I

A

NARRATIVE

OF THE

LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT,

OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE.

I leave this rule for others when I’m dead,

Be always sure you’re right— then go ahead !

The Author.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF*

PHILADELPHIA;

E. L. CAREY AND A. HART.

BOSTON :

ALLEN & TICKNOR.

1834

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1834,

By David Crockett,

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Columbia.

» — »-v— - — « * — 5 — fc-t - i -

# u.l Johnson,

PREFACE.

Fashion is a thing I care mighty little about, except when it happens to run just exactly according to my own notion ; and I was mighty nigh sending out my book without any preface at all, until a notion struck me, that perhaps it was necessary to explain a little the reason why and where¬ fore I had written it.

Most of authors seek fame, but I seek for justice, — a holier impulse than ever entered into the ambitious struggles of the votaries of that fickle , flirtmg goddess.

A publication has been made to the world, which has done me much injus¬ tice 5 and the catchpenny errors which it

3

4

PREFACE.

contains, have been already too long sanc¬ tioned by my silence. I don’t know the author of the hook — and indeed I don’t want to know him ; for after he has taken such a liberty with my name, and made such an effort to hold me up to public ridicule, he cannot calculate on any thing hut my displeasure. If he had been con¬ tent to have written his opinions about me, however contemptuous they might have been, I should have had less reason to com¬ plain. But when he professes to give my narrative (as he often does) in my own language, and then puts into my mouth such language as would disgrace even an outlandish African, he must himself be sensible of the injustice he has done me, and the trick he has played off on the pub- lick. I have met with hundreds, if not with thousands of people, who have formed their opinions of my appearance, habits, lan-

PREFACE.

5

guage, and every thing else from that de¬ ceptive work.

They have almost in every instance ex¬ pressed the most profound astonishment at finding me in human shape, and with the countenance, appearance , and common feel¬ ings of a human being. It is to correct all these false notions, and to do justice to my¬ self, that I have written.

It is certain that the writer of the book alluded to has gathered up many imperfect scraps of information concerning me, as in parts of his work there is some little sem¬ blance of truth. But I ask him, if this notice should ever reach his eye, how would he have liked it, if I had treated him so ? — if I had put together such a bundle of ridiculous stuff, and headed it with his name, and sent it out upon the world with¬ out ever even condescending to ask his per¬ mission ? To these questions, all upright

6

PREFACE.

men must give the same answer. It was wrong; and the desire to make money by it, is no apology for such injustice to a fellow man.

But I let him pass ; as my wish is great¬ ly more to vindicate myself, than to con¬ demn him.

In the following pages I have endeavour¬ ed to give the reader a plain, honest, home- spun account of my state in life, and some few of the difficulties which have attended me along its journey, down to this time. I am perfectly aware, that I have related many small and, as I fear, uninteresting circumstances; but if so, 'my apology is, that it was rendered necessary by a desire to link the different periods of my life to¬ gether, as they have passed, from my child¬ hood onward, and thereby to enable the reader to select such parts of it as he may relish most, if, indeed, there is any thing in it which may suit his palate.

PREFACE.

7

I have also been operated on by another consideration. It is this: — I know, that obscure as I am, my name is making a con¬ siderable deal of fuss in the world. I can’t tell why it is, nor in what it is to end. Go where I will, everybody seems anxious to get a peep at me ; and it would be hard to tell which would have the advantage, if I, and the “ Government,” and “ Black Hawk,” and a great eternal big caravan of wild varments were all to he showed at the same time in four different parts of any of

the big cities in the nation. I am not so

#•

sure that I shouldn’t get the most custom of any of the crew. There must therefore be something in me, or about me, that at¬ tracts attention, which is even mysterious to myself. I can’t understand it, and I therefore put all the facts down, leav¬ ing the reader free to take his choice of them.

8

PREFACE.

On the subject of my style, it is bad enough, in all conscience, to please critics, if that is what they are after. They are a sort of vermin, though, that I sha’n’t even so much as stop to brush off. If they want to work on my book, just let them go ahead ; and after they are done, they had better blot out all their criticisms, than to know what opinion I would express of them , and by what sort of a curious name I would call them , if I was standing near them, and looking over their shoulders. They will, at most, have only their trouble „ for their pay. But I rather expect I shall have them on my side.

But I don’t know of any thing in my book to be criticised on by honourable men. Is it on my spelling ? — that’s not my trade. Is it on my grammar ? — I hadn’t time to learn it, and make no pretensions to it. Is it on the order and arrangement of my

PREFACE.

9

book ? — I never wrote one before, and never read very many; and, of course, know mighty little about that. Will it be on the authorship of the book ? — this I claim, and I ’ll hang on to it, like a wax plaster. The whole book is my own, and every sentiment and sentence in it. I would not be such a fool, or knave either, as to deny that I have had it hastily run over by a friend or so, and that some little alterations have been made in the spelling and gram¬ mar; and I am not so sure that it is not the worse of even that, for I despise this way of spelling contrary to nature. And as for grammar, it’s pretty much a thing of nothing at last, after all the fuss that’s made about it. In some places, I wouldn’t suffer either the spelling, or grammar, or any thing else to be touch’d; and there¬ fore it will be found in my own way.

But if any body complains that I have

PREFACE.

10 '

had it looked over, I can only say to him, her, or them— as the case may he— that while critics were learning grammar, and learn¬ ing to spell, I, and “Doctor Jackson, L.L.D.” >vere fighting in the wars; and if our books, and messages, and proclama¬ tions, and cabinet writings, and so forth, and so on, should need a little looking over, and a little correcting of the spell¬ ing and the grammar to make them fit for use, its just nobody’s business. Big men have more important matters to attend to than crossing their fs — , and dotting their «’s — , and such like small things. But the “Government’s” name is to the proclamation, and my name’s to the book ; and if I didn’t write the book, the “ Go¬ vernment” didn’t write the proclamation, which no man dares to deny !

But just read for yourself, and my ears for a heel tap, if before you get through

PREFACE.

11

you don’t say, with many a good-natured smile and hearty laugh, “This is truly the very thing itself — the exact image of its Author,

DAVID CROCKETT.”

Washington City, >

February 1st, 1834. 3

NARRATIVE

OF THE

LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT.

CHAPTER I.

As the public seem to feel some interest in the history of an individual so humble as I am, and as that history can be so well known to no person living as to myself, I have, after so long a time, and under many pressing solicitations from my friends and acquaintances, at last determined to put my own hand to it, and lay before the world a narrative on which they may at least rely as being true. And seeking no ornament or colour¬ ing for a plain, simple tale of truth, I throw aside all hypocritical and fawning apologies, and, ac¬ cording to my own maxim, just “go ahead” Where I am not known, I might, perhaps, gain some little credit by having thrown around this

volume some of the flowers of learning j but

B 13

THE LIFE OF

. 14

where I am known, the vile cheatery would soon be detected, and like the foolish jackdaw, that with a borrowed tail attempted to play the pea¬ cock, I should be justly robbed of my pilfered ornaments, and sent forth to strut without a tail for the balance of my time. I shall commence my book with what little I have learned of the history of my father, as all great men rest many, if not most, of their hopes on their noble ancestry. Mine was poor, but I hope honest, and even that is as much as many a man can say. But to my subject.

My father’s name was John Crockett, and he was of Irish descent. He was either born in Ireland or on a passage from that country to Ame¬ rica across the Atlantic. He was by profession a farmer, and spent the early part of his life in the state of Pennsylvania. The name of my mother was Rebecca Hawkins. She was an American woman, born in the state of Maryland, between York and Baltimore. It is likely I may have heard where they were married, but if so, I have forgotten. It is, however, certain that they were, or else the public would never have been troubled with the history of David Crockett, their son.

I have an imperfect recollection of the part which I have understood my father took in the

DAVID CROCKETT.

L5

revolutionary war. I personally know nothing about it, for it happened to be a little before my day ; but from himself, and many others who were well acquainted with its troubles and afflic¬ tions, I have learned that he was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and took part in that bloody struggle. He fought, according to my information, in the battle at Kings Mountain against the Bri¬ tish and tories, and in some other engagements of which my remembrance is too imperfect to enable me to speak with any certainty. At some time, though I cannot say certainly when, my father, as I have understood, lived in Lincoln county, in the state of North Carolina. How long, I don’t know. But when he removed from thex’e, he settled in that district of country which is now embraced in the east division of Tennessee, though it was not then erected into a state.

He settled there under dangerous circumstances, ' both to himself and his family, as the country was full of Indians, who were at that time very troublesome. By the Creeks, my grandfather and grandmother Crockett were both murdered, in their own house, and on the very spot of ground where Rogersville, in Hawkins county, now stands. At the same time, the Indians wounded Joseph Crockett, a brother to my father, by a ball, which

16

THE LIFE OF

broke his arm ; and took James a prisoner, who was still a younger brother than Joseph, and who, from natural defects, was less able to make his es¬ cape, as he was both deaf and dumb. He remained with them for seventeen years and nine months, when he was discovered and recollected by my father and his eldest brother, William Crockett ; and was purchased by them from an Indian trader, at a price which I do not now remember ; but so it was, that he was delivered up to them, and they returned him to his relatives. He now lives in Cumberland county, in the state of Ken¬ tucky, though I have not seen him for many years.

My father and mother had six sons and three daughters. I was the fifth son. What a pity I hadn’t been the seventh ! For then I might have been, by common consent, called doctor, as a heap of people get to be great men. But, like many of them, I stood no chance to become great in any other way than by accident. As my father was very poor, and living as he did far back in the back woods, he had neither the means nor the opportunity to give me, or any of the rest of his children, any learning.

But before I get on the subject of my own trou¬ bles, and a great many very funny things that

DAVID CROCKETT.

17

have happened to me, like all other historians and bioagraphers, I should not only inform the public that I was born, myself, as well as other folks, but that this important event took place, according to the best information I have received on the sub¬ ject, on the 17th of August, in the year 1786; whether by day or night, I believe I never heard, but if I did I, have forgotten. I suppose, however, it is not very material to my present purpose, nor to the world, as the more important fact is well attested, that I was born ; and, indeed, it might be inferred, from my present size and appearance, that I was pretty well born , though I have never yet attached myself to that numerous and worthy society.

At that time my father lived at the mouth of Lime Stone, on the Nola-chucky river ; and for the purpose not only of showing what sort of a man I now am, but also to show how soon I began to be a sort of a little man , I have endeavoured to take the back track of life, in order to fix on the first thing that I can remember. But even then, as now, so many things were happening, that as Major Jack Downing would say, they are all in “ a pretty considerable of a snarl,” and I find it “ kinder hard” to fix on that thing, among them all, which really happened first. But I think it

b 2

i8

THE LIFE OF

likely, I have hit on the outside line of my recol¬ lection ; as one thing happened at which I was so badly scared, that it .seems to me I could not have forgotten it, if it had happened a little time only after I was born. Therefore it furnishes me with no certain evidence of my age at the time ; but I know one thing very well, and that is, that when it happened, I had no knowledge of the use of breeches, for I had never had any nor worn any.

But the circumstance was this : My four elder brothers, and a well-grown boy of about fifteen years old, by the name of Campbell, and myself, were all playing on the river’s side ; when all the rest of them got into my father’s canoe, and put out to amuse themselves on the water, leaving me on the shore alone.

Just a little distance below them, there was a fall in the river, which went slap-right straight down. My brothers, though they were little fel¬ lows, had been used to paddling the canoe, and could have carried it safely anywhere about there; but this fellow Campbell wouldn’t let them have the paddle, but, fool like, undertook to ma¬ nage it himself. I reckon he had never seen a water craft before ; and it went just any way but the way he wanted it. There he paddled, and paddled, and paddled — all the while going wrong,

bAVID CROCKETT.

19

— until, in a short time, here they were all going, straight forward, stern foremost, right plump to the falls ; and if they had only had a fair shake, they would have gone over as slick as a whistle. It was’ent this, though, that scared me ; for I was so infernal mad that they had left me on the shore, that I had as soon have seen them all go over the falls a bit, as any other way. But their danger was seen by a man by the name of Kendall, but I’ll be shot if- it was Amos ; for I believe I would know him yet if I was to see him. This man

4

Kendall was working in a field on the bank, and knowing there was no time to lose, he started full tilt, and here he come like a cane brake afire ; and as he ran, he threw off his coat, and then his jacket, and then his shirt, for I know when he got to the water he had nothing on but his breeches. But seeing him in such a hurry, and tearing off his clothes as he went, I had no doubt but that the devil or something else was after him — and close on him, too — as he was running within an inch of his life. This alarmed me, and I screamed out like a young painter. But Kendall didn’t stop for this. He went ahead with all might, and as full bent on saving the boys, as Amos was on moving the deposites. When he came to the wa¬ ter he plunged in, and where it was too deep to

20

THE LIFE OF

wade he would swim, and where it was shallow enough he went bolting on ; and by such exertion as I never saw at any other time in my life, he reached the canoe, when it was within twenty or thirty feet of the falls ; and so great was the suck, and so swift the current, that poor Ken¬ dall had a hard time of it to stop them at last, as Amos will to stop the mouths of the people about his stockjobbing. But he hung on to the canoe, till he got it stop’d, and then draw’d it out of danger. When they got out, I found the boys were more scared than I had been, and the only thing that comforted me was, the belief that it was a punishment on them for leaving me on shore.

Shortly after this, my father removed, and settled in the same county, about ten miles above Greenville.

There another circumstance happened, which made a lasting impression on my memory, though I was but a small child. Joseph Haw¬ kins, who was a brother to my mother, was in the woods hunting for deer. He was passing near a thicket of brush, in which one of our neighbours was gathering some grapes, as it was in the fall of the year, and the grape season. The body of the man was hid by the brush.

DAVID CROCKETT. 21

and it was only as he would raise his hand to pull the bunches, that any part of him could be seen. It was a likely place for deer ; and my uncle, having no suspicion that it was any human being, but supposing the raising of the hand to be the occasional twitch of a deer’s ear, fired at the lump, and as the devil would have it, un¬ fortunately shot the man through the body. I saw my father draw a silk handkerchief through the bullet hole, and entirely through his body j yet after a while he got well, as little as any one would have thought it. What become of him, or whether he is dead or alive, I don’t know ; but I reckon he did’ent fancy the business of ga¬ thering grapes in an out-of-the-way thicket soon again.

The next move my father made was to the mouth of Cove creek, where he and a man by the name of Thomas Galbreath undertook to build a mill in partnership. They went on very well with their work until it was nigh done, when there came the second epistle to Noah’s fresh, and away went their mill, shot, lock, and barrel. I remember the water rose so high, that it got up into the house we lived in, and my father moved us out of it, to keep us from being drowned. I was now about seven or eight years old, and have

22

THE LIFE OF

a pretty distinct recollection of every thing that was going on. From his bad luck in that bu¬ siness, and being ready to wash out from mill building, my father again removed, and this time settled in Jefferson county, now in the state of Tennessee ; where he opened a tavern on the road from Abbingdon to Knoxville.

His tavern was on a small scale, as he was poor ; and the principal accommodations which he kept, were for the waggoners who travelled the road. Here I remained with him until I was twelve years old ; and about that time, you may guess, if you uelong to Yankee land, or reckon, if like me you belong to the back-woods, that I began to make up my acquaintance with hard times, and a plenty of them.

An old Dutchman, by the name of Jacob Siler, who was moving from Knox county to Rock¬ bridge, in the state of Virginia, in passing, made a stop at my father’s house. He had a large stock of cattle, that he was carrying on with him ; and I suppose made some proposition to my father to hire some one to assist him.

Being hard run every way, and having no thought, as I believe, that I was cut out for a Congressman or the like, young as I was, and as little as I knew about travelling, or being from

DAVID CROCKETT

23

home, he hired me to the old Dutchman, to go four hundred miles on foot, with a perfect stranger that I never had seen until the evening before. I set out with a heavy heart, it is true, but I went ahead, until we arrived at the place, which was three miles from what is called the Natural Bridge, and made a stop at the house of a Mr. Hartley, who was father-in-law to Mr. Siler, who had hired me. My Dutch master was very kind to me, and gave me five or six dollars, being pleased, as he said, with my services.

