E^a, Class. Rook ><^j -5*3 THE LIFE GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON, SEVENTH PRESIDENT OP THE UNITED STATES, AN APPENDIX CONTAINING THE MOST IMPORTANT OF HIS STATE PAPERS. BY JOHN S. JENKINS, A. M., AUTHOR OF U NEW CLERK'S ASSISTANT," "POLITICAL HISTORY OP NEW-YORK," ETC. THIRD EDITION AUBURN, N. Y.: PUBLISHED BY J. C. DKRBY & CO. BUFFALO: DERBY & HEWSON. ■ 1847. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year eighteen hundred and forty-seven, by J. c. derby"& CO., in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of New- York. J. C. MEURKLL & CO., PRINTERS, AUBURN, N. Y. THE LIFE OF GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON, WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING HIS IMPORTANT STATE PAPERS. PREFACE. The following Memoirs hardly require an intro- duction to the American reader. The life of Andrew Jackson is so intimately connected with the history of the country, that the careful student of the one, will not rest satisfied, until he is able fully to under- stand and appreciate the other. Whatever may be the views entertained in regard to his merits as a warrior, or his abilities as a statesman, his conduct in both capacities was such as must necessarily command attention. His admirers will always be eager to discover some new object for their remem- brance and regard ; while those who are unwilling to approve his course, either in the camp or the cabinet, will feel impelled, from curiosity, if from no other motive, to examine the incidents of his memorable life. There are many features in his character, and those by no means of the least im- 8 PREFACE. portance, which all will deem worthy of commenda- tion ; and none can be so much influenced by the prejudices which have survived the termination of his earthly career, as to withhold the appropriate tribute of their respect. A large portion of the matter to be found in these pages has been heretofore published, in different shapes. While the writer has not hesitated to make free and liberal use of such materials as were within his reach, both the language and the arrangement have, in all cases, been so modified and changed, as to harmonize with his desire of giving to the public, a fair, candid, and impartial life, of the dis- tinguished citizen and soldier whose name appears on the title-page of the volume. But little merit, therefore, is claimed on the score of originality ; and if those for whom it has been prepared, are in any degree gratified by its appearance, the labor be- stowed upon it will be amply rewarded. An attempt has been made, which it is hoped may not be regarded as altogether unsuccessful, to present a full and complete account of the early his- tory of General Jackson, his campaigns against the PREFACE. 9 Indians, his brilliant achievements during the war of 3812, and his official acts as governor of Florida. A general outline of his administration of the na- tional government is also given ; but for reasons which must be obvious, the space devoted to this purpose is comparatively brief. Less could not have been said, without marring the completeness of the work; and, on the other hand, had the text been more full and explicit, political sympathies and affinities might have been manifested, which ought to be carefully concealed. Several of the state papers of General Jackson, and his patriotic letter to Commodore Elliott, are added to the work, in an Appendix. Each paper has been carefully compared with an authentic copy of its original, and is believed to be faith- ful and correct. It is probable that many read- ers might desire a more extensive collection from his messages ; but those should recollect that it is extremely difficult to gratify every taste, and that the size of the volume would not have permitted such additions. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE 1767. Introductory remarks — Birth and parentage of Andrew Jackson — His early life — Influence of his mother — War of the Revolution — Colonel Buford surprised and defeated — Martial spirit of the colonists — Andrew Jackson joins the American army — Heroic conduct in defending Captain Lands — Surprise of the Waxhaw settlers at their rendezvous — Escape and cap- ture of Jackson — His stratagem to prevent the seizure of Thompson — Imprisonment at Camden — His release, and death of his brother and mother — Pecuniary difficulties — Commences the study of the law— Is licensed to practice — Appointed So- licitor for the western district of North Carolina — Arrival at Nashville. 1789 17 CHAPTER II. 1789. Early settlements on the Cumberland — Hardships en- dured by Jackson, in the discharge of his official duties — Escape trom the Indians — His presence of mind — Adventures in the wilderness — Locates at Nashville — Fruitless attempts to intimidate him — Indian depredations — Becomes acquainted with Mrs. Robards — His marriage — A member of the Ten- nessee convention — Chosen a senator in Congress — His re- signation, and appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court — Firmness and decision of character as a judge — Difficulty with Governor Sevier — Resigns his office, and devotes him- self to agricultural pursuits. 1804 29 12 CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. TAGE 1804. Fondness of General Jackson for horses — Duel with Dickinson — Forms a mercantile partnership — Pecuniary diffi- culties — Adventure with the Choctaw agent — Affray with Colonel Benton — Their subsequent friendship for each other — Hostilities with Great Britain — Declaration of war in 1812 — Jackson raises a volunteer force — Their services accepted by government— Ordered lo embark for Natchez — Arrival of the troops, and order to disband them — His disobedience of orders — Attempt of General Wilkinson to prevent the return of the volunteers — Object of the order — Jackson's decision exhibited — Shares ihe privations of the soldiers on their home- ward march — Return, and disbandment of his force. 1813 . 42 CHAPTER IV. 1813. Depredations committed by the Creeks on the borders of Tennessee and Kentucky — Attack on Fort Mimms — Pre- parations for war — Jackson calls out the volunteers and militia — Address to the troops — Takes the field — Enforces strict military discipline — Rapid march to Huntsville — Delay in for- warding supplies — Thwarted in his movements by General Cocke — Jealousy of the latter — Scarcity of provisions — Efforts of Jackson to procure supplies — Address to the soldiers on entering the enemy's country— Arrival at the Ten Islands — Difficulty with the contractors — Destitute condition of the army — Battle of Tallushatchee — Humanity of Jackson— His adoption of an Indian boy. 1813 55 CHAPTER V. 1813. Erection of Fort Strother, and establishment of a depot on the Coosa — Continued difficulties growing out of the move- ments of General Cocke — Battle of Talladega— Gallant con- duct of Colonel Carroll and Lieutenant-Colonel Dyer — Desti- tution of the army — Generosity and benevolence "of Jackson — His example in submitting to privations — Anecdote of the acorns — Discontent among the troops — Mutiny suppressed by his firmness and resolution — His appeal to the contractors to furnish supplies — Answer to the overtures of peace made by the Hillabee tribes — Efforts to raise additional troops — Letter to his friend in Tennessee — Demand of the volunteers to be discharged, on the ground that their term of service had ex- pired — Reply of Jackson — His unflinching determination — Suppression of the mutiny, and return of the volunteers. 1813 68 CONTENTS. 13 CHAPTER VI. PAGE 1814. Arrival of recruits — Battle of Erauckfaw — Return of the army — Ambuscade of the enemy — Battle of Enotochopco — Bravery of General Carroll and Lieutenant Armstrong — Re- turn to Fort Strother — The army reinforced — Battle ofToho- peka — Kindness of Jackson to a prisoner — Preparations to attack Hoithlewalle — Address to the troops — The Indians abandon their towns at Jackson's approach— Termination of the campaign— Operations of the British at Pensacola — Con- duct of the Spanish governor — Proclamation of Colonel Ni- cholls — Unsuccessful attack on FortBowyer — Jackson marches to Pensacola and demolishes it. 1814 87 CHAPTER VII. 1814. Jackson marches to New Orleans — Preparations to de- fend the city — Surrounded by traitors and spies — Situation of the country — Strength of the British expedition — Firmness of Jackson — The city placed under martial law — Vigorous measures rendered absolutely necessary — Landing of the British — Alarm in the city — Jackson determines to attack them — Disposition of his forces— Battle on the night of the twenty-third of December — Gallant conduct of the American troops— Repulse of the British — The complete triumph of the Americans prevented by the darkness of the night — Adven- ture of Colonels Dyer and Gibson — The Americans fall back to a new position, and prepare to fortify it — Effect of the bat- tle. 1814 99 CHAPTER VIII. 1814. The Americans fortify their position — Jackson's peremp- tory orders to Major Lacoste — Defence of the Pass Barrataria —Captain Lafitte— Attack made by the British on the 28th of December — Defensive preparations hastened — Death of Colonel Henderson — Disaffection in New Orleans — Informa- tion communicated to the British fleet — Stratagem of Mr. Shields— Conduct of the Louisiana legislature — Patriotic reply of Jackson to the committee — Attempt to supply his troops with arms — Gallantry of Colonel Hinds — Cannonade on the 1st of January — Position of the American army— Jackson's orders to the Frenchman to defend his property — Defences on the right bank of the river — Caution of Jackson in concealing the number of his troops. 1815 11? 2 14 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. PASS 1815. Arrival of fresh troops from Kentucky— Preparations of both armies for an attack — The disposition of Jackson's force made known to the British by a deserter — Success of Colonel Thornton on the right bank of the river — Eagerness of the American soldiers for an engagement — Activity and energy of Jackson — The eighth of January — Advance of the British towards the American intrenchments— Destructive fire from the fortifications — Repulse of the British — Death of Sir Ed- ward Packenham — Terrible havoc made in the ranks of the enemy — Bravery of Colonel Rennie — Number of killed and wounded m the battle — Watchword of the British army — Generous benevolence of the American soldiers — An armistice proposed by General Lambert and accepted, with modifica- tions- — Brave conduct of the American troops — Want of arms prevents Jackson from capturing the whole British army — English version of the battle. 1815 141 CHAPTER X. 1815. Gratitude of the citizens of New Orleans to their deli- verer — Jackson strengthens his position — Anonymous publi- cations inciting his troops to revolt — The author placed in arrest — Judge Hall ordered into custody for his interference — The British retire to their shipping — Treaty of peace signed— Cessation of hostilities — Jackson submits to the fine imposed by the judge — Farewell address to his troops — Return to Nashville — Depredations committed by the Seminole Indians — Jackson ordered to take command of the southern army — Enters Florida with his army — Execution of Arbuthnot and Ambrister — Capture of St. Marks and Pensacola — Termina- tion of hostilities — Jackson's conduct approved— Appointed governor of Florida — Administration of his judicial duties. — Difficulty with the Ex-governor, Callava — Jackson's ill health compels him to return home. 1821 158 CHAPTER XI. 1821. Jackson resigns his office in the army — Testimonials of public respect — Acandidate for the Presidency — Defeated in the House of Representatives — Election of Mr. Adams — Course of Jackson's friends — His renomination — Warmth of the contest — Elected president — Death of his wife — Kindness to her relatives — His first message — Veto of the Maysville road bill — Dissolution of the Cabinet — Opposition to the United States Bank — Veto message — Re-elected president — Difficulty with the nullifiers — Assaulted by Lieutenant Ran- dolph — Removal of the deposits — Public excitement — Con- troversy with France— Retirement to private life. 1837 , . 173 CONTENTS. 15 CHAPTER XII. PAGE 1837. Ill health of General Jackson — Arrival at the Hermit- age — Influence with his party — Friendly to the annexation of Texas — His occupations — Embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs — Refunding of the fine imposed by Judge Hall — Failure of his health — His last illness — His Christian resignation and death — Honors paid to his memory — Remarks of Reverdy Johnson — Speech of Daniel Webster — Character of Jackson — His qualifications as a soldier and statesman — Attachment to his friends — His personal appearance — His patriotism. 1845 186 APPENDIX. Message to the United States Senate, on returning the Bank Bill 199 Proclamation on the Nullification Question 221 Extracts from the Protest 245 Farewell Address 264 Letter to Commodore Elliott, declining a Sarcophagus . . . 287 LIFE ANDREW JACKSON. CHAPTER I. 1767. Introductory remarks— Birth and parentage of Andrew Jack- son — His early 1 iVe — Influence of his mother — War of the Revolu- tion — Colonel Bufbrd surprised and defeated — Martial spirit of the colonists — Andrew Jackson joins the American army — Heroic con- duct in defending Captain Lands — Surprise of the Waxhaw settlers at their rendezvous — Escape and capture of Jackson — His stratagem to prevent the seizure of Thompson — Imprisonment at Camden — His release, and death of his brother and mother — Pecuniary diffi- culties — Commences the study of the law — Is licensed to practice — Apoointed Solicitor for the western district of North Carolina- Arrival at Nashville. 1789. I* seasons of high party excitement, it is not to be ex- pected, that full and impartial justice will at all times be rendered to the statesman or politician. There is an I ancient French maxim, which cautions the legislator to " think of the rising generation, rather than of that which is passed." It is not amid the prejudices and jealousies of the present, but in the enlightened judgment of the far* off future that he must look for his reward. Cotempo- raneous history is always hasty, and often unjust, in its conclusions ; but " the sober second thought" of posterity is ever prompt to repair the wrong. It was the fortune of the subject of these memoirs to occupy, for a series of years, a prominent place in the public estimation, as the leader of the political party to which he was attached. During that time, much was said, both for and against him, which it would scarcely become the dignity of history 2* 17 18 LIFE OF JACKSON. to record ; nor would his most devoted admirer ask, at this day, that any thing should be written concerning him, ex- cept what was conceived in the same spirit that prompted the memorable remark of the iron-hearted Cromwell to young Lely, " Paint me as I am !" His death has hushed the embittered passions of the hour, and public opinion has already settled down upon a conviction highly favorable to his memory. Few men have ever lived, who exhibited, in a more remarkable degree, those salient points of character, calculated to enforce attention and respect, or possessed those peculiar traits of disposition, which are sure to inspire the warm and devoted attach- ment of personal friends. His life and his character, both as a public and private citizen, the storied incidents of his military career, and the important services rendered to the country, are now regarded, by general consent, as the common property of the nation. Like truly great men, he has left the impress of his mind upon the age in which he lived ; and there is not. a single American, whose heart is alive to the emotions of patriotism, but feels it beat with a quicker and warmer glow, at the mention of his honored name. Andrew Jackson was descended from a Scotch family, who emigrated to the north of Ireland, at a very remote period. His ancestors suffered many hardships, on ac- count of the cruel and arbitrary exactions of the English government. The continuance of these grievances, which at times almost passed the limits of human endurance, in- duced his father, Andrew Jackson, after whom he was named, to emigrate to this country, w T ith his wife and two sons, Hugh and Robert, in the year 1705. He landed at Charleston, in South Carolina, and shortly afterwards pur- chased a tract of land, in what was then called the " Wax- haw settlement," about forty-five miles above Camden, and near the boundary line of North Carolina, where he settled with his family. His son, Andrew, was born on the loth day of March, 1707, about two years subsequent to the arrival of his parents in this country. . Soon after the birth of young Andrew, his father died; leaving him, and his two brothers, to the sole care and HIS YOUTH. 19 guardianship of their mother, who appears to hnve been a most exemplary woman. She possessed many excellent qualities, both of head and heart; and her children were, early in life, deeply imbued with the straight forward resoluteness of purpose, and Spartan heroism of character, for which she was distinguished. Among the many noble mothers, whose sons have reaped the rich harvest of re- nown springing from the seed planted by their hands, none deserve higher praise or commendation. To the lessons she inculcated on the youthful minds of her sons, may, in a great measure, be attributed that fixed opposi- ti n to British tyranny and oppression, which they after- wards manifested. Often would she spend the winter evenings, in recounting to them the sufferings of their grandfather at the siege of Carrickfergus, and the oppres- sions exercised by the nobility of Ireland over the laboring poor; impressing it upon them as a first duly, to expend their lives, if it should become necessary, in defending and supporting the natural rights of man. As they inherited but a small patrimony from their father, it was impossible that ail the sons could receive an expensive education. The two eldest, therefore, were only taught the rudiments of their mother tongue, at a common country school. But Andrew, being intended by lis mother for the ministry, was sent to a flourishing academy at the Waxhaw me. ting-house, superintended by Mr. Humphries. Here he was placed on the study of the deaJ languages, and continued until the revolu- tionary war. extending its ravages into that section of South Carolina where he then was, rendered it necessary that every one should either betake himself to the Ameri- can standard, seek protection with the enemy, or flee his country. When the revolutionary war first broke out, in 1775, Andrew Jackson was but eight years old, and it was a long lime before its horrors were felt in the immediate vicinity of his residence. But from his youth up, he was familiar with the story of the repeated aggressions and insults, which forced the American colonics to resort to the last remedy of an injured people. He eagerly listened 20 LIFE OF JACKSON. to the thrilling accounts that reached his quiet neighbor* hood, of the hemic deeds performed by his brave country- men, at Lexington and Bunker-hill, Saratoga and Mon- mouth ; and while he listened, his heart burned with the fire of an incipient patriot sm, to avenge the wrongs of his native land. The young and middle-aged men around him were constantly tiaining themselves for any emer- gency, and his-mother encouraged, rather than checked, his growing passion for a soldier's life, instead of the peaceful profession for which he was designed. It was a critical time in the destinies of the infant republic, and she required the aid of every stout hand and strong heart, whether it beat beneath the surplice of the priest, or the rough habiliments of the back-woodsman. An opportunity was soon afforded, for him to gratify his ardent desire of mingling in the deadly strife which had imbrued the American soil with blood. South Carolina was invaded by the British, under General Prevost, in 1/79, and in the month of May of the following year, Co- lonel Buford and about four hundred men under his com- mand were overiaken by Colonel Tarleton, who had been despatched to cut off the party by Lord Cornwallis, with a force of seven hundred men, and an indiscriminate slaughter ensued, although little or no resistance was of- fered. Many begged for quarter in vain. The only an- swer was a stroke of the sabre, or a thrust of the bayonet. This act of atrocious barbarity was followed by others of a similar character. Men could not sleep in their own houses unguarded, without danger of surprise and murder. Even boys, who were stout enough to carry muskets, were induced, hy a regard for their own safety, as well as from inclination, to incur the dangers of men. Young Jackson and his brothers had their guns and horses, and were almost always in company with some armed party of their kindred or neighbors. Hugh, who was the eldest of the thne, was present at the battle of Stono, and lost his life, from the excessive heat of the weather and the fatigue of the day. Shortly after this event, Mrs. Jackson retired before the invading army, with her two remaining sons, Bobert and Andrew, into North Carolina. She remained ATTEMPTED SURPRISE OF CAPTAIN LANDS. 