Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-17
Davy Crockett BY
Agnes Plaff

If were asked to name the most sim
gular and in many respects the most
remarkable man in history of pioneer
. settlement in the great west l should
without moments hesitation OF others
say "Davy Crockett
He possessed rare combination OF
astonishing traits of character that
, marked him for a prominent place
among western men, and that ne at
tanned to considerable prominence in
American politics was like the opera
! ton of a law Of gravity, because ms
specific weight. so to speak, brought
him naturally to that position. Few had
more abundant supply Of natural wit
at his fingers end than Davy Crockett
| He could play the fiddle too. dance a
! jig and shoot with the best riflemen OF
! the times. These were accomplishments
! that went very far in recommending
| him to public favor but they were the
least of his powers of attraction.
Davy Crockett lived in a day when
| honest declaration of policy and inten-
| ton counted for something, when even
| politics was leavened with principle and
| a promise was worth it's face value.
According to his own statement Davy
Crockett was born on the 18th OF Aug
ust 1856 in small cabin located IN the
! wilderness Of east Tennessee. then
part of Virginia. at the mouth Of
Lime Creek, where it debauches into
the Nolachucky river and in what is
: now Washington county. His father,
! John Crockett was an Irishman but his
mother. Rebecca Hawkins was native
| of Maryland Davy knew very little
about the history Of his p;> nts, as in
| formation was not valued at much IN
those days among pioneers The most
that he learned concerning them was
that his father fought at Kings noun
tain in the revolutionary war and that
his grandparents were murdered by the
Indians.
At the age Of ~ years young Davy
was sent to country school by man
named Siler. He was treated with some
kindness but he ran away In six weeks
4 and Joined a teamster who was en-
route to Knoxville After week OF
hardshps he abandoned the second
service in which he was engaged and
returned home where he remained I'M
til the succeeding fall.
Among the former folk with whom
he was raised Davy Crockett was only
a plain, Flooding unambitious man,
with little even of the humor that art
erwards made him SO famous.
/ Davy the farmer boy with Davy the
renowned hunter, congressman and he
roic defender, was used to explosions
and exciting positions and afterwards
proved his name in history. .
The Greek war began with the soul
narrowing massacre at FIT. Mumms, on
August &c. 1913. Davy Crockett was q
volunteer in the fearful struggle that
followed.
Later he was in the battle of Tallad-
ega. 1t started December 7, 1873.
Crocket's first marriage proved to be
a failure because after he had been In
the war for so long his wife and three
children died and left him widower
: But in the neighborhood there was a
widow who had lost her husband In the
Greek war and who had a fair patrt-
mony, including a farm and consider
able stock. Davy was very bashful a,
love making but he was bound to pos
sess her and at last he went to WOO her
In due time they were married and
! moved to southern Georgia.
: At this time the country was full Of
} beasts and Indians and Davy had many
, fights with them both. He had one
, fierce fight with Mexican lion ane
another with bear but he saved him
self from both. Honest Davy" as M
was called bears his name resound to tn
end and in the end our hero dies he.
I roic death. He was killed by Col
Bowie Feb. IS. 1885.
T Agnes Katherine Pfah,
Il 211 N. Ash ST., Ottumwa, Iowa.