A narrative of the life of David Crockett .. (1834)

---

She told me she was engaged to her cousin, a son of the old Quaker. This news was worse to me than war, pestilence, or famine ; but still I knowed I could not help myself. But I didn't press my claims any more, seeing there was no chance to do any thing. I had never been to school but four days, as the reader has already seen, and did not yet know a letter. I thought I would try to go to school some ; and as the Quaker had a married son, who was living about a mile and a half from him, and keeping a school, I proposed to him that I would go to school four days in the week, and work for him the other two, to pay my board and schooling.

He agreed I might come on those terms ; and so at it I went, learning and working back and forwards, until I had been with him nigh on to six months. In this time I learned to read a little in my primer, to write my own name, and to cypher some in the three first rules in figures. And this was all the schooling I ever had in my life, up to this day. I should have continued longer, if it hadn't been that I concluded I couldn't do any longer without a wife ; and so I cut out to hunt me one.

I found a family of very pretty little girls that I had known when very young. They had lived in the same neighborhood with me, and I had thought very well of them. I still continued paying my respects to her, until I got to love her as bad as I had the Quaker's niece ; and I would have agreed to fight a whole regiment of wild cats if she would only have said she would have me. Several months passed in this way, during all of which time she continued very kind and friendly. At last, the son of the old Quaker and my first girl had concluded to bring their matter to a close, and my little queen and myself were called on to wait on them.

We went on the day, and performed our duty as attendants. This made me worse than ever ; and after it was over, I pressed my claim very hard on her, but she would still give me a sort of an evasive answer. However, I gave her mighty little peace, till she told me at last she would have me.

I thought this was glo- rification enough, even without spectacles. I was then about eighteen years old. We fixed the time to be married ; and I thought if that day come, I should be the happiest man in the created world, or in the moon, or any where else.

I had by this time got to be mighty fond of the rifle, and had bought a capital one. He had at the same time a bound boy living with him, who I had gotten into almost as great a notion of the girls as myself. He was about my own age, and was deeply smitten with the sister to my intended wife. I know'd it was in vain to try to get the leave of the old man for my young associate to go with me on any of my courting frolics ; but I thought I could fix a plan to have him along, which would not injure the Quaker, as we had no notion that he should ever know it.

We commonly slept up-stairs, and at the gable end of the house there was a window. So one Sunday, when the old man and his family were all gone to meeting, we went out and cut a long pole, and, taking it to the house, we set it up on end in the corner, reaching up the chimney as high as the window. After this we would go up- stairs to bed, and then putting on our Sunday clothes, would go out at the window, and climb down the pole, take a horse apiece, and ride about ten miles to where his sweetheart lived, and the girl I claimed as my wife.

NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE

I was always mighty 52 THE LIFE OF careful to be back before day, so as to escape being found out ; and in this way I continued my attentions very closely until a few days before I was to be married, or at least thought I was, for I had no fear that any thing was about to go wrong. Just now I heard of a shooting-match in the neighbourhood, right between where I lived and my girPs house; and I determined to kill two birds with one stone, — to go to the shooting match first, and then to see her. 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 humour in the world.

So I sold my part of the beef for five dollars in the real grit, for I believe that was before bank-notes was invented ; at least, I had never heard of any. I now started on to ask for my wife ; for, though the next Thursday was our wedding day, I had never said a word to her pa- rents about it. I had a great deal better opinion of myself, I found, than other people had of me ; but I moved on with a light heart, and my five dollars jingling in my pocket, thinking all the time there was but few greater men in the world than myself.

In this flow of good humour I went ahead, till I got within about two miles of the place, when I concluded I would stop awhile at the house of the girPs uncle ; where I might enquire about the family, and so forth, and so on. When I went in, tho', I found her sister there. I asked how all was at home? In a minute I found from her countenance something was wrong. She looked mortified, and didn't answer as quick as I thought she ought, being it was her brother-in-law talking to her.

However, I asked her again. She then burst into tears, and told me her sister was going to deceive me ; and that she was to be married to another man the next day. This was as sudden to me as a clap of thunder of a bright sunshiny day. It struck me perfectly speechless for some time, and made me feel so weak, that I thought I should sink down. I however recovered from my shock after a little, and rose and started without any cere- mony, or even bidding any body good-bye. The young woman followed me out to the gate, and entreated me to go on to her father's, and said she would go with me.

She said the young man, who was going to marry her sister, had got his license, and had asked for her ; but she assured me her father and mother both preferred me to him ; and that she had no doubt but that, if I would go on, I could break off the match.

But I found I could go no further. My heart was bruised, and my spirits were broken down ; so I bid her farewell, and turned my lonesome and miserable steps back again homeward, concluding that I was only born for hardships, misery, and disappointment. I now began to think, that in making me, it was entirely forgotten to make my mate ; that I was born odd, and should always remain so, and that nobody would have me. My appetite failed me, and I grew daily worse and worse. They all thought I was sick ; and so I was.

And it was the worst kind of sick- ness, — a sickness of the heart, and all the tender parts, produced by disappointed love. While out, I made a call at the house of a Dutch widow, who had a daughter that was well enough as to smartness, but she was as ugly as a stone fence. She was, how- ever, quite talkative, and soon begun to laugh at me about my disappointment.

She seemed disposed, though, to comfort me as much as she could ; and, for that purpose, told me to keep in good heart, that " there was as good fish in the sea as had ever been caught out of it. But I couldn't help thinking, that she had in- tended what she had said as a banter for me to court her! I felt little inclined to talk on the subject, it is true ; but, to pass off the time, I told her I thought I was born odd, and that no fellow to me could be found. She added that the one who had deceived me was nothing to be compared with her.

