Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-01-23
Incidents of Gen. Jackson.


General Jackson was tall and thin, and
often suffering, but not even child
could mistake the strong, self-centered,
steady nature that marked his thin, reso-
lutte face. The very qualities in me
which tried Mr.. Randolph made me a
favorite with the President and he liked
my father to bring me with him on the
many occasions when they consulted to-
gether. He liked to have me near him
where his hand could rest on my head,
and smooth my curls, as my father had
seen it years before, smoothing and dry
ing the fleece of sheep-a sheep which
he had had brought in to please child
who cried because its pet was out in the
rain.
1t was when regiments were forming
for the war of 1872, and General Jacks IN
had his many enemies who objected to
his having the command of one. After
the way of that time, he had fought
many duels, chiefly for his friends ALI
ances offensive and defensive were then
thought as right and necessary between
individuals as among nations.
Going one rainy night to show Gen
eral jackson an address he had written
in regard to this regiment, my father
found this dreaded duelist with o little
boy and sheep between his knees,
dividing his caresses between the two
The eight of January ended the dis
cussions of his fitness, but not the
harassments given him by old enemies.
Among cares he had to bear was the hav-
ing charged to his private account all
the expense of bringing home that same
regiment, without waiting consent to his
request to move them from New Orleans
before the coming hot weather caused
illness. This, with other such causes,
nearly swamped all General Jacksons
private means.
My father had position of influence
even then in Washington, and used it so
successfully that this outlay was author
lied, and so lifted from General Jack
son.
cat the very hour was at the War
Department " q have heard my father
telD, sat eight o'clock, when [ was
= sending off this notification of release
from debt, my brother was carried in o
blanket through the streets of Nashville,
wounded in the leg by General Jackson,
and that not for his own, but for friends
I 1 r,
him, and sent him a challenge. He re-
fused to accept it from me, and declared
he would not fight me. Then 1 notified
him to go armed, for l would attack him
wherever [ met him." Which was
done; and Montague and Capulet bust
ness they made of it; for it spread to the
friends of each, and one result was that
my fathers party followed that of Gen
eral jackson into the chief inn of the
place, and in the firing which followed,
some balls penetrated into an inner par
lor where some peaceful travellers were.
One of them, a lady, told me many years
after that, the names of jackson and
Benton were horror to her, for she had
been made i'll by the fright. Her child
then two years old, brought about 6
different feeling, however, when we were
married. and my father became known tc
her in his perfectly loveable, domestic
life.
One day the President could not see
my father at the White House, because
"the surgeons were just extracting the
ball from an old wound" and later my
father was told that it was the ball he
had put in his old friends arm.
General Jackson wished to make my
father Minister to France, but neithe,
that nor any Cabinet position, nor indeed
any evidence Of personal favor did h,
think it right to accept. To sustain
the party and the administration wa
another thing, and that he did it-mag
nifcently and unselfishly-the countr,
knows.
But my uncle would not see this diff
ference, and in his resentment agains
my father for even acting with Genera
Jackson politically, he ceased to spea
to my father. Nor did he relent; but h
bequeathed to my father his large estat
in Louisiana This my father would nc
accept. It touched him very much, bu
he would not take money where love ha
been withheld.
When the old king lay a-dying, an
from the pain and Inconvenience of hi
disease-dropsy-could not easily tur
himself, he had the portrait of his vii
placed at the foot Of his bed
"I have tried to be Christian" h
would say, "and 1 know I do full
forgive all my enemies, as L hope fc
forgiveness. But cannot forgive thos
who killed my Rachel with their slal
ders."
[ have an admirable portrait of Gen
eral Jackson, taken before the Pres
dency had weighed upon him, or the lo'
Of his Rachel chilled and saddened hin
1t only needs the helmet and mailed co..
to be a type of the heroic, crusadir
knight; but, as knew him, thick, viii
locks made the helmet, and the once ire
hand was all gentleness.
East River Bridge.
The new Mayor of New York cit
in his first message says of the Broo
lvn and New York hridpa T on,