Obion County, Tennessee Genealogy

Obion TNGenWeb County Coordinator

From his book  David Crockett His Own Story originally published 1834.

This account of his first trip into Weakley County in 1821. This was to select a place to move his family to. He decided to settle near the junction of South and Rutherford forks of Obion in Weakley County.

CHAPTER TEN

" After returning from the Legislature, I determined to make another move and so I took my eldest son with me, and a young man by the name of Abram Henry and cut out for the Obion. I selected a spot when I got there, where I determined to settle; and the nearest house to it was 7 miles, the next nearest was 15, and so on to 20. It was a complete wilderness, and full of Indians who were hunting. Game was plenty of almost every kind, which suited me exactly, as I was always fond of hunting. The nearest house to me (7 miles) was on a different side of the Obion river, belonged to a man named Owens; and I started to there. I had taken one horse along, to pack our provisions, and when I got to the water, I hobbled him out to the graze, until I got back; as there was no boat to cross the river in, and it was so high that it had overflowed all the bottoms and low country near it. 

We now took water like so many beavers, not withstanding it was mighty cold, and waded on. The water would sometimes be up to our necks, and at others not so deep; but I went, of course, before and carried a pole, with which I would feel along before me, to see how deep it was, and to guard against falling into a slough, as there was many in our way. When I would come to one, I would take out my tomahawk and cut a small tree across it, and then go ahead again. Frequently my little son would have to swim, even where I could wade, but we worked on till we got at last to the channel of the river, which made it about 1/2 mile we had waded from where we took water.

At last we came in sight of the house, which was more pleasing than ever; for we were wet all over and mighty cold. I felt mighty sorry for my little boy to see him shaking like he had the worst sort of an ague, for there was no time for fever then. As we got near the house, we saw Mr. Owens and several men that were with him, just starting away. They saw us and stop'd but looked much astonished until we got up to them, and I made myself known.

The men who were with him were the owners of a boat which was the first that ever went up the Obion river; and some hands he had hired to carry it about a hundred miles still further up, by water, tho it was only about 30 by land, as the river is very crooked.

We turned back to the house, where I found Mrs. Owens a fine, friendly old woman; and her kindness to my little boy did me a lot of good. The old gentleman set out his bottle to us, and I concluded that if a horn wasn't good then, there was no use for its invention. So I swig'd off about 1/2 pint, and the young man by no means bashful in such a case; he took a strong pull at it too. I then gave my boy some, and in a little time felt pretty well. I left my son with the old lady, and myself and my young man went aboard the boat with Mr. Owens and the others. The boat was loaded with whiskey, flour, sugar, coffee, salt, castings, and other articles suitable for the country; and they were to receive $500. to land the load at McLemore's Bluff, beside the profit they could make on their load. We staid all night with them and had a high night of it. In the morning we went on with the boat to where a great harricane had crossed the river, and blowed all the timber down into it. We found the river was falling fast and we couldn't get through the timber without more rise; so we drop'd down opposite Mr. Owens again, and waited for more water.

The next day it rained riproriously, and the river rose pretty considerable, but not enough yet. So I got the bootsman all to go out with me to where I was gonna settle and we slap'd up a cabin in little or no
time. I got from the boat four barrels of meal, and one of salt, and about 10 gallons of whiskey. To pay for these I agreed to go with the boat up the river to their landing place. I got also a large middling of bacon, and killed me a fine deer, and left them for my young man and my little boy, who were to stay at my cabin till I got back; which I expected to be about 6 or 7 days. In the morning I started about daylight, intending to kill a deer, as I had no thought they would get the boat through the timber that day. I had gone but a little way before I killed a fine buck, and started to go back to the boat; but on the way I came on the tracks of a large gang of elks, and so I took off after them. I had followed them only a little distance when I saw them, and directly after I saw two large bucks. I shot one down and the other wouldn't leave him; so I loaded my gun and shot him too. I hung them up and went again after my elks. I pursued on till I found I was about 4 miles from where I had left the boat, and I was as hungry as a wolf for I hadn't eaten all day. On my pursuit of the elks I found two more large bucks. I took a blizzard at one of them and up he tumbled. The other ran off a few jumps and stop'd; stood there, I loaded again and fired at him. I knocked his trotters from under him and then I hung them both up. I pushed on again; and about sunset I saw 3 other bucks. I down'd with one of them, the others ran off. I hung this one up, having killed six that day. I pushed on till I got to the harricane about where I expected the boat to be. 
Here I hollered as hard as I could roar, but could get no answer. I fired off my gun and the men on the boat fired too; but quite contrary to my expectation, they had got through the timber, and were about 2 miles above me. I t was now dark, and I had to crawl thru the fallen timber the best way I could; and if the reader don't know its bad enough I am sure I do, For the vines and briers had grown all through it, and so thick, that a good fat coon couldn't much more than get along. I got through at last and once more
fired off my gun, which was again answered from the boat, which was still a little above me. I moved on as fast as I could, but soon came to water. I halted and hollered till they came to me with a skiff. I got to the boat without further difficulty but the briers had worked on me at such a rate, I felt like I wanted sewing up allover. I took a pretty stiff horn, which soon made me feel much better. I was so tired I could hardly work my jaws to eat. 

