'Old Betsy': Davy Crockett's First Rifle ‘Old Betsy’: Davy Crockett’s First Rifle By | July 1, 2015 "Crockett named all of his rifles after his favorite sister, Betsy. There is no record, however, of what the young girl thought of having the term 'old' added to her name." Davy Crockett was an American hero on the frontier and a force to be reckoned with in Congress as a representative for Tennessee. He later died in the Battle of the Alamo. Crockett’s death in the heroic defense of the Alamo established his place forever in American history. Robert Jenkins Onderdonk’s painting “The Fall of the Alamo” depicts Davy Crockett swinging his rifle at Mexican troops who have breached the south gate of the mission. The barrel and the stock flow gracefully and seamlessly into the action. The set triggers contributed to the fine shooting for which Old Betsy and Davy Crockett were famous. Old Betsy’s elegantly sculpted stock, with its patchbox, is typical of the best Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifles of the period. Old Betsy is a one-of-a-kind, masterfully handcrafted Kentucky rifle.

Note the finely sculpted details of triggerguard and stock. Old Betsy’s elegantly sculpted stock, with its patchbox, is typical of the best Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifles of the period. The barrel and the stock flow gracefully and seamlessly into the action. The set triggers contributed to the fine shooting for which Old Betsy and Davy Crockett were famous. No other gun’s name is as famous as Davy Crockett ’s “Old Betsy,” and no other gun has had so many rifles named after it. So many that one gun writer even wrote that he hoped he never saw another gun by that name. Crockett named all of his rifles after his favorite sister, Betsy. There is no record, however, of what the young girl thought of having the term “old” added to her name. Of the three existing rifles attributed to Davy Crockett, his first rifle has the best provenance, followed by his Philadelphia presentation rifle, which he named “Pretty Betsy,” and the rifle at the Alamo museum. We’ll examine his first rifle here. First Rifle Davy Crockett was an American hero on the frontier and a force to be reckoned with in Congress as a representative for Tennessee.

He later died in the Battle of the Alamo. It was 1803 and young Davy was just 17 when he acquired it. As he put it, “I had by this time got to be very fond of the rifle and had bought a capitol one. I most generally carried her wherever I went, and though I had got back to the old Quaker to live, who was a most particular man, I would sometimes slip out and attend shooting matches where they shoot for beef.” RELATED STORY: Top 12 Western Classics He described one of these thus, “Just now I heard of a shooting match in the neighborhood right between where I lived and my girl’s house; and I determined to kill two birds with one stone, and go to the shooting match first and then go and see her. I therefore made the Quaker believe that I was going to hunt for deer, as there were pretty plenty about in those parts; but, instead of hunting them, I went straight to the shooting match where I joined in with a partner, and we put in several shots for the beef. I was mighty lucky, and when the match was over I had won the whole beef.

This was on a Saturday, and my success had put me in the finest humor in the world. So I sold my part of the beef for five dollars in the real grit.” This rifle was a top-of-the-line model that appears to have been made in York County, Pennsylvania, of a type that falls between 1780 and 1800. This particular example was made in 1792. The German gun-makers centered in Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania, were the ones that started with the classic German jaeger rifle and developed and perfected the long rifle for the conditions in the New World. The final form was as much a work of art as a weapon featuring delicate lines, swamped barrels, relief carving and the lithe grace of a ballerina. This beautiful, .488 caliber example weighs in at 10.1 pounds and has seven-groove rifling. It has a swamped barrel that has been shortened 2 inches at some point in the past, leaving it with a 60-inch overall length. At 14 inches, the length of pull is unusually long for these guns. This would be quite welcome, for Crockett was tall.

Crockett’s death in the heroic defense of the Alamo established his place forever in American history. Robert Jenkins Onderdonk’s painting “The Fall of the Alamo” depicts Davy Crockett swinging his rifle at Mexican troops who have breached the south gate of the mission. This classic Pennsylvania rifle, of the finest quality, did not come cheaply. Crockett was making about $6.67 per month, and a gun like this went for $18—quite a financial sacrifice, but a wise one because a rifle was your ticket to survival on the frontier and scrimping on it was narrowing your chances of living. The rifle was often the only really nice thing a pioneer owned, and the only possession he could really take pride in. Davy Crockett was always a man of ambition determined to make the most of himself. He knew the statement a fine gun made about its owner. In those days, quality in the gun reflected quality in the man.

