Excellent Account of the Little-Known Trial of Daniel Boone

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	• The Court-Martial of Daniel Boone Allan W. Eckert Backinprint.com, 2000 - 324 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fascinating

For most of us, our knowledge of Daniel Boone begins and ends with Fess Parker's t.v. shows in the 1960's. Allan Eckert's book, The Court Martial of Daniel Boone, is based on actual facts, but is written in a captivating novel style. I found the book to be fascinating. In modern times Daniel Boone is thought of as a frontier hero. In his day, however, there were many people who were suspicious and resentful of him. Boone's court martial is an example of how an honest man, doing the right thing, can be "bushwacked" by not-so-honest rivals. If you like true stories about American frontiersmen, this book is for you.

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Good reading, but it's a novel, not history

As a novel it was very entertaining, but it is just that: a novel. My gr-gr-gr-gr-gr grandfather (Richard Wade) and two of his wife's brothers (Stephen and William Hancock) were members of the salt-making party whose capture in early 1778 led to the treason charges placed against Boone. Many of the salt-makers felt that Boone was a traitor for surrendering them to the Shawnee without a fight.
William Hancock testified against Boone at the court martial. In this novel Hancock is portrayed as a liar, a fool, and a wanted thief in NY and Boston. This does not set well with me, since William Hancock was actually from Goochland Co., Va. He was a volunteer in the Revolutionary Army, a husband and father, and a life-long friend of Boone's. Both Stephen and William Hancock forgave Boone and later followed him to Missouri. According to Jemima Boone, as old men the three often sat on the porch, smoking their pipes, and argueing over whether Daniel had done the right thing. The Hancocks reckoned that they might have done the same thing, but were still angry that they never had a chance to fight.
Another salt-maker,Andrew Johnson,is similarly dealt with. Since Eckert invented other characters, I see no reason why he should assassinate the characters of actual men who endured great hardship in the defense of Boonesborough.
A good read, but do not take this as history. It is based on the known facts, but 90% is pure fiction.

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Excellent Account of the Little-Known Trial of Daniel Boone

This is Allan Eckert's novelization of the little-known incident of the military court-martial of that famous Kentucky frontiersman, Daniel Boone. Boone was a legend in his own time, a well respected hunter and frontier soldier and was said to be as able in the woods as any Indian.

In February 1778, Boone has been leading a party of 27 men from Fort Boonesboro who were captured by Shawnee Indians while making salt at the Blue Licks. Boone was adopted into the tribe and given the Shawnee name Sheltowee (Big Turtle) and spent several months living and hunting among the Indians before finally escaping back to Booneboro just in time to help fend off a siege of the isolated fort by the British and Indians. After the battle, Boone was accused of treason and complicity with the enemy by several of his enemies, especially Col. John Bowman, who served as prosecutor in the court martial proceedings against him. Boone shows that he can be as sly and sharp in the courtroom as he is in the wilderness.

Most people know only the myths and legends about Daniel Boone and this book does a great service by providing insight into the reality of the man, as well as presenting an intersting and riveting true story.

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The COURT-MARTIAL of Daniel Boone

Interesting read. Not riveting as some of Eckert's other novels.But, still interesting.

Excellent Reading!

I have read almost all of Eckert's books, and find him to be an honest writer, telling his readers if his works are fact or, in many cases, historical fiction. This particular book is absolutely spell-binding. I could not put it down once I began, and I have now read it one more time. Two times for any book is very rare for me!

I highly recommend this book...

Based on a little-known incident in the life of Boone when, after being captured by Shawnees and subsequently escaping, he was charged with treason and court-martialed. In a brilliant display of ability, Boone defends himself at the trial and gradually the truth about what really happened emerges until he is at last exonorated.

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