An Autobiography of Davy Crockett

by Stephen Brennan

  I went but a short distance before I came to another slough, over which there was a log, but it was floating on the water. I thought I could walk it and so I mounted on it but when I had got about the middle of the deep water some how, it turned over and in I went up to my head I waded out of this deep water, and went ahead till I came to the high-land, where I stop’d to pull off my wet clothes and put on the others, which I had held up with my gun, above the water, when I fell in. I got them on but my flesh had no feeling in it, I was so cold. I tied up the wet ones and hung them up in a bush. I now thought I would run so as to warm myself a little, but I couldn’t raise a trot for some time. Indeed, I couldn’t step more than half the length of my foot. After a while I got better and went on five miles to the house of my brother-in-law, having not even smelt fire from the time I started. I got there late in the evening and he was much astonished at seeing me at such a time. I stayed all night and the next morning was most piercing cold, so they persuaded me not to go home that day. I agreed and turned out and killed him two deer, but the weather still got worse and colder, instead of better. I stayed that night and in the morning they still insisted I couldn’t get home. I knowed the water would be frozen over but not hard enough to bear me, so I agreed to stay that day. I went out hunting again and pursued a big he-bear all day, but didn’t kill him. The next morning was bitter cold but I knowed my family was without meat and I determined to get home to them or die a-trying.

  I took my keg of powder and all my hunting tools and cut out. When I got to the water, it was a sheet of ice as far as I could see. I put on to it, but hadn’t got far before it broke through with me and so I took out my tomahawk and broke my way along before me for a considerable distance. At last I got to where the ice would bear me for a short distance and I mounted on it and went ahead but it soon broke in again and I had to wade on till I came to my floating log. I found it so tight this time that I know’d it couldn’t give me another fall as it was frozen in with the ice. I crossed over it without much difficulty and worked along till I got to my lodged sapling and my log under the water. The swiftness of the current prevented the water from freezing over it and so I had to wade, just as I did when I crossed it before. When I got to my sapling, I left my gun and climbed out with my powder keg first and then went back and got my gun. By this time I was nearly frozen to death but I saw all along before me, where the ice had been fresh broke, and I thought it must be a bear straggling about in the water. I, there fore, fresh primed my gun and, cold as I was, I was determined to make war on him if we met. But I followed the trail till it led me home and I then found it had been made by my young man that lived with me who had been sent by my distressed wife to see, if he could, what had become of me, for they all believed that I was dead. When I got home I was’nt quite dead but mighty nigh it; I had my powder and that was what I went for.

  THAT night there fell a heavy rain and it turned to a sleet. In the morning all hands turned out hunting. My young man and a brother-in-law who had lately settled close by me, went down the river to hunt for turkeys but I was for larger game. I told them I had dreamed the night before of having a hard fight with a big black nigger and I knowed it was a sign that I was to have a battle with a bear for in a bear country, I never know’d such a dream to fail. So I started to go up above the harricane, determined to have a bear. I had two pretty good dogs and an old hound, all of which I took along. I had gone about six miles up the river and it was then about four miles across to the main Obion, so I determined to strike across to that, as I had found nothing yet to kill. I got on to the river and turned down it, but the sleet was still getting worse and worse. The bushes were all bent down and locked together with ice so that it was almost impossible to get along. In a little time my dogs started a large gang of old turkey goblers and I killed two of them, of the biggest sort. I shouldered them up and moved on, until I got through the harricane, when I was so tired that I laid my goblers down to rest, as they were confounded heavy and I was mighty tired. While I was resting, my old hound went to a log and smelt it awhile and then raised his eyes to ward the sky and cried out. Away he went, and my other dogs with him, and I shouldered up my turkeys again and followed on as hard as I could drive. They were soon out of sight and in a very little time I heard them begin to bark. When I got to them, they were barking up a tree, but there was no game there. I concluded it had been a turkey and that it had flew away.

  When they saw me coming, away they went again and, after a little time, began to bark as before. When I got near them, I found they were barking up the wrong tree again, as there was no game there. They served me in this way three or four times until I was so infernal mad that I determined, if I could get near enough, to shoot the old hound at least. With this intention I pushed on harder till I came to the edge of an open parara. Looking on before my dogs, I saw in and about the biggest bear that ever was seen in America. He looked, at the distance he was from me, like a large black bull. My dogs were afraid to attack him and that was the reason they had stop’d so often, that I might overtake them. They were now almost up with him and I took my goblers from my back and hung them up in a sapling and broke like a quarter horse after my bear, for the sight of him had put new springs in me. I soon got near to them but they were just getting into a roaring thicket and so I couldn’t run through it, but had to pick my way along and had close work even at that.