I didn't believe a word of all this, for I had thought that such a piece of flesh and blood as she was had never been manufactured, and never would again.

I agreed with her, though, that the little varment had treated me so bad, that I ought to forget her, and yet I couldn't do it I con- cluded the best way to accomplish it was to cut out again, and see if I could find any other that would answer me ; and so I told the Dutch girl I would be at the reaping, and would bring as many as I could with me. I employed my time pretty generally in giving information of it, as far as I could, until the day came ; and I then offered to work for my old friend, the Quaker, two days, if he would let his bound boy go with me one to the reaping.

But I knowed my promise to the Dutch gu-], and I was resolved to fulfil it ; so I shouldered my rifle, and started by myself. When I got to the place, I found a large company of men and women, and among them an old Irish woman, who had a great deal to say. I soon found out from my Dutch girl, that this old lady was the mother of the little girl she had promised me, though I had not yet seen her. She was in an out- house with some other youngsters, and had not yet made her appearance.

She came up to me, and. I had no doubt she had been told what I come for, and all about it. In the evening I was introduced to her daughter, and I must confess, I was plaguy well pleased with her from the word go. She had a good coun- tenance, and was very pretty, and I was full bent on making up an acquaintance with her. It was not long before the dancing commenced, and I asked her to join me in a reel. I found her very interesting ; while I was setting by her, making as good a use of my time as I could, her mothes came to us, and very jocularly called me her son- in-law.

This rather confused me, but I looked on it as a joke of the old lady, and tried to turn it off as well as I could ; but I took care to pay as much attention to her through the evening as I could. I went on the old saying, of salting the cow to catch the calf. I soon become so much pleased with this little girl, that I began to think the Dutch girl had told me the truth, when she said there was still good fish in the sea. We continued our frolic till near day, when we joined in some plays, calculated to amuse youngsters.

I had not often spent a more agreeable night. In the morning, however, we all had to part ; and I found my mind had become much bet- ter reconciled than it had been for a long time. I went home to the Quaker's, and made a bargain to work with his son for a low-priced horse. He was the first one I had ever owned, and I was to work six months for him. I had been engaged very closely five or six weeks, when this little girl run in my mind so, that I concluded I must go and see her, and find out what sort of people they were at home.

She wanted badly to find out all about me, and as I thought to see how I would do for her girl. In a short time, however, my impatience was relieved, as she arrived at home from a meeting to which she had been. There was a young man with her, who I soon found was disposed to set up claim to her, as he was so attentive to her that I could hardly get to slip in a word edgeways. I began to think I was barking up the wrong tree again ; but I was determined to stand up to my rack, fodder or no fodder.

And so, to know her mind a little on the subject, I began to talk about starting, as I knowed she would then show some sign, from which I could understand which way the wind blowed. It was then near night, and my distance was fifteen miles home. At this my little girl soon began to indicate to the other gen- tleman that his room would be the better part of his company. At length she left him, and came to me, and insisted mighty hard that I should not go that evening ; and, indeed, from all her actions and the attempts she made to get rid of him, I saw F 62 THE LIFE OF that she preferred me all holler.

But it wasn't long before I found trouble enough in another quarter. Her mother was deeply enlisted for my rival, and I had to fight against her influence as well as his. But the girl herself was the prize I was fighting for ; and as she welcomed me, I was determined to lay siege to her, let what would happen. But he didn't dare to at- tempt any thing more, for now I had gotten a start, and I looked at him every once in a while as fierce as a wild-cat.

I staid with her until Mon- day morning, and then I put out for home. It was about two weeks after this that I was sent for to engage in a wolf hunt, where a great number of men were to meet, with their dogs and guns, and where the best sort of sport was expected. I went as large as life, but I had to hunt in strange woods, and in a part of the country which was very thinly inhabited. While I was out it clouded up, and I began to get scared ; and in a little while I was so much so, that I didn't know which way home was, nor any thing about it. And for the information of young hunters, I will just say, in this place, that when- ever a fellow gets bad lost, the way home is just the way he don't think it is.

This rule will hit nine times out of ten. I went ahead, though, about six or seven miles, when I found night was coming on fast ; but at this distressing time I saw a little woman streaking it along through the woods like all wrath, and so I cut on too, for I was determined I wouldn't lose sight of her that night any more. I run on till she saw me, and she stopped ; for she was as glad to see me as I was to see her, as she was lost as well as me.

When I came up to her, who should she be but my little girl, that I had been paying my respects to. She had been out hunting her father's horses, and had missed her way, and had no knowledge where she was, or how far it was to any house, or what way would take us there. She had been travelling all day, and was mighty tired ; and I would have taken her up, and toated her, if it hadn't been that I wanted her just where I could see her all the time, for I thought she looked sweeter than sugar; and by this time I loved her almost well enough to eat her.

Here we staid all night. I set up all night courting ; and in the morning we parted. She went to her hopie, from which we were distant about seven miles, and I to mine, which was ten miles off. I now turned in to work again ; and it was about four weeks before I went back to see her. I continued to go occasionally, until I had worked long enough to pay for my horse, by putting in my gun with my work, to the man I had pur- chased from ; and then I began to count whether I was to be deceived again or not.