21 there but a short time, and, on returning to the Waxhaws, both Robert and Andrew joined the American army, and wer. j present at the battle of Hanging Rock, on ihe sixth of August, ITNO, in which the corps to which they be- long, d particularly distinguished itself. In the month o 1 ' September. Mrs. Jackson and her sons, with most of the VVaxhaw settlers, were aoain compelled to retire into North Carolina; from which they returned in February, 17^1, as soon as they heard that Lord Cornwallis had crossed the Yadkin. It was during the trying scenes of this period of the revolutionary struggle, that Andrew Jackson gave the first illustration of that quickness of thought, and prompt- itude of action, which afterwards placed him in the front rank of military commanders. A Whig captain, named Lands, who had been absent from home for some time, desired to spend a night with his family. Robert and Andrew Jackson, with one of the Crawfords, and five others, constituted his guard. There were nine men and seven muskets. Having no special apprehensions of an attack, they lay down on their arms, and, with the ex- ception of a British deserter, who was one of the party, went to sleep. Lands' house was in the centre of an enclosed yard, and had two doors, facing east and west. Before the east door stood a forked apple-tn e. In the southwest corner of the yard were a corncrib and stable under one roof, ranging east and west. On the south was a wood, and through it passed the road by which the house was approached. A party of Tories became apprized of Lands' return, and determined to surprise and kill him. Approaching through the wood, and tying their horses behind the stable, they divided into two parties, one advancing round the east end of the stable towards the east door of the house, and the other round the west end towards the west door. At this moment, the wakeful soldier, hearing a noise in the direction of the stable, went out to see what was the matter, and perceived the party which were en- tering the yard at the east end of the building. Running back in terror, he seized Andrew Jackson, who was near- 22 LIFE OF JACKSON. est the door, by the hair, exclaiming, "The Tories are upon us." Our young hero ran out, and, putting his gun through the fork of the apple-tree, hailed the approaching band. Having repeated his hail without an answer, and perceiving the party rapidly advancing and but a few rods distant, he fired. A volley was returned, which killed the soldier, who, having aroused the inmates of the house, had followed young Jackson, and was standing near him. The other band of Tories had now emerged from the west end of the stable, and mistaking the discharge of the advance party, then nearly on a line between them and the apple- tree, for the fire of a sallying party from the house, com- menced a sharp fire upon their own friends. Thus both parties were brought to a stand. Young Andrew, after discharging his gun, returned into the house; and, with two otht rs, commenced a fire from the west door, where both of his companions were shot down, one of them with a mortal wound. The Tories sti-l kept up the fire upon each other, as well as upon the house, until, startled by the sound of a cavalry bugle in the distance, they b took themselves to their horses, and (led The charge was sounded by a Major Isbel, who had not a man with him, but, hearing the firing, and knowing that Lands was at- .acked, he gave the blast upon his trumpet to alarm the assailants. The British commander, having b.en advised of the return of the VVaxhaw sellers, despatched Major Coffi.i, with a corps of light dragoons, a company of infantry,and a considerable number of Tories, for their capture and d.struction. Hearing of their approach, the settlers ap- pointed the Waxhaw meeting-house as a place of rendez- vous, and about forty of them, among whom were the two Jacksons. had assembled there on the day appointed, and \v«.re waiting for a friendly company und r Captain Nisbett. When the enemy approached, their commanding officer placed the Tories in front, in order to conceal the dragoons; and the little band of settlers were co.nj;l tely deceived by the stratagem. Supposing the reinforcement for which they had been waiting was approaching, they were prepared to welcome them as friends, but the mo- TAKEN PRISONER BY THE BRITISH 23 ment after they discovered their unfortunate mistake. Eleven of the number were taken prisoners, and the rest sought for safety in flight. The two Jacksons were among those who escaped, and temporarily eluded pur- suit. They remained together during the ensuing night, and on the approach of morning concealed themselves in a thicket on the bank of a small creek, not far from the house of Lieutenant Crawford, who had been wounded and made prisoner. Becoming very hungry, they left their horses in the wood, and ventured out to Craw- ford's for food. But a party of Tories, who were well acquainted with the country, and the passes through the forest, unfortunately passed the creek, in the mean time, at the very point where the horses and baggage had been left ; and, guided by one of their number, whose name was Johnson, they approached the house, in com- pany with a small body of dragoons, and presented them- selves at the door, before the young Jacksons were aware of their approach. Resistance and flight were alike hopeless, and neither was attempted. Mrs. Crawford, with several children, one of whom was at the breast, were the inmates of the house. A scene of destruction immediately took place. All the glass, crockery, and other furniture, were dashed in pieces. The beds were ripped open, and the feathers scattered to the winds. The clothing of the whole family, men, women, and children, was cut and torn into frag- ments. Even the children's clothes shared the fate of the rest. Mercy for the wife and little ones of a hus- band and father, who was already wounded and in their hands, and doomed to imprisonment, if not death, touched not the hearts of these remorseless men, and no- thing was left to the terrified and wretched family, but the clothes they had on, and a desolate habitation. No attempt was made, by the British officer commanding, to arrest this destruction. While it was in progress, he ordered Andrew Jackson to clean his muddy boots. The young soldier refused, claiming to be treated with the respec due to a prisoner of war. Instead of admiring this manly spirit in one so young, the cowardly ruffian struck at his 24 LIFE OF JACKSON. head with his sword ; but, throwing up his left hand, the intended victim received a gash upon it, the scar of which he carried to the grave. Turning- to Robert Jackson, the officer ordered him to perform the menial task, and, re- ceiving a like refusal, aimed a furious blow at his head also, and inflicted a wound from which he never recovered. After these exhibitions of ferocity, the party set Andrew Jackson upon a horse, and ordered him, on pain of instant death, to lead them to the house of a well-known Whig, by the name of Thompson. Apprehending that Thomp- son was at home, it occurred to his young friend that he might save him by a stratagem. At that time, when men were at home, they generally kept a look-out to avoid sur- prise, and had a horse ready for flight. Instead of leading the party by the usual route, young Andrew took them through woods and fields, which brought them over an eminence in sight of the house, at the distance of half a mile. On reaching the summit, he beheld Thompson's horse tied to his rack, a sure sign that his owner was at home. The British dragoons darted forward, and, in breathless apprehension, Andrew Jackson kept his eye upon Thompson's horse. With inexpressible joy, he saw Thompson, while the dragoons were still a kw hundred yards distant, rush out, mount his horse, dash into the creek which ran foaming by, and in a minute ascend the opposite bank. He was then out of pistol shot, and as his pursuers dared not swim the rapid stream, he stopped long enough to shout execration and defiance, and then rode leisurely ofT. Andrew Jackson and his brother, with about twenty other prisoners, were mounted on captured horses, and started for Camden, over forty miles distant. Not a mouth- ful of food, or drop of water, was given them on the route. The streams which they forded had been swollen by re- cent rains ; but when they stooped to take up a little wa- ter in the palms of their hands, to assuage their burning thirst, they were ordered to desist by the brutal guard. Arrived at Camden, they were confined, with about two hundred and fifty other prisoners, in a redoubt surround- ing the jail, and overlooking the country to the north. No IMPRISONMENT AT CAMDEN. 25 attention was paid to their wounds or their wants. They had no beds, nor any substitute ; and their only food was a scanty supply of bad bread. They wire robbed of a portion of their clothing, taunted by Tories with b.'ing re- bels, and assured that they would be hanged. Andrew Jackson himself was stripped of his jacket and shoes. With a refinement of cruelty, the Jacksons and their cou- sin, Thomas Crawford, two of them severely wounded, were separated as soon as their relationship was known, and kept in perfect ignorance of each other's condition or fate. In aggravation of their sufferings, the small-pox made its appearance among them. Not a step was taken to stay its progress or mitigate its afflictions. Without physicians or nurses, denied even the kind attentions and sympathy of relatives who were fellow-prisoners, their keepers left them to perish, not only without compassion, but with apparent satisfaction. One day Andrew Jackson was sunning himself in the entrance of his prison, when the officer of the guard, ap- parently struck with his youthful appearance, entered into conversation with him. With characteristic energy, the fearless lad described to him the condition of the pri- soners ; and among the rest, their sufferings from the scantiness and bad quality of their food. Immediately meat was added to their bread, and there was otherwise a decided improvement. The Provost was a Tory from New York; and it was afterwards alleged that he with- held the meat he had contracted to supply for the support of the prisoners, to feed a gang of negroes, which he had collected from the plantations of the Whigs, with intent to convert them to his own use. During the confinement of the Waxhaw prisoners at Camden, General Greene made his unsuccessful attack on the British forces at that post under Lord Rawdon. The American army was encamped on Hobkirk's Hill, about a mile distant, and in full view of the redoubt in which the prisoners were confined. On the morning of the 24th of April, Andrew Jackson became convinced, from what he saw and heard, that a battle was soon to take place. He was exceedingly anxious to witness the conflict, but the 3 26 LIFE OF JACKSON. thick plank fence that extended around the redoubt, com- pletely shut out the view of the surrounding country. Determined that he would not be foiled in his wish, he set himself at work with an old razor-b'ade, which had teen given to the prisoners to eat their rations with, and by working the greater part of the night, he contrived to cut one of the knots out of a plank, and through this obtained a view of Greene's encampment, and of the san- guinary struggle which took place on the following day. In a few days after the battle before Camden, the two Jacksons were released, in pursuance of a partial exchange effected by the intercessions and exertions of their mother, and Captain Walker of the militia. While he was con- fined in prison, Robert had suffered greatly from the wound in his head which had never been dressed. Inflamma- tion of the brain soon after ensued, which brought him to his grave, in a few days after his liberation. The mo- ther also, worn out with anxiety and solicitude for her chil- dren, and her incessant efforts to relieve the sufferings of the prisoners who had been brought from her own neigh- borhood, was taken sick, and expired in a few weeks, near the lines of the enemy in the vicinity of Charleston. These repeated afflictions were keenly felt by young Jackson, and it was some time before he entirely reco- vered from the shock occasioned by so sudden a bereave- ment. He was tenderly attached to his mother and bro- ther, and as they were his only relatives, their death must have been a severe blow to him. The buoyancy of youth, however, enabled him to bear up manfully against mis- fortune, and he soon after entered into the enjoyment of his estate, which, though small, was sufficient to have given him a liberal education. Unfortunately he had be- come quite intimate with a number of the most polished citizens of Charleston, who had retired to the Waxhaw settlement, during the occupation of that city by the Bri- tish, and had contracted habits, and imbibed tastes, which it was unwise in him to indulge. He accompanied his friends on their return to Charleston ; and, as he deter- mined not to be outdone by his associates, his money was expended so profusely that his whole patrimony was HIS PECUNIARY DIFFICULTIES. 27 soon exhausted, and he was left with nothing but a fine horse which he had taken from the Waxhaws. The ani- mal itself was at length staked against a sum of money, in a game of " rattle and snap." Jackson won the game ; and, forming a sudden resolution, he pocketed the money, bade adieu to his friends, and returned home. This occurrence took place in the winter of 1784, and immediately after his return to the Waxhaws, Jackson collected the remains of his little property, with the in- tention of acquiring a profession, and preparing himself to enter on the busy scenes of life. After pursuing the study of the languages, and other desultory branches of education, under Mr. McCulloch, in that part of Carolina which was then called the New Acquisition, near Hill's Iron Works, for several months, he concluded to abandon the pulpit for which he had been designed by his mother, and embraced the legal profession. In pursuance of this determination, he repair d to Salisbury, in North Carolina, and commenced the study of che law, under SpruceMcCay, Esq., afterwards one of the judges of that state, and sub- sequently continued it under Colonel John Stokes. Hav- ing r mained at Salisbury until the winter of 1 78.'>, he obtained a license from the judges to practice law, and continued in the sta e until the spring of 1/88. As an evidence of the estimation in which his talents were at that time held by the influential men of North Carolina, he soon after r ceived from the governor the apj ointment of Solicitor for the western district of that state, of which the present state of Tennessee then formed a part. The observations he was enabled to make while en- gaged in the study of his prof ssion, had convinced him that North Carolina presented few inducements to a young attorney ; and recollecting that he stood solitary in life, without relations to aid him in the outset, when innumer- able di.^culties arise and retard success, he determined to seek a new country. But for this he mi^ht have again returned to his native state. The death, however, of every relation he had, had wiped away all those endear- ing recollections and circumsanas which attach the mind to the place of i:s nativity. The western district of the 29 LIFE OF JACKSON. state was often spoken of. as presenting flattering prospects to adventurers, and his ofnVi.tl appointment in that quarter happened quite opportunely to enable him to carry out his intention of visiting that section of the country. In the year I7^*\ at the age of twenty-one years, he ac- companied Judge McNairy, who was going out to hold the first Supreme Court that had ever sat in the district. Having reached the Ho!ston, they ascertained that it would be impossible t:> arrive at the time appointed for the ses- sion of the court; and therefore took up their residence, for some time, at Jonesborou^h, then the principal seat of justice in the western district. They recommenced their journey, in October, 178J, and passing through an ex- tensive uninhabited country, reached Nashville in the same month. SETTLEMENTS ON THE CUMBERLAND. 29 CHAPTER IL 1789. Early settlements on the Cumberland— Hardships endured by Jackson, in the discharge of his official duties — Escape from the Indians — His presence of mind — Adventures in the wilderness — Locales at Nashville — Fruitless attempts to intimidate him — Indian depredations — Becomes acquainted with Mrs. Robards — His mar- riage — A member of the Tennessee convention— Chosen a senator in Congress — His resignation, and appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court — Firmness and decision of character as a judge — Difficulty with Governor Sevier — Resigns his office, and devotes himself to agricultural pursuits. 1£04. At the time of the first visit made by Andrew Jackson, to the infant settlements on the Cumberland river, includ- ing that at French creek, near the present site of Nash- ville, almost all the settlers were residing in stations, and it was several years before it was entirely safe for them to spread over the country, and live in separate cabins. While the Shawanese from the north were carrying on perpetual war with the settlers in Kentucky, the Chero- kees and Choctaws from the south were wreaking their vengeance on the intruders upon their hunting-grounds in Tennessee. Twenty-two times during this period of danger and blood, did General Jackson, in the performance of his public and private duties, cross the wilderness of two hundred miles, then intervening between Jonesborough and the settlements on the Cumberland. The hardships and perils of those journeys it is difficult for travellers at the present day duly to appreciate. In addition to his rider, with a loaded rifle on his shoulder, the patient horse carried upon his back his master's blankets, provisions, and equipments. His food was the foliage of the bushes and the native grass. At a fire kindled from a tinder-box, or the flash of his rifle, the traveller roasted his bacon or wild meat on a stick, and cut 3* 30 LIFE OF JACKSON. it with his hunter's knife, while his fingers served him. instead of forks. Wrapped in his blanket, with his rifle for a bed-fellow, and his horse standing by, he slept, with no roof to protect him but the boughs of the forest. With- out a water-proof hat or India-rubber coat, he was drenched to the skin by the falling rain. Often when he was hungry with fasting, and a delicious pheasant, or plump deer was before him, he dared not kill it, lest the report of his rifle should give notice of his presence to a lurking savage. At one time when Jackson was traversing the wilder- ness alone, he came, after night, and amid torrents of rain, to a creek, the noise of whose tumbling waters, already swollen to a great depth, warned him not to attempt cross- ing the ford. Dismounting from his horse, and turning his saddle bottom upward, at the root of a tree, he wrapped his blanket around him, and with his rifle in one hand and his bridle in the other, sat upon it, with his horse stand- ing before him, listening to the roaring stream and the pattering of the raindrops on the leaves of the forest, until the return of day enabled him to proceed. On another occasion, he was in company with three companions, on his way from Jonesborough to the Cum- berland. Th^y arrive d, just after dark, at the east side of the Emory, where it issues from the moun'ains, and dis- covered the fires of a large pariy of hostile Indians on the opposite bank. The moment the discovery was made, Andrew Jackton, as if by instinct, assumed the direction of the party. He enjoined silence and instant retreat, and having retired some distance into the mountains, directed his companions to quit the road cautiously and at different points, so as to have no distinct trace behind them, and to reunite, and proceed up the stream, for the purpose of crossing at some ford above and eluding the Indians. Guided by the noise of the waters, they progressed up- ward among the mountains during the ni^ht, and, as soon as it was day, approached the stream. They found it too much swollen to be forded, and too rapid to be swam. Still apprehensive of pursuit, they resumed their march, and about two o'clock in the afternoon reached a place where the stream, after dashing over a rough precipice, INCIDENTS OF THE WILDERNESS. 31 spread out with a lake-like surface, broken at a short dis- tance below by another cataract. Here the par :y, not feeling- safe until their trail was broken by the intervening stream, determined to attempt a passage. Binding logs and bushes together with hickory withes, they soon con- structed a small raft sufficient to convey three or four men, and affixed two rude oars to the bows, and one as a steer- ing-oar or rudder to the stern. It was cold, March weather, and very important to keep their clothes, blankets, and saddles, as weil as their rifles and powder, from getting wet. To that end, it was concluded that Jackson and one of his companions should first cross with every thing but the horses, and that on a second trip, they should be swam over alongside the raft. The craft was freighted accord- ingly, and pushed off from shore ; but in an instant, an irresistible under-current seized the rude flotilla, and hurled it down the stream. For a few moments, Jackson, who was at the oars, regardless of the shouts of his companions, who followed him downward on the bank, struggled with the flood ; but, perceiving that farther effort could only end in destruction, he reversed the direction of the raft, in the hope of reaching the shore he had left. Notwith- standing he exerted ail his strength, he was unable to bring it to land ; and although within a few feet, the suck of the cataract had already seized it. A moment more, and the raft, with its passengers, would have been dashed in pieces, when Jackson, wrenching one of his oars from its fastenings, sprung to the stern, and bracing himself there, held it out to his companions on shore, who seized it, and brought them safe to land. Being reproached for not heeding their first warnings, Jackson coolly re- plied: "A miss is as good as a mile ; you see how near I can graze danger. Come on, and I will save you yet." Re-equipping themselves and horses, they resumed their march up the stream; and after spending another night, supperless, in the woods, found a ford the next day, and, by a circuitous route, reached a log cabin on the road, about forty miles in the rear of the Indian encampment. At another time, he reached Bean's station, the rendez- vous of a party with whom he was to cross the wilderness, 32 LIFE OF JACKSON. on the evening after they had left. Determined to overtake them, he employed a guide well acquainted with Indian signs and stratagems, and travelled all night. Just before day, they came to the fires where the party had encamped the first part of the night. Following on, they soon dis- covered, by the trail in the road, that a party of Indians, about twenty-two in number, were in pursuit of their friends ahead. They hastened forward rapidly, until they approached so near the Indians that the water, w r hich the weight of their tread had pressed out of the rotten logs, was not yet dry. The guide now refused to proceed ; but Jackson resolved to save his friends, or, at least, hazard his life in the attempt. Dividing provisions, he and his guide proceeded in opposite directions, Jackson cautiously advancing, and watching the tracks of the Indians. At length he saw where they had turned off to the right, probably for the purpose of getting ahead of the party, and attacking them from ambush, or falling upon them in the night. The danger was imminent, and pressing on with increased speed, he overtook his friends before dark. Having crossed a stream which was very deep and partly frozen over, they had halted and kindled fires, at which they were drying their clothes and baggage. Warned of their danger, they immediately resumed their march, and continued it without intermission, during the whole night and the next day. The sky was overcast with clouds, and in the evening it began to snow. While upon the route, they arrived at the log cabins of a party of hunters, and requested shelter and protection ; but, contrary to their expectations, for such churlishness was unusual among men of their class, they were rudely refused. The party were therefore compelled to bivouac in the forest. Jackson was wearied with his fatiguing march, and as he had not closed his eyes for two nights, he wrapped him- self in his blanket, and laid down upon the ground, where he slept soundly. When he awoke in the morning, he found himself covered with six inches of snow. The party resumed their march, and reached their des- tination in safety ; but they afterwards learned that the ESTABLISHES HIMSELF AT NASHVILLE. 