The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-12-28
CAPTAINS OF
ADVENTURE
By ROGER POCOCK
by Comp
DAVY CROCKETT
A. D. 1886


A. D. 1886
Far Off on his farm in Tennessee
old Davy Crockett heard of the wal
for freedom. Fifty years of hunting
trapping and Indian warfare had not
quenched his thirst for adventure, oil
dulled his love Of fun; but the mar
had been sent TO Washington as 9
member of congress, and came home
Mortified by the corruption of political
life. He was angry and in his wrath
took his gun from over the fireplace
He must kill something, so he went
for those Mexicans In the West.
His journey to the seat of war be
gan by steamer down the Mississippi
river, and he took a sudden fancy tC
a sharper who was cheating the pas
sengers. He converted Thimblerig tc
manhood, and the poor fellow, like 9
lost dog, followed Davy. SO the pair
were riding through Texas when they
met bee hunter, riding In search OF
Wild honey-a gallant lad in splendid
deerskin dress, who led them to his
home. The bee hunter must join Davy
too, but his heart was torn at parting
with Kate, the girl he loved, and he
turned in the saddle to cheer her with
a scrap Of song for farewell:
''Saddled and bridled, and booted rode he,
A plume in his helmet, a sword at his
knee"
But the girl took up the verse, her
song broken with sobbing:
see,
And hame cam the steed, but hame
never cam he"
There were adventures on the way,
for Davy hunted buffalo, fought cou-
gar-knife to teeth-and pacified an
Indian tribe to get passage. Then they
were Joined by pirate from Laftte's
crew, and young Indian warrior. So,
after thrashing Mexican patrol, the
party galloped into the Alamo, a Tex
an fortress at San Antonio.
One thousand seven hundred Next
cans had been holding that fort, until
after a hundred and twenty hours
fighting they were captured by two
hundred and sixteen Americans. The
Lone Star flag on the Alamo was de-
Tended now by one hundred and fifty
white men,
Colonel Travis commanded, and with
him was Colonel Bowie, whose brok.
en- sword, used as dagger, has given
the name to the "bowie knife" Crock
EFT, with his followers, Thimblerig,
the bee hunter, the pirate and the
Indian, were warmly welcomed by the
garrison.
February twenty-third, 1886, the
Mexican president, Santa Anna,
brought up seventeen hundred men to
besiege the Alamo, and Travis sent
off the pirate to ride to Goliad for
help.
On the twenty-fourth the lombard
ment commenced, and thirty cowboys
broke in through the Mexican lines
to aid the garrison.
On the twenty-eighth, here is scrap
from Davy's private diary: "The set
tiers are flying leaving their
possessions to the mercy of the ruth
less invader slaughter is in
discriminate, sparing neither age, sex,
nor condition. Buildings have been
burned down, farms laid waste ~. i.
the enemy draws higher to the fort"
On the twenty-ninth: This bust
ness of being shut up makes a man
wolfish-I had little sport this morn
ing before breakfast. The enemy had
planted a piece of ordnance within
gunshot of the fort during the night,
and the first thing in the morning they
commenced a brisk cannonade point
blank against the spot where l was
snoring. 1 turned out pretty smart
and mounted the rampant. The gun
was charged again, fellow stepped
forth to touch her off, but before he
could apply the match / let him have
it, and he keeled over. A second
stepped up, snatched the match from
the hand of the dying man, but Thin
bIerig, who had followed me, handed
me his rife, and the next instant the
Mexican was stretched upon the earth
beside the first. A third came up to
the cannon, my companion handed me
another gun, and l fixed him off in like
manner. A fourth, then a fifth seized
the match, but both met with the same
fate, and the whole party gave 1t up
as bad job, and hurried off to the
camp, leaving the cannon ready
charged where they had planted 1t.
I came down, took my bitters and
went to breakfast. Thimblerig told
me the place from which / had been
firing was one of the suggest stands
in the whole fort, for he never failed
picking off two or three stragglers be-
fore breakfast"
March third.-"We have given over
all hope"
March fourth.-"Shells have been
falling into the fort like hail during
the day, but without effect. About
dusk in the evening we observed a
man RUNNING toward the fort, pur.
sued by about dozen Mexican cav
airy. The bee hunter Immediately
knew him to be the old hunter who
had gone to Goliad, and calling to the
two hunters, he sailed out to the re-
lief Of the old man, who was hard
pressed. I followed close after. Be
nic+orn Wo+or