At our next meeting we set the day for our wedding ; and 1 went to my father's, and made arrangements for an infair, and returned to ask her parents for her. When I got there, the old lady appeared to be mighty wrathy ; and when I broached the subject, she looked at me as savage as a meat axe. The old man appeared quite willing, and treated me very clever. But I hadn't been there long, be- fore the old woman as good as ordered me out of her house. I thought I would put her in mind of old times, and see how that would go with her. But her Irish was up too high to do any thing with her, and so I quit trying.

All I cared for was, to have her daughter on my side, which I knowed was the case then ; but how soon some other fellow might knock my nose out of joint again, I couldn't tell. I however felt rather insulted at the old lady, and I thought I wouldn't get married in her house. And so I told her girl, that I would come the next Thursday, and bring a horse, bridle, and saddle for her, and she must be ready to go.

Her mother declared I shouldn't have her ; but I know'd I should, if somebody else didn't get her before Thursday. I then started, bidding them good day, and went by the house of a justice of the peace, who lived on the way to my father's, and made a bargain with him to marry me. When Thursday came, all necessary arrange- ments were made at my father's to receive my wife ; and so I took my eldest brother and his wife, and another brother, and a single sister that I had, and two other young men with me, and cut out to her father's house to get her.

We went on, until we got within two miles of the place, where we met a large company that had heard of the wedding, and were waiting. When they got there, they found the old lady as wrathy as ever. However the old man filled their bottle, and the young men returned in a hurry. I then went on with my company, and when I arrived I never pretended to dismount from my horse, but rode up to the door, and asked the girl if she was ready ; and she said she was.

I then told her to light on the horse I was leading ; and she did so. Her father, though, had gone out to the gate, and when I started he commenced persuading me to stay and marry there ; that he was entirely willing to the match, and that his wife, like most women, had entirely too much tongue ; but that I oughtn't to mind her. I told him if she would ask me to stay and marry at her house, I would do so.

With that he sent for her, and after they had talked for some time out by themselves, she came to me and looked at me mighty good, and asked my pardon for what she had said, and invited me stay. We had as good treatment as could be expected ; and that night all went on well. The next day we cut out for my father's, where we met a large company of people, that had been waiting a day and a night for our arrival. We passed the time quite merrily, until the company broke up ; and having gotten my wife, I thought I was completely made up, and needed nothing more in the whole world.

But I soon found this was all a mistake — for now having a wife, 1 wanted every thing else ; and, worse than all, I had nothing to give for it. I remained a few days at my father's, and then went back to my new father-in-law's ; where, to my surprise, I found my old Irish mother in the finest humour in the world. She gave us two likely cows and calves, which, though it was a small marriage-portion, was still better than I had expected, and, indeed, it was about all I ever got. I rented a small farm and cabin, and went to work ; but I had much trouble to find out a plan to get any thing to put in my house.

At this time, my good old friend the Quaker came forward to my assistance, and gave me an order to a store for fifteen dollars' worth of such things as my little wife might choose. My wife had a good wheel, and knowed exactly how to use it. She was also a good weaver, as most of the Irish are, whether men or women ; and being very indus- trious with her wheel, she had, in little or no time, a fine web of cloth, ready to make up ; and she was good at that too, and at almost any thing else that a woman could do. We worked on for some years, renting ground, and paying high rent, until I found it wan't the thing it was cracked up to be ; and that I couldn't make a fortune at it just at all.

So I concluded to quit it, and cut out for some new country. In this time we had two sons, and I found I was better at increasing my family than my fortune. It was therefore the more necessary that I should hunt some better place to get along ; and as I knowed I would have to move at some time, I thought it was better to do it before my family got too large, that I might have less to carry. The Duck and Elk river counl;ry was just be- ginning to settle, and I determined to try that.

I had now one old horse, and a couple of two year old colts. So we all fixed up, and I packed my two colts with as many of my things as they could bear ; and away we went across the mountains. We got on well enough, and arrived safely in Lincoln county, on the head of the Mulberry fork of Elk river. I found this a very rich country, and so new, that game, of different sorts, was very plenty.

It was here that I began to distinguish myself as a hunter, and to lay the foundation for all my future greatness ; but mighty little did I know of what sort it was going to be. Of deer and smaller game I killed abundance ; but the bear had been much hunted in those parts before, and were not so plenty as I could have wished.

I WAS living ten miles below Winchester when the Creek war commenced ; and as military men are making so much fuss in the world at this time, I must give an account of the part I took in the defence of the country. But I must begin about the war, and leave the other matter for the people to begin on. The Creek Indians had commenced their open hostilities by a most bloody butchery at Fort Mimms.

There had been no war among us for so long, that but few, who were not too old to bear arms, knew any thing about the business. For when I heard of the mischief which was done at the fort, I instantly felt like going, and I had none of the dread of dying that I expected to feel. In a few days a general meeting of the militia was called for the purpose of raising volunteers ; and when the day arrived for that meeting, my wife, who had heard me say I meant to go to the war, be- gan to beg me not to turn out. It was mighty hard to go against such arguments as these ; but my countrymen had been murdered, and I knew that the next thing would be, that the Indians would be scalping the women and children all about there, if we didn't put a stop to it.

Whether she was satisfied with this reasoning or not, she did not tell me ; but seeing I was bent on it, all she did was to cry a little, and turn about to her work. The truth is, my dander was up, and nothing but war could bring it right again. I went to Winchester, where the muster was to be, and a great many people had collected, for there was as much fuss among the people about the war as there is now about moving the de- posites.