RELATED STORY: 14 New Old West Guns For 2015 When Davy decided to marry Polly Finley in 1806, he traded this fine rifle and at least 3 months’ work back to the man that he had bought it from in exchange for a low-priced horse worth about $50. This “courting horse,” the first horse he had ever had, established him as a viable farmer, for now he had something to plow with. After he and Polly were married, they rented a farm and put that horse to work. At the time of the marriage, Davy had a rifle he named “Long Bess” made by Colonel Henry Bradford. Bradford was not only an excellent gunsmith, but he was also the justice of the peace that performed the marriage ceremony for the Crocketts. Crockett went on to use other rifles, but this first rifle established his reputation as a marksman and began his fame. Its sacrifice even helped procure him the great love of his life, Polly Finley, who bore him children. Despite its short tenure as his gun, its contribution to his life and legend was enormous.

Restored To Glory Old Betsy is a one-of-a-kind, masterfully handcrafted Kentucky rifle. Note the finely sculpted details of triggerguard and stock. After Davy parted with it, Old Betsy remained in the same county throughout the 19th century as a local celebrity that was regularly exhibited, with its transfers well documented. When the current owners, Joe and Art Swann, bought it in 1978, it was in need of serious repairs, being broken through at the lock mortise and missing the lock and a portion of the forend where the ramrod channel enters the last pipe. The gun was turned over to Herschel House of Morgantown, Kentucky, for restoration in 1980. He did a masterful job replacing the missing lock with one of the correct Germanic types for this rifle, rejoining the stock at the lock mortise and adding the missing section to the forend with such perfectly matching grain to the wood that it is almost impossible to see the repair. The barrel and the stock flow gracefully and seamlessly into the action. The set triggers contributed to the fine shooting for which Old Betsy and Davy Crockett were famous.

Restoration like this is vital for the preservation of historical objects because condition often dictates how much importance is attached to preserving an object, no matter how significant its history. One only has to spend time at the European museums, with their concentration on gold-embellished nobleman’s weapons, to the exclusion of the day-to-day weapons that history was actually written with, to see the importance of eye appeal to a museum curator. Too many damaged pieces of great historical interest have been junked over the years because of their incomplete, damaged and poor condition. Joe Swann’s commissioning the restoration of Old Betsy was the best thing he could have done to ensure it’s long-term survival. Joe is a leading Davy Crockett historian and a fine gentleman who Davy would be proud to see taking such good care of his first rifle. Old Betsy’s elegantly sculpted stock, with its patchbox, is typical of the best Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifles of the period. In 1988, gun-maker Houston Morris decided to make an exact handmade replica of Old Betsy as she would have been when new. Over 100 photographs and 108 hours of study and mechanical drawings later, he was ready to start.

The results were so good that the gun was the cover story of the January 1989 issue of Muzzle Blasts, the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association’s magazine. RELATED STORY: 10 Great Engraved Western Guns Years later, he assisted Danny Caywood , a gun-maker who wanted to make handmade duplicates on a regular basis. Danny also made drawings and photos of the original gun as well as adding notations to the copy of Houston Morris’ blueprints that he had. Beginning around 2001, Danny began turning out the highest-quality reproductions of Old Betsy, as can be seen from the photographs. Handmade guns are expensive, and this is no exception at $15,500 a copy. Still, that pales in comparison to the price of a modern handmade British double shotgun or double rifle. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for, and Danny Caywood delivers the quality you are paying for. Old Betsy was a top-of-the-line, handmade gun in 1792, and she cannot be duplicated as a cheap, mass-produced gun today.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of owning the fabled Old Betsy, visit or call 870-423-4741. This article originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of GUNS OF THE OLD WEST®, print and digital subscriptions to GUNS OF THE OLD WEST are available here . Tags: Davy Crockett , Guns of the Old West Summer 2015 , Rifle , Rifles CBates I am curious if there is a listing somewhere of gunsmiths from the era of when David Crockett would have attained Ole Betsy. Crockett is related, and another grandfather was a gunsmith. I would find it interesting if this grandfather might have been the gunsmith for Crockett’s gun. I haven’t gone back to see if they are in the same family line, because the question just arose. I just figured that someone has history noted, of everyone in that trade. There may be other connections a person could glean from such a list.

