John Wesley's Muscle Collection

John Wesley powell was one of the first to join Lincoln's army in 18 61. He soon became a leader on the battlefield, eventually earning an artillery command. Despite the horrors of war, he never lost his curiosity and would often follow behind his men digging trenches or earthworks looking for more fossils. At the famous battle of shiloh, he lost his arm after being hit by a minee ball fired from a confederate rifle. When the civil war ended, powell worked as a teacher, but quickly realized that he was not cut out for the four walls of a class room. With maniacal enthusiasm, he told people of his dream to conquer the grand canyon.