Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-01-09
MpECApEs OF THE uNION.Y
Life ana Death OF MRS. General
Jackson,

But we are anticipating events Dy
painting, perhaps out Of place, the pri-
vate characteristics and traits Of very
great man, whose name belongs only ac-
cidentally to this memoir of one Of his
successors. General Jackson was elected
President in the fall of 1928. His do
nestle life had been scanned and
scourged, and his beloved. and honored
wife had been most Indignantly reyiled
and tortured by the forked tongues of
his political opponents. She was happy
in his love, and never aspired to the
splendor Of his fortune in life. She had
fed to his manhood for protection and
peace, and had been sheltered'and saved
by his gallant championship of the
cause of woman. He, and he alone,
was her all, and Of him it may be truly
said that, in respect TO wassail, wine
and women" he was one of the purest
men of the day, and that, too, in an age
of rude habits, and rude, vulgar 'dissipa-
ton among the rough settlers Of the
| West.
He was temperate in drink abste-
mious in diet, simple in tastes, polished
in manners, except when reused, and al
ways preferred the society of ladies, with
the most romantic, pure and poetic de-
votion. He was never accused of in
dulging in any Of the grosser vices, ex-
cept that in earlier life he swore, horse
raced, and attended cock fights. AS for
the wife Of his bosom, she was a woman
of spotless character, and an unassu-
ming, consistent Christian; yet political
rancor bitterly assailed her, and, rot
content with defamation, endeavored to
belittle her by the contemptuous appel
lation Aunt Rachel" and held her up
to ridicule for smoking corn-cob
pipe" She did prefer that form, not for
the pleasure of smoking, but because
pipe was prescribed by her physician for
her phthisic, and she often rose in the
night to smoke for relief. In night of
December, 1923, she rose to smoke, and
caught cold while sitting in her night
clothes; and the story is that her system
had been shocked by her overhearing re-
proaches of herself whilst waiting in
parlor at the Nashville Inn. She had said
to friend upon the election of her hus-
band: For Mr.. Jackson's sake, | am
glad; for my own part | never wished it.
| assure you | had rather be door
keeper in the palace at Washington.
She was not allowed to live in that pa
lace at Washington" Before the day of
her husband Inauguration at the White
House she was taken by her God to that
house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens.
The 23d of.December was the ami
versary Of General Jackson's greatest
strategy in war. He had, without means,
made preparations for the defense of
New Orleans He had arrested suspect
ed persons by strong arm; he had
the populace of the city, of all races and
colors, to seize arms for defense; he had
seized cotton bales to make him line
of impenetrable ramparts from river to
lagoon for miles, he had manned gun
boats to cooperate with the land forces;
he had done wonders in making strong
holds of nothing for the last bitches of
defense; but the coup de main was, after
making his last hold as strong as he
could, in leaving his intrenchments to
attack the invading foe in full force at
night, with handful of men, under
Coffee and Carroll, on the 23d of De-
cember, and striking the enemy so hard
blow full in the face that he was stag
gered and made to hesitate and pause,
giving jackson sixteen days time to re-
cruit his. forces and strengthen still
more his defences. Bad the enemy
marched directly upon New Orleans on
the 23d or Gath of December, the beau
ty and booty" of the city would have
fallen prey to his lust and rapine.
But jackson pursued his policy of
| rashness, struck unexpected and un-
seen, saved the city and won immortal
laurels. aas ns asssn
This, the 23d of December, lsl4-not
the Sth of January, lSl5--he counted
the day OF victory. Strategy was the
successful forerunner of courage and
force.
Preparations were being made in
Nashville to give him and his lady
grand reception and celebration of the
anniversary of this lucky day, and all
eyes were bent towards the Hermitage to
see the conquered hero, the then Presi-
dent, come with his wife at his side,
when, lol a messenger on the White
Horse" was seen riding fast, to an
nounce that his partner was-dead.
She was no longer the afflicted, desert
ed one whom he had championed and
married, and lived with in holy and
lawful wedlock. She was no longer his
angel bosom partner; she was no longer
a target for this worlds fiery darts of
detraetion; she was a saint. The days
gladness was turned to one of earthly
mourning, and the day Of the funeral
to the day of fasting
DR.. Heiskel, of Winchester, Va, was
Just starting as young physician IN the
neighborhood Of the Hermitage, and was
the first to minister to her relief, and at
tended until two eminent physicians
were called in from Nashville. From
MIN we learned that she had caught
cold, and pleuretic symptoms super
yened upon her nervous affections. She
was sitting and smoking her corn-cob
pipe when she caught her last malady.
The day of burial came, and We wit
messed the solemn scene. This we con-
idently testify, that more sincere hom-
age was done TO her dead than was ever
done to any woman in our day and coun-
try living. Thousands from the city aud
from all the country around hocked to
her funeral. The poor white people, the
slaves of the Hermitage and adjoining
plantations, and the neighbors, crowded
of the gentry Of town aud country, aud
filed the large garden in which the in
terment took place. She had been a
Hannah and Dorcas to every needy
household. She had been more than
mistress, mother to her servants snd
dependents; and the richest and best
we're proud of the privilege Of her sincere
and simple friendship. She was, without
question, loved and honored by high and
low. white and black, bond and free, rich
and poor; and that love Wss so unaifect-
edly expressed by a vail so loud and
long that there was no installing It's grlei
for the loss, not Of the departed one, but
Of the living left behind her. From that