The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
GEN. JAoxsoN,s MARRIAGE.

Nom the Courier Journal.

the lot OF any aspirant TO political honnrs. His
relations In private life were not exempt from
public gaze, and so dcnunciatory were tho rcvo-
lations made that a combined defense and denial
from his friends became necessary as part of tho
campaign fight. So often have his partlsans
reiterated their statements that probably many
of them and their descendants have come TO be-
lieve them true.
As they claim, jackson married Rachel Rob
ards tneo Donnldson) in 1901, before her hus-
band had secured a divorce. On hearing In 1903
that the divorce had Just been granted, the mar
riage cromon was again performed. A con.
densod narrative OF tho facts may not be amiss
at this time: The" Widow Donaldson" and her
family were caught in storms while moving TO
tho West from North Carolina in wagons. Hos
pitality was extended them by the Widow
Robards," who was II Miss Hill OF the Hill, I'm.
boden. and Mosby families of Virginia. This
widow Richards had moved after her hus-
bands death rom Virginia to Mercer county,
KY, and there in time had erected the first stone
house In central Kentucky. Later, tho Widow
Donaldson was granted permission TO occupy
tho deserted log home on the estate. Tho
"Wiaow Robards'' had two sons that had
served throughout the Revolutionary war and
were promoted for bravery. or these the
younger soon succumbcd to the charms Of fair
Rachel Donaldson, AMI they were married.
II LIVE ~ uEBCu bOIntIllliCo a. u Dhillulloh VI
Rachel Donaldson's after conduct that she mar
ried in q family socially inferior to her own. but
this Is n Pigment Of some ono's brain. Lewis
Robards's ancestors wcro old virginians: his
elder brother George married q granddaughter
OF the Dutois, French Huguenot; tho Oldest Sis
ter married Thomas Davis, first Congressman
Floyd. Governor Of ono OF the Territorias;
the second sister married q brother of Thomas
ricd Col. Jack Jouctt tMatthew Jouott. the
s s %m wps their heir, ,S9IInII I,,S and R,ct the SSUnnEest
asnern %"e Of Re eapS;Mk ,'i. !" nephew S% , OF P ipe $
Madison and raised in his house. She WIS tho
grandInother Of a distinguished line-Gcn. Simon
Rachel, Donaldson herself was beautiful, but
while the posscssor of winsomc ways was some.
tiny which befcll Jackson"
Rachel Donaldson they made their home with
his mother, Later jackson came from Tennes.
no inns in those days, and every mans latch.
string hung on tho outside; he became a mem
her OF The Robards houschoId: About this time
attentions from a Pcyton Short. The family
thought she was merely wilful and imprudent,
peal was made to her mother then living IN
NashyillcD and she was sent there for n while to
shield her from the consequences OF her own i'm
prudence. for this family set great store on their
In the mean time Jackson had returned to
time. When Lewis Richards came 10 Nashville
expecting, 10 buy n home near his wife's mother.
Andrew Jackson. Even Overton. jackson's
lifelong friend. and one who has written an ac-
count to v~indicate him, told Jackson that he was
causing trouble between man and wife. II Is
said that Jackson changed his boarding place.
and his partsans say that he challenged Lewis
Richards TO a duel. the latter refusing through
cownrdice and Offering to engage in a "fsti-
NOTED moIca hut ut t the is fhs eTau Probable w iaist to a m brar zero;
would refuse a duel through cowardice.
AcSofdinn s 10 GveEton, ;,. JT .n partisan,
vile. Rachel Richards, hearing her husband was
going to return for her early in l19l CANARY.
hatcher. Andrew jackson accompanying them
to assist in projecting them from the Indians.
Nashville. In July. 1871, hearing a divorce had
been granted, he proceeded straight to Natchez,
married mar; her. returning to Nashville. '''DO' '"'''
These dates and facts arc given by JacSson's
tween hatcher and Nashville, aud the short
time that elapsed ~bstween Jackson's departure
ricd July. one may naturally inquire when thi;
courtship occurred II not when Rachel was and
to be, Rachel Robards, wife Of Lewis, Richards
Could Lewis Richards have been jealous over
son and Rachel claimed they believed, q
divorce had been granted. How did the,
shbp pose m 1hs divorce Mrpr noi had ;r,o been 1,6 granted nn ,r 4 Z IT,
claim that the court records in this case are the
charges as made by the plaintiff. IT would be
queer case where tho charges would be made b!
the defendant. After the charges are made the
Court decides the case.
Some have claimed that Hugh McGarey,
witness In this salt, was an enemy OF Jackson
Yet he was q man OF note in those days. consid
cred a credible man. and made his statement
as a sworn witness. A man does not ncccssaril.
perjure himself when testifying against a part,
dlsliked; Hugh McGarey was not the only wit
Returning to Kentucky, Lewis Richards en-
tered his home one day 70 ind that his wife anc
jackson and, Rachel passed their honeymoon; /
to this place. jackson and Rachel had bee
pursued by Lewis Robaris and his body scrvan
i! Jse ias f'F Zurich EaeF Sn they es s1faanf iSat shq RSc fa
might be hurt, Lewis Robards rct9rne
Should have been previously sought. In tn
winter Of l79O-91 he asked the Legislature Ken
. tucGy was then a part of Virginia. and such wa
the legal proceduro) to pass an act emitting hir
TO sue for a divorce. The grounds for d;vorc
D granted the acr. stating the divorce was to h
granted. provided the charges were proved tru
, to be published eight weeks suceessively in tn
kentucky Gd-ettc; in section 2 required sui
9Inas to summon wlinessosi IN section 4 81
, The suit was permitted in section l to be sc
: for the succeeding term OF court, or, for goo
cause. the term succeeding that. Jackson WA
a lawyer. practising in the courts Of Hentuck
= hhu NIklulh, ulu nc hntN llt sluN lH" PRIV
csscs OF that time. especially in divorce ease
= His friends claim that ho did not know the sui
was pending. Section ! will cause us 10 don't
this. Tho divorce was granted, facts being coz
clusively proved to show the glazing miss,at,
/ ments in Overton's accounts.
: Rachel Richards clopcd in July, 1890. TIL
. names of the witnesses and thcir testimony, III
names OF the Jury and their verdict. are pnrt
0 the court records OF Hnrrodsburg Court lious
The defenders OF Jackson claim that court re-
y ords are often inaccurate and incomplete, "
they base their defence mainly on n statCmcl
: made by the clerk OF tho court in lS26 uhirt
b three years after the divorced that he could N
0 then tlnu any court record showing that Mr.
RObl!GS had been notified OF the suit.
o Ii has been limited " that this was the rcsu
= OF judicial courtesy sometimes shown to cav
4 liCr mcmbcrs NJ influential Blue Grass families
So Jackson's partisnns have questioned moi, on
IS the statements OF eye witnesses. people
prohily, and the court records, but tho integril
a OF the court itself. One dealing In hints
might suggest that parts OF court records ma
disappeared when some ones interests might
furtherud thereby. Jackson's uartislls ha'
censurod Rachel Donaldson's first husban
claiming that he did not prosecute tho suit Z
II divorce until anxious To rcrnarry himself,
The art of fIp Niryinin lppigl,t ire SlnwS hO