds gathered under trees Saturday at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site to hear a noted historian recount the famous wrestling match in 1831 between Abraham Lincoln and Jack Armstrong. Jack Armstrong came to Lincoln’s defence though and said that Lincoln bested him and that he was “the best ‘feller’ that ever broke into this settlement.” The two of them shook hands and became friends after that. In fact, his political rise in the 1850s can, in part, be attributed to the legendary tales of his youthful athletic talent. Jack Armstrong, the leader of the Clary Grove's Boys, was the biggest in the gang and the toughest fighter in the area, and he wasn't shy about either fact. The young 185-pounder eventually won Sangamon County’s wrestling championship. Lincoln exclaimed that he’d fight every single one of them in fair, individual fights. Lincoln and Jack Armstrong were lifelong friends thereafter. Jack died in 1857. Meanwhile, the townsfolk had grown tired of Jack Armstrong, leader of New Salem’s mischievous Clary’s Grove Boys. Consequently, a New Salem resident later recalled how villagers eagerly tried to get Lincoln to “tussle and scuffle” with Armstrong. From then on, Abraham Lincoln and Jack Armstrong were the best of friends! Abraham Lincoln, as a 21 year old in 1830, was the wrestling champion of his county in Illinois. And on top of that, Jack Armstrong and the Clary's Grove Boys fix Abe up with some prime opportunities: they get jobs for Abe (6.4) and provide political support (5.68). During Lincoln’s early campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois in 1858, the broader public learned of his talent in the ring. As a result of his victory, the young Lincoln gained the reputation as the champion wrestler of New Salem, gladly taking on, and easily defeating, any and all opponents who came to challenge him. He shall be one of us." From then on, Abraham Lincoln and Jack Armstrong were the best of friends! He joined the ranks of past presidents like George Washington, who was a skilled grappler and mastered the British collar and elbow style, and William Taft — a two-time undergraduate champ at Yale. He has been mythologized as one of the greatest Americans to ever be elected President of the United States, but Abraham Lincoln also had a legendary wrestling career that has, unfortunately, been lost to the annals of time. But, before anybody could take Lincoln up on his offer, Jack Armstrong yelled out, “Boys, Abe Lincoln is the best fellow that ever broke into this settlement. Classics Illustrated 142 Abraham Lincoln VS Jack Armstrong(1958) — My Comic Shop Website We often can’t comprehend who people once were by looking at them today. Jack Armstrong was impressed with Abraham Lincoln's display of courage. Before his untimely assassination at age 56 and prior to his career as a lawyer Lincoln excelled at wrestling. Lincoln was 6' 4" and weighed 185 pounds, but Jack Armstrong was an experienced, formidable opponent. While it’s often claimed Jack Armstrong was the title holding champion of the state for wrestling and thus, if he beat him, Lincoln would be the state champion, in fact there were no such organized titles at the time in Illinois and he more aptly simply had the reputation as the best fighter in the region, such as one account by Lincoln’s one-time law partner John T. Stuart, who stated Armstrong … For a more detailed chronology, consult The Lincoln Log External or the three-volume Lincoln Day by Day: A Chronology, 1809-1865, edited by Earl Schenck Miers (Washington, D.C., 1960) and available online through HathiTrust External. The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. National Wrestling Hall of FameThe Lincoln Lobby and mural at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He shall be one of us.” Then, with a touch of dignity and class, Armstrong held his hand out to Lincoln and congratulated him for his victory. Abraham Lincoln defended "Duff" and won his freedom for no fee due to his friendship with the Armstrong family. After exploring the triumphant wrestling career of Abraham Lincoln before he became President of the United States, read 33 Abraham Lincoln quotes still relevant today. Armstrong requested and received a change of venue to the Cass County Circuit Court, and his mother Hannah Armstrong asked Abraham Lincoln for help. They reckoned that Jack Armstrong was the ‘’champion of his clan’’, according to John T.Stuart, Lincoln’s first law partner. Hearing of Offutt's boasting, Jack Armstrong challenged Lincoln to a wrestling match. Slowly, Armstrong began to get the worst of it.”