The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-02-19
GREAT LOVE
STORIES
of HISTORY
ANDREW JACKSON and
MISS ROBARDS
By Albert Payson Terhune
Copyright. BY the Author.)

IN 400 10 NaShV1lie. enn 10 practlce
his profession. and boarded at the cot
tage of the widow Donelson. His
landlady's frontier husband had re
Gently been murdered and her pretty
daughter, Rachel. was living with her
Rachel had just left her own husband
under rather unfortunate circum
stances. Thus the atmosphere of the
Donelson home was not especially
cheerful. Young Jackson readily
slipped into the position of family ad
wiser and confidant to the 'manless"
household. Thus began his life's ro-
nance.
Jackson was a brilliant. stubborn,
honest, illiterate youth. who by sheer
pluck and determination had worked
his way up from abject poverty. He
knew little law: he could never write
or speak correct English; his own
honesty often blinded him to the
faults Of others. Nevertheless. his
logged courage and masterful will
power were one day to make him a
military hero and later to raise him
to the presidency of the United States
Rachel Donelson was born in 1867.
one was just JdChSOu y" age.
While living in Kentucky she had met
Capt. Lewis Robards, a jealous, bru-
tai fellow. Rachel was not only pref
ey and clever, but the best rider and
dancer in the new territory. She was
" induced to marry
Robards and at
"o'"a"e II went to live at
his mothers boarding house. Robards
i'll treated her and at last so perse-
cuted her by his unreasoning jealousy
that she could no longer endure mar
ried life with him. He sent her back
to her mother, in Tennessee, where
she and Jackson first met.
Jackson was fascinated by the
charming young woman. She was I'M
educated and lacking in refinement, it
is true; but SO was he. His bravery
and his masterful manner were equal
ly attractive to Rachel. Neither let
the other know by word or deed Of
this mutual attraction. Soon Richards
came to Nashville and patched up
some sort Of temporary reconciliation
with his wife. But before long his
jealous eye spied out Jackson's secret
love for Rachel. Jackson and the
husband had fierce quarrel, and the
former, to prevent gossip about him
self and the unhappy girl, moved away
from the Donelson house. After max
ing life miserable for Rachel for some
months longer. Robards left her and
went back to Kentucky.
Hearing, In 1890. that her husband
Lr,S1I
Rachel fed in terror to Natchez. The
journey was through a wilderness in
tested by hostile Indians and boasts of
prey. So Jackson and some friends
accompanied her, as armed escort.
Jackson left Rachel at Natchez and
returned at once to Nashville. Yet
this innocent journey Infatuated Ro-
bards. In the first moments Of his
rage he brought suit for divorce. Pre-
liminary steps In the suit were taken.
Then. for two years. Robards allowed
the case to rest. Meantime, news
came to Nashville that he had actual
ly secured the divorce, and that Rachel
was free. There was no longer any
obstacle to Jackson's love. So he and
Mrs. Robards. in the summer of 1891.
were married. They lived in ideal hap
piness and everything pointed to an
equally joyous future. Then, to their
horror, in 1898, came tidings that the
divorce had never been granted. In
that year Robards secured it, and
Jackson and Mrs. Richards were mar
red over again.
News travelled slowly in the
eighteenth century and was often dis
torted before it reached it's destina-
ton. Hence all sorts of conflicting
and damaging reports about the young
wife sprang into circulation. These
ISLANDERS nearly broke her heart. They
had the effect on Jackson of a red rag
to bull. In blind fury, he set out to
crush the false rumors and to punish
those who started or spread them. In
other words, like a knight of old, he
undertook to kill anyone who might
chance to speak slightingly of Rachel.
He fought duel
Married Same with lawyer
Woman Twice. named Avery in
1895; threatened to shoot Gov. Sewer
OF Tennessee on sight for light re-
mark about his wife. and shot and
killed one Charles Dickinson. who
was allegedly guilty of INDUCING in
the same sort of gossip. In the Dick
inson duel Jackson received a wound
from whose effects he never wholly
recovered.
Having thus indicated his wife's
honor, the future president plunged
into politics. rising rapidly to con-
gresham, senator and supreme court
justice. In the war Of 1912 he raised
$500 men and performed prodigies Of
valor which eliminated in the thrash
ing of the more powerful British
force at the battle of New Orleans As
years went on Rachel's beauty faded
and she became. to most people. an
ignorant, plain old woman. But to
Jackson she was always an ideal of
loneliness. Up to the time she died
in 1881, he was her adoring knight.
and, for love of her, was ever ready to
champion the cause of any slandered
woman.
When Jackson first ran for presi-
dent the old false story about his wife
was raked up by his political foes.
Shame and sorrow over the renewal
OF these malicious reports crushed her
spirit and fastened her death.