The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-06-16
A Duel in which Dave Crockett
Figured in Obion County.

Figured in Obion County.
Raining in the Obion bottom. That
means sticky mud knee deep. /
wonder if 1t was muddy like it is now,
when Davy Crockett first struck camp
on the banks of this small stream,
made famous by the very fact that
the great hunter and statesman first
explored its almost inIpenetrable jun
giles. says writer signing "Wanderer"
IN the ObiOn Democrat.
In one of my rambles around the
old home of the unique and illustri-
Gus Crockett L met an antique and.
as he said, well informed man. His
face was furrOwed o'er with years and
hoary was his hair" He walked
with the regulation hickory stick
that reminds one of a shepherds
crook, and his voice was like an echo
from the corridors of eternity. His
whiskers grew in spots on his dirt. be-
grimed face and his general appear
ance indicated that he had far out
lived his generation. His voice
trembled like the low, sad wall OF a
homeless billYgoat, and his raiment
was not OF the finest texture.
He remembered Crockett aud told
me the following story of the great
hunters life that | had never heard
before.
1t was in the thirlies when 'Old
Hickory" was the idol Of-the nation
and Crockett was the Congressman
from this district. Crockett could
not read nor write, and during bis
service in Washington neither wrote
nor received letters from his family
or his constituents, and of course after
three months absence from home
many strange things had happened
around his forest home. New neigh
bors had moved in, new clearings
had been made, new corn patches had
been planted. aud in fact everything
indicated advancing civilization, and
once upon his return the thrifty
neighbors had built q log school
house. This was too much for Crock
EFT. He could stand new neIghbors,
new fields and new hunting dogs,
but new school houses was the "straw
that broke the cameFs back" He
took his Oldest boy, one or two of hii
neighbors that were of his own be-
lief and went to the spot where the
school house stood aud deliberately
tore it down. piece by piece, and
built funeral pile Of the logs upon
which to burn what few books and
ink bottles were to be found lying
around Iot,se. After the log heap was
built Crockett took his flint and
touched it off," The flames were
augmented by dry sticks and drift
wood that was gathered in the sur
rounding woods. and at last when the
dying EN- bers was the only evidence
left of that back>woods school house,
up rode the leader of the little hand
who had been active In its construc-
ton. His face gave token of wrath
and CONSERVATION. He Indignantly
asked who had deem guilty OF this
foul outrage upon the educational
interests of the country. Lie was
told by Crockett he was the man wht
had thus defed civilization, "aud
why? What does it meanY 81
MEANS" said Crockett, "that l amt
goin' TO have no Internal schoo
houses in these diggin's, and that
settles il. You can invade my woods
and cut my timber and cultivate my
grounds, bul no school houses shall
be Inflicted upon me. Is that plain
enough"
A bitter quarrel ensued IN which
tile belIgerenIs came near 10 blows,
when 1t was suggested by the advocate
of education that they thea and there
settle the whole matter on the field
of honor. "All right said Davy,
''if you'll just wait until the last coal
of fire dies out | will accommodate
you.' So 1t was agreed. and in a
short time the co batants were facing
each other in an open space near the
confia grafton, each hnlding In his
hand an Old fashioned pistol. Crook
EFT was calm and defiant with no
more dread of death than he alter
ward displayed at the historic and
ill., fated Alamo. when with bis ex-
piring breath he sprang, tiger like
at the throat of his captOr. His an
tagonist, though man of courage,
was nervous and excited, not that
he feared death, but that he had a
horror of being outdone In mortal
combat. The word was given and
Crockett's antagonist fred and his
ball went wide of the mark. "Shoot
agin" said Crockett, but the diaap-
pointed due'ist dropped his pistol.
and barred his breast, knowing that
the light of his life would be snuffed
ont at the flash Of Crocketts pistol,
A Al hnrwkAm Nnrw