When the men were paraded, a lawyer by the name of Jones addressed us, and closed by turning out himself, and enquiring, at the same time, who among "us felt like we could fight In- dians? This was the same Mr. Jones who after- wards served in Congress, from the state of Ten- nessee. He informed us he wished to raise a company, and that then the men should meet and elect their own officers.

I believe I was about the second or third man that step'd out ; but on marching up and down the regiment a few times, we found we had a large company. We volun- teered for sixty days, as it was supposed our services would not be longer wanted. A day or two after this we met and elected Mr. Jones our captain, and also elected our other officers. The time arrived ; I I took a parting farewell of my wife and my lit- tle boys, mounted my horse, and set sail, to join my company. Expecting to be gone only a short time, I took no more clothing with me than I supposed would be necessary, so that if I got into an Indian battle, I might not be pestered with any unnecessary plunder, to prevent my having a fair shake with them.

We all met and went ahead, till we passed Huntsville, and camped at a large spring called Beaty's spring. Here we staid for several days, in which time the troops began to collect from all quarters. At last we mustered about thirteen hundred strong, all mounted volun- teers, and all determined to fight, judging from myself, for I felt wolfish all over.

I verily be- lieve the whole army was of the real grit. Our captain didn't want any other sort ; and to try them he several times told his men, that if any of them wanted to go back home, they might do so at any time, before they were regularly mustered into the service. But he had the honour to com- mand all his men from first to last, as not one of them left him. Jackson had not yet left Nashville with his old foot volunteers, that had gone with him to Natchez in 1S12, the year before.

While we re- mained at the spring, a Major Gibson came, and wanted some volunteers to go with him across the Tennessee river and into the Creek nation, to find out the movements of the Indians. He came to my captain, and asked for two of his best woods- men, and such as were best with a rifle. The cap- tain pointed me out to him, and said he would be security that I would go as far as the major would himself, or any other man. I willingly engaged to go with him, and asked him to let me choose my own mate to go with me, which he said I might do.

I called him up, but Major Gibson said he thought he hadn't beard enough to please him, — he want- ed men, and not boys. I must confess I was a lit- tle nettled at this ; for I know'd George Russell, and I know'd there was no mistake in him ; and I didn't think that courage ought to be measured by the beard, for fear a goat would have the prefer- ence over a man.

He told us to be ready early in the morning for a start ; and so we were. We took our camp equipage, mounted our horses, and, thirteen in number, including the major, we cut out. We went on, and crossed the Tennessee river at a place called Ditto's Landing ; and then traveled about seven miles further, and took up camp for the night.

Here a man by the name of John Haynes overtook us. He had been an Indian trader in that part of the nation, and was well ac- quainted with it. He went with us as a pilot. The next morning, however, Major Gibson and myself concluded we should separate and take different directions to see what discoveries we could make ; so he took seven of the men, and I five, making thirteen in all, including myself. He was to go by the house of a Cherokee Indian, named Dick Brown, and I was to go by Dick's father's ; and getting all the information we could, we were to meet that evening where the roads came together, fifteen miles the other side of Brown's.

Brown's I got a half blood Cherokee to agree to go with me, whose name was Jack Thomp- son. He was not then ready to start, but was to fix that evening, and overtake us at the fork road where I was to meet Major Gibson. I and my men then started, and went on to the place of meeting, but Major Gibson was not there. We waited till almost dark, but still he didn't come. We then left the Indian trace a little dis- tance, and turning into the head of a hollow, we struck up camp.

It was about ten o'clock at night, when I heard my owl, and I answered him. Jack soon found us, and we determined to rest there during the night. We staid also next morning till after breakfast: I told the men we had set out to hunt a fight, and I wouldn't go back in that way ; that we must go ahead, and see what the red men were at. We started, and went to a Cherokee town about twenty miles off; and after a short stay there, we pushed on to the house of a man by the name of Radcliff.

He was a white man, but had married a Creek woman, and lived just in the edge of the Creek nation. He had two sons, large likely fel- lows, and a great deal of potatoes and corn, and, indeed-, almost every thing else to go on ; so we g2 78 THE LIFE OF fed our horses and got dinner with him, and seemed to be doing mighty well. But he was bad scared all the time. He told us there had been ten painted warriors at his house only an hour before, and if we were discovered there, they would kill us, and his family with us. I replied to him, that my business was to hunt for just such fellows as he had described, and I was de- termined not to go back until I had done it.

Our dinner being over, we saddled up our horses, and made ready to start. But some of my small company I found were disposed to return. I told them, if we were to go back then, we should never hear the last of it ; and I was determined to go ahead. I knowed some of them would go with me, and that the rest were afraid to go back by themselves ; and so we pushed on to the camp of some of the friendly Creeks, which was dis- tant about eight miles.

The moon was about the full, and the night was clear ; we therefore had the benefit of her light from night to morning, and I knew if we were placed in such danger as to make a retreat necessary, we could travel by night as well as in the day time. We had not gone very far, when we met two negroes, well mounted on Indian ponies, and each with a good rifle.

They were brothers, both very large and likely, and could talk Indian as well as English. One of them I sent on to Ditto's Land- ing, the other I took back with me. It was after dark when we got to the camp, where we found about forty men, women, and children. They had bows and arrows, and I turned in to shooting with their boys by a pine light. I directed him to tell them that I would watch, and if one would come that night, I would carry the skin of his head home to make me a mockasin.

When he made this communication, the Indians laughed aloud. At about ten o'clock at night we all concluded to try to sleep a little ; but that our horses might be ready for use, as the treasurer said of the drafts on the United States' bank, on cer- tain " contingences," we tied them up with our saddles on them, and every thing to our hand, if in the night our quarters should get uncomfort- 80 THE LIFE OF able.