Davy Crockett– An American Original | Off The Grid News Davy Crockett– An American Original Print This Article For the generation of Americans who grew up with Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, Indian fighter, there is little doubt what kind of a legend he was. He was the same kind of man as portrayed by John Wayne in the Alamo—he was the man who went down fighting to the last against insurmountable odds. Most wouldn’t recognize him as the politicians that had his fill of Washington and his constituents. When asked by some voters what he would do if they didn’t reelect him he answered, “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.” As one historian noted, “They didn’t – and so he did.” The real David Crockett was born in a small cramped cabin on August 17, 1786, in the wilderness of eastern Tennessee (still know as Virginia at that time). Born into poverty, life was difficult in the wilderness. There were no schools, no education, no books, and no churches. His family finally managed to open the Crockett Tavern, an overnight stop for travelers going from Virginia to the West.

Davy, as he came to be known, was mesmerized by the stories travelers passing through told. At the age of twelve he joined himself to a Dutchman for a cattle drive. Along the way, the Dutchman was very kind to Davy, and once in Virginia, asked him to stay with him. But Davy’s desire to get home got the better of him. He took off, not yet a teenager, and traveled 200 miles alone back to his family. By the age of sixteen, Davy was sensitive concerning his lack of education and the fact that he could neither read nor write. Desiring to learn, but too old to start again in school, he took a job where he worked two days a week for board and attended school for four days. After six months, Davy learned to sign his name and could accomplish a few simple math problems and very simple reading. With this limited knowledge, Davy then set out to find a wife. Within a short time, he found and won the affection of a pretty Irish girl. Soon thereafter they married, and with fifteen borrowed dollars, settled in a log cabin. Still living in the wilderness, game was plentiful, and Davy was an outstanding shot with his musket.

They had food and cloth, as his wife was handy with a loom, that provided them the necessities of life, although still very primitive. After frequent moves, they finally settled in 1813 in what is today Franklin County, Tennessee. When news of the Creek massacre at Fort Mims in Alabama reached Crockett, he decided that the settlers must get organized to mount a defense. Among the first to enlist, he joined a volunteer army under the command of General Andrew Jackson and was placed him in charge of a scouting party. During the fighting, Jackson’s army was very poorly provisioned, almost to starvation numerous times. Had it not been for Crockett and his skills as a woodman and rifleman, able to find and kill game, the troops would surely have starved. When he returned home from the Creek War, Crockett found his wife near death, and soon she left him alone with two children. Davy then met and married a widow with two children. Desiring less crowded surroundings in which to live, as by this time, many settlers were moving to his part of Tennessee, Davy and his wife and four children moved about eighty miles west, to what is today Giles County, Tennessee.

Within a few years, Davy had become well known among the locals and was called on to be what amounted to a justice of the peace. It is said that when asked to run for the legislature, he replied that he would if he knew what one was. His personality, storytelling, and honesty convinced most people he was their man, but he still lost – by two votes. By the next election, Crockett was no longer green and was elected in 1827. Once in Washington, he introduced himself by saying, “I am the same David Crockett, fresh from the backwoods, half horse, half alligator, a little touched with the snapping turtle… I can whip my weight in wildcats and if any gentleman pleases, for a ten dollar bill, he can throw in a panther too.” He was well liked and people loved to listen to him speak of his adventures. Several times he was entertained by President John Quincy Adams at the White House. His service as a Congressman was outstanding, with even his opponents acknowledging he couldn’t be bribed or forced to vote for anything he did know was right. During his second term in office, his former fellow Indian fighter Andrew Jackson became President.

He was supportive of Jackson until they came into conflict over measures Crockett could not agree with. Consequently, this brought him the censure of his constituency and defeat in his next election. Upon losing the election, Crockett said, “If they won’t elect me with my opinions, I can’t help it.” After returning home, Crockett penned his autobiography and set out on a tour of eastern cities in 1834. When he arrived in Philadelphia, he was met by a crowd of five thousand, and here was presented with a rifle that would go on to replace “Old Betsy,” as well as serve him well at the Alamo. A larger crowd met in New York City, and in Jersey City he participated in a shooting match that proved his skill was no myth. A year earlier, in 1833, Americans who had settled in Texas determined to seek their independence and separate from the Mexico. On December 10, 1835, they succeeded in capturing the town of San Antonio, driving the Mexican army, commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, out of Texas.

