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The 116: The True Story of Abraham Lincoln's Lost Guard
The 116 is the definitive account of the Frontier Guard who defended President Lincoln from a kidnapping and assassination plot in the opening days of the Civil War. Based on more than 500 original sources discovered at the Library of Congress, The 116 delves into the lives of these 116 men and their charismatic leader—Kansas "free state" advocate and lawyer Jim Lane. It paints a provocative portrait of the 'civil war' between Free-State and Pro-Slavery forces that tore Missouri and the Kansas Territory apart in the 1850s, and gives a vivid picture of the legal battles pertaining to the protection and abolition of slavery that riled Congress on both a federal and state level, eventually leading to the eruption of war in 1861.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 7, 2015
7 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
James P. Muehlberger
3 books2 followersJim Muehlberger is a Kansas City-based lawyer and author. His first book, The
Lost Cause: The Trials of Frank and Jesse James,
was favorably reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. The Kansas City Star named it one of the top 100 books of 2013.
His second book, The 116: The True Story of Abraham Lincoln's Lost Guard, is scheduled to be published Dec 7, 2015.
http://www.shb.com/professionals/m/mu...
His second book, The 116: The True Story of Abraham Lincoln's Lost Guard, is scheduled to be published Dec 7, 2015.
http://www.shb.com/professionals/m/mu...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 4, 2017
This is a well documented account of a portion of American Civil War history that is often overlooked or discounted by historians. The 116 referenced by the book's title is based on the roll of 116 men who camped inside the White House and guarded the new President Abraham Lincoln for ten days at the beginning of the Civil War.
From our perspective one hundred sixty years later it’s hard to imagine how history could have turned out differently. But at the beginning of the Civil War the future wasn’t at all clear. It appeared possible that Washington DC could end up being the capitol of the Confederate States. Washington DC geographically was very much a southern city sandwiched between Virginia and Maryland, both slave states. The only rail connection to DC from the north was routed through Baltimore, Maryland, the residence of many Southern sympathizers.
Many Union supporters living in Washington DC fled town soon after April 17, 1861 when Virginia officially seceded from the Union on the assumption that it would soon be occupied by the Virginia militia. The city was totally unprepared for war partly because politicians had been hoping for a peaceful settlement and also because nearly all the standing army “had been scattered by a treasonous Secretary of War on the frontier west of the Mississippi River to guard against Indian raids.” The only military located in Washington DC were clerks, ceremonial guards, and military band, none of whom had fighting experience.
James Lane and his men from Kansas (which had been recently admitted to the Union as a free state) organized what they called "Frontier Guard" and indicated their availability to provide protection for Lincoln. Lane was representing Kansas as a senator and his fellow guard members were in Washington DC probably seeking appointed office. The Frontier Guard was made up of experienced fighters from six years fighting for the anti-slavery cause in the Bleeding Kansas Border War.
Lane’s guard established headquarters at the Willard hotel. Within days the guard was asked to report to duty at the White House until troops could arrive from the north. The U.S. Army command had learned that an attempt would be made to kidnap President Lincoln and overturn the government. The guard quickly moved to occupy the East Room or the White House with arms supplied by the Army.
On April 15 Lincoln had issued an emergency request for 75,000 troops from the northern states, and it was believed that they were on their way. However telegraph communications from the north had been cut off by the Confederates, and nobody in Washington DC knew for sure if and when they would arrive.
At night the glow of rebel campfires were visible on the south bank of the Potomac River. Lane knew it was important to make the Southerners think he had a bigger force than it really was. So he deployed various ruses to make his force appear to be large. The rumor was spread that he had a thousand experienced and well equipped fighters from the Kansas border war who were ready and eager to fight. Lane’s reputation and that of his Kansas free state forces were well known and despised in the South. A reasonable case can be made that the Frontier Guard saved Lincoln’s life, and who knows how the subsequent war and history would have turned out had Lincoln been kidnapped.
On April 25, 1861 two army regiments arrived in Washington DC, one from New York and the other from Massachusetts. At that point the Washington DC was considered to be secure and Lane’s men were dispersed two days later.
Beyond the book's narrative of Washington events, it paints a bloody and provocative portrait of the "civil war" between free-state and pro-slavery forces that tore Missouri and the Kansas Territory apart in the years immediately preceding the Civil War—a precursor to the national conflict that followed.
