Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-11-16

The ORIGIN OF ."OLD HICKORY ALI
Americans are familiar with this soubri-
quet of Gen. Andrew Jackson, yet
very few know how it was earned by
the old hero, happen to be able TO in
form your readers.
In 1886 was intimately acquainted
with Col. John Allen, United States
agent of the Chickasaw Indians, resid.
ing in Pont0toc; ard with his brother,
Capt. Allen, then n merchant in that
town, l learned from Capt. Willi9m
Allen that his father was a near neigh
Dor and devoted friend of Gen Jackson,
and that he and his brother John served
as soldiers in his escort, in all his cam
paigns, and camped at the same fire, and
messed with him during the Greek war.
They were certainly great favorites with
him. and he rewarded them for their
friendship by giving them lucrative APP
pointments in the Chickasaw nation
while he was president In converse
ton with Capt Allen about Gen Jack
son, on one occasion, asked him how
he acquired the name of cola HEX
Dry" give his reply, as can remcm-
Der, in his own words:
During the campaigns which in
cluded the battle of Emuckfaw Greek,
the army was moving rapidly to sur
prise the Indians and we were without
tents. In the month of March, a cold
equinoctial gale fell on US, mingled with
sleet, which lasted several days. The
general was exposed to the weather, and
was suffering severely with q bad cold
s,1G sore throat. At night we bivouack-
ed in q muddy bottom, while it was
pourfn.~ rain which froze as it fell. Ny
brother j, 1an and I, flnding that he was
unweu. be,>Sme uneasy about him,
though he did not complain, and laid
down upon the bla uket by the camp fire
with his soldiers. l'eeing him wet to
the skin, stretched in tie mud and wa
ter in his suffering condit, on, we deter
mined to try aid make him more com
Portable
We cut down stout hickory Tree,
in which the sap was rising, "au pee lieu
the bark from it in large flakes; ~ wv" W
forks, and a pole, laid down a tlool u
bark and dead leaves. and rooted it, ana
closed one side, or rather one end of the
structure, against the wind with bark,
and left the other open. We then dried
our blankets, and made him pallet In
the tent we had constructed. We woke
up the old general and with some diff
Guilty persuaded him to crawl in. With
his saddle for pillow, wrapped in our
dry blankets, and his feet to the fire, he
slept snugly and soundly all night, well
cassS;ds in hickory bark.
The next morning. an OLD man from
the neighboring camp came with whisky
with which, after imbibing quite Freely
himself, he gave US all "a treat as far
as the LIQUOR would go, He seemed to
be klndhearted, jovial and patriotic
| fellow. a sort of privileged character,
In this country. While staggering
about among the camp fires, full OF fur
and whisky, he Numbered upon our lit
tie hickory bark tent, which immedl
ately arrested his attention. After eye
ing it for moment, he exclaimed
what sort of an outlandish Indiar
fixin' is this g and gave it kick, whicl
tumbled down the queer looking struc
ture and completely buried the Old here
in bark. AS he struggled out of thu
ruins and looked fiercely around for tn
author Of the mischief, the old tope
recogized him and exclaimed Hello
Old Hickory come out of your bark
and join us in drink
There was something so ludiCrous il
the whole scene, that respect for hi
presence and rank could not restrain GU
merriment. He very good humoredl!
Joined us in laughing at the mishap
| AS he rose up and shook the bark from
him, we all gave him viva 'Hurrah 70
old Hickory This was the first tim
he ever heard these words, which wer
afterwards shouted by the millions o
his countrymen whenever he appeare,
among them
l will only add that Capt. william
Allen Of Davidson county, Tenn, VIII
died in Pontotoc in 1887 was distir
guished for courage integrity an
strict veracity and the above may b
regarded as a true account of the origi
of the nickname of General Andre1
Jackson.-C Correspondence Of Jackson Ms.
Ne'os.