Post by neferetus on Feb 4, 2005 10:39:58 GMT -5
William Walker, of Washington D.C., offered up this newspaper article concerning new 'evidence' of David Crockett's death, over on The Alamo Site. For what it's worth...
Crockett fought hard to the end, local expert finds
By Jack Brubaker
Lancaster New Era
Published: Feb 01, 2005 1:50 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - There was a time when the young Scribbler did not know whether he wanted to be Davy Crockett, the famous frontiersman, or Fess Parker, the furry-hatted fellow who played Crockett on TV.The Scribbler eventually switched to Clarence Darrow and moved on with his life.
So he has missed entirely an enormous controversy in recent years over how Crockett died at the Texas battle of the Alamo in 1836.
Did Crockett die bravely fighting the Mexican army, as John Wayne did in the 1960 film version of “The Alamo’’?
Or was he one of several men who surrendered and was executed by Santa Anna’s forces, as was Billy Bob Thornton in last year’s remake of “The Alamo’’?
There is a sharp division of opinion on this point. Large amounts of ink have been spilled discussing rival stories of Davy’s demise.
Now a local researcher has discovered a reference to Crockett fighting bravely to the death in the Nov. 24, 1842, issue of the New York Daily Tribune.
“There are numerous execution accounts,’’ Tim Niesen, the Millersville man who found the reference, tells the Scribbler. “Heretofore there have been no authenticated fighting accounts of Crockett at the Alamo.’’
The Tribune reported on a lecture given at the New York Lyceum by a “Mr. X.’’ Niesen has identified “X’’ as Col. James Hazard Perry. Perry had served with Gen. Sam Houston at the battle of San Jacinto, decisively defeating the Mexican army several weeks after the Alamo.
Perry said one of two survivors of the battle had told him Crockett fought until only he and six others remained standing in the fort.
“Being then called on to yield, (Crockett) shouted forth defiance, leaped into the crowd below, and rushed towards the city,’’ Perry said. “Being pursued by two soldiers, he kept both at bay for a time, until he was finally thrust through by a lance.”
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!
Long live the robust reputation of the king of the fractious frontier!
But -- hold your horses -- the dispute on this point has been long and fierce and is not likely to die a sudden death.
The latest “Alamo’’ movie was not a major box-office success, but many more people saw it than will ever read “Mr. X’s’’ account, so Billy Bob’s execution will stick in the popular mind for a long time.
Besides, there remains a damaging account attributed to a Mexican officer, Jose Enrique de la Pena. Pena said Crockett and six other Alamo defenders “died moaning, but without humiliating themselves to their executioners.’’
Niesen hopes to begin altering that unheroic image.
An associate posted an excerpt of the Tribune story on “The Alamo Site’’ on the Internet Sunday evening. (Check out “The Alamo Forum” &tstr; “Latest Alamo Research’’ &tstr; “Hold onto your coonskin caps.’’)
Niesen says he also is writing a piece concerning Perry’s account for a Texas historical publication.
“Alamo scholars will welcome this,’’ he says. “This is the first authentic non-surrender account.’’
He heard of Houston an’ Austin so
to the Texas plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fightin’ another foe
an’ they needed him at the Alamo.
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don’t know fear!
Sam Houston, native Lancastrian?
Was the hero of the battle of San Jacinto born in Lancaster County?
Sam Houston, played by Dennis Quaid in the latest movie, was born in 1793 in Rockbridge County, Va., according to most accounts.
Researcher Tim Niesen says that’s wrong: Houston was born here.
Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans in their 1883 “History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania’’ wrote: “Sam. Houston, of Texas, left Lancaster County with his father’s family when a child for Virginia.’’
Recently, Niesen found another, considerably earlier reference. It’s in the June 1, 1842, edition of the Pennsylvania (later Harrisburg) Telegraph, which reprinted the material from the Lancaster Examiner & Herald.
Among famous sons of Lancaster County, the newspaper story listed Gen. Samuel Houston, then president of the Republic of Texas. Is this true?