Near the center of town stood the Alamo, an old Spanish mission that had been converted into a fort, with a garrison of 150 Texans. The Texans were commanded jointly by Colonels William Barret Travis and James Bowie. Infuriated by his defeat, Santa Anna decided to take his revenge at the Alamo in February of 1836. At about the same time, Colonel Crockett and four of his “Tennessee boys” arrived at the Alamo. They were there as volunteers, to fight for Texas against tyranny, wherever it may have been. Crockett and his few men, combined with those under the command of Travis and Bowie, numbered just 188. These patriots were ready at the Alamo to take on the force under Santa Anna, now marching in their direction with 5,000 troops. On February 23, 1836, the fight at the Alamo began. Others at the Alamo during the siege were some of the families of the defenders, including the wife and daughter of Captain Almeron Dickinson, as well as a few servants.

James Bowie, present during the battle as well, had been stricken with typhoid pneumonia and could not move from his cot. The determined defenders repulsed them the Mexican troops twice, using the last of their cannon and musket fire. As the third attack came at the now battered north wall, Colonel Travis, leading his men, was shot through his forehead, falling across a cannon, dying instantly. Passing by where Travis lay, the Mexicans stormed into the plaza. Overwhelmed, and with no time to load their muskets against such a large force of Mexicans, the defenders used the muskets as clubs. Colonel Crockett, likewise using his musket as a club, was killed as the attackers, now with reinforcements, stormed the south wall and headed for the chapel, where those Texans inside were killed. But the spirit of men like Davy Crockett lived on. Three weeks after the defeat at the Alamo, Santa Anna savagely ordered the massacre of 300 Texas prisoners.

On April 21, 1836, just forty-six days after the fall of the Alamo, about 800 angered Texans and other American volunteers under the command of General Sam Houston launched an all out attack on Santa Anna and his force of 1,300 men at San Jacinto, shouting “Remember the Alamo! They overran the Mexican army in a few minutes, killing 630, while only suffering eight losses themselves. In the battle, Santa Anna was captured. Texas was now free and a new republic was born. Texas acted as an independent nation for about ten years before being annexed into the United States on December 29, 1845. Davy Crockett, who was born on August 17, 1786, died on March 6, 1836, at the young age of 49. He was then and still remains an outstanding American, statesman, and folklore hero. On the day he died, he wrote a letter to his daughter during the siege, saying not to worry about him, for he was with his friends.

Perhaps this one American hero who lived and died in a manner even larger than the legend that followed him, for he stood firm in his beliefs both in life and in death. How To Turn Your Home Into A Fortress! Today, you’re in more danger than ever before of becoming a victim of a crime. Step outside your home and count two houses to your left. Now count two houses to your right. Between you and your four neighbors, chances are that at least one of the five households will experience a break-in… or worse, a home invasion. Every year, there are over 8,000 home invasions in North America. There’s probably nothing more terrifying than a home invasion. Ask anyone whose home has ever been robbed what if feels like, and they’ll say it feels like they were violated. Sadly, that’s not just a metaphor–all too often, it’s literal. Because not only do criminals violate what should be your sanctuary from the world and walk away. Learn More » New Ultra Efficient Water Filter Fits In Your Pocket! Without a doubt special ops paratroopers endure some of the harshest conditions on earth.

And when they need clean water, elite soldiers are choosing the Paratroopers Water Purifier -- the smallest, lightest, and most durable water purifier on earth! It’s so small and lightweight you can easily carry it in your pocket or purse, backpack or glove box. What’s more, it’s just as effective at purifying water as larger, more expensive units! Learn More » David (Davy) Crockett David (Davy) Crockett David Crockett His life, Travis, Bowie, Santa Anna and the siege of the Alamo David Crockett was born in a small cramped cabin on August 17, 1786 in the wilderness of eastern Tennessee, which at the time was a part of Virginia. Although his parents named him David, the world would soon become to know him as Davy. Originally, Davy's grandparents came to America from Ireland, settling in the frontier. Having to move further west to escape the Indians, they and their family were eventually massacred by the Indians, except one son, John. John Crockett and his wife had nine children; six sons and three daughters, of which Davy was the fifth born.

