Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-02-08
David Crockett.

The editor of the New Orleans Advocate
has the following personal "reminiscences re-
specting this eccentric and extraordinary man
g Up TO the year 1913 we had never seen
anybody that had seen Crockett-ihe identi-
cal man. In this uncertainty came our ap-
pontment in January, 1919, by Bishop Paine,
to New Orleans. On the way we learned
that son Of Davy Crockett was one of the
official members Of the church AT the rail-
road he met us in person 10 give welcome and
conduct us TO his house for home, till the
parsonage could be fitted up And home it
was. But what contrast in the actual man
TO the one We had pictured Small of stature,
but 1.-THE and well knit; light, thin hair
pleasant features; playful mouth. In ma
terial, fine grained. In manners, easy and
genteel, without effort The only wildcat
realization was The keen gray eyes, wide apart,
that wept at all that was tender, and pi,eous.
and touching, laughed in Joy, and flashed
fercely under indignant excitement. Such
was our first acquaintance in New Orleans
such one cf the stewards and cass-leaders and
superintendent of the Sabbath school, and
ready for every other good work good
name. too-John Wesley Crockett The YER
table son of DSy.
In his parlor hung portrait of his father
taken by a master hand There were the
strong features, the marked character The
attItuda cboSap -.
gallery-dressed in hunting shirt, surrounded
by hounds and horns, rife in hand, bowie at
the belt, and cap of coonskin. 1t was sub
dued into civilization, for it was painted after
Davy had been to Congress. There Is no
portrait in the land we would rather be in pos
session of.
Finding that Davy Crockett was fact, we
inquired if those tales Of his doings and say
ings were also facts. Here we ran too eager
ly upon tender point. The son was sensi-
tive about those caricatures that made his
father the type of the western frontiersmen
they had been pamphleted and circulated to
the old gentleman's annoyance in his lifetime.
He had marked traits in that direction but
they had been exaggerated in catering to pub
lie taste. As TO panthers and wild cats, and
camp hunts that was in the main true, as he,
younger son, hdd Killed some himself. But
Davy Crockett, though entering public life
under the great and unusual disadvantages re
sulting from lack Of early education in the
west, was shrewd and observing, and had a
sense propriety. Even before going to Con-
gress he was the counsellor of his neighbors,
wrote their wills and did such matters and
read his family Bible on Sundays.
But the ruling passion led him on to DEATH
The country got too thickly settled. The old
man longed for the freshness of adventure, and
at the Alamo he found more than he bargained
for. Attached to the watch-chan of the son.
we often remarked a treasure. 1t was seal
cut from the flint of the old hero's Alamo mus
ket. The love of bold adventure runs in the
blood. In the first expedition Of Lopez against
Cuba, the Cardenas bullets fell fast and thicb,
around the feet Of grandson Of Dayy. He
ran away from his fathers in this city to join
the fray. His heirs, some day, may be no
ticed in newspaper, going over to the gem
of the Antilles on a similar claim May he
be worthy of his sire, who loved peace and
did good
1 Col. Crockett's popular manners, and ca
/ pacity, and personal worth opened to him
many offices of honor and emolument. The
4 prestige of the name, too, was favorable. In
deed he had too many offices. Anxious to
oblge his friends, and of extreme sangun-
Gus temperament, he was led into involved en-
gagements, that divided his attention, con-
J tlIcted with his interests, and. in the end, I,
brought embarrassment upon himself and 9th
ers. The phlegmatc business mans stand
ard is not the one TO estimate him by. Never
was the darkness SO deep but he saw light
ahead and spoke encouragingly TO his friends
The kindness Of his heart, the purity of his
purpose, the genial light of his mind are re-
freshing memories to US. A few years ago
he left New Orleans for his native state, Ten
nessee, and shortly after leaving, died. In
the darkness of deaths solitary path we doubt
not he saw light ahead A large and be-
loved family were bereaved. May the angel
of mercy keep the door of their dwelling!"