07 - The Justice of Peace and the Legislator

Chapter 7: The Justice of Peace and the Legislator
Covers Crockett’s entry into politics, serving as a justice of the peace and later as a legislator, illustrating his transition from frontiersman to public servant. Summary by Dream Audiobooks

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter seven of David Crockett, His Life and Adventures. This
is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
LibriVox dot org. Recording by Brett W. Downey. David Crockett,
His Life and Adventures by John S. C Abbott, Chapter seven,

(00:23):
The Justice of Peace and the Legislator. The wealthy and
the prosperous are not disposed to leave the comforts of
a high civilization for the hardships of the wilderness. Most
of the pioneers who crowded to the new purchase were
either energetic young men who had their fortunes to make,
or families who, by misfortune, had encountered impoverishment. But there

(00:45):
was still another class. There were the vile, the unprincipled,
the desperate vagabonds seeking whom they might devour, Criminals escaping
the penalty of the laws which they had violated. These
were the men who shot down an Indian at sight,
as they would shoot a wolf merely for the fun
of it, who robbed the Indian of his gun and game,
burned his wigwam, and atrociously insulted his wife and daughters.

(01:08):
These were the men whom no law could restrain, who
brought disgrace upon the name of a white man, and
who often provoked the ignorant savage to the most dreadful
and indiscriminate retaliation. So many of these infamous men flocked
to this new purchase that life there became quite undesirable.
There were no legally appointed officers of peace, no organized laws.

(01:28):
Every man did what was pleasing in his own sight.
There was no collecting of debts, no redress for violence,
no punishment for cheating or theft. Under these circumstances, there
was a general gathering of the well disposed inhabitants of
the cabins scattered around to adopt some measures for their
mutual protection. Several men were appointed justices of peace, with

(01:49):
a set of resolute young men as constables to execute
their commissions. These justices were invested with almost dictatorial power.
They did not pretend to know anything about written law
or common law. They were merely men of good sound
sense who could judge as to what was right in
all ordinary intercourse between man and man. A complaint would

(02:10):
be entered to Crockett that one man owed another money
and refused to pay him, Crockett would send his constables
to rest the man and bring him to his cabin
after hearing both parties. If Crockett judged the debt to
be justly due and that it could be paid, he
would order the man's horse, cow, rifle, or any other
property he owned to be seized and sold, and the

(02:30):
debt to be paid. If the man made any resistance,
he would be very sure to have his cabin burned
down over his head, and he would be very lucky
if he escaped a bullet through his own body. One
of the most common and annoying crimes committed by these
desperadoes was shooting an emigrant's swine. These animals, regarded as
so invaluable in a new country. Each had its owner's

(02:51):
mark and range the woods, fattening upon acorns and other nuts.
Nothing was easier than for a lazy man to wander
into the woods, shoot one of these animals, take it
to his cabin, devour it there, and obliterate all possible
traces of the deed. Thus a large and valuable herd
would gradually disappear. This crime was consequently deemed to merit

(03:12):
the most severe punishment it was regarded as so disgraceful
that no respectable man was liable to suspicion. The punishment
for the crime was very severe and very summary. If
one of these swine thieves was brought before Justice Crockett,
and in his judgment the charge was proved against him,
the sentence was take the thief, strip off his shirt,

(03:33):
tie him to a tree, and give him a severe flogging,
then burn down his cabin and drive him out of
the country. There was no appeal from this verdict and
no evading its execution. Such was the justice which prevailed
in this remote region until the legislature of Alabama annexed
the territory to Giles County and brought the region under
the dominion of organized law. Crockett, who had performed his

(03:57):
functions to the entire satisfaction of the community, was then
legally appointed a justice of peace and became fully entitled
to the appellation of esquire. He certainly could not then
pretend to any profound legal erudition, for at this time
he could neither read nor write esquire. Crockett, commenting upon
this transaction, says, I was made a squire according to law.