33 hunters, who had refused them the hospitality of their cabins, had been murdered by the Indians. In the course of his frequent professional visits made from Jonesborough to the settlement on the Cumberland,, the advantages of Nashville as a suitable locality in which to establish himself, attracted Jackson's notice, and he con- cluded to make it his future place of residence. It had not been his original intention to locate permanently in Tennessee. His visit was merely experimental, and his stay remained to be determined by the prospect that might be disclosed : but finding, soon after his arrival, that a con- siderable opening was offered for the success of a young attorney, he decided to remain. To a person of refined feel- ings, the condition of things was far from encouraging. As must be the case in all newly settled countries, society was loosely formed, and united by but few of those ties which have a tendency to enforce the performance of moral duty, and the execution of strict and impartial justice. The young men of the place, who were adventurers from dif- ferent sections of the union, had become deeply indebted to the merchants. There was but one lawyer in the country, and they had so contrived as to retain him in their business ; the consequence was, that the merchants were entirely deprived of the means of enforcing against those gentlemen the execution of their contracts. In this state of things, Jackson made his appearance at Nashville, and, while the creditor class looked to it with great satis- faction, the debtors were sorely displeased. Applications were immediately made to him for his professional ser- vices, and on the morning after his arival, he issued seventy writs. To those prodigal gentlemen it was an alarming circumstance ; their former security was im- paired ; but that it might not wholly depart, they deter- mined to force him, in some way or other, to leave the country ; and to effect this, broils and quarrels with him were resorted to. In the state of society then existing in Tennessee, there was a grade of men who prided themselves on their courage and prowess, as mere bullies, and were always ready, like the brute beast, lo decide the question of su- 34 LIFE OF JACKSON. periority, by a fight. Equals in standing, who hated, but dared not encounter the fearless Jackson, stimulated this class of men to attack, in the hope of degrading, if they could not destroy him. The first man set upon him, with scarcely a pretence of provocation, was a flax-breaker of great strength and courage, whom he soon reduced to submission with his own winding-blades, the only weapon within his reach. His next encounter was at a court in Sumner county, with a noted bully whom he did not know. While he was conversing with a gentleman, on business, the bully approached, and without saying a word, placed his heels on Jackson's feet. Pushing him off, Jackson seized a slab, and with a forward thrust upon the breast, brought him to the ground. The interference cf the crowd put an end to the conflict ; but the baffled bully, snatching a stake from the fence, again approached with dreadful imprecations. At the earnest entreaty of Jackson, the crowd retired from between them. Poising his slab, he then advanced, with a firm step and steady eye, upon his antagonist, who dropped his stake at his approach, jumped over the fence, and ran into the woods. These attempts to intimidate Jackson in the perform- ance of what he conceived to be his duty to his clients, were found wholly unavailing, and were soon abandoned. His enemies were convinced by the first controversy in which they had involved him, that his decision and firm- ness were such as to leave no hope of effecting any thing through this channel. Disregarding the opposition mani- fested towards him, he continued, with care and industry, to press forward in his professional course ; and his atten- tion soon brought him forward, and introduced him to a profitable practice. The western district of North Caro- lina having been ceded to the national government, and erected into a territory, in 1700, Jackson was appointed, by president Washington, the United States attorney for the new judicial district, in which capacity he continued to act for several years. The depredations committed by the Indians, in the vici- nity of the Cumberland river, about this time, compelled every man, of necessity, to become a soldier. Unassisted INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 35 by the government, the settlers were forced to rely, for security, on their own bravery and exertions. Although young, no person was more distinguished than Andrew Jackson, in defending the country against these predatory incursions of the savages, who continually harassed the frontiers, and not unfrequently approached the heart of the settlements, which were thin, but not widely extended. Frequent expeditions were undertaken from Nashville against them, in most of which he took part. This state of things continued until 1794, when a large party, among whom was Jackson, attacked and destroyed the Indian town of Nickajak, near the Tennessee river. In these affairs, his courage and gallantry were so conspicuous, that the red warriors gave him the appellation of '-Sharp Knife," and the hardy hunters who accompanied him were proud of his friendship and esteem. When Jackson first located himself in Nashville, he boarded, in company with the late Judge Overton, in the family of Mrs. Donelson, a widow lady who had emigrated from Virginia, first to Kentucky, and afterwards to Nash- ville. Mrs. Robards, her daughter, who afterwards be- came the wife of Jackson, was then living in the family with her mother, whom she had followed to Tennessee, on account of the ill treatment which she had received at the hands of her husband, who was dissipated in his ha- bits and of a morose and jealous disposition, while she, on the contrary, was celebrated for her gayety, sweetness, and affability. A short time before Jackson became an inmate of the family, a reconciliation had taken place be- tween Robards and his wife'; but a second rupture afterwards occurred, and Robards went to Kentucky. His wife soon learned that he intended to compel her to accompany him, and, in the spring of 1791, with the advice of her friends, she determined to descend the river as far as Natchez, in company with Colonel Stark, who was then making pre- parations for the voyage. At the earnest request of Colo- nel Stark, Jackson piloted his family through the Indian country. After his return, Judge Overton communicated to him the astounding intelligence, that he was the uncon- 36 LIFE OF JACKSON. scious cause of the last separation ; that it arose from Ro- bards' jealousy of him ; and that the circumstance of his accompanying Colonel Stark, who was an elderly man, and apprehensive of danger, had been seized upon by Robards as a ground of divorce, in a petition to the Virginia legis lature. The thought that an innocent woman was suffering so unjustly on his account, made Jackson's sensitive mind most uneasy and unhappy. He immediately sought out Robards and expostulated with him, on the injustice and cruelty of his causeless suspicion ; but the interview ended in mutual defiances. At length news came that the Vir- ginia legislature had actually granted the divorce in ac- cordance with Robards' petition. Forthwith Jackson has- tened to Natchez, and offered his hand and his heart to the innocent and amiable woman, who had been made so un- happy by false and unfounded accusations, in order that he might give the world the highest evidence in his power of her entire innocence. Although free to form a new connection, Mrs. Robards declined the proffered offer. But her suitor was not to be denied. His feelings were warmly enlisted in her favor. His attachment for her was ardent and sincere, and when he addressed her in the language of Ruth to Naomi : " Entreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee, for where thou goest I will go, where thou lodgest I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God ; where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried," she found herself unable to resist his importunities, and they were soon after married and re- turned to Tennessee. On arriving there, it was discovered that all the necessary forms to complete the divorce in Virginia had not been finished at the time of the marriage; consequently the ceremony was again performed after their arrival at Nashville. The attachment thus consum- mated was a source of unfailing pleasure to Andrew Jack- son. He was devotedly fond of his wife ; after her decease he cherished her memory with an almost holy reverence; and he refused the sarcophagus of the Emperor Severus, CHOSEN A SENATOR IN CONGRESS. 3? that he might not be denied the privilege of being buried by her side.* In the year 1796, measures were taken by the people of Tennessee to form a state government. The acknow- ledged talents, patriotism, and decision of character, of Andrew Jackson were not to be overlooked on such an occasion, and without solicitation on his part, he was elected one of the members of the convention to frame a state constitution. His good conduct and zeal for the public interest, and the republican feelings and sentiments which were conspicuously manifested in the formation and arrangement of this instrument, brought him more pro- minently to view; and, without proposing or soliciting the office, he was in the same year elected a member of the House of Representatives in Congress, for the state of Tennessee. The following year, his reputation con- tinuing to increase, and his constituents generally concur- ring in the wish to elevate him to still higher honors, he was chosen a senator in Congress, and took his seat on the 22d day of November, 1797. About the middle of April, 1798, business of an important and private nature im- posed on him the necessity of asking leave of absence, and returning home. Leave was granted, and before the next session he resigned his seat. He was but little more than thirty years of age ; and hence scarcely eligible by the constitution, at the time he was elected. The sedition law, about which so much concern and feeling had been mani- fested through the country, was introduced into the senate by Mr. Lloyd, of Maryland, in June, 179S, and passed that body on the 4th of July following; hence the name of Jackson, owing to his absence from his seat, does not appear on the journals. At the time of the passage of the alien law, and the effort to repeal the stamp act, he was present, and voted with the minority, in accordance with his well-known republican sentiments. Shortly after his resignation of the office of senator, the legislature of Tennessee, most unexpectedly to himself, conferred upon him the appointment of judge of the Su- * See Appendix, note E. 4 38 LIFE OF JACKSON. preme Court, a station which he accepted with reluctance, and from which he withdrew at an early day. His first court was held at Jonesborough, where an incident oc- curred, illustrative alike of the rudeness of the times and the firmness of the new judge : A man named Russell Bean was indicted for cutting off the ears of his infant child in a drunken frolic. He was in the courtyard ; but such was his strength and ferocity, that the sheriff, not daring to approach him, made a return to the court that " Russell Bean will not be taken." Judge Jackson, with his peculiar emphasis, said that such a re- turn was an absurdity, and could not be received. " He must be taken," said the judge, "and, if necessary, you must summon the posse comitalus." The mortified sheriff retired, and waiting until the court adjourned for dinner, summoned the judges themselves, as part of the posse. Conceiving that the object of the sheriff was to avoid a dangerous service, under cover of the judges' re- fusal to obey the summons, Judge Jackson instantly replied, "Yes, sir, I will attend you, and see that you do your duty." Learning that Bean was armed, he requested a loaded pistol, which was put into his hand. He then said to the sheriff: "Advance and arrest him ; I will pro- tect you from harm." Bean, armed with a dirk and brace of pistols, assumed an attitude of defiance and despera- tion. But when the judge drew near, he began to retreat. "Stop and submit to the law," cried the judge. The cul- prit stopped, threw down his pistols, and replied, "I will surrender to you, sir, but to no one else." This exem- plary firmness and decision of Judge Jackson, in main- taining the supremacy of the law, produced a happy change in the conduct of the turbulent spirits of the vi- cinity. General Jackson was distinguished throughout his whole life for a remarkable fidelity to his friends. This trait in his character was strikingly exhibited in the progress of a serious difficulty between Governor Sevier and himself, which took place in 1803. A misunderstanding arose between Jackson and his former friend, Judge McNairy, growing out of the agency of the latter in the removal of FIRMNESS AND DECISION AS A JUDGE. 39 General Robertson, one of the oldest and most respected citizens of the state, from the office of agent for the Chicka- saw Indians. One of the consequences of that removal was, that a Mr. Searcy, who had emigrated to the country with them, and continued their steadfast friend, lost his office as clerk to the agency, on which he depended for support. Not perceiving any public reasons requiring this removal, Jackson remonstrated with McNairy on the course he had pursued. An altercation ensued, which produced an alienation never entirely obliterated. This incident added the weight of a respectable and powerful family to the hostile interests already arrayed against him. Among others who became inimical towards him on this account, was John Sevier, governor of the state. Sevier was very popular, and being a candidate for re- election, in 1803, his exasperation against General Jackson was imbibed, in the course of the canvass, by the power- ful party which supported him. In East Tennessee it had arisen to a high pitch ; and while on his way to Jonesborough to hold his court, in the fall of 1803, he was informed that a combination had been organized to mob him on his arrival. It had no effect but to increase his anxiety to reach his destination. Having been sick on the road, he pushed forward while scarcely able to sit on his horse, and on his arrival at Jonesborough could not dismount without assistance. Having a high fever upon him, he retired immediately to his room, and lay down upon the bed. In a short time a friend called, and in- formed him that a regiment of men, headed by Colonel Harrison, had assembled to tar and feather him, and begged him to lock his door. He immediately rose, threw the door wide open, and said to his friend, "Give my compliments to Colonel Harrison, and tell him my door is open to receive him and his regiment whenever they choose to wait upon me ; and I hope the colonel's chivalry will induce him to lead his men, and not follow them." Upon the delivery of his message, the mob dispersed ; and having apologized for the inconsiderate violence of his conduct, Harrison remained ever after on good terms with General Jackson. 40 LIFE OF JACKSON. His next court was at Knoxville, where the legislature was then in session. They had entered into an investi- gation of certain land frauds which Jackson had done much to defeat, and there was some evidence tending to impli- cate the governor, who consequently became still more highly exasperated, and determined to revenge himself. As Judge Jackson left the court-house on the first day of his court, he found a crowd in front, in the midst of which stood Governor Sevier, with his sword in his hand, ha- ranguing them in a loud voice. As Jackson advanced, the governor turned upon him ; and an altercation en- sued, in which insults were given and retorted. Being repeatedly defied by the governor to meet him in single combat, the general sent him a challenge, which was ac- cepted. But in consequence of difficulties on the part of the challenged party, as to the time and place of meeting, the.general published him in the usual form. It was then understood, without any formal arrangement, that they would meet at a place called Southwest Point, within the Indian boundary. Thither the general repaired with a single friend. Having waited a couple of days, without seeing or hearing of the governor, he resolved to return to Knoxville, and bring the quarrel to a close. He had not proceeded a mile, however, when he saw the governor approaching, escorted by about twenty men. He had already prepared another note to the governor, setting forth his manifold grievances, and halting in the road, he sent his friend forward to deliver it. The governor re- fused to receive it. Out of patience with what he con- ceived to be an aggravation of former indignities, the general resolved to end the matter on the spot. He was armed with a brace of pistols at his saddle-bow, and a cane ; the governor with a brace of pistols and a sword. Advancing slowly until within one hundred yards of the governor, he levelled his cane as ancient knights did their spears, put spurs to his horse, and charged upon his an- tagonist. Astounded at this bold and unexpected move- ment, the governor's friends had not presence of mind enough to interpose ; and the governor himself, dismount- ing to avoid the shock, trod on the scabbard of his sword, RETIRES TO PRIVATE LIFE. 41 and was rendered incapable of resistance. A rally of his attendants prevented any very serious mischief. In the governor's party were gentlemen who were as much the friends of General Jackson as of himself ; and through their intercession, all further hostile intentions were abandoned, and the parties rode on some miles together. On the admission of Tennessee into the union, it com- prised one military division. The death of Major-general Conway, which occurred about this time, created a va- cancy in the office, which was filled by the election of Jackson. This was the only public station he filled for a number of years, as, in 1804, he sent in his resignation of the judgeship to the legislature, which was accepted in July, about six years after his original appointment. He always distrusted his own abilities as a judge, and was quite willing that others should discharge its intricate and re- sponsible duties. Unambitious of obtaining those distinc- tions and honors, which young men are usually proud to possess, and finding too that his circumstances and con- dition in life were not such as to permit his time and at- tention to be devoted to public matters, he determined to yield them into other hands, and to devote himself to agricultural pursuits. He accordingly settled himself on an excellent farm, ten miles from Nashville, on the Cum- berland river, where for several years he enjoyed all the comforts of domestic and social intercourse. Abstracted from the busy scenes of public life, pleased with retire- ment, surrounded by friends whom he loved, and who entertained for him the highest veneration and respect, and blessed with an amiable and affectionate wife, nothing seemed wanting to the completion of that happiness which he so anxiously desired while in office. 42 LIFE OF JACKSON. CHAPTER III. 1804. Fondness of General Jackson for horses — Duel with Dickinson — Forms a mercantile partnership — Pecuniary difficulties — Adven- ture with the Choctaw agent — Affray with Colonel Benton — Their subsequent friendship for each other — Hostilities with Great Britain . — Declaration of war in 1812 — Jackson raises a volunteer force— Their services accepted by government — Ordered to embark for Natchez — Arrival of the troops, and order to disband them — HJ3 disobedience of orders — Attempt of General Wilkinson to prevent the return of the volunteers — Object of the order — Jackson's de- cision exhibited — Shares the privations of the soldiers on their home- ward march — Return, and disbandtnent of his force. 1813. General Jackson had a strong passion for fine horses, and it became a principal branch of his farming business, to raise them from the best blooded stock imported from Virginia and North Carolina. The enthusiasm of his character displayed itself in his attachment to favorite animals he had raised, and perhaps no man in the west- ern country was equally successful in that branch of agri- cultural pursuits. More for the purpose of exhibiting his stock and recommending it to purchasers, than to indulge in the practices common at such places, he brought out his favorite horses upon the race-courses of the day, and, though not a sportsman, in the technical sense of the term, he lost and won in many a well-contested field. An occa- sion of this sort, however, led to one of the most unfor- tunate incidents of his life. He owned a favorite horse, named Truxton, which he was challenged to run against a horse owned by a Mr. Erwin and his son-in-law, Charles Dickinson. The stakes were to be two thousand dollars on a side, in cash notes, with a forfeiture of eight hundred dollars. The bet was accepted, and a list of notes made out; but when the time for running arrived, Erwin and Dickinson chose to pay the DUEL WITH DICKINSON. 43 forfeit. Erwin offered sundry notes not due, withholding the list which was in the hands of Dickinson. Jackson refused to receive them, and demanded the list, claiming the right to select from the notes described upon it. The list was produced, a selection made, and the affair satisfacto- rily adjusted. Afterwards a rumor reached Dickinson, that General Jackson charged Erwin with producing a list of notes different from the true one. In an interview between Jackson and Dickinson, the former denied the statement, and the latter gave his author. Jackson instantly proposed to call him in ; but Dickinson declined. Meeting with the author shortly after, Jackson had an altercation with him, which ended in blows. Here the affair ought to have ended. But there were those who desired to produce a duel between Jackson and Dickinson. The latter was brave and reckless, a trader in blacks and blooded horses, and reputed to be the best shot in the country. A quar- rel with such a man as General Jackson was nattering to his pride, and officious friends were not wanting to take advantage of the weakness of the one party, and the in- flexibility of the other, in order to push matters to extremi- ties. Exasperation was produced ; publication followed publication ; insults were given and retorted ; until, at length, General Jackson was informed that a paper, more severe than its predecessors, was in the hands of the printer, and that Dickinson was about to leave the state. He flew to Nashville, and demanded a sight of it in the printer's hands. It was insulting in the highest degree, contained a direct imputation of cowardice, and concluded with a notice that the author would leave for Maryland, within the coming week. A stern challenge, demanding immediate satisfaction, was the consequence. The chal- lenge was given on the 23d of May, and Dickinson's pub- lication appeared the next morning. Jackson pressed for an instant meeting ; but it was postponed, at the request of the other party, until the 30th, at which time it was to take place, at Harrison's Mills, on Red River, within the limits of Kentucky. Dickinson occupied the inter- mediate time in practicing; and his ferocious boasts, how often he had hit the general chalked out on a tree, and his 44 LIFE OF JACKSON. unfeeling offers to bet that he Avould kill him at the ap- proaching meeting, being duly communicated, had an effect upon his antagonist which can be better conceived than described. Jackson went upon the ground firmly impressed with the conviction that his life was eagerly sought, and in the expectation of losing it, but with a de- termination which such a conviction naturally inspired in a bosom that never knew fear. At the word, Dickinson fired, and the dust was seen to fly from Jackson's clothes; the next instant, the latter fired, and Dickinson fell. Jack- son, with his friend and surgeon, left the ground, and had travelled about twenty miles towards home, when his at- tendant first discovered that the general was wounded, by seeing the blood oozing through his clothes. On examina- tion, it was found that Dickinson's ball had buried itself in his breast, and shattered two of his ribs near their arti- culation with the breastbone. It was some weeks before he was able to attend to business. Dickinson was taken to a neighbouring house, where he survived but a few hours. The friends of Dickinson, and the enemies of Jackson, circulated charges of unfairness in the fight, bat ihe«o were soon put down, in the estimation of candid and im- partial judges, by the certificates of the seconds, that all had been done according to the previous understanding between the parties, and proof that Dickinson himself, though able to converse, never uttered a single word of complaint before his death. The firmness and steadiness of nerve exhibited by Ge- neral Jackson on this occasion, have often been the subject of commendation, even among those who do not hesitate to condemn, in decided terms, the inexcusable practice, which was then not only tolerated, but actually encou- raged, in that section of the country. There are many brave men who can look danger in the face, without the change of a muscle ; but there are few who can take a sure aim, at the moment when they are conscious of being severely wounded. Not a man on the ground, except General Jackson himself, knew that he had received a wound ; and every muscle was as quiet, and his hand as ADVENTURE WITH THE CHOCTAW AGENT. 