Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-19
WEDNESDAY. JULY 10, 1926.
TFrom the Kentucky Wing.
GENERAL JACKSON rersus KENTUCKY


rous conduct of Gen. Jackson towards the de-
tachment of Kentucky troops, stationed on the
right bank of the Mississippi, under the imme-
date command of Major Davis; and proved
partly by the testimony Of his friends Thomas
p. Moore and Robert P. Henry and partly by
testimony derived from his own letters, that he
first slandered the troops, that he afterwards
withdrew the charges, saying that he made
them on the authority Of Commodore Patterson
and Gen. Morgan, but that the investigation
before the court of inquiry, had convinced him
of their falsehood { y; and finally, that TWO years
after making these solemn declarations, he
again uttered the same SANDER, declaring he
was himself an eyewitness TO the "inglorous
flight" (2). His official letter in which these
charges were made, is placed among the ar
chives of the nation, and will be quoted and re-
lied upon, as authority by the future historians
Of our country, and thus, the foul stain upon the
character Of the state will be as lasting as the
fame Of the hattie itself.
A TO the contradiction so utterly irrecon-
cileable with truth, of which he General stands
convicted, will leave him to his conscience,
but the conduct Of Nlessrs. Moore and Henry
in re gard to it, is, to say the least reprehensibe
and tisingenuous. BY a reference to their
speeches, published under their sanction in the
National Intelligencer, il will be found, that they
only refer in their praises and justification otthe
General 70 the documents published in 1915,
Immediately after the court OF inquiry, and take
no notice Of the assertions, which ne afterwards
in 1917 made in his correspondence with Adair
assertions SO. inexpicable, so Inconsistent
with former statements, SO fatal TO his claims
for Justice and magnanimity. When they set
forth his recantation and extolled him so much
for his love Of Justice, they must either have
known or not have known his subsequent dec
Iarations. If they knew them, they are guilty
.of an urjusti6able suppression ct the truth: ii
they knew them not, they should not have push
ed themselves into the discussion OF subject
of which they were so ignorant
There are other causes Of complaint against
General Jackson On the right bank, where The
Eent,lcku troops ,rere Sigmatissd horing ingto-
yioasly fed he ungenerousiy exaggerated their mum
Der, ,chile on the left bonk, tchere oil behared ueH
he endearored TO deiract from them. In his official
letter to the Secretary of War, dated January
9th, 1915, he calls he detachment on the right
bank ga strong detachment" 1t was stated by
some witnesses on oath, before the court OF IN
ouiry TO have amounted to 200 men, and by
Gen. Adair 10 no; all these statements he pro.
nounccs false; (S) positively asserts their num-
Der TO have been much greater, and elsewhere,
that some of the officers who were examined
before the court Of inquiry, in favor Of the Ken
tuckians periured themselves. In his letter TO
Worsley and Smith, he insinuates that the de-
tachment amounted 10 400. l have not been a.
q bic TO procure copy of the minutes OF the court
of inquiry, but when do, shall give briei
summary of the evidence that'was submitted
To it, | shall, however, insert The statements
of Lieutenant Governor McAfee and General
!Adair, relative to the number and conduct oil
the troops under Mai. Davis, and the feelings
which Gen Jackson manifested towards them
"Tbis strong deiaebnlent' Of Kentuo kians, CA
consisted of about one hundred and serenity or al
most fro hundred menu They fred several
rounds at the enemy, were not supported by any
other troops, and had only small ditch to pro-
tect them from the British regulars; while the
forces of Morgan and Patterson, upwards oil
500 men, or as now stated near 400, & strong
ly posted behind breastwork fled from their
entreachaent nearly as soon as this handful q
Kentuckians, who had marched all night 10 get
TO the place, and ,cho in fact did nearly all The
fghting that tras donev VIVA, Inference, ask
could the people of Kentucky draw from this
statement of facts, but that General Jackson
bad either been grossly deceived by the reports
of Morgan and Patterson, or that he had tacitly
.assented 10 fixing the whole disgrace Of the re-
treat OIL the Kentuckians. Public sentiment
was again suspended between these two opini.
ons, until the the correspondence between Ge-
nerals Adair and Jackson, was laid before them
and how greatly again were they disappoin,
ed in fading Gen. Jackson pertinaciously adher.
inp TO his first statements, after the whole af
fair had been fully investigated and explained
These facts convinced the people Of Kentucky
that he must have labored under strong and un.
accountable preiudices against their troops, oil
that he would not acknowledge an error upon
The plainest evidence; and these convictions
seems to be extending wider gaining strength
in proportion as the General makes 6r'orn has sen
az Official documents of Jackson, dated IN 1918
quoted by Messrs. Moore and Henry in their sPeeche
in the National Intelligencer, May 9th, 1896
(2) Jackson's letter to the Editor OF the Reporter
dated Nashville, April llth, 1917.
(S) Jacksons letter to Affair." dated, July sd, 1911
Ito worsley and Smith March IL, 1877.
(N McAfee's letter to Gen. Jackson, and the PEG
pie of Kentucky. dated June q, 1917,