  In a little time I saw the bear climbing up a large black oak-tree and I crawled on till I got within about eighty yards of him. He was setting with his breast to me and so I put fresh priming in my gun and fired at him. At this he raised one of his paws and snorted loudly. I loaded again as quick as I could and fired as near the same place in his breast as possible. At the crack of my gun here he came tumbling down and the moment he touched the ground I heard one of my best dogs cry out. I took my toma hawk in one hand and my big butcher-knife in the other, and run up within four or five paces of him, 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 went to my gun and hastily loaded her again and shot him the third time, which killed him good.

  I now began to think about getting him home, but I didn’t know how far it was. So I left him and started and in order to find him again, I would blaze a sapling every little distance, which would show me the way back. I continued this till I got within about a mile of home, for there I know’d very well where I was, and that I could easily find the way back to my blazes. When I got home, I took my brother-in-law and my young man and four horses and went back. We got there just before dark and struck up a fire and commenced butchering my bear. It was some time in the night before we finished it; and I can assert, on my honour, that I believe he would have weighed six hundred pounds. It was the second largest I ever saw. I killed one, a few years after, that weighed six hundred and seven teen pounds. I now felt fully compensated for my sufferings in going after my powder and well satisfied that a dog might sometimes be doing a good business, even when he seemed to be barking up the wrong tree. We got our meat home and I had the pleasure to know that we now had plenty and that of the best and I continued through the winter to supply my family abundantly with bear-meat and venison from the woods.

  CHAPTER 4

  I Stand for the Federal Congress More Hunting Adventures Down the Mississippi / Elected to Congress

  I had on hand a great many skins and so, in the month of February, I packed a horse with them and taking my eldest son along with me, cut out for a little town called Jackson, situated about forty miles off. We got there well enough and I sold my skins and bought me some coffee and sugar, powder, lead and salt. I packed them all up in readiness for a start, which I intended to make early the next morning. Morning came but I concluded, before I started, I would go and take a horn with some of my old fellow-soldiers that I had met with at Jackson.

  I did so and while we were engaged in this, I met wi
th three candidates for the Legislature; a Doctor Butler, who was, by marriage, a nephew to General Jackson, a Major Lynn, and a Mr. McEver, all first-rate men. We all took a horn together and some person present said to me, “Crockett, you must offer for the Legislature.” I told him I lived at least forty miles from any white settlement and had no thought of becoming a candidate at that time. So we all parted and I and my little boy went on home.

  It was about a week or two after this that a man came to my house and told me I was a can didate. I told him not so. But he took out a newspaper from his pocket and showe’d me where I was announced. I said to my wife that this was all a burlesque on me, but I was determined to make it cost the man who had put it there at least the value of the printing and of the fun he wanted at my expense. So I hired a young man to work in my place on my farm and turned out myself electioneering. I hadn’t been out long before I found the people began to talk very much about the bear hunter, the man from the cane and the three gentlemen, who I have already named, soon found it ne cessary to enter into an agreement to have a sort of caucus at their March court to deter mine which of them was the strongest and the other two was to withdraw and support him. As the court came on, each one of them spread himself to secure the nomination but it fell on Dr. Butler and the rest backed out. The doctor was a clever fellow and I have often said he was the most talented man I ever run against for any office. His being related to Gen’l. Jackson also helped him on very much but I was in for it and I was determined to push ahead and go through or stick. Their meeting was held in Madison county, which was the strongest in the representative district and composed of eleven counties that seemed bent on having the member from there.

  At this time Col. Alexander was a candidate for Congress and attending one of his public meetings one day, I walked to where he was treating the people and he gave me an introduction to several of his acquaintances and informed them that I was out electioneering. In a little time my competi tor, Doctor Butler, came along. He passed by without noticing me and I suppose, indeed, he did not recognise me. But I hailed him, as I was for all sorts of fun, and when he turned to me, I said to him, “Well, doctor, I suppose they have weigh ed you out to me; but I should like to know why they fixed your election for March instead of August? This is,” said I, “a branfire new way of doing business, if a caucus is to make a representative for the people!” He now discovered who I was, and cried out, “D—n it, Crockett, is that you?” “Be sure it is,” said I, “but I don’t want it under stood that I have come electioneering. I have just crept out of the cane to see what discoveries I could make among the white folks.” I told him that when I set out electioneering, I would go prepared to put every man on as good footing when I left him as I found him. 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 li quor, for I knowed when I met a man and offered him a dram, he would throw out his quid of to bacco to take one and after he had taken his horn, I would go 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. He said I could beat him electioneering all hollow. I told him I would give him better evidence of that be fore August, notwithstanding he had many advan tages over me, particularly in the way of mo ney, but I told him that I would go on the pro ducts of the country, that I had industrious chil dren and the best of coon dogs and they would hunt every night till midnight to support my election and when the coon fur wa’n’t good, I would myself go a wolfing and shoot down a wolf, skin his head and his scalp would be good to me for three dollars in our state treasury money; and in this way I would get along on the big string. He stood like he was both amused and astonished and the whole crowd was in a roar of laughter. From this place I returned home, leaving the people in a first-rate way and I was sure I would do a good business among them. At any rate, I was determined to stand up to my lick-log, salt or no salt.

