Eastern times., 1855-03-15
l was young then, and one Of his aids, and

believed In his military talent and patriotism,
greatly attached to him, and was grieved and
vexed to see him passed by when SO much in
competence was preferred. Besides, was to
go with him, and his appointment would be
partly my own. was vexed, as were all his
friends, but did not despair as most of them
did. turned from the government to our
selves-to our own resources-and looked to
the chapter of accidents to turn up chance
for incidental employment, confident that he
would do the rest for himself IT he could only
get start. was in this mood in my Office,
a young lawyer with more books than briefs,
when the tardy mail of that time, one raw
aud gusty day in February 1912, brought an
act of Congress authorizing the President to
accept organized bodies of volunteers, to the
extent of fifty thousand-to serve for one year
and to be called into service when some
emergency should require it. Here was
chance. knew that Jackson could raise a
generals command, and trusted to events for
him to be called out, and felt that one year was
more than enough for him to prove himself l
drew up plan-rode thirty miles to his
house, that same raw day in February-rain,
hail, sleet, wind-and such roads as we then
had there in winter-deep in rich mud and
mixed with ice. arrived at the Hermitage
"a name then but little known-at night fall,
and found him solitary, and almost alone, but
not quite; for it was the evening mentioned
in the Thirty Years View,' when | found
him with the lamb and the child between his
knees. l laid the plan before him. He was
struck with it-adopted it-acted upon it.
began to raise volunteer companies While
this was going on an order arrived from the
War Department TO the Governor, (Willie
Blount,) to detach fifteen hundred militia to
the Lower Mississippi, the object to meet the
British, then expected to make at attempt on
New Orleans. The Governor was friend to
Jackson, and to his country. He agreed to
accept his three thousand volunteers instead of
the fifteen hundred drafted militia He issued
an address to his division. I galloped to the
muster grounds and harangued the young men.
The success was ample. Three regiments
were completed William Hall, Ben
ton, the colonels; and in December, 1912, we
descended the Cumberland and the Mississippi
in fleet of flat-bottomed boats, and landed at
Natchez. There we got the news that the
British would not come that wiuter-a great
disappointment, and fine chance lost.
We remained in camp, six miles from
Natchez, waiting ulterior orders. In March
they came-not orders for further services. or
even to return home, but to disband the volun-
teers where they were. The command was
positive, in the name of the President, and by
the then Secretary of War, General Arm
strong. | well remember the daY-Sunday
morning, the 25th day of March, 1873. The
first knew of it was message from the Cen
eral 10 come to him at his tent; for, though
as colonel of a regiment | had ceased to be
aid, yet my place had not been filled, and
was sent for as much as ever He showed
me the order, and also his character, in his
instant determination not to obey it, but to
lead his volunteers home. He had sketched a
severe answer to the Secretary of War, and
gave it me to copy, and arrange the matter of
it. 1t was very severe. tried hard TO get
some parts softened, but impossible. l have
never seen that letter since, but would know
it i: should meet it in any form, anywhere,
without names. concurred with the Gener-
al in the determination TO take home oui
young troops. He then called council Of
the field officers, as he called it, though there
was but little of the council in 1.-THE only OBJ
ject being TO hear his determination. and take
measures for executing it. The officers were
unanimous in their determination to suppor
him but it was one of those cases in which
he would have acted, not only without, bu
against a council
| The officers were unanimous and vehemen
in their determination, as much so as the gen
eral was himself; for the volunteers wer,
composed of the best young men Of the coun
\ try-farEer's sons, themselves clever young
men, since filling high Offices in the state ant
the federal overnment-intrusted TO thes'
officers by their fathers, in full confidence tha
they would act fathers part by them; ant
the reereant thought of turning them loose oI
the lower Mississippi, five hundred miles from
home, without the means of getting home, anc
wilderness and Indian tribes to traverse, di,
not find moments thought in any one
bosom. To carry them back was the instan
and indignant determination but great diff
culties were in the way. The cost of gettin,
back three thousand men, under such circum
stances must be great, and here Jackson
character showed itself again. We have al
heard of his responsibiities-his readiness t
assume political responsibility when the pub
lie service required it; he was now equall
ready to take responsibility of another kind
moneyed responsibility and that beyond tn
whole extent of his fortune He had no mil
itary chest-not a dollar of public money
and three thousand men were not 10 be con
Quoted five hundred miles through a wilder
ness country and Indian tribes without grea
outlay of money Wagons were wanted, an,
many of them, for transport of provisions, bag
4