JACKSON, ANDREW, LL.D. (ante); 1767-1845;b. N. C.; seventh president of the United States. In boyhood be was far more fond of sports than of hooks. 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 took an active part on the patriot side. In 1781 he and his brother Robert were taken prisoners. The English commander directed Andrew to brush his boots, but the spirited boy indignantly refused, whereupon the Englishman struck /rim with his sword, inflicting a wound upon his arm and another upon his head; at the same time Robert was knocked down. Andrew was put in prison at Camden, S. C., where he saw the defeat of gen. Greene at Hohkirk hill. The mother procured the exchange of the boy soldiers and tookthem to her home in Waxhaw, where Robert died from sinall-pox, and for many months Andrew was very ill. The patriotic mother left her home to nurse Americans in prison at Charleston, and there died of fever. Andrew was alone in the world, and without means; hut he went to work for a 'saddle-maker, lidding the incongruous employment of teaching school. His next step Was to .stinly laW at Salisbury, but the books of Blackstone were not so attractive to his mind as a good horse-race or other exhilarating sport. 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 had to travel long distances. often at the risk of death from the Indians. Of such traveling, chiefly on horseback, he had about 1000 m. every year. In 1791 he married Rachel Robards, of John Donelson, one of the pioneer settlers of Tennessee. The marriage was the cause of considerable severe comment from the fact that the woman was divorced j under peculiar circumstances. She had been the wife of Lewis Robards, a Kentuckian. She was boarding with Mrs. Douelson, who was then a widow, when Jackson took rooms in the same house. Robards soon afterwards applied to the legislature fur an act looking : to a divorce, charging his wife with undue familiarity with the young lawyer. The bill was passed, and Jackson supposed it to be a full divorce; so the pair married two years before the divorce provided for by the legislative act (which was to be decreed by a jury) took effect. They married over again; but the union was not happy, and its
effects were felt by Jackson even while he was in the executive chair.
When Tennessee was organized as a territory Jackson was made district attorney. In 1796 he was a member of the convention to frame a state constitution, and was on the committee to draft that document. In the same year he was chosen to congress, taking his sent in December. His political sympathies were with Jefferson, and he was one of the twelve who opposed the offering,of an address to Washington in answer to his last message to congress, on the ground that he could not approve of all the doings of the administration. Jackson's first work in the house of representatives was a speech in favor of remuneration for services against the Indians. He voted for a tax on slaves, and against furnishing the president's house unless very plainly. Except that he favored the building of three vessels of war, and opposed the purchase of peace from the Algcriue pirates, he did nothing more in that congress. But his course pleased his con stituents, and he was sent to the U. S. senate in 1797. In that body he was perfectly dumb, neither making a speech nor casting a vote. In April, 1798, he resigned, and was chosen a judge of the supreme court of Tennessee, in which capacity he had to travel over the state on a salary of $600 a year. At this time lie came near having Ids first passage-at-arms with goy. Sevier, whom he suspected of being concerned in land frauds. A duel was expected, but friends interfered and prevented it.. Ili 1798 a failure in Philadelphia embarrassed Jackson financially; hut lie resigned his judicial office, sold a large amount of property, and cleared himself from debt.. In 1804 he removed to a log-house, afterwards known as "the Herinitwe," anti engaged largely in the raising of corn, cotton, wheal, :horses, and cattle. He was the head of a tr thing firm, and was doing a large business, when the firm failed in consequence of acts done without Jackson's knowledge. The first of his duels was with Charles Dickinson, who had used objectionable language respecting Mrs. Jackson. They fc.aght at eight paces; Jackson had a rib broken. and Dickinson was killed.