The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-01-19
"OLD HICKORY" WAS
SOUTH CAROLINIAN
A. S. Sallety, Jr., Obtains Further
Proof That Jacskon Was Born
In This State,
D the Editor Of The State:

AsAsse 00~bAOu VoS ABOEh
In This State.
To the Editor Of The State:
In 1904 l made some researches
as to the birthplace OF Andrew Jack
son. the results of which I contrbut-
eed to daily paper published in
Charleston. The story attracted the
attention Of Rev. Cyrus Townsend
Bradley. who asked permission to re-
print 1t as an appendix to 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, l re-
Wired the story and it was published
in Mr.. Bradys The True Andrew
Jackson" in 1906. In 1908 revised
the story again and published it in
the annual report of the historical
commission. To each of these re-
visions l added new evidence to
prove that Jackson was born in
South Carolina. There was one
strong item of proof that know
of seven years before l located it.
and l have located it since my last
publication on the subject. 1t is a
! letter written by Jackson August
/ IL. 1924. to Col James ii. Wither-
spoon of Lancaster district. one of
his boyhood friends. In searching
I for this letter, of which l had found
mention in newspaper. l had an
eNperioence that makes another in
teresting story. l wrote to a great
grandson OF Col. Witherspoon to as
certain what had become OF the let
ter. The young Mr.. Witherspoon
replied that his father had had the
letter but had loaned it to Judge T.
J. Mackey many years before and
had never been able to get 1t back
then wrote to Judge Macy, but
got no reply. Remembering that
Congressman Aiken hal told me
not long before to call upon him IL I
ever needed anything in Washing
ton. 1 asked him to see II he could
locate Judge Mackey in Washington.
and ask him IL he had the letter and
4 If ! could use it. The reply came
that Judge Mackey was very feeble:
that he admitted that he had had
the letter. but that while travelling
in Europe some years before he had
lost his trunk and the letter along
with IL. He stated to Mr.. Aiken that
he remembered every word of the
letter and could repeat it verbatim
ad .teratim and would make affi-
davit to that effect. In 1911 Prot.
John Spenser Bassett OF Smfiith Col
''r' p''ii'H'u Il ill' VI JaNhSDH ana
his publishers sent me the volumes.
From that work. learned that the
Witherspoon letter was among the
Jackson manuscripts in the Library
of Congress. 1t is funny about that
trunk. eh?
Well. Jackson was more specific
in that letter than he had been in
ayn OF the other statements of his
as to his birthplace that had prev
iously found. He wrote:
as l have been told at the planta-
II was born in South Carolina.
ton whereon James Crawford
lived. about one milo from the Caro-
lima road and of the Waxhaw creek
left in the state in 11S4ff.''
Another Jackson letter even
stronger than that has Just come to
my attention through the courtesy 70
Jesse 7. Gannt of Ellisville. Miss
formerly secretary of state of South
Carolina. IL Was written by jackson
to Robert Mills, the great South
az IA architect an. engineer
The state had employed Mr. Mills to
prepare an atlas of the state. and
he had employed = competent sur
veyor in each district to survey and
make map of his district. John
Boykins. native Of that section.
had made the map of Lancaster dis
trict. He had located the spot COM
monty accepted in the neighborhood
as the place OF Jackson's birth. Mr.
Mills. who had fought under Jack
son at New Orleans. sent a copy Of
the map to Jackson to receive a very
gracious letter in reply. That letter
is now in possession of his descend
ents. the Dimitry family OF New Or
leans, and was published in The
New Orleans Times-Picayune on the
10th inst, as follows:
Hermitage. July Sth 1897.
Dear Sir:
Il have received your favor of the
18th ulto., accompanied with a map
OF the district of Lancaster within
which l was born. For this fiatter-
ing evidence Of your regard be
pleased to accept my sincere
thanks.
"A view OF the map pointing to
> the spot that gave me birth brings
irish To my memory many associa-
lions dear TO my heart. many days
of pleasure with my Juvenile com
panions; but alas, most of them
are gone TO that bourne where / am
Fastening and from which no one
returns. have not visited that coun-
try 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 differently named. The cross
ing OF Waxhaw creek, within one
mile OF while l was born. is still,
however, ] see, possessed by Mr.
John Crawford, son of the owner
(Rober) who lived there when
was growing up and at school.
lived there for many years. and from
the accuracy with which this spot Is
marked on the map, l conclude the
whole must be correct.