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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.

BALTIMORE:

CAREY, HART & CO.

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.

OUtUC^ . ^.

'^/,

^y 97 Cons."

STEREOTYPEn BY L. JOHNSON,
PHlLADELrHlA..

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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^cA:/e, flirting goddess.

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

4 PREFACE.

contains, have been already too long sanc-
tioned by my silence. I don't know the
author of the book — ^and indeed I don't
want to know him ; for after he has taken
such a libert}^ with my name, and made
such an effort to hold me up to public
ridicule, he cannot calculate on any thing
but 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 w^hen 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, Ian-

PREFACE. 5

guage, and every thing else from that de-
ceptive w^ork.

They have ahnost in every instance ex-
pressed the most profound astonishment at
finding me in human shape, and with the
countenance^ appearance^ and common feel-
trigs 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

a2

6 PREFACE.

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

But 1 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 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 be 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 imderstand 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 '11 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

20 PREFACE.

had it looked over, I can only say to him,
her, them — as the case may he — that while
critics were learning grammar, and learn-
ing to spell, I, and "Doctor Jackson,
L.L.D." were 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 /'s — , and dotting
their i'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 I

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

PREFACE. H

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

LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT.

CHAPTER I.

As the public seem to feel some interest in tiie
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 tlie flowers of learning; ; but
B 13

14 THE LIFE OF

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. 15

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 there, 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
booagraphers, 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 horn, 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 hack 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,
tliat as Major Jack Downing would say, they are all
in " a pretty considerable of a snarl," and I find it
" kinder hai'd" to fix on that thing, among them
all, which really happened first. But I think it
B 2

13 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,

LAVID CROCKETT. jg

— 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
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 com.forted me was, the belief
that it w^as 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 ;
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 Core 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 belong to Yankee land, or reckon, if like me
you belong to the back-woods, that I began to
make U]^ 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 return
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 waggoners. 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
jDassed 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 ahout 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,
w^ithout 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,
c2

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
I 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 hurst his hoilers. 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 lie ; 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 liundrotl 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 liad 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 v/ould just hang on to my
journey, and go ahead with the waggoner. My
brother was much grieved ai 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. He 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 thinldng 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 hi 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 Jiad 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
a^ 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 oiT. 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 fev/
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

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 boy 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
little straggling boy, and how I had been treated ;
and 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,
w^here it gave out. I set in to work for a man by
the name of James Caldwell, a month, for five
dollars, 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

not 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 ofl'. 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 w^as no time to lose
now, so I just determined to do the best I could,
and the devil take the hindm^ost. I turned the
canoe across tlie waves, to do which,! had to turn
it nearly up the river, as the wind came from that
way ; and I Vv-ent about two miles before I could
land. When I struck land, my canoe was about
half full of w^ater, and I was as wet as a drowned
rat. But I w^as 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
d2

42 THE LIFE OF

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

So I took "a leetle of the creater," — 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 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, " 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-

48 THE LIFE OF

longed 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 off 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

tliought very well of them. I made an offer to

E

50 THE LIFE OF

one of thenij 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. 5I

and though I had 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 l^efore clay, 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. I 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
girPs 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

54 THE LIFE OF

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.

( 57 )

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

ill my jilace 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 fulfil 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
began to praise my 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
cov/ 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 lish 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
Ihcy 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 eld man,
and the old w^oman 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 wild-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. 1 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 b^d 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 j and in the morning
we parted. She went to h^r home, 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 1 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-
f2

63 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. gy

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

6Q 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. QQ

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 '10, to the best
of my recollection, and then I moved to Franklin
county, and settled on Bean 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
" 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
Mines. 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 us 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, and 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 Bealy'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'l. Jackson had not yet left Nashville with
his old foot volunteers, that had gone with him to
Natchez in 1812, 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. f 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

76 THE LIFE OF

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 be safe to camp right at the road ;
and so I told Jack, that when he got to tlie
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,
i^ideed, almost every thing else to go on ; so we

G 2

78 THE LIFE OF

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 kill 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 gack 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 w^ere 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 ; w^e 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 ;
but 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 skins," 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 w^atch, 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-
clifPs, 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 were 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 w^hole 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. Cofiee 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. 33

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 was 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 leaves, 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 any thing else I have
seen, yet it has never left my heart empty of con-
s-olations 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-
H

g5 THE LIFE OF

dian 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 RadclifT'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 scroundrelFs two big sons with us, and made
them serve in the war.

We then marched to a place, which we called

DAVID CROCKETT. g?

Camp Mills ; 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
came 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
ran back into their town. We began to close on

§3 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. His

DAVID CROCKETT, gg

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-
h2

90 THE LIFE 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 ground one
night, and hollered, and said he wanted to see
" Captain Jackson." He was conducted to the
general's markee, into which he entered, and in
a few minutes we 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. 9]

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 kept 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 O.

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
same ; just as we have had it in Congress, while
the " 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
deppsites back where the law placed them, and
where they ought to be. 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

95 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 knowed 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 RussePs
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 ofi* 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, " mit a 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.

4- 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 THL 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. JQl

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 GeneralJackson "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
i2

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 where 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 Mimms, 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 was 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 down 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 ^f 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, conxposed 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.

[04 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 j and then they

DAVID CROCKETT. 105

fell in to cutting clown 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 carried
on the work of death as a butcher would in a
slaughter pen.

The scene was particularly described to me by
a young 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 Mimms 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.
I 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 ; such as sugar and coffee,
and liquors of all kinds. The same evening, the
Indians we had along proposed to cross the river,

DAVID fJROCKETT. 1 07

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. We 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
w^ere 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 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. X09

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, where 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 m the Creek language. We heard
an answer, and an Indian man started down to-

DAVID CROCKETT m

wards the river, but didn't come in sight. He
went back and again commenced beating his 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 '^HE 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 1 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 marched
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. ^13

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 tlie 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.

r2

/

THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT. II5

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

115 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 j and it was a rule

DAVID CROCKETT. Hj

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 Cowen, 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 w^as 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,

j]^Q THE LIFE OF

root hog or die. Wc 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 ; 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. Hg

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
sufierings, 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 ; 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 now 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 " shuestea,^^ 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 we 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 for a 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 tlial night, though my company went
across the Coosa river to tlic 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
creation.

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 see 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 "^HE 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 '11 move them back ; yes, I, the
" government," will " 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 hostilitieso

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
praj^ers 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 be 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
l2

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. L 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 several

128 "^I^^ I^I^E 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 j and so
they took me first on one of their horses, and
then on the other, till they got me back to where
r 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 j 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, I'll 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,

132 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 133

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. ^35

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 governmentj 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
m2

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. X39

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

coinmiitaiy 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. 14;^

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.

242 '^^^ ^^^E O^

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
ofi* 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 ot

DAVID CROCKETT. J 45

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, vv^ith a full one. I therefore
gave up all I had, and took a bran-fire new start.

N

THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT. I47

CHAPTER XI.

Having 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 ; 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
tree across it, and then go ahead again. Fre-
quently my little son would have to swim, even
where myself and the young man could wade ;
but we worked on till at last we got to the channel
of the river, which made it about half a mile
we had waded from where we took water. I
saw a large tree that had fallen into the river
from the other side, but it didn't reach across.
One stood on the same bank where we were, that
I thought I could fall, so as to reach the other ;
and so at it we went with my tomahawk, cutting
away till we got it down ; and, as good luck
would have it, it fell right, and made us a way
that we could pass.

When we got over this, it was still a sea of
water as far as our eyes could reach. We took

DAVID CROCKETT. I49

into it again, and went ahead, for about a mile,
hardly ever seeing a single spot of land, and
sometimes very deep. At last we come in sight
of land, which was a very pleasing thing ; and
when we got out, we went but a little way, be-
fore we came in sight of the house, which was
more pleasing than ever ; for we were wet all
over, and mighty cold. I felt mighty sorry when
I would look at my little boy, and see him shak-
ing like he had the worst sort of an ague, for
there was no time for fever then. As we got
near to the house, we saw Mr. Owens and seve-
ral men that were with him, just starting away.
They saw us, and stop'd, but looked much asto-
nished until we got up to them, and I made my-
self known. The men who w^ere with him
were the owners of a boat which was the first
that ever went thai far up the Obion river ;
and some hands he had hired to carry it about
a hundred miles still further up, by water, tho'
it was only about thirty by land, as the river is
very crooked.

