Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-02-05
BIRTHPLACE OF JACKSON
A. s. Sally, Jr, Says Old Hickory Wa.
Native of South Carolina.


Native of South Carolina.
In 1914, 1 made some researches as
to the birthplace of Andrew Jackson,
the results Of which I contributed to
a daily newspaper published in
Charleston. The story attracted the
attention of Rev. Cyrus Townsend
Brady, who asked permission to re-
print it as an appendix to a life of
Jackson, which he was then prepar-
ing. Flattered by his compliments and
glad Of the opportunity to put my
work into enduring shape, I revised
the story and it was published in Mr..
Brady's The True Andrew Jackson
in 1906. In 1908. 1 revised the story
again and published 1t in the annual
report of the historical commission,
To each of these revisions 1 added new
evidences to prove that Jackson was
born in South Carolina. There was
n strong item Of proof that l knew
Of seven years before l located it, and
1 have located 1t since my last publ
cation on the subject. 1t is a letter
written by Jackson, August II, 1925,
to Col. James H. Witherspoon Of Lam
caster district, one Of his boyhood
friends. In searching for this letter,
of which I had found mentioned in a
newspaper, I had an experience that
makes another interesting story. ]
wrote to a great-grandson of Col.
Witherspoon to ascertain what had
become Of the letter. The young
Witherspoon replied that his father
had had the letter but had loaned it
to Judge T. ]. Mackey many years be-
fore, and had never been able to get
it back. / then wrote Judge Mackey,
but got no reply. Remembering that
Congressman Aiken had told me not
long before to call upon him If I ever
needed anything in Washington.
asked him to see if he could locate
Judge Mackey in Washington, and ask
him If he had the letter and If l could
use it. The reply came hat Judge
Mackey was very feeble; that he adj
mitted that he had had the letter, but
that while travelling in Europe some
years before, he had lost his trunk
ed to Mr.. Aiken that he remembered
every word Of the letter and could re.
peat it verbatim ad literatim and
would make an affidavit to that effect
In 1911, Prof. John Spencer Bassett
Of Smith college, published a life OF
Jackson and his publishers sent me
the volumes. From that work l learn
ed that the Witherspoon letter was
among the Jackson manuscripts in the
library Of congress. 1t is funny about
that trunk, Ell?
Well, Jackson was more specific If
hat letter than he had been in any
his birthplace that l had previously
found. He wrote:
Il was born in South Carolina, a.
have been told, at the plantation
wherein James Crawford lived. about
one mile from the Carolina road and
of the Waxhaw creek; left the state
in 1854"
Another Jackson letter even stronger
than that has just come to my atten'
ton through the courtesy of Jesse T
CAN'T Of Ellisville, Miss, formerly
secretary of state of South Carolina
1t was written by Jackson to Robert
Mills, the great South Carolina archi'
II fa0f an6 QnOinDar Tho Stafa hoH am
ployed a competent surveyor in each
district to survey and make a map Of
his district. John Boykin, a native Of
that section, had made the map Of
Lancaster district. He had located
the spot commonly accepted in the
neighborhood as the place Of Jack.
sons birth. Mr.. Mills, who had fought
under Jackson at New Orleans, Sent
copy Of the map to Jackson and re-
ceived a very gracious letter in reply
That letter is now in possession of his
descendants, the Dimity family, Of
New Orleans, and was published ir
the New Orleans Times-Picayune or
the 10th, inst, as follows:
Hermitage, July Sth, 1927.
/" Dear Sir: | have received your favor
map of the district of Lancaster with.
in which was born. For this fatter.
ing evidence of your regard, be pleas.
ed to accept my sincere thanks.
"A view of the map pointing to thu
| spot that gave me birth, brings fresh
to my memory associations dear tc
my heart, many days of pleasure with
my juvenile companions; but, alas
most of them are gone to that bourne
where l am fastening and from which
no one turns | have not visited
that country since the year 1884. Most
Of the names of places are changed
all the old generation appears to have
passed away, and to be succeeded by
another more numerous and often diff
ferently named. The crossing OF
| Waxhaw creek, within one mile OF
which l was born, is still, however, ]
see. possessed by Mr.. John Crawford