The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
BLUFF ANDREW JACKSON
SINGULAR COMBINATION OF
RoUGHNEss AND GENTLENEss.
Anecdotes and Incidents illustrative
of characteristics OF Passionate,
HeadstrOng Man.
special 70 the IndianapoIIs Journal

Gay. 1t Is d IeSllVdl observed IN almost
every city in the United States. 1t is the
anniversary of the battle of New Orleans
which was the most significant occurrence
in the life of the soldier who was afterward
to be President of the United States.
Jackson was a curious mixture of rough
ness and gentleness, of rudeness and civ
ility. He had the reputation of being a
boor, and he succeeded at times in living
up to it fully. But history has not been al
together unkind to him. There are many
who have borne testimony that at times
Jackson's famous oath, by the Eternal"
which was supposed to be constantly in his
mouth, was seldom heard. In fact, Mr.
Blair said that he had never heard Jackson
use that OATH and that usually he was very
temperate in speech.
One man has left q story about Andrew
Jackson which shows that he could be a
courtier when he liked. This person had
to introduce to the President lady who
had lived abroad for many years, and who
had been presented at all the principal
courts of Europe. She brought messages
to the President from abroad which she
was to deliver in person, and her friend,
who was near to the President officially,
undertook, in fear and trembling, to- pre-
sent her at the White House. When he
called with her he went to the Presidents
Office to apprise him of his visitors pres
ence. He found the President in a dirty
dressing gown with a two days stubble on
his face. He ventured to hint in the
gentIest manner possible that the President
ought to prepare himself to greet his dis
tinguished guest; but the President stopped
him in a dignified way, and, saying he
would be down stairs in few minutes,
withdrew to his dressing room. In less
than ten minutes he presented himself to
his visitor. Her sponsor was not present at
the meeting, but he waited for the end Of
it. To his surprise he was kept in the ante
room for more than an hour. When the
lady came from the reception room, instead
of complaining of the brusqueness of the
President, which she had been led to expect
and dread. she said that she had never met
a more charming, entertaining man in her
life, and that she regretted the interview
should have come to an end.
Jackson was no scholar and his spelling
was beyond hope. But he never worried
over his illiteracy or felt affronted if any
thing called attention to it. A lady who
copied some official papers for him (she
died in Washington not many years ago.
said that she called his attention to mis-
said: Don't mind that, my child. The
printer will take care of the spelling
THE CASE OF PEGGY C'NEILL.
In fact, in the presence of women, Presi-
dent jackson seems to have laid aside his
ogreishness and appeared always in the
character of Prince Charming. He was
noted for his gallantry; and this gave rise
to a historic occasion which, more than
\ oil ale r afYfc
ton notable Women have made indirectly
much of the history of this great nation
but few have contributed so much to
changing the course of events as Pretty
Peggy O'Neill,'' the inn keepers daughter,
did in Jacksons administration. Peggy's
father. Patrick O'Neill, kept Gadsbys Ho-
tel, at 21st and r streets. The building
one of a roW-was owned by Senator
Eaton, colleague Of Jackson in 1927. Gads-
by bought the building from Eaton, but
Eaton, who lived at the hotel during his
term, remained there, and General Jack
son was also one of the guests. Peggy was
one of the notable attractions of the hotel.
She had married purser in the navy when
she was quite young, but the fact that she
was married gave her freer license, for
her husband was at sea most of the time
and she was under very little restraint Her
name was associated scandalously with
those of various men, among them Senator
Eaton'S. Undertake, the purser, died
The scandal involving Peggy and the Sem
ator from Tennessee became more conspic-
uous, and it is said Eaton acted on the ad-
vice of General Jackson when finally he
married Peggy.
Jackson became President, Eaton secre-
tary of war. All Washington knew the
scandals surrounding Peggy O'Neill, and no
one in Washington considered that mar
riage carried a complete publication. So
the virtuous ladies of the official circle re-
fused to call on Mrs. Eaton, and declined
to see her when she called. Jackson was SO
far involved that he felt it necessary to
come to Eatons support The sad result
of this was the breaking up or the Cabinet
and finally the sending of Eaton to Spain
But the Cabinet troubles growing out of
the Peggy O'Neill incident had a serious
effect on the history of the jackson adj
ministration 1t complicated the troubles
which beset the President on all sides, and
undoubtedly changed in many respects the
course of events.
The further history of Peggy is told in
a few words She went abroad with her
husband, and after the expiration of his
term Oh service, returned with MN TO the
United States. In a few years ne died, leav-
ing her a goodly fortune At the age of
sixty-four Mrs. Eaton fell in love with a
dancing master named Buchignani. She
married him. He remained constant to her
long enough to get possession of almost
all of her property and then eloped with
her granddaughter. She was not heard from
again before her death; but her daughter
kept up the family reputation for sensa-
tionalism. There was question about her
paternity, though she was born during the
life of Purser Timberlake, and she used
to say to her friends: You should call
me Virginia Eatonlake, not Timberlake."
She was taken under the wing of the
French minister, NJ. Pageot, whose wife
seemed quite content with the arrange
ment, and when the Pageots went abroad
Virginia went with them. Eventually she
married an attache of one of the legations
abroad, and her daughter married Roths-
child.
JACKSON'S WIFE.
Perhaps Jackson's gallantry toward Peggy
Eaton was due to his friendship for Major
Eaton; possibly he felt kindly toward all
women after his election to the presidency,
because his wife, whom he loved very dear
ly, had died just before he came to Wash
ington. You will read some curious stories
about that marriage of Jackson, some con-