El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-01-08

HIS BOYHOOD DAYS.

HIS BOYHOOD DAYS.
As boy, the hero of New Orleans,
is RENE mbered for his intrepid spirit,
reckle-sness, and indomitable per-
severance. The old folks called him
"mischievous Andy" He would not
take dare. The story of how he was
dared to fire off and old queens
srm," which kicked him flat, and his
threat 10 kill the first companion who
The magnet m which accompanied
him In later years, controlled him
when a boy al d he was from the first
leader.
As a young m an he was very dissi-
p.ted; he drank and gam bled, until he
mad exhausted all his means, except q
beautiful horse. In desperation he
s,aked the beautiful animal against
$500, and won. The pinch of poverty
ana distress b ad put b new spirit into
him, and as ne once said, Being sue
cessful, had this new spirits infused
into me, left the table, aud from that
moment to the present time, L have
never thrown dice for a wager."
In 1854 he began to read law with
Spruce McCay, ESQ.,, of Salisbury,
c., and in 1888 ne removed to Nash
vile, Tenn, where hs WAS appointed
public prosecutor. For many years he
profession, though truth to say, ne
was reg arded in those days as better
Indian fighter, than a lawyer.
Contrary to the generally accepted
idea, Andrew jackson was native OF
North and not South Carolina, being
born on lovely forest farDN on Twelve
Mile Greek JUST over the line OF the
Palmetto state. The date of MS biz tn
is given as March Is, 1861, near the
-, 81 -
leon. In 1865 the father with the same
name with the mStuer and two boys
left the old town of Carr ckfergus, on
the north coast of Ireland, celebrated
for its fearless sons, and came to
America. The father took up his
homestead in the virgin forest, AND
with the aid of his AK aud his brawny
arms, cleared out u field aud erected
his hum BILE home. The father oied a
few weeks before the death of his
hOnored son.
IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Andrew jackson was nine years old
at the time of the signing of the decla-
ration of independence, and smell
powder for the first time at the age of
thirteen. In the month of May, 1850,
Tarleton, the British guerrilla, laid
waste the country in AID around
WaXhaw where the Jackson famlly
lived. In Opposiog him, over 100 OF
the American militia were killed and
wounded. There was in the settle
men,, a log church, and this was turn
ed into q primitive hospital where
Mrs. jackson, mother of young
Andrew, anu the boy himself acted as
nurses. The sight could not but pro-
duce on the boy impressions likely to
last lifetime; and it did ill him with
q hartred OF the British that help d to
nerve him in later in Florida aod at
the battle of New Orleans.
Thrice in that summer of 1880
notable to the jackson fan Y, was
their part of the cOuatry deVa5ta ed by
the British; and after three SUN eX-
perieacss the family emigrated to
Charlotte, N. e. A lady of that town
who saw the family move In, LETT on
paper her recollections of the APP
pc .rancs of the immigrants, and par
ticularly of young Jackson. He was
"a tall, slender, gangllng fell)w VITA
long legs and awkward figure. mount
90 on little grass pony" She ventured
to question MIN thus:
where are you FROM" From be-
low" "Where are you going?" Going
above" "Who are you fOr:' For con-
gress." What are they doing down
below" "Oh, we're popping 'em
stlll!' What your name?" Andrew
Jackson"
The jackson family remained in their
new home durin the fol. owing winter,
young Andrew making both of his
ends me by doing Odd jobs around
town. His fivoriie place Of WORK was
about some blacksmith shop where he
put in his pare tim IA hi) oiog rude
weapons, ami ols day returned home
with an old. scythe sUemodeiea. into IL
sort of mache with w7h &c n he slashed
the weeds around his house, eX>1aim-
ing: "Oh, how l wish the weeds were
the heads of the bloody Brltish.' . Mrs.
jackson and ner son returned later to
their former home aJ Waxhaw where
the tories still trou bled ana made afraid
with raids, set on foot to kill Off the
fighting men OF patriotic American
families. O1e nj hit the to is a.
tackled the Jackson residence, but wef e
driven off by the watchfuinesso OF young
jackson who usel his musket with
good effect. However, on II later oc-
casion while defending himself against
the red coats he Was driven into d
swamp with his brother Robert by
Bri .ish dragons who captured them
as they TIED to get homo for food Z.
Young jackson was ordered by one of
hi cap rs to black the latter's boots
He l. fused, and was struck to the
giou.. ! his refusal, receiving q deep
gas 1 In he head and another on the
hand VITA which he essayed to SHE d
himself from the troopers sabre. The
scars fl on tuese wounds he carried al
his lie. JacksOn's younger brother
Robert; also refused to do this mental