  In a short time there came out two other candi dates, a Mr. Shaw and a Mr. Brown. We all ran the race through and when the election was over, it turned out that I beat them all by a majority of two hundred and forty-seven votes and was again returned as a member of the Legislature from a new region of the country without losing a ses sion. This reminded me of the old saying “A fool for luck, and a poor man for children.”

  I now served two years in that body from my new district, which was the years 1823 and ’24. At the session of 1823, I had a small trial of my independence and whether I would forsake prin ciple for party or for the purpose of following after big men.

  The term of Col. John Williams had expired, who was a senator in Congress from the state of Ten nessee. He was a candidate for another election and was opposed by Pleasant M. Miller, Esq., who, it was believed, would not be able to beat the colonel. Some two or three others were spoken of, but it was at last concluded that the only man who could beat him was the present “government,” General Jackson. So, a few days be fore the election was to come on, he was sent for to come and run for the senate. He was then in nomination for the presidency but sure-enough he came and did run as the opponent of Colonel Williams, and beat him too, but not by my vote. The vote was for Jackson thirty-five; for Williams, twenty-five. I thought the colonel had honestly discharged his duty and even the mighty name of Jackson couldn’t make me vote against him.

  But voting against the old chief was found a mighty up-hill business to all of them except my self. I never would, nor never did, acknowledge I had voted wrong and I am more certain now that I was right than ever.

  I told the people it was the best vote I ever gave; that I had supported the public interest and cleared my conscience in giving it, instead of gratifying the private ambition of a man.

  I let the people know as early as then that I wouldn’t take a collar around my neck with the letters engraved on it:

  MY DOG.

  ANDREW JACKSON.

  During these two sessions of the Legislature, no thing else turned up which I think it worth while to mention and indeed, I am fearful that I am too particular about many small matters but if so, my apology is that I want the world to under stand my true history and how I worked along to rise from a cane-brake to my present station in life.

  Col. Alexander was the representative in Con gress of the district I lived in and his vote on the tariff law of 1824 gave a mighty heap of dissatis faction to his people. They therefore began to talk pretty strong of running me for Congress against him. At last I was called on by a good many to be a candidate. I told the people that I couldn’t stand that; it was a step above my know ledge and I know’d nothing about Congress.

  However, I was obliged to agree to run and my self and two other gentlemen came out. But Providence was a little against two of us this hunt, for it was the year that cotton brought twenty-five dollars a hundred; and so Colonel Alexander would get up and tell the people, it was all the good effect of this tariff law; that it had raised the price of their cotton and that it would raise the price of every thing else they made to sell. I might as well have sung Psalms over a dead horse as to try to make the people believe otherwise, for they knowed their cotton had raised, sure enough, and if the colonel hadn’t done it, they didn’t know what had. So he rather made a mash of me this time, as he beat me exactly two votes, as they counted the polls, though I have always believed that many other things had been as fairly done as that same count.

  He went on and served out his term and at the end of it, cotton was down to six or eight dollars a hundred again and I concluded I would try him once more and see how it would go with cotton at the common price and so I became a candidate.

  BUT the reader, I expect, would have no objection to know a little about my employment during the two years while my competitor was in Congress. In this space I had some pretty tuff times and will relate some few things that happened to me. So
here goes, as the boy said when he run by himself.

  In the fall of 1825, I concluded I would build two large boats and load them with pipe staves for market. So I went down to the lake, which was about twenty-five miles from where I lived, and hired some hands to assist me and went to work; some at boat building, and others to get ting slaves. I worked on with my hands till the bears got fat and then I turned out to hunting, to lay in a supply of meat. I soon killed and salted down as many as were necessary for my family; but about this time one of my old neighbours, who had settled down on the lake about twenty-five miles from me, came to my house and told me he wanted me to go down and kill some bears about in his parts. He said they were extremely fat and very plenty. I know’d that when they were fat, they were easily taken, for a fat bear can’t run fast or long. But I asked a bear no fa vours, no way, further than civility, for I now had eight large dogs, and as fierce as painters, so that a bear stood no chance at all to get away from them. So I went home with him and then went on down towards the Mississippi and commenced hunting.