The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-06
LONG AGO IN TENNESSEE.
INTERESTING INCIDENTS IN THE
CAREER OF "OLD HICKORY"
''rhe Court Thanks Andrew jackson for
His Brave Conduct"-His Duel with
Sewer Recalled-Though q Rackwoods-
man He Was Always n Gentleman.

man He Was Always u Gentleman.
On the records of the court of Sumner
county, Tenn, for the year 1906 there is this
entry:
"The court thanks Andrew Jackson for his
brave conduct"
There is no information concerning what
Mr.. Jackson did to deserve thanks in this
form, at least at the court in question. "Old
Joe Guild,"a prominent lawyer and state
character who died a few years ago, re-
moved from that county to Nashville. He
used to relate that when he grew up and be-
came Jackson man there were still magis'
trates living of the 1875 period. or them he
inquired Of this entry.
WHY THE ENTRY WAS MADE.
It seems that the county court had the trial
Of misdemeanors. A gang of bullies defied
the court, juries and sheriff, and persisted in
terrifying the surrounding country. They
were indicted by the grand jury, but came
into court and declared that they would not
be tried, that it was against the laws of ma
turs which governed the conduct Of gentle
men and protected from such undignified
prosecution By the next term Of court
jackson had been chosen district attorney.
On his arrival no hitched his horse, carried
his saddlebags into court and placed them
beside him while he perused the docket, The
first thing he did. to the amazement Of every
one, was to call the cases of the DULLES. The
entire gang came into court and declined to
be tried, repeating their accustomed argu-
ment. Mr.. jackson demonstrated and as
sured them that there was no way to avoid a
trial; that the law must DO obeyed, no mat
ter whom il hurt, that 1t was no respecter Of
persons The DULLES became boisterous and
threatening. Instantly Jackson pulled his
pistols from his saddlebags and free fight
began in the court room.
The leadership Of the young lawyer inspir-
ed the people present who were in favor Of
the enforcement Of the law, and they joined
with jackson, whipped the entire crowd Of
DULLES, took them into court, where they
were tried, convicted and sentenced to the
full penalty prescribed by statute That was
the last of the DULLES and the occasion Of the
unexplained entry on the records Of the court
Of Sumner county for 1795.
Samuel B. Morgan, who built the state
capitol Of Tennessee, died some ten years ago,
had In his possession merchants book Of &C
counts. In these were the purchases Of An
drew Jackson for FIVE years after l790. An
examination Of the books shows that the
only purchases made by Old Hickory Of this
merchant were powder, lead and whisky.
Mr.. Morgan used to relate that he once
witnessed cock fight shortly after the battle
Of New Orleans Jackson was present. sit
ting on his horse while some fellow down in
the pit awkwardly tried to heel the chicken.
jackson became first uneasy, then mad. He
leaped from his horse into the pit, brushed
the fellow aside and heeled the chicken after
the most approved fashion. Then he returned
to the saddle and witnessed the fight.
AN OFF HAND DUEL.
jackson was originally backwoods speci-
men of the rarest type, but he at once evolved
into perhaps the grandest man that ever
lived, having no equal in the ballroom, no
peer in politeness, courtesy and admiration
for women. The same is largely true Of the
Tennessean of today Take him from the
farm, array him in fashionable clothes, put
him in the ballroom or in society and his
thoroughbred blood instantly manifests it
self, exhibiting in him only the refined man
of the world.
Jackson's letters which remain are in many
respects more interesting than Washingtons.
They exhibit a man absolutely devoted to hts
family from whom not the smallest thing
concerning them escaped and whose every in
terest was his No man ever wrote in the
same spirit and his social letters are models
from which Chesterfield might have learned
much in politeness. Nothing escaped him.
To show how the men Of his time worshiped
him the incident related by Willoughby Will
iams, "Old Man Willoughby," Of years ago,
will suffice. When Lafayette visited Jack
son in 1925 he rode in carriage with Gen.
Hall while Jackson was on horseback. Great
a man as Lafayette was, the people all looke'l
at Jackson and confined their expressions OF
admiration to him.
The duel between Jackson and Sewer
seems to have escaped history and biography,
Sewer was Jackson's equal as soldier, and
during his Indian fights of over quarter
century he never lost battle, because he al
ways charged into tho natives when in a
body, and the Indian could fight with tree
in front of him In 1906 Sewer was the first
governor Of Tennessee, and for twelve years.
During the first term jackson was on the SUI
preme bench Of the state The two men had
a difficulty about a military election, both
being candidates On the day when Jackson
arrived at Knoxville to hold court Sewer
came also, mounted block in the square and
denounced jackson in unmeasured terms,
calling him all the names III the early vocab-
ulary. There could be but one result, and
that evening jackson challenged him
Sewer accepted, and then came question
as to where the fight should take place. Jack
son wanted to eight on the Cherokee reserva-
ton and Sewer in Virginia. As a result let
tiers passed between them in which the word
coward had the most frequent use. Finally
jackson started for Virginia and notified Sc
yier lie reached Virginia first and remained
several days awaiting the arrival of his oppo-
nent. Sewer not appearing he started for
home, meeting his rival on the way. They
met in the road, exchanged several shots,
neither one being hurt, when friends inter
fered They never forgave each other, and
there is still tradition that this was the
most disgraceful episode in the history of the
state. Nashville American.
Cooperation In India.