. With a stature of six feet, four inches and the strength of a well-fed 20-something, young Lincoln was so good at wrestling that he only lost once in a span of 12 years of competing. Armstrong was born to Jack and Hannah Armstrong. Jack Armstrong, 88, of Ottawa passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday afternoon, December 8, 2016. Inside Abraham Lincoln’s Surprising Career As A National Wrestling Champ. Then, learn about Abraham Lincoln’s potential homosexuality. Aware of his impending defeat, Armstrong tried to trip Lincoln — who became so enraged by the petty move that he grabbed Armstrong by the neck and “shook him like a rag.” The aggravated Clary’s Grove Boys began to move in, forcing Lincoln’s back to the wall of the general store. Private family services will be held Tuesday, December 13, at Mueller Funeral Home. But Lincoln was certainly the best of them all. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns!”. So Armstrong not only is a help to Abe's vampire hunting career—he helps fix Abe up in his political career as well. The rich successful neighbor who waves at you from his much larger house may have grown up desperately poor. Abraham Lincoln was a friend of the Armstrongs and regularly visited and would cradle baby William. Abraham Lincoln Once Owned A Bar And Wrestled Classics Illustrated 142 Abraham Lincoln VS Jack Armstrong (1958) — My Comic Shop Website We often can’t comprehend who people once were by looking at them today. 33 Abraham Lincoln quotes still relevant today, Abraham Lincoln’s potential homosexuality. He looked at his friends and said, "Boys, Abe Lincoln is the best fellow that ever broke into this settlement. Lincoln was a friend of the accused man’s father, Jack Armstrong, who’d just died, and so he offered to help defend young Duff Armstrong, without pay, as a favor to Jack Armstrong’s widow. Armstrong even declared that Lincoln was “the best ‘feller’ that ever broke into this settlement,” and shook his hand. He shall be one of us." This time, they seemed to have an advantageous effect. A little side note that is interesting because the men became friends in 1858 when Jack Armstrong’s son Duff Armstrong was accused of murder, Abraham Lincoln was his defence lawyer. As a result of Offutt's boasting, Lincoln was challenged to fight Jack Armstrong, a local bully who was the leader of a group of mischief makers known as the Clary's Grove Boys. Public DomainAn 1860 Presidential campaign poster for Abraham Lincoln. An 1860 Presidential campaign poster for Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln wrote Mrs. Armstrong and asked to defend her son: I have just heard of your deep affliction, and the arrest of your son for murder. “He was undoubtedly the roughest and toughest of all the wrestling presidents.”. In 12 years of wrestling, Abraham Lincoln was known to have lost only one match out of 300 on his way to being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He openly said Lincoln could whip any man in the community. Depiction of a young Lincoln winning a bout. Simon & SchusterBefore passing the bar examination in 1836, Lincoln had wrestled hundreds of people. 1 “I suppose you have heard of Lincoln’s wrestling match with Jack Armstrong. Harold von Schmidt painted the drawing of the wrestling match for Esquire in 1949. “And when his wrestling skills diminished, Lincoln’s leadership qualities emerged.”. After a few holds and lock-ups, the fight ended with Lincoln grabbing Armstrong by the throat, hoisting … During the first debate for the seat in Ottawa, Illinois, on Aug. 21, 1858, his opponent Stephen Douglas referred to Abraham Lincoln’s wrestling career as an “amusing passage” in his life. Lincoln's most memorable contest came against Jack Armstrong, a member of the rough and rugged Clary's Grove Boys. Though he praised Lincoln’s abilities, he also insulted him as an “Abolitionist Black Republican.” Lincoln lost the election, but when he successfully ran for president two years later, newspapers reprinted Douglas’ comments. A famous part of the Lincoln legend is Mr. Lincoln’s wrestling match with Jack Armstrong of the Clary’s Grove boys. Marco Margaritoff is a Staff Writer at All That's Interesting. Public DomainA late 19th-century illustration of Abraham Lincoln wrestling hometown bully Jack Armstrong. “Jack Armstrong was the leader of a local gang called The Clary’s Grove Boys,” White said. Lincoln (still brand new in town) was sick of hearing about how good of a fighter Armstrong was and bet Armstrong $10 that he could find someone who could beat him. When Armstrong heard stories of Lincoln's famous strength (from Lincoln's … He came forward, took Lincoln's hand and shook it heartily. Burial will follow at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood where full military rites will be conducted. Facing the Clary’s