[Illustration: Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage
_This Portrait by Earl was presented in 1944 by Mrs. Charles W.
Frear of Troy, N. Y., in memory of her husband, who owned it for
many years._]
The Hermitage
Home of General Andrew Jackson
_Registered National Historic Landmark
Seventh President of United States_
P. O. HERMITAGE, TENN.
_Originally Compiled by_ Mrs. Mary C. Dorris
Revised June, 1963
Mrs. A. MacDowell Smith, _Regent_
Mrs. Horatio B. Buntin, _Secretary_
Mrs. Douglas M. Wright, _Research_
Historical Page 3
Original Log Hermitage Page 16
Museum Page 24
Mansion and Grounds Page 41
Tomb Page 54
_Advice to Andrew Jackson by His Mother_
In 1781 Andrew Jackson, then fourteen years of age, enlisted in the
American Army; was captured and thrown into prison, where he had
smallpox. His mother, Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, through exchange,
arranged for his release and nursed him back to health. Responding to an
urgent appeal, she left him to go to Charleston to nurse some sick
neighbors who were confined there on a British hospital ship. This
errand of mercy cost her life. She caught yellow fever and died.
Almost her last words to her young son were:
_Andrew, if I should not see you again, I wish you to remember and
treasure up some things I have already said to you. In this world you
will have to make your own way. To do that, you must have friends. You
can make friends by being honest, and you can keep them by being
steadfast. You must keep in mind that friends worth having will in the
long run expect as much from you as they give to you. To forget an
obligation or to be ungrateful for a kindness is a base crime—not
merely a fault or a sin, but an actual crime. Men guilty of it sooner
or later must suffer the penalty. In personal conduct be always polite
but never obsequious. None will respect you more than you respect
yourself. Avoid quarrels as long as you can without yielding to
imposition. But sustain your manhood always. Never bring a suit in law
for assault and battery or for defamation. The law affords no remedy
for such outrages that can satisfy the feelings of a true man. Never
wound the feelings of others. Never brook wanton outrage upon your own
feelings. If ever you have to vindicate your feelings or defend your
honor, do it calmly. If angry at first, wait until your wrath cools
before you proceed._
These words were repeated by General Jackson on his birthday, March 15,
1815, at New Orleans, to three members of his military family: Major
John H. Eaton, Major William B. Lewis, and Captain W. O. Butler.
“Gentlemen,” said General Jackson, “I wish she could have lived to see
this day. There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and
as brave as a lioness. Her last words have been the law of my life.”
_Copies of the above may be purchased at the Souvenir Shop at the
Hermitage_
[Illustration: MRS. ANDREW JACKSON]
[Illustration: ANDREW JACKSON]
Andrew Jackson
_By_ Reau E. Folk
Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States, gave the name
“Hermitage” to his home. In his inspiring memory it is preserved.
_Youth_
Andrew Jackson was of Scotch-Irish lineage. His parents were of the
rugged pioneer type that throughout America helped to lay the foundation
of a great republic. He was born on March 15, 1767, in what was known as
the Waxhaws Settlement, near the line between North and South Carolina.
There has been some dispute as to which of the two States could claim
him. Some authorities appear to have definitely settled that at the time
of his nativity the Waxhaws Settlement constituted a part of South
Carolina, but that now Jackson’s birth site is comprehended in Union
County, North Carolina. Jackson always gave South Carolina as his birth
state.
Andrew Jackson’s father, for whom he was named, died several days before
he was born. His mother, Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, to whom tribute
should be paid as a truly remarkable woman, heroically met the hard
situation of rearing and educating her three small sons. Young Andrew
was nourished in the Revolutionary sentiment, which was rife in the late
sixties and early seventies, bursting into flame in 1775. He and his
mother and brothers were patriots from the inception of the
Revolutionary movement. These fires of patriotism in the Waxhaws were
fanned by the fact that there was much Tory sentiment. When in August,
1776, a newspaper reached the Waxhaws carrying the Declaration of
Independence young Andrew Jackson, then in his tenth year, was called
upon to read it to an assemblage. In 1781, at the age of fourteen, he
enlisted with the South Carolina forces and was later made prisoner and
struck down by a sword in the hands of a British officer whose boots he
refused to black. His two brothers also enlisted in the war and gave up
their lives. His mother, as a result of a mission service to Charleston
to nurse prisoners from the Waxhaws there on shipboard, contracted
yellow fever and died. At the successful end of the struggle of the
Colonies young Andrew Jackson, in his fifteenth year, emaciated from
desperate prison illness, found himself alone in the world, an orphan of
the Revolution.
