Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/89

JACKSON. the Prophet of Ancient Iran (1898); and Die iranische Religion (1900).  JACKSON, Author:Andrew Jackson (1767-1845). An American general and seventh President of the United States. He was born at the Waxhaw Settlement, Union County, N. C., March 15, 1767. His father, Andrew Jackson, a poor farm laborer of Scotch-Irish stock, emigrated from Carrickfergus, Ireland, with his wife in 1765, and settled on Twelve-Mile Creek, a branch of the Catawba River, S. C. In 1767, before his son's birth, the elder Jackson died, and his widow removed to Waxhaw Settlement, then supposed to be in South Carolina. In his boyhood Andrew was generous and resolute, and was far more fond of sports than of books, but these sports were soon exchanged for serious work. Though but eight years old when the battle of Lexington occurred, before the war was over he had taken some part, being once captured by the British. The death of his mother from a fever, caught while nursing Americans held in prison at Charleston, left him alone in the world. It is not certain what means of support he had, but after working a while at the saddler's trade, in 1784 he began to study law at Salisbury, N. C. He was a rollicking fellow, fond of horse-racing and cock-fighting, and no student, having taken up law, about which he never learned much, because it was the accepted thing for a young man to do who had some ambition. While yet under twenty he was admitted to the bar as attorney and counselor, and in 1788 was appointed public prosecutor in the region now forming the State of Tennessee. It was a new and wild country, and in the prosecution of his duties Jackson needed chiefly force and persistence, qualities which gained him strong enemies, but equally strong friends. In 1791 he married Mrs. Rachel Robards, a daughter of John Donelson, one of the pioneer settlers of Tennessee. The marriage was the cause of considerable severe comment, from the fact that the bride had been divorced under peculiar circumstances. They took what was only a legislative warrant for a trial to be an actual divorce, and were married two years before the actual divorce was granted. They were married a second time, but the unfortunate matter was a sensitive point to Jackson all his life.

In 1796 he was a member of the Convention to frame a Constitution for Tennessee. In the same year he was chosen to Congress. His political sympathies were with Jefferson, and he went so far as to incur the condemnation of being one of the twelve who opposed the address to Washington at the close of his administration. While in the House, he secured the payment of a claim which Tennessee had for expenses in an Indian war, adding thereby greatly to his popularity. In 1797 he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Senate, but he resigned the next year, having little pleasure in political life. From 1798 to 1804 he was a ‘Judge of the Supreme Courts’ of Tennessee. In 1802 Jackson was elected major-general of the militia over ex-Governor Sevier. On the purchase of Louisiana (1803) Jackson was an unsuccessful applicant for the appointment of Governor. From 1804 to 1811 he was engaged in business, storekeeping and planting. The abuses of credit in the border State, where there was little money and much land speculation, got him into embarrassments, and his own self-centred personality caused him

many quarrels. Besides a quarrel with Sevier he had two duels, in one of which he killed Charles Dickinson, who had spoken disparagingly of Mrs. Jackson, and received himself a wound which maimed him for life.

When Burr appeared in the Southwest in 1805 he received cordial support from Jackson until the latter suspected that some disloyalty to the United States was involved. Jackson gave no further help to the enterprise, though he was later convinced of the innocence of Burr's motives, for he appeared as a witness for him at his trial, and made a public speech against Jefferson relative to the matter.

The declaration of war against Great Britain in 1812 brought Jackson his opportunity. As soon as he heard the news, he offered his own services and the coöperation of 2500 militia under his control. In January, 1813, he set out under orders for New Orleans, which was regarded as a probable point of attack. In March he was at Natchez, organizing his force with great energy and skill, when suddenly he received orders to disband his forces, neither pay nor rations being furnished for these men, 500 miles from home, Jackson hired transportation on his own responsibility, and led his men home in a body. His friend Thomas H. Benton, afterwards the Missouri Senator, secured the repayment of this expense, but a slight discord which this good turn might have eased was aggravated by Jackson's standing second for another man in a duel with Jesse Benton, brother of Thomas H. After a fiery quarrel Jackson threatened to horsewhip Thomas H. Benton, and when he met the two brothers in a tavern in Nashville a bloody fracas took place, Jackson was shot twice, and Jesse Benton was badly stabbed.

Ever since the earliest attempts to remove the Georgia Indians from their territory, there had been intermittent wars. Emboldened by the war between the United States and England, the Creeks in 1813 made further trouble and committed many outrages, the chief of which was the massacre at (q.v.) on August 30th. Intense excitement followed, and the whole Southwest was aroused. The Tennessee Legislature called for volunteers, and resolved to exterminate the troublesome tribe. In spite of the wound which Jesse Benton had given him, Jackson was soon in the field, and with Colonel Coffee, his former partner, defeated the Indians severely at Talladega and at Tohopeka or Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River. Jackson distinguished himself in these military operations by his boundless energy. Besides the foe, Jackson had to contend with discord among the officers, insubordination among his men, and scarcity of food, and he manifested not only a sympathetic understanding of the situation, but a great decision of action. This campaign began Jackson's national career; in August, 1814, he was in command at Mobile, a major-general in the Regular Army.

The British attacked Fort Bowyer on Mobile Point, September 14th, and were repulsed. They then, entering Spanish territory, retired to Pensacola, which Jackson had already asked orders to attack; acting now on his own responsibility in default of an answer from Washington, Jackson stormed the town with 3000 men. His success was very important, for it now rendered possible the