Life was difficult growing up, especially living in the wilderness, without the benefit of an education, as there were no schools, no churches, and no books. In an attempt to find a more suitable location, the Crockett family moved frequently, until they settled on the Holston River, and opened a tavern. Davy helped operate the tavern, even at the young age of eight when records confirm his presence there. The Crockett Tavern was an overnight stop for travelers going from Virginia to the West. Seeing new people frequently at the tavern, and after listening to stories they told, Davy was infatuated with the outside world ‑ a world he had not yet seen. Four years later, when Davy was a mere twelve years old, a Dutchman stopped by the tavern on his way driving his herd of cattle over the mountains to Virginia. Needing assistance to drive his herd, he struck a deal with John Crockett for the services of Davy. Davy did not desire to go, but the money John received meant more to him than the safety of Davy, so the next day, he and the Dutchman set off on their journey. Their travel took them about twenty-five days to cover the four hundred miles to their destination.

Along the way, the Dutchman was very kind to Davy, and once in Virginia, asked him to stay with him. Davy told him he would stay, but soon his homesickness took over, and he ran away, heading home. Soon he came across a caravan, and they let Davy ride with them. But, the caravan traveled very slowly, and Davy's desire to get home got the better of him, and he decided that he could make better time on his own. Now about two hundred miles from home, he pushed on alone through the thick, desolate wilderness. Three days after beginning his journey, he came upon a man who was going in his direction, and who happened to have an extra horse. The man lent Davy the horse, and they traveled together with this man taking him within 15 miles of his home. Once at home, Davy learned that a school had opened near his house in the time he was away. Excited, Davy entered the school in the beginners' class, but unfortunately his stay was cut short. After class on his fourth day, Davy was bullied by another boy, and not desiring to take it, beat the other boy up.

The following morning, Davy, knowing that a beating was awaiting him from this boy and his friends, did not go to school, but rather stayed in the woods until it was time to go home, as if he had been there. Davy repeated this pattern for a few days, until the schoolmaster sent a note to his father, asking why he was absent. Davy now knew that a more severe punishment was imminent, when his father, with a hickory stick in hand, came after him. Running to the safety of the woods, he eluded his father, hiding until his father went angrily home. Afraid of the punishment that awaited him, Davy decided to run away, joining a drover who was taking cattle to Front Royal, Virginia, a journey that was two hundred miles further than the trip he made with the Dutchman. Over the next two years, Davy worked at various jobs earning about twenty‑five cents per day. When thoughts of going home entered his mind, the thoughts of a whipping by his father took over, and he remained away. Finally, his fear of his father faded, and being older, he decided to return home.

When he walked into the Crockett Tavern, all thoughts of his perceived punishment disappeared, and during the celebration of his return, Davy told his family that he would have suffered many beatings rather than cause his mother and sisters any more worry by staying away. By the customs of the time, Davy was bound to stay with his father until he reached the age of twenty-one. As his father was in debt, he purposed to Davy that he work off some of this debt; a note for thirty‑six dollars, after which he could have his freedom. To gain his independence, Davy worked faithfully for six months, paid off the debt, and gained his freedom. Having developed a sense of honesty through his work, he discovered that he could earn forty‑dollars for another six months work. In doing so, he could pay off another note of his father's. He did so, and six months later, he presented the canceled note to his father, who thought it was a bill. His father said that he could not pay it, after which Davy surprised him with the news that it had been paid. Now 16, Davy was sensitive concerning his lack of education and the fact that he could neither read nor write.

Desiring to learn, but too old to start again in school, he took a job where he worked two days a week for board, and attended school for four days. After six months, Davy learned to sign his name, as well as could accomplish a few simple math problems, and very simplified reading. With this limited knowledge, Davy then set out to find a wife. Within a short time, he found and won the affection of a pretty Irish girl. On August 16, 1806, one day before his 20th birthday, Crockett married Mary (Polly) Finley in Jefferson County, Tennessee, and with fifteen borrowed dollars, settled in a log cabin. Still living in the wilderness, game was plentiful, and Davy was an outstanding shot with his musket. As such, they had food, and cloth, as his wife was handy with a loom, that provided them the necessities of life, although still very primitive. Moving frequently, they finally settled in 1813, in what is today Franklin County, Tennessee.