This, however, I think was a bait for me, as he persuaded me to stay with him, and not rtturn any more to my father. I had been taught so many lessons of obedience by my father, that I at first supposed I was bound to obey this man, or at least I was afraid openly to disobey him ; and I therefore staid with him, and tried to put on a look of perfect contentment until I got the family all to believe I was fully satisfied. I had been there about four or five weeks, when one day my¬ self and two other boys were playing on the road¬ side, some distance from the house. There came along three waggons. One belonged to an old man by the name of Dunn, and the others to two of his sons. They had each of them a good team, and were all bound for Knoxville. They had been

24

THE LIFE OF

in the habit of stopping at my father’s as they passed the road, and I knew them. I made my¬ self known to the old gentleman, and informed him of my situation ; I expressed a wish to get back to my father and mother, if they could fix any plan for me to do so. They told me that they would stay that night at a tavern seven miles from there, and that if I could get to them before day the next morning, they would take me home ; and if I was pursued, they would protect me. This was a Sunday evening ; I went back to the good old Dutchman’s house, and as good fortune would have it, he and the family were out on a visit. I gathered my clothes, and what little money I had, and put them all together under the head of my bed. I went to bed early that night, but sleep seemed to be a stranger to me. For though I was a wild boy, yet I dearly loved my father and mother, and their images appeared to be so deeply fixed in my mind, that I could not sleep for thinking of them. And then the fear that when I should attempt to go out, I should be discovered and called to a halt, filled me with anxiety ; and between my childish love of home, on the one hand, and the fears of which I have spoken, on the other, I felt mighty queer.

But so it was, about three hours before day in

DAVID CROCKETT

25

the morning I got up to make my start. When I got out, I found it was snowing fast, and that the snow was then on the ground about eight inches deep. I had not even the advantage of moonlight, and the whole sky was hid by the falling snow, so that I had to guess at my way to the big road, which was about a half mile from the house. I however pushed ahead and soon got to it, and then pursued it, in the direction to the waggons.

I could not have pursued the road if I had not guided myself by the opening it made between the timber, as the snow was too deep to leave any part of it to be known by either seeing or feeling.

Before I overtook the waggons, the earth was covered about as deep as my knees ; and my tracks filled so briskly after me, that by daylight, my Dutch master could have seen no trace which I left.

I got to the place about an hour before day. I found the waggoners already stirring, and engaged in feeding and preparing their horses for a start. Mr. Dunn took me in and treated me with great kindness. My heart was more deeply impressed by meeting with such a friend, and “at such a time/’ than by wading the snow-storm by night, or all the other sufferings which my mind had endured. I warmed myself by the fire, for I was

C

26

THE LIFE OF

very cold, and after an early breakfast, we set out on our journey. The thoughts of home now be¬ gan to take the entire possession of my mind, and I almost numbered the sluggish turns of the wheels, and much more certainly the miles of our travel, which appeared to me to count mighty slow. I continued with my kind protectors, until we got to the house of a Mr. John Cole, on Roanoke, when my impatience became so great, that I determined to set out on foot and go ahead by myself, as I could travel twice as fast in that way as the waggons could.

Mr. Dunn seemed very sorry to part with me, and used many arguments to prevent me from leaving him. But home, poor as it was, again rushed on my memory, and it seemed ten times as dear to me as it ever had before. The reason was, that my parents were there, and all that I had been accustomed to in the hours of childhood and infancy was there ; and there my anxious little heart panted also to be. We remained at Mr. Coles that night, and early in the morning I felt that I couldn’t stay ; so, taking leave of my friends the waggoners, I went forward on foot, until I was fortunately overtaken by a gentleman, who was returning from market, to which he had been * with a drove of horses. He had a led horse, with

DAVID CROCKETT.

27

a bridle and saddle on him, and he kindly offered to let me get on his horse and ride him. I did so, and was glad of the chance, for I was tired, and was, moreover, near the first crossing of Roanoke, which I would have been compelled to wade, cold as the water was, if I had not fortunately met this good man. I travelled with him in this way, without any thing turning up worth recording, until we got within fifteen miles of my father’s house. There we parted, and he went on to Kentucky and I trudged on homeward, which place I reached that evening. The name of this kind gentleman I have entirely forgotten, and I am sorry for it ; for it deserves a high place in my little book. A remembrance of his kindness to a little straggling boy, and a stranger to him, has however a resting place in my heart, and there it will remain as long as I live.

( 29 )

CHAPTER II.

Having gotten home, as I have just related, I remained with my father until the next fall, at which time he took it into his head to send me to a little country school, which was kept in the neighbourhood by a man whose name was Ben¬ jamin Kitchen ; though I believe he was no way connected with the cabinet. I went four days, and had just began to learn my letters a little, when I had an unfortunate falling out with one of the scholars, — a boy much larger and older than myself. I knew well enough that though the school-house might do for a still hunt, it wouldn’t do for a drive, and so I concluded to wait until I could get him out, and then I was determined to give him salt and vinegar. I waited till in the evening, and when the larger scholars were spelling, I slip’d out, and going some distance along his road, I lay by the way-side in the bushes, waiting for him to come along. After a

while he and his company came on sure enough,

c 2

30

THE LIFE OF

and 1 pitched out from the bushes and set on him like a wild cat. I scratched his face all to a flitter jig, and soon made him cry out for quar¬ ters in good earnest. The fight being over, I went on home, and the next morning was start¬ ed again to school ; but do you think I went ? No, indeed. I was very clear of it ; for I ex¬ pected the master would lick me up, as bad as I had the boy. So, instead of going to the school- house, I laid out in the woods all day until in the evening the scholars were dismissed, and my brothers, who were also going to school, came along, returning home. I wanted to conceal this whole business from my father, and I therefore persuaded them not to tell on me, which they agreed to.

Things went on in this way for several days ; I starting with them to school in the morning, and returning with them in the evening, but lying out in the woods all day. At last, however, the mas¬ ter wrote a note to my father, inquiring why I was not sent to school. When he read this note, he called me up, and I knew very well that I was in a devil of a hobble, for my father had been taking a few horns , and was in a good condition to make the fur fly. He called on me to know why 1 had not been at school ? I told him I was

DAVID CROCKETT.

31

afraid to go, and that the master would whip me ; for I knew quite well if I was turned over to this old Kitchen, I should be cooked up to a cracklin, in little or no time. But I soon found that I was not to expect a much better fate at home ; for my father told me, in a very angry manner, that he would whip me an eternal sight worse than the master, if I didn’t start immediately to the school. I tried again to beg off ; but nothing would do, but to go to the school. Finding me rather too slow about starting, he gathered about a two year old hickory, and broke after me. I put out with all my might, and soon we were both up to the top of our speed. We had a tolerable tough race for about a mile ; but mind me, not on the school-house road, for I was trying to get as far the t’other way as possible. And I yet believe, if my father and the schoolmaster could both have levied on me about that time, I should never have been called on to sit in the councils of the na¬ tion, for I think they would have used me up. But fortunately for me, about this time, I saw just before me a hill, over which I made headway, like a young steamboat. As soon as I had passed over it, I turned to one side, and hid myself in the bushes. Here I waited until the old gentleman passed by, puffing and blowing, as tho’ his steam

32

THE LIFE OF

was high enough to burst his boilers. I waited until he gave up the hunt, and passed back again : I then cut out, and went to the house of an ac¬ quaintance a few miles off, who was just about to start with a drove. His name was Jesse Cheek, and I hired myself to go with him, determining not to return home, as home and the school-house had both become too hot for me. I had an elder brother, who also hired to go with the same drove. We set out and went on through Abbingdon, and the county seat of Withe county, in the state of Virginia ; and then through Lynchburgh, by Orange court-house, and Charlottesville, passing through what was called Chester Gap, on to a town called Front Royal, where my employer sold out his drove to a man by the name of Vanmetre ; and I was started homeward again, in company with a brother of the first owner of the drove, with one horse between us $ having left my bro¬ ther to come on with the balance of the com¬ pany.

I traveled on with my new comrade about three days’ journey ; but much to his discredit, as I then thought, and still think, he took care all the time to ride, but never to tie ; at last I told him to go ahead, and I would come when I got ready. He gave me four dollars to bear my expenses up-

DAVID CROCKETT. 33

wards of four hundred miles, and then cut out and left me.

I purchased some provisions, and went on slowly, until at length I fell in with a waggoner, with whom I was disposed to scrape up a hasty acquaintance. I inquired where he lived, and where he was going, and all about his affairs. He informed me that he lived in Greenville, Tennessee, and was on his way to a place called Gerardstown, fifteen miles below Winchester. He also said, that after he should make his journey to that place, he would immediately return to Tennessee. His name was Adam Myers, and a jolly good fel¬ low he seemed to be. On a little reflection, I de¬ termined to turn back and go with him, which I did ; and we journeyed on slowly as waggons com¬ monly do, but merrily enough. I often thought of home, and, indeed, wished bad enough to be there ; but, when I thought of the school-house, and Kitchen, my master, and the race with my father, and the big hickory he carried, and of the fierceness of the storm of wrath that I had left him in, I was afraid to venture back ; for I knew my father’s nature so well, that I was certain his anger would hang on to him like a turkle does to a fisherman’s toe, and that, if I went back in a hurry, he would give me the devil in three or four ways

34

THE LIFE OF

But I and the waggoner had traveled two days, when we met my brother, who, I before stated, I had left behind when the drove was sold out. He persuaded me to go home, but I refused. He pressed me hard, and brought up a great many mighty strong arguments to induce me to turn back again. He pictured the pleasure of meeting my mother, and my sisters, who all loved me dearly, and told me what uneasiness they had al¬ ready suffered about me. I could not help shedding tears, which I did not often do, and my affections all pointed back to those dearest friends, and as I thought, nearly the only ones I had in the world ; but then the promised whipping — that was the thing. It came right slap down on every thought of home ; and I finally determined that make or break, hit or miss, I would just hang on to my journey, and go ahead with the waggoner. My brother was much grieved at our parting, but he went his way, and so did I. We went on until at last we got to Gerardstown, where the waggoner tried to get a back load, but he could not without going to Alexandria. Pie engaged to go there, and I concluded that I would wait until he re¬ turned. I set in to work for a man by the name of John Gray, at twenty-five cents per day. My labour, however, was light, such as ploughing in

DAVID CROCKETT.

35

some small grain, in which I succeeded in pleasing the old man very well. I continued working for him until the waggoner got back, and for a good long time afterwards, as he continued to run his team back and forward, hauling to and from Baltimore. In the next spring, from the proceeds of my daily labour, small as it was, I was able to get me some decent clothes, and concluded I would make a trip with the waggoner to Balti¬ more, and see what sort of a place that was, and what sort of folks lived there. I gave him the balance of what money I had for safe keeping, which, as well as I recollect, was about seven dol¬ lars. We got on well enough until we came near Ellicott’s Mills. Our load consisted of flour, in barrels. Here I got into the waggon for the pur¬ pose of changing my clothing, not thinking that I was in any danger ; but while I was in there we were met by some wheel-barrow men, who were working on the road, and the horses took a scare and away they went, like they had seen a ghost. They made a sudden wheel around, and broke the waggon tongue slap, short off, as a pipe-stem ; and snap went both of the axletrees at the same time, and of all devlish flouncing about of flour barrels that ever was seen, I reckon this took the beat. Even a rat would have stood a bad chance in a

36

THE LIFE OF

straight race among them, and not much better in a crooked one ; for he would have been in a good way to be ground up as fine as ginger by their rolling over him. But this proved to me, that if a fellow is born to be hung, he will never be drowned ; and, further, that if he is born for a seat in Congress, even flour barrels can’t make a mash of him. All these dangers I escaped unhurt, though, like most of the office-holders of these times, for a while I was afraid to say my soul was my own ; for I didn’t know how soon I should be knocked into a cocked hat, and get my walking papers for another country.

We put our load into another waggon, and hauled ours to a workman’s shop in Baltimore, having delivered the flour, and there we intended to re¬ main two or three days, which time was necessary to repair the runaway waggon. While I was there, I went, one day, down to the wharf, and was much delighted to see the big ships, and their sails all flying; for I had never seen any such things before, and, indeed, I didn’t believe there were any such things in all nature. After a short time my curiosity induced me to step aboard of one, where I was met by the captain, who asked me if I didn’t wish to take a voyage to London ? I told him I did, for by this time I had become

DAVID CROCKETT.

37

pretty well weaned from home, and I cared but little where I was, or where I went, or what be¬ come of me. He said he wanted just such a boy as I was, which I was glad to hear. I told him 1 would go and get my clothes, and go with him. He enquired about my parents, where they lived, and all about them. I let him know that they lived in Tennessee, many hundred miles off. We soon agreed about my intended voyage, and I went back to my friend, the waggoner, and informed him that I was going to London, and wanted my money and my clothes. He refused to let me have either, and swore that he would confine me, and take me back to Tennessee. I took it to heart very much, but he kept so close and constant a watch over me, that I found it impossible to es¬ cape from him, until he had started homeward, and made several days’ journey on the road. He was, during this time, very ill to me, and threatened me with his waggon whip on several occasions. At length I resolved to leave him at all hazards ; and so, before day, one morning, I got my clothes out of his waggon, and cut out, on foot, without a farthing of money to bear my expenses. For all other friends having failed, I determined then to throw myself on Providence, and see how that would use me. I had gone, however, only a few

D

38

THE LIFE OF

miles when I came up with another waggoner, and such was my situation, that I felt more than ever the necessity of endeavouring to find a friend. I therefore concluded I would seek for one in him. He was going westwardly, and very kindly en¬ quired of me where I was travelling ? My youth¬ ful resolution, which had brooked almost every thing else, rather gave way at this enquiry ; for it brought the loneliness of my situation, and every thing else that was calculated to oppress me, di¬ rectly to view. My first answer to his question was in a sprinkle of tears, for if the world had been given to me, I could not, at that moment, have helped crying. As soon as the storm of feeling was over, I told him how I had been treated by the waggoner but a little before, who kept what little money I had, and left me without a copper to buy even a morsel of food.

He became exceedingly angry, and swore that he would make the other waggoner give up my money, pronouncing him a scoundrel, and many other hard names. I told him I was afraid to see him, for he had threatened me with his waggon whip, and I believed he would injure me. But my new friend was a very large, stout-looking man, and as resolute as a tiger. He bid me not to be afraid, still swearing he would have

DAVID CROCKETT. 39

i

my money, or whip it out of the wretch who had it.

We turned and went back about two miles, when we reached the place where he was. I went reluctantly ; but I depended on my friend for pro¬ tection. When we got there, I had but little to say ; but approaching the waggoner, my friend said to him, “ You damn’d rascal, you have treated this bo}^ badly.” To which he replied, it was my fault. He was then asked, if he did not get seven dollars of my money, which he confessed. It was then demanded of him ; but he declared most solemnly, that he had not that amount in the world ; that he had spent my money, and in¬ tended paying it back to me when we got to Ten¬ nessee. I then felt reconciled, and persuaded my friend to let him alone, and we returned to his waggon, geared up, and started. His name I shall never forget while my memory lasts ; it was Henry Myers. He lived in Pennsylvania, and I found him what he professed to be, a faithful friend and a clever fellow.

We traveled together for several days, but at length I concluded to endeavour to make my way homeward ; and for that purpose set out again on foot, and alone. But one thing I must not omit. The last night I staid with Mr. Myers, was at a

40

THE LIFE OF

place where several other waggoners also staid. He told them, before we parted, that I was a poor h'ttle straggling boy, and how I had been treated ; ■nd that I was without money, though I had a long journey before me, through a land of stran gers, where it was not even a wilderness.

They were good enough to contribute a sort of money-purse, and presented me with three dol¬ lars. On this amount I travelled as far as Mont¬ gomery court-house, in the state of Virginia, where it gave out. I set in to work for a man by the name of James Caldwell, a month, for five dollai'S, which was about a shilling a day. When this time was out, I bound myself to a man by the name of Elijah Griffith, by trade a hatter, agree¬ ing to work for him four years. I remained with him about eighteen months, when he found him¬ self so involved in debt, that he broke up, and left the country. For this time I had received nothing, and was, of course, left without money, and with but very few clothes, and them very indifferent ones. I, however, set in again, and worked about as I could catch employment, until I got a little money, and some clothing ; and once more cut out for home. When I reached New River, at the mouth of a small stream, called Little River, the white caps were flying so, that I couldn’t

DAVID CROCKETT.