Most historical accounts of the Frontier Guard indicate that the names of only about fifty of its members have been documented. The author’s research in the Library of Congress found the “Frontier Guard Roll & Other Proceedings” which apparently had not previously been found because it listed the names and home addresses of all 116 members.
This book ends up being a biography of all 116 of the members of the Frontier Guard covering their lives prior to the war, in the war, and afterward. The most information available is about Jim Lane. Many of the men who survived the war went on to successful business and political careers. Unfortunately Lane didn’t share in the guard’s postwar success. Crushed by Lincoln’s 1865 murder, Lane committed suicide the following year. The author indicates his belief that Lane’s enemies unfairly discredited his role in Civil War history.
Over half of the book consists of appendices, timelines, endnotes, acknowledgments and index.
From our perspective one hundred sixty years later it’s hard to imagine how history could have turned out differently. But at the beginning of the Civil War the future wasn’t at all clear. It appeared possible that Washington DC could end up being the capitol of the Confederate States. Washington DC geographically was very much a southern city sandwiched between Virginia and Maryland, both slave states. The only rail connection to DC from the north was routed through Baltimore, Maryland, the residence of many Southern sympathizers.
Many Union supporters living in Washington DC fled town soon after April 17, 1861 when Virginia officially seceded from the Union on the assumption that it would soon be occupied by the Virginia militia. The city was totally unprepared for war partly because politicians had been hoping for a peaceful settlement and also because nearly all the standing army “had been scattered by a treasonous Secretary of War on the frontier west of the Mississippi River to guard against Indian raids.” The only military located in Washington DC were clerks, ceremonial guards, and military band, none of whom had fighting experience.
James Lane and his men from Kansas (which had been recently admitted to the Union as a free state) organized what they called "Frontier Guard" and indicated their availability to provide protection for Lincoln. Lane was representing Kansas as a senator and his fellow guard members were in Washington DC probably seeking appointed office. The Frontier Guard was made up of experienced fighters from six years fighting for the anti-slavery cause in the Bleeding Kansas Border War.
Lane’s guard established headquarters at the Willard hotel. Within days the guard was asked to report to duty at the White House until troops could arrive from the north. The U.S. Army command had learned that an attempt would be made to kidnap President Lincoln and overturn the government. The guard quickly moved to occupy the East Room or the White House with arms supplied by the Army.
On April 15 Lincoln had issued an emergency request for 75,000 troops from the northern states, and it was believed that they were on their way. However telegraph communications from the north had been cut off by the Confederates, and nobody in Washington DC knew for sure if and when they would arrive.
At night the glow of rebel campfires were visible on the south bank of the Potomac River. Lane knew it was important to make the Southerners think he had a bigger force than it really was. So he deployed various ruses to make his force appear to be large. The rumor was spread that he had a thousand experienced and well equipped fighters from the Kansas border war who were ready and eager to fight. Lane’s reputation and that of his Kansas free state forces were well known and despised in the South. A reasonable case can be made that the Frontier Guard saved Lincoln’s life, and who knows how the subsequent war and history would have turned out had Lincoln been kidnapped.
On April 25, 1861 two army regiments arrived in Washington DC, one from New York and the other from Massachusetts. At that point the Washington DC was considered to be secure and Lane’s men were dispersed two days later.
Beyond the book's narrative of Washington events, it paints a bloody and provocative portrait of the "civil war" between free-state and pro-slavery forces that tore Missouri and the Kansas Territory apart in the years immediately preceding the Civil War—a precursor to the national conflict that followed.
Most historical accounts of the Frontier Guard indicate that the names of only about fifty of its members have been documented. The author’s research in the Library of Congress found the “Frontier Guard Roll & Other Proceedings” which apparently had not previously been found because it listed the names and home addresses of all 116 members.
This book ends up being a biography of all 116 of the members of the Frontier Guard covering their lives prior to the war, in the war, and afterward. The most information available is about Jim Lane. Many of the men who survived the war went on to successful business and political careers. Unfortunately Lane didn’t share in the guard’s postwar success. Crushed by Lincoln’s 1865 murder, Lane committed suicide the following year. The author indicates his belief that Lane’s enemies unfairly discredited his role in Civil War history.