They all turned back to the house with me,
where I found Mrs. Owens, a fine, friendly old
woman ; and her kindness to my little boy did
me ten times as much good as any thing she
could have done for me, if she had tried her
n2

150 THE LIFE OF

best. The old gentleman set out his bottle to
us, and I concluded that if a horn wasn't good
then, there was no use for its invention. So I
swig'd off about a half pint, and the young man
was by no means bashful in such a case ; he took
a strong pull at it too. I then gave my boy some,
and in a little time we felt pretty well. We dried
ourselves by the fire, and were asked to go on
board of the boat that evening. I agreed to do
so, but left my son with the old lady, and my-
self and my young man went to the boat with:
Mr. Owens and the others. The boat was load-
ed with whiskey, flour, sugar, coffee, salt, cast-
ings, and other articles suitable for the country ;
and they were to receive five hundred dollars to
land the load at M'Lemore's Bluff, beside the
profit they could make on their load. This was
merely to show that boats could get up to that
point. We staid all night with them, and had a
high night of it, as I took steam enough to drive
out all the cold that was in me, and about three
times as much more. In the morning we con-
cluded to go on with the boat to where a great
hurricane had crossed the river, and blowed all
the timber down into it. When we got there,
we found the river was falling fast, and con-
cluded we couldn't get through the timber with-

DAVID CROCKETT. 151

out more rise ; so we dropM down opposite Mr.
Owens' again, where they determined to wait for
more water.

The next day it rained rip-roriously, and the
river rose pretty considerable, but not enough yet.
And so I got the boatsmen all to go out with me to
where I was going to settle, and we slap'd up a
cabin in little or no time. I got from the boat
four barrels of meal, and one of salt, and about ten
gallons of whiskey.

To pay for these, I agreed to go with the boat
up the river to their landing place. I got also a
large middling of bacon, and killed a fine deer,
and left them for my young man and my little
boy, who were to stay at my cabin till I got back;
which I expected would be in six or seven days.
We cut out, and moved up to the harricane, where
we stop'd for the night. In the morning I started
about daylight, intending to kill a deer, as I had
no thought they would get the boat through the
timber that day. I had gone but a little way be-
fore I killed a fine buck, and started to go back to
the boat ; but on the way I came on the tracks of a
large gang of elks, and so I took after them. I had
followed them only a little distance when I saw
them, and directly after I saw two large bucks. I
shot one down, and the other wouldn't leave him ;

152 THE LIFE OF

SO I loaded my gun, and shot him down too. 1
hung them up, and went ahead again after my elks.
I pursued on till after the middle of the day he-
fore I saw them again ; but they took the hint be-
fore I got in shooting distance, and run off. I still
pushed on till late in the evening, when I found I
was about four miles from where 1 had left the boat,
and as hungry as a wolf, for I hadn't eaten a bite
that day.

I started down the edge of the river low grounds,
giving out the pursuit of my elks, and hadn't gone
hardly any distance at all, before I saw two more
bucks, very large fellows too. I took a blizzard
at one of them, and up he tumbled. The other
ran off a few jumps and stop'd ; and stood there
till I loaded again, and fired at him. I knock'd
his trotters from under him, and then I hung
them both up. I pushed on again ; and about
sunset I saw three other bucks. I down'd with
one of them, and the other two ran ofl'. I hung
this one up also, having now killed six that day.
I then pushed on till I got to the harricane, and
at the lower edge of it, about where I expected
the boat was. Here I hollered as hard as I could
roar, but could get no answer. I fired off my gun,
and the men on the boat fired one too ; but quite
contrary/to my expectation, they had got through

DAVID CROCKETT. 153

the timber, and were about two miles above me.
It was now dark, and I had to crawl through
the fallen timber the best way I could ; and if
the reader don't know it w^as bad enough, I am
sure I do. For the vines and briers had grown
all through it, and so thick, that a good fat coon
couldn't much more than get along. I got
through at last, and went on near to where I
had killed my last deer, and once more fired off
my gun, which was again answered from the boat,
which was still a little above me. I moved on as
fast as I could, but soon came to water, and not
knowing how deep it was, I halted and hollered
till they came to me with a skiff. I now got to the
boat, without further difficulty ; but the briers had
worked on me at such a rate, that I felt like I
wanted sewing up, all over. I took a pretty stiff
horn, which soon made me feel much better ; but
I was so tired that I could hardly work my jaws
to eat.

In the morning, myself and a young man started
and brought in the first buck I had killed ; and
after breakfast we went and brought in the last
one. The boat then started, but we again went
and got the two I had killed just as I turned
down the river in the evening ; and we then
pushed on and overtook the boat, leaving the other

154 THE LIFE OF

two hanging in the woods, as wc had now as much
as we wanted.

We got up the river very well, but quite
slow^ly ; and we landed, on the eleventh day, at
the place the load was to be delivered at. They
here gave me their skiff, and myself and a young
man by tlie name of Flavins Harris, who had de-
termined to go and live with me, cut out down
the river for my cabin, which we reached safely
enough.

We turned in and cleared a field, and planted
our corn ; but it was so late in the spring, we had
no time to make rails, and therefore we put no
fence around our field. There was no stock, how-
ever, nor any thing else to disturb our corn, ex-
cept the wild varvients, and the old serpent him-
self, with a fence to help him, couldn't keep them
out. I made corn enough to do me, and during
that spring I killed ten bears, and a great abun-
dance of deer. But in all this time, we saw the
face of no white person in that country, except
Mr. Owens' family, and a very few passengers,
who went out there, looking at the country. In-
dians, though, were still plenty enough. Having
laid by my crap, I went home, which was a dis-
tance of about a hundred and fifty miles ; and
when I got there, I was met by an order to attend

DAVID CROCKETT. I55

a call-session of our Legislature. I attended it,
and served out my time, and then returned, and
took my family and what little plunder I had,
and moved to where I had built my cabin, and
made my crap.

I gathered my corn, and then set out for my
Fall's hunt. This was in the last of October, 1822.
I found bear very plenty, and, indeed, all sorts of
game and wild varments, except buffalo. There
was none of them. I hunted on till Christmass,
having supplied my family very well all along
with wild meat, at which time my powder gave
out ; and I had none either to fire Christmass guns,
which is very common in that country, or to hunt
with. I had a brother-in-law who had now moved
out and settled about six miles west of me, on the
opposite side of Rutherford's fork of the Obion
river, and he had brought me a keg of powder,
but I had never gotten it home. There had just
been another of Noah's freshes, and the low
grounds were flooded all over with water. I
know'd the stream was at least a mile wide which
I would have to cross, as the water was from hill
to hill, and yet I determined to go on over in some
way or other, so as to get my powder. I told this
to my wife, and she immediately opposed it with
all her might. 1 still insisted, telling her we had

156 THE LIFE OF

no powder for Christmass, and, worse than all, we
were out of meat. She said, we had as well starve
as for me to freeze to death or to get drowned, and
one or the other was certain if I attempted to go.

But I didn't believe the half of this ; and so I
took my woolen wrappers, and a pair of mockasins,
and put them on, and tied up some dry clothes and
a pair of shoes and stockings, and started. But I
didn't before know how much any body could
suffer and not die. This, and some of my other
experiments in water, learned me something about
it, and I therefore relate them.

The snow was about four inches deep when I
started ; and when I got to the water, which was
only about a quarter of a mile off, it look'd like an
ocean. I put in, and waded on till I come to the
channel, where I crossed that on a high log. I then
took water again, having my gun and all my
hunting tools along, and waded till I came to a
deep slough, that was wider than the river itself.
I had crossed it often on a log ; but, behold, when I
got there, no log was to be seen. I knowed of an
island in the slough, and a sapling stood on it
close to the side of that log, which was now en-
tirely under water. I knowed further, that the
water was about eight or ten feet deep under the
log, and I judged it to be about three feet deep

DAVID CROCKETT. 157

over it. After studying a little what I should do,
I determined to cut a forked sapling, which stood
near me, so as to lodge it against the one that
stood on the island, in which I succeeded very-
well. I then cut me a pole, and crawled along on
my sapling till I got to the one it was lodged
against, which was about six feet above the water.
I then felt about with my pole till I found the log,
which was just about as deep under the water as I
had judged. I then crawled back and got my
gun, which I had left at the stump of the sapling I
had cut, and again made my way to the place of
lodgement, and then climb'd down the other sap-
ling so as to get on the log. I then felt my way
along with my feet, in the water, about waist deep,
but it was a mighty ticklish business. However,
I got over, and by this time I had very little feel-
ing in my feet and legs, as I had been all the time
in the water, except what time I was crossing
the high log over the river, and climbing my lodged
sapling.

