David Crockett (David de Crocketagne August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) 19th-century American folk hero usually referred to as Davy Crockett. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, served in the Texas rebellion, and died at the Alamo. Crockett was born on a mountaintop in Greene County, Tennessee, descended mostly from Ulster-Scots. He was the fifth of nine children of John and Rebecca Hawkins Crockett. David was named after his paternal grandfather. Crockett stood about 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and weighed approximately 190 lb (86 kg). On 12 August 1806, David married Polly Finley (1788-1815). Their first child was born 10 July 1807 (John), followed by William (b. 1809) and Margaret. David remarried in 1816 to Elizabeth Patton and had four children by her. On September 24, 1813, he enlisted in the Second Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Riflemen for ninety days and served under Col. John Coffee in the Creek War. He was discharged from service on 27 March 1815. Crockett won the election of lieutenant colonel of the Fifty-seventh Regiment of Militia on March 27, 1818. On 17 September 1821, Crockett was elected to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances. In 1826 and 1828 he was elected to Congress. As a Congressman, Crockett supported the rights of squatters, who were barred from buying land in the West without already owning property. He also opposed President Jackson's Indian Removal Act, and his opposition to Jackson caused his defeat when he ran for re-election in 1830 but won when he ran again in 1832. Furthermore, Crockett was a staunch advocate of limited government and in his speech entitled "Not Yours to Give" he was critical of his Congressional colleagues willingness to spend taxpayer dollars to help a navy widow, but wouldn't contribute their own salary for a week. He described the spending as "unconstitutional" and the once popular proposal died in the Congress largely as a result of the speech. In 1834, his book, titled A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, was published. Crockett went to the East to promote the book, and was narrowly defeated for re-election. In 1835 he was again defeated for re-election, saying "I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but if not ... you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas" and he did just that, joining the Texas Revolution. On 31 October 1835, Crockett left Tennessee for Texas, writing "I want to explore Texas well before I return". He arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas, in early January 1836. On 14 January, Crockett and 65 other men signed an oath before Judge John Forbes to the Provisional Government of Texas for six months. "I have taken the oath of government and have enrolled my name as a volunteer and will set out for the Rio Grande in a few days with the volunteers from the United States." Each man was promised about 4,605 acres (19 km²) of land as payment. On 6 February, Crockett and about five other men rode into San Antonio de Bexar and camped just outside of the town. They were later greeted by James Bowie and Antonio Menchacha and taken to the home of Don Erasmo Sequin and stayed there a few days. William Barret Travis was the commander in charge at the siege at the Alamo, where it is said Davy Crockett took part (23 February-6 March 1836). His appeal for help has been used as an example of American courage and fortitude [1]. The Texas forces of 180-250 were overwhelmed by the attacking 1,300-1,600 Mexican soldiers. The Mexicans commander understood their superiority of numbers and position and offered free passage to all concerned - Travis refused. Legend has it that Crockett went down fighting inside the Alamo compound, but this is as much myth as his play. The actual evidence conflicts with the controversial evidence that has come to light since 1955 (José Enrique de la Peña diary) indicating that there may have been a half dozen or so survivors, with Crockett perhaps among them, taken prisoner by Mexican General Manuel Fernández Castrillón after the battle and summarily executed on orders by General and President of Mexico Antonio López de Santa Anna. There is anecdotal evidence that Davy Crockett's body was found some way from the mission where he had been killed trying to flee. One of Crockett's sayings, which were published in almanacs between 1835 and 1856 (along with those of Daniel Boone and Kit Carson) was, "Be always sure you are right, then go ahead." In 1838, Robert Patton Crockett went to Texas to administer his father's land claim. In 1854, Elizabeth Crockett finally came to Texas where she died in 1860. John Wesley Crockett became a U.S. congressman, serving two consecutive terms in office, finally retiring in 1843.