_Early Career_
After completing his schooling, Jackson began the study of law. In 1786
he was licensed at Salisbury, N. C., and in 1788 went to Jonesboro, now
in Washington County, Tenn., then in North Carolina. After a brief
career at Jonesboro he received an appointment as U. S. Attorney for the
Western District of North Carolina with headquarters at Nashville. He
reached Nashville in 1788. He took an active part in Public Affairs and
was a member of the Convention that framed the Constitution of
Tennessee. In 1796, when Tennessee was admitted to the Union, he was
chosen as the first Representative of the new state to Congress. A year
later he was appointed to the United States Senate, and after a short
service he resigned and subsequently became a member of the Superior
Court of Law and Equity, holding this position until 1804, when he
resigned to devote himself to personal affairs.
_Military_
Andrew Jackson was Major-General of Tennessee Militia from 1802 to
1814. It was in the War of 1812 that Jackson became a national figure.
This war was the inevitable sequence of the Revolutionary War. It was
occasioned by the conduct of England in restricting our commerce,
impressing into her service seamen from our ships, acts of contempt
intolerable to a free people. It has been called in apt phraseology the
War OF American Independence in contra-distinction to the Revolution,
which was FOR American Independence. Andrew Jackson, as Major-General of
Tennessee Militia, threw himself into the conflict. He inaugurated a
campaign against the Creek Indians, who, allied with the British, had
been stirred to deeds of atrocity, the most revolting of which was the
massacre at Fort Mimms, Alabama, on August 30, 1813. After a series of
smaller engagements, General Jackson, finally, on March 27, 1814,
overwhelmingly defeated and crushed the Creek Indians at the Great
Horseshoe Bend. Two months later, May 31, General Jackson was made
Major-General of the United States Army, with command of the Southern
and Western Divisions.
_New Orleans_
No sketch of Andrew Jackson, however brief, can fail of emphasis on the
Battle of New Orleans, for it was his marvelous victory over the greatly
outnumbering, confident, invading British Army on January 8, 1815, that
first gave him national renown and made him a popular idol and hero. It
came at a time when the national spirit was at its lowest ebb, as a
result of a long series of land defeats, and sent a wave of exultant joy
throughout the country. It was a complete and decisive victory.
Historians agree that it was a brilliant victory, but many of them, and
unfortunately school histories, present the view that the battle was
fought after peace and was unnecessary. This has been exposed as an
error. The State of Tennessee in 1927 appointed a commission to make
research into the real value of the battle of New Orleans, and this
commission submitted report to the Governor who transmitted it to the
Legislature of 1935. This report has been published by the Ladies’
Hermitage Association and is kept on sale at the Hermitage. It shows by
quotation from the document itself that the treaty of Ghent, signed by
the commissioners of the contending countries December 24, 1814,
specifically provided that it should be effective when ratified by both
sides, and that it was not ratified by the United States until February
17, 1815, forty days after the battle at New Orleans. The report further
shows by evidence of records that the battle saved the Louisiana
Purchase, or another war with England. It shows also that the battle
reestablished national integrity or peace from within. The importance of
the battle can hardly be overestimated, viewed either from the immediate
effects or the aftermath. The Ladies’ Hermitage Association in 1935
joined with the National Daughters of 1812 and other patriotic entities
in calling for revision of school histories to accord with revealed
facts.
