The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-12-23
Ar]p'S Letter.

Dr. Conway is right about James Madi-
sons mother. She was Nellie Conway
and not Fanny Taylor. Fanny was his
grandmother. But the good doctor is
wrong about Thomas Jefferson. 10 did
not MARY Miss Martha SHELTON. Tor She
was a widow and her maiden naiae was
Martha Wales, as / said. Neither did
Andrew Jackson marry Miss Rachel Ro-
hards. She was not a miss, but 4 di-
vorced wife ard her maiden lame was
Rachel Donelson. jackson had 10 marry
her twicc in different States 20 comply
With the law. OF course George Wash
ington married the widow Custis. Every
body knows that. 1t was the tyIo that
had il Curtis. Dr.. Conway says that
Willard Fillmore never married. He Is
mistaken. His first Wife was Abigail
Powers and his second Was Caroline Mo
Intosh. 1t is singular how many of the
Presidents married widows. Madison )
Wife, Dolly Payne, was Il widow Todd.
Her maiden name was Dorothy Coles
l reckon we will get this matter straight
ened out after a while. Mr.. Thaxton, OF
Tennessee, writes me that Tie full list
OF mothers and wives can be found in
llA' 4 - = I't'tll
Thaxton is not mad, bat he is griesed
that | said Johnson's parents were too
poor and ignorant to be named in the
biography. That was not my assertion.
but Was u bit of sarcasm on the compiler.
who makes special mention of tIcir BOY
crty ard lack of education ana records
that Andrew and his mother and step
father moved from Raleigh. y. G.. TO
Grecnyille, Tenn. in a tWo-wheelcd art
drawn by a blind pony, but does not sive
their names. Mr.. ThaXton says his wife's
father was an own cousin to Andrew
Johnson and Andrew mothers name
was Nary McDonough, but he does not
enticn that stepfather. Who did Mary
marry the second time? The biography
in Appleton was written by James Phelan,
editor Of The Memphis Avalanche. and
seems 10 be YER fair and favorable to
Johnson and mis- wife and children.
It says that Johnson's father
died when Andrew was only 4 years old.
| and Mr.. Thaxton says his mother had
many more children. Mr. Paclan says
that Andrew learned his alphabet on the
~tailor's bench. and his wife. Eliza Nc
Cardle. taught him TO read.
| Ny friend Thaxtor says that lie ala not
know that poverty and ignorance were
1 -'-A - 9 -3I4& GO J. ~ Ai,s -
| That second husband must have been
/ both shiftless and ignorant if he couldn' i
! provide any better transportation for his
| Wife and stenson than a ~two-Whcol car;
and a blind pony for q long journey. I
Nj. Thaxton was to see such ] caEalcaG,
as that coming down the big road nos ho
would say that poverty and igno.*nce
were tramping along together. But thi-
much Wc have learned from NJ. ThaIto-
that Andrew Johnson's mothers maid
IN name was Mary McDonough. vi hon-
or to him who rose from povcrtv arc
o5scuritv and all honor to his devoted
wife and to his accomplished daughter
| Mrs, Patterson, Who presided So worthilJ
IL the White House.
Md Roosevelt married twico-tLat's
night 10 ought TO have q good wonar
at his elbow all Of the time / rec'or
he must have been a widowcr when b
wrote those SANDERS against Jefcrsor
Davis and the people Of the South. | an
Sill waiting for him to retract IN,
apclocize. But now that he is q ca'Ididat'
and is scheming for The solid Northrri
vote and the Southern negroes thrown
, il. he won't retract. Il he is TO be elect
ed President. ! want Miles tot BE couple.
with him on the ticket for Eica-PTesiion
The champion chaineC and tho champion
| 9etamer ought 70 be paired. One 10 vorl
on live men and the other on dead ones
And here is a letter from Mrs. LIZ.
Harrison Cav Whitfield. Of Sildor villC
Ma. who informs me that William Hon
~ Harrison's mother was Elizabeth Pes
sett. She is Mrs. Vhitfeld's great-g~cat
grandmother and was the wife OF b
Harrison. who signed the Declaration .
independence. His mother was Ann
Cartcr. an aunt Of Robert Lee. | halicy
that supplies ali the missing links.
I've been enjoying some rich and rae
rcadjng-thc ~cply Of Horace Grcciy I
III" committee who summoned him (
| trial for signing the bail bond Of jci
fcrscn Davis that released him from prie
on. There were twcntv-onc nho signc
it. bur Greedy was the first and the onl
Republican Abolitionist. He ,olunteerc
10 DO il and did it willingly. going frol