“Began to beg me not to turn out.” Is turn out a slang phrase here, or is it a term commonly used in speaking of the assemblage of the militia?
“It was mighty hard to go against her arguments.” Does the word mighty show refinement? What word would be better? Does the phrase go against look well in a book?
“Told her that if every man would wait till his wife got willing to let him go to war, there would be no fighting done until we would all be killed in our houses.” Is the word would as it appears the first time used properly? Is should the right word to use? Is got willing correct English? Does the word until express the meaning Crockett intends to convey? If “there would be no fighting done until they were all killed in their houses,” could there be any fighting done afterward? What words should be used in place of until? Is the word would used properly the second time it appears in the sentence?
“Seeing I was bent on it.” Can you find authority for using the phrase bent on it to mean determined to do it?
“The truth is my dander was up and nothing but war should bring it right again.” What does the dictionary say about the use of the word dander? Do you suppose it was a common word among Crockett’s friends? Is the word should properly used in this sentence? Is the proper word would? Is it a common mistake even now to use would for should and should for would? How may we know which word to use?
“When the men were paraded, a lawyer by the name of Jones addressed us, informing us he wished to raise a company, and that then the men should meet and elect their officers.” Who were the men that were paraded? Was Crockett among them? Whom did Jones address? When Crockett uses the word men and the word us, twice in the same sentence is his meaning perfectly clear?
“I believe I was about the second or third man that stepped out, but on marching up and down the regiment a few times we found we had a large company.” Who were marching up and down? Does this mean that they marched up and down in front of the regiment? What was this regiment before which they marched up and down? Does regiment here mean the same as militia in the paragraph before?
“We received orders to start on the next Monday week.” What is the meaning of next Monday week? If they assembled on Wednesday, how many days would elapse before they were to start, and on what day would they start?