I went but a short distance before I came to
another slough, over which there was a log, but
it was floating on the water. I thought I could
walk it, and so I mounted on it; but when I had
got about the middle of the deep water, some-
how or somehow else, it turned over, and in I
0

158 THE LIFE OF

went up to my head. I waded out of this deep
water, and went ahead till I came to the high-land,
where I stop'd to pull of my wet clothes, and put
on the others, which I had held up with my gun,
above the water, when I fell in. I got them on,
but my flesh had no feeling in it, I was so cold.
I tied up the wet ones, and hung them up in a bush.
I now thought I would run, so as to warm myself
a little, but I couldn't raise a trot for some time ;
indeed, I couldn't step more than half the length
of my foot. After a while I got better, and went
on five miles to the house of my brother-in-law,
having not even smelt fire from the time I started.
I got there late in the evening, and he was much
astonished at seeing me at such a time. I staid
all night, and the next morning was most pierc-
ing cold, and so they persuaded me not to go
home that day. I agreed, and turned out and
killed him two deer ; but the weather still got
worse and colder, instead of better. I staid that
night, and in the morning they still insisted I
couldn't get home. I knowed the water would
be frozen over, but not hard enough to bear me,
and so I agreed to stay that day. I went out hunt-
ing again, and pursued a big lie-hear all day, but
didn't kill him. The next morning was bitter
cold, but I knowed my family was without meat,

DAVID CROCKETT. 159

and I determined to get home to them, or die
a-trying.

I took my keg of powder, and all my hunting
tools, and cut out. When I got to the water, it
was a sheet of ice as far as I could see. I put on
to it, but hadn't got far before it broke through
with me ; and so I took out my tomahawk, and
broke my way along before me for a considerable
distance. At last I got to where the ice would
bear me for a short distance, and I mounted on it,
and went ahead ; but it soon broke in again, and
I had to wade on till I came to my floating log.
I found it so tight this time, that I know'd it
couldn't give me another fall, as it was frozen in
with the ice. I crossed over it without much
difficulty, and worked along till I got to my
lodged sapling, and my log under the water.
The swiftness of the current prevented the water
from freezing over it, and so I had to wade, just
as I did when I crossed it before. When I got
to my sapling, I left my gun and climbed out with
my powder keg first, and then went back and got
my gun. By this time I was nearly frozen to
death, but I saw all along before me, where the
ice had been fresh broke, and I thought it must
be a bear straggling about in the water. I, there-
fore, fresh primed my gun, and, cold as I was, I

X60 THE LIFE OF

was determined to make war on him, if we met.
But I followed the trail till it led me home, and
I then found it had been made by my young
man that lived with me, who had been sent by
my distressed wife to see, if he could, what had
become of me, for they all believed that I was dead.
When I got home I was'nt quite dead, but mighty
nigh it ; but I had my powder, and that was what
I went for.

DAVID CROCKETT, Xgj

CHAPTER XII.

That night there fell a heavy rain, and it
turned to a sleet. In the morning all hands
turned out hunting. My young man, and a
brother-in-law who had lately settled close by
me, went down the river to hunt for turkeys ;
but I was for larger game. I told them, I had
dreamed the night before of having a hard fight
with a big black nigger, and I knowed it was a
sign that I was to have a battle with a bear ; for
in a bear country, I never know'd such a dream
to fail. So I started to go up above the harricane,
determined to have a bear. I had two pretty
good dogs, and an old hound, all of which I took
along. I had gone about six miles up the river,
and it was then about four miles across to the
main Obion ; so I determined to strike across to
that, as I had found nothing yet to kill. I got on
to the river, and turned down it ; but the sleet
was still getting worse and worse. The bushes
were all bent down, and locked together with ice,
o2

IQ2 '^^^^ ^'^^^' ^^

so that it was almost impossible to get along. In
a little time my dogs started a large gang of old
turkey goblers, and I killed two of them, of the
biggest sort. I shouldered them up, and moved
on, until I got through the harricane, when I was
so tired that I laid my goblers down to rest, as they
were confounded heavy, and I was mighty tired.
While I was resting, my old hound w^ent to a log,
and smelt it awhile, and then raised his eyes to-
ward the sky, and cried out. Away he w^ent,
and my other dogs with him, and I shouldered up
my turkeys again, and followed on as hard as I
could drive. They were soon out of sight, and
in a very little time I heard them begin to bark.
When I got to them, they were barking up a tree,
but there was no game there. I concluded it had
been a turkey, and that it had flew away.

When they saw me coming, away they went
again ; and, after a little time, began to bark as
before. When I got near them, I found they
were barking up the wrong tree again, as there
was no game there. They served me in this way
three or four times, until I was so infernal mad,
that I determined, if I could get near enough, to
shoot the old hound at least. With this intention
I pushed on the harder, till I came to the edge of
an open parara, and looking on before my dogs, I

DAVID CROCKETT. 1(53

saw in and about the biggest bear that ever was
seen in America. He looked, at the distance he
was from me, like a large black bull. My dogs
were afraid to attack him, and that was the reason
they had stop'd so often, that I might overtake
them. They were now almost up with him, and
I took my goblers from my back and hung them
up in a sapling, and broke like a quarter horse
after my bear, for the sight of him had put new
springs in me. I soon got near to them, but they
were just getting into a roaring thicket, and so I
couldn't run through it, but had to pick my way
along, and had close work even at that.

In a little time I saw the bear climbing up a
large black oak-tree, and I crawled on till I got
within about eighty yards of him. He was setting
with his breast to me ; and so I put fresh priming
in my gun, and fired at him. At this he raised
one of his paws and snorted loudly. 1 loaded
again as quick as I could, and fired as near the
same place in his breast as possible. At the
crack of my gun here he came tumbling down ;
and the moment he touched the ground, I heard
one of my best dogs cry out. I took my toma-
hawk in one hand, and my big butcher-knife in
the other, and run up within four or five paces of
him, at which he let my dog go, and fixed his

164 THE LIFE OF

- eyes on mc. I got back in all sorts of a hurry,
for I knowM if he got hold of me, he would hug
me altogether too close for comfort. I went to
my gun and hastily loaded her again, and shot
him the third time, which killed him good.

1 now began to think about getting him home,
but I didn't know how far it was. So I left him
and started ; and in order to find him again, I
would blaze a sapling every little distance, which
would show me the way back. I continued this
till I got within about a mile of home, for there I
know'd very well where I was, and that I could
easily find the way back to my blazes. When I got
home, I took my brother-in-law, and my young
man, and four horses, and went back. We got
there just before dark, and struck up a fire, and
commenced butchering my bear. It was some
time in the night before we finished it ; and I
can assert, on my honour, that I believe he would
have weighed six hundred pounds. It was the
second largest I ever saw. I killed one, a few
years after, that weighed six hundred and seven-
teen pounds. I now felt fully compensated for
my sufferings in going after my powder ; and well
satisfied that a dog might sometimes be doing a
good business, even when he seemed to be hark-
ing up the ivrong tree. We got our meat home,

DAVID CROCKETT. 155

and I had the pleasure to know that we now had
plenty, and that of the best ; and I continued
through the winter to supply my family abun-
dantly with bear-meat and venison from the
woods.

[66 THE IJFE OF

CHAPTER XIII.

I HAD on hand a great many skins, and so, in the
month of Fehruary, I packed a horse with them,
and taking my eldest son along with me, cut out
for a little town called Jackson, situated about
forty miles off. We got there well enough, and
I sold my skins, and bought me some coffee, and
sugar, powder, lead, and salt. I packed them all
up in readiness for a start, which I intended to
make early the next morning. Morning came,
but I concluded, before I started, I would go and
take a horn with some of my old fellow-soldiers
that I had met with at Jackson.

I did so ; and while we were engaged in this,
I met with three candidates for the Legislature ;
a Doctor Butler, who was, by marriage, a ne-
phew to General Jackson, a Major Lynn, and a
Mr. McEver, all first-rate men. We all took a
horn together, and some person present said to me,
" Crockett, you must offer for the Legislature." I
told him I lived at least forty miles from any

DAVID CROCKETT. 167

white settlement, and had no thought of becom-
ing a candidate at that time. So we all jDarted,
and I and my little boy went on home.

It was about a week or two after this, that a
man came to my house, and told me I was a can-
didate. I told him not so. But he took out a
newspaper from his pocket, and show'd me
where I was announced. I said to my wife that
this was all a burlesque on me, but I was de-
termined to make it cost the man who had put
it there at least the value of the printing, and of
the fun he wanted at my expense. So I hired
a young man to work in my place on my farm,
and turned out myself electioneering. I hadn't
been out long, before I found the people be-
gan to talk very much about the bear hunter, the
man from the cane ; and the three gentlemen,
who I have already named, soon found it ne-
cessary to enter into an agreement to have a
sort of caucus at their March court, to deter-
mine which of them was the strongest, and
the other two was to withdraw and support
him. As the court came on, each one of them
spread himself, to secure the nomination ; but
it fell on Dr. Butler, and the rest backed out.
The doctor was a clever fellow, and I have
often said he was the most talented man I ever

163 THE LIFE OF

run against for any office. His being related to
Gen'l. Jackson also helped him on very much; but
I was in for it, and I was determined to push
ahead and go through, or stick. Their meeting
was held in Madison county, which was the
strongest in the representative district, which was
composed of eleven counties, and they seemed
bent on having the member from there.