The victory at New Orleans, one of the most decisive defensive victories
of history, will always be celebrated as an illustrious feat of the
American arms and of the military genius of Andrew Jackson. Jackson
mobilized incongruous elements, every available resource, into defense
against the enemy attack. The forces thus assembled, consisting of
Tennessee militia, Kentucky militia, Louisiana militia, and small
contingents of regulars, Baratarian privateers, free men of color,
Mississippi Dragoons, and friendly Choctaw Indians, numbered in all a
little over five thousand. The invading army consisted of about twelve
thousand seasoned British regulars. The British soldiers fought bravely,
as British soldiers always do, but they could not stand against the
well-planned, unerring fire from the American breastworks. The assault
continued for twenty-five minutes, and then the British retreated in
confusion, having lost in killed, wounded, and captured over twenty-five
hundred of their number, including General Pakenham, chief in command,
and General Gibbs, second in command, both having been killed. The
American loss was put at thirteen killed and wounded. On the west bank
of the river the British succeeded in capturing a small redoubt, but
owing to the catastrophe of the main attack, this was abandoned.
Jackson was too prudent to yield to the impulse to pursue the retreating
enemy, which he knew still outnumbered him by two to one, but kept in
readiness against a return assault. The British ten days later broke
camp and retired to their ships, and on January 28 set sail for the
Dauphine islands. Jackson maintained himself in constant readiness
against possibility of a return attack.
_The Judge Hall Fine_
As illustrative of Jackson’s character or one phase of that remarkable
character, brief mention is here given to the incident known as the
Judge Hall fine. When General Jackson began organizing for the defense
of New Orleans he put the city and environs under strict martial law.
While this was irksome to the civil authorities it was acquiesced in
because of the dire necessities of the situation. Rigid martial law was
continued after the battle of January 8, and after the departure of the
British from our shores. General Jackson took no chances of being caught
unprepared in case of another attack. Some time in February a delegation
was sent to the British fleet to arrange some exchanges. They reported
upon return that a passing ship had brought the news of the agreement
upon the peace treaty by the commissioners at Ghent. General Jackson
refused to abrogate martial law, saying the news might be a British
trick, or even if true the treaty must be ratified, and that in any
event he would await official dispatches from the Government. A pamphlet
appeared offensively criticizing the continuance of martial law.
Authorship was traced to a member of the legislature. General Jackson
had the offender arrested for spreading sedition in the camp. The
prisoner applied to Federal Judge Hall for a writ of habeas corpus,
which was granted. Thereupon General Jackson had Judge Hall also
arrested and conveyed outside the martial law jurisdiction. When later
(about March 13) official word came of the ratification of the treaty
with proclamation of peace, martial law was lifted. Judge Hall returned
and cited General Jackson to appear before him on the charge of contempt
of court. General Jackson, in civilian dress, responded. He was followed
to the court room by a large crowd of sympathizers. The judge showed
uneasiness, fearing a mob. General Jackson, mounting a seat, said:
“There is no danger here—there shall be none. The same hand that
protected this city from outrage by the invaders of the country will
shield and protect this court or perish in the effort.” Judge Hall
imposed a fine of a thousand dollars which General Jackson promptly
paid. When he left the courthouse a demonstrative populace took the
horses from his carriage and conveyed him in triumphal way to his
dwelling place. A public subscription was started to pay the amount of
the fine, but General Jackson halted it. In 1843, six years after
Jackson had retired from the Presidency, Congress refunded the fine plus
six per cent interest. This incident is given as one distinct refutation
of the charge so frequently made by Jackson’s enemies that he was
lawless, that he knew no law but his own will. From this instance,
occurring at a crucial time in his career, the conclusion, which may be
generally interpretative, is manifest that Jackson, no matter how
autocratic in authority, no matter how intolerant of cross current
interference, when occasion for authority ceased, submitted to, with
readiness if necessary to defend, the civil institutions of his country.
_Interim_
In 1817 and 1818 General Jackson conducted a successful campaign
against the Seminole Indians. His operations carried him into Spanish
territory and international trouble was feared. It, however, happily
ended in the cession by Spain to us of Florida. General Jackson was
appointed Governor of this territory, but after a brief service resigned
and returned to the Hermitage.
In 1823-24 General Jackson again represented Tennessee in the United
States Senate. In 1824 he was a candidate for President of the United
States and received a plurality of the votes in the electoral college,
but no candidate having received a majority, under the Constitution the
election went to the House of Representatives, where John Quincy Adams
was chosen.
