Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-08
PATRIOTIC TENNEssEEANs, PRO.
/ POSE TO RESTORE OLD HOUSE.
1T WAS ANDREW JACKSON'S HOME.
Efforts of Southern Women Composing
the Ladies' Hermitage Association
I Meet With Much Encouragement
From Southerners.

fOI the nau0nS cnlef executives, is SaIe
8ffrom the devastating hand of modern
Il progress.
~ The people of Nashville Tenn, are
breathing sigh of relief, for the home
of their beloved Andrew Jackson is
now in possession and the spirits of
the old times in wandering through the
mansion, will find everything just as it
was when they were among the gay
1throngs that filled the house and made
the walls echo back their laughter.
1t is entirely through the efforts of
the Ladies' Hermitage association Of
4 Nashville that "The Hermitage" has
been restored to the condition in which
IS 1t was at the time Of the generals
y death.
q The beautiful grounds, with their
Z velvet lawns and big old trees the wide
Sdriveways along which the old-fashion-
4 ed coaches rolled to the door of the
mansion always thrown open with
southern tospitality-all are unchang.
q ed from the early nineteenth century
s. when it was the home of the President
q of the United States.
For nearly fifty years the state of
Il Tennessee has held the house, but, the
people seemd content to let the matter
& remain there until latly, when they
q saw great treasure trove Of General
81 Jackson's slipping through their fing-
8 ers unless they bestirred themselves.
Their first object in buying the
i house from Andrew Jackson Jr., the
adopted son of cold Hickory was to
offer 1t to the United States govern
n ment for branch Of the West Point
academy
Then the civil war broke out before
the plans could be consummated and
the people of Tennessee were we'll sat
isfied that they had held on TO the old
house and the five-hundred-acre farm,
which was many years later conveyed
to the Ladies Hermitage association
ito preserve, beautify and adorn
throughout all coming years, in man.
ner most befitting to the memory of
that great man. and commensurate
with the attitude of his countrymen.''
Col. Andrew Jackson, the son of An
drew Jackson, Jr., contrary to his
grandfather's famous doctrines gave
the south his aid in fighting for their
Il freedom. After serving as colonel of
artillery In the Confederate army re
went back to THE Hermitage" and liv.
ed with his mother until her death BY
her will he Inherited the household fur
nlture, mementoes and relics of his
famous grandsire, and guarded them
faithfully until time when they
should become the states trust.
Now the fair Tennesseeans. who
found no exertions too great if through
it they might buy the precious relics
that would make the Jackson home
again the home of former days, for the
consideration of $4,000. gained their
end, and the memorial of Gen. Andrew
Jackson is safe.
The incentive to the Jackson revival
was the rumor which got afloat recent.
~ to the effect that Colonel Jackson
was about to sell his heritage to a
]. New Highlander.
Not only the city of Nashville. hui
the entire southern state, was up in
arms in an instant.
Sell to a stranger their most valued
possessions? Allow these relics to be
carried UP into the north, thousands OF
miles away from their rightful resting
place?
Were they to permit a northerner to
4 show them how to appreciate, when ii
too late, these precious reminders OF
their fellow citizen?
Never!
Once thoroughly awakened to theil
duty, the Tennesseeans, headed by the
Ladies Hermitage association. bent
their best efforts to the cause with the
result that they soon accomplished
their purpose.
The original hermitage" was BULL
in 1904 and was made of logs. A por
ton of the old building is still stand
ing. 1t was here, too, that Aaron Burr
made his famous visit to 1.-THE Hermit
age" in 1906. and was entertained il
this same log house.
Gen. Jackson lived in the log house
d at the time when the battle of New Or
{ leans was fought, in 1915, returning
to this humble home "conquerins
hero" and the idol of the nation.
Then the old log home grew toe
small for Gen. Jackson and his farnil,
and four years later a stately mansion
n graced the beautiful grounds of the
& Tennesseean's home, built of brick.
made on the place.
The general refused to have the los
Y house torn down. 1t was like an ole
friend to him, and there We're preciou:
memories associated with it that ht
could not bear to have dispelled r
saw his first struggles to rise, and lat
NJ err, his success acknowledged by hi.
n countrymen.
The Jacksons had no children O
their own, SO they adopted the infan
son of Mrs. Jackson's brother, and a!
Andrew Jackson, Jr., he became The
son and heir of "The Hermitage" ant
4 Its possessions.
The new home was spaciously bull
In the colonial style and when it wa.
sl finished many distinguished persons O.
the land went in and out the side door
way, and found delight in the beaut,
Of the well-shaded lawns and the bis
farm lands
Marquis de Lafayette found warm
* welcome there and tasted to the
full the sweetness of southern hospi
tally.
He was an old man when he visit
ed Andrew Jackson at his home ir
4 1925, but he was not too old to be
come a favorite and find himself made
much of by the charming southern
women who also shared his hosts en-