Your opinion on why New Salem died

[Troy Cowan]

James Rutledge and John Cameron built a gristmill and a sawmill next to the town along side the Sangamon River. The town had promise, but New Salem died. New Salem didn't die a natural death--it was murdered.

Imagine moving to a new town and some of the residence challenged you to a fight. If you refused to fight or did poorly, you would be ridiculed forever. Only if you could beat them or fight them to a draw would you be welcomed into this town. The majority couldn't stand up to these bullies and move away.

Lincoln fought Jack Armstrong to a draw and was welcomed into the clan. Some writers like Herndon and Lamon describe the Clary's Grove boys as just a bunch of fun loving boys. To make Lincoln a man without faults, they had to minimize the brutality of the Clary's Grove boys.

Lincoln rocked the cradle of William Armstrong and spent many a night at the Armstrong home. When that baby grew up and became a bully like his father, he murdered a man by the name of Metzgar. Lincoln defending him. Lincoln used a lawyer's trick to convince the jury of William's innocence.

Source-- Lincoln, Davis, and Booth: family secrets