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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915 edition. Excerpt: ...a native of Maryland. He was a most pronounced type of the strong individuality characteristic of the mountain population of East Tennessee in his day. He could neither read nor write until eighteen years old. At the age of seven his father removed to Jefferson County, Tennessee, and later in life moved and settled in Franklin County Tennessee. He went into the Creek War and remained until its close. Returning to his home he lived in great domestic felicity until the death of his wife in 1821. He married a second time and was equally devoted to his second wife. In 1821 he was elected to the Legislature. There he met for the first time Colonel (afterward President) Polk, who, it seems, having a desire to cultivate Crocketts acquaintance, addressed him thus: Colonel Crockett, I suppose the Legislature will make some change in the judiciary?" "I suppose so," said Crockett, and got out of the way as soon as possible. "For," said he afterward, "I did not know what in the thunder the judiciary was." In 1827, 1829 and 1831 he was successively elected to the United States Congress. Colonel Bailey Peyton, then a member of the lower house, gave the writer the following account of the opening paragraph of his first speech in that body: "Mr. Speaker, I am skeered, but I dont know what about; I know I can lick any man in this house, and I aint afeared of none of em; still Im skeered." He afterwards made a tour of the principal cities of the North, where he was the object of much attention, as a representative of the hardy frontiersmen of the Southwest. As was the case with many frontiersmen of that day, he was an expert with his rifle; was a great...