Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-13
Death of a Remarkable Woman.

1
Gen. John II. Eaton, Secretary of War under
President jackson, in the first year of his
first administration. and once Senator from
Tennessee. died about o'clock Saturday, at
the residence of Mrs. Smith on Ninth St,
between T. and L streets, Washington. Mrs.
Eaton has exercised directly and indirectly
wonderful influence on the politics of this
country Her life has been one succession
OF romanees. more incredible than any re-
corded in fiction outside of jules Nerne's ut
terly incredible feats of Imagination. Until
she passed her 10Th year, she was continually
before the public, the central figure of some
intricate scandal, and yet has almost out
| lived the memory of scores upon scores of
statesmen who were full of promise when she
was middle aged woman and had left her
deepest impress upon affairs of State. She
died from the general decay of her vital pow
ers, very nearly 80 years old although her
exact age it is difficult to state. She remem-
bered clearly the early events of her life, and
could state them with singular felicity of
manner and precision, although generally
confused as to dates. She was the daughter
of an Irish hotel keeper by the name of Will
! liam O'Neal, who kept the first cavern" at
the national capital that made the slightest
pretensions to ''style." Peggy O'Neaf'
was the name she went by, and wild, will
| full hoydenish girl, from all accounts and her
own admission, she was. She must have
been singularly beautiful as a girl, and down
to the very last retained marked traces of it.
She had faultless face and a complexion
which no art could beautify. Her form was
of medium hight and of the 1.-THE and willowy
type which poets and noveists love to pre-
sent to their heroines. She was witty, even
to sauciness piquant, not much read in
books, as indeed were very few in her school
girl days, but with certain air about her
that defied jot or title more of freedom than
she herself invited. Sixty-one years ago,
when she met Gen. Eaton-then Major only
"a rank which he had attained by hard fight
ing with General Jackson in the Indian wars
and the war of lsl2-she was girl well adj
vanced toward the marrying age. In cou-
pie of years she did marry--not Major Eaton,
however. but Parser Timberlake. whom she
bore three children. After the death of her
first husband, she married General Eaton,
who was Secretary of War under President
Jackson. This lady's promotion to the posi-
ton of wife of member of the Cabinet
caused a great sensation owing to scandalous
stories set afloat. General Jackson, how
ever. refused to take sides 18th scandal
mongers, and resoutely defended his Secrc-
tary of War and his beautiful wife against all
corners. One of her detractors was Rev.
Mr.. Ely of Philadelphia, and having nothing
upon which to base his nsinuations or
charges, Mrs. Eaton compelled him to make
retraction. General Jackson visited Mrs.
Eaton. forced his niece, Mrs. Donelson,
to visit her, had parties and dinners and balls
made for her, and finally broke up his Cabi-
net for her. Mr. Calhoun would not recog-
nize Mrs. Eaton, and General Jackson be-
came his enemy. The wife of the Austrian
nansa 5;nnar and ,ho prns;1an, ,hreatoned
- ',;yo bar hns hand his walt;ng manners Of
al, Tho Cah;no, onIv Martin Van Ruren front
ad har :, ;,I ,arLoj almost oste,,a,;ons con.
starvation Hn Tins commended h;mself IN the
pros;Jen,,s os,aem and became His favor;te
Car tho snccose;on Secretary Eaton wos Ga
,rro,,,,h, ~, IN, Tho slanJors aoo;ns, his viz
,ha, he cb.Ijenaed ono az his colleaguos
Snnro,arv Ingrahan, r. a J,el and that rep,
J,,,,au raf,s;n,r o., soh, sa ;ns,,l,aa Caors,a
-, Ea,on h,, Ne ronl, Tho, The Last named
Ia IN ,a;, for him r. coyb;de him Ingra.
ham ,ook Tho stage IN pal,;more Eaton rn.
s;aneJ and a month ar two later Jackson
81, h;r, Coyarnor nf Elor;d. A, ,hn no.
n;nn;n, If his second form he sont him a.
Minister 70 Sna;n and ,ha Sena,e cort,rmad
him
Mrs Eatop,s recoI,oc,ons Of bor I;fe in
sna;n were vivid in the extreme Christina
was an rho ,hrone and the aftnrward exiled
and ba,ea IsaheIla was ,h.n a sno;ls5 dill
uore ut least SANDER did not fellow her
For ,breo Gears rho irish tavern g;rJ rnJc
with Visited and was fa,ed Inv royaltv Re-.
cora ,ha aIosa ne pros;dont Iao,,snn,s sooa,l
,erm GENERAL Eaton and his vito rat,rned r.
tho un;,nd states and no, NAM voors af,or
,,ard he General J;ad The ~ ;do,. vas iof,
Nth annie means Tho most of !, nros,ahl,
invested Uer eldest danybtar marr;ad a
memher of Tho French I'eoa,;on and want 70
Eranco IN live Ano,hor n,orr;aJ ;,,o ,,,o
pandol,.h fan;l,, ~ poonnIa ". III ho
v"nnaas, ,,so married and ,ha bird oorara
,;or anr,,,,onoaJ 60 s,r;mn ~ NJ -
was ling u,;aoa ga" ,.nt' anu ,aa
age,