They had two sons: John Wesley Crockett was born July 10, 1807, followed by William Finley Crockett (born 1809), and a daughter, Margaret Finley (Polly) Crockett in 1812. About this time in Alabama, Crockett had learned that the Creek Indians were on the warpath, destroying homes and massacring settlers. When the news of the massacre at Fort Mins in Alabama reached Crockett, he decided that the settlers must get organized to mount a defense. Among the first to enlist, he joined a volunteer army under the command of General Andrew Jackson. Because he was a natural in the woods, as well as one of the best riflemen, Jackson placed him in charge of a scouting party. Soon he learned that the woods were quite live with Creek Indians, and brutal and savage battles ensued. By April 1814, the Creeks finally asked for peace. Interestingly, during the fighting, Jackson's army was very poorly provisioned, almost to starvation numerous times. Had it not been for Crockett and his skills as a woodmen and rifleman, able to find and kill game, the troops would surely have starved.

Returning home from the Creek War, sadly he found his wife was quite sick, and who died shortly thereafter, leaving behind their two children. Davy then met and married a widow with two children named Elizabeth Patton in 1815; they had three children: Robert, Rebecca and Matilda. Desiring fewer crowded surroundings in which to live, as by this time, many settlers were moving to his part of Tennessee, Davy and his wife and children moved about eighty miles west, to what is today Giles County, Tennessee. Being quite popular with the people there, and although he knew little about the law, he was made the area's magistrate. But, legal knowledge really meant little, as most disputes of the time were handled using common sense, and Crockett had a great deal of that. When he first took over this position, all the warrants he issued were verbal, but as times progressed, he found that the warrants had to be in writing. At the beginning he still could barely write his name, but with drive and ambition, he soon mastered the art of writing. By this time Crockett was very popular among the townspeople, and soon was chosen a colonel in one of the stateï¿½s regiments.

A great storyteller, his popularity grew and soon he was asked to run for the legislature. Crockett accepted the challenge, but soon admitted that he did not know what the legislature was. Following a local hunt and barbecue, Crockett met his opponent. Crockett, knowing he had to make a speech, was quite nervous. His opponent, sure that the backwoodsman would fall on his feet, was confident. However, Crockett shined with his jokes and wonderful stories, and soon thereafter, was elected with twice as many votes. In no time after occupying his seat in the legislature, Colonel Crockett was as informed as any of his peers. He had a talent for remembering anything that he had learned or heard. As Crockett never desired to be too close to civilization, and upon the legislature adjourning, he set out westward, actually to look for a place to build a new home, where water and game were bountiful. After traveling about 150 miles he found himself to the extreme west area of Tennessee, on the Obion River. It would be here that he decided to build a cabin. The country here was wild, with an abundance of bears, wolves, panthers, deer and lots of smaller game.

Loving the solitude of the wilderness, Crockett's nearest neighbors were seven and fifteen miles away. After settling here, Crockett and his family were very well liked, so much so that he was reelected to the legislature. Once there Crockett was urged to run for Congress, and he agreed, yet the tide turned when it seemed the issue that decided the election was based on a new tariff law. Conveying different views and opposition to the tariff law, Crockett was defeated in the election, but by only two votes. Through Davy's experience in the wilderness with hunting, there was nothing he liked more than a good bear hunt. He longed to put on his coonskin cap and hunting knife, and grabbing his beloved musket that he named "Old Betsy," he would set out for a day of hunting. Most times his sons would accompany him, or perhaps a neighbor, as on each trip, Crockett always brought home a bear, no matter how fierce. There are hundreds of interesting tales told by Crockett on his adventures with bear hunting. On two occasions he brought down bears weighing more than six hundred pounds.

