Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-05
Sen. Jaekson--Hts yaIor when a BOY.

GEN. 'Jackson--Hfsy aIor when Boy.
The following incident of the boyhood of
Gen. JACKSON, is copied from PAKToH's Life
of Jackson. 1t occurred during the partisan
war in the Waxhaws:
In that fierce. Scotcb-Indian warfare. the
absence of father from home was often a
better protection to his family than his pres
ence; because his presence invited attack.
The main object of both parties was to kill
the fighting men. and to avenge the staying
of partisans. The house of the quiet hero
Hicks, for example, safe, until ii was
noised about among the tories that Hicks
was at home. And thus ii came to pass, that
when wing soldier of any note desired to
spend night with his family, his neighbors
were accustomed to turn out and serve as a
guard to his house while he slept. Behold
Robert and Andrew Jackson, with six others,
thus employed one night in the spring OF
1871, at the domicil of a neighbor Capt.
Sands. The guard on this occasion was
more a friendly tribute to an active partisan
than service considered necessary 10 his
safety. In short. the night was not far adj
vaneod, before the whole party were snugly
housed and stretched upon the floor. all
souni asleep, except one, q British deserter,
who was restless, aud dozcd at intervals.
b Danger was near. A band of tories, bent
or taking the life of Captain Sands,approach-
cd the house in two divisions; one party
moving toward the front door. the other to-
ward the back. The wakeful soldier, hear
ing suspicious noise, rose, went out of
doors to learn its cause, and saw the foe
stealthily nearing the house He ran in in
terror. and seized Andrew Jackson, who lay
next the door, by the hair, and exclaimed:
The tories are upon u.s."
Andrew sprang up and ran out. Seeing a
body OF men in the distance, lie placed the
end OF bis gun in the low fork of tree near
the door, and hailed them. No reply. He
bailed them second time. Noreply. They
quickened their pace, aud bad come within
few TOGs Of the door By this time, too. the
guard in the house had been reused and Were
ga hered in a group behind the boy. An
drew discharged his musket, upon which the
tories fired volley, which killed the hgpless
deserter who had given the alarm. The 9TH
er party of tories, who were approaching the
house from the other side, hearing this dis
charge, and the rush of bullets above their
heads, supposed that the firing issued from a
party that had issued from the house. THEY
now fired volIey, which sent a shower OF
balls whistling about the heads of their
friends on the other side. Both parties hest
tated, and then halted. Andrew having
thus, by his single discharge, puzzled and
stopped the enemy, retired to the house
N IRE he and his comrades kept up a brisk,
fire from the windows. One of the guard
fell mortally wounded by his side, and an
other received a wound less severe. In the
midst of this singular contest, bugle was
heard some distance of, sounding the caval-
ry charge; wereupOn the tories concluding
that they had come upon an ambush of wings,
and were about to be assailed by horse and
foot, fed to where they had lett their horses,
mounted. dashed pell-mell into the woods,
and were seen no more. 1t appeared after
wards, that the bugie-charge was sounded by
a neighbor, who Judging from the noise of
Inusketry that Captain Sands was attacked,
and having not single man with him in his
house, gave the blast upon the trumpet,
thinking that even trick so STALE aided by
the darkness of the night, might have some
effect in alarming the assailants.