Show One Hundred Years Ago Old Hickory p Revisited the Scene of His Triumph Over the Red Coats' Coats at New Orleans I By ELMO ELl SCOTT V WATSON ATSON I melen Released d by Western Newspaper Union HEN members of the WHEN W Democratic party all allI allover allover I over the United States gather together r at their annual anI an- an I nual nual Jackson day dinners this year year they may well point to toj j a celebration which took J place just years ago as asI I the the precedent for their making mak- mak 1 ing the anniversary of a great American military victory the occasion for a political rally For January 8 1840 I marked the climax of a 10 day celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans and the honor honor honor hon hon- or guest there was the hero of that battle President battle President Ex-President Andrew Jackson It came about in this manner During his second administration Old Hickory had decided that Martin Van Buren his vi vice e c president president president dent should be his successor in inthe inthe inthe the White House and despite a revolt within the party forced the nomination of the New Yorker York York- er and aided in his election But Van Burens Buren's term as President was not a happy one for either him or for his friend and counselor counsel counsel- or the ex Within a year after he took office office of of- fice flee the speculative craze which had swept the country brought the inevitable result the result the panic of 1837 Jacksons Jackson's financial policies policies poli poli- cies des were blamed and wrongly so the later historians assure us for the disaster but since he was no longer in the White House the anger of men who had seen their fortunes go crashing down in ruins was turned against his picked hand successor Martin Van Buren By 1839 business conditions had improved somewhat but not enough to reassure reassure Van Buren that he could again defeat William ViI Wil Villiam liam Henry Harrison the Whig candidate and serve a second term When congress convened it quickly passed an independent treasury bill taking the fiscal affairs affairs af af- a- a fairs out of the hands of the banks and completing the work which Jackson had commenced back in 1829 By now the country had begun to realize that Old Hick Hick- orys financial policies were sound and his popularity which had waned during the panic years of 38 1837 began to revive and give renewed confidence to VanBuren Van VanBuren VanBuren Buren and his colleagues in the Democratic administration Come to the Aid of the Party Down in New Orleans the Lou- Lou began planning a formal formal for for- mal observance of the twenty- twenty fifth anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans and President Van VanBuren VanBuren VanBuren Buren believing that the presence presence presence pres pres- ence of General Jackson at that celebration would aid the cause of Democracy wrote to him asking asking ask ask- ing jag him to go Much as Jackson would enjoy revisiting the scene of his triumph there were several several several sev sev- eral reasons however which might prevent his going He was wasa a tired old man now Old Hickory Hickory Hick Hick- ory they still called him but age had weakened the tough fiber which that name suggested Such Sucha a journey and the excitement of the celebration would drain him of much of the strength he still had left Then there was another reason The General had lost one of his best friends one upon whom he had come to depend greatly That was Ralph E. E W. W Earle the wandering wandering wandering wan wan- wan wan- dering portrait painter who had come to the Hermitage 17 years before and found there the only home he had ever known Earle died in September 1838 and the gray head of the general bowed a little lower after that date He was my constant companion when I traveled Had I a wish to travel I have now no one to go with me he said mournfully But the most important reason why such a trip was doubtful is suggested in a letter he wrote toa toa to toa a friend at about this time time time- Again I am out of funds and I cannot bear to borrow or travel as a pauper When Andrew Jackson went to Washington to become Pr President he carried 5 with him When at the end of eight years he returned to te his home in Tennessee there was only 90 left of it An Expensive Son Then came the panic years and Old HOld Hickory was hard put to it to remain solvent His difficulties difficulties difficulties were increased by the un un- businesslike practices of his adopted son Andrew Jackson Jr He prevailed upon his foster fa father father fa- fa J. J ther to allow him to buy a acre 1100 plantation in Mississippi t pi for which he agreed to pay in four yearly install install- ments On his way home from making this deal young Jackson Jackson Jack- Jack Ir son stopped at Nashville and un un- I C i 1 w 1 k q f k c w 1 I 1 b iT i ir r 3 I 3 3 3 r i 3 ANDREW JACKSON IN 1810 This portrait was painted by Jacques J. J Amans during Old HOld Hick Hick- orys visit to New Orleans to join in the anniversary celebration of his victory over the British there on January 8 1815 The original hangs in the Brown University library Providence R. R I. I From an illustration in Marquis James' James Andrew Jackson Portrait of a President published published published