Another story tells of a bear who was trying to get away, whereby it crawled into a deep hole, with Davy right behind it. In one week he killed seventeen large bears, and killed more than fifty‑eight in one fall and winter. Another story tells that he killed forty‑seven in one month, for a total of one hundred five bears killed in a year. Bears were a useful catch, as their meat was a delicacy, and their skins were used for beds and bedding, with their fur used for coats. Having another attempt at Congress, Crockett was elected in 1827, as such; he had to abandon his bear hunting and travel to Washington, D.C. Upon arriving at Congress, he began to introduce himself, saying, "I am the same David Crockett, fresh from the backwoods, half‑horse, half alligator, a little touched with the snapping turtle...I can whip my weight in wildcats and if any gentleman pleases, for a ten‑dollar bill, he can throw in a panther too." This introduction and his presence made quite a stir in Washington, but he was well liked and people loved to listen to him speak of his adventures.

Several times he was entertained by President John Quincy Adams at the White House. As a Congressman, Crockett's service was outstanding, as he was very honest and quite conscientious ‑ one that could never be bribed nor forced to vote for anything he did know was right. While he was still serving in this office during his second term, the nation got a new President and one from Crockett's beloved Tennessee in Andrew Jackson. Generally speaking, Crockett was supportive of Jackson. However, on several occasions, Crockett did not believe in Jackson's measures, thinking they were wrong. Consequently, this brought him the censure of his constituency, which brought him defeat in his next election. Upon losing the election, Crockett said, "If they won't elect me with my opinions, I can't help it." Upon his return home after his defeat, he found that his former love of bear hunting had lost its appeal. Instead of hunting, Davy decided to write his autobiography, while still looking forward to running again in the next election. He finished his book which was published in 1834.

In his introduction, Davy wrote, "a plain, honest, homespun account of my life." One year before his book was published; Crockett was able to defeat the people behind Andrew Jackson and was again elected to Congress. Because Jackson, or "Old Hickory," as he was known, practiced high‑handed politics, Crockett gained quite a lot of support from those who opposed Jackson. Within no time, Crockett was dubbed the "Honest Congressman." So popular was he that he dreamed one day of becoming President. On April 25, 1834, Crockett set out on his famous tour of the Eastern cities. Starting in Baltimore, Maryland, he boarded a train for the first time in his life. He liked the ride and described the train as a "new, clean sight." Although the ride only lasted for seventeen miles, he enjoyed it. The remainder of his tour would be traveled by boat or stagecoach. Everywhere he visited, he was met by crowds of cheering people, who were curious to see and meet the famous backwoods man. He was wined and dined, and cheered some more. At each stop, his speeches and stories entertained all who attended.

When he arrived in Philadelphia, he was met by a crowd of five thousand, and here was presented with a rifle that would go on to replace "Old Betsy," as well as serve him well at the Alamo. A larger crowd met in New York City, and in Jersey City he participated in a shooting match that proved his skill was no myth. Continuing on his tour, he went to Boston, where he loved the historic sites, then traveled to a few other areas in New England. His tour was now winding down, taking him back to Philadelphia then Pittsburgh. Here he boarded a boat and traveled down the Ohio River, stopping at Wheeling, Cincinnati, and Louisville, before returning home to his cabin in Tennessee. One year earlier, in 1833, the Americans who had settled in Texas decided to seek their independence and separate from the Mexican state of Coahuila. They organized a government, drew up a constitution, and appointed Henry Smith as governor and Sam Houston as their commander‑in‑chief. On December 10, 1835, they succeeded in capturing the town of San Antonio, driving the Mexican army, commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, out of Texas.

Not far from the center of town in San Antonio stood the Alamo, an old Spanish mission building built in1744 (that means "cottonwood" in Spanish) that had been converted into a fort, with a garrison of about one hundred fifty Texans. Its name came from its occupation by a Spanish company from Alamo de Parras in Mexico. These Texans were commanded jointly by Colonels William Barret Travis and James Bowie. William Travis was born in South Carolina on August 9, 1809. Before his military career, he practiced law in Alabama, before moving to Texas. In Texas, he became a lieutenant colonel early in the revolution. When James Bowie became ill, he assumed total command at the Alamo. James Bowie was born in Tennessee in 1795, in an area which today is in Kentucky. He was quite the adventurer, as well as an excellent Indian fighter, known for his famous "Bowie knife." He lost his wife and all his children in 1833 in a cholera epidemic. Just a few months before the siege at the Alamo, he defeated a Mexican cavalry unit in October 1835 at Mission Conception.