We lay down with our guns in our arms, and I had just gotten into a dose of sleep, when I heard the sharpest scream that ever escaped the throat of a human creature. It was more like a wrathy painter than any thing else. The negro understood it, and he sprang to me ; for tho' I heard the noise well enough, yet I wasn't wide awake enough to get up. So the negro caught me, and said the red sticks was coming. I rose quicker then, and asked what was the matter? Our negro had gone and talked with the Indian who had just fetched the scream, as he come into camp, and learned from him, that the war party had been crossing the Coosa river all day at the Ten islands ; and were going on to meet Jack- son, and this Indian had come as a runner.

This news very much alarmed the friendly Indians in camp, and they were all off in a few minutes. I felt bound to make this intelligence known as soon as possible to the army we had left at the landing ; and so we all mounted our horses, and put out in a long lope to make our way back to that place.

We were about sixty-five miles off. Ql single Indian was to be seen. They were all gone. These circumstances were calculated to lay our dander a little, as it appeared we must be in great danger ; though we could easily have licked any force of not more than five to one.

A narrative of the life of David Crockett ..

But we ex- pected the whole nation would be on us, and against such fearful odds we were not so rampant for a fight. We therefore staid only a short time in the light of the fires about the town, preferring the light of the moon and the shade of the woods. We pushed on till we got again to old Mr. Brown's, which was still about thirty miles from where we had left the main army.

When we got there, the chickens were just at the first crowing for day.

CULTURAL AND LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE

We fed our horses, got a morsel to eat ourselves, and again cut out. About ten o'clock in the morning we reached the camp, and I reported to Col. He didn't seem to mind my report a bit, and this raised my dander higher than ever ; but I knowed I had to be on my best behaviour, and so I kept it all to myself; though I was so mad that I was burning inside like a tar-.

The next day the major got in, and brought a worse tale than I had, though he stated the same facts, so far as I went. This seemed to put our colonel all in a fidget; and it convinced me, clearly, of one of the hateful ways of the world. When I made my report, it wasn't believed, because I was no officer ; I was no great man, but just a poor soldier. But when the same thing was reported by Major Gibson! He, therefore, ordered breastworks to be thrown up, near a quarter of a mile long, and sent an ex- press to Fayetteville, where General Jackson and his troops was, requesting them to push on like the very mischief, for fear we should all be cooked up to a cracklin before they could get there.

Old Hickory-face made a forced march on getting the news ; and on the next day, he and his men got into camp, with their feet all blistered from the effects of their swift journey. The volunteers, therefore, stood guard altogether, to let them rest. About eight hundred of the volunteers, and of that number I was one, were now sent back, crossing the Tennessee river, and on through Huntsville, so as to cross the river again at another place, and to get on the Indians in another direction.

After we passed Huntsville, we struck on the river at the Muscle Shoals, and at a place on them called Melton's Bluff. This river is here about two miles wide, and a rough bottom ; so much so, indeed, in many places, as to be dangerous; and in fording it this time, we left several of the horses belonging to our men, with their feet fast in the crevices of the rocks. The men, whose horses were thus left, went ahead on foot.

We pushed on till we got to what was called the Black War- rior's town, which stood near the very spot where Tuscaloosa now stands, which is the seat of go- vernment for the state of Alabama. This Indian town was a large one ; but when we arrived we found the Indians had all left it. There was also a fine quantity of dried beans, which were very acceptable to us ; and without delay we se- cured them as well as the corn, and then burned the town to ashes ; after which we left the place.

In the field where we gathered the corn we saw plenty of fresh Indian tracks, and we had no doubt they had been scared off by our arrival. We then went on to meet the main army at the fork road, where I was first to have met Major Gibson. We got that evening as far back as the encampment we had made the night before we reached the Black Warrior's town, which we had just destroyed.

The next day we were entirely out of meat. I went to Col. Coffee, who was then in command of us, and asked his leave to hunt as we marched. He gave me leave, but told me to take mighty good care of myself. I turned aside to hunt, and had not gone far when I found a deer that had just been killed and skinned, and his flesh was still warm and smoking. From this I was sure that the Indian who had killed it had been gone only a very few minutes ; and though I" was never much in favour of one hunter stealing from another, yet meat was so scarce in camp, that I thought I must go in for it.

I could have sold it for almost any price I would have asked ; but this wasn't my rule, neither in peace nor war. Whenever I had any thing, and saw a fellow being suffering, I was more anxious to relieve him than to benefit my- self. And this is one of the true secrets of my being a poor man to this day. But it is my way ; and while it has often left me with an empty jDurse, which is as near the devil as any thing else I have seen, yet it has never left my heart empty of con- solations which money couldn't buy, — the conso- lations of having sometimes fed the hungry and covered the naked.

I gave all my deer away, except a small part I kept for myself, and just sufficient to make a good supper for my mess ; for meat was getting to be a rarity to us all. We had to live mostly on parched corn. The next day we marched on, and at night took up camp near a large cane brake. While here, I told my mess I would again try for some meat ; so I took my rifle and cut out, but hadn't gone far, when I discovered a large gang of hogs. I shot one of them down in his tracks, and the rest broke directly towards the camp. I shoul- dered my hog, and went on to the camp ; and when I got there I found they had killed a good many of the hogs, and a fine fat cow into the bargain, that had broke out of the cane brake.