45 steady, as if he had not known it himself. The stern pur- pose which might in part have nerved him, was best de- scribed by himself, when a friend expressed astonishment at his self-command : " Sir," said he, " I should have killed him, if he had shot me through the brain." Not long after this occurrence, General Jackson entered into partnership with a merchant in Nashville. He took no active part in the business himself, and their affairs were conducted for some time, without his having any more than a general knowledge of what was going on. Circumstances, however, soon attracted his attention, which led him to suspect that all was not right. He promptly demanded a full investigation, which resulted in the dis- covery that his partner, in whose fidelity and capacity he had reposed the most implicit confidence, had involved him for many thousand dollars, over and above what could be satisfied out of the partnership property. With a prompt- itude which did him great honor, he sold his fine planta- tion, paid off' his debts with the proceeds of the sale, and retired into a log-cabin to begin the world anew. His ex- traordinary energy and perseverance, and the rigid system of economy he adopted, enabled him in a few years to recover from his embarrassments, and to be once more com- fortable in the world. In the year 1811, General Jackson had occasion to visit Natchez, in the territory of Mississippi, for the purpose of bringing up a number of blacks, a part of whom had be- come his property in consequence of having been security for a friend, and the remainder were hands which had been employed by a nephew, in the neighborhood of that place. The road led through the country inhabited by the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians, and the station of the agent for the Choctaws was upon it. On reaching the agency, he found seven or eight families of emigrants, and two members of the Mississippi legislative council, detained there, under the pretence that it was necessary for them to have passports from the governor of Mississippi. One of their number had been sent forward to procure them. In the mean time, the emigrants were buying corn from the agent, at an extravagant price, and splitting rails for 46 LIFE OF JACKSON. him at a very moderate one. Indignant at the wrong in- flicted on the emigrants, he reproached the members of the council for submitting to the detention, and asked the agent how he dared to demand a pass from a free Ame- rican, travelling on a public road. The agent replied, by- inquiring, with much temper, whether he had a pass. " Yes, sir," rejoined the general, " I always carry mine with me : I am a free-born American citizen ; and that is a passport all over the world." He then directed the emigrants to gear up their wagons, and if any one at- tempted to obstruct them, to shoot him down as a highway robber. Setting them the example, he continued his jour- ney, regardless of the threats of the agent. After concluding his business, he was informed that the agent had collected about fifty white men and one hundred Indians, to stop him on his return, unless he produced a passport. Though advised by his friends to procure one, he refused to do so ; stating that no American citizen should ever be subjected to the insult and indignity of procuring a pass, to enable him to travel a public highway in his own country. Like all travellers among the In- dians, at that time, he was armed with a brace of pistols; and having added a rifle, and another pistol, he commenced his return journey. When within a few miles of the agency, he was informed by a friend who had gone for- ward to reconnoitre, that the agent had his force in readi- ness to stop him. He directed his friend to advance again, and tell the agent, that if he attempted to stop him, it would be at the peril of his life. He then put his blacks in order, and armed them with axes and clubs ; at the same time telling them not to stop unless directed by him, and if any one offered to oppose them, to cut him down. Riding by their side, he approached the station, when the agent appeared, and asked him whether he meant to slop and show his passport. Jackson replied : " That depends on circumstances. I am told that you mean to stop me by force ; whoever attempts such a thing will not have long to live ;" and with a look that was not to be mistaken, he grasped his bridle with a firmer grip. His determined manner had such an effect, that the agent declared he had AFFRAY WITH COLONEL BENTON. 47 no intention of stopping- him, and he and his party were suffered to pass on, without further molestation or inter- ruption. He afterwards reported the conduct of the agent to the government, and he was dismissed from his agency. After the return of General Jackson from Natchez, he was called upon by his friend, the late Governor Carroll, to act as his second, in an affair of honor with a brother of Colonel Thomas H. Benton, for so many years the distin- guished representative of the state of Missouri, in the senate of the United States. In the duel, Mr. Benton was severely wounded. The colonel, who had long been on terms of friendly intimacy with Jackson, thought that the latter acted ungenerously, in taking such a part against his kinsman, and expressed himself accordingly in a let- ter addressed to him. General Jackson, however, felt himself bound by the relations which had existed between Governor Carroll and himself, to perform the act of friend- ship which he required, and replied to that effect, in very pointed terms. The angry correspondence that ensued only widened the breach, and it ended in a fight at a pub- lic-house in Nashville, in which Jackson's left arm was shattered by a pistol shot. For several years afterwards, both gentlemen appeared to cherish feelings of animosity towards each other, but the political associations of a later day united them together in the bonds of a sincere and constant friendship. The many noble traits in the cha- racter of Andrew Jackson elicited the warmest admiration and respect of Colonel Benton, while, the former was proud to manifest his attachment to one of the firmest and ablest supporters of his administration. The repose of Jackson, and the pleasures he had en- joyed in his quiet home, were now destined to be termi- nated by the public exigencies, which compelled him to abandon the peaceful pursuits of agriculture for the ha- rassing cares and anxieties of a military career. The difficulties between the United States and Great Britain, whicli had originated with the adoption of the Orders in Council, and the passage of the Embargo Act, in 1807, had long threatened to disturb the peace of the two countries. In the spring of 181 1, affairs began to assume a most 48 LIFE OF JACKSON. threatening aspect. On the first of March, the American minister, Mr. Pinckney, took a formal leave of the Prince Regent, in obedience to the instructions of his government. Active preparations were at once made for the commence- ment of hostilities. Privateers were fitted out in every harbor, and throughout the whole extent of the Union, there prevailed a strong feeling of indignation at the re- peated wrongs and injuries which our countrymen had endured from the English government. The war-spirit was aroused, and, from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, there glowed a strong and manly enthusiasm which bounded to defend the honor of the nation, and maintain, at any sacrifice, the " searchless shelter" of their flag. In accord- ance with the decided expressions of public sentiment, the American Congress passed an act, in the month of Feb- ruary, 1812, authorizing the president to accept the ser- vices of a large volunteer force. On the 20th day of June war was declared against Great Britain, and in July fol lowing, a second act was passed, making further provisions for calling out fifty thousand volunteers. At this time, General Jackson was living happily on his farm, and, though only forty-five years of age, he had re- tired, as he thought, for ever, from all participation in public affairs. But the fire of that true and devoted pa- triotism which never ceased to glow in his bosom, needed but the quickening spark, to cause it to revive with all the fervor of youth. He was roused by the insults that had been so repeatedly offered to his country, by the wrongs inflicted upon her citizens, and by the bitter recollections connected with the death of his mother and his two bro- thers. He could recall the many horrid tales, to which he had listened, of English cruelty and oppression in the birth-place of his ancestors. There was also that scar on his hand, inflicted by a British officer, who had aimed a blow at his life because he had refused to clean the dirt from his boots ; that scar remained to keep his virtuous resentment alive, even if he could otherwise have for- gotten the injuries of his native land, the wrongs of Ire- land, and the extermination of every relative in the world, RAISES A VOLUNTEER FORCE. 49 Jackson did not seek a command in the regular army, but immediately issued a spirited address to the citizens of his division, calling upon them to unite with him in protecting the rights and the honor of the republic. In a few days twenty-five hundred volunteers flocked to his standard, ready to follow wheresoever he might see fit to lead them. A tender of their services having been made to the general government, and the offer accepted, he re- ceived orders in November, 1812, to place himself at their head and to descend the Mississippi, for the defence of the lower country, which was then supposed to be in danger. Accordingly, on the 10th of December, 1812, the men under his command rendezvoused at Nashville, prepared to advance to the place of their destination ; and although the weather was then excessively severe, and the ground covered with snow, no troops could have displayed greater firmness. The general was everywhere with them, in- spiring them with the ardor that animated his own bosom. The cheerful spirit with which they submitted to hard- ships and bore privations, at the very outset of their mili- tary life, as well as the order and subordination they so readily observed, were happy presages of what was to be expected when they should be directed to face an enemy. Having procured supplies, and made the necessary arrangements for an active campaign, the volunteers com- menced their journey on the 7th of January, 1813, and descending the Ohio and Mississippi through cold and ice, arrived and halted at Natchez. Here Jackson had been instructed to remain until he should receive further orders. Having chosen a healthy site for the encamp- ment of his troops, he devoted his time with the utmost industry, to training and preparing them for active service. The clouds of war in that quarter having temporarily blown over, an order was received, soon after his arrival, from the Secretary of War, dated the 5th of January, 1813, directing him, on the receipt thereof, to dismiss the men under his command from service, and to take measures for delivering over every article of public property in his possession to Brigadier-General Wilkinson. 5 50 LIFE OF JACKSON. When this order reached the camp of General Jackson, there were one hundred and fifty men on the sick report, fifty-six of whom were unable to rise from their beds, and almost the whole number were without the means of de- fraying the expenses of their return. The consequence of a strict compliance with the Secretary's order, would inevitably have been, that many of the sick must have perished, while most of the others, from their destitute condition, would, of necessity, have been compelled to enlist in the regular army, under General Wilkinson. Such alternatives were neither congenial with their ge- neral's wishes, nor such as they had expected, on ad- venturing with him in the service of their country. He had taken them from home, and he regarded it as a solemn duty to bring them back. Whether an expectation that, by this plan, many of them would be forced into the regular ranks, had formed any part of the motive that occasioned the order for their discharge, at so great a dis- tance from home, cannot be known ; and it would be un- charitable to insinuate against the government so serious an accusation, without the strongest evidence to support it. Be this as it may, General Jackson could not think of sacrificing, or injuring, an army that had shown such devotedness to their country ; and he determined to dis- regard the order, and march them again to their homes, where they had been embodied, rather than to discharge them where they would be exposed to the greatest hard- ships and dangers. To this measure he was prompted, not only by the reasons already mentioned, but by the consideration that many of them were young men, the children of his neighbors and acquaintances, who had de- livered them into his hands, as to a guardian, with the ex- pectation that he would watch over and protect them. To have abandoned them, therefore, at such a time, and under such circumstances, would have drawn on him the merited censure of the most deserving part of his fellow- citizens, and deeply wounded his own generous feelings. In addition to this, the young men who were confined by sickness, learning the nature of the order he had received, implored him, with tears in their eyes, not to abandon DISOBEDIENCE OF ORDERS. 51 them in so great an extremity, and reminded him, at the same time, of his assurance that he would be to them as a father, and of the implicit confidence they had placed in his word. This was an appeal which it would have been difficult for Jackson to have resisted, had he been inclined to disregard other considerations ; but influenced by them all, he had no hesitation in coming to a determination. Having made known his resolution to the field-officers of his division, it apparently met their approbation ; but after retiring from his presence, they assembled late at night, in secret caucus, and proceeded to recommend to him an abandonment of his purpose, and an immediate discharge of the troops. Great as was the astonishment which this movement excited in the general, it produced a still stronger feeling of indignation. In reply, he urged the duplicity of their conduct, and reminded them that although to those who possessed money and health, such a course could produce no inconvenience, yet to the unfortunate soldier, who was alike destitute of both, no measure could be more calamitous. He concluded, by telling them, that his resolution, not having been hastily concluded on, nor founded on light considerations, was unalterably fixed ; and that immediate preparations must be made for carrying into execution the determination he had formed. He lost no time in making known to the Secretary of War the resolution he had adopted, to disregard the order he had received, and to return his army to the place where he had received it. He painted, in strong terms, the evils which the course pursued by the government was calcu- lated to produce, and expressed the astonishment he felt, that it should ever have been seriously determined on. General Wilkinson, to whom the public stores were directed to be delivered, learning the determination which had been taken by Jackson to march his troops back, and to take with them such articles as might be necessary for their return, in a letter of solemn and mysterious import, admonished him of the consequences which were before him, and of the awful and dangerous responsibility he was taking on himself by so bold a measure. General Jack- 52 LIFE OF JACKSON. son replied, that his conduct, and the consequences to which it might lead, had been deliberately weighed, and well considered, and that he was prepared to abide the result, whatever it might be. Wilkinson had previously- given orders to his officers, to recruit from Jackson's army ; but they were advised, on their first appearance, that those troops were already in the service of the United States, and that, thus situated, they should not be enlisted ; and that General Jackson would arrest, and confine, the first officer who dared to enter his encampment with any such object in view. The quarter-master, having been ordered to furnish the necessary transportation for the conveyance of the sick and the baggage to Tennessee, immediately set about the performance of the task ; but, as the event proved, without any intention to execute it. Still he continued to keep up the semblance of exertion ; and, on the very day before that which had been appointed for breaking up the en- campment and commencing the return march, eleven wagons arrived there by his order. But early the next morning, when every thing was about to be packed up, he entered the encampment, and discharged the whole. He was grossly mistaken, however, in the man he had to deal with, and had now played his tricks too far to be able to accomplish the object, which, without doubt, he had been intrusted to effect. Disregarding their dismissal, so evi- dently designed to prevent marching back his men, Ge- neral Jackson seized upon the wagons, yet within his lines, and compelled them to proceed in the transporta- tion of his sick. Among them was a- young man, reported by the surgeon to be in a dying condition, whom it was useless to remove. " Not a man shall be left who has life in him," said the general. The young man was lifted into a wagon, in a state of torpor, and wholly insensible. The melancholy march commenced ; and the general, with parental solicitude, passed along the train, taking special care that the invalids, in position and appliances, should have every comfort of which their situation was susceptible. With peculiar anxiety, he watched the ap- parently dying youth, as he was jostled by the movements SUFFERINGS ON THE MARCH HOME. 53 of the wagon. At length the young man opened his eyes, and the next instant exclaimed, " Where am I ?" "On your way home, my good fellow," replied the general, in a cheering tone. The effect Avas electric ; he improved from that moment, and in a few weeks the general had the pleasure of restoring him, in good health, to his family and friends. It deserves to be mentioned, that the quarter-master, as soon as he received directions for furnishing transportation, had despatched an express to General Wilkinson ; and there can be little question, that the course of duplicity he afterwards pursued, was a concerted plan between him and that general, to defeat the design of Jackson, compel him to abandon the determina- tion he had formed, and, in this way, draw to the re- gular army many of the soldiers, who would be driven to enlist. In this attempt they were fortunately disap- pointed. Adhering to his original purpose, General Jack- son successfully resisted every stratagem of Wilkinson, and marched the whole of his division to the section of country whence they had been drawn, and dismissed them from service, in the spring of 1813. In addition to the philanthropic act we have just de- tailed, General Jackson gave up his own horses to the sick, and, trudging along on foot, submitted to all the pri- vations that were endured by the soldiers. It was at a time of the year when the roads were extremely bad ; and the swamps along their route were deep and full ; yet, under these circumstances, he gave his troops an example of patience and endurance of hardship that lulled to silence all complaints, and won for him additional respect and esteem. On arriving at Nashville, he communicated to the president of the United States the course he had pur- sued, and the reasons that had induced it. If it had be- come necessary, he had sufficient grounds on which he could have justified his conduct. Had he suffered Gene- ral Wilkinson to have accomplished what was clearly his intention, although it was an event which might, at the moment, have benefited the service, by adding an in- creased strength to the army, yet the example would have been of so serious and exceptionable a character, that in- 54 LIFE OF JACKSON. jury would have been the final and unavoidable result. Whether the intention of thus forcing these men to enlist into the regular ranks, had its existence under the direc- tion of the government or not, such would have been the universal belief; and all would have felt a deep abhor- rence, at beholding the citizens of the country drawn off from their homes under pretence of danger; while the concealed design was, to reduce them to such necessity, at a distance from their residence, as to compel them to an act which they would have avoided under different cir- cumstances. His conduct, exceptionable as it might at first appear, was, in the end, approved, and the expenses incurred were directed to be paid by the government. General Armstrong, the secretary of war, by whom the cruel and unfeeling order was issued, was soon after se- verely censured, and forced to resign his seat in the cabi- net, on account of his culpable neglect to provide suitable means of defence for the city of Washington. The re- putation of General Wilkinson, who had been appointed to supplant Jackson, was also tarnished, by his unfortunate operations in Canada, during the campaign of 1814. INDIAN HOSTILITIES. 