At this time Col. Alexander was a candidate for
Congress, and attending one of his public meetings
one day, I walked to where he was treating the
people, and he gave me an introduction to several
of his acquaintances, and informed them that I was
out electioneering. In a little time my competi-
tor. Doctor Butler, came along ; he passed by
without noticing me, and I suppose, indeed, he did
not recognise me. But I hailed him, as I was for
all sorts of fun ; and when he turned to me, I said
to him, " Well, doctor, I suppose they have weigh-
ed you out to me ; but I should like to know why
they fixed your election for March instead oiJiu-
gust ? This is,'^ said I, " a branfire new way of do-
ing business, if a caucus is to make a representative
for the people!" He now discovered who I was,
and cried out, " D — n it, Crockett, is that you ?" —
" Be sure it is," said I, " but I don't want it under-
stood that I have come electioneering. I have just

DAVID CROCKETT. Igg

crept out of the cane, to see what discoveries I could
make among the white folks.'^ I told him that
when I set out electioneering, I would go prepared
to put every man on as good footing when I left
him as I found him on. I would therefore have
me a large buckskin hunting-shirt made, with a
couple of pockets holding about a peck each ;
and that in one I would carry a great big
twist of tobacco, and in the other my bottle of li-
quor ; for I knowed when I met a man and offered
him a dram, he would throw out his quid of to-
bacco to take one, and after he had taken his horn,
I would out with my twist and give him another
chaw. And in this way he would not be worse
off than when I found him ; and I would be sure
to leave him in a first-rate good humour. He said
I could beat him electioneering all hollow. I told
him I would give him better evidence of that be-
fore August, notwithstanding he had many advan-
tages over me, and particularly in the way of mo-
ney ; but I told him that I would go on the pro-
ducts of the country; that I had industrious chil-
dren, and the best of coon dogs, and they would
hunt every night till midnight to support my elec-
tion ; and when the coon fur wa'n't good, I would
myself go a wolfing, and shoot down a wolf, and
skin his head,^and his scalp would be good to me

170 THE LIFE OF

for three dollars, in our state treasury money ; and
in this way I would get along on the big string.
He stood like he was both amused and astonished,
and the whole crowd was in a roar of laughter.
From this place I returned home, leaving the peo-
ple in a first-rate way ; and I was sure I would
do a good business among them. At any rate, I
was determined to stand up to my lick-log, salt or
no salt.

In a short time there came out two other candi-
dates, a Mr. Shaw and a Mr. Brown. We all ran
the race through; and when the election was over,
it turned out that I beat them all by a majority of
two hundred and forty-seven votes, and was again
returned as a member of the Legislature from a
new region of the country, without losing a ses-
sion. This reminded me of the old saying — " A
fool for luck, and a poor man for children."

I now served two years in that body from my
new district, which was the years 1823 and '24.
At the session of 1823, I had a small trial of my
independence, and whether I would forsake prin-
ciple for party, or for the purpose of following
after big men.

The term of Col. John Williams had expired, who
was a senator in Congress from the state of Ten-
nessee. He was a candidate for another election,

DAVID CROCKETT. I7I

and was opposed by Pleasant M. Miller, Esq.,
who, it was believed, would not be able to beat
the colonel. Some two or three others were
spoken of, but it was at last concluded that the only-
man who could beat him was the present " go-
vernment," General Jackson, So, a few days be-
fore the election was to come on, he was sent for
to come and run for the senate. He was then in
nomination for the presidency ; but sure enough
he came, and did run as the opponent of Colonel
Williams, and beat him too, but not by my vote.
The vote was, for Jackson, thirty -jive ; for Wil
liams, twenty-Jive. I thought the colonel had
honestly discharged his duty, and even the mighty
name of Jackson couldn't make me vote against
him.

But voting against the old chief was found a
mighty up-hill business to all of them except my-
self. I never would, nor never did, acknowledge
I had voted wrong ; and I am more certain now
that I was right than ever.

I told the people it was the best vote I ever
gave ; that I had supported the public interest, and
cleared my conscience in giving it, instead of
gratifying the private ambition of a man.

I let the people know as early as then, that I

172 THE LIFE OF

wouldn't take a collar around my neck with the
letters engraved on it,

MY DOG.

Andrew Jackson.

During these two sessions of the Legislature, no-
thing else turned up which I think it worth while
to mention ; and, indeed, I am fearful that I am
too particular about many small matters ; but if so,
my apology is, that I want the world to under-
stand my true history, and how I worked along
to rise from a cane-brake to my present station
in life.

Col. Alexander was the representative in Con-
gress of the district I lived in, and his vote on the
tariff law of 1824 gave a mighty heap of dissatis-
faction to his people. They therefore began to
talk pretty strong of running me for Congress
against him. At last I was called on by a good
many to be a candidate. I told the people that I
couldn't stand that; it was a step above my know-
ledge, and I know'd nothing about Congress
matters.

However, I was obliged to agree to run, and my-
self and two other gentlemen came out. But Pro

DAVID CROCKETT. 173

vidence was a little against two of us this hunt, for it
was the year that cotton brought twenty-five dollars
a hundred ; and so Colonel Alexander would get
up atid tell the people, it was all the good effect of
this tariff law ; that it had raised the price of their
cotton, and that it would raise the price of every
thing else they made to sell. I might as well have
sung salms over a dead horse, as to try to make
the people believe otherwise ; for they knowed
their cotton had raised, sure enough, and if the
colonel hadn't done it, they didn't know what
had. So he rather made a mash of me this time,
as he beat me exactly tivo votes, as they counted
the polls, though I have always believed that many
other things had been as fairly done as that same
count.

He went on, and served out his term, and at
the end of it cotton was down to six or eight
dollars a hundred again ; and I concluded I would
try him once more, and see how it would go
with cotton at the common price, and so I became
a candidate.

p2

174 THE LIFE OF

CHAPTER XIV.

But the reader, I expect, would have no objec-
tion to know a little about my employment during
the two years while my competitor was in Con-
gress. In this space I had some pretty tuff times,
and will relate some few things that happened to
me. So here goes, as the boy said when he run
by himself.

In the fall of 1825, t concluded I would build
two large boats, and load them with pipe staves
for market. So I went down to the lake, which
was about twenty-five miles from where I lived,
and hired some hands to assist me, and went to
work ; some at boat building, and others to get-
ting staves. I worked on with my hands till the
bears got fat, and then I turned out to hunting, to
lay in a supply of meat. I soon killed and salted
down as many as were necessary for my family ;
but about this time one of my old neighbours, who
had settled down on the lake about twenty -five
miles from me, came to my house and told me

DAVID CROCKETT. X75

he wanted me to go down and kill some bears
about in his parts. He said they were extremely
fat, and very plenty. I know'd that when they
were fat, they were easily taken, for a fat bear
can't run fast or long. But I asked a bear no fa-
vours, no way, further than civility, for I now
had eight large dogs, and as fierce as painters j
so that a bear stood no chance at all to get away
from them. So I went home with him, and then
went on down towards the Mississippi, and com-
menced hunting.

