The Jones County news., 1915-02-04
"OLD HICKORY" WAS
SOUTH CAR0LINIAN.
Two States Claim Birthplace
of Andrew Jockson.
Columbia, S. c., State.

the results of which | contributed to
daily newspaper publishediu Charles
ton, The story attracted the atten
tion of Rev. Cyrus Townsend Brady,
who asked permission to reprint it as
an appendix to life of Jackson which
he was then preparing. Flattered by
his compliments and glad OF the OPP
portunity to put my work into endur-
ing shape, revised the story ana it
was published in Mr. Brady's "The
True Andrew Jackson" in 1905. In
1908 I revised the story again and
published it in the annual report of
the historical commission. To each of
these revlsions | added new evidences
to prove that Jackson was born in
South Carolina. There was one strong
item of proof that / kuew of seven
years before located it, and have
located it since my last publication on
the subject.-It is letter written by
jackson August IL, 1924, to Col. James
Il. Witherspoon, of Lancaster district
one of his boyhood friends. In search
ing for this letter, of which ] had
found mention in newspaper, had
an experience that makes another in
teresting story. I wrote to great
grandson of Col. Witherspoou to as
certain what had become.of the letter.
The young Mr.. Wilherspoon re-
piled that his father had had the let
ter but had loaned it TO Judge 7. j.
Mackey many years before aud had
never been able to get it back. then
wrote to Judge Mackey, but got no re-
ply. Remembering chat Congressman
Aiken had told me not long before to
call upon him if / ever needed any
thing in Washington, asked him to
see if he could locate Judge Mackey
in Washington, and ask him If he had
the letter and Is l could use it. The
reply came that Judge Mackey was
was very feeble; then he admitted
that he had had the letter, but while
travelling TO Europe some years before
he had lost his trunk and the letter
along withit. He stated to Mr.. Aiken
that be remembered every word of the
letter and could repeat It verbatim ad
literatim and would make an affidavit
to that effect. In 1911 Prof. John
Spencer Bassett of Smith college pus-
lished life of jackson and his pub
l,shers sent me the volumes. From
! that work I learned that the Wither.
spoon letter was among the Jackson
manuscripts IN the Library of Con-
gress. 1t is funny about that trunk,
eh?
Well, Jackson was more specific in
that letter than he had been in any OF
the other statements of his as to his
birthpl that ] had previously
fou lie wrote
as born in South Carolina, as
Ih been told, at the plantation
whe james Crawford lived, about
one e from the Carolina road and
of the Waxhaw creek; lett in the State
in 17st.n
Another Jackson letter even stronger
than that has just come to my atten-
tion through the courtesy Of Jesse IN
CAN'T of Ellisvi1le, Miss, formely
secretary of state of South Carolina.
1T was written by Jackson to Robert
Mills, the great South Carolina archi-
tect and engineer. Tue State had en-
ployed Mr. Mills to prepare an atlas
of the State, and he had employed a
competent surveyor in. each district
to survey and make map OF his dis.
Irict. John Boykin, native of thai
section, had made the map of Lancas.
ter district. He had located thereon
the spot commonly accepted in the
neighborhood as the place of Jackson's
birth. MIR. Mills, who had fought un
der Jackson at New Orleans, sent a
copy of the map to Jackson and re
ceived very gracious letter in reply
That letter is now in possession
OF his descendants, the Dimity
family of New Orleans, and was pub
lished in theNew Orleans Times Plea
} yune on the 10th, as follows;
Hermitage, July, 1927.
"Dr. Sir.
II have received your favor of th,
18th ultimo, accompanied with {
, map of the district of Lancaster with
in which was born. For this flatter,
ing evidence of your regard be pleas
ed to accept my sincere thanks.
" A view of the map, pointing to th,
spot that gave me birth brings fresl
} to my memory many association dea
to my heart, many days of pleasure
: with my juvenile companions; but ala
, most of them are gone to that bourn
} where am Fastening and from whic
| no one returns. I have not visite
} that country since the year I784
Most of the names of places are chaus
: ed; all the old generation appear t
| have passed away, and to be succeed
: ed by another more numerous and ofte
) differently named. The crossing c