41

get any body to attempt to put me across. I argued the case as well as I could, but they told me there was great danger of being capsized, and drowned, if I attempted to cross. I told them,- if I could get a canoe I would venture, caps or. no caps. They tried to persuade me out of it ; but finding they could not, they agreed I might take a canoe, and so I did, and put off. I tied my clothes to the rope of the canoe, to have them safe, whatever might happen. But I found it a mighty ticklish business, I tell you. When I got out fairly on the river, I would have given the world, if it had belonged to me, to have been back on shore. But there was no time to lose now, so I just determined to do the best I could, and the devil take the hindmost I turned the canoe across the waves, to do which, I had to turn it nearly up the river, as the wind came from that way 5 and I went about two miles before I could land. When I struck land, my canoe was about half full of water, and I was as wet as a drowned rat. But I was so much rejoiced, that I scarcely felt the cold, though my clothes were frozen on me ; and in this situation, I had to go above three miles, before I could find any house, or fire to warm at. I, however, made out to get to one at last, and then I thought I would warm the inside

d 2

42

THE LIFE OF

a little, as well as the outside, that there might be no grumbling.

So I took “a leetle of the creator, ”■ — that warmer of the cold, and cooler of the hot, — and it made me feel so good that I concluded it was like the negro’s rabbit, “ good any way.” I passed on until I ar¬ rived in Sullivan county, in the state of Tennessee, and there I met with my brother, who had gone with me when I started from home with the cat¬ tle drove.

I staid with him a few weeks, and then went on to my father’s, which place I reached late in the evening. Several waggons were there for the night, and considerable company about the house. I enquired if I could stay all night, for I did not intend to make myself known, until I saw whether any of the family would find me out I was told that I could stay, and went in, but had mighty little to say to any body. I had been gone so long, and had grown so much, that the family did not at first know me. And another, and perhaps a stronger reason was, they had no thought or ex¬ pectation of me, for they all had long given me up for finally lost.

After a while, we were all called to supper. I went with the rest. We had sat down to the table and begun to eat, when my eldest sister recollected

DAVID CROCKETT. 43

me : she sprung up, ran and seized me around the neck, and exclaimed, u Here is my lost brother.”

My feelings at this time it would be vain and foolish for me to attempt to describe. I had often thought I felt before, and I suppose I had, but sure I am, I never had felt as I then did. The joy of my sisters and my mother, and, indeed, of all the family, was such that it humbled me, and made me sorry that I hadn’t submitted to a hundred whippings, sooner than cause so much affliction as they had suffered on my account. I found the family had never heard a word of me from the time my brother left me. I was now almost fif¬ teen years old ; and my increased age and size, together with the joy of my father, occasioned by my unexpected return, I was sure would secure me against my long dreaded whipping ; and so they did. But it will be a source of astonishment to many, who reflect that I am now a member of the American Congress, — the most enlightened body of men in the world, — that at so advanced an age, the age of fifteen, I did not know the first letter in the book.

( 45 )

CHAPTER III.

I had remained for some short time at home with my father, when he informed me that he owed a man, whose name was Abraham Wilson, the sum of thirty-six dollars, and that if I would set in and work out the note, so as to lift it for him, he would discharge me from his service, and I might go free. I agreed to do this, and went immediately to the man who held my father’s note, and contracted with him to work six months for it. I set in, and worked with all my might, not losing a single day in the six months. When my time was out, I got my father’s note, and then declined working with the man any longer, though he wanted to hire me mighty bad. The reason was, it was a place where a heap of bad company met to drink and gamble, and I wanted to get away from them, for I know’d very well if I staid there, I should get a bad name, as nobody could be respectable that would live there. I therefore returned to my father, and gave him up his paper,

46

THE LIFE OF

which seemed to please him mightily, for though he was poor, he was an honest man, and always tried mighty hard to pay off his debts.

I next went to the house of an honest old Qua¬ ker, by the name of John Kennedy, who had re¬ moved from North Carolina, and proposed to hire myself to him, at two shillings a day. He agreed to take me a week on trial ; at the end of which he appeared pleased with my work, and in¬ formed me that he held a note on my father for forty dollars, and that he would give me that note if I would work for him six months. I was cer¬ tain enough that I should never get any part of the note ; but then I remembered it was my father that owed it, and I concluded it was my duty as a child to help him along, and ease his lot as much as I could. I told the Quaker I would take him up at his offer, and immediately went to work. I never visited my father’s house during the whole time of this engagement, though he lived only fifteen miles off. But when it was finished, and I had got the note, I borrowed one of my em¬ ployer’s horses, and, on a Sunday evening, went to pay my parents a visit. Some time after I got there, I pulled out the note and handed it to my father, who supposed Mr. Kennedy had sent it for collection. The old man looked mighty sorry,

DAVID CROCKETT.

47

and said to me he had not the money to pay it, and didn’t know what he should do. I then told him I had paid it for him, and it was then his own ; that it was not presented for collection, but as a present from me. At this, he shed a heap of tears ; and as soon as he got a little over it, he said he was sorry he couldn’t give me any thing, but he was not able, he was too poor.

The next day, I went back to my old friend, the Quaker, and set in to work for him for some clothes; for I had now worked a year without getting any money at all, and my clothes were nearly all worn out, and what few I had left were mighty indifferent. I worked in this way for about two months; and in that time a young woman from North Carolina, who was the Qua¬ ker’s niece, came on a visit to his house. And now I am just getting on a part of my history that I know I never can forget. For though I have heard people talk about hard loving, yet I reckon no poor devil in this world was ever cursed with such hard love as mine has always been, when it came on me. I soon found myself head over heels in love with this girl, whose name the public could make no use of ; and I thought that if all the hills about there were pure chink, and all be-

THE LIFE OF

48

lougecl to me, I would give them if I could just talk to her as I wanted to ; but I was afraid to begin, for when I would think of saying any thing to her, my heart, would begin to flutter like a duck in a puddle; and if I tried to outdo it and speak, it would get right smack up in my throat, and choak me like a cold potatoe. It bore on my mind in this way, till at last I concluded I must die if I didn’t broach the subject; and so I determined to begin and hang on a trying to speak, till my heart would get out of my throat one way or t’other. And so one day at it I went, and after several trials I could say a little. I told her how well I loved her ; that she was the darling object of my soul and body ; and I must have her, or else I should pine down to nothing, and just die away with the consumption.

I found my talk was not disagreeable to her ; but she was an honest girl, and didn’t want to deceive nobody. She told me she was engaged to her cousin, a son of the old Quaker. This news was worse to me than war, pestilence, or famine ; but still I knowed I could not help myself. I saw quick enough my cake was dough, and I tried to cool olf as fast as possible ; but I had hardly safety pipes enough, as my love was so hot

DAVID CROCKETT. 49

as mighty nigh to burst my boilers. But I didn’t press my claims any more, seeing there was no chance to do any thing.

I began now to think, that all my misfortunes growed out of my want of learning.- I had never been to school but four days, as the reader has already seen, and did not yet know a letter.

I thought I would try to go to school some ; and as the Quaker had a married son, who was living about a mile and a half from him, and keeping a school, I proposed to him that I would go to school four days in the week, and work for him the other two, to pay my board and schooling. He agreed I might come on those terms ; and so at it I went, learning and working back and forwards, until I had been with him nigh on to six months. In this time I learned to read a little in my primer, to write my own name, and to cypher some in the three first rules in figures. And this was all the schooling I ever had in my life, up to this day. I should have continued longer, if it hadn’t been that I concluded I couldn’t do any longer without a wife ; and so I cut out to hunt me one.

I found a family of very pretty little girls that I had known when very young. They had lived in the same neighborhood with me, and I had thought very well of them. I made an offer to

E

50 the life of

one of them, whose name is nobody’s business, no more than the Quaker girl’s was, and I found she took it very well. I still continued paying my respects to her, until I got to love her as bad as I had the Quaker’s niece ; and I would have agreed to fight a whole regiment of wild cats if she would only have said she would have me. Several months passed in this way, during all of which time she continued very kind and friendly. At last, the son of the old Quaker and my first girl had concluded to bring their matter to a close, and my little queen and myself were called on to wait on them. We went on the day, and performed our duty as attendants. This made me worse than ever ; and after it was over, I pressed my claim very hard on her, but she would still give me a sort of an evasive answer. However, I gave her mighty little peace, till she told me at last she would have me. I thought this was glo¬ rification enough, even without spectacles. I was then about eighteen years old. We fixed the time to be married ; and I thought if that day come, I should be the happiest man in the created world, or in the moon, or any where else.

I had by this time got to be mighty fond of the rifle, and had bought a capital one. I most generally carried her with me whereever I went,

DAVID CROCKETT.

51

and though I bad got back to the old Quaker’s to live, who was a very particular man, I would sometimes slip out and attend the shooting matches, where they shot for beef ; I always tried, though, to keep it a secret from him. He had at the same time a bound boy living with him, who I had gotten into almost as great a notion of the girls as myself. He was about my own age, and was deeply smitten with the sister to my intended wife. I know’d it was in vain to try to get the leave of the old man for my young associate to go with me on any of my courting frolics ; but I thought I could fix a plan to have him along, which would not injure the Quaker, as we had no notion that he should ever know it. We commonly slept up-stairs, and at the gable end of the house there was a window. So one Sunday, when the old man and his family were all gone to meeting, we went out and cut a long pole, and, taking it to the house, we set it up on end in the corner, reaching up the chimney as high as the window. After this we would go up¬ stairs to bed, and then putting on our Sunday clothes, would go out at the window, and climb down the pole, take a horse apiece, and ride about ten miles to where his sweetheart lived, and the girl I claimed as my wife. I was always mighty

52

THE LIFE OF

careful to be back before day, so as to escape being found out ; and in this way I continued my attentions very closely until a few days before I was to be married, or at least thought I was, for I had no fear that any thing was about to go wrong.

Just now I heard of a shooting-match in the neighbourhood, right between where I lived and my girl’s house; and I determined to kill two birds with one stone, — to go to the shooting match first, and then to see her. I therefore made the Quaker believe I was going to hunt for deer, as they were pretty plenty about in those parts ; but, instead of hunting them, I went straight on to the shooting- match, where I joined in with a partner, and we put in several shots for the beef. I was mighty lucky, and when the match was over I had won the whole beef. This was on a Saturday, and my success had put me in the finest humour in the world. So I sold my part of the beef for five dollars in the real grit, for I believe that was before bank-notes was invented ; at least, I had never heard of any. I now started on to ask for my wife ; for, though the next Thursday was our wedding day, I had never said a word to her pa¬ rents about it. X had always dreaded the under¬ taking so bad, that I had put the evil hour off as

DAVID CROCKETT.

53

long as possible ; and, indeed, I calculated they knowed me so well, they wouldn’t raise any. ob¬ jection to having me for their son-in-law. I had a great deal better opinion of myself, I found, than other people had of me ; but I moved on with a light heart, and my five dollars jingling in my pocket, thinking all the time there was but few greater men in the world than myself.

In this flow of good humour I went ahead, till I got within about two miles of the place, when I concluded I would stop awhile at the house of the girl’s uncle ; where I might enquire about the family, and so forth, and so on. I was indeed just about ready to consider her uncle, my uncle ; and her affairs, my affairs. When I went in, tho’, I found her sister there. I asked how all was at home ? In a minute I found from her countenance something was wrong. She looked mortified, and didn’t answer as quick as I thought she ought, being it was her brother-in-law talking to her. However, I asked her again. She then burst into tears, and told me her sister was going to deceive me ; and that she was to be married to another man the next day. This was as sudden to me as a clap of thunder of a bright sunshiny day. It was the cap-stone of all the afflictions I had ever

e 2

THE LIFE OF

54

met with ; and it seemed to me, that it was more than any human creature could endure. It struck me perfectly speechless for some time, and made me feel so weak, that I thought I should sink down. I however recovered from my shock after a little, and rose and started without any cere¬ mony, or even bidding any body good-bye. The young woman followed me out to the gate, and entreated me to go on to her father’s, and said she would go with me. She said the young man, who was going to marry her sister, had got his license, and had asked for her ; but she assured me her father and mother both preferred me to him ; and that she had no doubt but that, if I would go on, I could break off the match. But I found I could go no further. My heart was bruised, and my spirits were broken down ; so I bid her farewell, and turned my lonesome and miserable steps back again homeward, concluding that I was only born for hardships, misery, and disappointment. I now began to think, that in making me, it was entirely forgotten to make my mate ; that I was born odd, and should always remain so, and that nobody would have me.

But all these reflections did not satisfy my mind, for I had no peace day nor night for several

DAVID CROCKETT.

55

weeks. My appetite failed me, and I grew daily worse and worse. They all thought I was sick ; and so I was. And it was the worst kind of sick¬ ness, — a sickness of the heart, and all the tender parts, produced by disappointed love.

CHAPTER IV.

I continued in this down-spirited situation for a good long time, until one day I took my rifle and started a hunting. While out, I made a call at the house of a Dutch widow, who had a daughter that was well enough as to smartness, but she was as ugly as a stone fence. She was, how¬ ever, quite talkative, and soon begun to laugh at me about my disappointment.

She seemed disposed, though, to comfort me as much as she could ; and, for that purpose, told me to keep in good heart, that (< there was as good fish in the sea as had ever been caught out of it.” I doubted this very much ; but whether or not, I was certain that she was not one of them, for she was so homely that it almost give me a pain in the eyes to look at her.

But I couldn’t help thinking, that she had in¬ tended what she had said as a banter for me to court her ! ! ! — the last thing in creation I could

58

THE LIFE OF

have thought of doing. I felt little inclined to talk on the subject, it is true ; but, to pass off the time, I told her I thought I was born odd, and that no fellow to me could be found. She . pro¬ tested against this, and said if I would come to their reaping, which was not far off, she would show me one of the prettiest little girls there 1 had ever seen. She added that the one who had deceived me was nothing to be compared with her. I didn’t believe a word of all this, for I had thought that such a piece of flesh and blood as she was had never been manufactured, and never would again. I agreed with her, though, that the little varment had treated me so bad, that I ought to forget her, and yet I couldn’t do it I con¬ cluded the best way to accomplish it was to cut out again, and see if I could find any other that would answer me ; and so I told the Dutch girl I would be at the reaping, and would bring as many as I could with me.

I employed my time pretty generally in giving information of it, as far as I could, until the day came ; and I then offered to work for my old friend, the Quaker, two days, if he would let his bound boy go with me one to the reaping. He refused, and reproved me pretty considerable roughly for my proposition ; and said, if he was

DAVID CROCKETT.

59

in my place he wouldn’t go ; that there would be a great deal of bad company there ; and that I had been so good a boy, he would be sorry for me to get a bad name. But I knowed my promise to the Dutch girl, and I was resolved to fulfd it ; so I shouldered my rifle, and started by myself. When I got to the place, I found a large company of men and women, and among them an old Irish woman, who had a great deal to say. I soon found out from my Dutch girl, that this old lady was the mother of the little girl she had promised me, though I had not yet seen her. She was in an out¬ house with some other youngsters, and had not yet made her appearance. ,Her mamma, however, was no way bashful. She came up to me, and ilJegan,to praise rny red cheeks, and said she had a sweetheart for me. I had no doubt she had been told what I come for, and all about it. In the evening I was introduced to her daughter, and I must confess, I was plaguy well . pleased with her from the word go. She had a good coun¬ tenance, and was very pretty, and I was full bent on making up an acquaintance with her.

It was not long before the dancing commenced, and I asked her to join me in a reel. She very readily consented to do so ; and after we had finished our dance, I took a seat alongside of

60

THE LIFE OF

her, and entered into a talk. I found her very interesting ; while I was setting by her, making as good a use of my time as I could, her mothei came to us, and very jocularly called me her son- in-law. This rather confused me, but I looked on it as a joke of the old lady, and tried to turn it off as well as I could ; but I took care to pay as much attention to her through the evening as I could. I went on the old saying, of salting the cow to catch the calf. I soon become so much pleased with this little girl, that I began to think the Dutch girl had told me the truth, when she said there was still good fish in the sea.

