The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1917-11-02

(The following story was printed
in some newspapers several years
ago and is reprinted by request. Il
will be interesting to note that the
author refers to the home of An
drew Jackson as "Waxhaw, in South
Carolina" and that Andrews
mother, a poor widow, fed with heI
children into North Carolina" when
the Waxhaw region was invaded by
Lord Rawdon with a large body OF
English troops. The author Of this
story is unknown).
Andrew Jackson, who defeated
the British in the great battle OF
New Orleans and afterward was
President of the United States. be-
came soldier and gave good ac-
count of himself in battle when he
was only 13 years old.
Andrews mother had intended
that be should be a minister, and so
sent him to school early. BY the
time he was IL years old ne was on
ly good English scholar, but had
made much progress in Latin and
Greek.
The war of the revolution was
ravaging the land and Andrew long
ed for the time when he should be
big enough to shoulder a musket
and go and fight for his country.
He lived at place called WaXhaw,
in South Carolina, and it was not
long before the region was invaded
by the soldiers Of the British king.
Lord Rawdon, with large body
OF English troops, was sent by Corn
wallis, the British commander in
chief, to lay waste the Waxhaw re-
gion and scare the inhabitants into
acknowledging the authority of the
king of England. Andrews mother,
a poor widow, fed with her children
into North Carolina upon the ap-
proach of Lord Rawdon, leaving her
little farm to the mercy of the inva-
ders.
Andrew, who was a student at
the Waxhaw academy, had to aban-
don his studies, and although he was
only 13 years old. he determined
that the next time he encountered
the British it would be as a soldier
He would run from them no more
AS soon as Lord Rawdon left the
Waxhaw district the fugitives re-
turned to their desolate homes, and
in few weeks the American gen.
eral, Sumner, appeared among them
and, raising the patriotic standard.
summoned the settlers to join it In
arms.
Soon he was at the head OF a
small but brave band. and among
his followers was little Andrew |
Jackson. They fought without pay
and were scantily supplied with
clothing and food. Sometimes
few kernels of parched corn was all
they had to eat for days at time.
They gathered together muskets
Of all sorts, and those who could not
get a musket made themselves
swords and spears out of scythes and
In the swamps and for
ests of South Carolina they lay hid
den to dart on detached parties OF
the British and their friends, the
Tories.
They soon felt strong enough to
attack a British post, and so march,
ed against the English fortified
camp at a place called Hanging
Rock. They drove the British out,
many of them, and forcing
the rest to retreat into strong fort
near by.
This was Andrew Jackson's first !,
battle, and he so distinguished him
SELF in it that his name Is mentioned |
In all the detailed accounts Of the |
which have come down
to US.
With Andrew In this battle was
his brother Robert, who was only
a few years older than himself. The
stubborn patriotism Of the Waxhaw
settlers having become well known
to the British, Lord Rawdon the
next day sent a Major Coffin with a
body Of cavalry and infantry to that
part of the country with orders to
kill or capture all the Waxhaw men
he could find.
Andrew was at home with his
mother when the news reached him