_The President_
In 1828 General Jackson was elected President, after a campaign marked
by much bitterness. He received 178 electoral votes, and John Quincy
Adams 83. In 1832 he was overwhelmingly re-elected, receiving 219
electoral votes. Henry Clay received 49, John Floyd 11, and William Wirt
7.
His administrations were the first to be classed as “Democratic.” Those
of Washington and John Adams were known as “Federal,” those of
Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and John Quincy Adams as
“Democratic-Republican.”
General Jackson’s two administrations were marked by the force and power
of his great personality. One of his memorable achievements was his
prompt and effective dissipation of the cloud that hung over the Union
when South Carolina sought to nullify the Tariff Act, which her citizens
claimed was oppressive. President Jackson’s great proclamation in this
crisis electrified the nation. South Carolina repealed the nullification
act. Another outstanding feature of President Jackson’s administration
was his veto of the act passed by Congress to re-charter the United
States Bank. Congress declined to pass the bill over his veto, and the
Bank went out of existence as a Federal institution at the expiration of
its twenty-year charter in 1836. President Jackson, by direct
instruction in October, 1833, caused the removal of the Government’s
deposits from the U. S. Bank. This led to the establishment of the
sub-treasury system, by which the government became the custodian of its
own money and disbursed it in accordance with specific appropriations by
Congress. The removal of these deposits from the U. S. Bank created a
great furor. It was resented by the Bank and its friends. The U. S.
Bank, operating under charter from Congress, was undoubtedly a strong
political factor. It was the head of what was called the money power,
and represented an opposition so strong that no public man in America,
save Andrew Jackson, could have overcome it. An adverse Senate, under
the leadership of Messrs. Clay, Calhoun, and Webster, adopted a
resolution March, 1834, censuring the President for the removal of the
public money from the U. S. Bank. The resolution provoked great
resentment among the followers of Jackson throughout the country. Many
States, through their Legislatures, instructed their Senators to vote to
expunge the unwarranted resolution from the Senate records. On January
16, 1837, after a prolonged debate, in which Clay, Calhoun, and Webster
sought to stem the tide, a majority of the Senate voted to strike from
the record the offensive resolution. Then and there the journal of June,
1834, was produced and the Senate’s Secretary drew heavy ink lines
around the resolution and wrote across the face thereof the words,
“Expunged by order of the Senate.”
In December, 1834, President Jackson announced the extinguishment of the
public debt.
In 1835, one Richard Lawrence, afterwards pronounced insane, attempted
to assassinate President Jackson on the steps of the Capitol. The
brave-hearted President rushed upon his assailant with uplifted cane,
exclaiming: “Let me get to him, gentlemen; I am not afraid.” He would
not desist until the would-be assassin was overpowered.
March 4, 1837, General Jackson ended his notable administration as Chief
Magistrate, leaving a Government practically free from debt and the
country in a highly prosperous condition. He retired to his beloved
Hermitage, which became a mecca for the leaders of his party. He
continued to exercise a potent influence upon the affairs of the nation
until his death, June 8, 1845.
The direction which Andrew Jackson gave to our national life and the
marked impress he made upon it are still manifest. In every crisis his
memory has been, and is still being, invoked as an inspiration to
courage, honesty, and patriotism.
DOMESTIC
General Jackson’s wife was Rachel Donelson. She first contracted a
marriage with Lewis Robards, who lived in the territory of Kentucky,
then under the jurisdiction of Virginia. The marriage was not a happy
one and she returned to her paternal home near Nashville. Robards
presented a petition for divorce to the Legislature of Virginia,
alleging desertion. At that time Legislatures passed upon and granted
divorces. The news came in 1791 that the divorce had been granted. Later
in the year Jackson and Mrs. Robards were married. It subsequently
developed that the Virginia Legislature had not granted the divorce
outright, but had authorized a court in the Kentucky territory to do so
upon hearing of the facts. The divorce was not made effective until late
in 1793. Immediately thereafter in 1794 Jackson and his wife were
remarried. While this irregularity was without intent on the part of
either, it was in after years used as the basis of attack upon Jackson
by his political enemies, being especially stressed by them in the
acrimonious campaign of 1828. These attacks were met by a plain
statement of the facts to the country by Judge Overton, General
Jackson’s close friend and one-time law partner.