What possible motivation would anyone have had to fabricate a birthplace for a famous American 21 years before his death?
The Scribbler column is published on Tuesdays and Fri
Crockett fought hard to the end, local expert finds
By Jack Brubaker
Lancaster New Era
Published: Feb 01, 2005 1:50 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - There was a time when the young Scribbler did not know whether he wanted to be Davy Crockett, the famous frontiersman, or Fess Parker, the furry-hatted fellow who played Crockett on TV.The Scribbler eventually switched to Clarence Darrow and moved on with his life.
So he has missed entirely an enormous controversy in recent years over how Crockett died at the Texas battle of the Alamo in 1836.
Did Crockett die bravely fighting the Mexican army, as John Wayne did in the 1960 film version of “The Alamo’’?
Or was he one of several men who surrendered and was executed by Santa Anna’s forces, as was Billy Bob Thornton in last year’s remake of “The Alamo’’?
There is a sharp division of opinion on this point. Large amounts of ink have been spilled discussing rival stories of Davy’s demise.
Now a local researcher has discovered a reference to Crockett fighting bravely to the death in the Nov. 24, 1842, issue of the New York Daily Tribune.
“There are numerous execution accounts,’’ Tim Niesen, the Millersville man who found the reference, tells the Scribbler. “Heretofore there have been no authenticated fighting accounts of Crockett at the Alamo.’’
The Tribune reported on a lecture given at the New York Lyceum by a “Mr. X.’’ Niesen has identified “X’’ as Col. James Hazard Perry. Perry had served with Gen. Sam Houston at the battle of San Jacinto, decisively defeating the Mexican army several weeks after the Alamo.
Perry said one of two survivors of the battle had told him Crockett fought until only he and six others remained standing in the fort.
“Being then called on to yield, (Crockett) shouted forth defiance, leaped into the crowd below, and rushed towards the city,’’ Perry said. “Being pursued by two soldiers, he kept both at bay for a time, until he was finally thrust through by a lance.”
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!
Long live the robust reputation of the king of the fractious frontier!
But -- hold your horses -- the dispute on this point has been long and fierce and is not likely to die a sudden death.
The latest “Alamo’’ movie was not a major box-office success, but many more people saw it than will ever read “Mr. X’s’’ account, so Billy Bob’s execution will stick in the popular mind for a long time.
Besides, there remains a damaging account attributed to a Mexican officer, Jose Enrique de la Pena. Pena said Crockett and six other Alamo defenders “died moaning, but without humiliating themselves to their executioners.’’
Niesen hopes to begin altering that unheroic image.
An associate posted an excerpt of the Tribune story on “The Alamo Site’’ on the Internet Sunday evening. (Check out “The Alamo Forum” &tstr; “Latest Alamo Research’’ &tstr; “Hold onto your coonskin caps.’’)
Niesen says he also is writing a piece concerning Perry’s account for a Texas historical publication.
“Alamo scholars will welcome this,’’ he says. “This is the first authentic non-surrender account.’’
He heard of Houston an’ Austin so
to the Texas plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fightin’ another foe
an’ they needed him at the Alamo.
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don’t know fear!
Sam Houston, native Lancastrian?
Was the hero of the battle of San Jacinto born in Lancaster County?
Sam Houston, played by Dennis Quaid in the latest movie, was born in 1793 in Rockbridge County, Va., according to most accounts.
Researcher Tim Niesen says that’s wrong: Houston was born here.
Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans in their 1883 “History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania’’ wrote: “Sam. Houston, of Texas, left Lancaster County with his father’s family when a child for Virginia.’’
Recently, Niesen found another, considerably earlier reference. It’s in the June 1, 1842, edition of the Pennsylvania (later Harrisburg) Telegraph, which reprinted the material from the Lancaster Examiner & Herald.
Among famous sons of Lancaster County, the newspaper story listed Gen. Samuel Houston, then president of the Republic of Texas. Is this true?
What possible motivation would anyone have had to fabricate a birthplace for a famous American 21 years before his death?
The Scribbler column is published on Tuesdays and Fri
