 | David Crockett was a well-knownex-congressman from the United States. When he arrived in Texas in 1836,he did so with his legendary celebrity intact . . .
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December 1998
Date: 12/01/98
From: John Bryant
The contributions of Crockett would best be described as moral support.We know that as the days of the siege wore on, he was seen in many partsof the compound animating the men with stories. He was such a celebrityand so well known among the Anglos that many probably believed that ifCrockett had thrown in with them they had nothing to worry about. Whenhe arrived in Bexar, he gave speeches and generally hurrahed the Texiansthere and his presence may have won over some, who before had not beentotally committed to the Texian cause. The myth and legend of Crocketthas become such that yes Crockett the man has faded into the backgroundand his status has overshadowed the other defenders.
Most people when asked who was at the Alamo can rattle off Crockett,Bowie and Travis. A few more may know of Dickinson and Bonham but beyondthat how many know of the three Taylor brothers, of Jameson and Isaac Millsaps,not many. That is the real tragedy when remembering the Alamo we rememberthe few and not the whole...
When the siege was over there were two hundred and forty something otherTexians dead and God only knows how many soldados. Were their lives anyless dear than Crockett's? I think not.
Date:12/05/98
From: Simon Haineshotel radisson BolognaCrockett was probably a boon for morale, but besides that, was justanother soldier at the Alamo. I agree that Crockett seems to overshadowthe other defenders, there where probably by the law of averages braverand harder fighters at the end. I feel that we have lost so much by concentratingon Crockett and the other well known names that as in any other battlethe ordinary man has been overlooked, we owe it to them to try to findout as much as we can about them.
Simon Haines
England
Date: 12/05/98
From: Jeff PendletonI could not disagree more. Natural leaders who often appear only intimes of danger and conflict are not just cheerleaders. Someone once defineda military leader as someone who can convince other men to stand and fightwhen every fiber of their body, every pulse of their heart tells them torun away. That is the service performed by David Crockett once the Alamodoors closed.
Jeff Pendleton
Date: 12/10/1998
From: W.L. McKeehanBoth Sam Houston and Davy Crockett appear to have clinched hero statusby blind luck and spur of the moment necessity by being at the right placeat the right time. Political opportunist Houston secured his future whenhe turned south with the boys he was appointed to lead on the HarrisburgRoad and by surviving at San Jacinto while relatively honest and "niceguy" Crockett secured his by dying with the boys with which he took refugewhile a tourist without a visa or possibly an illegal immigrant while lookingfor a new life. Imagine the alternative scenario, assuming Davy was amonga few survivors at the last, if Santa Anna had taken him into custody,kept him in Perote Prison for exchange after San Jacinto, or released himto US authorities in New Orleans.
hotels in SorrentoCrockett was destined to turn circumstance, including backing out andrunning, into legend and to become an immortal hero as early as 1798 whenhe ran out on my third great grandfather Jacob Siler on a cattle drivein Virginia. Grandpa Siler herded cattle between his home in Natural Bridge,Virginia and Greene County, Tennessee on the Abington Road where the Crockettfamily ran a tavern. On one drive 12 year old Davy was hired out by hisfather to assist with the drive. From Davy Crockett's Own Story(Citadel Press) and misc. family histories:
"An old Dutchman by name of Jacob Siler, ÷made a stop at my father's house. He had a large stock of cattle that hewas carrying with him. ÷He hired me to the old Dutchman to go thefour hundred miles on foot, with a perfect stranger that I had never seenuntil the evening before. I set out with a heavy heart, it is true, butI went ahead until we arrived at a place, which was three miles from whatis called Natural Bridge, and made a stop at the house of Mr. Hartley,who was father-in-law to Mr. Siler, who had hired me. My Dutch master wasvery kind to me, and gave me five or six dollars, being pleased, as hesaid, with my services." Davy stayed at the Peter Hartley's (my 4th greatgrandpa and Siler's father in law) for four or five weeks, became homesickand slipped away just after he got a payment without grandpa Siler's permissionat night in a snowstorm to join a teamster, Mr. Dunn, for a ride back toTennessee.
