Reply #34: He might be a Snowman

[Exultant Democracy]

People that have found their way into our history, but melt under investigation. For example Nathaniel Hail is famous for saying “My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country.” At the time of the revolution there was indeed a man named Nathaniel Hale, but it is very clear that he never said any such thing. With JC things are a little bit different because of the time that has elapsed, so while he is impossible to prove using firsthand documentation. It is also impossible to disprove him as we can with Nathaniel Hale. Given the stories about his life JC would seem to be a composite character, based on any number of real people, with a dash of myth tossed in (Dionysus, Osiris, etc...).