(04:20):
Though now the honor rested more heavily upon me than before.
For at first, whenever I told my constable, says, I
catch that fellow and bring him up for trial, away
he went. And the fellow must come dead or alive,
for we consider this a good warrant, though it was
only in verbal writing. But after I was appointed by
the Assembly, they told me that my warrants must be

(04:42):
in real writing and signed, and then I must keep
a book and write my proceedings in it. This was
a hard business on me, for I could just barely
write my own name, but to do this and write
the warrants too was at least a huckleberry over my persimmon.
I had a pretty well informed cond however, and he
aided me very much in this business. Indeed, I told

(05:04):
him when he should happen to be out anywhere and
see that a warrant was necessary and would have a
good effect, he needn't take the trouble to come all
the way to me to get one, but he could
just fill out one, and then on the trial I
could correct the whole business if he had committed any error.
In this way, I got on pretty well till by
care and attention I improved my handwriting in such a

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manner as to be able to prepare my warrants and
keep my record books without much difficulty. My judgments were
never appealed from, and if they had been, they would
have stuck like wax. As I gave my decisions on
the principles of common justice and honesty between man and man,
and relied on natural born sense and not on law
learning to guide me, for I had never read a

(05:48):
page in a law book in all my life. Esquire
Crockett was now a rising man. He was by no
means diffident, with strong native sense, imperturbable self confidence, a
memory almost most miraculously stored with rude anecdotes, and an
astonishing command of colloquial and slang language. He was never
embarrassed and never at a loss as to what to

(06:08):
say or to do. They were about getting up a
new regiment of militia there, and a Captain Matthews, an ambitious,
well to do settler with cribs full of corn, was
a candidate for the colonelship. He came to Crockett to
insure his support, and endeavored to animate him to more
cordial cooperation by promising to do what he could to
have him elected Major of the regiment. Esquire Crockett at

(06:31):
first declined, saying that he was thoroughly disgusted with all
military operations and that he had no desire for any
such honors. But as Captain Matthews urged the question, and
Crockett reflected that the office would give him some additional
respect and influence with his neighbors, and that Major Crockett
was a very pleasantly sounding title, he finally consented, and

(06:51):
of course, very soon became deeply interested in the enterprise.
Captain Matthews, as an electioneering measure, invited all his neighbors
far and near to a very magnificent corn husking frolic.
There was to be a great treat on the occasion,
and all the world, as the French would say, were
eager to be there. Crockett and his family were, of

(07:12):
course among the invited guests. When Crockett got there, he
found an immense gathering, all in high glee, and was informed,
much to his surprise in chagrin, that Captain Matthew's son
had offered himself for the office of Major in opposition
to Crockett. The post had in reality but few charms
for Crockett, and he did not care much for it.

(07:33):
But this unworthy treatment roused his indignation. He was by
nature one of the most frank and open hearted of men,
and never attempted to do anything by guile. Immediately he
called Captain Matthew's side and inquired what this all meant.
The Captain was much embarrassed and made many lame excuses,
saying that he would rather his son would run against
any man in the county than against Squire Crockett. You

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need give yourself no uneasiness about that, Crockett replied, I
care nothing for the office of major. I shall not
allow my name to be used against your son for
that office. But I shall do everything in my power
to prevent his father from being colonel. In accordance with
the custom of the region and the times. After the
feasting and the frolicking, Captain Matthews mounted a stump and

(08:17):
addressed the assembly in what was appropriately called a stump speech,
advocating his election. The moment he closed, Squire Crockett mounted
the stump and on the captain's own grounds, addressing the
captain's guests and himself. One of those guests, totally unabashed
made his first stump speech. He was at no loss
for words or ideas. He was full to the brim

(08:38):
of fun. He could, without any effort, keep the whole
assembly in roars of laughter, and there, in the presence
of Captain Matthews and his family, he argued his total
unfitness to be commander of the regiment. It is to
be regretted that there was no reporter present to transmit
to us that speech. It must have been a peculiar performance.
It certainly added much to Crockett's reputation as it able

(09:00):
man and an orator. When the election came, both father
and son were badly beaten. Soon after, a committee waited
upon Crockett, soliciting him to stand as candidate for the
state legislature to represent the two counties of Lawrence and Hickman.
Crockett was beginning to be ambitious. He consented, but he
had already engaged to take a drove of horses from

(09:21):
central Tennessee to the lower part of North Carolina. This
was a long journey, and going and coming would take
three months. He set out early in March eighteen twenty one.
Upon his return in June, he commenced with all zeal
his electioneering campaign. Characteristically, he says, it was a brand
fire new business to me. Now became necessary that I

(09:42):
should tell the people something about the government, and an
eternal sight of other things that I'd know nothing more
about than I did about Latin and law and such
things as that. I have said before that in those
days none of us called General Jackson the government. But
I knowed so little about it that if anyone had
told me that he was the governor, I should have
believed it, for I had never read even a newspaper