We were out two weeks, and in that time killed
fifteen bears. Having now supplied my friend
with plenty of meat, I engaged occasionally again
with my hands in our boat building, and getting
staves. But I at length couldn't stand it any
longer without another hunt. So I concluded to
take my little son, and cross over the lake, and
take a hunt there. We got over, and that evening
turned out and killed three bears, in little or no
time. The next morning we drove up four forks,
and made a sort of scaffold, on which we salted
up our meat, so as to have it out of the reach of
the wolves, for as soon as we would leave our
camp, they w^ould take possession. We had just
eat our breakfast, when a company of hunters
came to our camp, who had fourteen dogs, but all

176 I'HE LIFE OF

SO poor, that wlien Ihcy would bark they would
almost have to lean up against a tree and take
a rest. I told them their dogs couldn't run in
smell of a bear, and they had better stay at my
camp, and feed them on the bones I had cut out
of my meat. I left them there, and cut out ; but
I hadn't gone far, when my dogs took a first-rate
start after a very large fat old he-hear, which run
right plump towards my camp. I pursued on,
but my other hunters had heard my dogs coming,
and met them, and killed the bear before I got up
with him. I gave him to them, and cut out again
for a creek called Big Clover, which wa'n't very
far off. Just as I got there, and was entering a
cane brake, my dogs all broke and went ahead,
and, in a little time, they raised a fuss in the cane,
and seemed to be going every way. I listened a
while, and found my dogs was in two companies,
and that both was in a snorting fight. I sent my
little son to one, and I broke for t'other. I got to
mine first, and found my dogs had a two-year-old
bear down, a-wooling away on him ; so I just
took out my big butcher, and went up and slap'd
it into him, and killed him without shooting.
There was five of the dogs in my company. In
a short time, I heard my little son fire at his bear^
when I went to h»m he had killed it too. He

DAVID CROCKETT. I77

had two dogs in his team. Just at this moment
we heard my other dog barking a short distance
off, and all the rest immediately broke to him.
We pushed on too, and when we got there, we
found he had still a larger bear than either of them
we had killed, treed by himself. We killed that
one also, which made three we had killed in less
than half an hour. We turned in and butchered
them, and then started to hunt for water, and a
good place to camp. But we had no sooner
started, than our dogs took a start after another
one, and away they went like a thunder-gust, and
was out of hearing in a minute. We followed the
way they had gone for some time, but at length
we gave up the hope of finding them, and turned
back. As we were going back, I came to where
a poor fellow was grubbing, and he looked like
the very picture of hard times. I asked him
what he was doing away there in the woods by
himself ? He said he was grubbing for a man w^ho
intended to settle there ; and the reason why he
did it was, that he had no meat for his family,
and he was working for a little.

I was mighty sorry for the poor fellow, for
it. was not only a hard, but a very slow way to
get meat for a hungry family ; so I told him if he
would go with me, I would give him more meat

178 THE LIFE OF

than he could get by grubbing in a month. I in-
tended to supply him with meat, and also to get
him to assist my little boy in packing in and salt-
ing up my bears. He had never seen a bear kill
ed in his life. I told him I had six killed then,
and my dogs were hard after another. He went
off to his little cabin, which was a short distance
in the brush, and his wife was very anxious he
should go with me. So we started and went to
where I had left my three bears, and made a camp.
We then gathered my meat and salted, and scaf-
fled it, as I had done the other. Night now came
on, but no word from my dogs yet. I afterwards
found they had treed the bear about five miles
off, near to a man's house, and had barked at it
the whole enduring night. Poor fellows ! many
a time they looked for me, and wondered why I
didn't come, for they knowed there was no mis-
take in me, and I know'd they were as good as
ever fluttered. In the morning, as soon as it was
light enough to see, the man took his gun and
went to them, and shot the bear, and killed it. My
dogs, however, wouldn't have any thing to say to
this stranger ; so they left him, and came early in
the morning back to me.

We got our breakfast, and cut out again ; and
we killed four large and very fat bears that day.

DAVID CROCKETT . 179

We hunted out the week, and in that time we
killed seventeen, all of them first-rate. When
we closed our hunt, I gave the man over a
thousand weight of fine fat bear-meat, which
pleased him mightily, and made him feel as
rich as a Jew. I saw him the next fall, and he
told me he had plenty of meat to do him the
whole year from his week's hunt. My son and
me now went home. This was the week between
Christmass and New-year that we made this hunt.
When I got home, one of my neighbours was
out of meat, and wanted me to go back, and
let him go with me, to take another hunt. I
couldn't refuse ; but I told him I was afraid the
bear had taken to house by that time, for after
they get very fat in the fall and early part of the
winter, they go into their holes, in large hollow
trees, or into hollow logs, or their cane-houses,
or the harricanes ; and lie there till spring, like
frozen snakes. And one thing about this will
seem mighty strange to many people. Fronr
about the first of January to about the last of
April, these varments lie in their holes altogether.
In all that time they have no food to eat ; and yet
when they come out, they are not an ounce lighter
than when they went to house. I don't know the
cause of this, and still I know it is a fact ; and I

180 THE LIFE OF

leave it for others who have more learning than
myself to account for it. They have not a particle
of food with them, but they just lie and suck the
bottom of their paw all the time. I have killed
many of them in their trees, which enables me to
speak positively on this subject. However, my
neighbour, whose name was McDaniel, and my
little son and me, went on down to the lake to
my second camp, where I had killed my seventeen
bears the week before, and turned out to hunting.
But we hunted hard all day without getting a sin-
gle start. We had carried but little provisions with
us, and the next morning was entirely out of meat.
I sent my son about three miles off, to the house
of an old friend, to get some. The old gentleman
was much pleased to hear I was hunting in those
parts, for the year before the bears had killed a
great many of his hogs. He was that day killing
his bacon hogs, and so he gave my son some meat,
and sent word to me that I must come in to his
house that evening, that he would have plenty of
feed for my dogs, and some accommodations for
ourselves ; but before my son got back, we had
gone out hunting, and in a large cane brake my
dogs found a big bear in a cane-house, which he
had fixed for his winter-quarters, as they some-
times do.

DAVID CROCKETT. IQI

When my lead dog found him, and raised
the yell, all the rest broke to him, but none of
them entered his house until we got up. I en-
couraged my dogs, and they knowed me so well,
that I could have made them seize the old serpent
himself, with all his horns and heads, and cloven
foot and ugliness into the bargain, if he would
only have come to light, so that they could have
seen him. They bulged in, and in an instant the
bear followed them out, and I told my friend to
shoot him, as he w^as mighty wrathy to kill a bear.
He did so, and killed him prime. We carried him
to our camp, by which time my son had returned ;
and after we got our dinners we packed up, and
cut for the house of my old friend, whose name
was Davidson.

We got there, and staid with him that night ;
and the next morning, having salted up our meat,
we left it with him, and started to take a hunt be-
tween the Obion lake and the Red-foot lake ; as
there had been a dreadful harricane, which passed
between them, and I was sure there must be a
heap of bears in the fallen timber. We had gone
about five miles without seeing any sign at all ;
but at length we got on some high cany ridges,
and, as we rode along, I saw a hole in a large
black oak, and on examining more closely, I dis-

Q

182 THE LIFE OF

covered that a bear had clomb the tree. I could
see his tracks going up, but none coming down,
and so I was sure he was in there. A person who is
acquainted with bear-hunting, can tell easy enough
when the varment is in the hollow ; for as they
go up they don't slip a bit, but as they come down
they make long scratches with their nails.

My friend was a little ahead of me, but I called
him back, and told him there was a bear in that
tree, and I must have him out. So we lit from
our horses, and I found a small tree which I
thought I could fall so as to lodge against my bear
tree, and we fell to work chopping it with our
tomahawks. I intended, when we lodged the tree
against the other, to let my little son go up, and
look into the hole, for he could climb like a squir-
rel. We had chop'd on a little time and stop'd to
rest, when I heard my dogs barking mighty se-
vere at some distance from us, and I told my friend
I knowed they had a bear ; for it is the nature
of a dog, when he finds you are hunting bears,
to hunt for nothing else ; he becomes fond of the
meat, and considers other game as " not worth a
notice,'' as old Johnson said of the devil.

We concluded to leave our tree a bit, and went
to my dogs, and when we got there, sure enough
they had an eternal great big fat bear up a tree.

DAVID CROCKETT. 183

just ready for shooting. My friend again peti-
tioned me for liberty to shoot this one also. I had
a little rather not, as the bear was so big, but I
couldn't refuse ; and so he blazed away, and down
came the old fellow like some great log had fell.
I now missed one of my dogs, the same that I be-
fore spoke of as having treed the bear by himself
sometime before, when I had started the three in
the cane break. I told my friend that my missing
dog had a bear somewhere, just as sure as fate ; so
I left them to butcher the one we had just killed,
and I went up on a piece of high ground to listen
for my dog. I heard him barking with all his
might some distance off, and I pushed ahead for
him. My other dogs hearing him broke to him,
and when I got there, sure enough again he had
another bear ready treed ; if he hadn't, I wish
I may be shot. I fired on him, and brought
him down ; and then went back, and help'd
finish butchering the one at which I had left
my friend. We then packed both to our tree
where we had left my boy. By this time, the lit-
tle fellow had cut the tree down that we intended
to lodge, but it fell the wrong way ; he had then
feather'd in on the big tree, to cut that, and had
found that it was nothing but a shell on the out-
side, and all doted in the middle, as too many of

184 THE LIFE OF

our big men are in these days, having only an out-
side appearance. My friend and my son cut away
on it, and I went off about a hundred yards with
my dogs to keep them from running under the
tree when it should fall. On looking back at the
hole, I saw the bear's head out of it, looking down
at them as they were cutting. I hollered to them
to look up, and they did so ; and McDaniel catch-
ed up his gun, but by this time the bear was out,
and coming down the tree. He fired at it, and as
soon as it touch'd ground the dogs were all round
it, and they had a roll-and-tumble fight to the foot
of the hill, where they stop'd him. I ran up, and
putting my gun against the bear, fired and killed
him. We now had three, and so we made our
scaffold and salted them up.

