The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-01

Jackson's first acquaintance with his
future wife. and of his conduct through
out, in that respect.
Rachel, the daughter of Col. Donelson,
was then the wife of Lewis Robards,
who came to Nashville from Mercer
county, Kentucky. Mr.. Overton had
know them in Kentucky, and had
boarded in the family of the mother Of
Mr.. Robards. He gives a circumstantial
statement of the unhappy relations that
subsisted between Mr.. Lewis Robards and
his wife, Rachel, while they were in Ken
lucky. Mr.. Robarsd was then Jealous
of Mr.. Short. This feeling had gone
to such length, that Robards wrote to
Mrs, Donels0n, asking her to send for
ker daughter-that he would live with
her no longer. Her brother, Mr..
Samuel Donelson, went to Kentucky for
her. Mr.. Overton says this was the
summer or fall of 1888. The mother of
Robards was greatly distressed. She
was strongly attached to Rachel, and
said her son was wholly in the wrong.
She urged Mr.. Overton, who was about
to move down to Nashville to endeavor
to bring about a reconciliation; and she
embraced Rachel when she left. Rob-
ards soon repented of his folly, and fol-
lowed his wife to Nashville, where,
through the intervention of Overton, a
reconciliation was brought about. But
it did not last long. Mr.. Jackson was a
very gallant, polite gentleman, and Ro-
bards soon became jealous of him.
Oyerton says that Jackson was in no
way to blame, that his life was singu-
larry pure, and his respect for
woman was marked characteris-
tic. At his, Overton's sugges-
ton, they changed their lodgings, in or
der to allay the unreasonable jealousy of
Richards. Jackson went to Robards to
with him; but was met with
insult, and threat to whip him. Jack
son was no match for Robards, physi
cally, but told him he would give him
the satisfaction of a gentleman, if he
wished it-meaning duel, Of course.
But no duel followed. The result was,
that Robards left his wife and returned
to Kentucky. Some further negotiations
took place, after this, looking to a re-
and perhaps, for time, the
man and wife came together again; but
it lasted. not long; and then, in response
to further solicitations by Robards, his
wife refused to listen to his entreaties,
and went with an old gentleman, Mr..
Stark and his family to Natchez to avoid
him. Mr.. OVerton states that the trip
was considered dangerous, through the
wild country, inhabited by the savages,
and that Jackson was prevailed on to go
with the party down the river. The
reader is apt to think that Mr.. Jackson
had begun to take more than
a friendly interest in the fate
Of Mrs. Robards. But however
hat may have been, Jackson
returned to Nashville, after brief So
ourn in Natchez, and resumed the prac
ice of his profession, in which he was
wonderfully successful. When he
reached Nashville, it is said there was
but one lawyer at the place, that the
credit system had prevailed to great
degree, and that the debtors had en-
ployed the solitary attorney in their
cases, leaving the creditors without an
advocate. 1t was, indeed, considered a
dangerous business to espouse their
cause, against the host of debtors. But
when Jackson arrived they had an advo
cate who was not to be inundated. AT
the first court, he had nearly hundred
cases; and so it went on from year to
year.
While these things were passing, the
news came that kobards had obtained a
divorce, from the Virginia Legislature,
Kentucky being part of that State at
the time. Everybody took the fact for
grandchildren were no mails nor post
offices west of the mountains in those
times. Jackson, therefore, went down
the river to Natchez, the next summer,
and married Mrs. Robards. The cere-
mony was performed by a Catholic priest.
But it remains to be told, that the
Legislative Act of Virginia was not a
divorce, but only an authority given to
sue for a divorce. The suit was brought
in Mercer county, Kentucky, while it
was yet part of Virginia, and tie
jury found for the plaintiff The news
travelled slowly, and was apt to be mag
nified on its devious way, from month to
month, and from State to State, over
that vast territory. No wonder, there
fore, that General Jackson and Mrs.
were misinformed as every body
about Nashville was, as to the progress
of the divorce suit. 1t became necessary
when the real state of the case was made
known that the parties should be married
over again which was done at Nashville
This last marriage took place in 1894,
three years after the first ceremony was
performed by the Priest.
Col. Isaac 7. Avery, a son of that
Waightstill Avery, of Morganton,
with whom Jackson first proposed
to study law, gives a somewhat
different account of the circum-
stances which preceded the mar
riage. It is on the authority of "Gen.
George L. Davidson, a man of high
character" who afterward led a Regir
ment, to the Greek Nation, to meet Gen.
Jackson, and who was Jackson's warm
friend. According to Davidson's ac-
count, who lived at Nashville, and
boarded with Mrs. Donelson at the time
these matrimonial infelicities were go
ing on, the conduct of Jackson was less
calculated to appease the wrath of
than the account given by
Overton would lead one to suppose.
Instead of going to Robards to remon-
strate with him, in gentle terms, he is
said to have threatened to cut off that
gentleman's ears for the offence of
charging him with improper conduct to-
wards the lady; that Robards swore out
a peace warrant against Jackson that
Jackson MADE his appearance before the
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