Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-05-05

"A Washington letter in the New York
Sun, gives an account of Robert b. Ran
doiph,-a cousin ofsthc famous John.
who died in that city on the Goth ult, at
the age of IS. 1t says:
He was the man whe tweaked the nose
of Andrew Jackson, Old Hickory being
then President Of the United States. If
you search your own city, you may be
able to find the author of this trouble be-
tween jackson and Randolph-trouble
which Swallowed the life of the latter
from early manhood to the tomb. You
viii remember that, a very few years
since, a person named Bougauani, think,
eloped from New York with the property
and niece of his wife, whom he had re-
cent? married; and that the forsaken
wife was once the wife of General Eaton,
Secretary of War to General jackson
and prior to that the wife of one Timber
lake, who died purser in the United
States Navy. On the death of limb, r.
lake, Randolph, who was u lieutenant in
the navy, was appointed to act tempora-
rIly as purser in his place. He founu
his accounts in mixed condition, and a
deficiency existing against him. Before
he had chan ;e to settle his accounts,
Mrs. L. became the wife Of Gen. Eaton,
Secretary of War, who was also surety
for her former husband. 1t became ap-
parently of interest to both that the de-
iciency charged should be shifted to 9th,
er shoulders than those of the dead pur-
ser. An attempt was made to carry out
:. scheme with Randolph as the victim.
Randolph asked for court of inquiry,
which being granted, he was cleared OF
all suspicion by its report But, never
theless, President jackson ordered his
dismissal from the navy Not long after
this, while old Hickory was passing down
the Potomac On a steamer, in front of
Alexandria, and during the pause of the
boat at that place, Randolph came on
board and deliberately and most effectu~
ally wrung the nose of his Excellency.-
Let one imagine the anger of the old he>
70 of New Orleans.
No wonder that Randolph had to
dodge from place to place for two years
to avoid arrese Finally, it is reported
that an officer now living was authorized
to inform Randolph that if he would apol
ogize for his insult to the President, he
would be reinstated This Randolph de-
clined TO do until the President had first
apologized. 1t is hardly necessary to
say that no apology came After twentv>
three years of service in the navy, and
much gallant conduct, Randolph without
much property, and without profession
v as turned adrift upon the world Du~
ring the administration of james Bt.>
chanan, John b. Floyd, then Secretary
of War, gave Randolph the position OF
Saperii tendent of armory in Washing-
ton, but he only held the place shorg
time, as Buchanan, hearing Of the app
pontmept, ordered it to be revoked for
reasons best known to him self
Randolph entered the navy at about
the age of sixteen, and had command of
division on the quarter deck Of the
frigate Constitution, under Decatur, in
her action with and the capture of the
British frigate Macedonian. He was al
so in the President when that ship was
| captured by the Eadymion, and other
British vessels, and was carried a pris>
oner to London, where he cowhided a
British officer for using contemptnous
language concerning America A broth, r
of his went down with the sloop Wasp,
which sunk at sea after her fight with
a line of battle ship, the name of which
escapes me. He was less than five feet
ten in hight, rather slim, had hair of
light color. in youth, as shown by a Minis
iature taken at New London soon after
the capture of the Macedonian his nose
was slightly Roman, and he had eyes
like an eagle in clcarness and power of
expression. In his eyes and nose alone
were perceptible traces of his Indian or.
igin. He leaves a wife and four chill
dren, one a son.