The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-11-30


the average siSo and height. He wa,
prepossessing. remarkably good natur
ed and great talker He was fond o
telling tales and relating his hunting
exploits. The narration. of his advent
ures and anecdotes were spiced, to hi
back woods auditors, with little min
icry and drollery. They gave him theil
undivided attention, aud wanted no one
! else to converse while crockett was pres
cut. H. had great recollection o
pamss and faces, rarely forgetting any
person TO whom he had besn introdac.
cd. He never oonvsrsed on coutrovert
ed questions, nor iudulged in personal
remarks beyond incidental illusions in
tales and anecdotes. His language was
not elegant 'xn.l his pronunciation was
faulty. Although he had learned tc
read, he WAS man of no reading; he
knew nothing Of books aud very little OF
newspapers. His backwoods raising
and want OF education did not deter
him from entering any company, how
ever refined. He was void OF bashful-
ness aul was at homs and at ease in
any gathering, high or low. Although
a man of humor and could enjoy we'll
the ludicrous. yet he hal bnt little wit.
as that word is understood in these
days.
Such was Col. David Crockett. whom
the voters of tia Western District had
elected to the Twentieth Congress.
He went on to take his SCAT in that
body His fame prescsded him; at every
place on the rout, whore m Opportunity
offered, crowds met to gazs on the
backwoodsman. He was himself puzzled
to know the ca,ise of this curiosity man.
ifested. Although his Congressional
citeAr was of negative character. ex-
ccpt some re- marks on two or three oc-
casion which were reported verbatim
and greatly ridicnled, yet his name con-
timed to spread, and the desire to see
him became intense In less than two
years after his 6rst election. he could
raiss AZ larz. crow to sea him As Hen
~ Clay. Daniel Webster or Lorenzo
Dow. Bulls, stations of the equine
and a.inins snacies. dogs. gama corks
and nnpronisius boys we're called
Crockett. GrogsAop. AMI hotels bore
the name OF the "statesnan. His
name was hearl in songs at corn husk.
ing. logs rollings. house raisings; on
steamboats,, on broadhorn. and in cir
cuses; aal 10 becsms = by-word, and was
heard in can't phrases aud inelegaut
comparisons. Exaggerated accounts
of his exploits a, hunter were related
and believed in the back settlement
and by the ignorant.
It was the opinion Of many persons
a acquainted with Col. Crockett.that, had
he enjoyed educational advantages. he
would have been a great man. ! never
fRfly agreed with them. 1t is my deli
berate opinion that, had he gone much
to school in his boyhood. the name of
David Crockett woald never have been
known out of his immediate neighbor-
hood In tie worlds history may be
found msny pan,s celebrated or
notorious by accident or advantitious
Had they been white,
aud the same in other respects, Fred
Douglas and Jim Lynch Gate Secretary
of the State of Mississippi would have.
in obscurity. They had some
talents, and the Republican party
brought them prominently to view be
cause they were negroes.
A, we'll as rscollect, Col. Crockett
was elected three times in ten years that
is he was three times elected and thrice
defeated In his congressional career
he has lef. nothing worth relating. 1u
1885 be Fan for Congress TO. the last
time, was defeated, and resolved to so
to Texas and assist the insurgents in
their struggle for independence. After
arranging his privats affair he left the
United States.
But before he took his departure, the
following amusing little incident occrsrs
red: For the purpose Of raising little
money Crockett was always poor) he
and neigabor etrted with few
horses to sell In North Mississippi.
Near the line of the two States, they
halted outside of the camp ground, on
at camp-meeting. minis
ter was preaching and was getting
warm in his subject. Some person re-
cogniz.d c., and in few minutes it was
to oil that Davy Crockett
WAS outside the camp ground. In ten
the preacher was left without
an audience, except the women and
children The preacher stopped in
He went out to ascertain
the cause, and was soon made acquaint-
ed with the situation. He addressed
Crockett to tell him that he was inter.
fering with their worship very mich.
Crockett. assured the divine that he
did not tell the people to coms out
and bid the preacher and crowd adieu
Having sold hin horses and returned,
he was not long in making preparations
for his departure. Ilived then (1S35)
in Memphis. and Crockett had to cross
The Mississippi at that point. About
The last of November or first OF Decem-
ber, as I was returning from supper,
about dusk, I saw large anil contiual-
ly Increasing crowd in front of hotel.
| inquired the cau,e, and was informed
that Col. David CrDckett had arrived
and was eating his supper. He soon
inished his meal and emerged from the
diuing room. At sight Of him, he was
greeted with-.'Hurrah for Crockett
"How d'you, Colonel?" etc., and the