The record-union., 1896-05-11
Some Unpublished Stories About Jackson,
Clay and Others.
An Alleged Duel Between jackson and
Sewer, the First Governor
of Tennessee.

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 prominent
lawyer and State character, who died
d few years ago, removed from that
county to Nashville. He used to relate
that when he grew up and became
Jackson man there were still magis-
trates living of the 1895 period. OF them
he inquired concerning this entry. 1t
seems that the County Court had the
trial Of misdemeanors. A gang of bull
lies defied the court, juries and Sheriff
and persisted in terrifying the sur
rounding 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
nature which governed the conduct of
gentlemen and protected them from
such undignified prosecution. BY the
next term of court Jackson had been
chosen District Attorney. On his arri
val he hitched his horse, carried his
saddlebags into court and placed them
beside him while he perused the dock
ct. The first thing he did, to the amaze
ment of every one, was to call the cases
OF the bullies. The entire gang came
into court and declined to be tried, re-
peating their accustomed argument.
Mr.. Jackson demonstrated and assured
them that there was no way to avoid a
trial; that the law must be obeyed, no
matter whom it hurt, that it was no
respector of persons. The bullies be-
came boisterous and threatening In
cta To- 1od HI
his saddlebags and a free fight began in
the courtroom. The leadership of the
young lawyer inspired the people pres
ent who were in favor of the enforce
ment of the law, and they joined with
Jackson whipped the entire crowd of
bullies, took them into court where they
were tried, convicted and sentenced to
the full penalty prescribed by statute.
This was the last of the bullies and the
occasion of the unexplained entry on
the records of the Court of Summer
County in 1895.
Samuel b. Morgan, who built the
State Capitol of Tennessee, died some
ten years ago. He had in his possession
a merchants books Of account. In
these were the purchases of Andrew
Jackson for five years after 1870. An
examination of the books shows that
the only purchases made by Old Hick-
ory of this merchant were powder, lead
and whisky.
Mr.. Morgan used to relate that he
once witnessed a cockfight shortly after
the battle of New Orleans. jackson was
present, sitting on his horse, while
some fellow down in the pit awkwardly
l. L. Il.
came at 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 sad
die and witnessed the fight.
JACKSON A NATURAL GENTLE
MAN.
Jackson was originally q backWoods
specimen Of the rawest type, but he at
)nce evolved into perhaps the grandest
man that ever lived, having no equal
n the ballroom, no peer in politeness,
and admiration from women.
The same is largely true Of the Ten
nessean of to-day. Take him from the
farm, array him in fashionable clothes,
put him in the ballroom or in society
and his thoroughbred blood instantly
nanifests itself, exhibiting in him only
the refined man Of the world. Jack
sons letters which remain are in many
more interesting than Wash
They exhibit a man absolute
~ devoted to his family from whom not
the slightest thing concerning them es-
capped and whose every interest was
his No man ever wrote in the same
IA L T., til y-Ax Ill.
from which Chesterfield might have
learned much in politeness. Nothing es-
capped him. To show how the men of
his time worshiped him, the incident
related by Willoughby Williams, "Old
Man willoughby," of years ago, will
suffice When Lafayette visited jack
son in 1926 he rode in a carriage with
General Hail. while Jackson was on
horseback. Great man as Lafayette
was, the people all looked at Jackson
and confined their expressions of admi
ration to him.
HIS DUEL WITH SEWER.
The duel between Jackson and Sc
vier seems to have escaped history and
Sewer was Jackson's equal
as a soldier, and during his Indian
fights of over a quarter Of a century he
never lost a battle, because he always
into the natives when in a
body and the Indian could only fight with
a tree In front Of him. In 1896 Sewer was
the first Governor of Tennessee, and
for twelve years. During this first term
Jackson was on the Supreme Bench of
the State. The two men had difficulty
about military election, both being
On the day when Jackson
arrived at Knoxville to hold court
Sewer came also, mounted a block in
the square and denounced Jackson in
terms, calling him all the
names in the early vocabulary. There
could be but one result, and that even
ing Jackson challenged him. Sewer ac-
cepted, and then came a question as
to where the fight should take place.
Jackson wanted to fight on the Chero-
kee Reservation and Sewer in Vir-
ginia. AS a result letters passed be-
tween them, in which the word coward
had the most frequent use Finally
Jackson started for Virginia and noti-
fed Sewer. He reached Virginia first,
and remained several days awaiting the
arrival of his opponent Sewer not ap-
pearing, he started for home meeting
his rival on the way. They met in the
road, exchanged several shots, neither
one being hurt, when friends interfered.
They never forgave each other, and
there is still tradition that this was
the most disgraceful episode in the his
tory of the State.
HENRY CLAY AND THE TOUGH.
Henry Clay once invaded the blue
grass region of Tennessee to make
speech. When he arrived at his destin
alton q tough Looking Snpcirnan eyi-