(10:03):
in my life or anything else on the subject. Lawrence
County bounded Giles County on the west. Just north of
Lawrence came Hickman County. Crockett first directed his steps to
Hickman County to engage in his bran fire new work
of electioneering for himself as a candidate for the Legislature.
What ensued cannot be more graphically told than in Crockett's

(10:25):
own language. Here they told me that they wanted to
move their town nearer to the center of the county,
and I must come out in favor of it. There's
no devil if I'd knowed what this meant or how
the town was to be moved, and so I kept dark,
going on the identical same plan that I now find
is called non committal. About this time there was a
great squirrel hunt on the Duck River, which was among

(10:48):
my people. They were to hunt two days, then to
meet and count the scalps, and have a big barbecue
and what might be called a tip top country frolic.
The dinners and a general treat was all to be
paid for by the party. Having taken the fewest scalps.
I joined one side and got a gun ready for
the hunt. I killed a great many squirrels, and when
we counted scalps, my party was victorious. The company had

(11:12):
everything to eat and drink that could be furnished in
a new country, and much fun and good humor prevailed.
But before the regular frolic commenced, I was called on
to make a speech as a candidate, which was a
business I was as ignorant of as an outlandish negro,
a public document I had never seen. How to begin,
I couldn't tell. I made many apologies and tried to

(11:33):
get off, for I'd knowed I had a man to
run against who could speak prime, and I'd knowed too
that I wasn't able to cut and thrust with him.
He was there, and knowing my ignorance as well as
I did myself, he urged me to make a speech.
The truth is, he thought my being a candidate was
a mere matter of sport, and didn't think for a
moment that he was in any danger from an ignorant

(11:54):
backwoods bear hunter. But I found I couldn't get off,
so I determined to go ahead and leave it to
chance what I should say. I got up and told
the people I reckoned. They'd knowed what I had come for,
but if not, I could tell them I'd come for
their votes, and if they didn't watch mina close, I'd
get them too. But the worst of all was that
I could not tell them anything about government. I tried

(12:16):
to speak about something, and I cared very little what
until I choked up as bad as if my mouth
had been jammed and crammed chock full of dry mush.
There the people stood listening all the while, with their eyes,
mouths and ears all open to catch every word I
could speak. At last, I told them that I was
like a fellow I had heard of not long before,

(12:36):
he was beating on the head of an empty barrel
on the roadside, when a traveler who was passing along
asked him what he was doing that for. The fellow
replied that there was some cider in that barrel a
few days before, and he was trying to see if
there was any then, but if there was, he couldn't
get at it. I told them that there had been
a little bit of speech in me a while ago,
but I believed I couldn't get it out. They all

(12:59):
roared out in a mighty laugh, and I told some
other anecdotes, equally amusing to them, and believing I had
them in a first rate way, I quit and got down,
thanking the people for their attention. But I took care
to remark that I was as dry as a powder horn.
And then I thought it was time for us to
all wet our whistles a little, and so I put
off to a liquor stand, and was followed by the

(13:19):
greater part of the crowd. I felt certain this was necessary,
for I knowed my competitor could talk government matters to
them as easy as he pleased. He had, However, mighty
few left to hear him. As I continued with the crowd,
now and then taking a horn and telling good humored
stories till he was done speaking. I found I was
good for the votes at the hunt, and when we
broke up, I went on to the town of Vernon,

(13:42):
which was the same They wanted me to move here.
They pressed me again on the subject. I found I
could get either party by agreeing with them, but I
told them I didn't know whether it would be right
or not, and so couldn't promise either way. This famous
barbecue was on Saturday. The next Monday, the County Court
held its session at Vernon. There was a great gathering
of the pioneers from all the parts of the county.

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The candidates for the governor of the state, for a
representative in Congress, and for the state legislature were all present.
Some of these men were of considerable ability, and certainly
a very fluent speech. The backwoodsmen, from their huts, where
there was no books, no newspapers, no intelligent companionship, found
this a rich intellectual treat. Their minds were greatly excited

(14:24):
as they listened to the impassioned and glowing utterances of
speaker after speaker. For many of these stump orators had
command of a rude but very effective eloquence. Crockett listened
also with increasing anxiety. He knew that his turn was
to come, and that he must mount the stump and
address the listening throng. He perceived that he could not
speak as these men were speaking, and perhaps for the

(14:46):
first time in his life, began to experience some sense
of inferiority. He writes, the thought of having to make
a speech made my knees feel mighty weak and set
my heart to fluttering, almost as bad as my first
love scrape with the Quaker's niece. But as good luck
would have it, these big candidates spoke nearly all day,
and when they quit, the people were worn out with fatigue,

(15:06):
which afforded me a good apology for not discussing the government.
But I listened mighty close to them and was learning
pretty fast about political matters. When they were all done,
I got up and told some laughable story and quit.
I found I was safe in those parts, and so
I went home and did not go back again till
after the election was over. But to cut this matter short,

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I was elected, doubling my competitor and nine votes over
a short time after this, I was at Polanski, where
I met with Colonel Polk, now a member of Congress
from Tennessee. He was at that time a member elected
to the Legislature, as well as myself. In a large company.
He said to me, well, Colonel, I suppose we shall
have a radical change of the judiciary at the next

(15:49):
session of the legislature. Very likely, sir, says I. And
I put out quicker, for I was afraid some one
would ask me what the judiciary was, and if I knowed,
I wish I may be shot. I don't indeed believe
I had ever before heard that there was any such
thing in all nature. But still I was not willing
that the people there should know how ignorant I was

(16:10):
about it. At length, the day arrived for the meaning
of the Legislature, Crockett repaired to the seat of Government.
With all his self complacency, he began to appreciate that
he had much to learn. The two first items of
intelligence which he deemed it important that he, as a
member of the Legislature, should acquire, were the meaning of
the words government and judiciary. By adroit questioning and fixed thought,

(16:33):
he ere long stored up those intellectual treasures. Though with
but little capacity to obtain knowledge from books, he became
an earnest student of the ideas of his fellow legislatures,
as elicited in conversation or debate. Quite a heavy disaster
just at this time came upon Crockett. We must again
quote his own words, for it is our wish in

(16:53):
this volume to give the reader a correct idea of
the man. Whatever Crockett says, ever, comes fresh from his heart.
He writes about this time I met with a very
severe misfortune, which I may be pardoned for naming, as
it made a great change in my circumstances and kept
me back very much in the world. I had built
an extensive gristmill and powder mill, all connected together, and

(17:17):
also a large distillery. They had cost me upward of
three thousand dollars, more than I was worth in the world.
First news that I heard after I got to the
legislature was that my mills were all swept to smash
by a large freshet that came soon after I left home.
I had, of course to stop my distillery, as my

(17:37):
grinding was broken up. And indeed, I may say that
the misfortune just made a complete mash of me. I
had some likely negroes, and a good stock of almost
everything about me, And best of all, I had an
honest wife. She didn't advise me, as is too fashionable
to smuggle up this and that, and t'ther to go
on at home. But she told me. She says, just

(18:01):
pay up as long as you have a bits worth
in the world, and then everybody will be satisfied and
we will scuffle for more. This was just such talk
as I wanted to hear. For a man's wife can
hold him devilish, uneasy if she begins to scold and
fret and perplex him at a time when he has
a full load for a railroad car on his mind already.

(18:21):
And so you see, I had determined not to break
full handed, but thought it better to keep a good
conscience with an empty purse than to get a bad
opinion of myself with a full one. I therefore gave
up all I had and took a brand fire new start.
Crockett's legislative career was by no means brilliant, but characteristic.
He was the fun maker of the house, and like Falstaff,

(18:44):
could boast that he was not only witty himself, but
the cause of wit in others. His stories were irresistibly comic,
but they almost always contained expressions of profanity or coarseness,
which renders it impossible for us to transmit them to
these pages. He was an inimitable mimic and had perfect
command of a dutchman's brogue. One of the least objectionable

(19:06):
of his humorous stories we will venture to record. There were,
he said, in Virginia, two Dutchmen, brothers, George and Jake Fullweiler.
They were both well to do in the world, and
each owned a gristmill. There was another Dutchman near by
by the name of Henry Snyder. He was a monomaniac,
but a harmless man, occasionally thinking himself to be God.

(19:27):
He built a throne and would often sit upon it,
pronouncing judgment upon others and also upon himself. He would
send the culprits to heaven or to Hell, as his
humor prompted. One day he had a little difficulty with
the two full Whilers. He took his seat upon his throne, and,
in imagination, summoning the culprits before him, thus addressed them,

(19:47):
sharg Fullweiler, stand up, what has you been Dane in
dislower world? Ach? Lord Ach don't know well, shortz Fullweiler.
Hasn't you got the mill? Yes, lordch it has well,
Shorge Fulliwiler. Didn't you never take too much tall? Yes?