55 CHAPTER IV. 1813. Depredations committed by the Creeks on the borders of Ten- nessee and Kentucky— Attack on Fort Mimms — Preparations for war — Jackson calls out the volunteers and militia — Address to the troops — Takes the field — Enforces strict military discipline — Rapid march to Huntsville — Delay in forwarding supplies — Thwarted in his movements by General Cocke — Jealousy of the latter — Scarci- ty of provisions — Efforts of Jackson to procure supplies — Address to the soldiers on entering the enemy's country— Arrival at the Ten Islands — Difficulty with the contractors — Destitute condition of the army — Batile of Tallushatchee- — Humanity of Jackson — His adoption of an Indian boy. 1813. The repose of General Jackson and his volunteers was of short duration. They had scarcely reached their homes, when the Indian nations scattered over the territory com- posing the states of Alabama and Mississippi, made in- cursions into Tennessee and Kentucky, and committed the most savage murders and cruelties. The frontier settlements were constantly harassed by their depreda- tions, and one atrocious act of barbarity followed so close- ^ ly on another, that the inhabitants began to fear the worst from the revengeful spirit which Tecumseh, and his bro- ther, the prophet, who were secretly aided and encouraged by the English government, had aroused in the breasts of their followers. The Creek Indians, residing in the vici- nity of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers, were the most hostile and vindictive of all the tribes. Having collected a supply of ammunition, from the Spaniards at Pensacola, a party of their warriors, numbering about seven hundred men, commanded by Weatherford, a distinguished chief of the nation, made an attack on Fort Mimms, situated in the Tensaw settlement, in the territory of Mississippi. The fort was occupied by Major Beasley, with a force of one hundred and fifty men, and a large number of women 56 LIFE OF JACKSON. and children who had sought shelter and protection. The assault was commenced on the 30th of August, 1813, and proved to be successful. A most dreadful slaughter took place. Mercy was shown to none ; neither age nor sex were respected ; and the same stroke of the tomahawk often cleft mother and child. But seventeen of the whole number of persons in the fort made their escape. As soon as the intelligence of this monstrous outrage reached Tennessee, the authorities of that state took im- mediate measures to chastise the perpetrators. All eyes were instinctively turned towards General Jackson, who, though suffering severely from a fractured arm, promptly responded to the orders of his government by calling out the militia and volunteers. In his proclamation, he made a special appeal to those who had accompanied him to Natchez, to join him on this occasion. He pointed out the imperious necessity that demanded their services, and urged them to be punctual. " Already," said he, "are large bodies of the hostile Creeks marching to your bor- ders, with their scalping-knives unsheathed, to butcher your women and children : time is not to be lost. We must hasten to the frontier, or we shall find it drenched in the blood of our citizens. The health of your general is restored — he will command in person." In the mean time, until these troops could be collected and organized, Colonel Coffee, with the force then under his command, and such additional mounted riflemen as could be attached at a short notice, was directed to hasten forward to the neighborhood of Huntsville, and occupy some eligible position for the defence of the frontier. The 4th of October, which was the day appointed for the rendezvous, having arrived, and the general not being sufficiently recovered to attend in person, he forwarded by his aid-de-camp, Major Reid, an address, to be read to the troops, in which he pointed out the unprovoked injuries they were called upon to redress, in the following eloquent and stirring appeal : " We are about to furnish these savages a lesson of ad- monition ; we are about to teach them that our long for- bearance has not proceeded from an insensibility to wrongs, ADDRESS TO THE VOLUNTEERS. 57 or an inability to redress them. They stand in need of such warning. In proportion as we have borne with their insults, and submitted to their outrages, they have multiplied in number, and increased in atrocity. But the measure of their offences is at length filled. The blood of our women and children, recently spilt at Fort Mimms, calls for our ven- geance ; it must not call in vain. Our borders must no longer be disturbed by the war-whoop of these savages, and the cries of their suffering victims. The torch that has been lighted up must be made to blaze in the heart of their own country. It is time they should be made to feel the weight of a power, which, because it was merciful, they believed to be impotent. But how shall a war so long forborne, and so loudly called for by retributive justice, be waged 1 Shall we imitate the example of our enemies, in the disorder of their movements and the savageness of their dispositions ? Is it worthy the character of American soldiers, who take up arms to redress the wrongs of an injured country, to assume no better models than those fur- nished them by barbarians ? No, fellow-soldiers ; great as are the grievances that have called us from our homes, we must not permit disorderly passions to tarnish the re- putation we shall carry along with us. We must and will be victorious ; but we must conquer as men who owe no- thing to chance, and who, in the midst of victory, can still be mindful of what is due to humanity ! " We will commence the campaign by an inviolable attention to discipline and subordination. Without a strict observance of these, victory must ever be uncertain, and ought hardly to be exulted in, even when gained. To what but the entire disregard of order and subordination, are we to ascribe the disasters which have attended our arms in the north during the present war ? How glorious will it be to remove the blots which have tarnished the fair character bequeathed us by the fathers of our revolu- tion ! The bosom of your general is full of hope. He knows the ardor which animates you, and already exults in the triumph which your strict observance of discipline and good order will render certain." Accompanying this address, was the following order for 58 LIFE OF JACKSON. the establishment of the police of the camp, which strik- ingly illustrates his promptitude and decision as a mili- tary commander : " The chain of sentinels will he marked, and the sen- tries posted, precisely at ten o'clock to-day. "No sutler will be suffered to sell spirituous liquors to anj- soldier, without permission in writing, from a com- missioned officer, under the penalties prescribed by the rules and articles of war. "No citizen will be permitted to pass the chain of sen- tinels after retreat-beat in the evening, until reveille in the morning. Drunkenness, the bane of all orderly encamp- ments, is positively forbidden, both in officers and privates: officers, under the penalty of immediate arrest; and pri- vates, of being placed under guard, there to remain until liberated by a court-martial. " At reveille-beat, all officers and soldiers are to appear on parade, with their arms and accoutrements in proper order. "On parade, silence, the duty of a soldier, is positively commanded. " No officer or soldier is to sleep out of camp, but by permission obtained." However harsh it may at first blush appear, to attempt the enforcement of such rules, in the very first stage of military discipline, yet the conduct of General Jackson was dictated by the most praiseworthy motives. The expedition on which he was about to march was certain to be both difficult and dangerous. He was aware that hardships must of necessity be endured, which would appal and dispirit his troops, if they were not early taught the lesson of strict compliance with the orders of their commander; and he considered it much safer, therefore, to lay before them at once the rules of conduct to which they would be required to conform. Impatient to join his division, although his health was far from being restored, the general, in a few days after- wards, set out for the encampment, which he reached on the 7th of October. On the evening of the following day, a letter was received from Colonel Coffee, who had pro- MARCH INTO THE CREEK COUNTRY. 59 ceeded with his mounted volunteers to Huntsville, dated two days before, and informing the general that two friend- ly Indians had just arrived at the Tennessee river, from Chinnaby's fort, on the Coosa, from whom he learned that a party of eight hundred or a thousand Creeks had been despatched to attack the frontiers of Georgia, and that the remainder of their warriors were marching against Hunts- ville, or Fort Hampton. On the 9th instant, another ex- press arrived, confirming the former statement, and repre- senting the enemy, in great force, to be rapidly approach- ing the Tennessee. Orders were now given for preparing the line of march, and by nine o'clock on the 10th, the whole division was in motion. They had not proceeded many miles, when they were met with the intelligence that Colonel Gibson, who had been sent out by Coffee to reconnoitre the movements of the enemy, had been killed by their advance. A strong desire Lad been previously manifested to be led forward ; that desire was now strength- ened by the information just received ; and it was with difficulty that the troops could be restrained. They has- tened their march, and before eight o'clock at night arrived at Huntsville, a distance of thirty-two miles. Learning here that the information was erroneous which had occa- sioned so hasty a movement, the general encamped his troops ; having intended to reach the Tennessee river that night had it been confirmed. The next day the line of march was resumed. The influence of the late excite- ment was now visible in the lassitude which followed its removal. Proceeding slowly, the division crossed the Tennessee at Ditto's landing, and united in the evening with Colonel Coffee's regiment, which had previously oc- cupied a commanding bluff on the south bank of the river. From this place, a few days afterwards, Jackson detached Colonel Coffee, with seven hundred men, to scour the Black Warrior, a stream running from the northeast, and emptying into the Tombigbee ; on which were supposed to be situated several populous villages of the enemy. He himself remained at the encampment a week, busily oc- cupied in drilling his troops, and in endeavouring to pro- cure the necessary supplies for a campaign, which he 60 LIFE OF JACKSON. had determined to carry into the heart of the enemy's country. At the same time that General Jackson took up his line of march for the Creek country, General Cocke had been ordered with an equal force from East Tennessee ; while another was despatched from Georgia, under Major Floyd, to enter the Indian territory on the east ; and a regiment of United States troops, with the Mississippi volunteers, under General Claiborne, were to attack the hostile tribes on the west. An arrangement had been made in the pre- ceding month, with General Cocke, to furnish large quan- tities of bread-stuff at Ditto's landing, for the troops under Jackson. The facility of procuring it in that quarter, and the convenient transportation afforded by the river, left no doubt on the mind of the latter that the engagement would be punctually complied with. To provide, however, against the bare possibility of a failure, and to be guarded against all contingencies that might happen, he addressed letters to the governor of Georgia, Colonel Meigs, the Cherokee agent, and General White, who commanded the advance of the East Tennessee troops, urging them to send forward supplies with all possible haste. General Cocke, who had been ordered to join him with the forces tinder his command, not only failed to come up in season, but neglected to furnish the provisions he had engaged to procure. The conduct of this officer was severely cen- sured at the time, and it is quite evident that most of his movements during the campaign were prompted by a de- sire to thwart the operations of Jackson. On his arrival at Ditto's landing, General Jackson found that the contractors were utterly unable to fulfil their en- gagements, and he was therefore compelled to wait patient- ly for the supplies which had so long been promised, and were hourly expected. While he was encamped there, a son of Chinnaby, one of the principal chiefs among the friendly Creeks, a large body of whom had refused to unite with their countrymen in making war against the Ameri- cans, arrived at the landing, and requested a movement to be made for the relief of his father's fort, which was threatened by a considerable body of the war party. In- FAILURE OF THE SUPPLIES. 61 fluenced by his representations, the general gave orders for resuming the march on the 19th of October, and notified the contractors of this arrangement, that they might be prepared to issue immediately such supplies as they had on hand ; but to his great astonishment, he was then, for the first time, apprised of their entire inability to supply him while on his march. Having drawn what they had it in their power to furnish, amounting to only a few days' rations, he immediately vacated their offices, and selected others on whose industry and fidelity he thought he could more safely rely. The scarcity of his provisions, how- ever, was not sufficient to waive the determination he had already made. The route to the fort lay for a consider- able distance up the river, and he hoped to meet with the boats expected from Hiwassee on the way. He accord- ingly determined to proceed, and having safely crossed a range of mountains, thought to be almost impassable on foot, with his army and baggage wagons, he arrived on the 22d of October, at Thompson's creek, which empties into the Tennessee, twenty-four miles above Ditto's. At this place he proposed the establishment of a permanent depot, for the reception of supplies, to be sent either up or down the river. Disappointed in the hopes with which he had ventured on his march, he remained here several days anxiously looking for the arrival of provisions. Fear- ing that this culpable neglect might involve him in still further embarrassments, he informed Governor Blount, of Tennessee, of the condition of things, and made a press- ing application to General Flournoy, who commanded at Mobile, and Colonel McKee, the Choctaw agent, who was then on the Tombigbee, to procure bread-stuff and forward it to him without delay. He also despatched expresses to General White, who had arrived at the Look-out moun- tain, in the Cherokee nation, urging him by all means to hasten on the supplies. While these measures were in progress, two runners, despatched from Turkeytown by Path-killer, a chief of the Cherokees, arrived at the camp. They brought infor- mation that the enemy, from nine of the hostile towns, were assembling in great force near the Ten Islands ; and 6 62 LIFE OF JACKSON. solicited that immediate assistance should be afforded the friendly Creeks and Cherokees in their neighborhood, who were exposed to imminent danger. His want of provi- sions was not yet remedied ; but distributing the partial supply that was on hand, he resolved to proceed, in ex- pectation that the relief he had so earnestly looked for, would in a little while arrive, and be forwarded. In order to prepare his troops for the engagement he anticipated, he addressed them as follows, in his usual nervous and spirited style : " You have, fellow-soldiers, at length penetrated the country of your enemies. It is not to be believed that they will abandon the soil that imbosoms the bones of their forefathers, without furnishing you an opportunity of sig- nalizing your valor. Wise men do not expect; brave men will not desire it. It was not to travel unmolested through a barren wilderness, that you quitted your families and homes, and submitted to so many privations ; it was to avenge the cruelties committed upon our defenceless frontiers by the inhuman Creeks, instigated by their no less inhuman allies. You shall not be disappointed. If the enemy flee before us, we will overtake and chastise him : we will teach him how dreadful, when once aroused, is the resentment of freemen. But it is not by boasting that punishment is to be inflicted, or victory obtained. The same resolution that prompted us to take up arms, must inspire us in battle. Men thus animated, and thus resolved, barbarians can never conquer ; and it is an enemy barbarous in the extreme that we have now to face. Their reliance will be on the damage they can do you while you are asleep, and unprepared for action : their hopes shall fail them in the hour of experiment. Soldiers w r ho know their duty, and are ambitious to perform it, are not to be taken by surprise. Our sentinels will never sleep, nor our soldiers be unprepared for action ; yet, while it is enjoined upon the sentinels vigilantly to watch the approach of the foe, they are at the same time com- manded not to fire at shadows. Imaginary dangers must not deprive them of entire self-possession. Our soldiers will lie with their arms in their hands ; and the moment ADDRESS TO HIS TROOPS. 63 an alarm is given, they wiJl move to their respective posi- tions, without noise and without confusion. They will be thus enabled to hear the orders of their officers, and to obey them with promptitude. "Great reliance will be placed, by the enemy, on the consternation they may be able to spread through our ranks, by the hideous yells with which they commence their battles ; but brave men will laugh at such efforts to alarm them. It is not by bellowings and screams, that the wounds of death are inflicted. You will teach these noisy assailants how weak are their weapons of warfare, by opposing them with the bayonet. What Indian ever withstood its charge ? what army, of any nation, ever withstood it long ? " Yes, soldiers, the order for a charge will be the signal for victory. In that moment, your enemy will be seen fleeing in every direction before you. But in the moment of action, coolness and deliberation must be regarded ; your fires made with precision and aim; and when ordered to charge with the bayonet, you must proceed to the as- sault, with a quick and firm step, without trepidation or alarm. Then shall you behold the completion of your hopes, in the discomfiture of your enemy. Your general, whose duty, as well as inclination, is to watch over your safety, will not, to gratify any wishes of his own, urge you unnecessarily into danger. He knows, however, that it is not in assailing an enemy that men are destroyed ; it is when retreating, and in confusion. Aware of this, he will be prompted as much by a regard for your lives as your honor. He laments that he has been compelled, even incidentally, to hint at a retreat, when speaking to free- men and to soldiers. Never, until you forget all that is due to yourselves and your country, will you have any practical understanding of that word. Shall an enemy wholly unacquainted with military evolutions, and who rely more for victory on their grim visages and hideous yells, than upon their bravery or their weapons; shall such an enemy ever drive before them the well-trained youths of our country, whose bosoms pant for glory, and a desire to avenge the wrongs they have received ? Your 64 LIFE OF JACKSON. general will not live to behold such a spectacle ; rather would he rush into the thickest of the enemy, and submit himself to their scalping-knives : but he has no fears of such a result. He knows the valor of the men he com- mands ; and how certainly that valor, regulated as it will be, will lead to victory. With his soldiers, he will face all dangers, and with them participate in the glory of conquest." Having issued this address, and again instructed Ge- neral White to form a junction with him, and send on all the supplies he could command, General Jackson resumed his march, with about six days' rations of meat, and less than two of meal. The army had advanced but a short distance, when unexpected embarrassments were again presented. Information was received, by which it was clearly ascertained that the present contractors, who had been so much and so certainly relied on, could not, with all their exertions, procure the necessary supplies. Major Rose, of the quarter-master's department, who had been sent into Madison county to aid them in their endeavors, having satisfied himself, as well from their own admis- sions as from evidence derived from other sources, that their want of funds, and consequent want of credit, rendered them a very unsafe dependence, returned, and disclosed the facts to the general. He stated that there were per- sons of fortune and industry in that county, who might be confided in, and who would be willing to contract for the army if it were necessary. Jackson lost no time in em- bracing this plan, and gave the contract to Mr. Pope, in whose means and exertions he believed every reliance might be reposed. At the same, time, he wrote to the other contractors, stating, that although he might manage with generosity or indulgence, whatever concerned him- self as a private citizen, in his public capacity he had no such discretion ; and that he therefore felt compelled to give the contract to one who was able to execute it, on condition that they were indemnified for their trouble. This arrangement being made, the army continued its march, and having arrived within a few miles of the Ten Islands, was met by the Indian chief, Chinnaby. He SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS. 65 brought with him, and surrendered up, two of the hostile Creeks, who had lately been made prisoners by his party* At this place it was represented that they were within sixteen miles of the enemy, who were collected, to the number of a thousand, to oppose their passage. This information was little relied on, and afterwards proved un- true. Jackson continued his route, and in a few days reached the islands of the Coosa, having been detained a day, on the way, for the purpose of obtaining small sup- plies of corn from the neighboring Indians. This acqui- sition to the scanty stock on hand, while it afforded subsist- ence for the present, encouraged his hopes for the future, as a means of temporarv resort, should his other resources fail. In a letter to Governor Blount from this place, speaking of the difficulties with which he had to contend, he ob- served : " Indeed, sir, we have been very wretchedly supplied — scarcely two rations in succession have been regularly drawn ; yet we are not despondent. While we can procure an ear of corn apiece, or any thing that will answer as a substitute for it, we shall continue our exer- tions to accomplish the object for which we were sent. The cheerfulness with which my men submit to privations, and are ready to encounter danger, does honor to them, and to the government whose rights they are defending." On the 28th of October, Colonel Dyer, who had been detached from the main body, on the march to the Ten Islands, with a body of two hundred cavalry, returned to camp. He had destroyed the Indian village of Littafut- chee-town, at the head of Canoe creek, and brought with him twenty-nine prisoners. On the 31st, Jackson de- spatched another express to General White, repeating his former orders. Soon after, he received information that a considerable body of the enemy had posted themselves at Tallushatchee, on the south side of the Coosa, about thir- teen miles distant ; whereupon, he ordered General Coffee, with nine hundred men, to attack and disperse them. With this force that officer was enabled, under the direc- tion of an Indian pilot, to ford the Coosa at the Fish-dams, about four miles above the Islands ; and, having encamped 66 LIFE OF JACKSON. beyond it, he proceeded, early on the morning of the 3d of November, to execute the order. Having - arrived with- in a mile and a half, he formed his detachment into two divisions, and directed them to march so as to encircle the town, by uniting their fronts beyond it. The enemy, hear- ing of his approach, began to prepare for action, which was announced by the beating of drums, mingled with savage yells and war-whoops. An hour after sunrise, the battle was commenced by Captain Hammond's and Lieu- tenant Patterson's companies of spies, who had gone with- in the circle of alignment, for the purpose of drawing the Indians from their buildings. No sooner had these com- panies exhibited their front in view of the town, and given a few scattering shots, than the enemy formed, and made a violent charge. Being compelled to give way, the ad- vance-guard were pursued until they reached the main body of the army, which immediately opened a general fire, and charged in their turn. The Indians retreated, but continued firing, until they reached their buildings, where an obstinate conflict ensued. Those who main- tained their ground, persisted in fighting as long as they could stand or sit, without manifesting fear or soliciting quarter. Their loss was a hundred and eighty-six killed ; among whom, unfortunately, and through accident, were a few women and children. Eighty-four women and children were taken prisoners, towards whom the utmost humanity was shown. Of the Americans, five were killed and forty-one wounded. Two were killed with arrows, which on this occasion formed a principal part of the arms of the Indians ; each one having a bow and quiver, which he used after the first fire of his gun, until an opportunity occurred for reloading. Having buried his dead and provided for his wounded, General Coffee united with the main army, late in the evening of the same day, bringing with him about forty prisoners. Of the residue, a part were too badly wounded to be removed, and were therefore left, with a sufficient number to take care of them. Those whom he brought in, received every comfort their situation demanded, and were immediately sent into the settlements for security. THE INDIAN ORPHAN. 