The 116: The True Story of Abraham Lincoln's Lost Guard - James P Muehlberger

The 116: The True Story of Abraham Lincoln's Lost Guard James P Muehlberger ISBN 9781634251952

The 116 is the definitive account of the Frontier Guards who protected President Abraham Lincoln from kidnapping and assassination plots in the opening days of the Civil War.

Drawing on original source materials uncovered at the Library of Congress, the book explores the lives of these 116 men and their charismatic leader, Kansas “Free State” advocate and attorney Jim Lane. These guards valued experience and practical judgment over formal credentials. They were seasoned fighters—men the rebels preferred to avoid—hardened by years of struggle on the Kansas plains. Some were driven by idealism, eager to unite behind a cause they believed was just. All were self-reliant, accustomed to hardship, and marked by the scars of conflict. Together, they stood watch to defend Abraham Lincoln.

These ordinary Kansans played an extraordinary role in shaping the nation’s future. Through violent clashes with pro-slavery forces in the Kansas Territory, they learned that slavery could not be tolerated. Though small in number, the Jayhawks, as they were known, were veterans of the kind of brutal fighting that would soon engulf the country. They understood that no one else would protect Lincoln—they would have to do it themselves. Guided by loyalty and a strong sense of moral purpose, they willingly risked their lives.

The book also offers a vivid portrait of the bitter “civil war” between Free-State and pro-slavery factions that tore through Missouri and the Kansas Territory in the 1850s. It brings to life the battles over slavery and abolition that inflamed both state and federal politics, pushing the nation toward the outbreak of war in 1861.

For Civil War enthusiasts and readers drawn to the turbulent history of this era, The 116 is a compelling and exhilarating account of a little-known chapter in American history, painted across a canvas as vast and rugged as the Kansas prairie.

The 116: The True Story of Abraham Lincoln's Lost Guard James P Muehlberger ISBN 9781634251952, 978-1634251952 & 978-16342-51952

Author
James P Muehlberger