We did very well that night, and the next morn- ing marched on to a Cherokee town, where our officers stop'd, and gave the inhabitants an order on Uncle Sam for their cow, and the hogs we had killed. The next day we met the main army, having had, as we thought, hard times, and a plenty of them, though we had yet seen hardly the beginning of trouble. After our meeting we went on to Radcliff's, where I had been before while out as a spy ; and when we got there, we found he had hid all his provisions.

We also got into the secret, that he was the very rascal who had sent the runner to the Indian camp, with the news that the "red sticks" were crossing at the Ten Islands ; and that his object was to scare me and my men away, and send us back with a false alarm. To make some atonement for this, we took the old scroundrell's two big sons with us, and made them serve in the war. We then marched to the Ten Islands, on the Coosa river, where we established a fort ; and our spy conipaflies were sent out.

They soon made prisoners of Bob Catala and his warriors, and, in a few days afterwards, we heard of some Indians in a town about eight miles off. So we mounted our horses, and put out for that town, under the direction of two friendly Creeks we had taken for pilots. We had also a Cherokee colonel, Dick Brown, and some of his men with us.

When we got near the town we divided ; one of our pilots going with each division. And so we passed on each side of the town, keeping near to it, until our lines met -on the far side. We then closed up at both ends, so as to surround it completely ; and then we sent Captain Ham- mond's company of rangers to bring on the af- fray. He had advanced near the town, when the Indians saw him, and they raised the yell, and eame running at him like so many red devils. The main army was now formed in a hollow square around the town, and they pursued Ham- mond till they came in reach of us.

We then gave them a fire, and they returned it, and then ran back into their town. T saw seven squaws have hold of one man, which made me think of the Scrip- tures. So I hollered out the Scriptures was ful- filling ; that there was seven women holding to one man's coat tail. But I believe it was a hunt- ing-shirt all the time. We took them all prison- ers that came out to us in this way ; but I saw some warriors run into a house, until I counted forty- six of them. He was a lieutenant, and his death so enraged us all, that she was fired on, and had at least twenty balls blown through her.

This was the first man I ever saw killed with a bow and ar- row. We now shot them like dogs ; and then set the house on fire, and burned it up with the forty-six warriors in it. I recollect seeing a boy who was shot down near the house. In this situation he was still trying to crawl along ; but not a murmur escaped him, though he was only about twelve years old.

So sullen is the Indian, when his dander is up, that he had sooner die than make a noisej or ask for quarters. The number that we took prisoners, being added to the number we killed, amounted to one hundred and eighty-six ; though I don't remem-; ber the exact number of either. We had five of our men killed. We then returned to our camp, at which our fort was erected, and known by the name of Fort Strother. No provisions had yet reached us, and we had now been for several days on half rations. However we went back to our Indian town on the next day, when many of the carcasses of the Indians were still to be seen.

They looked very awful, for the burn- ing had not entirely consumed them, but given them a very terrible appearance, at least what re- mained of them. It was, somehow or other, found out that the house had a potatoe cellar under it, and an immediate examination was made, for we were all as hungry as wolves. We found a fine chance of potatoes in it, and hunger compel- k2 90 THE J. We then again re- turned to the army, and remained there for seve- ral days almost starving, as all our beef was gone. We commenced eating the beef-hides, and con- tinued to eat every scrap we could lay our hands on.

At length an Indian came to our guard one night, and hollered, and said he wanted to see " Captain Jackson. In an hour we were all ready, and took up the line of march. We crossed the Coosa river, and went on in the direction to Fort Taladega. When we arrived near the place, we met eleven hundred painted warriors, the very choice of the Creek na- tion. They had encamped near the fort, and had informed the friendly Indians who were in it, that if they didn't come out, and fight with them against the whites, they would take their fort and all their ammunition and provision.

Thus they put them off. They then imme- diately started their runner to General Jackson, and he and the army pushed over, as I have just before stated. The camp of warriors had their spies out, and discovered us coming, some time before we got to the fort. They then went to the friendly Indians, and told them Captain Jackson was coming, and had a great many fine horses, and blankets, and guns, and every thing else ; and if they would come out and help to whip him, and to take his plunder, it should all be divided with those in the fort.

They promised that when Jackson came, they would then come out and help to whip him. It was about an hour by sun in the morning, when we got near the fort. Our lines marched on, as before, till they met in front, and then closed in the rear, forming again into a hollow square. We then sent on old Major Russell, with his spy company, to bring on the battle ; Capt. Evans' company went also. They were all painted as red as scarlet, and were just as naked as they were born.

They had concealed themselves under the bank of a branch, that ran partly around the fort, in the m. Russel was going right into their circle, for he couldn't see them, while the Indians on the top of the fort were trying every plan to show him his danger. But he couldn't understand them. At last, two of them jumped from it, and ran, and took his horse by the bridle, and pointing to where they were, told him there were thousands of them lying under the bank.

This brought them to a halt, and about this moment the Indians fired on them, and came rushing forth like a cloud of Egyptian locusts, and screaming like all the young devils had been turned loose, with the old devil of all at their head. Russel's company quit their horses, and took into the fort, and their horses ran up to our line, which was then in full view. The warriors then came yelling on, meeting us, and continued till they were within shot of us, when we fired and killed a considerable number of them.

They fought with guns, and also with their bows and arrows ; but at length they made their escape through a part of our line, which was made up of drafted militia, which broke ranks, and they passed. We lost fifteen of our men, as brave fellows as ever lived or died. We buried them all in one grave, and started back to our fort ; but before we got there, two more of our men died of wounds they had received ; making our total loss seven- teen good fellows in that battle. We now remained at the fort a few days, but no provision came yet, and we were all likely to perish.

