The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-02-02
ANDREW JACKSON.
A Leaf from Henry 4. Wise's Book
Story for the Eighth Of January.
Life and Death Of MYs. Jackson
Consistency and Devotion of the
Hero OF New Orleans. aat st -.

I.-t'- nf H- EE
The now book of Hon. Henry A.
Wise, OF Virginia, 'Seven Decades o.
the Union" /" etc., has many very graph
lc and interesting "reminiscences in il
OF q personal character, in connection
with the public men of the past, etc.
We annex one or two, to-day, as fol.
lows: 1,tt'.} -.-
LIFE AND DEATH OF HRS. JACKSON.
But We are anticipating events, by
painting, perhaps out of place, the
private characteristics and traits of q
very great man, whose name belongs
only accidentally to this memoir OF
one of his successors. Gen. Jackson
was elected President in the fall OF
1923. His domestic life had been
scanned and scourged, and his beloved
and honored wife had been most ma
Hgnantly reyiled and tortured by the
forked tongues of his political oppo-
nents. She was happy in his love, and
never aspired to the splendor of his
fortune in life. She had fled to his
manhood for protection and peace, and
had been sheltered and saved by his
gallant championship of the cause of
women. 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 his day, and that, too, in an age of
rude habits and rude, vulgar dissipa-
tion among the rough settlers of the
west.
He was temperate in drink, abstemi-
Gus In diet, simple in tastes, polished
in manners, except when reused, and
always preferred the society of ladies,
with the most romantic, pure and po-
etc devotion. He was never accused
of indulging in any thegrosservices,
except that in early life he swore,
horse-raced and attended cock-fghts.
As for the wife of his bosom, she was
woman of spotless character, and an
unassuming, consistent Christian; yet
political rancor bitterly assailed her,
and, not content with defamation, en-
deayored to belittle her by the con-
tempuous appellation of '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 a pipe was
prescribed by her physician for her
phthisis, and she often rose in the
night to smoke for relief. n night
of December, 1928, 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
overwhelming reproaches of herself
whilst waiting in parlor at the Nash
vile Inu. She had said to friend.
upon the election of her husband, "For
Mr.. Jackson's sake I am glad; for my
part [ never wished it. L assure you
[ had rather be doorkeeper in the
palace at Washington. She was not
to live in ''that palacei in Wash
ington." Before the day of her hus-
bands Inauguration at the White
House she was taken by her God to
that ''house not made with hands, eter-
nal in the heavens
The 23d of December was the ami
of General Jackson's greatest
strategy in war He had, without
means, made preparation for the de-
fense of New Orleans. He had arrest
ed suspected persons by strong arm
he had aroused 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 impenetra-
bic ramparts from river to lagoon for
miles; he had manned gunboats to CO.
operate with the land forces he had
done wonders in making strongholds
of nothing Tor the last bitches Of de-
fense; but the coup de main was, af-
ter making his last hold as strong as
he could. III leaving his iutrenchments
to attack the invading foe in full force
at night, with handful of men, under
Coffee and Carroll, on the 23d of Decem-
Der, and striking so hard blow full in
the face that he was staggered and made
to hesitate and pause, giving Jackson
sixteen days time to recruit his forces
and strengthen still more his defenses.
Had the enemy marched directly on
New Orleans on the 23d OF Oath of De-
cember, the ''beauty and booty of
the city would have fallen prey to his
lust and rapine. But Jackson pursued
his 'policy of rashness," struck unex-
pected and unseen, saved the city, and
won immortal laurels.
This, the 23d of December, 1911
not the 9Th of January, 1915-he
counted his day of victory. Strategy
was the successful forerunner of cour-
age and force.
Preparations were being make in
Nashville to give him and his lady a
grand reception and celebration OF the
anniversary OF this lucky day, and all
eyes were bent toward the Hermitage
to see the conquering hero, the then
President, come with his cherished
wife at his side, when 10. messenger
on 'the White Horse was seen, riding
fast, to announce that his partner wa
dead. She was no longer the affiict-
ed, deserted one whom he had cham
pioned and married, and lived with in
holy and lawful wedlock. She was
no longer his angel bosom part
ner; she was no longer e target for
this worlds fiery darts of detraction !;
she was saint. The days gladness
WAS turned to earthly mourning, and
the day Of rejoicing to the day of
fasting
DIR. Heiskel, of Winchester, Va,
was Just starting as young physician
in the neighborhood of the Hermitage,
and was the first to minister to her re-
lief, and attended until two eminent
physicians were called in from Nash
vile. From him We learned that she
had caught cold, and pleuretic symp-
toms supervened upon her eonstitu-
tional nervous affections. She was
sitting smoking her corn-cob pipe
when she caught her last na!ady.
The day Of burial came, ard we wit
messed the solemn scene. This "e con-
fiden.ly testify, that more sincere
homage was done to her dead than was
ever done to any woman in our day and
country living. Thousands from the
city and from all the country around
fiocked to her funeral. Thepoor white
people, the slaves of the Hermitage
and adjoining plantations, and the
neighbors, crowded off the gentry OF
town and country, and filled the large
garden in which the interment took
place. She had been q Hannah and
Dorcas to every needy household.
She hau been more than mistress, a
mother to herservants and dependents,
and the richest and best were proud OF
the privilege ot her sincere and simple
friendship. She was, without ques.
ton, loved and honored by high and
low, white and black, bound and free,
rich and poor; and that love was &c
unafectedly expressed by a vail Sc
loud and long that there was no mis-
taking its grief for the loss, not of the
departed one, but of the living left be
hind her. From that same door OF the
/ northeast room of the house, neal