AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The Texas Historical Commission has bought what is believed to be the last letter written by David Crockett.
The two-page missive, dated Jan. 9, 1836, was addressed to Crockett's children and written after he first arrived in Texas.
The commission bought it from a Houston auction house for $490,000, the Austin American-Statesman said Wednesday.
Members of the commission said the document reveals a more sentimental side of the historical figure and provides insight into his dreams for the future.
"We (already) know that he was a member of Congress in Tennessee. We know the myths and that he fought in the Creek Indian Wars of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia," said John Nau, chairman of the commission. "What this letter shows is that he was also human. He was a truly dedicated father. That's the message that comes out of it."
The letter was purchased for $550,000 from Simpson Galleries. However, Nau said the Simpson family donated back $60,000 of the purchase price, reducing the total cost to the historical commission to $490,000.