We continued our frolic till near day, when we joined in some plays, calculated to amuse youngsters. I had not often spent a more agreeable night. In the morning, however, we all had to part ; and I found my mind had become much bet¬ ter reconciled than it had been for a long time. I went home to the Quaker’s, and made a bargain to work with his son for a low-priced horse. He was the first one I had ever owned, and I was to work six months for him. I had been engaged very closely five or six weeks, when this little girl run in my mind so, that I concluded I must go and see her, and find out what sort of people they were at home. I mounted my horse and

DAVID CROCKETT.

61

away I went to where she lived, and when I got there 1 found her father a very clever old man, and the old woman as talkative as ever. She wanted badly to find out all about me, and as I thought to see how I would do for her girl. 1 had not yet seen her about, and I began to feel some anxiety to know where she was.

In a short time, however, my impatience was relieved, as she arrived at home from a meeting to which she had been. There was a young man with her, who I soon found was disposed to set up claim to her, as he was so attentive to her that I could hardly get to slip in a word edgeways. I began to think I was barking up the wrong tree again ; but I was determined to stand up to my rack, fodder or no fodder. And so, to know her mind a little on the subject, I began to talk about starting, as I knowed she would then show some sign, from which I could understand which way the wind blowed. It was then near night, and my distance was fifteen miles home. At this my little girl soon began to indicate to the other gen¬ tleman that his room would be the better part of his company. At length she left him, and came to me, and insisted mighty hard that I should not go that evening ; and, indeed, from all her actions

and the attempts she made to get rid of him, I saw

F

62

THE LIFE OF

that she preferred me all holler. But it wasn’t long before I found trouble enough in another quarter. Her mother was deeply enlisted for my rival, and I had to fight against her influence as well as his. But the girl herself was the prize I was fighting for ; and as she welcomed me, I was determined to lay siege to her, let what would happen. I commenced a close courtship, having cornered her from her old beau ; while he set off, looking on, like a poor man at a country frolic, and all the time almost gritting his teeth with pure disappointment. But he didn’t dare to at¬ tempt any thing more, for now I had gotten a start, and I looked at him every once in a while as fierce as a wikl-cat. I staid with her until Mon¬ day morning, and then I put out for home.

It was about two weeks after this that I was sent for to engage in a wolf hunt, where a great number of men were to meet, with their dogs and guns, and where the best sort of sport was expected. I went as large as life, but I had to hunt in strange woods, and in a part of the country which was very thinly inhabited. While I was out it clouded up, and I began to get scared ; and in a little while I was so much so, that I didn’t know which way home was, nor any thing about it. I set out the way I thought it was, but it turned out with me,

DAVID CROCKETT.

63

as it always does with a lost man, I was wrong, and took exactly the contrary direction from the right one. And for the information of young hunters, I will just say, in this place, that when¬ ever a fellow gets bad lost, the way home is just the way he don’t think it is. This rule will hit nine times out of ten. I went ahead, though, about six or seven miles, when I found night was coming on fast ; but at this distressing time I saw a little woman streaking it along through the woods like all wrath, and so I cut on too, for I was determined I wouldn’t lose sight of her that night any more. I run on till she saw me, and she stopped ; for she was as glad to see me as I was to see her, as she was lost as well as me. When I came up to her, who should she be but my little girl, that I had been paying my respects to. She had been out hunting her father’s horses, and had missed her way, and had no knowledge where she was, or how far it was to any house, or what way would take us there. She had been travelling all day, and was mighty tired ; and I would have taken her up, and toated her, if it hadn’t been that I wanted her just where I could see her all the time, for I thought she looked sweeter than sugar ; and by this time I loved her almost well enough to eat her.

64

THE LIFE OF

At last I came to a path, that I know’d must go somewhere, and so we followed it, till we came to a house, at about dark. Here we staid all night. I set up all night courting ; and in the morning we parted. She went to her hopie, from which we were distant about seven miles, and I to mine, which was ten miles off.

I now turned in to work again $ and it was about four weeks before I went back to see her. I continued to go occasionally, until I had worked long enough to pay for my horse, by putting in my gun with my work, to the man I had pur¬ chased from ; and then I began to count whether I was to be deceived again or not. At our next meeting we set the day for our wedding ; and I went to my father’s, and made arrangements for an infair, and returned to ask her parents for her. When I got there, the old lady appeared to be mighty wrathy ; and when I broached the subject, she looked at me as savage as a meat axe. The old man appeared quite willing, and treated me very clever. But I hadn’t been there long, be¬ fore the old woman as good as ordered me out of her house. I thought I would put her in mind of old times, and see how that would go with her. I told her she had called me her son-in-law before I had attempted to call her my mother-in-law

DAVID CROCKETT.

65

and I thought she ought to cool off. But her Irish was up too high to do any thing with her, and so I quit trying. All I cared for was, to have her daughter on my side, which I knowed was the case then ; but how soon some other fellow might knock my nose out of joint again, I couldn’t tell. I however felt rather insulted at the old lady, and I thought I wouldn’t get married in her house. And so I told her girl, that I would come the next Thursday, and bring a horse, bridle, and saddle for her, and she must be ready to go. Her mother declared I shouldn’t have her ; but I know’d I should, if somebody else didn’t get her before Thursday. I then started, bidding them good day, and went by the house of a justice of the peace, who lived on the way to my father’s, and made a bargain with him to marry me.

When Thursday came, all necessary arrange¬ ments were made at my father’s to receive my wife ; and so I took my eldest brother and his wife, and another brother, and a single sister that I had, and two other young men with me, and cut out to her father’s house to get her. We went on, until we got within two miles of the place, where we met a large company that had heard of the wedding, and were waiting. Some of that company went on with my brother and sis-

F 2

66

THE LIFE OF

ter, and the young man I had picked out to wait on me. When they got there, they found the old lady as wrathy as ever. However the old man filled their bottle, and the young men returned in a hurry. I then went on with my company, and when I arrived I never pretended to dismount from my horse, but rode up to the door, and asked the girl if she was ready ; and she said she was. I then told her to light on the horse I was leading ; and she did so. Her father, though, had gone out to the gate, and when I started he commenced persuading me to stay and marry there ; that he was entirely willing to the match, and that his wife, like most women, had entirely too much tongue ; but that I oughtn’t to mind her. I told him if she would ask me to stay and marry at her house, I would do so. With that he sent for her, and after they had talked for some time out by themselves, she came to me and looked at me mighty good, and asked my pardon for what she had said, and invited me stay. She said it was the first child she had ever had to marry ; and she couldn’t bear to see her go off in that way ; that if I would light, she would do the best she could for us. I couldn’t stand every thing, and so I agreed, and we got down, and went in. I sent off then for my parson, and got married in a short

DAVID CROCKETT.

67

time ; for I was afraid to wait long, for fear of another defeat. We had as good treatment as could be expected ; and that night all went on well. The next day we cut out for my father’s, where we met a large company of people, that had been waiting a day and a night for our arrival. We passed the time quite merrily, until the company broke up ; and having gotten my wife, I thought I was completely made up, and needed nothing more in the whole world. But I soon found this was all a mistake — for now having a wife, 1 wanted every thing else ; and, worse than all, I had nothing to give for it.

I remained a few days at my father’s, and then went back to my new father-in-law’s ; where, to my surprise, I found my old Irish mother in the finest humour in the world.

She gave us two likely cows and calves, which, though it was a small marriage-portion, was still better than I had expected, and, indeed, it was about all I ever got. I rented a small farm and cabin, and went to work ; but I had much trouble to find out a plan to get any thing to put in my house. At this time, my good old friend the Quaker came forward to my assistance, and gave me an order to a store for fifteen dollars’ worth of such things as my little wife might choose. With

68

THE LIFE OF

this, we fixed up pretty grand, as we thought, and allowed to get on very well. My wife had a good wheel, and knowed exactly how to use it. She was also a good weaver, as most of the Irish are, whether men or women ; and being very indus¬ trious with her wheel, she had, in little or no time, a fine web of cloth, ready to make up ; and she was good at that too, and at almost any thing else that a woman could do.

We worked on for some years, renting ground, and paying high rent, until I found it wan’t the thing it was cracked up to be ; and that I couldn’t make a fortune at it just at all. So I concluded to quit it, and cut out for some new country. In this time we had two sons, and I found I was better at increasing my family than my fortune. It was therefore the more necessary that I should hunt some better place to get along ; and as I knowed I would have to move at some time, I thought it was better to do it before my family got too large, that I might have less to carry.

The Duck and Elk river country was just be¬ ginning to settle, and I determined to try that. I had now one old horse, and a couple of two year old colts. They were both broke to the halter, and my father-in-law proposed, that, if I

DAVID CROCKETT.

G9

went, he would go with me, and take one horse to help me move. So we all fixed up, and I packed my two colts with as many of my things as they could bear ; and away we went across the mountains. We got on well enough, and arrived safely in Lincoln county, on the head of the Mulberry fork of Elk river. I found this a very rich country, and so new, that game, of different sorts, was very plenty. It was here that I began to distinguish myself as a hunter, and to lay the foundation for all my future greatness ; but mighty little did I know of what sort it was going to be. Of deer and smaller game I killed abundance; but the bear had been much hunted in those parts before, and were not so plenty as I could have wished. I lived here in the years 1809 and 710, to the best of my recollection, and then I moved to Franklin county, and settled on Beans creek, where I re¬ mained till after the close of the last war.

( 71 )

CHAPTER V.

I was living ten miles below Winchester when the Creek war commenced ; and as military men are making so much fuss in the world at this time, I must give an account of the part I took in the defence of the country. If it should make me president, why I can’t help it ; such things will sometimes happen ; and my pluck is, never “ to seek, nor decline office.”

It is true, I had a little rather not : but yet, if the government can’t get on without taking another president from Tennessee, to finish the work of u retrenchment and reform,” why, then, I reckon I must go in for it. But I must begin about the war, and leave the other matter for the people to begin on.

The Creek Indians had commenced their open hostilities by a most bloody butchery at Fort Mimms. There had been no war among us for so long, that but few, who were not too old to bear arms, knew any thing about the business. I,

72 THE LIFE OF

for one, had often thought about war, and had often heard it described ; and I did verily be¬ lieve in my own mind, that I couldn’t fight in that way at all ; but my after experience con¬ vinced me that this was all a notion. For when I heard of the mischief which was done at the fort, I instantly felt like going, and I had none of the dread of dying that I expected to feel. In a few days a general meeting of the militia was called for the purpose of raising volunteers ; and when the day arrived for that meeting, my wife, who had heard me say I meant to go to the war, be¬ gan to beg me not to turn out. She. said she was a stranger in the parts where we lived, had no connexions living near her, and that she and our little children would be left in a lonesome and unhappy situation if I went away. It was mighty hard to go against such arguments as these ; but my countrymen had been murdered, and I knew

that the next thing would be, that the Indians

.

would be scalping the women and children all about there, if we didn’t put a stop to it. I rea¬ soned the case with her as well as I could, and told her, that if every man would wait till his wife got willing for him to go to war, there would be no fighting done, until we would all be killed in our own houses ; that I was as able to go as

DAVID CROCKETT.

73

any man in the world ; and that I believed it was a duty I owed to my country. Whether she was satisfied with this reasoning or not, she did not tell me ; but seeing I was bent on it, all she did was to cry a little, and turn about to her work. The truth is, my dander was up, and nothing but war could bring it right again.

I went to Winchester, where the muster was to be, and a great many people had collected, for there was as much fuss among the people about the war as there is now about moving the de- posites. When the men were paraded, a lawyer by the name of Jones addressed us, and closed by turning out himself, and enquiring, at the same time, who among ns felt like we could fight In¬ dians ? This was the same Mr. Jones who after¬ wards served in Congress, from the state of Ten¬ nessee. He informed us he wished to raise a company, and that then the men should meet and elect their own officers. I believe I was about the second or third man that step’d out ; but on marching up and down the regiment a few times, we found we had a large company. We volun¬ teered for sixty days, as it was supposed our services would not be longer wanted. A day or two after this we met and elected Mr. Jones our captain, arid also elected our other officers. We

G

74 THE LIFE OF

then received orders to start on the next Monday week ; before which time, I had fixed as well as I could to go, and my wife had equip’d me as well as she was able for the camp. The time arrived ; I took a parting farewell of my wife and my lit¬ tle boys, mounted my horse, and set sail, to join my company. Expecting to be gone only a short time, I took no more clothing with me than I supposed would be necessary, so that if I got into an Indian battle, I might not be pestered with any unnecessary plunder, to prevent my having a fair shake with them. We all met and went ahead, till we passed Huntsville, and camped at a large spring called Beaty’s spring. Here we staid for several days, in which time the troops began to collect from all quarters. At last we "mustered about thirteen hundred strong, all mounted volun¬ teers, and all determined to fight, judging from myself, for I felt wolfish all over. I verily be- lieve the whole army was of the real grit. Our captain didn’t want any other sort ; and to try them he several times told his men, that if any of them wanted to go back home, they might do so at any time, before they were regularly mustered into the service. But he had the honour to com¬ mand all his men from first to last, as not one of them left him.

DAVID CROCKETT.

75

Gen’]. Jackson had not yet left Nashville with his old foot volunteers, that had gone with him to Natchez in 1S12, the year before. While we re¬ mained at the spring, a Major Gibson came, and wanted some volunteers to go with him across the Tennessee river and into the Creek nation, to find out the movements of the Indians. He came to my captain, and asked for two of his best woods¬ men, and such as were best with a rifle. The cap¬ tain pointed me out to him, and said he would be security that I would go as far as the major would himself, or any other man. I willingly engaged to go with him, and asked him to let me choose my own mate to go with me, which he said I might do. I chose a young man by the name of George Russell, a son of old Major Russell, of Tennessee. I called him up, but Major Gibson said he thought he hadn’t beard enough to please him, — he want¬ ed men, and not boys. I must confess I was a lit¬ tle nettled at this ; for I know’d George Russell, and I know’d there was no mistake in him ; and I didn’t think that courage ought to be measured by the beard, for fear a goat would have the prefer¬ ence over a man. I told the major he was on the wrong scent ; that Russell could go as far as he could, and I must have him along. He saw I was a little wrathy, and said I had the best chance of

THE LIFE OF

76

knowing, and agreed that it should be as I wanted it. He told us to be ready early in the morning for a start ; and so we were. We took our camp equipage, mounted our horses, and, thirteen in number, including the major, we cut out. We went on, and crossed the Tennessee river at a place called Ditto’s Landing ; and then traveled about seven miles further, and took up camp for the night. Here a man by the name of John Haynes overtook us. He had been an Indian trader in that part of the nation, and was well ac¬ quainted with it. He went with us as a pilot. The next morning, however, Major Gibson and myself concluded we should separate and take different directions to see what discoveries we could make ; so he took seven of the men, and I five, making thirteen in all, including myself. He was to go by the house of a Cherokee Indian, named Dick Brown, and I was to go by Dick’s father’s ; and getting all the information we could, we were to meet that evening where the roads came together, fifteen miles the other side of Brown’s. At old Mr. Brown’s I got a half blood Cherokee to agree to go with me, whose name was Jack Thomp¬ son. He was not then ready to start, but was to fix that evening, and overtake us at the fork road where I was to meet Major Gibson. I know’d it

DAVID CROCKETT.

77

wouldn’t he safe to camp right at the road ; and so I told Jack, that when he got to the fork he must holler like an owl, and I would answer him in the same way ; for I know’d it would be night before he got there. I and my men then started, and went on to the place of meeting, but Major Gibson was not there. We waited till almost dark, but still he didn’t come. We then left the Indian trace a little dis¬ tance, and turning into the head of a hollow, we struck up camp. It was about ten o’clock at night, when I heard my owl, and I answered him. Jack soon found us, and we determined to rest there during the night. We staid also next morning till after breakfast : but in vain, for the major didn’t still come.

