Jack Beechum

Jack Beechum, known in his later years simply as Old Jack, is a man who lived his entire life in the small Kentucky town of Port William. He was born into a nation sharply divided by the Civil War, and his two older brothers gave their lives to fight for the South. Their deaths would break his mother's heart and she would die soon after, while his father lost all sense of direction and power. He was raised instead by Nancy, his older sister, and her suitor and eventual husband, Ben Feltner. From an early age, Jack found work to be an escape from his troubles and dedicated himself to it. His dedication was magnified after his father passed and the family farm became his. He worked tirelessly to keep it in good condition and to pay off the debts his father had accumulated on it.

As...