The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-11-05
Old Hickory.

SCuDr1queJ or General Andrew Jack
SCI, yet vezy few know how il was
earned by the old hero. happen to
be able to inform your readers.
In 1886, Twas intimately acquainted
with Colonel John Allen, United
States Agent of the Chickasaw In
dians, residing in Pontotoe, and with
his brother, Captain William Allen,
then merchant in the town. learn
ed from Captain William Allen that
his father was a hear neighbor and
devoted friend Of General Jackson,
and that he and bis brother John
served as soldiers in his escort, in all
his campaigns, and camped at the
same fire, and messed with him du-
ring the Greek war. They were GER
talniy great favorites with him and
he rewarded them for their friendship
by giving them lucrative appoint
ments in the Chickasaw nation while
he was President IL conversation
with Captain Allen about General
jackson, on one occasion, I asked him
how he acquired the namc Of cold
Hickory" ?" [ give his reply, as well
as l can remember, in his OWL words ::
During the campaign which in
cluded the battle of Emuckfaw Creek,
the army was moving rapidly to sur
prise the Indians, and We were with
out tents. In the month of March, a
cold equinoctial rain fell Oh us, min
gled with sleet, which lasted several
days. The General was exposed to
the weather, and WAS suffering Sc
verely with bad cold and sore throat.
At night we bivouacked in muddy
bottom, while it WAS pouring down
rain, which froze as it fell Ny
brother John and I, finding that he
was very unwen, became uneasy about
him, although he did not complain,
and laid down upon his blanket by
the campfire with his soldiers. See
ing him wet to the skin, stretched in
the mud and water in his suffering
condition, we determined to try and
make him more comfortable.
"We cut down q stout hickory tree,
in which the sap was rising, and pealed
ed the bark from it in large fakes !;
cut two forks and pole, laid down
floor of bark and dead leaves, and
rooted it, and closed one side, or rath-
er one end of the structure against
the wind with bark, and lett the other
end open. We then dried our blank
cts, and made him pallet in the
tent we had constructed. We woke
up the old General, and with some
difficulty 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 cased in hickory bark.
"The next morning, an old man
from the nighborhood came into camp
with jug of whiskey, with which,
after in1bibing quite freely himself,
he gave us all "a treat, as far as the
liquor would 60. He seemed to be a
kind-hearted, jovial and patriotic old
fellow; a sort of privileged character
in his county. While staggering about
among the camp fres, full of fun and
whiskey, he blundered upon o1r little
hickory bark tent, which Immediately
arrested his attention. After eyeing
it for moment, he exclaimed, s'What
sort of an outlandish Indian fxin' is
this % and gave it kick which tun-
bled down the queer looking struc-
tsare, and completely buried the old
hero in bark. AS he struggled out
Of the ruins, and looked fercely
around for the author of the mischief,
the old topper recognized him, and
exclaimed, Hello, old Hickory! come
out of your bark, and join us in a
drink. -
There vas something SO lldicrous
in the whole scene that respect for
his presence and rank could not re-
strain orr merriment. He very good
humoredly joined us in laughing at
the mishap. AS he rose up, and shook
the bark from bin, he looked so tough
and stern we all gave him rira 'Hur-
rah for old Hickory This was the
! first time he eyer heard these words.