Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-11-24
ANDREW JACKSON.
HE VOLUNTEERED AT FOURTEEN
TO MEET THE BRITISH.
His Opinion of Dueling-His
Usual Conveyance.

eyentiul term OF eight years, are fresh In
my memory as those of later date
Washington then contained ABOUT $4,000
inhabitants, and the city seemed scattered
ali about over vast space of country; a
few houses here and there, and all, or
nearly all, small frames, village-ike in APP
pearance. the hotels were few, and none
of them large, Gadsby's being the only one
deserving mention. Wizards and the Ma
tional were not in existence. The streets
were unpaved and uneven, simply country
roads. There was not then a building
south of the avenue down to the river front.
save few farm-like houses here and there.
Except the public buildings, there were
not 100 dwellings built of brick and NOR
tar West of the White House there was
a space of mile without a single building.
Near Rock Greek there was a small cluster
of buildings. Until Georgetown was
reached there was almost a barren COM
mon. 1t was in Georgetown where nearly
all the wealthy, or, as then called, "qual-
ity," lived. Georgetown was certainly a
charming little place, SO delightful to re-
side in, containing as it did more lovely
girls to the square inch than any other
place in the wide world except Baltimore.
1t was while / resided here | had SO many
opportunities of seeing and making the
acquaintance of the statesmen of Jackson's
Administration. Not only this, but the
President himself. 1t was my duty nearly
every day to go over to the city, and often
to the White House, on business matters
for large mercantile house then on High
street, where l was then engaged. | be-
came well known to the President as ''Mr.
Wrights boy" but occasionally as Mr..
Wrights "young gentleman" In this
manner | learned many of the character
istics of the General, and many interesting
circumstances occurred that will be re-
membered to the end of life.
On Prospect Hill, or, as then called,
Society Hill" resided the elite of the dis
trict. the original owner of this delight
full locality was John Templeman, Presi-
dent of the Union Bank, and the grandsire
of Richard w. Templeman, of Baltimore.
Francis S. Kay, author Of ''Star-Spangled
Banner" owned a large residence adjoin-
ing one owned by Raphael Semmes, whose
nephew commanded the Alabama Then
came the Russian Minister'S residence,
Count de Bodisco, whose wife was Mrs.
Harriet Williams, admitted to be the most
beautiful woman living in Georgetown, but
Georgetown was then absolutely filled to
overlooking with lovely woman. The
Misses Ridgely, Wright, Templeman,
Nichols, Semmes, Mason and Smoots were
all of them reigning queens of love and
beauty. In addition TO the attractions OF
society, Georgetown held within its limits
many of the distinguished men, army and
navy officers, and foreign ambassadors as
we'll.
The White House then, compared to the
present, was not the same building. Then
it was simply home, almost as private
and unostentatious as the humblest farm
house could be. On going there one would
see nothing to indicate that it was the
" Presidential Mansion" One or two
servants, and the Secretary of the Presi-
dent, Major Donaldson, would be about all
the inmates to be seen. Before one could
see the President it would be necessary to
look up Jenny Maher, the Generals right
bower. Jenny was the deorkeeper, gar
dener, hostler, messenger, besides puryeyor
and cashier-in point of fact, Jenny
looked after everything.
On one occasion while showing the Pres
ident sample of cutlery Just imported
from Sheffield, England, and waiting for
an order of the same, for use in the White
House, | witnessed scene that occurred
between the President and the renowned
Davy Crockett, then member of Congress
from Tennessee. Crockett had asked the
General for an appointment for friend
and had failed to get it. Feeling sighted.
he came up to tell the President so. Never
in Washington did two Drawer men meet
face to face Crockett told the President
his opinion of him in no choice words,
and with great emotions of rage. Being
alone, the General, knowing the character
of the man, asked Crockett what were his
real intentions, keeping his eye on Crockett
fxedly and coolly. Crockett in a like
manner said:
Notwithstanding more than this; I
am done with you for life !"
The President made no reply whatever,
but his eye followed Crockett until he left
the room.
Crockett kept his word, for at the
earliest moment he went South and then
to Texas, where, it is we'll known he met
his death at the Alamo, fighting in the
cause of Texas, leaving an imperishable
record of daring bravery, unexcelled any
where
On another occasion, while at the White
House, | asked the General if he had seen
the New York papers, Just received by
mail. He said, "No, sir; have your"
/ replied that had just heard that the
city of New York was nearly burned up,
and that there was great excitement on
the Avenue about it. At once, without a
word, he reached for his hat and overcoat,
and posted off to see the Attorney General,
B. F. Butler, of New York, who was then
living near by.
On another occasion Mr.. Rodgers, a
member of Congress from the Cherokee
District, Mississippi, called to see the
President in relation to matters concern
ing his district. The President noticed
Mr.. Rodgers awaiting an interview, and
said:
"What can l do for you, sir?"
Mr.. Rodgers, who was a half breed
Cherokee, and chief of the tribe, answered
'Look at these papers, your Excellency.'
"Mr. Rodgers, stop, stop! Call me Mr.
President, sir, Mr.. President"
Rodgers looked confused, and the Presi-
dent then, pointing his hand to the papers
on the table, continued:
'Promise me, Mr.. Rodgers to drop that
expression, and | promise you that GU
shall have my consent to all your wants in
the Cherokee country"
No one living in Washington then can
say that they ever knew the President to
use vehicle of any kind. His old black
mare carried him wherever he went, I'M
less the distance was quite near The last
five years of his Administration the old
mare Bess was as familiar to the people OF
Washington as the gray mare of Latrobe
to the people of Baltimore. But old Bess
had none to sing her praise, hence she got
no "stufin when she took her fight to
horse heaven, as it is contemplated to treat
old Liz. Had some one known then what
priceless values her shoes would have been,
they would have been gilded with "gold y
and distributed, as is expected of Liz
among the favored.
The morning of the duel between Sher-
bourne and Key, the two midshipmen, the
President was riding over to Georgetown,
and when near the bridge Mr.. Wright and
/ met the President Mr. Wright had
been a witness of the affair and gave the
whole details from the beginning to the
death of Kew. The President at first