“With difficulty I got to it, and when I got there, I found it was too small for me to get out by my own power, and I began to think that I was in a worse box than ever.  But I put my arms through, and hollered as loud as I could roar, as the boat I was in hadn’t yet quite filled with water up to my head; and the hands who were next to the raft, seeing my arms out, and hearing me holler, seized them, and began to pull.  I told them I was sinking, and to pull my arms off, or force me through, for now I know’d well enough it was neck or nothing, come out or sink.

“By a violent effort they jerked me through; but I was in a pretty pickle when I got through.  I had been sitting without any clothing over my shirt; this was tom off, and I was literally skinn’d like a rabbit.  I was, however, well pleased to get out in any way, even without shirt or hide; as before I could straighten myself on the boat next to the raft, the one they pull’d me out of went entirely under, and I have never seen it any more to this day.  We all escaped on to the raft, where we were compelled to sit all night, about a mile from land on either side.  Four of my company were bareheaded, and three barefooted; and of that number I was one.  I reckon I looked like a pretty cracklin ever to get to Congress!

“We had now lost all our loading, and every particle of our clothing, except what little we had on; but over all this, while I was sitting there, in the night, floating about on the drift, I felt happier and better off than I ever had in my life before, for I had just made such a marvellous escape, that I had forgot almost everything else in that; and so I felt prime.

“In the morning about sunrise, we saw a boat coming down, and we hailed her.  They sent a large skiff, and took us all on board, and carried us down as far as Memphis.  Here I met with a friend, that I never can forget as long as I am able to go ahead at anything; it was a Major Winchester, a merchant of that place; he let us all have hats, and shoes, and some little money to go upon, and so we all parted.

“A young man and myself concluded to go on down to Natchez, to see if we could hear anything of our boats; for we supposed they would float out from the raft, and keep on down the river.  We got on a boat at Memphis, that was going down, and so cut out.  Our largest boat, we were informed, had been seen about fifty miles below where we stove, and an attempt had been made to land her, but without success, as she was as hard-headed as ever

“This was the last of my boats, and of my boating; for it went so badly with me along at the first, that I had not much mind to try it any more.  I now returned home again, and, as the next August was the Congressional election, I began to turn my attention a little to that matter, as it was beginning to be talked of a good deal among the people.”

Cotton was down very low.  Crockett could now say to the people:  “You see the effects of the Tariff.”  There were two rival candidates for the office, Colonel Alexander and General Arnold.  Money was needed to carry the election, and Crockett had no money.  He resolved, however, to try his chances.  A friend loaned him a little money to start with; which sum Crockett, of course, expended in whiskey, as the most potent influence, then and there, to secure an election.