The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-07-04
ANDREW JACKSON.
Having his Portrait Paint nted-The Death
Bed Scene at the Hermitage.

[The following interesting account is taken
from private letter of George p. A. Healy,
the American artist, long resident in Paris
Pittsburg Postl
| beg to give you the statement you
requested of my commission from King
Louis Philippe in the spring of 1Si5,
at which time | was occupied in En-
gland in the kings service. His
majesty sent for me to Paris and said:
Mr.. Healy, L wish you to paint for my
historical gallery at Versailles por-
traits of several of the great men of
your country. / learn that Gen. Jack
son is very i'll, and as | wish his like
ness taken from the life, lose no. time
on your way to the Hermitage" SO
we'll did | carry out instructions that /
did not stop in Baltimore to visit my
only sister, whom | had not seen for
years.
On my arrival l was grieved to see
the general so i'll; he had been unable
to lie down for three months. His
answer to the kings request was:
Cant sit, sir."
My reply was; The king will be
very sorry"
''Not for. ali the kings in Christen-
dom, sir"
l bowed. One of the gentlemen said:
.'Mr. Healy, you should have first seen
Mrs. Jackson"
This lady was the wife of young
Donelson, who took the name of Jack
son when adopted by the general. She
had gone to Nashville, twelve miles
away. | drove back to town, found
the lady, and related the result of my
visit. She said:
Il am sorry father will not sit, but,
Mr.. Healy, | will see what | can do,
and, should he consent, my husband
will call for you at 10 o'clock to-mor-
row morning"
| never passed so long a night, and
the heat, although but the 1st of May,
was extreme. Happily 1 was called
for at the hour named. | was gra-
ciously received by the general, who
apologizcd that III the sittings he
should be unable to do me justice. l
assured him the greatest justice he
could do me was to forget that l was
present. Mrs. jackson informed me
that she said much to him of the
joy his friends would feel to see his
likeness at Versailles. His answer
was the same.
Cant sit, my child; let me die in
peace"
At last she said: Father, should
like you to sit"
At this his tears fell fast and he ex-
claimed: My child, will sit"
The picture was completed within
the week. They requested me to copy
it for the family on my return to Paris.
| said a copy was rarely as good as
the original; if the general would al
low me to paint a second they should
have the first This gave satisfaction.
When | had done the old hero said:
"Sir, | wish you to paint my child
for me-"
| bowed and said it was my duty at
once to 90 to Mr.. Clay. l shall never
forget his impressive manner as he
said:
Young man, always do your duty"
On my return to Nashville the Hon.
John Bell informed me that the last
he had heard of Mr.. Clay was that he
had a bad cold on board steamer
aground near Louisville, KY, and it
would be a week before he could learn
whether he had continued to st. Louis
or had returned to Ashland. l there
fore went back to the Hermitage. Gen.
Jackson said:
Il am glad to see you, sir, and if
the Lord spares my life to see my
child'S portrait finished sh all rejoice"
This was Wednesday. The next
Saturday the work wanted one sitting,
and the general never saw it finished.
On Sunday morning | was deeply
touched by cry or wall that was be-
gun by the servants of the house and
taken up by those without, and like
wave after wave passed over the en-
tire plantation. The words were:
Lord. Lord, old master is dead, old
master is dead"
This was in the morning. [ re-
mained in my room until Il, when l
heard steps on the stairs. l saw two
nephews of Mrs. Jackson, who in
formed me that grandfather. as they
called him, had only tainted, when the
servants thought him dead. At $40 |
knocked at the door of the sick-room.
The generals colored man, George,
opened the door and told me his master
was very low. turned to leave, when
young Jackson said, with tears falling
from his eyes: Come in
replied: mot at such moment"
He added: 81 wish you to. He is
dying"
was surprised to find ten or twelve
persons in the room. All were weep
ing. The general was propped up in
bed, his head held by his great friend,
Maj. Lewis. The dying man reused
himself from lethargy, looked at the
fearful faces of his friends, and said:
why should you weep for me? |
am in the hands of the Lord, who is
about to relieve me. You should re-
joice, not weep"
These were his last words. His head
dropped, and the falling of the under
jaw was the only indication that all
was over. On seeing that his daughter.
who was kueeliug, holding one of his
hands, tainted, and was carried from
the room. This was the only human
7 81,