The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-08
THE SEVENTH PRESIDENT.
The Story Of the Life Of the Hero Of
New Orleans, Andrew Jackson.
Born in Poverty, He Leads an Eventful life.
Ending in the Exalted Office Of Chief
Magistrate of the United States.


when he took sick and died, leaving his wife.
with two little children and Just on the eve or
again becoming mother, in a state of almost
abject poverty After going to the
grave and burying the body of her
husband, such was the desolate and
impoverished condition of her home that
instead of returning to it, she drove just across
the border into North Carolina, to a Mrs. Nc
Kenney's, and there, in rude log hut, in the
extreme of penury and want. with no one
around her out few friendly women, she. in
few days thereafter, gave birth to tho child
Andrew jackson, whose name to-day occupies so
important a niche in the history of his country.
This was on the 18th of March, l767
His mother was scarcely able to take care of
herself consequently Andrew, or Andy as he
was universally called, grew up a very rough,
rude, and turbulent boy. and as soon as he was
old enough was placed out to work for his
board, and during this time he attended school
in al uninviting log hut, where he managed to
learn to read and write tolerably we'll and gained
| some knowledge Of arithmetic. He never
could spell. In 1850 the victorious British army
under CORVALLIS swept through the State and
Andrew and his brother. who were endeayoring
to protect some property of one of their neigh
bors. ware taken prisoners. and the treatment
they received from the British so rough and
brutal that his brother died and Andrew was
taken with a violent fever which lasted for some
time after his release. About this time his
mother died. and thus, at the age of fourteen
years. this boy was left alone in the world.
without father, mother, brother or sister, and
without a dollar that he could call his own.
After he had recovered his health he
entered saddler shop and worked diligently
at this trade for some time. He was
wild, reckless boy drank, gambled, swore
| fought, and was about as rough character as
ccrld be found anywEere-and having in some
| way gained possession of fine horse, he quit
his position in the saddle shop. and rode to a
| city near by. He entered a gambling-bouse.
and being challenged to put up his horse against
| 5000, he did so, and won, and after winning he
was sensible enough to STOP put his money in
| his pocket, and started for home. Then he
| turned schoolmaster-ths man who scarcely
| knew more than the multiplication table, GER
| tany not long division or fractions tnut ha
| knew how to fog the boys)-taught school. and
after following this for awhile he determined
| TO study law, and at eighteen years of aga
he set out for Salisbury. n. c.. and entered the
law Office Of Mr. McCay. where he remained
for two years. He did not trouble the law books
very much, for he spent more of his time in the
stables and tavern bar roooms than he did in the
Office over his books and his record in that city
was that of 1.-The most roaring, rolcking. game
| cock fighting, horseracing, cardloving, mis-
| chievous fellow that ever lived in Salisbury,
| and was regarded the head of all the rowdies
! in that town"
| and, short time after his admission to the bar.
| was appointed public prosecutor for the district
of Nashville, and with small party of other emil
grants started across the celaatsy fer his neyg
| home. His Office was one Of but little honor,
! small salary and great pesil and but few men
could be found who had the courage to accept il;
| but jackson, who was afraid of nothing, mot
even the DEVIL he used to say, was just the
49, - g.
en- long years he filed the Office and practiced
his profession, bidding defiance to the rough ele,
ment and the danger of those early times.
| While in Nashville he boarded with Mrs. Dom
| eson, widow lady, who had gay and beauti-
| full daughter, who had married man named
Lewis Richards both of whom lived with their
| mother. There had been trouble between Mr..
! and Mrs Robards and after Jacksons advent
into the family they separated, and Mr.. Robardg
went to Virginia and commenced proceedings
| for divorce and some time after it an.
nounced in Nashville that he had obtained one.
| Influenced by this belief. jackson paid suit to
! Mrs. Robards and in the fall of 1871 they were
married. Two years after their marriage Mr..
and Mrs. Jackson learned. to their great surprise,
| that Richards had just obtained divorce in the
courts of Kentucky, his application in Virginia
| having been refused. To remedy this defect
| jackson Immediately obtained another license
| and the marriage ceremony was performed over
| again. Their married life proved to be one Of
/ rare felicity. and that man who would have
! dared question the purity of the intentions of
| their first marriage would have done SO at the
| risk of bullet through his head.
Mr.. jackson was now getting into good
1 practice, and this, with his dealings In real
estate, brought him In a good revenue, and he
was rapidly becoming rich In 1896 Tennessee
was admitted into the Union, and being entitled
/ to but one representative in Congress, Andrew
Jackson was chosen as that member. and.
mounting his horse, he rode to Philadelphia, a
| distance of 800 miles, to take his seat Soon
| aft hic hQ was oil mi
and after filing this position for two years he
resie ned, to accept position as one of the SUI
| preme Court judges of Tennessee. which he
| held for few years and resigned that, too be-
cause the duties of the position were not con-
| genial to his tastes.
About this time Jackson became involved in
| quarrel with Charles Dickinson. lawyer Of
considerable prominence and Jackson who had
already been engaged in three four duels,
challenged him to duel. and insisted on an i'm
mediate fight They met at o'clock in the
morning. on the Both day of May, 1906. Dicksn-
| son got the first fire and sent a ball crashing
| through Jackson's side. breaking rib and leav-
| ing bad wound. Jackson then took deliberate
AIM and Dickinson staring death in the face,
recoiled a step or two Back to the
mark, sirl" shouted Jackson's second.
and he again took his stand as jackson
raised his arm and pulled the trigger,
but the pistol did not go off, and. readjusting IT,
| he coolly and deliberately took aim and fired.
| Dickinson fell, the ball having passed through
his body just above the hips, from the effects OF
| which he died the same DAY. This for q time
| considerably injured Jackson's reputation and
| it was the verdict then, as it is now that Jack
| son was in the wrong.
| After his retirement from the Supreme bench
he accepted the position of major-general ten
| dered him by the government This was more
| in accordance with his tastes, and between the
| duties thus imposed upon him and attending to
large plantation that he owned he
passed the time up to 1872,
| when he had another alteration with
| a man named Benton, whom he endeavored to
| horsewhip But Benton, knowing his reputation
and fearing the man, inflicted two severe pistol
shot wounds upon him-one in the shoulder and
one in the arm. This Frustrated him for some
| time upon a bed of suffering. and while he was
| lying there his wounds not yet healed, the
| Creek Indian war broke out General Jackson's