(20:08):
Lord it hash? When dere water was slow and mine
stones was tall? It takes little too much tall? Well, then,
George Followiler, you must go to their left middle goats. Well,
Shakeful Wilder, now you stand up. What has you been
doing in this lower world? Ah? Lord Ike does not

(20:28):
know well, Shakeful Wilder. Hasn't you got the mill? Yes?
Lord it has well, Shakeful Wilder. Hasn't you never taken
too much tall? Yes? Lordch it's hash. When there Rotter
was low and mine stones was tall, it takes little
too much tall? Well, then shake full Wiler, you must

(20:50):
go to their left middle goats. Now it's tri men's
self Henry Snyder. Henry Snyder, stand up? What has you
been doing in their lower world? Ah? Lord Itch does
not know where Henry Schneider hasn't you got a mill? Yes,
Lord it's hash where Henry Schneider didn't you never take

(21:12):
too much toll? Yes? Lord, it's hash. When Dell what
to wash low and mine Stone's wash dull. It hash
taken little too much tall. But Henry Schneider, what did
you do mid der toll? Ah, Lord Itch gives it
to depoor. The judge paused a moment and then said,
where Henry Schneider, You must go to du right mid

(21:33):
der sheep, But it is a tight squeeze. Another specimen
of his more sober forensic eloquence is to be found
in the following speech. There was a bill before the
House for a creation of a new county, and there
was a dispute about the boundary line. The author of
the bill wished to run the line in the direction
which would manifestly promote his own interest. Crockett arose and said,

(21:55):
mister speaker, do you know what that man's bill reminds
me of? Well? I suppose you don't, so I'll tell
you well, mister speaker, when I first came to this country,
a blacksmith was a rare thing, but there happened to
be one in my neighborhood. He had no striker, and
whenever one of his neighbors wanted any work done, he
had to go over and strike until his work was finished.

(22:17):
These were hard times, mister speaker, but we had to
do the best we could. It happened that one of
my neighbors wanted an axe, so he took along with
him a piece of iron and went over to the
blacksmiths to strike till his axe was done. Iron was heated,
and my neighbor fell to work and was striking there
nearly all day, when the blacksmith concluded that the iron
wouldn't make an axe, but would make a fine mattock.

(22:40):
So my neighbor, wanting a mattock, concluded that he would
go over and strike till the mattock was done. Accordingly,
he went over the next day and worked faithfully, but
towards night the blacksmith concluded his iron wouldn't make a mattock,
but twould make a fine plowshare. So my neighbor, wanting
a plowshare, agreed that he would go over the next
day and strike till that was done. Accordingly, he went

(23:01):
over and fell hard at work, But towards night the
blacksmith concluded his iron wouldn't make a blowshare, but twould
make a fine scow So my neighbor, tired of working,
cried a scowl. Let it be, and the blacksmith, taking
up the red hot iron, threw it into a trough
of hot water near him, and as it fell it

(23:21):
sung out, scowl. And this, mister speaker, will be the
way of that man's bill for a county. He'll keep
you all here doing nothing, and finally his bill will
turn up a scowl. Now mind if it don't. At
this time, Crockett, by way of courtesy, was usually called colonel.
As with us, almost every respectable man takes the title
of esquire. One of the members offended Colonel Crockett by

(23:44):
speaking disrespectfully of him as from the backwoods, or, as
he expressed it, the gentleman from the cane. Crockett made
a very bungling answer, which did not satisfy himself. After
the house adjourned, he very pleasantly invited the gentleman to
take a walk with him. They chatted very sociably by
the way till at the distance of about a mile,
they reached a very secluded spot when the colonel, turning

(24:06):
to his opponent, said, do you know what I brought
you here for? No, was the reply, well, added the colonel,
I brought you here for the express purpose of whipping you,
and now I mean to do it, but says the
colonel in recording the event, The fellow said he didn't
mean anything, and kept apologizing till I got into good humor.

