text:  The ringleader of the bunch was a rugged farmer from nearby Clary's Grove called Jack Armstrong. Shorter than Lincoln, Armstrong was much thicker and heavier. At age 27, he was five years older than Abe. Little is known about Armstrong's wrestling expertise other than the fact that he was considered the roughest of the gang of young men who resided at Clary's Grove and hung out at the Clary's Tavern.