Rather than an irresponsible act, this runaway episode became alegend of youthful self-reliance as Davy's collective legendary charactergrew to such extent that it ranks with the stories of Moses, David, Alexander,Caesar, Richard the Lion-hearted, Lord Nelson, etc. and 50 or more othersthat are the great Heroes of History (e.g. Hero Tales From HistoryERROR MSGby Smith Burnham, a compilation for all ages).According to the Walravens in The Magnificent Barbarians :
"Crockett never really succeeded in much exceptcreating a legend [for himself] while he lived largely because of his frontierimage [outgrinning 'coons, coonskin hat, etc.] ÷ successful hunter,but not soldier÷ great campaigner because he stood for the rightsof the common man÷ not much of a congressman because he was toohonest [and not a womanizer]÷ defeated in politics he went to Texaswhere he saw the prospect of free land and unlimited political opportunities[like Houston]."Houston, who was no living legend before the retreat east after the Alamoand Goliad, the turn south to San Jacinto and the battle, by fate survivedand acquired legendary status which he had to protect until his naturaldeath, while Crockett was placed by the same forces in a position to immortalizehis already legendary personality by death in the cause of regional republicanismand autonomy. He was a tourist without a visa, possibly an illegal immigrant,who by chance found himself in a rebel stronghold when all hell broke loosein the place he happened to be visiting. He likely gave it his best shothaving no other real choice, joining in the fight against the attackers,but also in his case honest innocent bystander appeal at one time as well.We will never know the details of every second of his last moments, buthe probably stoically accepted his fate at some stage as he unknowinglywas about to acquire heroic immortality.Ironically, Crockett's contribution to the Texian cause, aided by Hollywoodand unwavering respect for myth and heroes, came long after his death andcontinues to date. As mentioned above, Crockett is alone among the ca.50 top tier immortal heroes of world history whose setting was Texas (ifwe discount LaSalle and some others who may have passed through or visited),continuing to bring the attention of the world of all ages to the Texiancause and spirit, all the unnamed heroes, the Alamo and San Antonio deBexar.
discount hotels in PerissaW.L. McKeehan
Date: 12/10/98
From: Jeff PendletonLord, Lord, another discontent second-guessing our heroes with that20/20 hindsight that can see thru walls.
To all you fellows who like to sit in history's cheap seats and lookdown on men like Crockett and Houston I suggest you question your motives.I do. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with seeing the warts when we lookat our heroes...they were mortal men after all...but to go out of yourway to look for cracks and chinks in their legendary armor serves no goodpurpose.
"He likely gave it his best shot having no other real choice, joiningin the fight against the attackers÷" I get a totally different impressionfrom the existing documentation. Colonel Crockett was offered command statusby Travis and although he asked for only the rank of high private, wasnoted as a morale builder and leader. To try and take that away from himspeaks well for no one. And one more thing... give me his address and I'llsend your granddaddy that six bucks.
Jeff Pendleton
Date: 12/11/98
From: John BryantJeff, I think you missed my point if you think that I'm a discontentsecond guesser. Davy Crockett was the first hero I ever had and still isa hero in the first degree. Yet, I consider myself a grown up who can seethat Crockett was just a man: a good man who would not go against his principles.My comments that his contributions were mainly in the realm of moral supportare not meant to detract from him for that type of support was probablyneeded desperately in those long cold drawn out days of the siege. I feelhe was an inspiration who did what he could to keep the other men's spiritsup. I still believe that there were men who might not have stayed or evenentered the Alamo if Crockett had not been amongst them. I do agree withyou that he was not just there happenstance. He clearly (to me) made aconscious decision to throw in with the Texians (witness his scout forTravis upon the arrival of the Mexican army).
If he had not wanted to be there, he had ample opportunity to have slippedaway. As for ulterior motives, yes, he probably had them; what better wayto gain support for a hoped for political future than a successful militarycampaign. We know that he came to Texas looking for a new beginning anda new start in politics and there is no disgrace in that. No one in theAlamo planned on dying there, that was not why they were there. The menkept up their hope of reinforcement probably even as they were dying. Istill stand by my belief that all of the hoopla over Crockett has and doesdetract from the other defenders and soldados, they ended up just as deadand they are no less deserving of our respect.
John Bryant
Date: Sun, Dec 13, 1998, 9:38 AM
From: Simon HainesCrockett...okay [he] was as brave as any man who ended up in the Alamoand died. That he was a hero and leader, a morale boon or whatever is notin any doubt. But as it was said, people can rattle off the names of thetop three and maybe one or two others, but the rest seem to be like shadowswhilst promoting Crockett, Travis and Bowie, the others seem to be forgotten...just names on a muster. We cannot say how many where even at the Alamo.I'm not knocking Crockett's status, but I don't want us to forget the otherswho fought in the Alamo, battles are fought by groups of men not individuals.
Simon Haines
Date: 12/ 16 / 98
From: Stanley Lind Jr.Davy was 49 years old, spent about six years out of the backwoods, soI don't think he was a man ready for a prolonged fight. Further, I believehe was down in Texas for political reasons more than anything else. Oh,a successful military background never hurt any politician's chances. Bythis stage in his life, he was as cagey a politician as he was an Indianfighter and backwoodsman in his younger days. This in no way diminisheswhat he did at the Alamo.
Stanley Lind Jr.
