Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1922-03-02
PROOF THAT ANDREW JACKSON
WAS BORN IN SOUTH
CAROLINA
By David F. st. Clair.

the birth place. Of Andrew Jackson
in North Carolina and he determined
to correct this palpable historical er'
ror. Mr.. Stevenson is by birth from
North Carolina himself and is 2
of the fact but he is equally certain
and proud of the fact that in his OWL
congressional district in South Caro-
lima that the hero of New Orleans
and the seventh President Of the Uni
ted States was born.
To correct the record Mr.. Steven
son made speech on the floor of the
house in which he pointed out that
James Parton, the biographer OF
Jackson had not only based his &C
count of Jackson's alleged birth place
in North Carolina on flimSy tradition
and on witness so long since dead
but that Jackson himself had nuner-
Gus occasions declared he was q
native OF South Carolina. Not until
long after Jackson's death was j
ever claimed that he was born in
North Carolina.
Rep. Hammer of the Seventh North
Carolina District, in whose district
is Jachson's birth place according
to Parton, gave notice to the hor3
that he would In due time make rep,
to Mr.. Stevenson and justify the
claim Of the Old North State to
Jackson's birth place.
Mr.. Stevenson said the controversy
arose first in the mistake of the sur
.veyors in locating the line between
the provinces in 1885. They were di-
rected to start at the mouth Of the
Little River South of Wilmington and
run to the 80 parallel of latitude and
to follow that parallel to complete
the Northern line but by error they
stopped II miles South Of the line
and miles below the Catawba Indian
Reservation of $4,000 acres, which
it was understood, was to be included
in South Carolina. The line was }
run abe We the 80 parallel a. the ca
tawba Reservation and around the
reservation and again follow the 81
parallel West. That line run in
1863. 1t ran east and south to Q
point on Twelve Mile creek 3 miles
below the 50 parallel and stopped a.
Gum Corner. The State line should
have cut that line 3 miles above
Twelve Miles Creek. When it was
found to be miles below rock cor
n&. was established on WaXhaw
Creek and the line between that cor
uer and Gum Corner was not finally
settled till 1915.
Now from 1865 to 1915 there w&s {
dispute as to where the line should
run between the Rock Corner OF
Waxhaw Creek and Gum Corner on
Twelve Mile Creek. South Caroline
claimed the line should rrn H'"a'gh'
North Carolina claimed the read q
the line which would put the Iamf
Crawford land on which Jackson was
born largely in North Carolina. There
was no dispute at that time t"
Jackson was born on the Crawford
land. The dispute was as to whether
the Crawford land was in North o.
South Carolina.
In 1915 the line between the two
States was finally settled alloting
South Carolina the Crawford place.
Jackson's birth place had been a
burning issue in settling the line for
he was at that date famous general.
See Foote'S sketches of North Caro-
lima.
Jackson was born in a tenant
house on his uncle James Crawford's
land and lived there with his mo-
till he was Il and not until 1859, -
years after his death did the myth
arise that he was born in the Nc
Ke7mey house on the North Caroline
side Of the line.
Mr.. Stevenson then presented n
the house copies of 9 documents
ten bv Jackson himself showing tha'
he claimed to be a native Of South
Carolina. From his own words there
does not seem to be the slightes'
doubt in his mind about the place Of
his birth. How then did the myth
arise? Mr.. Stevenson asked, because
Until 1859 there was no historian
from Bancroft down who claimed that
Jackson was a native of North Caro-
lima.
In the face of Jackson's own state
Iments and all the historical evidence
otherwise that he was a native OF
cbwh Carolinai Mr.. Parton saws
Jackson did not know where he was
born. Parton based his assertion on
the alleged statement of Mrs Leslie,
midwife, who had been dead
years; on Mrs. Sarah Latham VII"
had been dead 80 years when Parton
wrote his biography of Jackson ac-
cording to Mr.. Stevenson. Mrs. Les
lie died in 1903 or seven years before