He held joint command at the Alamo with Travis until his was stricken with typhoid‑pneumonia. Infuriated by his defeat, Santa Anna decided to exact his revenge at the Alamo in February 1836. Meanwhile, Colonel Crockett and four of his "Tennessee boys" arrived at the Alamo. Being from Tennessee, certainly Crockett and his men had no commitment in Texas, nor owed her nothing. Yet, they were there as volunteers, to fight for Texas, against tyranny, wherever it may have been. Crockett and his few men, combined with those under the command of Travis and Bowie, numbered about one hundred eighty-eight. These patriots were ready at the Alamo to take on the force under Santa Anna, now marching in their direction, and numbering about five thousand. Upon the arrival of Santa Anna, he ordered Travis to surrender. Determined, Travis answered Santa Anna with a cannon shot. On February 23, 1836, the fight at the Alamo began. Others at the Alamo during the siege were some of the families of the defenders, including the wife and daughter of Captain Almeron Dickinson, as well as a few servants.

James Bowie, present during the battle as well, had been stricken with typhoid‑pneumonia, and could not move from his cot. As the battle raged, the defenders of the Alamo now exhausted and nearly out of ammunition and supplies, hoped for a miracle but waited for the inevitable that came on the chilly morning of March 6. Travis, Crockett and the others heard the bugles sound as Santa Anna's forces approached. The thousands of men under Santa Anna, in columns, attacked from the north, the east, the south and the west. But, the determined defenders repulsed them twice, using the last of their cannon and musket fire. As the third attack came at the now battered north wall, Colonel Travis, leading his men, was shot through his forehead, falling across a cannon, dying instantly. Passing by where Travis lay, the Mexicans stormed into the plaza. Overwhelmed, and with no time to load their muskets against such a large force of Mexicans, the defenders used the muskets as clubs.

Colonel Crockett, likewise using his musket as a club, was killed as the attackers, now with reinforcements, stormed the south wall, and headed for the chapel, where those Texans inside were killed. James Bowie, fighting his best from his cot, his pistols now empty, and his famous knife bloodied, and with his body now riddled, died on his cot. With no defenders left, the battle at the Alamo was over. Mrs. Dickinson, her child, and fourteen other non‑combatants, were spared. Santa Anna had suffered about 1600 losses. In further retaliation, he ordered the bodies of all the defenders burned. However, following the siege at the Alamo, the Texans' desire for independence would not fade. Three weeks after the defeat at the Alamo, Santa Anna, at a place known as Goliad, coldly and savagely ordered the massacre of three hundred Texas prisoners taken at the Battle of Coleto Creek.

On April 21, 1836, just forty‑six days after the fall of the Alamo, about eight hundred angered Texans and other American volunteers under the command of General Sam Houston launched an all-out attack on Santa Anna and his force of 1300 men at San Jacinto. Shouting "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!" as they attacked, they overran the Mexican army in a few minutes, killing six hundred thirty, while only suffering eight losses themselves. In the battle, Santa Anna was captured. Texas was now free and a new Republic was born. Texas, acted as an independent nation for about ten years, before being annexed to the United States on December 29, 1845. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was imprisoned for eight months, after which he was released and went into exile. Recalled from exile in 1846, he served in the war against the United States, where he was twice defeated in the field. In 1853 he was again recalled to service in the revolution, and was appointed president of Mexico for life. However, in 1855 he was driven from the country.

In 1867, following the death of Maximilian, he attempted to effect a coup, but was captured and sentenced to death, but was then allowed to retire in New York. Under the amnesty agreement of 1872, he returned to Mexico where he died in 1876. David (Davy) Crockett, who was born on August 17, 1786, died on March 6, 1836 at the young age of 49. He was then and still remains an outstanding American, statesman and folklore hero. On the day he died, he wrote a letter to his daughter during the siege, saying not to worry about him, for he was with his friends. Copyrightï¿½ John T. Marck. All Rights Reserved. This article and their accompanying pictures, photographs, and line art, may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author. Grateful appreciation to Ms. Nina Dent for her help with information on Davy Crockett's marriages.

Question: What did American hero Davy Crockett call his musket?
Answer: Old Betsy