The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-19
ANECDOTES OF OLD HICKORY
JACKSoN'S MOST ADVENTUROUS
LIFE,
He Fought, Drank and Played-A
Many-sided character-Cailed to the
Head of the Rowdies.

Head of the Rowdies.
The hold that strong character has
on the memory of his countrymen i!
well illustrated in the case of Genera
jackson, whose day" January 8, tht
anniversary of the battle of New Or
leans, is frequently called Saint Jack
sons day. A life like his so full O
action is crowded with picturesque and
pathetic incidents, most of them ia
millar. A few Of the anecdotes less
well known than many, perhaps, are
here gathered:
In 1881, when but lad of fourteen
Jackson was an active participant II
the partisan warfare that for so long 6
time devastated Georgia and the Caro-
linas. Before the war ended he had al
experience that was destined to have a
marked influence on his after life
Young Andrew, his elder brother, Rob
ert, their cousin, Lieutenant Crawford
and about forty neighbors, were one
day mustered at Waxhaw church. when
they were surprised by party of Brit
ish and tories sent out by Lord Raw
don. Lieutenant Crawford was wound
ed and captured, number of other
wings were either killed or taken, but
the Jackson boys managed for the time
to effect their escape.
On the next day their hunger led
them to venture to the home of their
wounded cousin. While Mrs. Crawford,
who, with her young children, had been
alone, was preparing food tory neigh
Dor guided the dragons to the house.
The door was forced open and the two
young soldiers were taken prisoners,
No sooner had the dragons entered
than they began to destroy everything.
Crockery, glass and furniture were
smashed to pieces; beds We're emptied
of their feathers; all the clothing III the
house, even that on child which Mrs
Crawford carried in her arms, was torn
to pieces, while she herself was vilely
insulted
To young Andrew was given the or
der to clean the high jackboots of the
officer in command. On the ground
that he was prisoner of war, the boy
objected. Enraged by his refusal, the
officer drew his sword and struck saw
agely at him. Andred received a part
Of the blow on his left hand and the
rest upon his head. The scars result
Ing from those wounds were carried by
an American major-general, who on
the 8th of January, 1916, stood behind a
low breastwork and watched a great
army of English veterans recoil in pam
ic flight from the fire of the troops I'M
der his command.
Andrews father died before Andrew
was born. His eldest brother, Hugh
had fallen under Davie His mother
was dead,-died at Charleston, on her
way to succor the prisoners in the pris-
on ship And thus it was that Andrew
Jackson, before he reached the age of
fifteen, was left brotherless orphan
IAN orphan of the Revolution
So much sorrow and so much suffer-
ing would with some have exercised a
softening and Christening influence.
Such was not the case with Andrew
Jackson. There is evidence that he
incurred his mother sincerely, yet we
find that in less than year he was lv-
ing fast life: he quarreled with his
relatives, and went to Charleston in
search of more excitement than was
afforded by the settlement at Waxhaw
One story of his stay at Charleston
illustrates how much may depend even
oIl a. lIIOW VI lilC ulCG. al iut: EdlllG
time the incident occurred, Jackson
was In debt was out of money, and his
sole property was a valuable horse, on
which he had come to Charleston.
Says the Cabinet and Talisman for
1929: "He had strolled one evening
down the street. and was carried into a
place where some persons We're anus
Ing thmselves at a game of dice, and
much betting was in progress. He |
was challenged for a game by a per-
son present, by whom a proposal was
made to stake two hundred dollars |
against a fine horse on which Jackson
had come to Charleston After some
elaboration he accepted the challenge
Fortune was on his side; the wager was
won and paid. He forthwith departed,
settled his bill next morning and re-
turned to his home. My calculation,
said he, was that, if a loser in the
game, / would give the landlord my
saddle and bride, as far as they would
20 toward the payment of his bills, ask
credit for the balance and walk away
from the city; but being successful, I
lad new spirits infused into me- left the
table, and from that moment to the
'or a wager
1t is possible that Jackson spoke the
ruth, when he said that he never again
,ambled with dice, but there is indispu-
able proof that for years afterward he
5ambled in other ways. In common
With many of the prominent men of his
lime, he occasionally played cards and
billiards for money. One of his greatest
Heights was cockfghting, and he al
Ways stood ready to back the birds
With cash
Jackson had the true southerner's re- j
ard for horses, and during a large t
art of his life his chief amusement i
vas horse racing. Shortly after he left
he supreme bench of Tennessee he ,
made trip to Virginia for the express i
urpose of purchasing the best horse in 7
he country. He brought back Trux- I
on, who for years was the fastest horse 1
a Tennessee, and won many contest S
II the old Glover Bottom course at V
Nashville. S
Shortly after the close of the Revolu- +
on Jackson began the study of law in c
II office at Salisbury, N. G. He does n
OF seem to have been a very industri- t
us student ANDREW Jackson was the t
lost roaring, rolIicking, game cooking, il
orse-ra cling, ard-playing, mischiev- a
us fellow that ever lived in Salisbury" i
He was the head of all the rowdies C
'He did not trouble the