The attacks gave deep distress to Mrs. Jackson, who was a truly good and
noble woman and greatly beloved by all who knew her. One of the
outstanding features of General Jackson’s life was his tender devotion
to her. After her death this devotion continued to her memory until he
was laid by her side. It was given beautiful expression in the epitaph
which he himself wrote and which is carved upon her tomb in the
Hermitage garden. No student of Jackson should fail to read and reread
this epitaph.
Mrs. Jackson died December 22, 1828, just after her husband’s election
to the Presidency. As he sat at her bier, he said: “What are all the
world and its honors to me since she is taken from me?”
A great demonstration planned in Nashville in celebration of Jackson’s
election was cancelled on account of Mrs. Jackson’s death.
General and Mrs. Jackson had no children. In 1809 they adopted the
infant son of Severn Donelson, brother of Mrs. Jackson, and named him
Andrew Jackson, Jr. He bore that name and became heir to all the estate.
_An Appraisal of Jackson_
Many volumes have been devoted to Andrew Jackson and probably many more
will be written. He looms bigger and bigger in perspective. Andrew
Jackson was absolutely and rigidly honest.
He was absolutely without fear, having not only superb physical courage
but moral courage of the same degree.
He was intensely patriotic, and having been cradled in the Revolution in
which as a boy he took part, he was imbued with the underlying spirit of
that conflict, and carried that spirit throughout his life and expressed
it in his acts.
He agreed with Thomas Jefferson’s construction of the fundamental
purposes of government and became an active, dynamic exponent of
Jefferson’s democratic ideals; for example, believing in the doctrine of
special privileges to none, with his first message to Congress he began
the fight against renewal of the charter of the United States Bank, then
grown into a great financial and political power, and continued until he
finally destroyed that beneficiary of privilege.
He had what might be called a dominating personality, inspiring a
devoted and confident following, as is the case with a leader who always
knows just where he is and why he is there; he had an iron will which
surmounted difficulties and mastered his own physical infirmities.
He had at times a violent temper, but it was always subject to his will.
He had the power of forming quick, comprehensive, and just judgment, and
the faculty of putting judgment once formed into immediate execution.
In manner he was considerate and scrupulously courteous, being called by
one writer the most polite gentleman in the world.
The rare devotion of his friends and those nearest in contact to him
gives attestation to a warm and kindly nature, probably nothing giving
stronger evidence of this nature than the letters of fatherly advice
written from the White House to his youthful ward, Hutchins.
His messages are among the strongest papers of all the Presidents,
breathing lofty statesmanship and patriotism inspiring to all who read.
His two terms as President marked a distinct advance in popular
government, and ushered in a new era.
No appraisal of Jackson could be complete without inclusion of reference
to the military phase of his remarkable career. His military genius was
little short of marvelous. It aimed at and achieved success in every
campaign he commanded. It gives him rank as one of the greatest generals
of our history. It was conspicuously and gloriously displayed in saving
the Republic at a critical hour. But that military genius was never
exercised except for his country’s defense, being subordinated at all
times to high conception of his country’s good. If, on the other hand,
he had loved military glory for that glory’s sake, if he had been of the
Man-on-Horseback type, that genius and his powers of leadership might
have carried him far in the lists of the world’s military chieftains. We
are told that Napoleon Bonaparte, during the hundred days of his return
from Elba, studied Jackson’s defense of New Orleans.
