Friday, October 2, 2020

The Court-Martial of Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Boone

Pioneer Daniel Boone, said to possess the eye of an eagle and the height of a mountain, was made famous during his lifetime with books such as The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boon. That book recounted battles with Native Americans and the settlement of Kentucky. Unfortunately, the book appears to have missed a few things, like Lieutenant Colonel Boone’s correct military rank and his court-martial.

Supplementing the historical record, the court-martial is chronicled in a new novel. The historical novel serves as a reminder that people have dark chapters in their life and that military justice has a long history in the U.S. After all, the first Judge Advocate General in the United States Army, William Tudor, was appointed by the Second Continental Congress on July 29, 1775.

So if you have the time and inclination, it sounds like an entertaining book. It’s always interesting for me when people successfully take up their own defense. And when folk heroes have complicated life stories.  

2 comments:

  1. It's a little upsetting to see Fess Parker's Davy Crockett standing in for that other light colonel. I'm sure the Crockett stories are free from any similar oversights / exaggeration.

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    Replies
    1. Fess also played Daniel Boone! And for longer! Google said that image was Daniel Boone so I'm going with them here.

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