Army men wrestled and swam to relax during the Black Hawk War, but few of them could successfully compete with Captain Abraham Lincoln at either.

The strong, tall, lanky president-to-be could throw down any man with his special side holds.

Daniel Green Burner said Mr. Lincoln was the strongest man he ever knew. Burner once saw Lincoln lift a full barrel of whisky containing 44 gallons to his face in order to win a $10 hat.

Source: The Lincoln Institute