67 Among the slain at the battle of Tallushatchee, there was found an Indian woman, with an infant boy, unhurt, sucking- her lifeless breast. The little orphan was carried to camp with the other prisoners, and General Jackson at- tempted to hire some of the captive women to take care of him. They refused, saying, "All his relations are dead ; kill him too." The general had a little brown sugar left, and he directed his attendants to feed the child with it until he reached Huntsville, where he sent him to be nursed at his expense. Upon his return from the cam- paign, he took the child home, named him Lincoyer, and with the cordial aid of Mrs. Jackson, raised him as ten- derly as if he had been his own son. He grew to be a beautiful and robust young man, as well educated as the white boys of the most respectable families. Yet his tastes were unchanged. He delighted in rambling over the fields and through the woods, and sticking into his hair and clothes every gay feather he could find. He was always anxious to return to the Creek nation with the chiefs, who, for many years after the war, continued to visit General Jackson at the Hermitage, as his residence was called. Desiring that he should follow some mecha- nical employment, his benefactor took him into the va- rious shops in Nashville, that he might make his selec- tion. He was best pleased with the saddler's business, and was accordingly bound out as an apprentice to that trade. Regularly every other Saturday he visited the Hermitage, and was generally sent to Nashville on horse- back the next Monday morning. His health beginning to decline, the general took him home to the Hermitage, where he was nursed with a father's and mother's tender- ness ; but in vain. He sunk rapidly into a consumption, and died ere he had arrived at the age of manhood. He was mourned as a favorite son by the general and Mrs. Jackson, and they always spoke of him with parental affection. 68 LIFE OF JACKSON. CHAPTER V. 1813. Erection of Fort Strother, and establishment of a depot on the Coosa — Continued difficulties growing out of the movements of General Cocke — Battle of Talladega — Gallant conduct of Colonel Carroll and Lieutenant-Colonel Dyer — Destitution of the army — Generosity and benevolence of Jackson — His example in submit- ting to privations — Anecdote of the acorns — Discontent among the troops — Mutiny suppressed by his firmness and resolution — His appeal to the contractors to furnish supplies — Answer to the over- tures of peace made by the Hillabee tribes — Efforts to raise addi- tional troops — Letter to his friend in Tennessee — Demand of the volunteers to be discharged, on the ground that their term of ser- vice had expired — Reply of Jackson — His unflinching determina- tion — Suppression of the mutiny, and return of the volunteers. 1313. In consequence of his not receiving the necessary sup- plies of provisions, without which it was utterly impossi- ble to proceed, General Jackson was detained for nearly a month, in the neighbourhood of the Tennessee river, without being able to penetrate the hostile territory, and strike a decisive blow. During this time, he erected a fort and depot, at the Ten Islands, which was called Fort Strother. It was his intention, after completing the works, to proceed along the Coosa to its junction with the Tallapoosa, near which, it was expected, from informa- tion he had received, that the main force of the enemy was collected. In order to accomplish this in safety, he desired to unite as soon as possible with the troops from East Tennessee. The advance under General White had arrived at Turkey-town, twenty-five miles above, and on the 4th of November an express was despatched to him to hasten forward immediately. A similar message was sent on the 7th of the same month, but failed to produce any effect. General White chose rather to obey the or- ders of the immediate commander of his division, General Cocke, who persisted in his singular efforts to thwart the BATTLE OF TALLADEGA. bit movements of Jackson and the forces under his command. Although he endeavoured to shelter himself from the consequences of his unsoldierlike conduct, beneath the decision of a council of officers which he had formed, his jealousy of General Jackson was so apparent, that the public were not slow in forming a most unfavorable opi- nion of his character. As yet, no certain intelligence had been received, in regard to the position of the enemy. Late, however, on the evening of the 7th of November, a runner arrived from Talladega, a fort of the friendly Indians, distant about thirty miles below, with information that the enemy had that morning encamped before it in great numbers, and would certainly destroy it, unless immediate assistance could be afforded. Confiding in the statement, Jackson determined to lose no time in extending the relief which was solicited. Understanding that General White, agree- ably to his order, was on his way to join him, he des- patched a messenger to meet him, directing him to reach his encampment in the course of the ensuing night, and to protect it in his absence. He now gave orders for tak- ing up the line of march, with twelve hundred infantry, and eight hundred cavalry and mounted gun-men ; leav- ing behind the sick, the wounded, and all his baggage, with a force which was deemed sufficient for their protec- tion, until the reinforcement from Turkey-town should arrive. The friendly Indians who had taken refuge in this besieged fort, had involved themselves in their present perilous situation from a disposition to preserve their amicable relations with the United States. To suffer them to fall a sacrifice from any tardiness of movement, would have been unpardonable ; and unless relief should be im- mediately extended, it might arrive too late. Acting under these impressions, the general concluded to move instantly forward to their assistance. At twelve o'clock at night, every thing was in readiness ; and in an hour afterwards the army commenced crossing the river, about a mile above the camp; each of the mounted men carrying one of the infantry behind him. The river at this place was 70 LIFE OF JACKSON. six hundred yards wide, and it being necessary to send back the horses for the remainder of the infantry, several hours were consumed before a passage of all the troops could be effected. Nevertheless, though greatly fatigued and deprived of sleep, they continued the march with animation, and by evening had arrived within six miles of the enemy. In this march, Jackson used the utmost precaution to prevent surprise : marching his army, as was his constant custom, in three columns, so that, by a speedy manoeuvre, they might be thrown into such a situ- ation as to be capable of resisting an attack from any quarter. Having judiciously encamped his men on an eligible piece of ground, he sent forward two of the friendly Indians and a white man, who had for many years been detained a captive in the nation, and was now acting as interpreter, to reconnoitre the position of the enemy. About eleven o'clock at night they returned, with information that the savages were posted within a quarter of a mile of the fort, and appeared to be in great force ; but that they had not been able to approach near enough to ascertain either their numbers or precise situa- tion. About an hour later, a runner arrived from Turkey- town, with a letter from General White, stating that after having taken up the line of march to unite at Fort Strother, he had received orders from General Cocke to change his course, and proceed to the mouth of Chatauga creek. In- telligence so disagreeable, and withal so unexpected, filled the mind of Jackson with apprehensions of a serious and alarming character ; and dreading lest the enemy, by tak- ing a different route, should attack his encampment in his absence, he determined to lose no time in bringing them to battle. Orders were accordingly given to the adjutant- general to prepare the line, and by four o'clock on the morning of the 9th, the army was again in motion. The infantry proceeded in three columns ; the cavalry in the same order, in the rear, with flankers on each wing. The advance, consisting of a company of artillerists with mus- kets, two companies of riflemen, and one of spies, marched about four hundred yards in front, under the command of Colonel Carroll, inspector-general, with orders, after com- BATTLE OF TALLADEGA. 71 mencing the action, to fall back on the centre, so as to draw the enemy after them. At seven o'clock, having arrived within a mile of the position they occupied, the columns were displayed in order of battle. Two hundred and fifty of the cavalry, under Lieut. Colonel Dyer, were placed in the rear of the centre, as a corps-de-reserve. The remainder of the mounted troops were directed to advance on the right and left, and after encircling the enemy, by uniting the fronts of their columns, and keeping their rear rested on the infantry, to face and press towards the centre, so as to leave them no possibility of escape. The remain- ing part of the army was ordered to move up by heads of companies ; General Hall's brigade occupying the right, and General Roberts' the left. About eight o'clock, the advance having arrived within eighty yards of the enemy, who were concealed in a thick shrubbery that covered the margin of a small rivulet, re- ceived a heavy fire, which they instantly returned with much spirit. Falling in with the enemy, agreeably to their instructions, they retired towards the centre, but not before they had dislodged them from their position. The Indians rushed forward, screaming and yelling hideously, in the direction of General Roberts' brigade, a few com- panies of which, alarmed by their numbers and yells, gave way at the first fire. To fill the chasm which was thus cre- ated, Jackson directed the regiment commanded by Colonel Bradley to be moved up, which, from some unaccountable cause, had failed to advance in a line with the others, and now occupied a position in the rear of the centre. Bradley, however, to whom this order was given by one of the staff, omitted to execute it in time, alleging that he was de- termined to remain on the eminence which he then pos- sessed, until he should be approached and attacked by the enemy. Owing to this failure in the volunteer regiment, it became necessary to dismount the reserve, which, with great firmness, met the approach of the enemy, who were rapidly moving in this direction. The retreating militia, somewhat mortified at seeing their places so promptly supplied, rallied, and recovering their former position in the line, aided in checking the advance of the savages. 72 LIFE OF JACKSON. The action now became general, and in fifteen minutes the Indians were seen flying in every direction. On the left they were met and repulsed by the mounted riflemen ; but on the right, owing to the halt of Bradley's regiment, which was intended to occupy the extreme right, and to the circumstance that Colonel Alcorn, who commanded one of the wings of the cavalry, had taken too large a circuit, a considerable space was left between the infantry and the cavalry, through which numbers escaped. The right was maintained with great spirit and effect on both sides, as well before as after the retreat commenced ; nor did the pursuit and slaughter terminate until the moun- tains were reached, at the distance of three miles. Jackson, in his report of this action, bestowed high commendation on the officers and soldiers. " Too much praise," he said, at the close, " cannot be bestowed on the advance led by Colonel Carroll, for the spirited manner in which they commenced and sustained the attack ; nor upon the reserve, commanded by Lieut. Colonel Dyer, for the gallantry with which they met and repulsed the enemy. In a word, officers of every grade, as well as privates, realized the high expectations I had formed of them, and merit the gratitude of their country." In this battle, the force of the enemy was one thousand and eighty, of whom two hundred and ninety-nine were left dead on the ground ; and it is believed that many were killed in the flight, who were not found when the estimate was made. Probably few escaped unhurt. Their loss on this occasion, as since stated by themselves, was not less than six hundred: that of the Americans was fifteen killed, and eighty wounded, several of whom after- wards died. Jackson, after collecting his dead and wounded, advanced his army beyond the fort, and encamped for the night. The Indians who had been for several days shut up by the besiegers, thus fortunately liberated from the most dreadful apprehensions and severest privations, hav- ing for some days been entirely without water, received the army with all the demonstrations of gratitude that savages could give. Their manifestations of joy for their deliverance, presented an interesting and affecting spec- DESTITUTION OF THE TROOPS. 73 tacle. Their fears had been already greatly excited, for it was the very day when they were to have been as- saulted, and when every soul within the fort must have perished. All the provisions they could spare from their scanty stock they sold to the general, who purchased them with his own money, and generously distributed them among his almost destitute soldiers. It was with great regret that Jackson now found he was without the means of availing himself fully of the ad- vantages of his victory ; but the condition of his posts in the rear, and the want of provisions, (having left his en- campment at Fort Strother with little more than one day's rations,) compelled him to return ; thus giving the enemy time to recover from the consternation of their first defeat, and to re-assemble their forces. On returning to Fort Strother, he found that through the wilful mismanagement of General Cocke, no supplies had reached that post, and the soldiers were beginning to exhibit symptoms of dis- content. Even his private stores, brought on at his own expense, and upon which he and his staff" had hitherto wholly subsisted, had been in his absence distributed among the sick by the hospital surgeon, who had been previously instructed to do so if their wants should re- quire it. A few dozen biscuits, which remained on his return, were given to hungry applicants, without being tasted by himself or family, who were probably not "less hungry than those who were thus relieved. A scanty supply of indifferent beef, taken from the enemy or pur- chased of the Cherokees, was the only support afforded. Left thus destitute, Jackson, with the utmost cheerfulness of temper, repaired to the bullock pen, and of the offal there thrown away, provided for himself and staff what he was pleased to call, and seemed really to think, a very comfortable repast. Tripes, however, hastily provided in a camp, without bread or seasoning, can only be palatable to an appetite very highly whetted. Yet this constituted for several days the only diet at head quarters, during which time the general seemed entirely satisfied with his fare. Neither this, nor the liberal donations which he made to relieve the suffering soldier, deserve to be 7 74 LIFE OF JACKSON. ascribed to ostentation or design : the one flowed from be- nevolence, the other from necessity, and a desire to place before his men an example of patience and suffering, which he felt might be necessary, and hoped might be serviceable. Charity in him was a warm and active pro- pensity of the heart, urging him, by an instantaneous im- pulse, to minister to the wants of the distressed, without regarding, or even thinking- of the consequences. Many of those to whom aid was extended, had no conception of the source that supplied them, and believed the comforts they received were, indeed, drawn from stores provided for the hospital department. On one occasion, during these difficulties, a soldier, with a wo-begone countenance, approached the general, stating that he was nearly starved, that he had nothing to eat, and that he did not know what he should do. He was the more encouraged to complain, from perceiving that the general, who had seated himself at the root of a tree, was busily engaged in eating something, and confidently expected to be relieved. Jackson replied to him, that it had always been a rule with him, never to turn away a hungry man when it was in his power to relieve him. "I will most cheerfully," said he, "divide with you what 1 have ;" and putting his hand in his pocket, he drew forth a few acorns, from which he had been feasting, at the same time remarking, in addition, that this was the only fare he had. The soldier seemed much surprised, and forthwith circulated the intelligence among his com- rades, that their general was feeding on acorns, and urged them not to complain. But while General Jackson remained wholly unmoved by his own privations, he was filled with solicitude and concern for his army. His utmost exertions, unceasingly applied, were insufficient to remove the sufferings to which he saw they were exposed ; and although they were by no means so great as were represented, yet were they undoubtedly such as to be sensibly and severely felt. Discontents, and a desire to return home, arose, and presently spread through the camp ; and these were still further imbittered and augmented by the arts of a few designing officers, who, DISCONTENT IN THE ARMY. 75 believing that the campaign would break up, hoped to make themselves popular on their return, by encouraging and taking part in the complaints of the soldiery. It is a singular fact, that those officers who pretended on this occasion to feel most sensibly for the wants of the arm)'-, and who contrived most effectually to instigate it to revolt, had never themselves been without provisions; and were, at that very moment, enjoying in abundance what would have relieved the distresses of many, had it been as gene- rously and freely distributed as were their words of advice and condolence. During this period of scarcity and discontent, small quantities of supplies were occasionally forwarded by the contractors, but not a sufficiency for present want, and still less to remove the apprehensions that were entertained for the future. At length, revolt began to show itself openly. The officers and soldiers of the militia, collecting in their tents and talking over their grievances, determined to yield up their patriotism and to abandon the camp. Several of the officers of the old volunteer corps exerted themselves clandestinely, to produce disaffection. Looking upon them- selves somewhat in the light of veterans, from the disci- pline they had acquired in the expedition to Natchez, they were unwilling to be seen foremost in setting an example of mutiny, but wished to make the defection of others a pretext for their own. It was almost unreasonable to expect men to be patient, while starvation was staring them in the face. Overlook- ing the fact that their difficulties were mainly occasioned by the malicious feelings of a single officer, they began to feel that they were neglected by their country, whose battles they had fought, and resentment and discontent took possession of their bosoms. Increasing from day to day, and extending from individuals to companies, and from companies to regiments, they soon threatened an en- tire dissolution of the army. The volunteers, though deeply imbued with this feeling, were at first restrained from any public exhibition of it, by their soldierly pride ; but the militia regiments determined to leave the camp, and return to Tennessee. Apprised of their intention, 76 LIFE OF JACKSON. General Jackson resolved to defeat it ; and as they drew out in the morning - to commence their march, they found the volunteers drawn up across their path, with orders to require them, under penalty of instant military execution, to return to their position. They at once obeyed, admir- ing- the firmness which baffled their design. In this operation the volunteers had been unwilling in- struments in the hands of their general, and, chagrined at their own success, resolved themselves the next day to abandon the camp in a body. What was their surprise, on making a movement to accomplish that object, to find the very militia whose mutiny they had the day beforo repressed, drawn up in the same position to resist them ! So determined was their look, that the volunteers deemed it prudent to carry out the parallel, and returned quietly to their quarters. This process, by which nearly a whole army, anxious to desert, was kept in service by arraying one species of force against another, though effectual for the moment, would not bear repetition, and the general was sensible how feeble was the thread by which he held them together. The cavalry, who not only shared in the general privation, but had no forage, petitioned for per- mission to retire to the vicinity of Huntsville, pledging themselves to return when called on, after recruiting their horses and receiving their winter clothing. Their peti- tion was granted, and they immediately left the camp. Having received letters from Colonel Pope, assuring him that abundant supplies were on the way, General Jackson resolved to make an effort to produce good feeling throughout the army, in order that they might be able to act with promptitude when an opportunity offered for striking a decisive blow. He accordingly invited the field and platoon officers to his quarters, on the 14th of Novem- ber, and communicated to them the information he had received, and the wishes and expectations which he had based upon it. "To be sure," said he, "we do not live sumptuously ; but no one has died of hunger, or is likely to die ; and then how animating are our prospects ! Large supplies are at Deposit, and already are officers despatched to hasten them on. Wagons are on the way ; a large MUTINY OF HIS TROOPS. 