Captain Logan (c. 1774 – ~25 November 1812) was a scout during the War of 1812, serving under General William Henry Harrison. There exist two apparently conflicting theories regarding Captain Logan's identity:
- Was Captain Logan's first name James or John?
- Was Captain Logan half native American plus half European ancestry (in the James theory) or was Captain Logan a full-blooded Shawnee (in the Johnny theory)?
The James theory is relayed by 19th-century descendants of Robert Renick Sr., who would be Captain Logan's grandfather under one theory, or by first-hand acquaintances of Captain Logan. Hence, the James theory would seem to be more direct knowledge.
The Johnny theory derives from 20th-century sources who are not biologically related to Captain Logan. Hence, the Johnny theory might be from more-indirect knowledge. The novelist Allan W. Eckert's (partially fictionalized) novelization of Captain Logan further popularized the Johnny theory by referring to Captain Logan as Captain Johnny. Both of these theories are presented below, because of the conflicting evidence that has become institutionalized by various historians.
Once Captain Logan became famous as a scout under General Harrison, the two identities converge without conflict from that point onward.
Read more about Captain Logan: Theory 1: James Renick-Logan, Theory 2: Johnny Logan
Famous quotes containing the words captain and/or logan:
“Stay on the beach. The natives over there are cannibals. They eat liars with the same enthusiasm as they eat honest men.”
—Earl Felton, and Richard Fleischer. Captain Nemo (James Mason)
“I looked so much like a guy you couldn’t tell if I was a boy or a girl. I had no hair, I wore guys’ clothes, I walked like a guy ... [ellipsis in source] I didn’t do anything right except sports. I was a social dropout, but sports was a way I could be acceptable to other kids and to my family.”
—Karen Logan (b. 1949)