_The Duel With Dickinson_
The duel between General Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson, in which
the latter lost his life, occurred May 30, 1806. Historians commonly
agree that the feeling between the two men had its inception in remarks
made by Dickinson concerning Jackson’s marriage. Dickinson was reputed
to have said that Jackson was entitled to great military honors because
he had captured another man’s wife. Jackson taxed Dickinson with having
made that statement and Dickinson apologized, saying he must have been
in his cups at this time. While the incident thus passed, it is manifest
that a spirit of animosity was engendered between the two. Being
gentlemen, both were adverse to predicating a duel or fight upon a
woman’s name. The duel had its ostensible origin in a projected horse
race which did not materialize. In 1805 Jackson was the owner of a
celebrated horse, Truxton, and in the autumn of that year a match was
arranged between Truxton and Ploughboy, a horse owned by Captain Joseph
Ervin, father-in-law of Charles Dickinson. The stakes were $2,000 with a
provision for a forfeit of $800 should either horse fail to appear.
Before the race Ploughboy went lame and was withdrawn, Captain Ervin
paying the stipulated forfeit in certain notes. These notes became the
subject of controversy in which Dickinson entered. It seems manifest
that Jackson believed that Dickinson was a member of a clique in
Nashville that wanted to draw him (Jackson) into trouble.
The mock heroic challenge of one Thomas Swann, to which he responded by
a public caning of the challenger, Jackson regarded as inspired by
Dickinson, and in his letter to Swann (before Swann’s challenge) he
charged that Dickinson was the instigator. Dickinson responded, using
this language in conclusion: “As to the word ‘coward,’ I think it is as
applicable to yourself as to anybody I know. And I shall be very glad
when an opportunity serves to know in what manner you give your
‘anodynes,’ and hope you will take in payment one of my most moderate
cathartics.” After sending this letter Dickinson left for New Orleans,
where he remained four months. In the meantime Jackson had a newspaper
controversy with Swann, in which he did not hesitate to connect
Dickinson with Swann and to ascribe to them sinister motives. After
Dickinson’s return he gave a communication to the press in which he
denounced Jackson as “a worthless scoundrel, a poltroon, and a coward.”
Jackson immediately challenged Dickinson to a duel, and the challenge
was accepted before the day ended. General Thomas Overton was Jackson’s
second, and Dr. Hanson Catlet the second for Dickinson. The meeting was
arranged for Friday, May 30, 1806, at Harrison Mills on Red River, Logan
County, Kentucky, the hour being seven o’clock in the morning. Here is
the language of the agreement: “The distance shall be twenty-four feet,
the parties facing each other with their pistols down perpendicularly.
When they are ready, the single word ‘Fire’ is to be given, at which
they are to fire as soon as they please. Should either fire before the
word is given, we pledge ourselves to shoot him down instantly. The
person to give the word to be determined by lot; also the choice of
positions. We mutually agree that the above regulations shall be
observed in the affair of honor depending between General Andrew Jackson
and Charles Dickinson, Esq.” The place fixed for the meeting was a long
day’s ride from Nashville and the duelists were obliged to start about
twenty-four hours in advance of the hour set. Dickinson, in addition to
his second, was accompanied by a gay party of friends. On the journey he
is said to have performed feats with his pistol, which were related to
Jackson and Overton, who followed. After spending the night in
neighboring cabins both combatants were on the field at the hour
appointed. Overton won the right to give the word. As soon as he called
“Fire,” Dickinson shot and the dust arose from Jackson’s coat. While
badly wounded, Jackson, with deliberation, aimed and fired, and
Dickinson reeled, shot through the body. He died that night. Jackson was
hit in the left breast. He suffered from the wound at periods years
afterwards.
[Illustration: ANDREW JACKSON, JR.]
[Illustration: MRS. SARAH YORK JACKSON]
MRS. SARAH YORK JACKSON
_By_ Mrs. Walter Stokes
No history of the Hermitage could be complete without a sketch of Mrs.
Sarah York Jackson, the beloved daughter-in-law of General Jackson. She
was the daughter of Peter Stilley and Mary Haines York, a wealthy
shipowner of Philadelphia. She and her two sisters were left orphans at
an early age and were educated at Miss Mallon’s School for Young Ladies
in Philadelphia. Sarah was the second and most beautiful of the sisters
and always said she would never marry unless the President should come
courting. One day, while out walking, in the early spring, she met a
cousin of hers, a young army officer, in company with a very handsome
young man. The handsome young man proved to be the President’s son,
Andrew Jackson, Jr. They were introduced. It was love at first sight.
