David Crockett_ The Lion of the West - Michael Wallis [89]
The hunts continued all winter. Crockett had gunpowder to spare. With the coming of the New Year, volleys of celebratory rifleshots fired into the darkness echoed through the harricanes and canebrakes and never sounded better.
TWENTY-FIVE
A FOOL FOR LUCK
THE WINTER HUNTS were so successful that by early 1823 Crockett had accumulated enough animal skins from all the game killed out in the harricanes to warrant a trip to Jackson, situated along the Forked Deer River. On a clear day in February, he and John Wesley secured the pelts and furs on a packhorse and began the forty-mile trek to the town, originally named Alexandria, that had been renamed in honor of Old Hickory, and served as the county seat of Madison County, after the former president.1
Once they arrived, the Crocketts sold the pelts and then bought sugar, coffee, salt, lead, gunpowder, and other staples. They found supper and lodging for the night. Before departing for home, Crockett bumped into some old friends from the Creek War and made time to “take a horn” with them in a nearby tavern.2 While engaged in storytelling, Crockett was introduced to Dr. William Edward Butler, on whose land the new county courthouse now sat, and early settlers Major Joseph Lynn and Duncan McIver. Crockett found them “all first rate men” and was told that all three were under consideration as candidates for the next legislative session. When one of them suggested, perhaps with tongue firmly planted in cheek, that Crockett think about running for another term in the General Assembly, he guffawed and pointed out that he now lived “at least forty miles from any white settlement” and had no thought of continuing in politics.3 The conversation turned to other matters, probably bear hunting, and presently Crockett said his good-byes and he and his son returned home.
Only a week or two later, Crockett was surprised when a passing hunter stopped at his dogtrot cabin and offered congratulations on his decision to run for office. Crockett figured the fellow was joking, but then the hunter pulled out a creased copy of the Jackson Pioneer, which carried the paid announcement of Crockett’s candidacy for the Tennessee state legislature. Crockett immediately thought of his tavern meeting with the three men and figured the bogus story was all their doing. “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 pout [sic] it there [,] at least the value of the printing, and of the fun he wanted at my expense.”4
Crockett did not ask the newspaper to retract the announcement but instead found another hired man to help Betsy and, as he later wrote, “turned out myself electioneering.” He quickly found that his reputation preceded him. Wherever he went, people knew about the great bear hunter and the “gentleman from the cane.” His growing popularity convinced the trio of Butler, Lynn, and McIver not to dilute their strength by running against each other as well as Crockett. During a strategy meeting, they determined that of the three of them, Butler, considered the founder of Jackson and a well-connected town commissioner, had the best chance of defeating Crockett. When he was told that his lone opponent was Butler and that the other two had dropped out of the running, Crockett admitted that he faced a worthy adversary. Butler was wealthy, articulate, educated, and, most importantly, was married to one of Andrew and Rachel Jackson’s nieces.5
“The doctor was a clever fellow, and I have often said he was the most talented man I ever run against for any office,”6 admitted Crockett. Indeed, Butler had graduated from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and served as a distinguished officer with General Jackson during the War of 1812.
The campaign strategy Crockett came up with played on what were perceived as his weaknesses and Butler’s strengths. Crockett capitalized on his reputation as a hunter and self-effacing backwoods character who had much more in common with the hearty