Butte record., 1856-01-12


chances and accidents, and the contri-
vances of others, in which he could
have but little hand and no control. |
proceed to give some view of this IN
side and preliminary history, and have
some qualifications for the task, having
taken some part, though not great, in
all | relate.
Retired from the United States Sen
ate, of which he had been a member,
and from the supreme judicial bench of
his State, on which he had sat as Judge.
this future warrior and President
and alike illustrious in both characters
was living upon his farm on the
banks of the Cumberland, when the
war Of 1912 broke out. He was a
major general in the Tennessee MILL
tia-the only place he would continue
to hold, and to which he had been
elected by the contingency Of one vote,
so close was the chance for miss in
this first step. His friends believed
that he had military genius, and pro-
posed him for a brigadier's appoint
ment which was allotted to the West.
That appointment was given to an
other, and jackson remained unnoticed
on his farm. Soon another appoint
ment Of general was allotted to the
West. jackson was proposed again;
and was again left to attend to his
farm. Then a batch Of generals, as
they were called, was authorized by
law-six at time, and from all parts
of the Union; and then his friends be-
lieyed that surely his time had come.
Not SO the fact. The six appointments
went elsewhere, and the hero patriot,
who was born to lead armies to victo-
ry, was still left to the care of his
fields, while incompetent men were
leading our troops to defeat, to captiv-
ity, to slaughter; for that is the way
the war opened. The door to military
service seemed to be closed and barred
against him; and was so, so far as the
government was concerned.
1t may be wondered why this repug-
nance to the appointment of Jackson,
who, though not yet greatly distin-
gulshed, was still man of mark-had
been a Senator and Supreme Judge,
and was still major general, and a
man Of tried and heroic courage. | can
tell the reason. He had great many
home enemies, for he was a man Of de-
clded temper; had a great many con-
tests, no compromises always went
for clean victory OF clean defeat,
though placapable after the contest
was over. That was one reason, but
not the main one. The administration
had prejudice against him on account
of Colonel Burr, with whom he had
been associated in the American Sen
ate, and to whom he gave a hospitable
reception in his house at the time of
his Western expedition, relying upon
his assurance that his designs were
against the Spanish dominion in Mex
leo, and not against the integrity of
this Union. These were some of the
causes, not all, of Jackson's rejection
from Federal military employment.
| was young then, and one Of his
aids, and believed in his military tai
ent and patriotism; was greatly at
tached to him, and was grieved and
vexed to see him passed by when so
much incompetence was Preferred
Besides, was to 90 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
ourselves, to our own resources, and
looked to the chapter of accidents to
turn up a chance for incidental en-
ployment, confident that he would do
the rest for himself if he could only get
a start. was in this mood in my of
fee, young lawyer, with more books
than briefs, when the tardy mail of
that time, one ''raw and 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 ser
vice when some emergency should re-
quire 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. | 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 Her
mitage-a name then but little known
at nightfall, and found him solitary
and almost alone, but not quite; for II
was the evening, mentioned IN the
''Thirty Years View" when / found
him with the lamb and the child be-
tween his knees. | laid the plan be
fore him. He was struck with it
: adopted it-acted upon it. We began