The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-26
STORIES OF CROCKETT
TOLD BY ONE WHO KNEW THE
 HERO OF THE ALAMO.
His Rugged spirit-Bond He Made With Governor Sevier to Marry-His Skill with
 the Rifle.

No one man ever held a seat in the Congress of the United States who Tn his day led more remarkable and ad- venturous career than David Crockett, of Tennessee, writes William H. Jen- kins in The Baltimore American. With out culture. rough in his character and habits, containing much that was com mendable and worthy of admiration, yet his personal daring was shown on many a battlefield among the Indians and in the wild territory of the Texas prairie with the savage Comanche.
 Then, again, his brilliant heroism when
 serving in the Texan army, when, day after day, night after night, he fired his deadly rifle from within the sul- phurous walls of the Alamo while the
 Mexicans had closed about him and his fellow patriots circle of flame and fire. Begrimed and bloody, he stood with the other survivors until he saw that the Mexicans were 100 to 1. Max ing a last desperate rush,. with, hls drawn bowie knife, he penetrated with in a few feet of the leader. Santa Ana, and fell pierced by a score of bayonets. Not a man of these patriots lived to tell the story of the Alamo.
 It would be proper to relate some or the early history of Colonel Crockett, but it would necessitate much more room in the columns of The American than could be given the matter. Briefly statedA Colonel Crockett was born in the village of Rogersvile. seat of Flaw kins County, August II, 17S6. His grandparents were Irish, who settled in Tennessee, where both were killed by the Indians. A son, John Crockett, es- capped by being hid in the wood nearoy. and was rescued later. John Crockett, the father of David, married Miss TTax f,,c R2tf1mnTG. John Crockett had nine children. David was the fifth. None of these had any schooling and little prospects of gaining any. Schools were few and far between in Tennessee.
 When a boy of 14 he aided his elder brother to drive a herd of cattle from Tennessee to Charlottesville, Va, where they sold out and started for nome. The trip home was a dangerousf one.
 Having lost their horses they were compelled to foot every mile, over mountains and through rivers. When of age Crockett determined to make an effort to acquire common school training, but, as he expressed 1t, Tit was a hard job." In course of time, however, he succeeded in some respects when his next notable proceeding and schooling was that of falling in love- The lady of his choice accepting, the young couple were married. County Court House record is as follows:
 David Crockett, with Thomas Dog ett security, binds himself in a bond of twelve hundred and fifty dollars to Governor John Sevier, August 1st, 1885, to marry Mary. This marriage is on record in The Weakley Findlay."
 There was no clergymen then in that part of Tennessee. The marriage or Crockett marks an era in his life. He realized that he had taken a serious step. The wife owned a spinning wheel and was a skiliful weaver, While ne was skillful with the rife. He was a dead shot," and of his neighbors there was not who could hold his own in a trial with Crockett. For a long while after marriage he spent his time in hunting. Many of his famous bear ad- ventures made him popular with his neighbors, until the breaking out of the war of 1872. = t..
 When the great warrior. Chief Te- cumseh, of the Northern tribes, after uniting them, made his entrance in the Southern territory among the Greeks. Cherokees and other tribes to rise against the whites, he set the southern Indians afiame, and his bursts of elo- quence were sufficient to do it. Wether- ford, the leading chief of the Creeks, at once declared war. and war to- the knife, the knife to the hilt,' and boast ed that he would overrun the Missis- sippi with blood. The breadful mas sacre of Ft Mimms by the Greeks, un- der Wetherford, gave rise to the great est Indian war on record.
 Two powerful armies were organized and sent into hostile territory to break forever the Tecumseh and the Indian power. When the war began Crockett was living in the town of Winchester. He at once determined to volunteer. His wife begged him not to leave her. His. reply was: If women had their way there would be no war; but mean to defend the women and chil> dren."
 At Winchester a company was soon raised and Crockett was made captain. and after the number reached over 1000 a government officer was placed In command. Colonel Gibbons, U. s. A., selected Crockett as his scout, admit tedly the most dangerous duty and re- ouiring the most courageous man. In performing this duty General Coffee said Crockett was an army himself, as he was absolutely so. dreaded by the Indians that few of them would vent ure within rifle shot. In every fight and there were many-Crockett, with characteristic intrepidity, was always in front from the opening to the close. and many an Indian bit the dust"