The Irish standard., 1898-07-30
SKETCH OF THE IRIsH.AMERICAN
HERO OF NEW ORLEANS.
PARENTS HAILED FROM CAaRIcKFEReus
INFLICTED A CRUSHING DEFEAT on
THE BRITISH TROOPS.
WAS PROUD OF HIS NOBLE ANCESTRY
ELECTED UNITED STATES SENATOR
AND ALSO PRESIDENT.

The hero OF New Orleans, the seventh
president of the United States, Gen.
Andrew jackson, was a native Of North
Carolina, where he was born March is,
l7G7. His parents, two years before his
birth, had immigrated to this country
from Carrickfergus, Ireland, and the
family endured the privations and hard
ships Of pioneer life Andrew was born
only few days after the death of his
father, and his boyhood was spent in
straitened circumstances, but ho was
full Of Celtic energy and humor, and
soon made his influence felt
When only a lad of 13 he was wit
ness to fierce encounter with the Brit
ish troops, and the brutalities OF the
infamous Tarleton at Hanging Rock.
With his mother and his brother Robert
he had helped to care for the wounded
patriots. and the two brothers were cap
tured by the enemy and brought to Can
ada, and nearly starved there. The
British commander ordered him one day
to clean his boots, but tho spirited boy
refused, when the brutal Dritisher
struck him on the head and arm with
his sword, in1licting two serious wounds.
His brother Robert also shared the
same punishment for showing the same
spirit.
During their Imprisonment they were
taken down with smallpox, from which
Robert died and Andrew recovered only
after many months Of suffering. These
"reminiscences kept alive his hatred for
the British, and doubtless gave unction
to the tremendous blow dealt them at
New Orleans. In 1871 his mother died
OF ship fever in Charleston, where she
was caring for the imprisoned Ameri-
cans. He was thus left entirely desti-
tute, but he went to work and carved
his way from this beginning of sorrow
and suffering till he rose to the highest
station in the gift of the American peo-
ple
In 1888, after being admitted to the
bar, he was appointed public prosecutor
OF the Western district of North Caro-
lima, embracing what is now called the
state OF Tennessee. In those days tho
position he held was not an casy one
In April, 1870, out of 1870 cases, Jackson
was employed as counsel in AZ; in the
year 1894, out of 397 cases, he acted as
counsel in 22S. Then it will be rcmcm-
bered that 1t was among a turbulent
population that his lot was cast" says
his biographer, "and the prosecutor
must needs bo man OF nerve and re-
source But jackson proved himself
equal to the task of introducing law and
order. From 1888 till 1895 jackson ner-
formed his duties, travelling between
Nashville and Joncsborough, always at
the risk of his life, owing to the number
and hostility Of the Indians
On one occasion he nearly lost his life.
and made the characteristic remark: "A
miss Is rs good as a mile" In january.
1896, we find Jackson seated in the con-
ing constitution for Tennessee. The
admission of Tennessee to the Union
was effected in June, 1876, and jackson
was chosen as its single representative
in congress. In 1898 he was chosen IN
I'LL the vacancy in the federal senate,
Shortly after this new honor was con-
ferred upon him he resigned his seat in
the senate to accept tho appointment as
a judge in tho supreme court of Tenncs-
see. He retained this office for six
years, when he resigned in order to de-
vote his attention exclusively to his
private affairs
Inc Following anccdote is thus told Of
jackson while supreme court Justice
One day, while holding court at Nash
vile, great, hulking fellow, armed
with pistol and bowie knife, took It
upon himself to parade before the court
house and threaten the judge, jury and
all assembled with punishment IL they
did not acquit a friend of his who was
on trial. jackson told the sheriff TO ar
hard name that the sheriff was afraid
to put the order into execution. Jack
son then commanded the sheriff to sum
mon posse, but they also held back.
Jackson then adjourned court, and
walking out, arrested the desperate.
When England again attempted to de-
stroy this republic in 1912, although he
was unfricndly with President Madison,
he was early in the field against the on
prcssor of his fathers country. The
terrible massacre at Fort MINES, Ala,
again called Jackson into the field. Hay
ing organized a brigade of $500 men,
jackson marched against the Creek In
dians, and on March 81, 1914, struck the
decisive blow at Tohopeka, and broke
the strength of the Creek nation. On
May 81 he drove the British, in greater
numbers than his own army, out of
Pensacola. Since his taxing the field