pub pub- by the Merrill Bobbs-Merrill Company by whose courtesy it is reproduced reproduced reproduced here known to his father bought bough t an expensive piano alS also on the installment installment in in- plan Nor was this his only extravagance extravagance gance for while Jackson was making plans for the journey to New Orleans he received a letter letter letter let let- ter from his old friend Maj William William Wil Wil- Vil- Vil liam ham B. B Lewis asking that a note for signed by young Jackson and already two years overdue be paid This money had been used to buy a carriage and Andrew Jr had assured his father that the money had already already already al al- al- al ready been repaid I HI have exerted all my means to clear my son from his foolish as well vell as useless debts They are all exhausted I can do no nomore nomore nomore more the General wrote to Lew Lew- is By this time he had about given up his plans for going to New Orleans Then came a crushing blow It was the financial collapse of Albert Ward a son of one of Jacksons Jackson's old friends and one of the richest men in Middle Ten Ten- When his creditors be- be fr m A mm v 3 ANDREW JACKSON JR A portrait of Jacksons Jackson's adopted son by Ralph E. E W. W Earle owned by the Ladies' Ladies Hermitage Association Association Association Nashville Tenn and reproduced reproduced reproduced re re- re- re produced in Marquis James' James Andrew Andrew Andrew An drew Jackson Portrait of a Pres Pres- ident gan securing writs of attachment against those who had gone Security security security se se- for Ward it was learned that Andrew Jackson Jr was one of his principal sureties Moreover Moreover Moreover More More- over as the panicky creditors began to press their claims other other other oth oth- er debts which young Jackson had contracted unknown to his father came to light Old Hickory tired and ill as ashe ashe ashe he was rose superbly to the occa occa- sion First he made certain arrangements arrangements ar ar- arrangements ar- ar with the Ward creditors creditors cred cred- in order to gain time Then he decided definitely to go to New Orleans If the trip should help the prospects of the Democrats well welland welland welland and g goo good 0 0 d writes Marquis James in his Andrew Jackson- Jackson Portrait of a President Thereal Thereal The Thereal real object was to relieve his son The time was short On December December December De De- De- De cember 23 the General drove to Nashville and drew in advance on his cotton After paying two notes for rOI young Andrew and a afew afew few other bills only enough remained remained remained re re- re- re for traveling expenses to New Orleans So he borrowed which was placed to the credit of his son On the day before Christmas Andrew Jr had not returned from Mississippi Jackson could delay his departure no longer Scratch ing directions to the boy to pay the Lewis note and other debts to the extent of Old Hickory was off ofT for Louisiana to make his first public appearance in nearly three years A Tragic Near Journey Concerning that tragic near-tragic journey and its results James also writes New Years Year's day of 1840 was spent aboard an Ohio river packet pack pack- et menaced by drifting ice At Memphis Jackson obtained from Albert Ward pledges which he hoped would balance Andrew obligations to the Ward creditors On HOn January 4 the steamer Vicksburg chartered by the state of Mississippi and loaded with notables took the General aboard What followed was a nightmare Stricken with a hemorrhage hemorrhage hem hem- which made every breath torture the veteran drummed out the last reserves of his will-power will determined to go through with the journey or fall in the gl gle H I have found that complaining complain complain- ing never eased pain he said The endless receptions the speeches the pageantry the fIreworks fireworks fireworks fire fire- works the shouting were somehow somehow somehow some some- how endured for 10 days and nights Leaning on his cane the chieftain slowly mounted the ridge that had been the rampart beside the Rodriquez canal Dim old eyes looked on a level field of cane stubble which memory may have peopled peopled peopled peo peo- pled with pulsing platoons in red tunics latticed by white cross- cross belts hedges of bayonets receding receding receding re re- re- re ceding into infinity Thus did the Hero of New Orleans Orleans Or leans look upon the scene of his his' triumph a quarter of a century earlier where he had won that amazing victory with which in inthe in the words of another biographer Gerald W. W Johnson in his uA Andrew An drew Jackson Jackson Jackson-An An Epic in Homespun Homespun Home spun he had saved the self self- respect of oL the country Because of it that country was literally crazed with joy and in its delirium delirium de de- flung the name of Andrew Jackson against the stars A Hero Goes Home After the day 10 celebration was over Jackson started for his home in Tennessee Alone in the cabin of a homeward bound steamer the pain passed and a feeling of peace filled the heart of the soldier writes James He hoped he had done something something some some- thing to save Mr Van Buren In any event he believed he had saved Andrew As it turned out both hopes were vain For in the tumultuous log cabin and hard