The weather also began to get very cold ; and our clothes were nearly worn out, and horses getting very feeble and poor. Our officers pro- posed to Gen'l. Jackson to let us return home and get fresh horses, and fresh clothing, so as to be better prepared for another campaign ; for our sixty days had long been out, and that was the lime we entered for. But the general took " the responsibility" on himself, and refused. But we began to fix for a start, as provisions were too scarce ; just as Clay, and Webster, and myself are preparing to fix bank matters, on account of the scarcity of money.

The general went and placed his cannon on a bridge we had to cross, and or- dered out his regulars and drafted men to keep us from crossing ; just as he has planted his Globe and K.

Navigation

But when the militia started to guard the bridge, they would holler back to us to bring their knapsacks along when we come, for they wanted to go as bad as we did ; just as many a good fellow now wants his political knapsack brought along, that if, when we come to vote, he sees he has a fair shake to go, he may join in and help us to take back the deposites.

We got ready and moved on till we came neai the bridge, where the general's men were all strung along on both sides, just like the office- holders are now, to keep us from getting along to the help of the country and the people. When we came still nearer the bridge we heard the guards cocking their guns, and we did the salne ; just as we have had it in Congress, while the " government" regulars and the people's vo- lunteers have all been setting their political trig- gers.

But, after all, we marched boldly on, and not a gun was fired, nor a life lost ; just as I hope it will be again, that we shall not be afraid of the general's Globe, nor his K. C, nor his regu- lars, nor their trigger snapping ; but just march boldly over the executive bridge, and take the deposites back where the law placed them, and where they ought to be. It consisted of a re- I giment of volunteers, and was under the com- mand of some one whose name I can't remember.

They were sixty-day volunteers. On the next morning the officers reported to us the conclusions they had come to ; and told us, if any of us felt bound to go on and serve out the six months, we could do so ; but that they intended to go back home. I knowed if I went back home I couldn't rest, for I felt it my duty to be out ; and when out was, somehow or other, always delighted to be in the very thickest of the danger. A few of us, therefore, determined to push on and join the army. The number I do not recollect, but it was very small.

When we got out there, I joined Major Russel's company of spies. Before we reached the place. General Jackson had started. When we came near that place, we began to find Indian sign plenty, and we struck up camp for the night. About two hours before day, we heard our guard firing, and we were all up in little or no time. We mended up our camp fires, and then fell back in the dark, expecting to see the Indians pouring in ; and intending, when they should do so, to shoot them by the light of our own fires.

But it happened that they did not rush in as we had expected, but commenced a fire on us as we were. We were encamped in a hollow square, and we not only returned the fire, but continued to shoot as well as we could in the dark, till day broke, when the Indians disap- peared. The only guide we had in shooting was to notice the flash of their guns, and then shoot as directly at the place as we could guess.

In this scrape we had four men killed, and se- veral wounded ; but whether we killed any of the Indians or not we never could tell, for it is their custom always to carry off their dead, if they can possibly do so.

We buried ours, and then made a large log heap over them, and set it on fire, so that the place of their deposite might not be known to the savages, who, we knew, would seek for them, that they might scalp them. We moved on till we came to a large creek which we had to cross ; and about half of our men had crossed, when the Indians commenced firing on our left wing, and they kept it up very warmly.

We had left Major Russel and his brother at the camp we had moved from that morning, to see what discovery they could make as to the movements of the Indians ; and about this time, while a warm fire was kept up on our left, as I have just stated, the major came up in our rear, and was closely pursued by a large number of Indians, who immediately commenced a fire on our artillery men.

They hid themselves behind a large log, and could kill one of our men almost every shot, they being in open ground and exposed. The worst of all was, two of our colonels just at this trying moment left their men, and by a forced march, crossed the creek out of the reach of the fire. Their names, at this late day, would do the world no good, and my object is history alone, and not the slightest interference with character.

An oppor- tunity was now afforded for Governor Carroll to distinguish himself, and on this occasion he did so, by greater bravery than I ever saw any other man display. I will not say exactly that the old general was whip'd ; but I will say, that if we es- caped it at all, it was like old Henry Snider going to heaven, " mit a tam tite squeeze. I know I was mighty glad when it was over, and the savages quit us, for I had begun to think there was one behind every tree in the woods. We buried our dead, the number of whom I have also forgotten ; and again made horse litters to carry our wounded, and so we put out, and re- turned to Fort Williams, from which place we had started.

The Narrative, which remains still widely available, is a masterpiece of frontier literature. It is a rare account of the western experience, made even more significant by the lively style of the narration, the colorful use of language, and the comic perspective taken throughout much of the book. Baldwin's Flush Times in Alabama and Mississippi ; however, these latter two works include separate stories largely based upon second-person observations of frontier life by educated authors rather than the first-person account provided by Crockett.

Crockett provides rare insights into the human experience on the frontier as he describes being hired out as a child to neighbors by his father for labor; his two-and-a-half-year odyssey after running away from home at age thirteen, including his virtual kidnapping and daring escape in deep snow; his frequent relocations to emerging western frontier lands; and his near-death experiences from malaria, combat with Indians, starvation, freezing, and drowning. He describes in some detail his experiences in the Creek War as well as his unorthodox political campaigning style and his experiences in Congress as an opponent of President Andrew Jackson.

Some critics complain that the book lacks traditional plot and theme development, too often intrudes on the narrative with partisan invective against Jackson, and contains events that seem tedious or commonplace. However, these apparent flaws also serve to provide the book with its appearance of authenticity. Many expressions found in the book appear to be original, or at least new in literature, giving the book a feeling of freshness and novelty for the time.

For example, Crockett describes in detail an example of his dogs "barking up the wrong tree," an expression that dates back only to the time of the Narrative.

Some other expressions such as "neck or nothing" p. Crockett employed a spare, realistic prose style that anticipated the later realism movement in fiction. This style generally was uncommon in popular fiction of the period, but it is similar to that of first-person accounts of other frontier authors of the period—for example, Black Hawk 's autobiography or Elias Darnell's account of the battle of the Raisin River Michigan of the War of However, Crockett's stories contain an element of humor not found in those other works.

Crockett's gift for storytelling may have arisen from his early years growing up in his father's eastern Tennessee tavern. An oral reading of Crockett anecdotes reveals the Narrative 's debt to the storytelling tradition, with its directness and the lively immediacy of its prose. The Narrative has often been characterized as containing extensive use of hyperbole, and the author's name has been firmly linked to the "tall tale" of American frontier tradition.

Although the Narrative does contain effusive uses of language, Crockett in fact omitted many of the most extravagant "half horse, half alligator" anecdotes from French's Life and Adventures, in which he was presented as a figure known for startling bears to death, "grinning" raccoons out of trees and in one case, mistakenly grinning the bark off a tree , and being offered a commission to mount the Alleghenies and wring the tail off Halley's Comet. In the preface to his book, Crockett lamented the "great injustice" done him by the author of the previous work p.

Since Crockett several times in the Narrative mentions the possibility of his running for president of the United States , it is possible that he wished to present himself as a less-extravagant character than that portrayed by French. Actually, the Narrative overall may be more notable for its directness, simplicity, and humorous understatement than for its use of hyperbole.

For example, Crockett describes a time when he had fallen ill with malaria, alone on a trace on the Alabama frontier, and he was met by some Indians, who signed to him that he would soon die: With the help of the Indians and a pioneer family, Crockett survives this ordeal; he recovers and finally returns home to his family, where he finds that he was reported to have died and been buried. Crockett comments, "I know'd this was a whapper of a lie, as soon as I heard it" p. Another example of comic understatement is found in Crockett's description of his first congressional defeat, by two votes: Crockett also provided some stark realism in his recounting of events he witnessed during the Creek Indian War.

These passages have been thought by some to represent Crockett's indifference to the plight of American Indians; however, according to accounts by contemporaries who knew Crockett, these stories were intended to demonstrate the brutal realities of war, and in fact much of the bitterness he expressed concerning the U. This latter view is also supported by Crockett's strong opposition to the Jackson-supported legislation to remove Indians from eastern lands. Crockett's Narrative developed themes that, in conjunction with the stories of, for example, Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, Joseph G.

The latter story describes a frontier protagonist who presents an interesting parallel to Captain Ahab in Herman Melville 's — novel, Moby-Dick, in that Lewis's protagonist loses a leg to an encounter with an enormous bear, falls into deep depression during recovery, and sets out on a mission, on his new wooden leg, to become America's greatest bear hunter. As such, Crockett's Narrative can be seen as a substantial component of an emerging and important new American literature.

Scholars have debated whether in fact Crockett was the primary contributor to his autobiography. This debate has largely centered on the arguments that the manuscript was submitted to the publisher in the handwriting of Thomas Chilton and contained peculiarities of spelling and grammar not found in Crockett's letters to friends, family, and constituents.

Crockett maintained, however, that Chilton had merely edited his original manuscript for spelling and grammar. Furthermore, many of the anecdotes, attitudes, expressions, and overall style found in the Narrative in fact do resemble language that can be found in Crockett letters and speeches in Congress. Crockett himself claimed primary authorship for the work he apparently did not privately claim primary authorship for other works published in his name , and he kept his family informed of his progress during the writing of the book.

Crockett's Narrative conveys the lively quality of his storytelling style, which comes directly from the oral tradition, as evidenced in the following first excerpt. The second excerpt reveals how Crockett's campaigning style, like his writing style, was memorably idiosyncratic. I took my tomahawk in one hand, and my big butcher-knife in the other, and run up within four or five paces of [the bear], at which he let my dog go, and fixed his eyes on me.

I got back in all sorts of a hurry, for I know'd if he got hold of me, he would hug me altogether too close for comfort. I have just crept out of the cane, to see what discoveries I could make among the white folks. I would therefore have me a large buckskin hunting-shirt made, with a couple of pockets holding about a peck each; and that in one I would carry a great big twist of tobacco, and in the other my bottle of liquor; for I knowed when I met a man and offered him a dram, he would throw out his quid of tobacco to take one, and after he had taken his horn, I would out with my twist and give him another chaw.

And in this way he would not be worse off than when I found him; and I would be sure to leave him in a first-rate good humour. Much of the debate regarding the authenticity of the Narrative reflects the claims of a proposed literary-political conspiracy first put forth in by Vernon Louis Parrington in his influential Pulitzer Prize—winning work, Main Currents in American Thought. This theory was further developed in by James Shackford, Crockett's principal biographer, and it has been restated by more recent biographers until the early twenty-first century.

• Sport, Media, Culture: Global and Local Dimensions (Sport in the Global Society)
• Passionnément... je taime (Editions 1 - Littérature française et étrangère) (French Edition)
• Sorry for Love (2003 Version)
• Getting Close To You
• painless padmasana