DAVID CROCKETT. 185

CHAPTER XV.

In the morning I left my son at the camp, and
we started on towards the harricane ; and when
we had went about a mile, we started a very large
bear, but we got along mighty slow on account of
the cracks in the earth occasioned by the earth-
quakes. We, however, made out to keep in hear-
ing of the dogs for about three miles, and then
we come to the harricane. Here we had to quit
our horses, as old Nick himself couldn't have got
through it without sneaking it along in the form
that he put on, to make a fool of our old grand-
mother Eve. By this time several of my dogs
had got tired and come back ; but we went ahead
on foot for some little time in the harricane, when
we met a bear coming straight to us, and not
more than twenty or thirty yards off. I started
my tired dogs after him, and McDaniel pursued
them, and I went on to where my other dogs
were. I had seen the track of the bear they were
after, and I knowed he was a screamer. I fol-
q2

186 "mE LIFE OF

lowed on to about the middle of the harricane ;
but my dogs pursued him so close, that they made
him climb an old stump about twenty feet high.
I got in shooting distance of him and fired, but
I was all over in such a flutter from fatigue and
running, that I couldn't hold steady ; but, how-
ever, I broke his shoulder, and he fell. I run up
and loaded my gun as quick as possible, and shot
him again and killed him. When I went to take
out my knife to butcher him, I found I had lost
it in coming through the harricane. The vines
and briers was so thick that I would sometimes
have to get down and crawl like a varment to get
through at all ; and a vine had, as I supposed,
caught in the handle and pulled it out. While I
was standing and studying what to do, my friend
came to me. He had followed my trail through
the harricane, and had found my knife, which was
mighty good news to me ; as a hunter hates the
worst in the world to lose a good dog, or any
part of his hunting-tools. I now left McDaniel
to butcher the bear, and I went after our horses,
and brought them as near as the nature of case
would allow. I then took our bags, and went back
to where he was ; and when we had skin'd the
bear, we fleeced off" the fat and carried it to our
horses at several loads. We then packed it up

DAVID CROCKETT. 187

on our horses, and had a heavy pack of it on
each one. We now started and went on till about
sunset, when I concluded we must be near our
camp ; so I hollered and my son answered me,
and we moved on in the direction to the camp.
We had gone but a little way when I heard my
dogs make a warm start again ; and I jumped
down from my horse and gave him up to my
friend, and told him I would follow them. He
went on to the camp, and I went ahead after my
dogs with all my might for a considerable dis-
tance, till at last night came on. The woods were
very rough and hilly, and all covered over with
cane.

I now was compePd to move on more slowly ;
and was frequently falling over logs, and into the
cracks made by the earthquakes, so that I was
very much afraid I would break my gun. How-
ever I went on about three miles, when I came to
a good big creek, which I waded. It was very
cold, and the creek was about knee-deep ; but I
felt no great inconvenience from it just then, as I
was all over wet with sweat from running, and I
felt hot enough. After I got over this creek and
out of the cane, which was very thick on all our
creeks, I listened for my dogs. I found they had
either treed or brought the bear to a stop, as they

138 THE LIFE OF

continued barking in the same place. I pushed on
as near in the direction to the noise as I could, till
I found the hill was too steep for me to climb,
and so I backed and went down the creek some
distance till I came to a hollow, and then took up
that, till 1 come to a place where I could climb up
the hill. It was mighty dark, and was difficult to
see my way or any thing else. When I got up
the hill, I found I had passed the dogs ; and so I
turned and went to them. I found, when I got
there, they had treed the bear in a large forked
poplar, and it was setting in the fork.

I could see the lump, but not plain enough to
shoot with any certainty, as there was no moon-
light ; and so I set in to hunting for some dry
brush to make me a light ; but I could find none,
though I could find that the ground was torn
mightily to pieces by the cracks. -^

At last I thought I could shoot by guess, and kill
him ; so I pointed as near the lump as I could, and
fired away. But the bear didn't come he only
clomb up higher, and got out on a limb, which
helped me to see him better. I now loaded up
again and fired, but this time he didn't move at
all. I commenced loading for a third fire, but the
first thing I knowed, the bear was down among
my dogs, and they were fighting all around me.

DAVID CROCKETT. 189

I had my big butcher in my belt, and I had a pair
of dressed buckskin breeches on. So I took out
my knife, and stood, determined, if he should get
hold of me, to defend myself in the best way I
could. I stood there for some time, and could
now and then see a white dog I had, but the rest
of them, and the bear, which were dark coloured,
I couldn't see at all, it was so miserable dark.
They still fought around me, and sometimes
within three feet of me ; but, at last, the bear got
down into one of the cracks, that the earthquakes
had made in the ground, about four feet deep, and
I could tell the biting end of him by the hollering
of my dogs. So I took my gun and pushed the
muzzle of it about, till I thought I had it against
the main part of his body, and fired ; but it hap-
pened to be only the fleshy part of his foreleg.
With this, he jumped out of the crack, and he
and the dogs had another hard fight around me,
as before. At last, however, they forced him
back into the crack again, as he was when I had
shot.

I had laid down my gun in the dark, and I now
began to hunt for it ; and, while hunting, I got
hold of a pole, and I concluded I would punch
him awhile with that. I did so, and when 1
would punch him,' the dogs would jump in on

190 ^^^ '^^^^ ^F

him, when he would bite them badly, and they
would jump out again. I concluded, as he would
take punching so patiently, it might be that he
would lie still enough for me to get down in the
crack, and feel slowly along till I could find the
right place to give him a dig with my butcher.
So I got down, and my dogs got in before him
and kept his head towards them, till I got along
easily up to him ; and placing my hand on his
rump, felt for his shoulder, just behind which
I intended to stick him. I made a lounge with
my long knife, and fortunately stuck him right
through the heart ; at wdiich he just sank down,
and I crawled out in a hurry. In a little time
my dogs all come out too, and seemed satisfied,
which was the way they always had of telling
me that they had finished him.

I suffered very much that night with cold, as
my leather breeches, and every thing else I had
on, was wet and frozen. But I managed to get
my bear out of this crack after several hard trials,
and so I butchered him, and laid down to try to
sleep. But my fire was very bad, and I couldn't
find any thing that would burn well to make it
any better; and I concluded I should freeze, if I
didn't warm myself in some way by exercise.
So I got up, and hollered a while, and then I

DAVID CROCKETT. 191

would just jump up and down with all my might,
and throw myself into all sorts of motions. But
all this wouldn't do ; for my blood was now
getting cold, and the chills coming all over me,
I was so tired, too, that I could hardly walk ; but I
thought I would do the best I could to save my
life, and then, if I died, nobody would be to
blame. So I went to a tree about two feet through,
and not a limb on it for thirty feet, and I would
climb up it to the limbs, and then lock my arms
together around it, and slide down to the bottom
again. This would make the insides of my legs
and arms feel mighty warm and good. I continued
this till daylight in the morning, and how often I
clomb up my tree and slid down I don't know,
but I reckon at least a hundred times.

In the morning I got my bear hung up so as to
be safe, and then set out to hunt for my camp. I
found it after a while, and McDaniel and my son
were very much rejoiced to see me get back, for
they were about to give me up for lost. We got
our breakfasts, and then secured our meat by
building a high scaffold, and covering it over.
We had no fear of its spoiling, for the weather was
so cold that it couldn't.

We now started after my other bear, which had
caused me so much trouble and suffering ; and be-

IQ2 THE LIFE OF

fore we got him, we got a start after another, and
took him also. We went on to the creek I had
crossed the night before and camped, and then
went to where my bear was, that I had killed in
the crack. When we examined the place, McDa-
niel said he wouldn't have gone into it, as I did,
for all the bears in the woods.

We took the meat down to our camp and salted
it, and also the last one we had killed ; intending,
in the morning, to make a hunt in the harricane
again.

We prepared for resting that night, and I can
assure the reader I was in need of it. We had
laid down by our fire, and about ten o'clock there
came a most terrible earthquake, which shook the
earth so, that we were rocked about like we had
been in a cradle. We were very much alarmed ;
for though we were accustomed to feel earth-
quakes, we were now right in the region which
had been torn to pieces by them in 1812, and we
thought it might take a notion and swallow us up,
like the big fish did Jonah.

In the morning we packed up and moved to the
harricane, where we made another camp, and
turned out that evening and killed a very large
bear, which made eight we had now killed in
this hunt.