I told the men we had set out to hunt a fight, and I wouldn’t go back in that way ; that we must go ahead, and see what the red men were at. We started, and went to a Cherokee town about twenty miles off ; and after a short stay there, we pushed on to the house of a man by the name of Radcliff. He was a white man, but had married a Creek woman, and lived just in the edge of the Creek nation. He had two sons, large likely fel¬ lows, and a great deal of potatoes and corn, and, indeed, almost every thing else to go on ; so we

g 2

fed our horses and got dinner with him, and seemed to be doing mighty well. But he was bad scared all the time. He told us there had been ten painted warriors at his house only an hour before, and if we were discovered there, they would hill us, and his family with us. I replied to him, that my business was to hunt for just such fellows as he had described, and I was de¬ termined not to go back until I had done it. Our dinner being over, we saddled up our horses, and made ready to start. But some of my small company I found were disposed to return. I told them, if we were to go back then, we should never hear the last of it ; and I was determined to go ahead. I knowed some of them would go with me, and that the rest were afraid to go back by themselves ; and so we pushed on to the camp of some of the friendly Creeks, which was dis¬ tant about eight miles. The moon was about the full, and the night was clear ; we therefore had the benefit of her light from night to morning, and I knew if we were placed in such danger as to make a retreat necessary, we could travel by night as well as in the day time.

We had not gone very far, when we met two negroes, well mounted on Indian ponies, and each with a good rifle. They had been taken from

DAVID CROCKETT.

79

their owners by the Indians, and were running away from them, and trying to get back to their masters again. They were brothers, both very large and likely, and could talk Indian as well as English. One of them I sent on to Ditto’s Land¬ ing, the other I took back with me. It was after dark when we got to the camp, where we found about forty men, women, and children.

They had bows and arrows, and I turned in to shooting with their boys by a pine light. In this way we amused ourselves very well for a while ; hut at last the negro, who had been talking to the Indians, came to me and told me they were very much alarmed, for the “red sticks,” as they called the war party of the Creeks, would come and find us there ; and, if so, we should all be killed. I directed him to tell them that I would watch, and if one would come that night, I would carry the skin of his head home to make me a mockasin. When he made this communication, the Indians laughed aloud. At about ten o’clock at night we all concluded to try to sleep a little ; but that our horses might be ready for use, as the treasurer said of the drafts on the United States’ bank, on cer¬ tain “ contingences,” we tied them up with our saddles on them, and every thing to our hand, if in the night our quarters should get uncomfort-

80

THE LIFE OF

able. We lay down with our guns in our arms, and I had just gotten into a dose of sleep, when I heard the sharpest scream that ever escaped the

throat of a human creature. It was more like a

%

wrathy painter than any thing else. The negro understood it, and he sprang to me ; for tho’ I heard the noise well enough, yet I wasn’t wide awake enough to get up. So the negro caught me, and said the red sticks was coming. I rose quicker then, and asked what was the matter ? Our negro had gone and talked with the Indian who had just fetched the scream, as he come into camp, and learned from him, that the war party had been crossing the Coosa river all day at the Ten islands ; and were going on to meet Jack- son, and this Indian had come as a runner. This news very much alarmed the friendly Indians in camp, and they were all off in a few minutes. I felt bound to make this intelligence known as soon as possible to the army we had left at the landing ; and so we all mounted our horses, and put out in a long lope to make our way back to that place. We were about sixty-five miles off. We went on to the same Cherokee town- we had visited on our way out, having first called at Rad- cliff’s, who was off with his family ; and at the the town we found large fires burning, but not a

DAVID CROCKETT.

81

single Indian was to be seen. They w-ere all gone. These circumstances were calculated to lay our dander a little, as it appeared we must be in great danger ; though we could easily have licked any force of not more than five to one. But we ex¬ pected the whole nation would be on us, and against such fearful odds we were not so rampant for a fight.

We therefore staid only a short time in the light of the fires about the town, preferring the light of the moon and the shade of the woods. We pushed on till we got again to old Mr. Brown’s, which was still about thirty miles from where we had left the main army. When we got there, the chickens were just at the first crowing for day. We fed our horses, got a morsel to eat ourselves, and again cut out. About ten o’clock in the morning we reached the camp, and I reported to Col. Coffee the news. He didn’t seem to mind my report a bit, and this raised my dander higher than ever ; but I knowed I had to be on my best behaviour, and so I kept it all to myself ; though I was so mad that I was burning inside like a tar- kiln, and I wonder that the smoke hadn’t been pouring out of me at all points.

Major Gibson hadn’t yet returned, and we all began to think he was killed ; and that night they

82 THE LIFE OF '

put out a double guard. The next day the major got in, and brought a worse tale than I had, though he stated the same facts, so far as I went. This seemed to put our colonel all in a fidget; and it convinced me, clearly, of one of the hateful ways of the world. When I made my report, it wasn’t believed, because I was no officer ; I was no great man, but just a poor soldier. But when the same thing was reported by Major Gibson ! ! why, then, it was all as true as preaching, and the colonel be¬ lieved it every word.

He, therefore, ordered breastworks to be thrown up, near a quarter of a mile long, and sent an ex¬ press to Fayetteville, where General Jackson and his troops was, requesting them to push on like the very mischief, for fear we should all be cooked up to a cracklin before they could get there. Old Hickory-face made a forced march on getting the news ; and on the next day, he and his men got into camp, with their feet all blistered from the effects of their swift journey. The volunteers, therefore, stood guard altogether, to let them rest.

DAVID CROCKETT.

83

CHAPTER VI.

About eight hundred of the volunteers, and of that number I was one, were now sent back, crossing the Tennessee river, and on through Huntsville, so as to cross the river again at another place, and to get on the Indians in another direction. After we passed Huntsville, we struck on the river at the Muscle Shoals, and at a place on them called Melton’s Bluff. This river is here about two miles wide, and a rough bottom ; so much so, indeed, in many places, as to be dangerous; and in fording it this time, we left several of the horses belonging to our men, with their feet fast in the crevices of the rocks. The men, whose horses were thus left, went ahead on foot. We pushed on till we got to what wa.s called the Black War¬ rior’s town, which stood near the very spot where Tuscaloosa now stands, which is the seat of go¬ vernment for the state of Alabama.

This Indian town was a large one ; but when we arrived we found the Indians had all left it.

84

THE LIFE OF

There was a large field of corn standing out, and a pretty good supply in some cribs. There was also a fine quantity of dried beans, which were very acceptable to us $ and without delay we se¬ cured them as well as the corn, and then burned the town to ashes ; after which we left the place.

In the field where we gathered the corn we saw plenty of fresh Indian tracks, and we had no doubt they had been scared off by our arrival.

We then went on to meet the main army at the fork road, where I was first to have met Major Gibson. We got that evening as far back as the encampment we had made the night before we reached the Black Warrior’s town, which we had just destroyed. The next day we were entirely out of meat. I went to Col. Coffee, who was then in command of us, and asked his leave to hunt as we marched. He gave me leave, but told me to take mighty good care of myself. I turned aside to hunt, and had not gone far when I found a deer that had just been killed and skinned, and his flesh was still warm and smoking. From this I was sure that the Indian who had killed it had been gone only a very few minutes ; and though I was never much in favour of one hunter stealing from another, yet meat was so scarce in camp, that I thought I must go in for it. So I just took up

DAVID CROCKETT.

85

the deer on my horse before me, and carried it on till night. I could have sold it for almost any price I would have asked ; but this wasn’t my rule, neither in peace nor war. Whenever I had any thing, and saw a fellow being suffering, I was more anxious to relieve him than to benefit my¬ self. And this is one of the true secrets of my being a poor man to this day. But it is my way ; and while it has often left me with an empty purse, which is as near the devil as an}r thing else I have seen, yet it has never left my heart empty of con¬ solations which money couldn’t buy, — the conso¬ lations of having sometimes fed the hungry and covered the naked.

I gave all my deer away, except a small part I kept for myself, and just sufficient to make a good supper for my mess ; for meat was getting to be a rarity to us all. We had to live mostly on parched corn. The next day we marched on, and at night took up camp near a large cane brake. While here, I told my mess I would again try for some meat ; so I took my rifle and cut out, but hadn’t gone far, when I discovered a large gang of hogs. I shot one of them down in his tracks, and the rest broke directly towards the camp. In a few minutes, the guns began to roar, as bad as if the whole army had been in an In-

II

THE LIFE OF

86

tliau battle ; and the hogs to squeal as bad as the pig did, when the devil turned barber. I shoul¬ dered my hog, and went on to the camp ; and when I got there I found they had killed a good many of the hogs, and a fine fat cow into the bargain, that had broke out of the cane brake. We did very well that night, and the next morn¬ ing marched on to a Cherokee town, where our officers stop’d, and gave the inhabitants an order on Uncle Sam for their cow, and the hogs we had killed. The next day we met the main army, having had, as we thought, hard times, and a plenty of them, though we had yet seen hardly the beginning of trouble.

After our meeting we went on to Radcliff’s, where I had been before while out as a spy ; and when we got there, we found he had hid all his provisions. We also got into the secret, that he was the very rascal who had sent the runner to the Indian camp, with the news that the “red sticks” were crossing at the Ten Islands ; and that his object was to scare me and my men away, and send us back with a false alarm.

To make some atonement for this, we took the old scroundrelks two big sons with us, and made them serve in the war.

We then marched to a place, which we called

DAVID CROCKETT.

87

Camp Wills ; and here it was that Captain Cannon was promoted to a colonel, and Colonel Coffee to a general. We then marched to the Ten Islands, on the Coosa river, where we established a fort ; and our spy companies were sent out. They soon made prisoners of Bob Catala and his warriors, and, in a few days afterwards, we heard of some Indians in a town about eight miles off. So we mounted our horses, and put out for that town, under the direction of two friendly Creeks we had taken for pilots. We had also a Cherokee colonel, Dick Brown, and some of his men with us. When we got near the town we divided ; one of our pilots going with each division. And so we passed on each side of the town, keeping near to it, until our lines met on the far side. We then closed up at both ends, so as to surround it completely ; and then we sent Captain Ham¬ mond’s company of rangers to bring on the af¬ fray. He had advanced near the town, when the Indians saw him, and they raised the yell, and eame running at him like so many red devils. The main army was now formed in a hollow square around the town, and they pursued Ham¬ mond till they came in reach of us. We then gave them a fire, and they returned it, and then van back into their town. We began to close on

88

THE LIFE OF

the town by making our files closer and closer, and the Indians soon saw they were our pro¬ perty. So most of them wanted us to take them prisoners ; and their squaws and all would run and take hold of any of us they could, and give themselves up. I saw seven squaws have hold of one man, which made me think of the Scrip¬ tures. So I hollered out the Scriptures was ful¬ filling ; that there was seven women holding to one man’s coat tail. But I believe it was a hunt¬ ing-shirt all the time. We took them all prison¬ ers that came out to us in this way ; but I saw some warriors run into a house, until I counted forty- six of them. We pursued them until we got near the house, when we saw a squaw sitting in the door, and she placed her feet against the bow she had in her hand, and then took an arrow, and, raising her feet, she drew with all her might, and let fly at us, and she killed a man, whose name, I believe, was Moore. He was a lieutenant, and his death so enraged us all, that she was fired on, and had at least twenty balls blown through her. This was the first man I ever saw killed with a bow and ar¬ row. We now shot them like dogs ; and then set the house on fire, and burned it up with the forty-six warriors in it. I recollect seeing a boy who was shot down near the house. Ilis

DAVID CROCKETT.

89

arm and thigh was broken, and he was so near the burning house that the grease was stewing out of him. In this situation he was still trying to crawl along ; but not a murmur escaped him, though he was only about twelve years old. So sullen is the Indian, when his dander is up, that he had sooner die than make a noise^ or ask for quarters.

The number that we took prisoners, being added to the number we killed, amounted to one hundred and eighty-six ; though I don’t remem¬ ber the exact number of either. We had five of our men killed. We then returned to our camp, at which our fort was erected, and known by the name of Fort Strother. No provisions had yet reached us, and we had now been for several days on half rations. However we went back to our Indian town on the next day, when many of the carcasses of the Indians were still to be seen. They looked very awful, for the burn¬ ing had not entirely consumed them, but given them a very terrible appearance, at least what re¬ mained of them. It was, somehow or other, found out that the house had a potatoe cellar under it, and an immediate examination was made, for we were all as hungry as wolves. We found a

fine chance of potatoes in it, and hunger compel-

h 2

90

THE LITE OF

led us to eat them, though I had a little rather not, if I could have helped it, for the oil of the Indians we had burned up on the day before had run down on them, and they looked like they had been stewed with fat meat. We then again re¬ turned to the army, and remained there for seve¬ ral days almost starving, as all our beef was gone. We commenced eating the beef-hides, and con¬ tinued to eat every scrap we could lay our hands on. At length an Indian came to our guard one night, and hollered, and said lie wanted to see “ Captain Jackson.” He was conducted to the general’s markee, into which he entered, and in a few minutes wre received orders to prepare for marching.

In an hour we were all ready, and took up the line of march. We crossed the Coosa river, and went on in the direction to Fort Taladega. When we arrived near the place, we met eleven hundred painted warriors, the very choice of the Creek na¬ tion. They had encamped near the fort, and had informed the friendly Indians who were in it, that if they didn’t come out, and fight with them against the whites, they would take their fort and all their ammunition and provision. The friendly party asked three days to consider of it, and agreed that if on the third day they didn’t come out

DAVID CROCKETT.

91

ready to fight with them, they might take their fort. Thus they put them off. They then imme¬ diately started their runner to General Jackson, and he and the army pushed over, as I have just before stated.

The camp of warriors had their spies out, and discovered us coming, some time before we got to the fort. They then went to the friendly Indians, and told them Captain Jackson was coming, and had a great many fine horses, and blankets, and guns, and every thing else ; and if they would come out and help to whip him, and to take his plunder, it should all be divided with those in the fort. They promised that when Jackson came, they would then come out and help to whip him. It was about an hour by sun in the morning, when we got near the fort. We were piloted by friend¬ ly Indians, and divided as we had done on a former occasion, so as to go to the right and left of the fort, and, consequently, of the warriors who were camped near it. Our lines marched on, as before, till they met in front, and then closed in the rear, forming again into a hollow square. We then sent on old Major Russell, with his spy company, to bring on the battle ; Capt. Evans’ company went also. When they got near the fort, the top of it was lined with the friendly Indians, crying

92

THE LIFE OF

out as loud as they could roar, “ How-dy-do, brother, how-dy-do ?” They kept this up till Ma¬ jor Russel had passed by the fort, and was moving on towards the- warriors. They were all painted as red as scarlet, and were just as naked as they were born. They had concealed themselves under the bank of a branch, that ran partly around the fort, in the manner of a half moon. Russel was going right into their circle, for he couldn’t see them, while the Indians on the top of the fort were trying every plan to show him his danger. But he couldn’t understand them. At last, two of them jumped from it, and ran, and took his horse by the bridle, and pointing to where they were, told him there were thousands of them lying under the bank. This brought them to a halt, and about this moment the Indians fired on them, and came rushing forth like a cloud of Egyptian locusts, and screaming like all the young devils had been turned loose, with the old devil of all at their head. Russel’s company quit their horses, and took into the fort, and their horses ran up to our line, which was then in full view. The warriors then came yelling on, meeting us, and continued till they were within shot of us, when we fired and killed a considerable number of them. They then broke like a gang of steers, and ran across to

DAVID CROCKETT.

93

our other line, where they were again fired on ; and so we kcnt them running; from one line to the other, constantly under a heavy fire, until we had killed upwards of four hundred of them. They fought with guns, and also with their bows and arrows ; but at length they made their escape through a part of our line, which was made up of drafted militia, which broke ranks, and they passed. We lost fifteen of our men, as brave fellows as ever lived or died. We buried them all in one grave, and started back to our fort ; but before we got there, two more of our men died of wounds they had received ; making our total loss seven¬ teen good fellows in that battle.

We now remained at the fort a few days, but no provision came yet, and we were all likely to perish. The weather also began to get very cold ; and our clothes were nearly worn out, and horses getting very feeble and poor. Our officers pro¬ posed to Gen’l. Jackson to let us return home and get fresh horses, and fresh clothing, so as to be better prepared for another campaign ; for our sixty days had long been out, and that was the time we entered for.

But the general took “ the responsibility” on himself, and refused. We were, however, deter¬ mined to go, as I am to put back the deposites, if

94

THE LIFE 0.

I can. With this, the general issued his orders against it, as he has against the bank. But we began to fix for a start, as provisions were too scarce ; just as Clay, and Webster, and myself are preparing to fix bank matters, on account of the scarcity of money. The general went and placed his cannon on a bridge we had to cross, and or¬ dered out his regulars and drafted men to keep us from crossing ; just as he has planted his Globe and K. C. to alarm the bank men, while his regu¬ lars and militia in Congress are to act as artillery men. But when the militia started to guard the bridge, they would holler back to us to bring their knapsacks along when we come, for they wanted to go as bad as we did ; just as many a good fellow now wants his political knapsack brought along, that if, when we come to vote, he sees he has a fair shake to go, he may join in and help us to take back the deposites.

