The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1922-03-17
Congressman Steuenson's Defense of South
Caroliaa's Claim of Jackson's Birthplace

written history OF Mecklenburg
county. and at page 1873 OF volume
1 ii has . picture Of the McKemey
cottage. 1t is 20 feet by l6. log
cabin with a door. two windows. one
fireplace. and one room. which room
like all pioneer cottages. was used
in front for sitting room, kitchen
and dining rooms. and. the back was
used for bedroom in which the
whole family slept McKemey had
family: we do not know how
many, but we know there were chill
Jackson was there with two boys.
making McKemey and his wife and
probably two or three children, and
Mrs. Jackson and two boys. and the
old Mrs. Cousar. If we accept the
tradition. all i'm that small house
when this distressing period came
on-when Mrs. Leslie. the mother
OF Sarah. was called to ofticiate at
Andrews birth. Now Sarah's testi-
mony as brought down by tradition
is that she went with her mother at
night to this little cabin, already full
of people to overlooking. to be pres
ent at the birth OF another addition
to the human race. was raised
amoug the country Scotch-Irish peo-
pie myself, and instead of bringing
children in from the neighborhood
to attend occurrences of that kind.
even whore there was an abundance
of room. the children that belonged
at the place were always sent away
from home. And it is patiently alb
surd to think that Mrs. Leslie.
knowing the conditions there were
at the McKemey house. should have
taken her little 7-year-oId daughter
along to be an incumbrance and in
the way OF everybody there. 1t is
simply an old wives fable.
There Is another thing to which I
want to call attention as to the exu-
berance of traditional testimony
which Gen. Walkup found In that
neighborhood and upon which Par
ton bases his history: He says on
page So:
was also assured that young
jackson attended the famous school
OF DR.. Waddeil. one Of whose pupils
was Calhoun. and was inclined to
believe the story until discovered
that DR.. Waddell did not open his
academy unit! after Jackson had
left school forever.
This rumor failed to get in his
history, because Mr.. Parton had an
absolute check on it and found that
it was contrary to the truth. New
ertheless. people in that country
still tell 1t and believe it. just as
they do this story as 30 his birth al
McKemey's. Mr.. Parton says that
the old people Of that community
scout the idea that Andrew Jack
sons father ever owned any land"
fp. 100 OF his book). This Is an
other Of the uncertain traditions
brought us by Mr.. Parton and dis
counts the reliability of his state
enter his land on Twelve Mile
creek: he did not get grant Of 1t
because he did not live long enough
to do so. The James Crawford
though Parton says that that land
was bought in 1865. But Andrew
Jackson. Sr., acquired such an
equity in the land on Twelve Mile
ing heir made conveyance of it in
1882 to one Shared GRAY. as evil
denced by the power OF attorney
which I hereby submit, which is on
being recorded on January 2. 1893.
for the reason that Crawford lived
In Lancaster, and even as to that
tract OF land It was so uncertain as
to whether 1t was in North Carolina
or South Carolina that 1t was deem
ed best to record the power Of at
torney I'm Lancaster county. s. c.
Parton says (p. 49) that Gen. Walk
up reached the conclusion that old
Andrew jackson had nothing be-
cause ne had searched tho records
in Anson and Meeklenburg counties:
II he had searched some in Lancas-
ter county, he might have found
som ethirg that would have inter
ested him: and il he had searched
| some for evidence as to the place OF
Jackson's birth in Lancaster COUNT
| instead OF where he did amOngs'