77 number of beeves are in the neighborhood ; and detach- ments are out to bring them in. All these resources sure- ly cannot fail. I have no wish to starve you — none to deceive you. Stay contentedly; and if supplies do not arrive within two days, we will all march back together, and throw the blame of our failure where it should proper- ly lie : until then we certainly have the means of subsist- ing ; and if we are compelled to bear privations, let us remember that they are borne for our country, and are not greater than many — perhaps most armies have been com- pelled to endure. I have called you together to tell you my feelings and my wishes ; this evening think on them seriously, and let me know yours in the morning." After addressing them in such kind and generous terms, notwithstanding many of them had secretly encouraged the disaffection, how great must have been his grief and mortification in the morning, when he received from the officers of the volunteer regiments the annunciation that, in their opinion, "Nothing short of marching the army immediately back to the settlements, could prevent those difficulties and that disgrace which must attend a forcible desertion of the camp by his soldiers." The officers of the militia, however, reported their will- ingness to wait a few days longer for a supply of pro- visions, and, if it should be received, to proceed with the campaign ; otherwise, they insisted on being marched back where supplies could be procured. To preserve the volunteers for farther service, if possible, the general de- termined to gratify their wishes, and ordered General Hall to lead them back to Fort Deposit, there to obtain relief for themselves, and then to return as an escort to the pro- visions. But the second regiment of volunteers were ashamed to be found less loyal than the militia, and begged permission to remain with their general, and the first re- giment marched alone. It is impossible to describe the emotions of General Jackson, when he saw a regiment of brave men, whom he had refused to abandon at Natchez even at the command of his government, for the preserva- tion of whose well-earned fame he would have hazarded his life, deserting him in the wilderness, reckless of honor, 7* 78 LIFE OF JACKSON. of patriotism, of gratitude, and humanity. He could not avoid giving expression to his feelings in strong and de- cided terms. "I was prepared," he said, "to endure every evil but disgrace ; and this, as I can never submit to myself, I can give no encouragement to in others." On the lfith of November, General Jackson addressed a letter to Colonel Pope, ihe contractor, in which he said: " My men are all starving. More than half of them left me yesterday for Fort Deposit, in consequence of the scarcity, and the whole will do so in a few days if plenti- ful supplies do not arrive. Again and again I must en- treat you to spare neither labor nor expense to furnish me, and furnish me without delay. We have already struck the blow which would, if followed up, put an end to Creek hostility. I cannot express the torture of my feelings when I reflect that a campaign so auspiciously begun, and which might be so soon and so gloriously terminated, is likely to be rendered abortive for the want of supplies. For God's sake, prevent so great an evil." In his address to the officers on the 14th, the general had told them that in case supplies did not reach them within two days, he would lead the army back where provisions could be had. Two days had elapsed after the departure of the volunteers, and no supplies had come. The declaration had been made in the confident expecta- tion that provisions, then known to be on the way, would reach them before the expiration of that period ; but the general felt bound to comply with his word. He imme- diately proceeded to make arrangements for the abandon- ment of Fort Strother ; but, contemplating the new cou- rage, with which it would inspire the enemy, the calami- ties it was likely to bring on the frontiers, and the dis- grace upon his army, if not on himself, he exclaimed, "If only two men will remain with me, I will never abandon this post." " You have one, general," promptly replied Captain Gordon, of the spies; "let us look if we cannot find another." The captain immediately beat up for vo- lunteers, and, with the aid of some of the general stafT, soon raised one hundred and nine, who agreed to stand by their general to the last extremity. MUTINY OF HIS TROOPS. 79 Confident that supplies were at hand, the general marched with the militia, announcing that they would be ordered back if provisions should be met at no great dis- tance from the fort. Within ten or twelve miles they met a drove of a hundred and fifty beeves. They halted, butchered, and ate ; but the courage inspired by satiety was that of mutineers. Upon receiving an order to re- turn, with the exception of a small party to convey the sick and wounded, they resolved to disobey it. One com- pany resumed its march homeward, before General Jackson was apprised of their design. Informed of this move- ment, he hastened to a spot about a quarter of a mile ahead, where General Coffee, with a part of the staff and a few soldiers, had halted, and ordered them instantly to form across the road, and fire on the mutineers if they should attempt to pass. Rather than encounter the bold faces before them, the mutinous company thought it expedient to return to the main body, and it was hoped that no far- ther opposition would be exhibited. Going alone for the purpose of mixing among his men, and appeasing them by argument and remonstrance, the general found a spirit of mutiny pervading the whole brigade. They had formed, and were on the point of moving off, knowing that no force was at hand powerful enough to resist them ; but they had to deal with a man who was a host in himself. He seized a musket, threw it across his horse's neck, placed himself in front of the brigade drawn up in column, and declared he would shoot the first man who took a step in advance. Struck with awe, the men gazed at him in sullen silence. In this position, General Coffee and some of the members of his staff rode up, and placed themselves at his side. The faithful officers and soldiers, amounting to about two com- panies, formed in his rear, under orders to fire when he did. For some minutes not a word was uttered. A mur- mur then arose among the mutineers, and at length they signified their willingness to return. The matter was amicably arranged, and the troops marched back to Fort Strother, though not in the best spirits. This incident derives additional interest from the fact, 80 LIFE OF JACKSON. that the general's left arm was not so far healed as to enable him to aim a musket, and the weapon he had was too much out of order to be fired. Shortly after the battle of Talladega, the Hillabee tribes, who had been the principal sufferers on that occasion, ap- plied to General Jackson for peace ; declaring their will- ingness to receive it on such terms as he might be pleased to dictate. He promptly replied, that his government had taken up arms to bring to a proper sense of duty a people to whom she had ever shown the utmost kindness, but who, nevertheless, had committed against her citizens the most unprovoked depredations; and that she would lay them down only when certain that this object was at- tained. " Upon those," continued he, " who are friendly, I neither wish nor intend to make war; but they must afford evidences of the sincerity of their professions; the prisoners and property they have taken from us and the friendly Creeks, must be restored ; the instigators of the war, and the murderers of our citizens, must be sur- rendered ; the latter must and will be made to feel the force of our resentment. Long shall they remember Fort Mimms, in bitterness and tears." Having communicated to General Cocke, whose divi- sion was acting in this section of the nation, the proposi- tions that had been made by the Hillabee tribes, with the answer returned, and urged him to detach to Fort Strother six hundred of his men to aid in the defence of that place during his absence, and in the operations he intended to resume on his return, Jackson proceeded to Deposit and Ditto's landing, where the most effectual means in his power were taken for obtaining regular supplies in future. The contractors were required to furnish immediately thirty days' rations at Fort Strother, forty at Talladega, and as many at the junction of the Coosa and Tallapoosa; two hundred packhorses and forty wagons were also put in requisition to facilitate their transportation. Understand- ing now that the whole detachment from Tennessee had been received into the service of the United States, he persuaded himself that the difficulties previously en- countered would not again recur, and looked forward, EFFORTS TO RAISE ADDITIONAL TROOPS. 81 with sanguine expectations, to the speedy accomplish- ment of the objects of the expedition. But the satisfac- tion he felt, and the hopes he began to cherish, were of short continuance. The volunteers who had formerly been enrolled in the expedition to Natchez, began to look anxiously for the 10th of December, at which time they supposed their enlistments would expire. Anticipating difficulty from this cause, General Jackson was exceedingly anxious to fill up the deficiencies in his ranks. General Roberts was accordingly ordered to return and complete his brigade, and Colonel Carroll and Major Searcy were despatched to Tennessee, to raise volunteers for six months, or during the campaign. At the same time, the general wrote to several patriotic citizens of that state, urging them to con- tribute their aid and assistance. In one of his letters, he expressed himself in the following touching language, which shows how deeply his heart was eniisted in the enterprise he had undertaken to accomplish : " I left Tennessee with an army, brave, I believe, as any general ever commanded. I have seen them in bat- tle, and my opinion of their bravery is not changed. But their fortitude — on this too I relied — has been too severely tested. Perhaps I was wrong in believing that nothing but death could conquer the spirits of brave men. I am sure I was ; for my men I know are brave, yet privations have rendered them discontented — that is enough. The expedition must nevertheless be prosecuted to a success- ful termination. New Volunteers must be raised to con- clude what has been so auspiciously begun by the old ones. Gladly would I save these men from themselves, and insure them a harvest which they have sown ; but if they will abandon it to others, it must be so. * * * * * * So far as my exertions can contribute, the pur- poses both of the savage and his instigator shall be de- feated ; and so far as yours can, I hope — I know they will be employed. I have said enough — I want men, and want them immediately." Anxious to prosecute the campaign as soon as possible, vhat by employing his troops actively he might dispel 82 LIFE OF JACKSON. from their minds that discontent so frequently manifested, Jackson wrote to General Cocke, early in December, earnestly desiring him to hasten to the Ten Islands, with fifteen hundred men. He assured him that the mounted men, who had returned to the settlements for subsistence, and to recruit their horses, would arrive by the 12th of the month. He wished to commence his operations directly, " knowing- they would be prepared for it, and well knowing they would require it. 1 am astonished," he continued, "to hear that your supplies continue deficient. In the name of God, what are the contractors doing, and about what are they engaged ? Every letter I receive from Governor Blount, assures me I am to receive plentiful supplies from them, and seems to take for granted, notwithstanding all I have said to the contrary, that they have been hitherto regularly furnished. Considering the generous loan the state has made for this purpose, and the facility of procuring bread-stuffs in East Tennessee, and the transporting them by water to Fort Deposit, it is to me wholly unaccountable that not a pound has ever arrived at that place. This evil must continue no longer — it must be remedied. I expect, therefore, and through you must require, that in twenty days they fur- nish at Deposit every necessary supply." While these preparations for the vigorous prosecution of hostilities were being made, the volunteers were con- gratulating themselves upon their anticipated discharge from the service. They had originally enlisted on the 10th of December, 1812, to serve for twelve months. A portion of this time, however, after their return from Natchez, they had not been actually engaged in service. This fact was entirely overlooked in their calculations, and they commenced pressing their officers en the subject of their discharge. General Jackson received a letter from the colonel who commanded the second regiment, dated the 4th of De- cember, 1813, in which was attempted to be detailed their whole ground of complaint. He began by stating, that, painful as it was, he nevertheless felt himself bound to disclose an important and unpleasant truth : that, on the DIFFICULTY WITH THE VOLUNTEERS. 83 10th instant, the service would he deprived of the regi- ment he commanded. He seemed to deplore, with great sensibility, the scene that would be exhibited on that day, should opposition be made to their departure ; and still more sensibly, the consequences that would result from a disorderly abandonment of the camp. He stated that they had all considered themselves finally discharged, on the 20th of April, 1813, and never knew to the contrary, until they saw his order of the 24th of September, 1813, requiring them to rendezvous on the 4th of October. " Thus situated," proceeded the colonel, " there was con- siderable opposition to the order ; on which the officers generally, as I am advised, and I know myself in par- ticular, gave it as an unequivocal opinion, that their term of service would terminate on the 10th of December, 1813. They therefore look to their general, who has their confi- dence, for an honorable discharge on that day ; and that, in every respect, he will see that justice be done them. They regret that their particular situations and circum- stances require them to leave their general, at a time when their services are important to the common cause. "It would be desirable," he continued, "that those men who have served with honor, should be honorably discharged, and that they should return to their families and friends without even the semblance of disgrace ; with their general they leave it to place them in that situation. They have received him as an affectionate father, while they have honored, revered, and obeyed him ; but having devoted a considerable portion of their time to the service of their country, by which their domestic concerns are greatly deranged, they wish to return, and attend to their own affairs." Although this communication announced the determi- nation of only a part of the volunteer brigade, the com- mander in chief had abundant evidence that the defection was but too general. The difficulty which he had here- tofore been compelled to encounter, from the discontent of his troops, might well induce him to regret that a spirit of insubordination should again threaten to appear in his camp. That he might prevent it, if possible, he hastened 84 LIFE OF JACKSON. to lay before them the error and impropriety of their views, and the consequences involved, should they persist in their purpose. To the foregoing letter he returned a reply which, for un- shrinking firmness of resolution, and patriotic devotion to the interests of his country, was never surpassed. He declared his determination to prevent their return, at the hazard of his life, and called upon God to witness, that the scenes of blood which might be exhibited on the 10th of December should not be laid to his charge. He reminded the volunteers that they had been enlisted for twelve months' actual service ; that but a portion of that time had expired ; and that at the time of their dismissal, after their return from Natchez, a certificate was given to each man, setting forth the number of months he had served, and they were expressly told that they were liable to be a»ain called out to complete the full term. He also stated that he was ready and willing to discharge them, provided he received orders to that effect from the President of the United States, or the Governor of the State, but otherwise, they must remain with him. The letter concluded with the following remarkable words : " I cannot, must not be- lieve, that k the volunteers of Tennessee,' a name ever dear to fame, will disgrace themselves, and a country which they have honored, by abandoning her standard, as mutineers and deserters ; but should I be disappointed, and compelled to resign this pleasing hope, one thing I will not resign — my duty. Mutiny and sedition, so long as I possess the power of quelling them, shall be put down ; and even when left destitute of this, I will still be found, in the last extremity, endeavoring to discharge the duty I owe my country and myself." To the platoon officers, who addressed him on the same subject, he replied with nearly the same spirited feeling; but discontent was too deeply fastened, and had been too artfully fomented, to be removed by any thing like argu- ment or entreaty. At length, on the evening of the 9th of December, 1813, General Hall hastened to the tent of Jackson, with information that his whole brigade was in a state of mutiny, and making preparations to move SUPPRESSION OF THE MUTINY. 85 forcibly off. This was a measure which every considera- tion of policy, duty, and honor, required Jackson to op- pose ; and to this purpose he instantly applied all the means he possessed. He immediately issued the follow- ing general order: "The commanding general beinrm of fifteen years, upon conditions which not only operate as a gratuity to the stockholders, of many millions of dollars, but will sanction any abuses, and legalize any encroachments. Suspicions are entertained, and charges are made, of gross abuse and violation of its charter. An investigation, unwillingly conceded, and so restricted in time as neces- sarily to make it incomplete and unsatisfactory, disclosed enough to excite suspicion and alarm. En the practices of the principal bank, partially unveiled in the absence of important witnesses, and in numerous charges confi- dently made, and as yet wholly uninvestigated, there was enough to induce a majority of the committee of investiga- tion, a committee which was selected from the most able and honorable members of the House of Representatives, to recommend a susj ension of farther action upon the bill, and a prosecution of the inquiry. As the charter had yet four years to run, and as a renewa now was not necessary to the successful prosecution of its business, it was to have been expected that the bank itself, conscious of its purity, and proud of its character, would have with- drawn its application for the present, and d inanded the severest scrutiny into all its transactions. In th ir de- clining to do so, there seems to be an additional reason why the functionaries of the government should proceed with less haste, and more caution, in the renewal of their mo- nopoly. The bank is professedly established as an agent of the executive branches of the government, and its constitu- tionality is maintained on that ground. Neither upon the propriety of present action, nor upon the provisions of this act. was the Executive consulted. It has had no opportu- nity to say, that it neither needs nor wants an agent clothed with such powers, and favored by such exemptions. There is nothing in its legitimate functions which makes it neces- VETO OF THE BANK BILL. 219 sary or proper. Whatever interest or influence, whether public or private, has given birth to this act, it cannot be found either in the wishes or necessities of the Executive Department, by which present action is deemed premature, and the powers conferred upon its agent not only unneces- sary, but dangerous to the government and country. It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes. Distinctions in society will always exist under every just government. Equality of talents, of education, or of wealth, cannot be produced by human institutions. In the full enjoyment of the gifts of Heaven, and the fruits of supe- rior industry, economy, and virtue, every man is equally entitled to protection by law. But when the laws under- take to add to these natural and just advantages artificial distinctions — to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive pri- vileges — to make the rich richer, and the potent more powerful — the humble members of society, the farmers, mechanics, and laborers, who have neither the time nor the means of securing like favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the injustice of their government. There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses. If it would confine itself to equal protection, and, as Heaven does its rains, shower its favors alike on the high and the low, the rich and the poor, it would be an unqualified blessing. In the act before me, " there seems to be a wide and unnecessary departure from these just principles. Nor is our government to be maintained, or our Union _. preserved, by invasions of the rights and powers of the several states. In thus attempting to make our general government strong, we make it weak. Its true strength consists in leaving individuals and states, as much as pos- sible, to themselves ; in making itself felt, not in its power, but in its beneficence — not in its control, but in its protec- tion — not in binding the states more closely to the centre, but leaving each to move, unobstructed, in its proper orbit. Experience should teach us wisdom. Most of the dif- ficulties our government now encounters, and most of the dangers which impend over our Union, have sprung from 220 APPENDIX. an abandonment of the legitimate objects of government by our national legislation, and the adoption of such prin- ciples as are imbodied in this act. Many of our rich men have not been content with equal protection and equal benefits, but have besought us to make them richer by acts of Congress. By attempting to gratify their desires, we have, in the results of our legislation, arrayed section against section, interest against interest, and man against man, in a fearful commotion, which threatens to shake the foundations of our Union. It is time to pause in our career, to review our principles, and, if possible, revive that devoted patriotism, and spirit of compromise, which distinguished the sages of the Revolution and the fathers of our Union. If we cannot, at once, in justice to inte- rests vested under improvident legislation, make our go- vernment what it ought to be, we can, at least, take a stand against all new grants of monopolies and exclusive privileges, against any prostitution of our government to the advancement of the few at the expense of the many, . and in favor of compromise and gradual reform in oujpX code of laws and system of political economy. 1 have now done my duty to my country. If sustained by my fellow-citizens, I shall be grateful and happy : if not, I shall find in the motives which impel me, ample grounds for contentment and peace. In the difficulties which surround us, and the dangers which threaten our institutions, there is cause for neither dismay or alarm. For relief and deliverance, let us firmly rely on that kind Providence which, I am sure, watches with peculiar care over the destinies of our republic, and on the intelligence and wisdom of our countrymen. Through His abundant goodness, and their patriotic devotion, our liberty and Union will be preserved. PROCLAMATION. 