Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-11-21
Close Of q Remarkable Career.

.-s-sssss..-.sss -.
Close Of Remarkable Career.
DEATH OF THE WOMAN THAT MADE -
PRESIDENT AND UNMADE CABINET
INrEREsTINa REcoLLEcTIoNs OF
WASHINGTON LIFE,
&C., &C.. - &C.
Mr.. Timberlake- Eaton Buchignanie,
died in Washington City, Saturday, aged
nearly four score years. She was p0litic-
ally and socially the most famous woman.
Of America, and will ever stand alone as
such. for the existence of any one paral-
leled is nowadays an impossibility. At
home and abroad she has been celebrated
into prominence through the press. Fra
xer's Margarine" and 'Blackwo0d's' have
had, in the years gone by, the romance of
her life; ami at home the once famous 30
ciety novel of WASHINGTON life. by Mrs.
L..sselle, called "Magdalen, the Enchant-
rcss, embodied her ~ the heroine. The
N. Y. Post" has the following sketch Of
her career:
When Washington was city just
emerging from the woods and stubble. .
large, obi fashioned hotel kept by one
william y Neal was y favOrite boarding
house for members of Congress, who found
in "Peg," the daughter, u pretty, Saucy
country ;ss, perfectly free in her CONVEX
satiOn, III; q q most agreeable companion
for win Or evening. She has been called
FAST but there IL no reason TO believe
that she " as ANYTHING worse than roll
licking bsrmaid Ut those less prurient
days. Among her fathers b0arders were
Senator (MajOr) Eaton and Senator An
drew jackson. Both the General and
Mrs. Jackson became very much attached
to the family, and the Intimacy was never
broken off. Among her other acquaintan-
ces "Peg" met Purser Timberlake of The
United States Navy aud III time married
him. By him she had had two children,
when IN 1928 her husband committed sui
eide while cruising in the Mediterranean
Sea. Mrs. Undertake meanwhile had In
CURED many uncOmplimentary remarks by
her conduct, and her reputation was by nc
means the best. Still. after her husbands
death, Major Eaton desired to marry her
He had been classed among her fav0rites
and feeling some scruples about the mat.
ter he consulted General jackson. "Why
yes, Major" said the General iii you love
the woman and she will have you. marry
her by all means, and restore her good
name." This advice was acted on. and
the marriage took place in January, 1929
few months before the Generals arrival
| in Washington as President. s-a 20.
When the Cabinet appointments were
announced Major Eaton was bulletined a
Secretary of War. Here the trouble be-
gan. Peg O'Neal as the wife of Cabi
net Minister must be received into the
higher circles OF Washington society. The
new born City Was shocked. was stunned
1t would not submit, and Mrs. EatOn's in
| huence began with her persecution. The
Rev. j. N. Campbell was among the first
| to take up the Ratchet, but not daring tG
mention the subject TO the President him.
self, he stated the case to the Rev. E. s.
| Ely, of Philadelphia, who had known the
President in his earlier days. DR.. Ely
wrote TO the President advising against
bringing such woman into the upper
circle, and recouDtinR all the old charges
against her, among Others that Major
Eaton aud Mrs. Timberlake had register
ed themselves as man and wife in = New
| York hotel. The President ut once mad,
the case his own. He sent messenger to
| New York to investigate the register
story; he wrote letter after letter in bel
behalf. and finally Went SO far as to bring
the matter before his Cabinet. DIR. Ely
and Mr.. Campbell were summoned, and
the President made every effort to prove
Mrs. EatOn's chastity. The subject, how
yer, was left unsettled ..Me2n while, .
says the bi0grapher. 1.-THE suilors for Presi
Dental favors are advised to make them
selves visible Ut the lady's receptions. A
card in Mrs. Eaton's basket is not unlike
| ly to be q winning card" -.a ...
The ladies, however, would not yield
Mrs. Calhoun would not receive her; Mrs
Berrien would not call on her, although
her husband had teen one of the guests al
the wedding; Mrs. Branch and Mrs. Ing
ham were equally exclusive. Mrs. DoLel-
sou, the Presidents niece and mistress O1
the White House. would not visit her
Anything else, uncle, will DO for you, ,
| said she, but cannot call on Mrs. Ea-
| ton" Then 60 back to Tennessee, my
dear" said the President, and back she
went. "Bellona," as Mrs. Eaton was
nicknamed. continued under cloud.
! Among the new corners TO the capita
that winter was Martin Van Buren,, the
| new Secretary of War. He was widow
OF. without daughters. and. acting on biz
| learned the particulars of the case thar
he sided with the President. He called or
| Mrs. Eaton, treated her with the same
respect he showed to the other ladies Of
the capital, and made parties especially in
her honor. Or course this conduct ELECTED
many remarks, and many persons readily
| attributed it to personal and interested
motives. However this may have been
Mr.. Van Buren, dated his friendship with
General Jackson from this time. He gain.
Cd also the friendship and influence VI
Maj. Eaton, the Presidents confidential
friend and adviser; IT Mrs. Eaton and bel
mother. and of Major Lewis, q former
brOther-in-law Of Major Eaton. Any one
at all acquainted with the political his
tory OF the time needs not to be told how
directly Mr.. Van Buren, Is election was in
accordance with General JacksOn's wishes
and plans; and it is not, therefore, as
Stunning too much to conclude that Mr..
Van Buren, owed his elevation to the
Presidency in some part to the influence
of the prosecuted Mrs. Eaton. 4l, 8~l..-.
A Washington letter, written at the
time, gave the following description Of the
struggle: "a ball and supper were got up
by his excellencY the British Minister
Mr.. Vaughan, a particular friend Of Mr..
Van Buren,. After various stratagems to
keep Bellona afloat during the evening. in
which almost every cotillion in which she
made her appearance was instantly dis
solved into its original elements. she was
at length conducted by the British Minis
ter to the head Of the table, where, in
pursuance Of that instructive power of in.
attention to whatever it seems improper
to notice, the ladies seemed not to know
that she was at the table. This ball ana
supper were followed by another given by
the Russian Minister (another old bache-
lor.) To guard against the repetition of
the modification in the spontaneous dis
solution Of the c0tillions and the neglect
of the ladies at supper (where. you must
peal to the lady of the Minister of Holland
Mrs. Huygens, whom he entreated in her