We got ready and moved on till we came near • the bridge, where the general’s men were all strung along on both sides, just like the office¬ holders are now, to keep us from getting along to the help of the country and the people. But we all had our flints ready picked, and our guns ready primed, that if we were fired on we might fight our way through, or all die together ; just

■

DAVID CROCKETT. 95

as we are now determined to save the coun¬ try from ready ruin, or to sink down with it. When we came still nearer the bridge we heard the guards cocking their guns, and we did the salne ; just as we have had it in Congress, while the u government” regulars and the people’s vo¬ lunteers have all been setting their political trig¬ gers. But, after all, we marched boldly on, and not a gun was fired, nor a life lost ; just as I hope it will be again, that we shall not be afraid of the general’s Globe, nor his K. C., nor his regu¬ lars, nor their trigger snapping ; but just march boldly over the executive bridge, and take the deposites back where the law placed them, and where they ought to he. When we had passed, no further attempt was made to stop us ; but the general said, we were “ the damned’st volunteers he had ever seen in his life ; that we would vo¬ lunteer and go out and fight, and then at our pleasure would volunteer and go home again, in spite of the devil.” But we went on ; and near Huntsville we met a reinforcement who were going on to join the army. It consisted of a re¬ giment of volunteers, and was under the com¬ mand of some one whose name I can’t remember. They were sixty-day volunteers.

We got home pretty safely, and in a short time

96

THE LIFE OF

we had procured fresh horses and a supply of clothing better suited for the season ; and then we returned to Fort Deposite, where our officers held a sort of a “ national convention” on the subject of a message they had received from General Jackson, — demanding that on our return we should serve out six months. We had already served three months instead of two, which was the time we had volunteered for. On the next morning the officers reported to us the conclusions they had come to ; and told us, if any of us felt bound to go on and serve out the six months, we could do so ; but that they intended to go back home. I knovved if I went back home I couldn’t rest, for I felt it my duty to be out ; and when out was, somehow or other, always delighted to be in the very thickest of the danger. A few of us, therefore, determined to push on and join the army. The number I do not recollect, but it was very small.

When we got out there, I joined Major Russel’s company of spies. Before we reached the place, General Jackson had started. We went on like¬ wise, and overtook him at a place where we esta¬ blished a fort, called Fort Williams, and leaving men to guard it, we went ahead ; intending to go to a place called the Horse-shoe bend of the Tala-

DAVID CROCKETT.

97

poosa river. When we came near that place, we began to find Indian sign plenty, and we struck up camp for the night. About two hours before day, we heard our guard firing, and we were all up in little or no time. We mended up our camp fires, and then fell back in the dark, expecting to see the Indians pouring in ; and intending, when they should do so, to shoot them by the light of our own fires. But it happened that they did not rush in as we had expected, but commenced a fire on us as we were. We were encamped in a hollow square, and we not only returned the fire, but continued to shoot as well as we could in the dark, till day broke, when the Indians disap¬ peared. The only guide we had in shooting was to notice the flash of their guns, and then shoot as directly at the place as we could guess.

In this scrape we had four men killed, and se¬ veral wounded ; but whether we killed any of - the Indians or not we never could tell, for it is their custom always to carry off their dead, if they can possibly do so. We buried ours, and then made a large log heap over them, and set it on fire, so that the place of their deposite might not be known to the savages, who, we knew, would seek for them, that they might scalp them.

We made some horse litters for our wounded, and

I

98

THE LIFE OF

took up a retreat. We moved on till we came to a large creek which we had to cross ; and about half of our men had crossed, when the Indians commenced firing on our left wing, and they kept it up very warmly. We had left Major Russel and his brother at the camp we had moved from that morning, to see what discovery they could make as to the movements of the Indians ; and about this time, while a warm fire was kept up on our left, as I have just stated, the major came up in our rear, and was closely pursued by a large number of Indians, who immediately commenced a fire on our artillery men. They hid themselves behind a large log, and could kill one of our men almost every shot, they being in open ground and exposed. The worst of all was, two of our colonels just at this trying moment left their men, and by a forced march , crossed the creek out of the reach of the fire. Their names, at this late day, would do the world no good, and my object is history alone, and not the slightest interference with character. An oppor¬ tunity was now afforded for Governor Carroll to distinguish himself, and on this occasion he did so, by greater bravery than I ever saw any other man display. In truth, I believe, as firmly as I do that General Jackson is president, that if it

DAVID CROCKETT.

99

hadn’t been for Carroll, we should all have been genteely licked that time, for we were in a devil of a fix ; part of our men on one side of the creek, and part on the other, and the Indians all the time pouring it on us, as hot as fresh mustard to a sore shin. I will not say exactly that the old general was whip’d ; but I will say, that if we es¬ caped it at all, it was like old Henry Snider going to heaven/4 rnita tarn tite squeeze.” I think he would confess himself, that he was nearer whip’d this time than he was at any other, for I know that all the world couldn’t make him acknowledge that he was pointedly whip’d. I know I was mighty glad when it was over, and the savages quit us, for I had begun to think there was one behind every tree in the woods.

We buried our dead, the number of whom I have also forgotten ; and again made horse litters to carry our wounded, and so we put out, and re¬ turned to Fort Williams, from which place we had started. In the mean time, my horse had got crip¬ pled, and was unfit for service, and as another rein¬ forcement had arrived, I thought they could get along without me for a short time; so I got a furlough and went home, for we had had hard times again on this hunt, and I began to feel as though I had

100

THE LIFE OF

done Indian fighting enough for one time. I re¬ mained at home until after the army had returned to the Horse-shoe bend, and fought the battle there. But not being with them at that time, ot course no history of that fight can be expected of me.

DAVID CROCKETT.

101

CHAPTER VII.

Soon after this, an army was to be raised to go to Pensacola, and I determined to go again with them, for I wanted a small taste of British fight¬ ing, and I supposed they would be there.

Here again the entreaties of my wife were thrown in the way of my going, but all in vain; for I always had a way of just going ahead, at whatever I had a mind to. One of my neigh¬ bours, hearing I had determined to go, came to me, and offered me a hundred dollars to go in his place as a substitute, as he had been drafted. I told him I was better raised than to hire myself out to be shot at ; but that I would go, and' he should go too, and in that way the government would have the services of us both. But we didn’t call General Jackson “ the government” in those days, though we used to go and fight un¬ der him in the war.

I fixed up, and joined old Major Russel again ; but we couldn’t start with the main army, but

i 2

102

THE LIFE OF

followed on, in a little time, after them. In a day or two, we had a hundred and thirty men in our company; and we went over and crossed the Muscle Shoals at the same place where I had crossed when first out, and when we burned the Black Warriors’ town. We passed through the Choctaw and Chickesaw nations, on to Fort Ste¬ phens, and from thence to what is called the Cut-off, at the junction of the Tom-Bigby with the Alabama river. This place is near the old Fort Minims, where the Indians committed the great butchery at the commencement of the war.

We were here about two days behind the main army, who had left their horses at the Cut-off, and taken it on foot ; and they did this because there was no chance for forage between there and Pensacola. We did the same, leaving men enough to take care of our horses, and cut out on foot for that place. It wras about eighty miles off ; but in good heart we shouldered our guns, blankets, and provisions, and trudged merrily on. About twelve o’clock the second day, we reached the encampment of the main army, which was situated on a hill, overlooking the city of Pen¬ sacola. My commander, Major Russel, was a great favourite with Gen’l. Jackson, and our arri¬ val was hailed with great applause, though we

DAVID CROCKETT.

103

were a little after the feast ; for they had taken the town and fort before we got there. That even¬ ing we went dowrn ^into the town, and could see the British fleet lying in sight of the place. We got some liquor, and took a “ horn” or so, and went back to the camp. We remained there that night, and in the morning we marched back to¬ wards the Cut-off. We pursued this direction till we reached old Fort Mimms, where we remained two or three days. It was here that Major Russel was promoted from his command, which was only that of a captain of spies, to the command of a major in the line. He had been known long before at home as old Major Russel, and so we all con¬ tinued to call him in the army. A Major Childs, from East Tennessee, also commanded a battalion, and his and the one Russel was now appointed to command, composed a regiment, which, by agree¬ ment with General Jackson, was to quit his army and go to the south, to kill up the Indians on the Scamby river.

General Jackson and the main army set out the next morning for New Orleans, and a Colonel Blue took command of the regiment which I have before described. We remained, however, a few days after the general’s departure, and then started also on our route.

104

THE LIFE OF

As it gave rise to so much war and blood¬ shed, it may not be improper here to give a little description of Fort Mimms, and the manner in which the Indian war commenced. The fort was built right in the middle of a large old field, and in it the people had been forted so long and so quietly, that they didn’t apprehend any danger at all, and had, therefore, become quite careless. A small negro boy, whose business it was to bring up the calves at milking time, had been out for that purpose, and on coming back, he said he saw a great many Indians. At this the inhabitants took the alarm, and closed their gates and placed out their guards, which they continued for a few days. But finding that no attack was made, they concluded the little negro had lied ; and again threw their gates open, and set all their hands out to work their fields. The same boy was out again on the same errand, when, returning in great haste and alarm, he informed them that he had seen the Indians as thick as trees in the woods. He was not believed, but was tucked up to receive a flogging for the supposed lie ; and was actually getting badly licked at the very moment when the Indians came in a troop, loaded with rails, with which they stop’d all the port-holes of the fort on one side except the bastion ; and then they

DAVID CROCKETT.

105

fell in to cutting down the picketing. Those in¬ side the fort had only the bastion to shoot from, as all the other holes were spiked up ; and they shot several of the Indians, while engaged in cut¬ ting. But as fast as one would fall, another would seize up the axe and chop away, until they suc¬ ceeded in cutting down enough of the picketing to admit them to enter. They then began to rush through, and continued until they were all in. They immediately commenced scalping, without regard to age or sex ; having forced the inhabit¬ ants up to one side of the fort, where they earned on the work of death as a butcher would in a slaughter pen.

The scene was particularly described to me by a jrnung man who was in the fort when it hap¬ pened, and subsequently went on with us to Pensa¬ cola. He said that he saw his father, and mother, his four sisters, and the same number of brothers, all butchered in the most shocking manner, and that he made his escape by running over the heads of the crowd, who were against the fort wall, to the top of the fort, and then jumping off, and taking to the woods. He was closely pursued by several Indians, until he came to a small byo, across which there was a log. He knew the log was hollow on the under side, so he slip’d under

106

THE LIFE OF

the log and hid himself. He said he heard the Indians walk over him several times back and forward. He remained, nevertheless, still till night, when he came out, and finished his escape. The name of this young man has entirely escaped my recollection, though his tale greatly excited my feelings. But to return to my subject. The regiment marched from where Gen’l. Jackson had left us to Fort Montgomery, which was distant from Fort Minims about a mile and a half, and there we remained for some days.

Here we supplied ourselves pretty well with beef, by killing wild cattle which had formerly belonged to the people who perished in ' the fort, but had gone wild after their massacre.

When we marched from Fort Montgomery, we went some distance back towards Pensacola ; then we turned to the left, and passed through a poor piny country, till we reached the Scamby river, near which we encamped. We had about one thousand men, and as a part of that number, one hundred and eighty-six Chickesaw and Choctaw Indians with us. That evening a boat landed from Pensacola, bringing many articles that were both good and necessary j such as sugar and coffee, and liquors of all kinds. The same evening, the Indians we had along pi’oposed to cross the river,

DAVID CROCKETT.

107

and the officers thinking it might be well for them to do so, consented ; and Major Russell went with them, taking sixteen white men, of which number I was one. We camped on the opposite bank that night, and early in the morning we set out. W e had not gone far before we came to a place where the whole country was covered with water, and looked like a sea. We didn’t stop for this, tho’, but just put in like so many spaniels, and waded on, sometimes up to our armpits, until we reached the pine hills, which made our dis¬ tance through the water about a mile and a half. Here we struck up a fire to warm ourselves, for it was cold, and we were chilled through by being so long in the water. We again moved on, keep-- ing our spies out ; two to our left near the bank of the river, two straight before us, and two others on our right. We had gone in this way about six miles up the river, when our spies on the left came to us leaping the brush like so many old bucks, and informed us that they had discovered a camp of Creek Indians, and that we must kill them. Here we paused for a few minutes, and the prophets pow-wowed over their men awhile, and then got out their paint, and painted them, all according to their custom when going into battle. They then brought their paint to old Major Russell, and said

108

THE LIFE OF

to him, that as he was an officer, he must be paint¬ ed too. He agreed, and they painted him just as they had done themselves. We let the Indians understand that we white men would first fire on the camp, and then fall back, so as to give the In¬ dians a chance to rush in and scalp them. The Chickasaws marched on our left hand, and the Choctaws on our right, and we moved on till we got in hearing of the camp, where the Indians were employed in beating up what they called chainy briar root. * On this they mostly sub¬ sisted. On a nearer approach we found they were on an island, and that we could not get to them. While we were chatting about this matter, we heard some guns fired, and in a very short time after a keen whoop, which satisfied us, that where- ever it was, there was war on a small scale. With that we all broke, like quarter horses, for the firing ; and when we got there we found it was our two front spies, who related to us the following story : — As they were moving on, they had met with two Creeks who were out hunting their horses ; as they approached each other, there was a large cluster of green bay bushes exactly between them, so that they were within a few feet of meet¬ ing before either was discovered. Our spies walked up to them, and speaking in the Shawnee

DAVID CROCKETT.

109

tongue, informed them that General Jackson was at Pensacola, and they were making their escape, and wanted to know where they could get some¬ thing to eat. The Creeks told them that nine miles up the Conaker, the river they were then on, there was a large camp of Creeks, and they had cattle and plenty to eat ; and further, that their own camp was on an island about a mile off, and just below the mouth of the Conaker. They held their conversation and struck up a fire, and smoked together, and shook hands, and parted. One of the Creeks had a gun, the other had none $ and as soon as they had parted, our Choctaws turned round and shot down the one that had the gun, and the other attempted to run off. They snapped several times at him, but the gun still missing fire, they took after him, and overtaking him, one of them struck him over the head with his gun, and followed up his blows till he killed him.

The gun was broken in the combat, and they then fired off the gun of the Creek they had killed, and raised the war-whoop. When we reached them, they had cut off the heads of both the In¬ dians ; and each of those Indians with us would walk up to one of the heads, and taking his war club would strike on it. This was done by every one of them ; and when they had got done, I took

K

no

THE LIFE OF

one of their clubs, and walked up as they had done, and struck it on the head also. At this they all gathered round me, and patting me on the shoulder, would call me “ Warrior — warrior.”

They scalped the heads, and then we moved on a short distance to where we found a trace leading in towards the river. We took this trace and pursued it, till we came to where a Spaniard had been killed and scalped, together with a woman, who we supposed to be his wife, and also four children. I began to feel mighty ticklish along about this time, for I knowed if there was no dan¬ ger then, there had been ; and I felt exactly like there still was. We, however, went on till we struck the river, and then continued down it till we came opposite to the Indian camp, whei’e we found they were still beating their roots.

It was now late in the evening, and they were in a thick cane brake. We had some few friendly Creeks with us, who said they could decoy them. So we all hid behind trees and logs, while the at¬ tempt was made. The Indians would not agree that we should fire, but pick’d out some of their best gunners, and placed them near the river. Our Creeks went down to the river’s side, and hailed the camp in the Creek language. We heard an answer, and an Indian man started down to-

DAVID CROCKETT

111

wards the river, but didn’t come in sight. He went back and again commenced beating bis roots, and sent a squaw. She came down, and talked with our Creeks until dark came on. They told her they wanted her to bring them a canoe. To which she replied, that their canoe was on our side ; that two of their men had gone out to hunt their horses and hadn’t yet returned. They were the same two we had killed. The canoe was found, and forty of our picked Indian warriors were crossed over to take the camp. There was at last only one man in it, and he escaped ; and they took two squaws, and ten children, but

killed none of them, of course.

