The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-07-08
David Crockett, the Eear-lIuHter Com
rrCSSllaH.

grcs>man.
| David Crockett. of East Tennessee,
was Il nOndescript of human nature
neither civilized nor savage. Like
Boone, kcnton, sam Dale. &c., he was
4 man of circumstances. Had he lived
in Il polished society, he WOuld have
been a popular man of the world.
Brought up in the settlements strung
along the Southern Indian border, he
was Il popular man of the woods.
Davy was the fifth child OF six sons
and three daughters. Ills father, half
-u,Iatter, half settler, led the restless life
Of his class, trying his hand ut Il dozen
things and succeeding in none. The
children constituted Il loving family
ncNcrtftlcSS-Surt. evidence that the
mother was 4 loving woman. Though
rude and wholly uncultiHatrl, thrN
we've honest and true, which is more
than can be said of many families who
sport an tSrUtcheon.
DavN ut an early date had to .stu'
for himself. Born about 1880 he Was
yet 4 lad when the first Creek war desc
lated the Tennessee settlements. Then
his grandparents were both butrhcrcd
in their cabin home by the human hyc-
mas; his uncle Joseph was wounded,
ried Off prisoner, to be recovered scv-
enteen years afterwards. such were
the boys early rccOllectiOnS. lie soon
became familiar with forest life, but
grew up in the settlements laboring at
whatever offered for an honest living,
farming, uroVinG, te:lnling, &c. IIcran
away from home to escape 4 severe
whipping for refusal to go to- school.
Then came his first real htSS/e With the
world, and 4 trough and tttntblc' it
was, such as boys nowa-tl;yS know but
little of, or such as, if they h:ld to go
through it, would leave them with bad
habits and broken characters.
When the. second Creek war broke
out ISl3) DaEy was 4 married man,
having two SONS, but he enlisted, and
soon won fame as Il scout. In the sew
cral battles of this war he participated,
fighting with the herOism and skill Of
Il true bDrtlrrnlan. But he tired of the
ScrEice-of its dreadful marches and
short supplie, of everything nrrtlful,
and returned home, near the wars
close, fully satisfied to .'haNc no more
Of sich ,loinS.''
CrOckett~ extraordinary political ca
recr may be said to have commenced
with his election to the cOiOnctcy OF Il
militia regiment, i'm Giles county, where
he then had ''Stuck his stakes.'' Davy
was popular, apparently because h" was
ignorant he was one of "thc people -
and this popularity soon sent him to
the Legislature, US2D-a member from
G1Ies ana ri,rKnI:iir ->uurr...;%S5. :. His ig-
norance was such that he did not know
what the word judiciary meant.
\ 'sgrcat freSh' madc Crockett a
poor man by washing away his mills
He gave up everything to his creditors,
and moved into the wilderness of mort H.
west Tennessee on the Ohio river. In
that game haunted region he spent thc
happi"-t Years of his life. Tn" woods
and brakes were fun OF .nr:tt,' and
there occurred the numerous advrn-
lures with bears which rendered Crock
EFT famous aS a hunter uf these uo.I,-
beasts.
But even in. that wilderness the
mans old political popularity followed
him, and, in spite OF himself, he was
nominated ltS23} by the people who
had gathered ut the little town of Jack
son, forty miles away from his past
home. This nomination WAS, by the
three opposing candidates, regarded a
a burlcSIur; but DaEN, leaving hi~ re-
trement, went into the canvass so
earnestly, that he W:t- elected. His re-
marEablc Spracht"- and odd sayings,
and his great reputation n Il hear hunt
er, all told so powerfully in his favor
that his more intelligent competitors
were snn-Whar."
Crockett was now 4 public man.
His popularity was not trSSenrd by his
two winters in the legislature, where
his hunters "arb, his queer talk, and
his downright honesty nlatlr him con
SpiruouS. II is not surprising, there
fore, that ne should have turned his
face toward Washington, rs he did, by
running for Congress in the fall of 1921. |
He was beaten, however, by /wn rates
only, by his rich and influential nppo-
nrnt, the then congressman.
lie resolved to s'pi,k his flint and try
it again. - after two years, when cleo
ton time came on once more. During
that two years he hunted bears much
Of his time. IN this prrilOuS paStinc
he found his greatest enjoyment as we'll
us profit, for the meat constituted the
E,mily'S main reliance Tor food, while
the skins and oil We're sold for money
with which to purchase s'StOrc Stutf.'
The stories of the prolonged hunts are
exciting enough. His skill, courage,
and power of endurance made him
more than !, match for the frrOriouS
brutrS, many of which weighed over
six hundred pounds each! In one
wears time CS23-25} II" killed one hun
urcu and five bears.
Davy had To give over his bear hunt
ing, however. In the summer of lS21
he contested the canvass for Congress
against his old competitor, and Il
wealthy and influential citizen, beat
inc t,t h f,E "A t:ir,,c ulljDritN. lis car