Watson's weekly Jeffersonian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1907, August 29, 1907, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3

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SOME PAGES EROM ME BOOK OLD HIOKORY. Some Fresh Stories About Andrew Jackson—Judge Barry, of Galla tin, Speaks of the Man Whose Deeds are Honored —Jackson’s Traits in Incident Revealed. (From the Nashville American.) One of the most interesting con temporaries of General Jackson, whose memorable victory at New Or leans will, with fitting ceremonies, be observed today, is now a citizen of Gallatin, where a quiet and peaceful existence is rounding out the years of a useful life. This is Judge Thom as Barry, the mention of whose name will call to mind an honored gentle man and veteran jurist, whose val uable services have many times in Tennessee’s past brought him into enviable prominence. He was born July 2, 1806, and though novZjpighty three years of age, still possdfees re markable physical activity and re tains in an undimmed mind the long record of a busy career. “I am extremely sorry,” said the venerable judge, “that I cannot at tend the meeting in Nashville tomor row. The occasion to be observed is well worthy of celebration, for as Henry Clay truly remarked, Andrew Jackson, on the Sth day of January, 1815, covered himself and his country with a glory that will last as long as the Mississippi river shall roll its waters into the Gulf of Mexico. I think the great traveler and states man, Mr. Cobden, did not appreciate Jackson too highly when he said that he was the greatest uninspired man that ever lived. I do not know of any other man that would have fought the battle of the night of De cember 23, 1814, which saved the city of New Orleans. The very moment Jackson heard that the English had landed he exclaimed: “ ‘By the eternal God, they shall not sleep on the soil of freedom. I will fight them tonight!’ “This battle caused the English to believe the story told by an Irish man whom they had previously ar rested, that Jackson had 20,000 men. This impression led to the delays that secured the great victory of January 8, with its grand and glorious re sults. So soon as the victory was gained Jackson attended church to give thanks for his glorious victory, which was achieved by about 4,000 militia against 15,000 or 20,000 of the best troops in Europe, including those who had helped to defeat in Italy the greatest of Napoleon’s marshals. “General Jackson was always ready to protect the innocent and help the weak. Nearly all the perilous fights in which he engaged were waged in defense of females. He was always at any hazard for the right against the wrong . “He was also full of wit when oc casion offered. Once an aged aristo crat,” and the speaker smiled as his thoughts reverted to an incident retained in his large store of remin cences, “called upon Jackson to pro tect him from the military into whose service he was about to be pressed. “ ‘I am lame,’ said he, in explana tion of his request. “ ‘Can’t you run?’ inquired Jack son. “ ‘No, I can’t hardly walk.’ “ ‘Well, I wish all men were in your fix,’ the general quickly replied, and turning to his quartermaster said, ‘Give him a gun.’ “When Jackson was introduced to Major Lewis, of Franklin, the major addressing the great warrior, said: “ ‘General Jackson, 1 have all my life been writing against you.’ “ ‘And I,’ was the response he received, ‘have been fighting the bat tles of my country in order that yon might enjoy that privilege.’ “Just previous to the battle of the Horseshoe when Jackson had his men drawn up in line of battle, prepara tory to an attack on the works of the Indian fort, a strapping big sol dier who stood just in front of the line, cried out: “ ‘Oh, General Jackson, what shall I do? I have no gun.’ “Jackson eyed the questioner a moment and replied: “ ‘By the eternal God, my good fellow, try it fist and skull.’ The whole army line was forced to smile as it commenced the charge upon the works in front. “General Jackson once told me,” continued the speaker, “that of all the brave men he knew he consider ed that the bravest were Generals Dyer, Gibson and Elliott. General Elliott told me that he was crossing the Square in Nashville one night when Jackson, somewhata in his cups approached him and, taking hold of him, said: ‘You must go with me.’ ‘I went with him,’ said Mr. Elliott, ‘and he took me into the ball room of the inn. Jackson introduced me to the persons present and paid me the compliment to say: ‘By the eter nal God, when I ordered him to charge at Emuckfau he took the wa ter like a noble spaniel.” ’ “ ‘I do not deserve credit for that,’ replied Elliott; ‘for you were so mad and were frothing so at the corners of your mouth that I dared not stay, for I knew that if you had bitten a man he would have died of hydro phobia in less than nine days.’ ‘‘ In 1844 a gentleman who knew General Jackson very' well related to me an incident which he had witness ed. A very panicky neighbor of Gen eral Jackson’s visited the Hermitage one day about the time that trouble was brewing with Mexico. “ ‘The Mexicans are the most stubborn race in the world,’ excited ly remarked the visitor, ‘and if we get into a war with them I am afraid it will last forty or fifty years.* “ ‘Give yourself no uneasiness about that,’ calmly remarked the gen eral. ‘I can go to Sumner county, raise 2,000 volunteers and run every Mexican into the Pacific ocean in six months.’ The panicky man’s ner vousness seemed to be almost entire ly allayed by this expression of con fidence which he heard. WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. “I will mention an occurrence which will illustrate General Jack son’s indomitable courage. Over at Clover Bend a mob got after Patton Anderson, who was a warm friend of the general, and were intent upon taking his life. Anderson had re treated and entered a yard with the mob in close pursuit. Jackson inter cepted the angry horde and, with an exclamation of warning threw his hand to his hip pocket and, withdraw ing a spectacle-case, opened it with ja jsnap which could be distinctly heard some distance. ‘By the eter nal God,’ he shouted, ‘the first man that puts his foot on this step is a dead man.’ This effectually checked the mob. ‘I had no pistol,’ said Jackson to me afterward, ‘but the snap of the spectacle case deceived them. ’ “In 1819 the general was lying very ill at Tuscumbia. He had hem orrhage of the lungs and was not expected to live. It was difficult to get him warmed at all. Dr. Bruno, his physician, had worn himself out waiting on his patient and had walk ed out into the fresh air. While he was out a newsmonger entered Jack son’s room with a paper containing a copy of Mr. Clay’s congressional resolutions censuring General Jack son for his action in hanging, during the Florida war, two instigators ot strife named Arbuthnot and Arm brister. This newsmonger read the resolutions to General Jackson who, as he became thoroughly enraged, soon became warm. Dr. Bruno soon came back, and having felt his pa tient’s pulse, said: “ ‘General, you must have taken too much of that stimulant which I left you; your pulse is very high.’ “ ‘I haven’t touched your stimu lant,’ was the reply. “ ‘What is the cause, then, of this extraordinary change?’ “ ‘Read this paper and you will see.’ “The next day after this occur rence Jackson was so warm that he threw off the cover and felt strong enough to get on his horse and go to Washington to see Mr. Clay. He came to Nashville from where he and Dr. Bruno set out on horseback to Abingdon, Va., where a stage line could be reached. They arrived at Baltimore, where a large crowd had assembled to see the distinguished warrior. Dr. Bruno had, in the meantime, secured a paper contain ing a speech made by Mr. Clay on the resolutions mentioned, and on the journey to Washington informed Gen eral Jackson of this fact. “ ‘Give the paper to me,’ said the genera]. “ ‘I will let you have it in proper time,’ was the reply which Dr. Bruno accompanied by a lock which seemed to say, ‘lf I give it to you now you would make everybody jump out of the stage coach.* “After their arrival who should be the first man to call to pay his re spects but Mr. Clay, and least of all men was his presence desired by Gen. Jackson. The meeting was a very em barrassing one, and Clay got up to leave, requesting, as he did so, Gen eral Jackson to return the visit. “ ‘lf I am this murderer, as you insist, I am not worthy to visit any gentleman,’ was the cutting response to the invitation. “ ‘This resolution was not caused by any ill will or hatred, but was in tended to prevent a bad example from being effective,’ Mr. Clay ex plained. “ ‘I doubt that very much, sir,’ was the reply, as General Jackson fixed his piercing eye upon the statesman from Kentucky. The man ner of Jackson’s so confused Mr. Clay that he stepped backward off the first step and came near falling into the street. Barber and one or two others made speeches in Jack son’s defense and the resolutions were killed when the vote was taken in congress. Jackson was invited by the citizens of New York to visit that city, which he did soon after on a grand triumphal tour. “When did you first see General Jackson?” the reporter asked. “In 1825, in Nashville, when La fayette visited the city, they were seated together in a carnage drawn by four large gray horses in a de monstration which was participated in by 30,000. I thought that car riage bore the grandest burden that I had ever seen. Quite a contrast in personal appearance from the slight French patriot was General Jackson. The latter was about six feet, rather spare and delicate, with an inclina tion to be hollow-chested and slight ly stooped. He had the biggest head I ever saw on any man. It must have required a seven and one-holf inch hat. He had an expressive and changeable eye, in anger dark and flashing, in pleasure gentle and kind. You might look Jackson in the eye and see every evidence of candor and sincerity. His object in conversation seemed to be to turn his heart wrong side out with nothing concealed. He was one of the most truthful men I ever saw.” “It has been said that Jackson did not himself write his state documents; what is your view of that?” “Andrew Donaldson said he would be sworn if need be to the statement that Jackson’s nullification procla mation was seen by no one except Jackson, Major Eaton, Editor Blair and himself, and that Jacksoxt wrote it and gave it to Messrs. Blair and Eaton with the request that they correct any errors whicji might be found. Nearly the whole of it had been written at one sitting, and only three or four mistakes in the spelling were made.” “During the battle at Horseshoe Bend,” said Judge Barry, while dis cussing that battle, “General Hous ton, who was with Jackson, was pierced by an Indian arrow. Gener al Jackson ordered him to remain out of the fight on account of his injury. (Continued on Page Fourteen.) PAGE THREE