Today in history

Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1862 on the Battlefield of Antietam. This is perhaps the best outdoor portrait of Lincoln. He is shown standing next to Allan Pinkerton (Left) and General McClernand (Right). The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in American History. There were 23,000 casualties in one day . . . four times the casualties suffered during the D-Day invasion. The Battle of Antietam was one of the defining moments in American History. In the fall of the year 1862, Abraham Lincoln had become desperate for a victory in the Civil War. Up to that time, the South had achieved victory after victory. Bull Run, Wilson's Creek, and Shiloh had all been convincing victories for the South. Abraham Lincoln realized that if the North did not achieve a victory soon, the survival of the Union would be in doubt. This led Abraham Lincoln to look to God and make an offer . . . Lincoln prayed that if God would grant him victory on the battlefield, he would free the slaves. Slavery had haunted Lincoln for some time. He fully realized the cruelty and brutality of this corrupt institution, but he did not have the strength to stand up against it. Desperate for a victory, he made the deal with God. Shortly after this, he received news of McClellan's success at Antietam. Despite devastating losses, McClellan was able to drive Lee out of Maryland, and back into Virginia. The battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862. On September 22, 1862 Abraham Lincoln honored the promise he made to God, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Tiger vs Toyger

Sumatra, a registered "toyger," displays the rusty colored fur and unique black stripes of the relatively new breed. Toygers have been registered with the International Cat Association (TICA) since 1993. This May they will join more familiar purebred felines, such as Persians and Siamese, that can be judged as championship cats at TICA-sponsored cat shows. Toyger creator Judy Sudgen said she hopes the playful pets will inspire more people to care about wild tiger conservation. "We use part of the price of the kittens to help the conservation of tigers, since that's our inspiration," she said. For now the toyger is a work in progress, and fanciers hope to produce cats that more closely resemble tigers within the next few years.

Eating Live Frogs?

A man in southeast China says 40 years of swallowing tree frogs and rats live has helped him avoid intestinal complaints and made him strong. Jiang Musheng, a 66-year-old resident of Jiangxi province, suffered from frequent abdominal pains and coughing from the age of 26, until an old man called Yang Dingcai suggested tree frogs as a remedy, the Beijing News said on Tuesday. "At first, Jiang Musheng did not dare to eat a live, wriggling frog, but after seeing Yang Dingcai swallow one, he ate ... two without a thought," the paper said. "After a month of eating live frogs, his stomach pains and coughing were completely gone." Over the years Jiang had added live mice, baby rats and green frogs to his diet, and had once eaten 20 mice in a single day, the paper said. So there you have it... the secret to health!