The President approved, and they were married in October, 1831, at the
home of her sister, Mrs. Joshua Lippincott, in Philadelphia, going
immediately by carriage to the White House in Washington, where a
brilliant reception was held in her honor, and where President Jackson
received her with the greatest affection and pride. At this reception
she wore the lovely wedding dress which is now on display in the
National Museum in Washington, with the costumes of the other mistresses
of the White House. Her portrait was painted at this time by Earl. The
red velvet dress pictured is in the Hermitage museum.
This portrait hangs in the dining room at the Hermitage, of which the
accompanying picture is a copy. An old copy hangs in the White House, of
which she was mistress for some years, a position which, by her natural
grace and tact and great beauty, she was eminently fitted to fill. All
of her children were born at the Hermitage, and the family was the
solace and comfort of General Jackson’s declining years. She had grown
dearer and dearer to his heart and came next to his beloved wife,
Rachel, who had died when he was elected President.
[Illustration: HERMITAGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Erected in 1823, across the Lebanon Road from Rachel’s Lane, this church
is open to the public and services are still held there. General
Jackson, to please his devoutly religious, beloved wife, was the largest
contributor to the building fund and always referred to it as “Mrs.
Jackson’s Church.” In his latter years he was a faithful member,
frequently arriving before the service with his man servant to see that
the fires were properly made. Two log fireplaces were used for heat,
home-made brick for flooring, and candles for lighting.]
_The_ HERMITAGE
[Illustration: The log cabin located at the northeast corner of the
Hermitage grounds is part of the group of log houses which comprised
the original Hermitage, where General and Mrs. Jackson resided from
1804 until 1819.]
The first home in which Andrew Jackson and Rachel, his wife, lived was
at Poplar Grove. This tract of land was bought by Andrew Jackson from
Captain John Donelson, brother of Mrs. Jackson, on April 30, 1793, for
the sum of one hundred pounds. In the deed its location is described as
being “on the south side of Cumberland River in Jones’ Bend ... being
the lower end of a survey of 630 acres granted the said John Donelson by
patent....”
When the Jacksons returned to Nashville from Natchez in the early autumn
of 1791 they made their home with Mrs. Jackson’s mother, Mrs. John
Donelson, who lived on the opposite side of the river from Jackson’s
property in Jones’ Bend, near the present pike which leads from
Nashville to Gallatin. Indian hostilities and the long absences
necessitated by Andrew Jackson’s legal business in the courts of both
the Cumberland and the Holston settlements, made it impossible for him
to leave his bride in the home located outside of the heavily fortified
portions of the settlement. Sometime between April 30, 1793, and the
spring of 1794, however, a home was built at Poplar Grove and occupied.
A letter of Andrew Jackson’s dated May 16, 1794, was headed “Poplar
Grove.” Even then Poplar Grove was not safe, for as late as September,
1794, reports to the War Department state that five men were fired upon
by the Indians.
On March 7, 1796, Andrew Jackson bought the Hunter’s Hill tract of 640
acres from John Shannon for the sum of $700. The Hunter’s Hill house was
located about two miles from the present Hermitage mansion.
A little more than a month and a half after the sale of the Hunter’s
Hill property, Andrew Jackson purchased the Hermitage estate. On the
twenty-third of August, 1804, he paid Nathaniel Hays $3,400 for the
425-acre tract, “with its appurtenances,” which was to become “The
Hermitage.” This reference to appurtenances supports the statement made
in later years by Mrs. James K. Polk, wife of the eleventh President of
the United States, that the Hermitage of the log cabin period “was not
the commodious country house so familiar to devout Democrats in
pilgrimages of later years. It was a group of log houses in close
proximity to each other. The principal one had been built for a
block-house in the days of Indian alarms, afterwards used as a store
and, about 1804, converted into a dwelling. It, like all block-houses,
was two stories high. Near it were three smaller houses, one story high,
with low attics. These were used as lodgings for members of the family
or guests.”