In the morning, myself and a young man went to get the bucks I had killed - We only returned with three as we had all we wanted; We left the others hanging in the woods.

We got up the river quite well, but very slowly; and we landed on the eleventh day, at the place the load was to be delivered at. They here gave me their skiff and myself and a young man named Flavius Harris, who had determined to go and live with me, cut out down the river for my cabin, which we reached safely enough.

We turned in and cleared a field and planted our corn; but it was so late in the spring, we had no time to make rails, and therefore we put no fence around our field. There was no stock, however, nor any thing else to disturb our corn, except the wild varmints, and the old serpent himself, with a fence to help him, couldn't keep them out. I made enough corn to do me, and during the spring I killed 10 bears, and a great abundance of deer. But in all this time, we saw the face of no white person in that country, except
Mr. Owen's family, and a very few passengers who went out there, looking at the country. Indians tho, were still plenty enough. Having laid by my crop, I went home, which was a distance of 150 miles. When I got there I was met by an order to attend a call-session of our Legislature. I attended it, served out my time, returned and took my family and what little plunder I had, and moved to where I had built my cabin.

I gathered my corn and set out for my Falls hunt. This was in the last of October, 1822. I found bear very plenty, and all sorts of game and wild varmints, except buffalo, there were none of them. I hunted till Xmas, having plenty of meat for my family. I ran out of powder, I had none either to fire Christmas guns, which is very common in that country. I had a brother-in-law who had now moved out and settled about 6 miles west of me on the opposite side of Rutherford's fork of the Obion river, and he had bought me a keg of powder, but I had never gotten it home. There had just been another of Noahs freshes and the low grounds were flooded with water. I knew the stream would be wide, yet I was determined to get my powder. I told this to my wife and she opposed it with all her might. I insisted, because we had no powder and were out of meat. She said I would freeze to death or get drowned, but I didn't believe this so I took my woolen wrappers and a pair of mockasins put them on tied up some dry clothes and started. But I didn't know how much a body could suffer and not die. This is some of my experience in water and I relate to you. 

The snow was about 4 inches deep when I started, the water was about quarter of a mile off and it looked like a ocean. I put in and waded till I come to the channel where I crossed on a high log. I took the water again and waded till I got to a deep slough, that was real wide, I had crossed it on a log but now there was no log to be seen. I knowed that the water was about 8 or 10 feet under that old log and about 3 feet over it, after thinking a little, I cut a sapling to lodge against the one that stood on the island, then cut me a pole crawled along my sapling till I got to the one it was lodged against. I then felt about with my pole till I found the log underneath, then I crawled back and got my gun and again made my way to the place of lodgement, climbed down the other sapling so as to get on the log. I then felt my way along with my feet in the water, about waist deep, but it was mighty ticklish business. I did get over but by this time there
was little feeling left in my feet and legs, being in the cold water so long. I went but a short distance before I came to another slough, over which there was a log but it was floating on the water. I thought I could walk it but when I got to the middle, it turned over and I went in up to my head. I waded out to dry land and put on my dry clothes but still I had no feeling, I was so cold. After a while I got to my brother-in-law's house not having smelt fire from the time I left home. I stayed all night and hoped to go home next morning but was to cold. I staid all night again and in the morning they insisted I still couldn't get home.

The river was frozen but not enough to bear me. I went hunting and killed 2 bear and pursued a he-bear all day but didn't kill him. The next morning was bitter cold but I knowed my family was without meat so I had to leave or die trying. I took my tools and powder' and cut out. The water was a sheet of ice, I got put and it broke with me 80, I took my tomahawk and broke my way along for a considerable distance. When I got to where the ice would bear me, I mounted and went ahead, but soon it broke again and I waded on till I came to my floating log. I found it tight this time and I knew it wouldn't fall. I crossed over this without difficulty and then I got to my sapling and log under water. The current was not frozen here so I had to wade just as I did before. By this time I nearly frozen. I followed a trail that I learned had been made by my young man, who had been sent by my distressed wife to find out about me. They believed me dead. When I reached home I was mighty nigh it but I had my gun powder and meat and thats what I went for .