Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-11
GOLD HICKORY'S" HOME.
JaeksOn's Hermitage as It Is-HIs
Wife and Life Around the Old
HearthstOne.

AearthstOne.
Nashville Correspondence Detroit News.
ayes, sir, we boast Of two Presidents on
/ our roll Of citizens said worthy burgher
/ Of Nashville to me the other day, his
! breast swelling (and breath shortening)
with patriotic pride; "yOnder stately lady
| standing in her own gateway, who bows
| gTaciOUsly TO the gallants as they pass in
| grand procession on WashingtOn's birth
/ day, is the widow of Polk, who died June
/ IS, 1910, aged "a, and Just behind where
| she now is receiving Obeisance from white
! and black alike, is his monument, erected
/ in the garden Of his old homestead to tell
! younger Nashvillites to emulate his grand
I ambition But when l questioned this
worthy citizen about one greater in fame
and name, his Ignorance Of the "HeTmi-
tage' Of Jackson was lamentable indeed,
and doubt if the brightest Nashvillite
knows little more of the heaTthstUhe of
''Old Hickory Disguised with their IN
familiarity with so historical a site, L re-
solved to go there myself and after pleas
ant drive Of nine miles over an undulatina
country reached
JACKSON'S HERMITAGE.
To the thinking tourist there is some
subtle influence which seems 10 magnetic
the homes Of the great with their shadowy
lustTe. l instinclively recalled the great
warriors deeds, his praises and abuses, his
troubles and triumphs. We passed the
iron-tipped gate and driving through a
beautiful gJitar-shaped lawn of graceful
csdars, we reached the once hOspitable
mansion which jackson delighted to call
his Hermitage. a large rambling Southern
house is before Us, built Of brick, two
stories in height, having the usual double
piaZzas, supported by six immense pillars
with 1iUted sides and COrinthian cape. 4
ring Of the bell calls up old Alfred, once a
body servant Of the Generals and now
seycnty-tWO years Of age, who cOUrteOusly
shows us through the homestead. We first
enter an old fashioned rOOmy hall, papered
with an antique pattern representing the
adventures Of Telemachus, adorned also
with sculptures of Cass, Livingstone and
Woodbury., and the devastated, leathefs
covered, rOund-backeG, business chair of
Washington, which had been used by him
for thirty years aud then presented 70 jack
son. The pariOr on our left is none Of
vow modern SQlOBS but a cosy room Of
modest dimensions, with velvet Carpetings,
pictured with family portraits and abound |
ing ia relics Of the General-all as he left |
Slem. With but a meagre knowledge of
the details, we could readily imagine the !
GENERALS EVERY DAY LIFE.
The latch string always hung outside,
and hOsDitalilywas the reigning divinity.
His friendships were as informal as they
were genuine aad before the rudy glow Of !
his own capaCiOus lireside, many time and
OFT did the General unbOSOm himself to his
ntimales. From eight to nine they break |
tasted; the morning was Occupi5d with bus |
mess cares; at dinner the company re- |
Rni,ed and Jackson and his wife Joined |
FLeir friends in q dignified pOst.prandial |
pun al their reed pipes. a host Of servants
Rinislered TO their wants and worked the |
plantation under the scTutinizing eye Of the |
General himself. On ordinary occasions !
the family coach did service, but on gala |
days the
STAGE COACH
drawn by four fiery iron grey horses, at.I
tended by servants in blue Livery with |
brass buttons, glazed hats and silver bands, |
Eurried my Marquis de lafayette, OF some
other notable, over the hills to the burgh |
near1 and then Old Hickory would for |
get lis forty brood mares and dozen costly |
blood horses, Is he cracked the whip over |
his iron gTeys and with the keen relish of |
an old sportsman urged the pFaEcing steeds, |
only thinking gratefully of his friend Sena-
tor Patterson, Of New ! Ork, who presented
the Oyufit TO him in his first presidency. |
,Iust IS tue General left il, it still lays /
Iler3 i'm state, the Old coach, originally /
costing $500 and weighing exactly 2,TO0 /
lbs. The adeddamask silk and the satin,
Gordered with gold lacs, once white-as the
driven SNOW, but now yellOwed with age,
tells Of its former glories, and even yet the |
eve Of old Alfred brightens afresh as he |
fendly points to the fOotm1n's seat where
he Eas wont TO proudly pose, the observed
Of all observers. But no picture Of the
Generals life would be complete without a
prominent notice Of his He-long love.
(aTRs. ANDREW jackson. %
That fresh looking painting of Earle's
stfil hanging in the little old parlor beside
the Generals is said TO truthtully represent
her. Dressed in white satin, with tbs luw-
necSad and shOTt-slecved style Of old,
adorned in modest topaz jaweiry, her eB,-
J6ppOiat blScI hair and dark complexion
picture her forty, fat but not fair booking
IS YOU study tie portrait and see the stamp |
OF modest worth and true affection reful-
gent fsUm thefeatures, you car readily I'M
daUstand how she wOTe sHcb chain Of en-
dearing love around the General that made
4 times his attachment to her seem almost
C1ivalIic. \ slight cast Of sadness in tho.
whole UutIiAe alone Tin's that fairlife
had been embitered by Che most foul I
mOuthcd scandals. PrepOnderatings evil
dencc has long sinCst vInalcaied her fair
name, and we smile at lie credulitvl Ofour
ancestors who allowed so tlimsy a stOg 70
su!.y the reputation Of such woman.
I
walks In sthe sunshine of fame must
ba followed by tho shadows Of envy.
Married in early life to one Capt. Lewis
Eobards, his intense Jealousy of every one
so-el7s embittered their marital relations.
While they were boarding at the widow
Donefson's in Nashville, Jackson, then a
Young attorney. Joined the widows circle.
and Richards quickly reyeled i'm 4 domestic
ea-.hquake. lie left in sUlk and was m-
heard Of till in 1890, lie applied to the
legislature Of Virginia for q Bill Of d.
woke. branding Jackson as an adulterer
The bill was passed and a supposed divorce
was granted, on the strength Of which
Jackson and Mrs. ROblrds were married.
IIappilv then and ever afterwards, they
lived tilf 1898, when RObards again threw
on-lhis heaIthstOnc, another family bomb
shell in the form Of an cr pdHe trial be-
fore a Jury Of Mercer county, KY, which
granted aiegal divorce OF the old charge Of
adultery, without even a bearing fBm
jackson.
And then for the sfirss time jackson
learned that the Virginia Legislature had
only granted power TO Richards to apply for
q iurv when he wished 10, and il the jury /
found the facts Charged9o he true, author
lied q divorce. He was thunderstTUck; |
aud only at Ter repeated arguments would /
he Weld that his first marriage was even /
voidabIe and get a new license to be re |
married. His wife's gentle character and |
religious views greatly sOftened some of the |
Generals aspcrities, and it was for her and |
friends TO worship in the brick Presbyterian /
church that he built on his plantation, |
still in service. Shortly after joining the |
church, she caused him to say grace always.
one day around q hospitable board, he was