cider campaign campaign cam earn that year the singing Whigs with their shouts of Tippecanoe Tip and Tyler Too and Van uVan Van is a used-up used man swept the Little Magician l out of the White House and installed Old Tippecanoe Harrison there in his place As for Cor Andrew it is true that his foster father saved him him him- but only temporarily For the young man seems to have had a perfect genius for bad business practices and before the weary old General had laid down his burdens on June 8 1845 five 1845 five years and six months to a day after his triumphant return to New Orleans those Orleans those burdens had been added to by his foster son SOS to the extent of S. S As Andrew Jackson returning to New Orleans in 1840 experienced experienced the endless receptions speeches pageantry fireworks etc one wonders if perhaps he remembered the reception that had been given him by that city immediately after his vi victory viory ory 25 years before before and and remembering smiled inwardly u at t the recollection tion of what followed so soon afterwards afterwards aft aft- That reception is described described de de- described de- de scribed in the first of oC Marquis James' James volume two-volume biography Andrew Jackson the Border Captain as follows 4 u. u The city gave him a Latin LatIn Latin Lat Lat- in welcome Pierre Favrot seated seated seated seat seat- ed by a window overlooking the Place d' d dArmes Armes undertook to describe describe describe de de- de- de scribe it to his wife Never my dear have I seen such a crowd All the troops arriving to the strains of oC military music of the cannons more than people of whom were armed Tomorrow they will crown the General twelve young girls will strew his path with flowers This they did on the morrow and much more At the door of the church he was received by bythe bythe bythe the Abbe DuBourg in his robes of office and attended by a college college college col col- col- col lege of oC priests The choir began to chant the majestic lines of the Te Deum The people in inthe inthe inthe the church took up the hymn It spread to the lips of the throng thing ng that filled the square as all New Orleans poured forth Corth its gratitude gratitude tude for Cor deliverance I Short Lived Gratitude But that gratitude was short short- lived and the hero of yesterday was in their minds a tyrant the next day when uN New ew Orleans awakened somewhat amazed to find itself to all intents once more in a state of siege The tight restrictions of martial law were Militia companies companies com corn panics which had looked forward to prompt disbandment were marched into camps and set to drilling Reserve companies not under arms before because there were no arms to give them were called out the dilatory cargo of 1 GEN ANDREW JACKSON 1815 A miniature on ivory made in New Orleans by Jean Francois Vallee a Frenchman who painted in m the Napoleonic tradition War depar department ment rifles having ar ar- ar rived Andrew Jackson expected his victory to have bearing on the tedious negotiations he assumed assumed assumed as as- to be in progress at Ghent but he took no chances As rumors that a treaty of peace had indeed been signed began began began be be- gan to drift into the city the dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dis dis- dissatisfaction dis- dis satisfaction with Jacksons Jackson's restrictions restrictions restrictions re re- re- re on the citizens of New Orleans and the resentment of the volunteers and the militia against being kept under arms in in- creased There were wore frequent desertions and finally open mu mu- tiny To deal with both Jackson used the same iron hand with which he had ruled his soldiers during the campaign against the Creek Indians This brought him into a collision with the civil au au- au- au Clash With Civil Authority Federal Judge Dominick A. A Hall was determined to establish the fact that a writ of habeas corpus issued in his court should not be superseded by the rules of martial law Jackson had not only dared to disregard such a writ but had arrested Hall for Cor aiding abetting and exciting mutiny within my camp and locking him up Freed when martial law was revoked at the receipt of the news of the peace treaty Hall had mounted the bench again issuing a summons directing Jackson to show cause why he should not be held in contempt con con- tempt of court for his refusal to recognize the writ of habeas corpus So it came to pass that late in March 1815 the Hero of New Orleans stood before the bar of civil justice and heard Judge Hall impose upon him a fine of 1000 and costs but refrain from including ing imprisonment in the sentence because it was impossible to forget the important services es s of the defendant to the country After that Jackson walked out of the room court-room the idol of the cheering crowd They unhitched the horses and dragged his carnage carriage carriage car car- nage to the Exchange Coffee House The idol of New Orleans he remained re re- re- re until his departure in May for his home in Tennessee That departure was taken in triumph triumph public public farewells private takings leave exchanges of costly cost cost- ly gifts A purse was raised to discharge the fine imposed by bv Dominick Hall but Andrew J Jackson Jack Jack- ackson ack- ack son waved it |