Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-17
DAVY CROCKETT's GRANDSON
sent 10 The Chester. HI, Penite ntiary,
for CONFERENCE.-The Ac-
count of
n Is Career and That of His Father, and
Also OF His Cousin, Bob Creek
eiG, OF Arkansas.

During half an hours conversation on
Wednesday evening with Capt David Crock
eli, st. Louis Republican reporter learned
many interesting details of the life OF the
esptatB's elrbrasesi- ssandfaAheF, for whoa
he Is named, Col. David Crockett, the Ten
nessee pioneer and congressman, whose desIh
at the Alamo, aud whose life In what were
then the wilds Of Tennessee, are matters Of
american history. Capt. Crockett, well
tnown as citizen both of Tennessee and
Missouri, though the fact of his being
grandson OF David Crockett is not generally
known in ST. Louis, has been spending his
time in the s.. Louis Jail since his convic-
ton In The United States Courts on the
charge of counterteiting. This morning he
leaves for the Chester penitentiary, where he
will serve long sentence. He received the
reporter Cordially, and his conversation
showed that he had seen a gre at deal of the
world. He stands six feet in his stockings,
and his face bears a strong resemblance TO
the pictures of his grandfather, a resem-
blance which would, no doubt, be stronger
had the grandson not lost one of his eyes.
"Yes," he said, sit is true thai David
Crockett was my grandfather. was from
Humphries county, Tenn, but / also lived
IN Henry and 3 .nton counties, In that State,
before moved to Mississippi county, Mo-,
where lived up to the time was incsrcer
ated During the war i served in the Union
army, under Hawkins. My father, John w.
Crockett, was a younger son OF Col. David
Crockett, and he was born in Middle Tennes-
see. He served with Andrew Jackson all
through the Greek war, and was with him
afterWard at the battle OF New Orleans. As you
know, my grandfather, after being elected TO
the l. ,gisature from Ooion county, repre-
senled Tennessee two terms in Congress, and
then went to Texas, after having ruu third
time for Congress. He went to the Alamo In
1886, and was too young then to remember
much about him personally, but have oftsn
heard my father speak OF him. / have hesrd
it said that after he was killed at the Alamo
bulchery the Mexicans smeared his blood
all over the wall in the angle where he stood
and defended himself. There was only one
man left alive after the massacre, but
have been told that Santa Anna said grand
father was too brave man to be killed,
but he would have to be before Texas could
ever be conquered. The stains of his blood
are still shown on the walls of the ruined
old fort-at least what is said 10 be his
blood There are a number of articles
which belonged to him still in possession of
the family. Ny brother has his family
Bible with his entries of births and deaths
in it. Cousin Bob Crockett, who lives at
Crocketts Bluff, Ark, and who now repre-
SCENTS his district in Congress, has his rifle,
which we got back from the Mexicaus after
the treaty. Cousin Bob was a colonel in the
Confederate army, and was a captain with
the Federals, but though We were fighting
each other it made no difference in the feel
ing between us. Although 1 owned great ,
many slaves, l went out for the stars and
stripes. My father had fought for them aud
L thought it my duty TO do as he did. did
not know, however, that was fighting to
free the slaves, but when the proclamation
was issued thought the policy was a wise
~ -
Radical eli my life, and am one yet. But,
as was saying, when grandfather was in
Congress they talked of giving him a me-
mortal. What's that for? he asked them
and they told him it would be gold medal
something be could keep and remember
'Oh, no-don't give me no medal said he;
give me a rifle that / can kill bears and
turkey with, and keep my family in some
thing to eat.' So they gave him a besuiiful
rife, and he had it by bis side when he was
killed at the Alamo. 1t was this gun that
my Cousin Bob has now"
at has been said that you are wealthy
man, Capt. Crockett" said the reporter.
"Pm not worth dollar" sad he. "The
report that 1 was wealthy was what
that should have Jared better and got off
with six months in Jail, whereas now I am
sentenc I'd to two years ON one count and
three years on another. L don't expect to
live it out, for though some days / am right
spry, still 1 have suffered for a long time
with Bright's disease, and it has worn me
out. No, Pm not rich, but my wife and sons
own nine good farms; year sgo was Of
tered $4,000 for the farm we were living on
and $1,000 for the stock. L haven't lived all
my life as straight as ehould have done,
and during the war might have given peo-
pie reason for talking. But was farming
and raising stock and trying to live an hon.
est lie"
'How did you gel into this trouble?"
Through the persuasion of friends who
brought money to me and deposited it in my
hands for others. So was brought into ii.
bought the money for them and when they
were caught they threw it off on me, and OF
course ] was brought in as an accessory.
Many of the things which have been pub
lished concerning my arrest are not true.
For inst ance, when the marshal came TO
bring me to irial 1 was sick. Yet he told
that he caught the notorious desper ado
Crockett, covered him with his revolver and
made him throw up his hands, Why, i
m sde no trouble al all, and l had been re-
leased on my own recognizance. As for be-
ing desperado, l never killed bat one M an.
and he had pistol on me when L shot him"
Returning to the subject Of his grand
father, Capt. Crockett said that he had
killed bear where the town of Dresden
Tenn, is now located. Col. Crockett was
man of genial nature, making few enemies.
Many of the stories, however, which have
been told of him were manufactured, one of
the best known being that of the coon skin:
"While be was running for Congress, being
on bis way to the log grocery at the cross
roads, be shot coon and skinned it. When
he was Treating the crowd he told the store
keeper he had no money. The man said
he'd take coon skin, and when grandfather
gave it to him he threw it behind the counter
Then they say that grandfather went behind
the house, twis ed the coon skin ont through
crack with the ramrod of his rife and got
another quart of whisky on it. He did this
several times, according to the story, but it
was only joke started on him because he
had no money to conduct his canvass"
Bits of Pnn.