Anthony Crockett (soldier)

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For the Welsh bishop, see Anthony Crockett.
Anthony Crockett
Born(1754-11-19)November 19, 1754
Prince Edward County, Colony of Virginia, British America
DiedDecember 5, 1838(1838-12-05) (aged 84)
Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S.
Buried
Frankfort Cemetery
Allegiance United States
Years of service1776–1794
RankColonel
Unit
Battles/wars
Spouse(s)
Mary Margaret Robertson
​
​
(m. 1780; died 1818)​
Children11, including Granville Smith

Anthony Crockett (November 19, 1754 – December 5, 1838) was an American soldier during the American Revolutionary War, the Northwest Indian War, and the War of 1812. He also served as a Kentucky politician.

Early life[edit]

Anthony Crockett was born on November 19, 1754, in Prince Edward County, Virginia, to William Crockett.[1][2][3][4]

His parents died when he was around 10 years old. He then lived with his relative, Samuel Crockett, in Botetourt County, Virginia, until 1776.[1]

Career[edit]

In February 1776, Crockett enlisted with Captain Thomas Posey's company of the 7th Virginia Regiment.[1][4] He served with the 7th from 1776 to 1778, and fought at the Battles of Saratoga and Brandywine.[1][4] At Saratoga, he gave aid to a wounded General Lafayette.[3][4] From 1778 to the end of the war, he was a First Lieutenant in the Illinois Regiment of Virginia under George Rogers Clark.[1] He also served with his cousin, Colonel Joseph Crockett.[2] He fought with the regiment in the Battles of Blue Licks, Piqua and Chillicothe.[3][4][5] From 1782 to 1794, he was a soldier in the Northwest Indian War.[4]

After his military career, he moved to Mercer County, Kentucky, and served in the Virginia General Assembly in 1790.[1][4] After, he moved to Franklin County, Kentucky, and served as its representative from 1796 to 1799 in the Kentucky House of Representatives.[4] He also served as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Kentucky Senate for thirty years.[1][3][4]

In his 50s, he served in the War of 1812 under his friend Governor Isaac Shelby as a Brigade Major.[1][3][4] Shelby sent Crockett, as an "old Revolutionary soldier of great courage", to Fort Meigs after the Second Siege of Fort Meigs to persuade the troops to remain for sixty more days of service. The battle worn troops could not be persuaded, which pushed Shelby to issue a proclamation on July 13, 1813, for new volunteers.[6]

In 1824, Colonel Crockett and his cousin, Colonel Joseph Crockett, entertained General Lafayette in Kentucky during his 1824-1825 visit to America.[1][2]

Personal life[edit]

Crockett took a leave of absence in 1780 and married Mary Margaret Robertson (1760–1818) of Virginia.[1] Together, they had eleven children, six sons and five daughters:[1][7]

  • Dandridge Spottswood Crockett
  • Elizabeth Crockett
  • Fontaine Posey Crockett (1797–1837) – soldier at the Battle of New Orleans
  • Granville Smith Crockett (1784/1799–1838) – soldier at the Battle of New Orleans, sheriff of Rutherford County, Tennessee, clerk, militiaman, representative of Rutherford County in the 21st Tennessee General Assembly (1835–1837)
  • Katherine G. Crockett
  • Martha Dillon Crockett
  • Mary "Polly" Crockett (1781–1856) – married William B. Hawkins
  • Overton Washington Crockett (1791–1864) – soldier at the Battle of New Orleans
  • Samuel B. Crockett
  • Sarah Crockett
  • William R. Crockett

Death[edit]

He died on December 5, 1838, in Frankfort, Kentucky.[1][3][8] His death was announced on the Kentucky Senate floor on December 7, 1838.[9] He was buried at Benson Churchyard in Franklin County.[4] He was re-interred to a lot dedicated to Revolutionary soldiers at the Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky on July 4, 1916.[3][10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Farmer, Ellery (1956). Descendants of Thomas Farmer who came to Virginia in 1616; a genealogy. Asheville? N. C. pp. 20, 49–50 – via archive.org.
  2. ^ a b c Price, Samuel W. (1908). Part Second, Biographical Sketch of Colonel Joseph Crockett: A Paper Read Before the Filson Club at its Meeting April 6, 1908. Filson Club. pp. 12, 31.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kentucky State Historical Society (September 1916). "An Account of the Dedication of the Lot in Frankfort Cemetery set apart for Revolutionary Soldiers, and a list of the Inscriptions on Monuments of Revolutionary Soldiers buried in Frankfort Cemetery". Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society. 14 (42): 74–75. JSTOR 23368615. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Young, Bennett H. (1903). The Battle of the Thames. Filson Club. pp. 164–166.
  5. ^ "Isaac Bowman and another, executors of Isaac Bowman, vs. the United States". law.ou.edu. United States Court of Claims. December 13, 1858. p. 21. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Young, Bennett H. The Battle of the Thames. Filson Club. pp. 29–30.
  7. ^ "SOME OF THE EARLIEST PEOPLE IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY BY DATE OF THEIR BIRTH PRIOR TO 1800" (PDF). Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Lineage Book - National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Daughters of the American Revolution. pp. 355–356.
  9. ^ "Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky". archive.org. Frankfort, Kentucky. 1838. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  10. ^ "Frankfort Cemetery - History". frankfortcemetery.org. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
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