{

We had run nearly out of provisions, and Ma¬ jor Russell had determined to go up the Conaker to the camp we had heard of from the Indians we had killed. I was one that he selected to go down the river that night for provisions, with the canoe, to where we had left our regiment. I took with me a man by the name of John Guess, and one of the friendly Creeks, and cut out. It was very dark, and the river was so full that it overflowed the banks and the adjacent low bottoms. This rendered it very difficult to keep the channel, and particularly as the river was very crooked. At about ten o’clock at night we reached the camp,

112

THE LIFE OF

and were to return by morning to Major Russell, with provisions for his trip up the river ; but on informing Colonel Blue of this arrangement, he vetoed it as quick as General Jackson did the bank bill ; and said, if Major Russell didn’t come back the next day, it would be bad times for him. I found we were not to go up the Conaker to the Indian camp, and a man of my company offered to go up in my place to inform Major Russell. I let him go ; and they reached the major, as I was told, about sunrise in the morning, who immediately returned with those who were with him to the regiment, and joined us where we crossed the river, as hereafter stated.

The next morning we all fixed up, and marohed down the Scamby to a place called Miller’s Land¬ ing, where we swam our horses across, and sent on two companies down on the side of the bay opposite to Pensacola, where the Indians had fled when the main army first marched to that place. One was the company of Captain William Russell, a son of the old major, and the other was com¬ manded by a Captain Trimble. They went on, and had a little skirmish with the Indians. They killed some, and took all the balance prisoners, though I don’t remember the numbers. We again met those companies in a day or two, and sent the pri-

DAVID CROCKETT. H3

soners they had taken on to Fort Montgomery, in charge of some of our Indians.

I did hear, that after they left us, the Indians killed and scalped all the prisoners, and I never heard the report contradicted. I cannot positively say it was true, but I think it entirely probable, for it is very much like the Indian character.

k 2

THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT.

115

CHAPTER VIII.

When we made a move from the point where we met the companies, we set out for Chatahachy, the place for which we had started when we left Fort Montgomery. At the start we had taken only twenty days’ rations of flour, and eight days’ rations of beef ; and it was now thirty-four days before we reached that place. We were, therefore, in extreme suffering for want of something to eat, and exhausted with our exposure and the fatigues of our journey. I remember well, that I had not myself tasted bread but twice in nineteen days. I had bought a pretty good supply of coffee from the boat that had reached us from Pensacola, on the Scamby, and on that we chiefly subsisted. At length, one night our spies came in, and in¬ formed us they had found Holm’s village on the Chatahachy river ; and we made an immediate push for that place. We traveled all night, ex¬ pecting to get something to eat when we got there. We arrived about sunrise, and near the

116

THE LIFE OF

place prepared for battle. We were all so furious, that even the certainty of a pretty hard fight could not have restrained us. We made a furious charge on the town, but to our great mortification and surprise, there wasn’t a human being in it. The Indians had all run off and left it. We burned the town, however ; but, melancholy to tell, we found no provision whatever. We then turned about, and went back to the camp we had left the night before, as nearly starved as any set of poor fellows ever were in the world.

We staid there only a little while, when we divided our regiment ; and Major Childs, with his men, went back the way we had come for a considerable distance, and then turned to Baton- Rouge, where they joined General Jackson and the main army on their return from Orleans. Major Russell and his men struck for Fort Decatur, on the Talapoosa river. Some of our friendly Indians, who knew the country, went on ahead of us, as we had no trail except the one they made to follow. With them we sent some of our ablest horses and men, to get us some provisions, to pre¬ vent us from absolutely starving to death. As the army marched, I hunted every day, and would kill every hawk, bird, and squirrel that I could find. Others did the same ; and it was a rule

DAVID CROCKETT.

117

with us, that when we stop’d at night, the hunters would throw all they killed .in a pile, and then we would make a general division among all the men. One evening I came in, having killed no¬ thing that day. I had a very sick man in my mess, and I wanted something for him to eat, even if I starved myself. So I went to the fire of a Captain Covven, who commanded my company after the promotion of Major Russell, and informed him that I was on the hunt of something for a sick man to eat. I knowed the captain was as bad off as the rest of us, but I found him broiling a turkey’s gizzard. He said he had divided the turkey out among the sick, that Major Smiley had killed it, and that nothing else had been killed that day. I immediately went to Smiley’s fire, where I found him broiling another gizzard. I told him, that it was the first turkey I had ever seen have two gizzards. But so it was, I got nothing for my sick man. And now seeing that every fellow must shift for himself, I determined that in the morning, I would come up missing ; so I took my mess and cut out to go ahead of the army. We know’d that nothing more could happen to us if we went than if we staid, for it looked like it was to be starvation any way ; we therefore determined to go on the old saying,

118

THE LIFE OF

root hog or die. We passed two camps, at which our men, that had gone on before us, had killed Indians. At one they had killed nine, and at the other three. About daylight we came to a small river, which I thought was the Scamby ; but we continued on for three days, killing little or nothing to eat ; till, at last, we all began to get nearly ready to give up the ghost, and lie down and die ; for we had no prospect of provision, and we knew we couldn’t go much further without it.

We came to a large prairie, that was about six miles across it, and in this I saw a trail which I knowed was made by bear, deer, and turkeys. We went on through it till we came to a large creek, and the low grounds were all set over with wild rye, looking as green as a wheat field. We here made a halt, unsaddled our horses, and turn¬ ed them loose to graze.

One of my companions, a Mr. Vanzant, and my¬ self, then went up the low grounds to hunt. We had gone some distance, finding nothing 5 when at last, I found a squirrel ; which I shot, but he got into a hole in the tree. The game. was small, but necessity is not very particular ; so I thought I must have him, and I climbed that tree thirty feet high, without a limb, and pulled him out of his hole. I shouldn’t relate such small matters,

DAVID CROCKETT.

119

only to show what lengths a hungry man will go to, to get something to eat. I soon killed two other squirrels, and fired at a large hawk. At this a large gang of turkeys rose from the cane brake, and flew across the creek to where my friend was, who had just before crossed it. He soon fired on a large gobler, and I heard it fall. By this time my gun was loaded again, and I saw one sitting on my side of the creek, which had flew over when he fired ; so I blazed away, and down I brought him. I gathered him up, and a fine turkey he was. I now began to think we had struck a breeze of luck, and almost forgot our past sufferings, in the prospect of once more having something to eat. I raised the shout, and my comrade came to me, and we went on to our camp with the game we had killed. While we were gone, two of our mess had been out, and each of them had found a bee tree. We turned into cooking some of our game, but we had nei¬ ther salt nor bread. Just at this moment, on looking down the creek, we saw our men, who had gone on before us for provisions, coming to us. They came up, and measured out to each man a cupfull of flower. With this, we thickened our soup, when our turkey was cooked, and our friends took dinner with us, and then went on.

120

THE LIFE OF

We now took our tomahawks, and went and cut our bee-trees, out of which we got a fine chance of honey ; though we had been starving so long that we feared to eat much at a time, till, like the Irish by hanging, we got used to it again. We rested that night without moving our camp j and the next morning myself and Vanzant again turned out to hunt. We had not gone far, before I wounded a fine buck very badly ; and while pur¬ suing him, I was walking on a large tree that had fallen down, when from the top of it, a large bear broke out and ran off. I had no dogs, and I was sorry enough for it ; for of all the hunting I ever did, I have always delighted most in bear hunting. Soon after this, I killed a large buck ; and we had just gotten him to camp, when our poor starved army came up. They told us, that to lessen their sufferings as much as possible, Captain William Russell had had his horse led up to be shot for them to eat, just at the moment that they saw our men returning, who had carried on the flour.

We were no\v about fourteen miles from Fort Decatur, and we gave away all our meat, and honey, and went on with the rest of the army. When we got there, they could give us only one ration of meat, but not a mouthful of bread. I im¬ mediately got a canoe, and taking my gun, crossed

DAVID CROCKETT.

121

over the river, and went to the Big Warrior’s town. I had a large hat, and I offered an Indian a silver dollar for my hat full of corn. He told me that his corn was all “ shnestea ,” which in English means, it was all gone. But he showed me where an Indian lived, who, he said, had corn. I went to him, and made the same offer. He could talk a little broken English, and said to me, “ You got any powder ? You got bullet ?” I told him I had. He then said, “ Me swap my corn, for powder and bullet.” I took out about ten bullets, and showed him ; and he proposed to give me a hat full of corn for them. I took him up, mighty quick. I then offered to give him ten charges of powder for another hat full of corn. To this he agreed very willingly. So I took off my hunting- shirt, and tied up my corn ; and though it had cost me very little of my powder and lead, yet I wouldn’t have taken fifty silver dollars for it. I re¬ turned to the camp, and the next morning we start¬ ed for the Hickory Ground, which was thirty miles off. It was here that General Jackson met the In¬ dians, and made peace with the body of the nation.

We got nothing to eat at this place, and we had yet to go forty-nine miles, over a rough and wil¬ derness country, to Fort Williams. Parched corn, and but little even of that, was our daily subsist-

L

122

THE LIFE OF

ence. When vve reached Fort Williams, we got

one ration of pork and one of flour, which was

\

our only hope until we could reach Fort Strother.

The horses were now giving out, and I remem¬ ber to have. seen thirteen good horses left in one day, the saddles and bridles being thrown away. It was thirty-nine miles to Fort Strother, and we had to pass directly by Fort Talladego, where we first had the big Indian battle with the eleven hundred painted warriors. We went through the old battle ground, and it looked like a great gourd patch ; the sculls of the Indians who were killed still lay scattered all about, and many of their frames were still perfect, as the bones had not separated. But about five miles before we got to this battle ground, I struck a trail, which I followed until it led me to one of their towns. Here I swap’d some more of my powder and bullets fora little corn.

I pursued on, by myself, till some time after night, when I came up with the rest of the army. That night my company and myself did pretty well, as I divided out my corn among them. The next morning we met the East Tennessee troops, who were on their road to Mobile, and my young¬ est brother was with them. They had plenty of corn and provisions, and they gave me what I wanted for myself and my horse. I remained

DAVID CROCKETT.

123

with them that night, though my company went across the Coosa river to the fort, where they also had the good fortune to find plenty of provisions. Next morning, I took leave of my brother and all my old neighbours, for there were a good many of them with him, and crossed over to my men at the fort. Here I had enough to go on, and after remaining a few days, cut out for home. Nothing more, worthy of the reader’s attention, transpired till I was safely landed at home once more with my wife and children. I found them all well and doing well ; and though I was only a rough sort of a backwoodsman, they seemed mighty glad to see me, however little the quality folks might suppose it. For I do reckon we love as hard in the backwood country, as any people in the whole reation.

But I had been home only a few days, when we received orders to start again, and go on to the Black Warrior and Cahawba rivers, to s6e if there was no Indians there. I know’d well enough there was none, and I wasn’t willing to trust my craw any more where there was neither any fighting to do, nor any thing to go on; and so I agreed to give a young man, who wanted to go, the balance of my wages if he would serve out my time, which was about a month. He did so, and when they returned,

124

THE LIFE OF

sure enough they hadn’t seen an Indian any more than if they had been all the time chopping wood in my clearing. This closed my career as a warrior, and I am glad of it, for I like life now a heap bet¬ ter than I did then ; and I am glad all over that I lived to see these times, which I should not have done if I had kept fooling along in war, and got used up at it. When I say I am glad, I just mean I am glad I am alive, for there is a confound¬ ed heap of things I an’t glad of at all. I an’t glad, for example, that the “ government” moved the deposites, and if my military glory should take such a turn as to make me president after the ge¬ neral’s time, I ’ll move them back j yes, I, the u government,” will u take the responsibility,” and move them back again. If I don’t, I wish I may be shot.

But I am glad that I am now through war mat¬ ters, and I reckon the reader is too, for they have no fun in them at all ; and less if he had had to pass through them first, and then to write them afterwards. But for the dullness of their narrative, I must try to make amends by relating some of the curious things that happened to me in private life, and when forced to become a public man, as I shall have to be again, if ever I consent to take the presidential chair.

DAVID CROCKETT.

125

CHAPTER IX.

I continued at home now, working my farm for two years, as the war finally closed soon after I quit the service. The battle at New Orleans had already been fought, and treaties were made with the Indians which put a stop to their hostilities.

But in this time, I met with the hardest trial which ever falls to the lot of man. Death, that cruel leveller of all distinctions, — to whom the prayers and tears of husbands, and of even help¬ less infancy, are addressed in vain, — entered my humble cottage, and tore from my children an af¬ fectionate good mother, and from me a tender and loving wife.

It is a scene long gone by, and one which it would he supposed I had almost forgotten ; yet when I turn my memory back on it, it seems as but the work of yesterday. It was the doing of the Almighty, whose ways are always right, though we sometimes think they fall heavily on us ; and

t.2

126

THE LIFE OF

as painful as is even yet the remembrance of her sufferings, and the loss sustained by my little chil¬ dren and myself, yet I have no wish to lift up the voice of complaint. I was left with three chil¬ dren ; the two oldest were sons, the youngest a daughter, and, at that time, a mere infant. It ap¬ peared to me, at that moment, that my situation was the worst in the world. I couldn’t bear the thought of scattering my children, and so I got my youngest brother, who was also married, and his family to live with me. They took as good care of my children as they well could, but yet it wasn’t all like the care of a mother. And though their company was to me in every respect like that of a brother and sister, yet it fell far short of being like that of a wife. So I came to the con¬ clusion it wouldn’t do, but that I must have an¬ other wife.

There lived in the neighbourhood, a widow lady whose husband had been killed in the war. She had two children, a son and daughter, and both quite small, like my own. I began to think, that as we were both in the same situation, it might be that we could do something for each other ; and I therefore began to hint a little around the matter, as we were once and a while together. She was a good industrious woman, and owned a snug little

DAVID CROCKETT.

127

farm, and lived quite comfortable. I soon began to pay my respects to her in real good earnest ; but I was as sly about it as a fox when he is going to rob a hen-roost. I found that my company wasn’t at all disagreeable to her ; and I thought I could treat her children with so much friendship as to make her a good stepmother to mine, and in this I wan’t mistaken, as we soon bargained, and got married, and then went ahead. In a great deal of peace we raised our first crop of chil¬ dren, and they are all married and doing well. But we had a second crop together ; and I shall notice them as I go along, as my wife and myself both had a hand in them, and they therefore belong to the history of my second marriage.

The next fall after this marriage, three of my neighbours and myself determined to explore a new country. Their names were Robinson, Fra¬ zier, and Rich. We set out for the Creek country, crossing the Tennessee river ; and after having made a day’s travel, we stop’d at the house of one of my old acquaintances, who had settled there after the war. Resting here a day, Frazier turned out to hunt, being a great hunter ; but he got badly bit by a very poisonous snake, and so we left him and went on. We passed through a large rich valley, called Jones’s valley, where severa1

128 the life of

other families had settled, and continued our course till we came near to the place where Tus¬ caloosa now stands. Here we camped, as there were no inhabitants, and hobbled out our horses for the night. About two hours before day, we heard the bells on our horses going back the way we had come, as they had started to leave us. As soon as it was daylight, I started in pursuit of them on foot, and carrying my rifle, which was a very heavy one. I went ahead the whole day, wading creeks and swamps, and climbing moun¬ tains ; but I couldn’t overtake our horses, though I could hear of them at every house they passed. I at last found I couldn’t catch up with them, and so I gave up the hunt, and turned back to the last house I had passed, and staid there till morning. From the best calculation we could make, I had walked over fifty miles that day ; and the next morning I was so sore, and fatigued, that I felt like I couldn’t walk any more. But I was anxious to get back to where I had left my company, and so I started and went on, but mighty slowly, till after the middle of the day. I now began to feel mighty sick, and had a dreadful head-ache. My rifle was so heavy, and I felt so weak, that I lay down by the side of the trace, in a perfect wilderness too, to see if I wouldn’t get better

DAVID CROCKETT.