Over half of the book consists of appendices, timelines, endnotes, acknowledgments and index.
February 23, 2022
Great history of the conflicts, slave vs free, for KS prior to statehood. Interesting stories about individuals involved. The story leads to the tense days at the beginning of Lincoln's presidency and the rough and ready Kansans who volunteered to protect him in the White House. My GGGG grandfather was among those 116 men.
July 23, 2017
At the very beginning of the Civil War, Washington DC and the President were in constant peril. The story of this Kansas guard unit is not very well known but they played an important role in keeping Lincoln safe at a time of great instability. In fact, one of the 116 that guarded Lincoln was a ancestor of mine, Jefferson Dugger. What a time to be alive!
December 18, 2016
The 116 by James P. Muehlberger is not just any history book but a detailed and interesting detailed history book! A book that takes you further into the history then just the facts. The 116 is about the men who held back an army so Lincoln could escape when the war first started, but who were these men and what would have happened if they weren't there? This book pulls you into the times and makes you feel like you are there, feeling the rift in society, knowing the people, the weather, the hardships, it shows you the bickering quotes between fractions, lets you read want ad posters, the price of food, and get to know the men who stood with Lincoln. It is very well written and just doesn't concentrate on that incident alone but takes you back to several incidents to mesh things together. I like a history book that makes me feel I am reliving history, not reading it. Well done. I received this book from NetGalley for a honest review and it has no effect on my rating or review content.
August 18, 2025
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars for James Muehlberger's book, "The 116". If I could have given it 3.5 stars that is where it falls for me. I read a great many historical books and several about Abraham Lincoln, yet I had not heard of the Frontier Guards and Jim Lane. The author did an excellent job in his research of the 116 men from Kansas that defended the anti-slavery issue in Kansas and then came to the rescue of the newly elected President Lincoln.
Lane was a marvelous tactician and several times his Frontier Guard overcame lopsided odds to record a victory to stave off an attack. The book revolves around Jim Lane the lawyer, the Senator, the orator, and the leader of the Frontier Guard. After defending the anti-slavery issue in Kansas, his group of 116 traveled to Washington, DC just after Lincoln's inauguration to serve as protectors of the new President. Using deception and cunning, Lane and his guard held off the Confederacy from attacking a virtually unprotected Capital and very likely kept the Union from falling by preventing the capture of Lincoln and the Captial by the Confederates.
Muehlberger went to great lengths to research the members of the Frontier Guard, their lives, how they served in the Civil War and their accomplishments after. IF you are a history buff, it's definite must read. One of the reasons I wanted to issue a 3.5-star rating was the 131 pages of a timeline included in the book as Appendix 2. This is a timeline for each of the Frontier Guard members and while it may be somewhat interesting, I didn't find it useful to the text of the book. Even though, it is still worth the time to read.
Lane was a marvelous tactician and several times his Frontier Guard overcame lopsided odds to record a victory to stave off an attack. The book revolves around Jim Lane the lawyer, the Senator, the orator, and the leader of the Frontier Guard. After defending the anti-slavery issue in Kansas, his group of 116 traveled to Washington, DC just after Lincoln's inauguration to serve as protectors of the new President. Using deception and cunning, Lane and his guard held off the Confederacy from attacking a virtually unprotected Capital and very likely kept the Union from falling by preventing the capture of Lincoln and the Captial by the Confederates.
Muehlberger went to great lengths to research the members of the Frontier Guard, their lives, how they served in the Civil War and their accomplishments after. IF you are a history buff, it's definite must read. One of the reasons I wanted to issue a 3.5-star rating was the 131 pages of a timeline included in the book as Appendix 2. This is a timeline for each of the Frontier Guard members and while it may be somewhat interesting, I didn't find it useful to the text of the book. Even though, it is still worth the time to read.