DAVID CROCKETT. I93

The next morning we entered the harricane
again, and in little or no time my dogs were in
full cry. We pursued them, and soon came to a
thick cane-brake, in which they had stop'd their
bear. We got up close to him, as the cane was
so thick that we couldn't see more than a few
feet. Here I made my friend hold the cane a
little open with his gun till 1 shot the bear,
which was a mighty large one. I killed him
dead in his tracks. We got him out and butch-
ered him, and in a little time started another
and killed him, which now made ten we had
killed ; and we know'd we couldn't pack any
more home, as we had only five horses along ;
therefore we returned to the camp and salted up
all our meat, to be ready for a start homeward
next morning.

The morning came, and we packed our horses
with the meat, and had as much as they could pos-
sibly carry, and sure enough cut out for home. It
was about thirty miles, and we reached home the
second day. I had now accommodated my neigh-
bour with meat enough to do him, and had killed
in all, up to that time, fifty-eight bears, during the
fall and winter.

As soon as the time come for them to quit
their houses and come out again in the spring,
R

194 THE LIFE OF

I took a notion to hunt a little more, and in
about one month I killed forty-seven more, which
made one hundred and five bears I had killed in
less than one year from that time.

DAVID CROCKETT. 195

CHAPTER XVI.

Having now closed my hunting for that winter,
I returned to my hands, who were engaged about
my boats and staves, and made ready for a trip
down the river. I had two boats and about
thirty thousand staves, and so I loaded with them,
and set out for New Orleans. I got out of the
Obion river, in which I had loaded my boats,
very well j but when I got into the Mississippi, I
found all my hands were bad scared, and in fact I be-
lieve I was scared a little the worst of any ; for
I had never been down the river, and I soon dis-
covered that my pilot was as ignorant of the business
as myself. I hadn't gone far before I determined to
lash the two boats together ; we did so, but it made
them so heavy and obstinate, that it was next akin
to impossible to do any thing at all with them, or
to guide them right in the river.

That evening we fell in company with some
Ohio boats ; and about night we tried to land, but
we could not. The Ohio men hollered to us to

196 THE LIFE OF

go on and run all night. We took their advice,
though we had a good deal rather not ; but we
couldn't do any other way. In a short distance we
got into what is called the *^ DeviVs Elbow ;^^ and
if any place in the wide creation has its own proper
name, I thought it was this. Here we had about
the hardest work that I ever was engaged in, in
my life, to keep out of danger ; and even then
we were in it all the while. We twice attempted
to land at Wood-yards, which we could see, but
couldn't reach.

The people would run out with lights, and try
to instruct us how to get to shore ; but all in vain.
Our boats were so heavy that we couldn't take
them much any way, except the way they wanted
to go, and just the way the current would carry
them. At last we quit trying to land, and con-
cluded just to go ahead as well as we could, for
we found we couldn't do any better. Some time
in the night I was down in the cabin of one of
the boats, sitting by the fire, thinking on what a
hobble we had got into ; and how much better
bear-hunting was on hard land, than floating along
on the water, when a fellow had to go ahead
whether he was exactly willing or not.

The hatchway into the cabin came slap down,
right through the top of the boat ; and it was the

DAVID CROCKETT. I97

only way out except a small hole in the side,
which we had used for putting our arms through
to dip up water before we lashed the boats to-
gether.

We were now floating sideways, and the boat I
was in was the hindmost as we went. All at once
I heard the hands begin to run over the top of the
boat in great confusion, and pull with all their
might ; and the first thing I knowM after this
we went broadside full tilt against the head of an
island where a large raft of drift timber had lodged.
The nature of such a place would be, as every
body knows, to suck the boats down, and turn
them right under this raft ; and the uppermost
boat would, of course, be suck'd down and go un-
der first. As soon as we struck, I bulged for my
hatchway, as the boat was turning under sure
enough. But when I got to it, the water was pour-
ing thro' in a current as large as the hole would
let it, and as strong as the weight of the river
could force it. I found I couldn't get out here,
for the boat was now turned down in such a way,
that it was steeper than a house-top. I now
thought of the hole in the side, and made my
way in a hurry for that. With difficulty I got to
it, and when I got there, I found it was too small
for me to get out by my own dower, and I began
r2

198 THE LIFE OF

to think that I was in a worse box than ever.
But I put my arms through and hollered as loud
as I could roar, as the boat I was in hadn't yet
quite filled with water up to my head, and the
hands who were next to the raft, seeing my arms
out, and hearing me holler, seized them, and be-
gan to pull. I told them I was sinking, and to
pull my arms off, or force me through, for now I
know'd well enough it was neck or nothing, come
out or sink.

By a violent effort they jerked me through ;
but I was in a pretty pickle when I got through.
I had been sitting without any clothing over my
shirt : this was torn off, and I was literally
skin'd like a rabbit. I was, however, well pleased
to get out in any way, even without shirt or
hide ; as before I could straighten myself on the
boat next to the raft, the one they pull'd me out
of went entirely under, and I have never seen it
any more to this day. We all escaped on to the
raft, where we were compelled to sit all night,
about a mile from land on either side. Four of
my company were bareheaded, and three bare-
footed ; and of that number I was one. I reckon
1 looked like a pretty cracklin ever to get to
Congress ! ! !

We had now lost all our loading ; and every

DAVID CROCKETT. J 99

particle of our clothing, except what little we had
on ; but over all this, while I was setting there,
in the night, floating about on the drift, I felt hap-
pier and better off than I ever had in my life be-
fore, for I had just made such a marvellous escape,
that I had forgot almost every thing else in that ;
and so I felt prime.

In the morning about sunrise, we saw a boat
coming down, and we hailed her. They sent a
large skifi', and took us all on board, and carried us
down as far as Memphis. Here I met with a
friend, that I never can forget as long as I am able
to go ahead at any thing ; it was a Major Win-
chester, a merchant of that place : he let us all
have hats, and shoes, and some little money to go
upon, and so we all parted.

A young man and myself concluded to go on
down to Natchez, to see if we could hear any thing
of our boats ; for we supposed they would float
out from the raft, and keep on down the river.
We got on a boat at Memphis, that was going
down, and so cut out. Our largest boat, we were
informed, had been seen about fifty miles below
where we stove, and an attempt had been made
to land her, but without success, as she was as hard-
headed as ever.

This was the last of my boats, and of my boat-

200 THE LIFE OF

ing ; for it went so badly with me, along at the
first, that I hadn't much mind to try it any
more. I now returned home again, and as the
next August was the Congressional election, I be-
gan to turn my attention a little to that matter, as
it was beginning to be talked of a good deal among
the people.

DAVID CROCKETT. 201

CHAPTER XVII.

I HAVE, heretofore, informed the reader that I
had determined to run this race to see what effect
the price of cotton could have again on it. I now
had Col. Alexander to run against once more, and
also General William Arnold.

I had difficulties enough to fight against this
time, as every one will suppose ; for I had no
money, and a very bad prospect, so far as I know'd,
of getting any to help me along. I had, however,
a good friend, who sent for me to come and see
him. I went, and he was good enough to offer
me some money to help me out. I borrowed
as much as I thought I needed at the start, and
went ahead. My friend also had a good deal of
business about over the district at the different
courts ; and if he now and then slip'd in a
good word for me, it is nobody's business.
We frequently met at different places, and,
as he thought I needed, he would occasionally
hand me a little more cash ; so I was able to buy

202 THE LIFE OF

a little of "the creature,''^ to put my friends in a
good humour, as well as the other gentlemen, for
they all treat in that country ; not to get elected,
of course — for that would be against the law ; but
just, as I before said, to make themselves and their
friends feel their keeping a little.

Nobody ever did know how I got money to
get along on, till after the election was over, and
I had beat my competitors twenty-seven hun-
dred and forty-eight votes. Even the price of
cotton couldn't save my friend Aleck this time.
My rich friend, who had been so good to me in
the way of money, now sent for me, and loaned
me a hundred dollars, and told me to go ahead ;
that that amount would bear my expenses to Con-
gress, and I must then shift for myself. I came
on to Washington, and draw'd two hundred and
fifty dollars, and purchased with it a check on the
bank at Nashville, and enclosed it to my friend ;
and I may say, in truth, I sent this money with a
mighty good will, for I reckon nobody in this
world loves a friend better than me, or remembers
a kindness longer.

I have now given the close of the election, but
I have skip'd entirely over the canvass, of which
I will say a very few things in this place ; as I
know very well how to tell the truth, but not much

DAVID CROCKETT. 203

about placing them in book order, so as to please
critics.

Col. Alexander was a very clever fellow, and
principal surveyor at that time ; so much for one of
the men I had to run against. My other competi-
tor was a major-general in the militia, and an at-
torney-general at the law, and quite a smart, clever
man also ; and so it will be seen I had war work
as well as law trick, to stand up under. Taking
both together, they make a pretty considerable
of a load for any one man to carry. But for
war claims, I consider myself behind no man
except " the government," and mighty little, if
any, behind him ; but this the people will have
to determine hereafter, as I reckon it won't do
to quit the work of " reform and retrenchment"
yet for a spell.

But my two competitors seemed some little
afraid of the influence of each other, but not to
think me in their way at all. They, therefore,
were generally working against each other, while
I was going ahead for myself, and mixing among
the people in the best way I could. I was as cun-
ning as a little red fox, and wouldn't risk my tail
in a " committal" trap.

I found the sign was good, almost everywhere
I went. On one occasion, while we were in the

204 THE LIFE OF

eastern counties of the district, it happened that
we all had to make a speech, and it fell on me to
make the first one. I did so after my manner,
and it turned pretty much on the old saying, " A
short horse is soon curried,^' as I spoke not very
long. Colonel Alexander followed me, and then
General Arnold come on.

The general took much pains to reply to Alex-
ander, but didn't so much as let on that there was
any such candidate as myself at all. He had
been speaking for a considerable time, when a
large flock of guinea-fowls came very near to
where he was, and set up the most unmerciful
chattering that ever was heard, for they are a noisy
little brute any way. They so confused the ge-
neral, that he made a stop, and requested that they
might be driven away. I let him finish his speech,
and then walking up to him, said aloud, " Well,
colonel, you are the first man I ever saw that un-
derstood the language of fowls." I told him that
he had not had the politeness to name me in his
speech, and that when my little friends, the guinea-
fowls, had come up and began to holler " Crockett,
Crockett, Crockett," he had been ungenerous
enough to stop, and drive them all away. This
raised a universal shout among the people for me,
and the general seemed mighty bad plagued. But

DAVID CROCKETT. 205

he got more plagued than this at the polls in Au-
gust, as I have stated before.

This election was in 1827, and I can say, on
my conscience, that I was, without disguise, the
friend and supporter of General Jackson, upon
his principles as he laid them down, and as "/
understood them,^^ before his election as presi-
dent. During my two first sessions in Congress,
Mr. Adams was president, and I worked along
with what was called the Jackson party pretty
well. I was re-elected to Congress, in 1829, by
an overwhelming majority ; and soon after the
commencement of this second term, I saw, or
thought I did, that it was expected of me that I
was to bow to the name of Andrew Jackson, and
follow him in all his motions, and mindings, and
turnings, even at the expense of my conscience
and judgment. Such a thing was new to me, and
a total stranger to my principles. I know'd well
enough, though, that if I didn't " hurra" for his
name, the hue and cry was to be raised against
me, and I was to be sacrificed, if possible. His
famous, or rather I should say his in-famous, In-
dian bill was brought forward, and I opposed it
from the purest motives in the world. Several
of my colleagues got around me, and told me how
well they loved me, and that I was ruining my-
S

206 '^HE ^^^^^ ^^

self. They said this was a favourite measure of
the president, and I ought to go for it. I told
them I believed it was a wicked, unjust measure,
and that I should go against it, let the cost to my-
self be what it might ; that I was willing to go
with General Jackson in every thing that I be-
lieved was honest and right; but, further than
this, I wouldn't go for him, or any other man in
the whole creation ; that I would sooner be ho-
nestly and politically d — nd, than hypocritically
immortalized. I had been elected by a majority
of three thousand five hundred and eighty-five
votes, and I believed they were honest men, and
wouldn't want me to vote for any unjust notion,
to please Jackson or any one else ; at any rate,
I was of age, and was determined to trust them.
I voted against this Indian bill, and my conscience
yet tells me that I gave a good honest vote, and
one that I believe will not make me ashamed in
the day of judgment. I served out my term, and
though many amusing things happened, I am not
disposed to swell my narrative by inserting them.
When it closed, and I returned home, I found
the storm had raised against me sure enough ;
and it was echoed from side to side, and from end
to end of my district, that I had turned against
Jackson. This was considered the unpardonable

DAVID CROCKETT. 207

sin. I was hunted down like a wild varment, and
in this hunt every little newspaper in the district,
and every little pin-hook lawyer was engaged.
Indeed, they were ready to print any and every
thing that the ingenuity of man could invent
against me. Each editor was furnished with the
journals of Congress from head-quarters; and
hunted out every vote I had missed in four ses-
sions, whether from sickness or not, no matter ,
and each one was charged against me at eight
dollars. In all I had missed about seventy votes,
which they made amount to five hundred and
sixty dollars ; and they contended I had swindled
the government out of this sum, as I had received
my pay, as other members do. I was now again
a candidate in 1830, while all the attempts were
making against me ; and every one of these little
papers kept up a constant war on me, fighting
with every scurrilous report they could catch.

Over all I should have been elected, if it hadn't
been, that but a few weeks before the election, the
little four-pence-ha'penny limbs of the law fell on
a plan to defeat me, which had the desired efiect.
They agreed to spread out over the district, and
make appointments for me to speak, almost every-
where, to clear up .the Jackson question. They
would give me no notice of these appointments,

208 THE LIFE OF

and the people would meet in great crowds to
hear what excuse Crockett had to make for quit-
ting Jackson.

But instead of Crockett's being there, this
small-fry of lawyers would be there, with their
saddle-bags full of the little newspapers and their
journals of Congress ; and would get up and
speak, and read their scurrilous attacks on me,
and would then tell the people that I was afraid
to attend ; and in this way would turn many
against me. All this intrigue was kept a profound
secret from me, till it was too late to counteract
it ; and when the election came, I had a majority
in seventeen counties, putting all their votes to-
gether, but the eighteenth beat me ; and so I was
left out of Congress during those two years. The
people of my district were induced, by these tricks,
to take a stay on me for that time ; but they have
since found out that they were imposed on, and
on re-considering my case, have reversed that de-
cision ; which, as the Dutchman said, " is as fair a
ding as eber was."

When I last declared myself a candidate, I
knew that the district would be divided by the
Legislature before the election would come on ;
and I moreover knew, that from the geographical
situation of the country, the county of Madison,

DAVID CROCKETT. 209

which was very strong, and whicli was the
county that had given the majority that had beat
me in the former race, should be left off from my
district.

But when the Legislature met, as I have been
informed, and I have no doubt of the fact, Mr.
Fitzgerald, my competitor, went up, and informed
his friends in that body, that if Madison county
was left off, he wouldn't run ; for " that Crockett
could beat Jackson himself in those parts, in any
way they could fix it."

The liberal Legislature you know, of course,
gave him that county ; and it is too clear to admit
of dispute, that it was done to make a mash of me.
In order to make my district in this way, they had
to form the southern district of a string of counties
around three sides of mine, or very nearly so.
Had my old district been properly divided, it
would have made two nice ones, in convenient nice
form. But as it is, they are certainly the most
unreasonably laid off of any in the state, or perhaps
in the nation, or even in the te-total creation.

However, when the election came on, the peo-
ple of the district, and of Madison county among
the rest, seemed disposed to prove to Mr. Fitzge-
rald and the Jackson Legislature, that they were not

to be transferred like hogs, and horses, and cattle

s2

210 THE LIFE OF

in the market; and they determined that I shouldn't
be broke down, though I had to carry Jackson, and
the enemies of the bank, and the legislative works
all at once. I had Mr. Fitzgerald, it is true, for
my open competitor, but he was helped along by
all his little lawyers again, headed by old Black
Hawk, as he is sometimes called, (alias) Adam
Huntsman, with all his talents for writing " Chro-
nicles,^^ and such like foolish stuff.

But one good thing was, and I must record it,
the papers in the district were now beginning to
say " fair play a little," and they would publish
on both sides of the question. The contest was a
warm one, and the battle well-fought ; but I gained
the day, and the Jackson horse was left a little
behind. When the polls were compared, it turned
out I had beat Fitz just two hundred and two
votes, having made a mash of all their intrigues.
After all this, the reader will perceive that I am
now here in Congress, this 28th day of January,
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hun-
dred and thirty-four ; and that, what is more
agreeable to my feelings as a freeman, I am at
liberty to vote as my conscience and judgment
dictates to be right, without the yoke of any party
on me, or the driver at my heels, with his whip in
hand, commanding me to ge-wo-haw, just at his

DAVID CROCKETT. 211

pleasure. Look at my arms, you will find no
party hand-cuff on them ! Look at my neck, you
will not find there any collar, with the engraving

MY DOG.

Andrew Jackson.

But you will find !ne standing up to my rack,
as the people's faithful representative, and the pub-
lic's most obedient, very humble servant,

DAVID CROCKETT.

THE END.

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