(24:28):
They walked back as good friends as ever, and no
one but themselves knew of the affair. After the adjournment
of the legislature, Crockett returned to his impoverished home. The
pecuniary losses he had encountered induced him to make another move,
and one for which it is difficult to conceive of
any adequate motive. He took his eldest son, a boy
about eight years of age, and a young man by

(24:50):
the name of Abram Henry, and with one pack horse
to carry their blankets and provisions, plunged into the vast
wilderness west of them on an exploring tour in search
of a new home. Crockett and the young man shouldered
their rifles. Day after day, the three trudged along fording streams,
clambering hills, wading morasses, and threading ravines, each night constructing

(25:11):
a frail shelter, cooking by their camp fire, such game
as they had taken by the way. After traversing these
almost pathless wilds a hundred and fifty miles, and having
advanced nearly fifty miles beyond any white settlement, they reached
the banks of a lonely stream called Obion River, on
the extreme western frontier of Tennessee. This river emptied into
the Mississippi, but a few miles from the spot where

(25:33):
Crockett decided to rear his cabin. His nearest neighbor was
seven miles distant, his next, fifteen, his next twenty. About
ten years before that whole region had been convulsed by
one of the most terrible earthquakes recorded in history. One
or two awful hurricanes had followed the earthquake, prostrating the
gigantic forest and scattering the trees in all directions. Appalling

(25:55):
indications remained of the power expended by these tremendous forces
of nature. The largest forest trees were found split from
their roots to their tops, and lying half on each
side of a deep fissure the opening abysses. The entanglement
of the prostrate forest and the dense underbrush which had
sprung up rendered the whole region almost impenetrable. The country

(26:16):
was almost entirely uninhabited. It had however, become quite celebrated
as being the best hunting ground in the West. The
fear of earthquakes and the general desolation had prevented even
the Indians from rearing their wigwams there. Consequently, wild animals
had greatly increased. The country was filled with bears, wolves, panthers, deer, elks,
and other smaller game. The Indians had recently made this

(26:39):
discovery and were in ever increasing numbers exploring the regions
in hunting bands. Crockett does not seem to have had
much appreciation of the beautiful. In selecting a spot for
his hut. He wished to be near some crystal stream
where he could get water, and to build his hut
upon land sufficiently high to be above the reach of freshets.
Was also desire to find a small plain or meadow

(27:01):
free from trees, where he could plant his corn, and
to be in the edge of the forest, which would
supply him with abundance of fuel. Crockett found such a
place exactly to his mind. Being very fond of hunting,
he was the happiest of men. Few hours labor threw
up a rude hut, which was all the home he desired.
His rifle, furnished him with food and with the skins
of animals for bed and bedding. Every frontiersman knew how

(27:25):
to dress the skin of deer for moccasins and other garments.
With a sharpened stick, he punched holes through the rank
sod and planted corn in soil so rich that it
would return him several hundredfold. Thus his taste, such as
they were, were gratified, and he enjoyed what to him
were life's luxuries. He probably would not have been willing
to exchange places with the resident and the most costly

(27:47):
mansion in our great cities. In a few days, he
got everything comfortable around him. Crockett's cabin, or rather camp,
was on the eastern side of the Obion River. Seven
miles farther up the stream on the western a mister
Owen had reared his log house. One morning, Crockett, taking
the young man Henry and his son with him, set
out to visit mister Owen, his nearest neighbor. He hobbled

(28:10):
his horse, leaving him to graze until he got back.
They followed along the banks of the river through the
forest until they reached a point nearly opposite Owen's cabin.
By crossing the stream there and following up the western bank,
they would be sure to find his hut. There was
no boat, and the stream must be swum or forded.
Recent rains had caused it to overflow its banks and

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spread widely over the marshy bottoms and low country near by.
The water was icy cold, and yet they took to it,
says Crockett, like so many beavers. The expanse to be
crossed was very wide, and they knew not how deep
they should find the channel. For some distance the water
continued quite shoal. Gradually it deepened. Crockett led the way

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with a pole in his hand. Cautiously he sounded the
depths before him lest they should fall into any slough
a dense growth of young trees, however, the inundated bottom
over which they were waiting. Occasionally they came to a
deep but narrow gully. Crockett, with his hatchet, would cut
down a small tree, and by its aid would cross
at length. The water became so deep that Crockett's little

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boy had to swim, though they evidently had not yet
reached the channel of the stream, having waited nearly half
a mile they came to the channel. The stream, with
its natural banks, was but about forty feet wide. Large
forest trees fringed the shores. One immense tree, blown down
by the wind, reached about half way across. Crockett, with