June 23, 2017
This is a book about the Frontier Guard, a group of slightly over 100 men led by Jim Lane who had fought for the Free State cause in the Missouri-Kansas border war. In April 1861, Lane called them to Washington, D.C., and they camped in the East Room of the White House. For a period of time, they were essentially all the protection President Lincoln and the federal government had. Confederate forces were expected to march into Washington and hang Lincoln. The Rebels feared the widely known exploits of the Jayhawkers. Lane fed their fears by spreading rumors that his force was much larger than it really was, and a contingent of the Frontier Guard even went into Falls Church, Va., and seized a Rebel flag. Much of the book has to do with the story of Bleeding Kansas, and those of us on the Kansas-Missouri border will recognize many names, such as Weston, Osceola, Atchison, Leavenworth, Lawrence, the Battle of Morristown (Freeman, Mo.), the Battle of Island Mound (near Butler, Mo.), etc.
February 15, 2023
What a fascinating book on a fascinating man. Lane, bleeding Kansas, and the Frontier Guard were overshadowed by Lincoln, the Civil War, and the Union army. But this crowd was at the start and at the heart of it all. The book is extraordinarily well researched and footnoted. It’s short and sweet. My one gripe while reading it was that storied and timelines were jumping all over the place so it was hard to keep track. Fortunately I know plenty about the civil war so could place the pieces into the puzzle fine. Sure enough, after reading the content then there were clear bullet point types of timelines that were sequential. I’d suggest familiarise yourself with those before reading the book so the timeline is clear. I’ve read a lot of books on the civil war and so much is repetition. But this was unique discovery of an amazing forgotten story.
January 4, 2018
Very well written historical book about a topic I knew next to nothing about. Author's research is very thorough and it gave me a deeper understanding about the political, mainly slavery, issues and the depths that they dominated the Midwestern states prior to the Civil War. The author does a great job introducing the read to numerous characters that were active in that time period, many of which I knew about but not in connection with Lincoln's early career. Great read for anyone wanting to know more about the politics surround the issue of slavery and state's rights prior to the Civil War.
May 8, 2017
This is an odd book. On the one hand, the author uses newly discovered documents to drill down into individual members of Jim Lane's Frontier Guards. On the other hand, though the book is obviously well researched, the author fails to seriously consider Lane, whom more than one observer has called a demagogue, or the nature of his relationship with President Lincoln. Lane did not form the guards because he "liked" Lincoln. The two politicians used each other to further their political goals.
March 28, 2022
One outstanding read!
If you think you know the significant events of the American Civil War, but you don't know the story of "The 116," then you must read this book!
If you think you know the significant events of the American Civil War, but you don't know the story of "The 116," then you must read this book!
February 8, 2017
If you are not a fan of historical books, this one might just be the thing to change your mind. This book is not only extremely well-researched, but it is descriptive, interesting and tells you a different story than most of the other 'Lincoln books' out there in the publishing world.
I found myself enthralled with this one right away, and came away from it feeling that I had learned a lot of things I didn't know, rather than just getting another recount of the same tired facts. This book shows you who people were during the civil war, what they stood for and how far they were willing to go in order to defend their beliefs and fight for justice.
This is one of the best historical books that I've had the pleasure of reading, and I recommend it highly to others interested in the war, American history, or just the time period. An excellent addition to any library.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I found myself enthralled with this one right away, and came away from it feeling that I had learned a lot of things I didn't know, rather than just getting another recount of the same tired facts. This book shows you who people were during the civil war, what they stood for and how far they were willing to go in order to defend their beliefs and fight for justice.
This is one of the best historical books that I've had the pleasure of reading, and I recommend it highly to others interested in the war, American history, or just the time period. An excellent addition to any library.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
January 24, 2016
If you are a student of the Civil War, you *must* read this book. Bleeding Kansas and the fight for Missouri are brought to life through the stories of the men who fought there. The amount of research by the author shows the dedication and commitment to bringing justice to Jim Lane's memory. The connections of the 116 to other famous names in American history continuously surprised me throughout the book. As a history teacher, I applaud the inclusion of the timeline, bibliography, and a detailed accounting of each Frontier Guardsman's life. Hollywood, if you're listening, there's a few great movies in this book. Mr. Muehlberger, I'm proud to add this book to my library. Thanks for taking the time to share this amazing story with us!
June 10, 2016
Excellent record of Kansas history and the role of Indiana politician, Jim Lane, who helped resist the movement to make Kansas a slave state. Jim Lane was also influential in securing enough delegates to elect Abraham Lincoln to the office of President. Lane's experience prepared Lane to lead a group of 116 seasoned fighting men to defend Washington DC and the newly elected President Lincoln. Well worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews