Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/32

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12
CROCKER
CROCKETT

Atlanta, on 23 July, 1864, and in Hardee's attack on their position later in the day fully half were killed, wounded, or captured.


CROCKER, Nathan Bourne, clergyman, b. in Barnstable, Mass., 4 July, 1781 ; d. in Providence, R. I., 19 Oct., 1865. He prepared for college at Sandwich academy, was graduated at Harvard in 1802, studied medicine, and then theology, took orders in tlie Protestant Episcopal church in 1803, and was elected rector of St. John's church in Providence, over which he presided until his death, with the exception of a few years, during which his health prevented his preaching. He was sec- retary of the corporation of Brown university from 1837 "till 1843. The ministerial life of Dr. Crocker was identified with the history of the Episcopal church of Rhode Island, which contained but four churches of that denomination when he assumed his pastorate. Some of his sermons and occasional addresses and lectures were published.


CROCKER, Uriel, publisher, b. in Marblehead, Essex CO., Mass., 13 Sept., 1796; d. in Cohasset, Mass., 19 July, 1887. He went with his father to Boston in 1811, and was apprenticed to Samuel T. Armstrong to learn the printer's trade. Two months later, Osmyn Brewster, a son of Dr. Brew- ster, of Worthington, entered the same office. Mr. Armstrong's store, No. 50 Cornhill, was formerly occupied by Paul Revere, and is now 173 and 175 Washington street. In 1814 Mr. Crocker was made foreman of the printing-office, and in 1818 taken into partnership by Mr. Armstrong, with his asso- ciate Brewster. Mr. Armstrong withdrew in 1825, and the firm of "Crocker & Brewster" was contin- ued until they retired from active business in 1876. At the fiftieth anniversary of their copartnership Mr. Crocker said : " Mr. Brewster and I first met in the year 1811, as apprentices of the late Samuel Y. Armstrong. It was in the old building which stood on the same lot where we spent fifty-four of the fifty-seven years that we have been together, the old number being 50 Cornhill — that's old Cornhill — now forming part of Washington street. We left it only three years ago, when we removed to the adjoining store. I had been an apprentice about two months when he came. It was pleasant to see him, as it removed from me the title which the youngest apprentice in a printing-office has affixed to his name. Our partnership agreement, 1818, just fifty years ago, was drawn up and wit- nessed by Jeremiah Evarts, father of William M. Evarts. In the arrangement of our business, Mr. Brewster attended chiefly to the book-store. I di- rected the printing-office, the latter having been wholly in my charge since I was eighteen years of age. The numerous persons in our employ — and there were in former years from twenty-five to thirty in the printing-office alone — were paid in full every Saturday night. The first large work we published was ' Scott's Family Bible ' (6 vols., 8vo, 1820). It was an experiment, and many of the older booksellers prophesied that we should not be successful. The result was entirely satisfactory." On 29 Nov., 1886, Mr. Crocker celebrated the sev- enty-fifth anniversary of his partnership with Mr. Brewster. A number of distinguished people were assembled at his home to congratulate the two nonogenarians. Among them were Di'. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Dr. Samuel Herrick, Frederick D. Ames, ex-Gov. Rice, and Gov.-elect Ames. Bach guest was presented with a portrait of these mer- chant princes, and a member of the Brewster fam- ily contributed a poem in commemoration of the diamond wedding festivity. See Mr. Crocker's " Autobiography " (Boston, 1869).


CROCKETT, David, pioneer, b. in Limestone, Greene co., Tenn., 17 Aug., 1786; d. in Texas, 6 March, 1836. His father, a Revolutionary veteran of Irish birth, moved to eastern Tennessee after the war, and about 1793 opened a small tavern on the road from Knoxville to Abingdon. When David was about twelve years old his father hired him to an old Dutchman, with whom he went 400 miles on foot, but, after remaining a few weeks with his master, ran away and succeeded in reaching home. Shortly afterward he was sent to school, but on the fourth day gave one of the pupils with whom he had quarrelled a sound beating, and, after playing truant for a time to avoid a flogging, ran away from home to escape the vengeance of his father. For three years he worked for teamsters in Tennessee, Mary- land, and Vir- ginia, and for eighteen months

was bound to a

hatter in the last-named state. Tired of wander- ing about, he finally returned home, and short- ly afterward worked hard for a year to pay two notes of his father's, amounting to $76. He then went to school for six months, and learned his letters for the first time, but relinquished study to seek a wife, and, after several disap- pointments in love, married and settled in Lin- coln county in 1809, and about 1811 in Frank- lin county, one of the wildest parts of the state. Crockett had by this time acquired some fame as a hunter, and, at the beginning of the Creek war in 1813, he enlisted in a regiment of sixty-day vol- unteers. He served through the war, and after- ward settled on Shoal creek, in a desolate region of the state, where a temporary government was formed by the settlers and Crockett was made a magistrate. He was subsequently appointed to the same office by the state legislature, and was then elected colonel of militia. In 1821 he was a candidate for the legislature, and winning favor by telling amusing stories and by his skill with the rifie, was elected by a handsome majority, though he had never read a newspaper in his life, and was entirely ignorant of public speaking. In 1822 he lost all his property by fire, and moved again to the Obion rivei", where he devoted himself to his favorite occupation of hunting, living on bear- meat and venison. He served again in the legisla- ture in 1823-'4, and in the latter year was an un- successful candidate for congress. In 1826 he was again a candidate, as a supporter of Jackson, and this time was elected, serving two terms, from 1827 till 1831. In his second term he opposed Jackson's Indian bill, and this course caused his defeat in 1880; but he served again in 1833-'5. Crockett was popular at Washington, where he became noted not only for his eccentricity of manner, but for his strong common sense and shrewdness. He prided himself on his independence, and thus set forth his position : " I am at liberty to vote as my conscience and judgment dictate to be right, with- out the yoke of any party on me, or the driver at my heels', with his whip in hand, commanding me