Killing Davy Crockett

By Roy Sullivan

Killing Davy Crockett attempts to answer basic questions concerning the death of the famous hunter, trapper, soldier, and politician. Crockettseveral times a member of the US Congress and foe of President Andrew Jacksonwas ultimately defeated for reelection to Congress and chose to throw his famous coonskin cap into the struggle for Texas independence.

Killing Davy Crockett encompasses this homespun Tennessee heros early years, military, then political experiences, and his trip to beaconing Texes, as he called it. Davy entered the Alamo, an old Spanish mission turned into a makeshift fort, with a small group of marksman volunteers. They dedicated and lost their lives when the small garrison at the Alamo was besiegedthen assaultedby Mexican president and general-in-chief Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas large Mexican army.

Did Davy lose his life in combat, or was he executed by the Mexicans? This work attempts to answer that question, which has long been debated among eminent Texas historians.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524673291

Roy Sullivan

Former Regular Army and State Department Foreign Service officer Roy Sullivan enjoys Texas history. In addition to history, he also writes short, one night/one flight mysteries featuring private investigator Jan Kokk from the Caribbean Island of Curacao. The latter is a bon vivant, man-of-the world and sleuth equally at ease with an intriguing mystery or a lovely lady. Kokk, that is, not Sullivan.

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© 2017 Roy Sullivan. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/24/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-7330-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-7329-1 (e)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Early Years

Now A Soldier

1815

Now A Politician

On To Texas

The Four Tennesseans Split Up

Santa Anna’s Army On The March

On To San Antonio De Bexar

After The Ball Is Over

The Alamo

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Siege Of The Alamo

Plan Of Attack

Eerie Quiet

The Assault

Among The Many Myths About Crockett’s Death

Death Of Davy Crockett

Contrasting After Action Reports

Casualties

The Final Atrocity

Sam Houston Learns Of The Alamo Tragedy

What Later Happened To Santa Anna?

ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Cover: Statue of Davy Crockett in Ozona, Crockett County, Texas

2. Congressman Davy Crockett photo

3. Assault on the Alamo

4. Sketch of the Alamo

5. Inscription on the Marker where Crockett Fell

6. Where Crockett Fell Relative to the Front Door of the Alamo Chapel

7. Juan N. Seguin portrait

UNFAMILIAR TERMS

Alameda. The eastern, cottonwood tree bordered end of the main east-west street in Bexar, then called Calle del Portero, now named Commerce Street.

Bexar or Bejar. The City of San Antonio de Bexar’s former shortened name

Bitters. An alcoholic drink

Cazadores. Mexican Army engineers

Centralist. Santa Anna’s authoritarian, unconstitutional government

Colonists. Americans attracted to the numerous colonies in Texas (such as Austin’s)

Jacales. Shacks

KIA. Killed in action

La Villita. The small group of adobe huts near the south/main gate of the Alamo

League. A measure of distance of about three miles

Old Hickory. Andrew Jackson’s nickname, given for his willingness to share hardship with his troops.

Reaumur. A thermometer reading defining boiling as 100, freezing as 0.

Tejano. A Texan of Mexican heritage who opposed Santa Anna

Texian. Former spelling of Texan

Thimblerig. The gambling manipulation of a pea or like object among three cups or thimbles

Upas. A tall tree of the mulberry family containing poisonous sap

WIA. Wounded in action

RECOMMENDED READING

Baugh, Virgil E. Rendezvous at the Alamo, Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1960

Bercerra, Francisco. A Mexican Sergeant’s Recollections of the Alamo and San Jacinto. Austin, Texas: Jenkins Publishing Company, 1980

De la Pena, Jose Enrique. With Santa Anna in Texas: A Personal Narrative of the Revolution, College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 1975

Groneman, Bill. Alamo Defenders, Austin, Texas: Eakin Press, 1990

Groneman, Bill. Death of a Legend, Plano, Texas: Republic of Texas Press, 1999

Groneman, Bill. Eyewitness to the Alamo, Plano, Texas: Republic of Texas Press, 2001

