John Crockett and a partner b!.
uilt a mill there, however it got washed away during a flood. Finally the Crocketts" headed to Jefferson County where John opened a tavern on the road from Abingdon to Knoxville in 1795. The tavern was mostly for wagoners who stopped to spend the night on their journey through Jefferson County. At the tavern Davy did various jobs to help his father. .
One night in 1798, when Davy was twelve, a Dutchman named Jacob Silers came to spend a few nights at the tavern. John Crockett was pressed for money, so he decided to hire out Davy to Silers. Davy was to help Silers drive a heard of cattle to Rockbridge County, Virginia. Davy had never been away from home before in his life, so he left with a heavy heart. Jacob Silers was good to Davy, though he was a man of few words. Silers carried his gun with him at all times. Silers taught Davy how to hunt, shoot, and care for a rifle. Davy was taught by a good teacher, and for the rest of his life those skills would come in handy. After Davy and Jacob were to get to their destination, Silers was to give Davy Five dollars, and Davy was to head home. After they did reach the destination, Silers asked Davy if he would like to stay with him a while longer, and Davy agreed to. Davy grew to love the old man and continued to stay with, and help out Jacob Silers. Davy was beginning to become sev!.
erely homesick, but didn't want to let Silers down by telling him he had to go. One day when Davy was bringing back the animals he shot, he ran into a wagoner. The wagoner recognized him from one of his stays at the Crockets" tavern. Davy and the wagoner got to talking, and the wagoner offered to bring Davy back to John Crockets tavern on his way past there. Davy agreed to meet the wagoner seven miles down the road the following night. So the next night near two in the morning Davy quietly got out of bed and packed his belongings. Davy walked seven miles in knee deep snow, in the dark to meet up with the wagoner.
