Extra Credit Questions

[RJNorton]

(05-13-2024 10:44 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  The point of this argument is that if a single necessary link in the chain of events of history does not occur, then the chain is broken and, quite possibly, there is no President Abraham Lincoln written about in any of the history books.

I can think of several instances in which things worked out well for Lincoln. David, I am not sure if my post here is the kind of thing you are referring to.

When Lincoln was a young lad in Kentucky, he apparently almost drowned. His young friend, Austin Gollaher, stated, "I once saved Lincoln's life...While we were wandering up and down the little stream called Knob Creek Abe said: 'Right up there' - pointing to the east - 'we saw a covey of partridges yesterday. Let's go over and get some of them.' The stream was swollen and was too wide for us to jump across. Finally, we saw a narrow foot-log, and we concluded to try it. It was narrow, but Abe said, 'Let's coon it.'

I went first and reached the other side all right. Abe went about half-way across, when he got scared and began trembling. I hollered to him, 'Don't look down nor up nor sideways, but look right at me and hold on tight!' But he fell off into the creek, and, as the water was about seven or eight feet deep, and I could not swim, and neither could Abe, I knew it would do no good for me to go in after him.

So I got a stick - a long water sprout - and held it out to him. He came up, grabbed with both hands, and I put the stick into his hands. He clung to it, and I pulled him out on the bank, almost dead. I got him by the arms and shook him well, and then rolled him on the ground, when the water poured out of his mouth."

In 1818 Lincoln was kicked in the head by a horse at Gordon's gristmill located about two miles from the Lincolns' cabin near Little Pigeon Creek in Indiana. Lincoln was knocked out. I think it's sure possible to have permanent brain damage (or worse) when kicked in the head by a horse, but Lincoln recovered OK.

Lincoln served in the Black Hawk War. Fortunately, the worst that happened was that he (according to Lincoln) "had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes."

Lincoln almost fought a sword duel in 1842, but a truce was called right as the fighting commenced. Who knows what might have happened if this event had continued. (I admit being killed in a sword duel was very rare.)