Jackson, Ron J. and White, Lee Spencer. Joe, the Slave Who Became an Alamo Legend, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2015

Kilgore, Dan. How Did Davy Die? College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 1978

Long, Jeff. Duel of Eagles, New York, New York: Quill William Morrow, 1990

Lord, Walter. A Time to Stand, Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1961

Shackford, James A. David Crockett: The Man and the Legend, Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1956

Sullivan, Roy F. The Texas Revolution: Tejano Heroes, Bloomington. Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2011

DEDICATED TO NANCY

EARLY YEARS

It was early on a crisp—not quite cold—morning in Limestone, Greene County, North Carolina, when the piercing squalls of a newborn infant awakened the two dogs sleeping beside the kitchen stove. The date was August 17, 1786.

Here ya go, Mr. Crockett. Grinning, the country midwife wearing a splattered white apron offered the tiny body to its father over the corn husk mattress where the mother slept.

My lord, Sadie! John Crockett sputtered, holding the baby aloft (the fifth of an eventual nine children), in a soiled pillow case.

Here’s me another mouth to feed! he moaned.

It’s a boy! The midwife exclaimed, hoping to soften John’s frown.

He’ll have to be a hard worker. The father rewrapped the pillow case around the crying infant and sat back in his rocking chair, cradling the baby.

Thus David (Davy) Crockett was born, beginning a hard scrapple, adventure-filled life. His birthplace later became a part of Tennessee. Although highly popularized in later years, his first name was not Davy, nor did he care for the nickname. His name was definitely David.

In 1792, father John moved his family to a small acreage on Lick Creek which he sold two years later, then moved his family again, this time to Cove Creek. There he built a gristmill, even went into business with a partner.

Unfortunately a flood wiped out both the gristmill and the Crockett home. John relocated again to Jefferson County. This time he lost his property to bankruptcy. John’s next venture was to operate a tavern on the stage coach road between Knoxville, Tennessee and Abington, Virginia.

By then Davy was twelve years old and his father indentured him to a cattle dealer to help with the family’s serious debts. Davy worked as a cattle drover during a 400 mile trip to the Natural Bridge area of Virginia. After the cattle drive, Davy escaped from the dealer, who tried to detain him forcibly, and returned home, walking seven miles through the snow.

Next he was enrolled in the local school. Not long after, a dust-up with another student earned his father’s wrath. Davy added to that anger by playing hooky from class. His father announced he was going to whip his son for these infractions but Davy was too fast and ran away from home.

Davy joined another cattle drive, this one to Front Royal, Virginia. Then he hired on as a teamster for another trip to West Virginia. After this adventure, Davy apprenticed in a hat-making business in Christiansburg, Virginia. The pay and conditions must have been better than at home since he held this job for four years.

By then Davy decided it was time to take his chances with his father and return home, hopefully like the prodigal son.

He’d grown so much in the interim that his family didn’t recognize him when he walked through their door. His past antics were forgiven and his father promptly hired out Davy to two local men to work off the family’s perpetual debt. Once the debt was paid, John told Davy he was on his own. Davy chose to work again for one of the businessmen, John Canady, for whom he’d previously been employed.

Davy then began an unhappy search for a wife. First, he fell in love with Canady’s niece, Amy. Amy instead chose to marry the Canady son. Invited to Amy’s wedding party, Davy immediately fell for an attractive young lady whom he met there named Margaret. Unfazed by his first defeat, he again proposed marriage and this time the union seemed certain. So certain, that a marriage contract was prepared in October 1805.

Unknown to Davy, Margaret was already engaged to another young man. She chose to marry this suitor instead of Davy.

Davy’s persistence would be tried repeatedly during his life as a soldier, politician, hunter and adventurer. His stubbornness would be unfailing.

Now he wanted a wife and family.

He met and enthralled another young lady, Polly Finley, at