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very arduous labor, with his hatchet, cut down another so
that it fell with the branches of the two, intertwining.
Thus aided, they reached the opposite side, But still the
lowlands beyond were overflowed as far as the eye could
see through the dense forest on They waited for nearly
a mile, when, to their great joy, they came in
sight of dry land. Their garments were dripping, and they

(29:56):
were severely chilled as they reached the shore. But turning
their steps the stream, they soon came in sight of
the cabin, which looked to them like a paradise of rest.
It was one of the rudest of huts. The fenceless
grounds around were rough and ungainly. The dismal forest, which
chanced there to have escaped both earthquake and hurricane, spread
apparently without limits in all directions. Most men, most women,

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gazing upon a scene so wild, lonely, cheerless, would have said,
let me sink into the grave rather than be doomed
to such a home as that. But to Crockett and
his companions it presented all the attractions their hearts could desire.
Mister Owen and several other men were just starting away
from the cabin, when, to their surprise they saw the
party of strangers approaching. They waited until Crockett came up

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and introduced himself. The men with mister Owen were boatmen
who had entered the Obion River from the Mississippi with
a boat load of articles for trade. They were just
leaving to continue their voyage. Such men are seldom in
a hurry. Time is to them of but very little value.
Hospitality was a virtue which cost nothing. Any stranger with

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his rifle could easily pay his way in the procurement
of food. They all turned back and entered the cabin together.
Missus Owen was an excellent motherly woman, about fifty years
of age. Her sympathies were immediately excited for the poor
little boy, whose garments were drenched and who was shivering
as if in an egg You fit. She replenished the fire,
dried his clothes, and gave him some warm and nourishing food.

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The grateful father writes, her kindness to my little boy
did me ten times as much good as anything she
could have done for me if she had tried her best.
These were not the days of temperance. The whisky bottle
was considered one of the indispensables of every log cabin
which made any pretenses to gentility. The boat, more near
the shore, was loaded with whisky, flour, sugar, hardware, and

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other articles valuable in the Indian trade, in the purchase
of furs, and in great demand in the huts of pioneers.
There was a small training post at what was called
mc lemmon's Bluff, about thirty miles farther up the river
by land, and nearly one hundred in following the windings
of the stream. This point the boatmen were endeavoring to
reach for landing their cargo. At this point the boatmen

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were to receive five hundred dollars, besides the profits of
any articles they could sell in the scattered hamlets they
might encounter by the way. The whisky bottle was, of
course brought out. Crockett drank deeply, he says, at least
half a pint his tongue was unloosed, and he became
one of the most voluble and entertaining of men, his
clothes having been dried by the fire, and all having

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with boisterous merriment, partaken of a hearty supper. As night
came on, the little boy was left to the tender
care of missus Owen, while the rest of the party
repaired to the cabin of the boat to make a
night of it. In drinking and carousal. They had indeed
a wild time. There was whiskey in abundance. Crockett was
in his element and kept the whole company in a
constant roar. Their shouts and bacchanal songs resounded through the

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solitudes with clamor and profaneness, which must have fallen pain
upon angel's ears if any of Heaven's pure and gentle
spirits were within hearing distance. We had, writes Crockett, a
high night of it, as I took steam enough to
drive out all the cold that was in me, and
about three times as much more. These boon companions became
warm friends according to the most approved style of Backwood's friendship.

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Mister Owen told the boatmen that a few miles farther
up the river, a hurricane had entirely prostrated the forest,
and that the gigantic trees so encumbered the stream that
he was doubtful whether the boat would pass unless the
water should rise higher. Consequently, he, with Crockett and Henry
accompanied the boat, went up to that point to help
them through, should it be possible to effect a passage.

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But it was found impossible, and the boat dropped down
again to its moorings opposite mister Owen's cabin. As it
was now necessary to wait till the river should rise,
the boatman and mister Owen all consented to a company
Crockett to the place where he was to settle and
build his house for him. It seems very strange that,
in that dismal wilderness, Crockett should not have preferred to

(34:03):
build his cabin near so kind a neighbor, But so
it was. He chose his lot at a distance of
seven miles from any companionship. And so I got the boatmen,
he writes, all, to go out with me to where
I was going to settle. And we slipped up a
cabin in little or no time. I got from the
boat four barrels of meal, one of salt, and about
ten gallons of whiskey. For these he paid in labor,

(34:26):
agreeing to accompany the boatmen up the river as far
as their landing place at mc lemmon's Bluff. End of
chapter recording by Brett Downey