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Post by ronald on Jan 12, 2014 13:08:22 GMT -5
Just read a story about a man named lawrence trying to shoot the president. When his gun misfired Crockett was one of the group that wrestled him to the ground. I had never heard that before. I guess he just went ahead because he knew it was right. Is ther much documentation about his roll in this or just another maybe ?
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 12, 2014 14:48:16 GMT -5
There seems to be nothing in Lofaro or Shackford about this, however, the very reliable Bill Groneman, in his book "David Crockett: Hero of the Common Man," (2005) says:
"During his time in Congress, due to his vocal opposition to Jackson, it is unlikely that Crockett had many personal encounters with the president, a circumstance that changed on January 30, 1835, at a congressional funeral held in the capital when both men were present and within a few feet of each other. As Jackson left the House chambers, an unemployed house painter named Richard Lawrence, who believed himself heir to the British throne and was convinced that the president had murdered his father, leveled two cap-and-ball pistols at Jackson's chest and pulled the triggers. Miraculously, both guns misfired and the sity-seven-year-old president, wielding his cane as a weapon, started toward the madman. Some of the younger men present, including Crockett, moved faster and subdued the would-be assassin. 'I wanted to see the damnedest villain in the world -- and now I have seen him,' Crockett said after the struggle."
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 12, 2014 15:15:52 GMT -5
And our very own Jim Boylston and Allen Wiener, in their marvelously documented and written 2009 ten-pound book David Crockett in Congress: The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friends, reported the following:
"On January 30, Lawrence confronted Jackson on the eastern portico of the Capitol, where the president was attending a funeral, and leveled two pistols at his breast, both of which, miraculously, misfired. Jackson, true to form, raised his cane and shouted that he could defend himself, but was hustled off into a waiting carriage. Crockett, who was in attendance, shouted, 'I wanted to see the damndest villain in the world, and now I have seen him,' and helped subdue Lawrence until he could be taken into custody." [The source for this is listed as "Jon Meacham, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House (New York: Random House, 2008].
They also include part of a Crockett letter dated February 2, 1835, to R. R. Waldron, in which Crockett himself writes:
"A strange occurence took place here on last friday when the funeral procession of W. R. Davis was leaving the Capitol a man by the name of Rich'd Lawrence had prepared him self with two purcussion Pistols and snapped Both at the presidents Breast with in a few feet he was arested and is now in Joal it is said he is deranged and sais he is Richd the third and that Jackson is his servant and has usurped power...and that he will kill him -- The President run a narrow escape Both Pistols has been examined and found to be well charged..."
So apparently, Crockett was present and close to Jackson -- and participated in protecting the president, even if after the fact.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 12, 2014 15:16:56 GMT -5
Attachment DeletedDRT at the Alamo. Jim? Allen? Have I missed anything on this that you can add? It is indeed fascinating.
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Post by Jim Boylston on Jan 13, 2014 12:08:43 GMT -5
View AttachmentDRT at the Alamo. Jim? Allen? Have I missed anything on this that you can add? It is indeed fascinating. Hi Rich, I did a lot of digging on this incident when we wrote the book because most of the bios that mentioned it didn't include any primary sources. I was thrilled to find the Waldron letter, wherein Crockett described the attempted assassination in his own words. Other than that, I found a period newspaper article that mentioned Crockett's involvement in detaining Lawrence until the authorities could take him into custody. If memory serves (I'm out of town again, so not where I have access to my notes), Lawrence was subsequently determined to be mentally ill. I think Crockett's actions show that he could put political and personal feelings aside and do the right thing, even if it was his mortal enemy who was being wronged. I wonder if Jackson would have done the same had Crockett been on the receiving end of such an attempt. As you know, there was no love lost between the two men and Jackson was extremely vindictive. Jim |
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 14, 2014 19:32:12 GMT -5
Thanks, Jim. Yes, one of the references does say that Lawrence was determined to be mentally ill.
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Post by ronald on Jan 17, 2014 6:21:45 GMT -5
Thank You for your knowledge! And taking the time to look it up.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 17, 2014 16:15:24 GMT -5
Thank You for your knowledge! And taking the time to look it up. Sure thing. It's a double-whammy. It helps you and it adds information to our forum. (Tripple-whammy, if you consider the fun I had doing it.  ) |
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jan 17, 2014 20:43:23 GMT -5
Reading Jim's wonderful response above makes me wonder what, if any, Jackson's response was to learning of Crockett's death at the Alamo?
Paul
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Post by rayjr on Jan 18, 2014 12:31:30 GMT -5
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 18, 2014 23:09:25 GMT -5
Reading Jim's wonderful response above makes me wonder what, if any, Jackson's response was to learning of Crockett's death at the Alamo? Paul My gut feeling is that Jackson the politician -- in private -- would have breathed a sigh of relief that Crockett was finally out of the picture for good. As for the difference between Jackson's professional observation of the opinion his office should hold regarding Austin's request for help vs. his encouragement to his young son in school regarding how the boy should view the Alamo patriotically, I just see him as meeting two completely different needs. The first is admonishment to his cabinet or office or supporters regarding international law and diplomacy. The second is a father trying to teach his son patriotism and respect for heroes. One's professional; the other is private. One's complex, the other is simple. |
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jan 19, 2014 20:53:27 GMT -5
Interesting read, Ray. Thanks for the link.
As always, I think you nailed it, Rich. rare is anything simple, and I'm sure Jackson had mixed emotions about Crockett's death and the whole Alamo thing.
Paul
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Post by Rich Curilla on Jan 20, 2014 0:49:35 GMT -5
Not sure how mixed his actual emotions were. lol. I think he was a teacher when he wrote to his son. His true emotion however, I'd bet any money, was that he was simply glad to be rid of the problem. Maybe I misjudge him, but that's what I think he secretly felt as soon as he heard the news, after proper condolences, of course.
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Post by Jim Boylston on Jan 20, 2014 12:09:24 GMT -5
After David Crockett's death, his son, John Wesley Crockett, won his old seat in the House of Representatives. Jackson despised the son as he did the father.
Henry Clay was another (and probably the foremost) recipient of the Jackson wrath, so much so that, at the end of his life, Jackson remarked that his only regrets were that he didn't shoot Clay and hang John C. Calhoun.
I've come to believe that Jackson was unhinged.
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Post by ronald on Jan 25, 2014 9:23:54 GMT -5
Clay is a big deal here in KY, Did he and Crockett get along? I always thought he did not think much of David and they were on different sides a lot in Congress?
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