22l Note B. Proclamation on the Nullification Question. — December 11, 1832. Whereas, a Convention assembled in the State of South Carolina, having passed an ordinance by which they declare, "That the several acts and parts of acts of the Congress of the United States, purporting to be laws for the imposing of duties and imposts on the importation of foreign commodities, and now having actual operation and effect within the United States, and more especially," two acts for the same purpose, passed on the 29th of May, 1828, and on the 14th of July, 1832, "are unauthorized by the Constitution of the United States, and violate the true meaning and intent thereof, and are null and void, and no law," nor binding on the citizens of that state or its officers : and by the said ordinance, it is further de- clared to be unlawful for any of the constituted authorities of the state, or of the United States, to enforce the payment of the duties imposed by the said acts within the same state, and that it is the duty of the legislature to pass such laws as may be necessary to give full effect to the said ordinance : And whereas, by the said ordinance, it is further or- dained, that in no case, of law or equity, decided in the courts of said state, wherein shall be drawn in question the validity of the said ordinance, or of the acts of the legislature that may be passed to give it effect, or of the said laws of the United States, no appeal shall be allowed to the Supreme Court of the United States, nor shall any copy of the record be permitted or allowed for that pur- pose, and that any person attempting to take such appeal shall be punished as for a contempt of court : And, finally, the said ordinance declares, that the people of South Carolina will maintain the said ordinance at every hazard ; and that they will consider the passage of any 19* 222 APPENDIX. act by Congress, abolishing or closing the ports of the said state, or otherwise obstructing the free ingress or egress of vessels to and from the said ports, or any other act of the federal government to coerce the state, shut up her ports, destroy or harass her commerce, or to enforce the said acts otherwise than through the civil tribunals of the country, as inconsistent with the longer continuance of South Carolina in the Union ; and that the people of the said state will thenceforth hold themselves absolved from all further obligation to maintain or preserve their political connection with the people of the other states, and will forthwith proceed to organize a separate govern- ment, and do all other acts and things which sovereign and independent states' may of right do : And whereas, the said ordinance prescribes to the people of South Carolina a course of conduct, in direct violation of their duty as citizens of the United States, contrary to the laws of their country, subversive of its Constitution, and having for its object the destruction of the Union — that Union, which, coeval with our political existence, led our fathers, without any other ties to unite them than those of patriotism and a common cause, through a sanguinary struggle to a glorious independence — that sacred Union, hitherto inviolate, which, perfected by our happy Constitution, has brought us, by the favor of Heaven, to a state of prosperity at home, and high consideration abroad, rarely, if ever, equalled in the history of nations: To preserve this bond of our political existence from de- struction, to maintain inviolate this state of national honor and prosperity, and to justify the confidence my fellow- citizens have reposed in me, I, Andrew Jackson, Presi- dent of the United States, have thought proper to issue this my Proclamation, stating my views of the Constitu- tion and laws applicable to the measures adopted by the Convention of South Carolina, and to the reasons they have put forth to sustain them, declaring the course which duty will require me to pursue, and, appealing to the understanding and patriotism of the people, warn them of the consequences that must inevitably result from an ob- servance of the dictates of the Convention. PROCLAMATION. 223 Strict duty would require of me nothing more than the exercise of those powers with which I am now, or may hereafter be invested, for preserving the peace of the Union, and for the execution of the laws. But the imposing aspect which opposition has assumed in this case, by clothing itself with state authority, and the deep interest which the people of the United States must all feel in preventing a resort to stronger measures, while there is a hope that any thing will be yielded to reasoning and remon- strance, perhaps demand, and will certainly justify, a full exposition to South Carolina and the nation, of the views I entertain of this important question, as well as a distinct enunciation of the course which my sense of duty will require me to pursue. The ordinance is founded, not on the indefeasible right of resisting acts which are plainly unconstitutional and too oppressive to be endured ; but on the strange position that any one state may not only declare an act of Congress void, but prohibit its execution ; that they may do this consistently with the Constitution ; that the true construc- tion of that instrument permits a state to retain its place in the Union, and yet be bound by no other of its laws than it may choose to consider constitutional. It is true, they add, that to justify this abrogation of a law, it must be palpably contrary to the Constitution; but it is evident, that to give the right of resisting laws of that description, coupled with the uncontrolled right to decide what laws deserve that character, is to give the power of resisting all laws. For, as by the theory, there is no appeal, the reasons alleged by the state, good or bad, must prevail. If it should be said that public opinion is a sufficient check against the abuse of this power, it may be asked why it is not deemed a sufficient guard against the pas- sage of an unconstitutional act by Congress. There is, however, a restraint in this last case, which makes the assumed power of a state more indefensible, and which does not exist in the other. There are two appeals from an unconstitutional act passed by Congress — one to the judiciary, the other to the people and the states. There is no appeal from the state decision in theory, and tho 224 APPENDIX. practical illustration shows that the courts are closed against an application to review it, both judge and jurors being sworn to decide in its favor. But reasoning on this subject is superfluous, when our social compact in express terms declares, that the laws of the United States, its Constitution and treaties made under it, are the supreme law of the land — and for greater caution adds, "that the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the Constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding." And it may be asserted without fear of refutation, that no federative government could exist without a similar provision. Look for a moment to the consequences. If South Carolina considers the revenue laws unconstitutional, and has a right to prevent their execution in the port of Charleston, there would be a clear constitutional objection to their collection in every other port, and no revenue could be collected anywhere ; for all imposts must be equal. It is no answer to repeat, that an unconstitutional law is no law, so long as the ques- tion of its legality is to be decided by the state itself; for every law operating injuriously upon any local interest, will be perhaps thought, and certainly represented, as un- constitutional, and, as has been shown, there is no appeal. If this doctrine had been established at an earlier day, the Union would have been dissolved in its infancy. The excise law in Pennsylvania, the embargo and non-inter- course law in the Eastern States, the carriage tax in Vir- ginia, were all deemed unconstitutional, and were more unequal in their opt ration than any of the Jaws now com- plained of; but iortunately none ot those states discovered that they had the right now claimed by South Carolina. The war into which we were forced, to support the dig- nity of the nation and the rights of our citizens, might have ended in defeat and disgrace, instead of victory and honor, if the slates who supposed it a ruinous and uncon- stitutional measure, had thought they possessed the right of nullifying the act by which it was declared, and deny- ing supplies lor its prosecution. Hardly and unequally as those measures bore upon several members of the Union, to the legislatures of none did this efficient and PROCLAMATION. 225 peaceable remedy, as it is called, suggest itself. The discovery of this important feature in our Constitution was reserved for the present day. To the statesmen of South Carolina belongs the invention, and upon the citi- zens of that state will unfortunately fall the evil of reduc- ing it to practice. If the doctrine of a state veto upon the laws of the Union carries with it internal evidence of its impracticable ab- surdity, our constitutional history will also afford abundant proof that it would have been repudiated with indignation, had it been proposed to form a feature in our government. In our colonial state, although dependent on another power, we very early considered ourselves as connected by common interest with each other. Leagues were formed for common defence, and before the Declaration of Independence we were known in our aggregate cha- racter as the united colonies of America. That decisive and important s:ep was taken jointly. We declared our- selves a nation, by a joint, not by several acts, and when the terms of confederation were reduced to form, it was in that of a solemn league of several states by which they agreed, that they would collectively form one nation for the purpose of conducting some certain domestic concerns and ail foreign relations. In the instrument forming that union is found an article which declares that, "every state shall abide by the determination of Congress on all questions which by that confederation should be submitted to them." Under the Confederation, then, no state could legally annul a decision of the Congress, or refuse to submit to its execution ; but no provision was made to enforce these decisions. Congress made requisitions, but they were not compiled with. The government could not operate, on individuals. They had no judiciary, no means of collect- ing revenue. But the defects of the Confederation need not be de- tailed. Under its operation we could scarcely be called a nation. We had neither prosperity at home, nor con- sideration abroad. This state of things could not be en- dured, and our present happy Constitution was formed, 226 APPENDIX. but formed in vain if this fatal doctrine prevails. It was formed for important objects that are announced in the preamble, made in the name and by the authon made by the Bank of the United States. Defeated in the general government, the same class of intriguers and politicians will now resort to the states, and endeavor to obtain there the same organiza- tion, which they failed to perpetuate in the Union ; and with specious and deceitful plans of public advantages, and state interests, and state pride, they will endeavor to establish, in the different states, one moneyed institution with overgrown capital, and exclusive privileges, suffi- cient to enable it to control the operations of the other banks. Such an institution will be pregnant with the same evils produced by the Bank of the United States, although its sphere of action is more confined ; and in the state in which it is chartered, the money power will be able to embody its whole strength, and to move together with undivided force, to accomplish any object it may wish to attain. You have already had abundant evidence of its power to inflict injury upon the agricultural, me- chanical, and laboring classes of society ; and over those whose engagements in trade or speculation render them dependent on bank facilities, the dominion of the state monopoly will be abso!ute,*and their obedience unlimited. With such a bank, and a paper currency, the money power would in a few years govern the state and control its measures; and if a sufficient number of states can be induced to create such establishments, the time will soon come when it will again take the field against the United States, and succeed in perfecting and perpetuating its organization by a charter from Congress. It is one of the serious evils of our present system of banking, that it enables one class of society — and that by no means a numerous one — by its control over the cur- rency, to act injuriously upon the interests of all the others, and to exercise more than its just proportion of influence in political affairs. The agricultural, the mechanical, and the laboring classes, have little or no share in the direction of the great moneyed corporations ; and from their habits 24* 282 APPENDIX. and the nature of their pursuits, they are incapable of forming extensive combinations to act together with united force. Such concert of action may w >metimes be produced in a single city, or in a small dis f wi of country, by means of personal communications with each other; but they have no regular or active correspondence with those who are engaged in similar pursuits in distant places; they have but little patronage to give to the press, and exercise but a small share of influence over it ; they have no crowd of dependents about them, who hope to grow rich without labor, by their countenance and favor, and who are, there- fore, always ready to execute their wishes. The planter, the farmer, the mechanic, and the laborer, all know that their success depends upon their own industry and economy, and that they must not expect to become suddenly rich by the fruits of their toil. Yet these classes of society form the great body of the people of the United States ; they are the bone and sinew of the country ; men who love liberty, and desire nothing but equal rights and equal laws, and who, moreover, hold the great mass of our national wealth, although it is distributed in moderate amounts among the millions of freemen who possess it. But with overwhelming numbers and wealth on their side, they are in constant danger of losing their fair influence in the government, and with difficulty maintain their just rights against the incessant efforts daily made to encroach upon them. The mischief springs from the power which the moneyed interest derives from a paper currency, which they are able to control, from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges, which they have succeeded in ob- taining in the different states, and which are employed altogether for their benefit; and unless you become more watchful in your states, and check this spirit of mono- poly and thirst for exclusive privileges, you will, in the end, find that the most important powers of government have been given or bartered away, and the control over your dearest interests have passed into the hands of these corporations. FAREWELL ADDRESS. 283 The paper-money system, and its natural associates, monopoly and exclusive privileges, have already struck their roots deep in the soil; and it will require all your efforts to check its farther growth, and to eradicate the evil. The men who profit by the abuses, and desire to perpetuate them, will continue to besiege the halls of legis- lation in the general government, as well as in the states, and will seek, by every artifice, to mislead and deceive the public servants. It is to yourselves that you must look for safety and the means of" guarding and perpetuat- ing your free institutions. In your hands is rightfully placed the sovereignty of the country, and to you every one placed in authority is ultimately responsible. It is always in your power to see that the wishes of the people are carried into faithful execution, and their will, when once made known, must sooner or later be obeyed. And while the people remain, as I trust they ever will, uncor- rupted and incorruptible, and continue watchful and jealous of their rights, the government is safe, and the cause of freedom will continue to triumph over all its enemies. But it will require steady and persevering exertions on your part to rid yourselves of the iniquities and mischiefs of the paper system, and to check the spirit of monopoly and other abuses, which have sprung up with it, and of which it is the main support. So many interests are united to resist all reform on this subject, that you must not hope the conflict will be a short one, nor success easy. My humble efforts have not been spared, during my adminis- tration of the government, to restore the constitutional currency of gold and silver ; and something, I trust, has been done towards the accomplishment of this most desir- able object. But enough yet remains to require all your energy and perseverance. The power, however, is in your hands, and the remedy must and will be applied if you determine upon it. While I am thus endeavoring to press upon your at- tention the principles which I deem of vital importance to the domestic concerns of the country, I ought not to pass over without notice the important considerations which 284 APPENDIX. should govern your policy towards foreign powers. It is unquestionably our true interest to cultivate the most friendly understanding with every nation, and to avoid, by every honorable means, the calamities of war ; and we shall best attain this object by frankness and sincerity in our foreign intercourse, by the prompt and faithful execu- tion of treaties, and by justice and impartiality in our conduct to all. But no nation, however desirous of peace, can hope to escape collisions with other powers; and the soundest dictates of policy require that we should place ourselves in a condition to assert our rights, if a resort to force should ever become necessary. Our local situation, our long line of sea-coast, indented by numerous bays, with deep rivers opening into the interior, as well as our extended and still increasing commerce, point to the navy as our natural means of defence. It will, in the end, be found to be the cheapest and most effectual ; and now is the time, in the season of peace, and with an overflowing revenue, that we can year after year add to its strength, without increasing the burdens of the people. It is your true policy. For your navy will not only protect your rich and flourishing commerce in distant seas, but enable you to reach and annoy the enemy, and will give to defence its greatest efficiency by meeting danger at a distance from home. It is impossible by any line of fortifications to guard every point from attack against a hostile force advancing from the ocean and selecting its object ; but they are indispensable to protect cities from bombard- ment ; dock-yards and navy arsenals from destruction; to give shelter to merchant vessels in time of war, and to single shirs or weaker squadrons when pressed by supe- rior force. Fortifications of this description cannot be too soon completed and armed, and placed in a condition of the most perfect preparation. The abundant means we now possess cannot be applied in any manner more useful to the country; and when this is done, and our naval force sufficiently strengthened, and our militia armed, we need not fear that any nation will wantonly insult us, or needlessly provoke hostilities. We shall more certain- FAREWELL ADDRESS. 285 ly preserve peace, when it is well understood that we are prepared for war. In presenting to you, my fellow-citizens, these parting counsels, I -have brought before you the leading prin- ciples upon which I endeavored to administer the govern- ment in the high office with which you twice honored me. Knowing that the path of freedom is continually beset by enemies, who often assume the disguise of friends, I have devoted the last hours of my public life to warn you of the dangers. The progress of the United States, under our free and happy institutions, has sur- passed the most sanguine hopes of the founders of the Republic. Our growth has been rapid beyond all former example, in numbers, in wealth, in knowledge, and all the useful arts which contribute to the comforts and con- venience of man ; and from the earliest ages of history to the present day, there never have been thirteen millions of people associated together in one political body, who enjoyed so much freedom and happiness as fche people of these United States. You have no longer any cause to fear danger from abroad ; your strength and power are well known throughout the civilized world, as well as the high and gallant bearing of your sons. It is from within, among yourselves, from cupidity, from corruption, from disappointed ambition, and inordinate thirst for power, that factions will bs formed and liberty endangered. It is against such designs, whatever disguise the actors may assume, that you have especially to guard yourselves. You have the highest of human trusts committed to your care. Providence has showered on this favored land blessings without number, and has chosen you as the guardians of freedom, to preserve it for the benefit of the human race. May He, who holds in his hands the des- tinies of nations, make you worthy of the favors he has bestowed, and enable you, with pure hearts, and pure hands, and sleepless vigilance, to guard and defend to the end of time the great charge he has committed to your keeping. My own race is nearly run; advanced age and failing 286 APPENDIX. health warn me that before long I must pass beyond the reach of human events, and cease to feel the vicissitudes of human affairs. I thank God that my life has been spent in a land of liberty, and that he has given me a heart to love my country with the affection of a son. And filled with gratitude for your constant and unwavering kindness, I bid you a last and affectionate farewell. LETTER TO COMMODORE ELLIOTT. 287 Note E. General Jackson's Letter to Commodore Elliott, declining a Sarco- phagus. Hermitage, March 27, 1845. Dear Sir: Your letter of the 18th instant, together with a copy of the proceedings of the National Institute, furnished me by their corresponding- secretary, on the presentation, by you, of the Sarcophagus for their accept- ance, on condition it shall be preserved, and in honor of my memory, have been received, and are now before me. Although laboring under great debility and affliction, from a severe attack from which I may not recover, I raise my pen and endeavor to reply. The steadiness of my nerves may perhaps lead you to conclude my prostration of strength is not so great as here expressed. Strange as it may appear, my nerves are as steady as they were forty years gone by ; whilst, from debility and affliction, I am gasping for breath. I have read the whole proceedings of the presentation, by you, of the Sarcophagus, and the resolutions passed by the Board of Directors, so honorable to my fame, with sensations and feelings more easily to be conjectured, than by me expressed. The whole proceedings call for my most grateful thanks, which are hereby tendered to you, and through you to the President and Directors of the National Institute. But with the warmest sensations that can inspire a grateful heart, I must decline accepting the honor intended to be bestowed. I cannot consent that my mortal body shall be laid in a repository prepared for an emperor or a king. My republican feelings and principles forbid it; the simplicity of our system of government for- bids it. Every monument erected to perpetuate the me- mory of our heroes and statesmen ought to bear evidence of the economy and simplicity of our republican institu- tions, and the plainness of our republican citizens, who 288 APPENDIX. are the sovereigns of our glorious Union, and whose virtue is to perpetuate it. True virtue cannot exist where pomp and parade are the governing passions : it can only dwell with the people — the great laboring and producing classes that form the bone and sinew of our confederacy. For these reasons I cannot accept the honor you and the President and Directors of the National Institute in- tended to bestow. I cannot permit my remains to be the first in these United States to be deposited in a sarco- phagus made for an emperor or king. I again repeat, please accept for yourself, and convey to the President and Directors of the National Institute, my most profound respects for the honor you and they intend to bestow. I have prepared an humble depository for my mortal body beside that wherein lies my beloved wife, where, without any pomp or parade, I have requested, when my God calls me to sleep with my fathers, to be laid ; for both of us there to remain until the last trumpet sounds to call the dead to judgment, when we, I hope, shall rise to- gether, clothed with that heavenly body promised to all who believe in our glorious Redeemer, who died for us that we might live, and by whose atonement I hope for a' blessed immortality. I am, with great respect, your friend and fellow-citizen, Andrew Jackson. To Commodore J. D. Elliott, United States Navy. THE END.