Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-02-25
GENERAL JACKSON'S LOVE
ROMANCE, HHf

I|8I. ROMANCE. fN- Hr
Col. John Donelson, u wealthy and
enterprising Virginia surveyor and the
father OF Mrs. jackson, emigrated 10
Tennessee with his family about the
year 1880. He descended the Holston
river TO the Tennessee, thence down
the Tennessee TO tho Ohio, up the
Ohio TO the Cumberland, and up the
Cumberland to the vicinity of Nash.
vile, where he fixed his home 1t was
a voyage of 1000 miles and attended
with much adventure and peril, His
daughter, Rachel, then n girl OF ten OF
twelve years, shared its dangers as
well as the dangers Of her fathers set.
tement in a country infested by mur.
derous savages, where children could
not 90 blackberrying without an
armed escort. Under such circum.
stances she grew TO be bold, handsome,
engaging, but, from lack of opportunity,
an uneducated woman. Her iathersior.
tune rapidly increased under thrifty
and wise management until he came
to be regarded as the richest man in
that part OF Tennessee, so that the
hand of his vivacious and winsome
daughter was deemed an inestimable
prize, and she therefore had many
sultors. During temporary residence
in Kentucky she made the acquaint.
ance Of Capt, Lewis Robards, a gen.
tleman OF good appearance and re.
spectacle family. A mutual attach.
ment sprang up and marriage was the
consequence. II proved unfortunate.
The husband was of morose, sus.
picious nature, while the wife, who
had been greatly INDUCED from child.
hood, was lively, gay, confding and too
much inclined TO innocent coquetry
perhaps to please spouse of such q
disposition He grew uneasy about
the attention she admitted from q Mr.
Peyton Short, n lawyer and highly nc.
comphshed, for whose society-living
under the same roof as it happened
she seemed TO Robards) to have taken
a fancy. The free, highspirited, but
most virluous woman that she was,
naturally resented this feeling on the
part of her husband and, detecting bis
espionage upon her conduct which had
misled him into suspicion, with the
wiliumoss Of her sex, she continued
to receive Mr. Shorts civilities until
Robards was enraged beyond deccncy,
and their lreqent quarrcs were a mat
ter of general remark A separation
become inevitable, and Mrs. Robards
prepared to return to her mother in
| Tennessee, her father having recently
been killed by the Indians. Short was
on his way to Virginia upon business
and heard of this Hevery improperly
addressed Mrs. Robards letter con.
doing with her IN her trouble, avow.
ing his affection for her and suggested
that she apply for divorce and if the
suit was successful proposing to marry
her and remove to the Spanish settle
monts on the Lower Mississippi, where
he had some interests. This letter,
which was confidently intrusted TO
friend to be delivered to her, by some
accident fell into the hands OF her hus-
band, and no Immediately started in
pursuit Of Short. lie did not overtake
him until he reached Richmond, Va.
Short denied any guilt whatever on
the part of Mrs. Robards (as he did to
his dying day., admitted the folly of
his letter, and that be alone was to
blame, and expressed his willingness
to fight Robards, If that was his OBJ
ject. A compromise was effected, by
which Short, TO avoid scandal, and to
save the woman he had injured by his
imprudence from further harm, paid to
Robards the sum Of 81, 900, and thus
appeased his jealous anger This
transaction, which is well authenti.
Gated, fairly illustrates Robards' char
acter. Mrs. Robards in the meanwhile
had sent for her brother, Capt Samuel
Donelson, and under his protection
was taken to her mother She retained
until the last the respect and love Of
her husbands mother with whom they
lived at the time of the separation, and
who used all persuasion to prevent it,
and they parted with mutual embraces
and tears.
Robards, on his return home from
Virginia, was, after some time, con
vinced that he had wronged his young
wife and sought reconciliation, visit
ing her in Tennessee Tor that purpose
Trusting in the sincerity Of his ad
missions and repentance she consented
to live with him again but made II .
condition that he should purchase land
in the neighborhood of her mother ant
reside there. To this he agreed, but
several months elapsed before arrange
ments for a separate establishment
could be completed, they in the interim
9 making their home with Mrs. Donel
son.
AT the time there were boarding
with this lady two young attorneys
Andrew Jackson and John Oyerton
The latter had read law at Harrods
burg, Ky, and lived with the Senlo
Mrs. Robards. lie there made th,
J acquaintance of her daughter.in-lav
and on his removal to Nashville TO On
gage in the practice Of his profession
this acquaintance enabled him to fnC
home with Mrs Donelson. He in
troduced jackson TO her, who too wa
received as o boarder They occupied
O small cabin 10 themselves, Jukinl
their meals at the family table. Thei
presence was felt necessary in thos,
, perilous times on account Of dangc
from the Indians, who were con
stantly committing depredations il
the neighborhood. On Mrs. Robards
arrival her condition, Of course, becam
known to them both overton hat
already been made aware Of il, AM
both deeply sympathized with her
Jackson, who was chivalry itself in hi
department toward women paid he
= the most polite attentions. When re
? united with her husband he congratu
a lated herupon the prospect Of restore'
J, domestic happiness, and without dream
, ing OF disturbing it, continued as polit
!, in his duty 10 her as before. This OK
cited again the Jealousy Of her unprin
cipled husband and all the former bit
> terness between them was revived
jackson heard of It, sought an inter
view with Robards and expostplate,
with him upon his conduct. An angr.
alteration ensued, which ended b,