129

In a short time some Indians came along. They had some ripe melons, and wanted me to eat some, but I was so sick I couldn’t. They then signed to me, that I would die, and be buried ; a thing I was confoundedly afraid of myself. But I asked them how near it was to any house ? By their signs, again, they made me understand it was a mile and a half. I got up to go ; but when I rose, I reeled about like a cow with the blind staggers, or a fellow who had taken too many “ horns.” One of the Indians proposed to go with me, and carry my gun. I gave him half a dollar, and accepted his offer. We got to the house, by which time I was pretty far gone, but was kindly received, and got on to a bed. The woman did all she could for me with her warm teas, but I still continued bad enough, with a high fever, and generally out of my senses. The next day two of my neighbours were passing the road, and heard of my situation, and came to where I was. They were going nearly the route I had intended to go, to look at the country; and so they took me first on one of their horses, and then on the other, till they got me back to where [ had left my company. I expected I would get better, and be able to go on with them, but, instead of this, I got worse and worse ; and when we got

130

THE LIFE OF

there, I wan’t able to sit up at all. I thought now the jig was mighty nigh up with me, but I determined to keep a stiff upper lip. They car¬ ried me to a house, and each of my comrades bought him a horse, and they all set out together, leaving me behind. I knew but little that was going on for about two weeks ; but the family treated me with every possible kindness in their power, and I shall always feel thankful to them. The man’s name was Jesse Jones. At the end of two weeks I began to mend without the help of a doctor, or of any doctor’s means. In this time, however, as they told me, I was speechless for five days, and they had no thought that I would ever speak again, — in Congress or any where else. And so the woman, who had a bottle of Bates- man’s draps, thought if they killed me, I would only die any how, and so she would try it with me. She gave me the whole bottle, which throwed me into a sweat that continued on me all night ; when at last I seemed to make up, and spoke, and asked her for a drink of water. This almost alarmed her, for she was looking every minute for me to die. She gave me the water, and, from that time, I began slowly to mend, and so kept on till I was able at last to walk about a little. I might easily have been mistaken for

DAVID CROCKETT. 131

one of the Kitchen Cabinet, I looked so much like a ghost. I have been particular in giving a history of this sickness, not because I believe it will interest any body much now, nor, indeed, do I certainly know that it ever will. But if I should be forced to take the “ white house,” then it will be good history ; and every one will look on it as important. And I can’t, for my life, help laughing now, to think, that when all my folks get around me, wanting good fat offices, how so many of them will say, “What a good thing it was that that kind woman had the bottle of draps, that saved President Crockett’s life, — the se¬ cond greatest and best”! ! ! ! ! Good, says I, my noble fellow ! You take the post office ; or the navy ; or the war office ; or may-be the treasury. But if I give him the treasury, there’s no devil if I don’t make him agree first to fetch back them deposites. And if it’s even the post- office, Pll make him promise to keep his money ’counts without any figuring, as that throws the whole concern heels over head in debt, in little or no time.

But when I got so I could travel a little, I got a waggoner who was passing along to hawl me to where he lived, which was about twenty miles from my house. I still mended as we went along,

L32

THE LIFE OF

and when we got to his stopping place, I hired one of his horses, and went on home. I was so pale, and so much reduced, that my face looked like it had been half soled with brown paper.

When I got there, it was to the utter astonish¬ ment of my wife ; for she supposed I was dead. My neighbours who had started with me had re¬ turned and took my horse home, which they had found with their’s ; and they reported that they had seen men who had helped to bury me ; and who saw me draw my last breath. I know’d this was a whapper of a lie, as soon as I heard it. My wife had hired a man, and sent him out to see what had become of my money and other things ; but I had missed the man as I went in, and he didn’t return until some time after I got home, as he went all the way to where I lay sick, before he heard that I was still in the land of the living and a-kicking.

The place on which I lived was sickly, and I was determined to leave it. I therefore set out the next fall to look at the country which had been purchased of the Chickasaw tribe of Indians. I went on to a place called Shoal Creek, about eighty miles from where I lived, and here again I got sick. I took the ague and fever, which I supposed was brought on me by camping out. I

DAVID CROCKETT J33

remained here for some time, as I was unable to go farther ; and in that time, I became so well pleased with the country about there, that T re¬ solved to settle in it. It was just only a little dis¬ tance in the purchase, and no order had been es- tablished there ; but I thought I could get along without order as well as any body else. And so I moved and settled myself down on the head of Shoal Creek. We remained here some two or three years, without any law at all ; and so many bad characters began to flock in upon us, that we found it necessary to set up a sort of temporary government of our own. I don’t mean that we made any president, and called him the “ govern¬ ment,” but we met and made what we called a corporation ; and I reckon we called it wrong, for it wa’n’t a bank, and hadn’t any deposites ; and now they call the bank a corporation. But be this as it may, we lived in the back-woods, and didn’t profess to know much, and no doubt used many wrong words. But we met, and appointed magistrates and constables to keep order. We didn't fix any laws for them, tho’ ; for we sup¬ posed they would know law enough, whoever they might be ; and so we left it to themselves to fix the laws.

I was appointed one of the magistrates ; and

M

134

THE LIFE OF

when a man owed a debt, and wouldn’t pay it, I and my constable ordered our warrant, and then he would take the man, and bring him be¬ fore me for trial. I would give judgment against him, and then an order of an execution would easily scare the debt out of him. If any one was charged with marking his neighbour’s hogs, or with stealing any thing, which happened pretty often in those days, — I would have him taken, and if there was tolerable grounds for the charge, I would have him well whip’d and cleared. We kept this up till our Legislature added us to the white settlements in Giles county ; and ap¬ pointed magistrates by law, to organize matters in the parts where I lived. They appointed nearly every man a magistrate who had belonged to our corporation. I was then, of course, made a squire according to law ; though now the honour rested more heavily on me than before. For, at first, whenever I told my constable, says I — “Catch that fellow, and bring him up for trial” — away he went, and the fellow must come, dead or alive ; for we considered this a good warrant, though it was only in verbal writings. But after I was appointed by the assembly, they told me, my warrants must be in real writing, and signed ; and that I must keep a book, and write my proceedings in it.

DAVID CROCKETT.

135

This was a hard business on me, for I could just barely write my own name ; but to do this, and write the warrants too, was at least a huckle¬ berry over my persimmon. I had a pretty well informed constable, however ; and he aided me very much in this business. Indeed I had so much confidence in him, that I told him, when we should happen to be out anywhere, and see that a warrant was necessary, and would have a good effect, he need’nt take the trouble to come all the way to me to get one, but he could just fill out one ; and then on the trial I could correct the whole business if he had committed any error. In this way I got on pretty well, till by care and at¬ tention I improved my handwriting in such man¬ ner as to be able to prepare my warrants, and keep my record book, without much difficulty. My judgments were never appealed from, and if they had been they would have stuck like wax, as I gave my decisions on the principles of common justice and honesty between man and man, and relied on natural born sense, and not on law, learning to guide me ; for I had never read a page in a law book in all my life.

THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT.

137

CHAPTER X.

About the time we were getting under good headway in our new government, a Capt. Mat¬ thews came to me and told me he was a candidate for the office of colonel of a regiment, and that I must run for first major in the same regiment. I objected to this, telling him that I thought I had done my share of fighting, and that I wanted no¬ thing to do with military appointments.

He still insisted, until at last I agreed, and of course had every reason to calculate on his support in my election. He was an early settler in that country, and made rather more corn than the rest of us ; and knowing it would afford him a good opportunity to electioneer a little, he made a great corn husking, and a great frolic, and gave a gene¬ ral treat, asking every body over the whole coun¬ try. Myself and my family were, of course, in¬ vited. When I got there, I found a very large col¬ lection of people, and some friend of mine soon informed me that the captain’s, son was going to

m 2

138

THE LIFE OF

offer against me for the office of major, which he had seemed so anxious for me to get. I cared nothing about the office, but it put my dander up high enough to see, that after he had pressed me So hard to offer, he was countenancing, if not en¬ couraging, a secret plan to beat me. I took the old gentleman out, and asked him about it. He told me it was true his son was going to run as a candidate, and that he hated worse to run against me than any man in the county. I told him his son need give himself no uneasiness about that ; that I shouldn’t run against him for major, but against his daddy for colonel. He took me by the hand, and we went into the company. He then made a speech, and informed the people that I was his opponent. I mounted up for a speech too. I told the people the cause of my opposing him, remarking that as I had the whole family to run against any way, I was determined to levy on the head of the mess. When the time for the elec¬ tion came, his son was opposed by another man for major ; and he and his daddy were both badly beaten. I just now began to take a rise, as in a little time I was asked to offer for the Legislature in the counties of Lawrence and Heckman.

I offered my name in the month of February, and started about the first of March with a drove

DAVID CROCKETT.

139

of horses to the lower part of the state of North Carolina. This was in the year 1821, and I was gone upwards of three months. I returned, and set out electioneering, which was a bran-fire new business to me. It now became necessary that I should tell the people something about the govern¬ ment, and an eternal sight of other things that I knowed nothing more about than I did about Latin, and law, and such things as that. I have said be¬ fore that in those days none of us called Gen’l. Jackson the government, nor did he seem in as fair a way to become so as I do now ; but I knowed so little about it, that if any one had told me he was “ the government,” I should have believed it, for I had never read even a newspaper in my life, or any thing else, on the subject. But over all my difficulties, it seems to me I was born for luck, though it would be hard for any one to guess what sort. I will, however, explain that hereafter.

I went first into Heckman county, to see what I could do among the people as a candidate. Here they told me that they wanted to move their town nearer to the centre of the county, and I must come out in favour of it. There’s no devil if I knowed what this meant, or how the town was to be moved ; and so I kept dark, going on the iden¬ tical same plan that I now find is called “ non-

140

THE LIFE OF

committal About this time there was a great squirrel hunt on Duck river, which was among my people. They were to hunt two days : then to meet and count the scalps, and have a big barbe¬ cue, and what might be called a tip-top country frolic. The dinner, and a general treat, was all to be paid for by the party having taken the fewest scalps. I joined one side, taking the place of one of the hunters, and got a gun ready for the hunt. I killed a great many squirrels, and when we counted scalps, my party was victorious.

The company had every thing to eat and drink that could be furnished in so new a country, and much fun and good humour prevailed. But be¬ fore the regular frolic commenced, I mean the dancing, I was called on to make a speech as a can¬ didate ; which was a business I was as ignorant of as an outlandish negro.

A public document I had never seen, nor did I know there were such things ; and how to begin I couldn’t tell. I made many apologies, and tried to get off, for I know’d I had a man to run against who could speak prime, and I know’d, too, that I wa’n’t able to shuffle and cut with him. He was there, and knowing my ignorance as well as I did myself, he also urged me to make a speech. The truth is, he thought my being a candidate was a

DAVID CROCKETT.

! t * l

* r | .• '

mere matter of sport; and didn’t think, for a mo¬ ment, that he was in any danger from an ignorant back-woods bear hunter. But I found I couldn’t get off, and so I determined just to go ahead, and leave it to chance what I should say. I got up and told the people, I reckoned they know’d what I come for, but if not, I could tell them. I had come for their votes, and if they didn’t watch mighty close, I’d get them too. But the worst of all was, that I couldn’t tell them any thing about government. I tried to speak about something, and I cared very little what, until I choaked up as bad as if my mouth had been jam’d and cram’d chock full of dry mush. There the people stood, listening all the while, with their eyes, mouths^ and years all open, to catch every word I would speak.

At last I told them I was like a fellow I had heard of not long before. He was beating on the head of an empty barrel near the road-side, when a traveler, who was passing along, asked him what he was doing that for ? The fellow replied, that there was some cider in that barrel a few days be¬ fore, and he was trying to see if there was any then, but if there was he couldn’t get at it. I told them that there had been a little bit of a speech in me a while ago, but I believed I couldn’t get it out.

142

THE LIFE OF

They all roared out in a mighty laugh, and I told some other anecdotes, equally amusing to them, and believing I had them in a first-rate way, I quit and got down, thanking the people for their atten¬ tion. But I took care to remark that I was as dry as a powder horn, and that I thought it was time for us all to wet our whistles a little ; and so I put off to the liquor stand, and was followed by the greater part of the crowd.

I felt certain this was necessary, for I knowed my competitor could open government matters to them as easy as he pleased. He had, however, mighty few left to hear him, as I continued with the crowd, now and then taking a horn, and telling good humoured stories, till he was done speaking. I found I was good for the votes at the hunt, and when we broke up, I went on to the town of Ver¬ non, which was the same they wanted me to move. Here they pressed me again on the subject, and I found I could get either party by agreeing with them. But I told them I didn’t know whether it would be right or not, and so couldn’t promise either way.

Their court commenced on the next Monday, as the barbacue was on a Saturday, and the candi¬ dates for governor and for Congress, as well as my competitor and myself, all attended.

DAVID CROCKETT.

143

The thought of having to make a speech made my knees feel mighty weak, and set my heart to fluttering almost as bad as my first love scrape with the Quaker’s niece. But as good luck would have it, these big candidates spoke nearly all day, and when they quit, the people were worn out with fatigue, which afforded me a good apology for not discussing the government. But I listened mighty close to them, and was learning pretty fast about political matters. When they were all done, I got up and told some laughable story, and quit. I found I was safe in those parts, and so I went home, and didn’t go back again till after the election was over. But to cut this matter short, I was elected, doubling my competitor, and nine votes over.

A short time after this, I was in Pulaski, where I met with Colonel Polk, now a member of Con¬ gress from Tennessee. He was at that time a member elected to the Legislature, as well as my¬ self ; and in a large company he said to me, “ Well, colonel, I suppose we shall have a radical change of the judiciary at the next session of the Legislature.” “Very likely, sir,” says I, and I put out quicker, for I was afraid some one would ask me what the judiciary was ; and if I knowed I wish I may be shot. I don’t indeed believe I had

144

THE LIFE OF

ever before heard that there was any such thing . in all nature ; but still I was not willing that the people there should know how ignorant I was about it.

When the time for meeting of the Legislature arrived, I went on, and before I had been there long, I could have told what the judiciary was, and what the government was too ; and many other things that I had known nothing about be¬ fore.

About this time I met with a very severe mis¬ fortune, which I may be pardoned for naming, as it made a great change in my circumstances, and kept me back very much in the world. I had built an extensive grist mill, and powder mill, all connected together, and also a large distillery. They had cost me upwards of three thousand dollars, more than I was worth in the world. The first news that I heard after I got to the Legislature, was, that my mills were — not blown up sky high, as you would guess, by my powder establishment, — but swept away all to smash by a large fresh, that came soon after I left home. I had, of course, to stop my distillery, as my grind¬ ing was broken up ; and, indeed, I may say, that the misfortune just made a complete mash of me.

I had some likely negroes, and a good stock of

DAVID CROCKETT.

145

almost every thing about me, and, best of all, I had an honest wife. She didn’t advise me, as is too fashionable, to smuggle up this, and that, and t’other, to go on at home ; but she told me, says she, “ Just pay up, as long as you have a bit’s worth in the world ; and then every body will be satisfied, and we will scuffle for more.” This was just such talk as I wanted to hear, for a man’s wife can hold him devlish uneasy, if she begins to scold, and fret, and perplex him, at a time when he has a full load for a rail-road car on his mind already.

And so, you see, I determined not to break full handed, but thought it better to keep a good con¬ science with an empty purse, than to get a bad opinion of myself, with a full one. I therefore gave up all I had, and took a bran-fire new start.

N

THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT. 147

CHAPTER XI.

Havino returned from the Legislature, I de¬ termined to make another move, and so I took my eldest son with me, and a young man by the name of Abram Henry, and cut out for the Obion. I se¬ lected a spot when I got there, where I de¬ termined to settle ; and the nearest house to it was seven miles, the next nearest was fifteen, and so on to twenty. It was a complete wilder¬ ness, and full of Indians who were hunting. Game was plenty of almost every kind, which suited me exactly, as I was always fond of hunting. The house which was nearest me, and which, as I have already stated, was seven miles off, and on the different side of the Obion river, belonged to a man by the name of Owens ; and I started to go there. I had taken one horse along, to pack our provision, and when I got to the water I hob¬ bled him out to graze, until I got back ; as there was no boat to cross the river in, and it was so

148

THE LIFE OF

high that it had overflowed all the bottoms and low country near it.

We now took water like so many beavers, not¬ withstanding it was mighty cold, and waded on. The water would sometimes be up to our necks, and at others not so deep j but I went, of course, before, and carried a pole, with which I would feel along before me, to see how deep it was, and to guard against falling into a slough, as there was many in our way. When I would come to one, I would take out my tomahawk and cut a small