I have been about all my life...and assume others here are. I normally have a regular regimin. Each evening I read one chapter from the Bible,
Then read another non-fiction book, before bedtime..just to aid in going to sleep.
My choice at present, is, TWILIGHT OF EMPIRE..by Allan W Eckert . It is the account of the BlacK Hawk war, when Chief Blackhawk of the
Sac tribe, gathered up a small army of Sac and Fox Indians, along with a few Menominees, Potwatomies & Winnebagos, and attempted to kick the
pioneers out of the Rock Island, Galena, Ottawa & Des Moines area of of Illinois & Iowa..
At present, I am at page #403 of 734 pages., but I have already gained much knowledge concerning the struggle.Much key knowledge, plus much
incidental information.
One incident which struck my fancy, was when a militia unit encountered an old , frail Potawatomie man on the trail. He produced a stained,
and tattered '"safe conduct" paper,. However, the troops ignored that !
These excitable militia men started crying for his blood, with shouts of "shoot the &^#@%,", "run him through" and "make an example of him"..
They were about to do just that, when their tall, rugged commander made it to the scene. The commander shouted, " Stop ! You men back off!
He's harmless andno one's killing him..
even calling their head officer a "coward"..
When some of the troops still threatened the old man, even calling their head officer a "coward" ; the commander curled his fists and told them, "If any man here thinks I am a coward, let him test it right now !
With that, the grumbling ceased..and their commander..Captain Abraham Lincoln, wrote the old man a new "safe conduct" pass.
Those details pique interest..
Curiously, both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis (already a West Point grad) served there during the Black Hawk war.