Grove Boys leader that day, Lincoln set only one ground rule: that their wrestling be based on “side holds” where the goal was to throw the other man rather than to pin him. I can't throw you - you can't throw me.' Armstrong: strong, thoughtful, a good vampire hunter, loyal. Armstrong, a formidable young man himself, was the leader of … HuffPost – When Abe Lincoln moved to New Salem, Illinois in 1831, he met a rowdy bunch called The Clarence Grove Boys.Their leader, Jack Armstrong challenged Lincoln to a wrestling match outside of Denton Offutt’s store, where Lincoln was a clerk, and townspeople gathered to … Self-Professed 'Siberian Jesus' Arrested After Running A Cult For The Last 30 Years, 'I Am A Gaffe Machine': 30 Joe Biden Quotes That Prove Him Right, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Tired of Offut’s big talk, he told the shopkeeper to put his money where his mouth was and bet ten dollars that Jack Armstrong would prove to be “a better man than Lincoln” in a wrestling match. I saw part of that. One bout saw Lincoln so embroiled that, after he defeated his opponent, he screamed at the crowd: “I’m the big buck of this lick. Jack and his wife, Hannah, even allowed Lincoln to stay in their home when he was periodically out of work. The bout was inconclusive for some time, but when Armstrong resorted to dirty tricks, an enraged Lincoln grabbed him by the neck, and extending his arms, “ shook him like a rag doll “, before tossing him to the ground. Chicago Historical SocietyA beardless Abraham Lincoln. It might be added that, although Lincoln's wrestling ability was excellent, he wasn't unbeatable. Though New Salem store clerk Bill Green claimed Lincoln could “outrun, outfit, outwrestle and thrown down any man in Sangamon County” after watching him fight a gang of newcomers in 1831, the formidable wrestler did lose — once. Other residents wagered money, drinks, even trinkets and knives. Many versions of Lincoln's wrestling match exist, only one of which is presented on this page. ... Thomas P. Reep, Abraham Lincoln and the Frontier Folk of New Salem, p. 119. It must be understood that the word champion is used here in the context of an unorganized sport that depended upon a series of challenge matches … Indeed, a young Lincoln had garnered quite a reputation in his hometown of New Salem, Illinois for grappling beginning in his early 20s. Let’s shatter the myth of Lincoln as perpetually old, bearded, and soft-spoken once and for all. He has been mythologized as one of the greatest Americans to ever be elected President of the United States, but Abraham Lincoln also had a legendary wrestling career that has, unfortunately, been lost to the annals of time. “They took their name from a small village about three miles from New Salem.” Armstrong got wind of Offutt’s claims and challenged Lincoln to a match. He came forward, took Lincoln's hand and shook it heartily. At the time, Lincoln was little more than a general store employee in a town that was practically a frontier village. For example, in Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln by Douglas L. Wilson, a wrestling match eyewitness, Rowan Herndon, said that "after striving a long time without either man prevailing, Lincoln said: 'Jack, let's quit. He looked at his friends and said, "Boys, Abe Lincoln is the best fellow that ever broke into this settlement. By the date of release, the film's title was shortened to Abraham Lincoln, since the previous title was regarded as cumbersome. There are two of Lincoln’s matches that are important to note. Public DomainA late 19th-century illustration of Abraham Lincoln wrestling hometown bully Jack Armstrong. The gang would force any new settler into a barrel, nail it shut, and roll it down a hill. The first was a match against Jack Armstrong, who was the leader of a rugged gang called “Clary’s Grove Boys.” His most famous fight took place shortly after Lincoln, in his early 20s, moved to Salem, Illinois, and was challenged by a local bully named Jack Armstrong. The entire town turned out for the fight. Michael Burlingame, The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln, p. 102. Confident in his skills, Armstrong agreed. While Lincoln was an autodidact who focused on reading as much as he could about both history and law, shopkeeper Denton Offutt thought Lincoln’s height more impressive and boasted about it to the customers. Eventually, Bill Clary, who owned a saloon in town, bet Offutt $10 that Lincoln couldn’t throw a local bully named Jack Armstrong. Once a sizable crowd had gathered, bets were made — and the fight began. Public DomainDepiction of a young Lincoln winning a bout. Lincoln accepted. 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