Aaron Burr was entertained in these log buildings when he made his
famous visits to the Hermitage in 1805 and 1806, and it was to this
humble home that General Jackson returned after the Battle of New
Orleans (January 8, 1815), which had made him the Conquering Hero and
idol of the nation.
Sometime during 1818 the site of the brick mansion was selected and the
square house which forms the central portion of the present building was
erected. Diligent research by the leading Jackson students of the nation
has failed to reveal the exact date or details of the construction of
this building. It is generally agreed, however, that it was completed in
1819 and was occupied when President Monroe was a guest at the Hermitage
in June, 1819. The Marquis de Lafayette was entertained in this building
in 1825, and many other celebrities knew its hospitality. The simple,
but commodious home was the center of the 1828 campaign which resulted
in electing Andrew Jackson to the presidency of the United States.
In 1831 wings and other improvements were added to the square brick
building which had been erected in 1818-1819. At this time the present
kitchen and smoke-house were built and the tomb in the garden was
erected. Three years later—October 13, 1834—fire destroyed much of the
interior and the roof of the building. The present dining-room wing, the
kitchen, and out-houses were not burned, however. With the exception of
a few large pieces on the second floor, all of the furniture, as well as
General Jackson’s valuable papers, clothing, and gifts received after
the victory at New Orleans, were saved.
With the rebuilding the gabled roofs on the wings and central portions
of the building were changed to their present appearance and the ten
rather unattractive columns of the 1831 building gave place to the
present stately ones. The interior was also improved. The mansion, as it
stands today, was repaired and ready for occupancy by May, 1835. The
walls, being sturdily built in the beginning, withstood the fire, making
it necessary for only the woodwork and the interiors to be rebuilt.
General Jackson died in 1845 at the age of 78 years, and was buried by
the side of his wife in the tomb in the garden.
The Hermitage Farm, of 500 acres, was sold by Andrew Jackson, Jr., in
1856, to the State of Tennessee for the sum of $48,000.
Andrew Jackson, Jr., and his family then left the Hermitage, but, at the
invitation and solicitation of Gov. Isham G. Harris, returned in 1860 to
become its custodian until further disposition could be made of the
property.
The State of Tennessee offered the Hermitage to the United States
Government for a branch of West Point Academy, but the Civil War
prevented the consummation of the plan.
The family of the adopted son, Andrew Jackson, Jr., remained at the
Hermitage during the Civil War.
General George H. Thomas, commandant of the post at Nashville during the
Civil War, sent out a detailed guard to protect the place and save it
from devastation.
Andrew Jackson, Jr., died at the Hermitage in 1865, leaving his widow,
Mrs. Sarah Jackson, and her widowed sister, Mrs. Marion Adams, the sole
occupants of the Hermitage. The daughter, Rachel, had married Dr. John
M. Lawrence, and all the young men, the sons of Andrew and Sarah
Jackson, also those of Mrs. Adams, five in number, joined the
Confederate Service. Only one, Col. Andrew Jackson, returned.
The State Legislature allowed Mrs. Sarah Jackson to remain tenant at
will, during her life, at the Hermitage. She died in 1888, her sister,
Mrs. Adams, having preceded her to the grave. Both are buried in the
garden.
Col. Andrew Jackson, III, after serving gallantly as Colonel of
Artillery in the Confederate Army, returned, the only surviving soldier
of the Hermitage family, a released prisoner from Camp Chase. He
remained with his mother during her life and by her will inherited the
household furniture, mementoes, and relics of the old hero. Colonel
Jackson died in Knoxville, Tenn., December 17, 1906, and was buried in
the Hermitage garden by the side of his brother, Capt. Samuel Jackson.
Andrew Jackson, IV, son of Colonel and Mrs. Jackson, died in Los
Angeles, California, 1953, and is buried in the Hermitage garden. His
brother, Albert Marble Jackson, was reputedly lost at sea.
THE LADIES’ HERMITAGE ASSOCIATION
Mrs. Andrew Jackson, III (Amy Rich), conceived the idea of the Ladies’
Hermitage Association. The organizers were Andrew Jackson, III, Mrs.
Mary C. Dorris, Mr. and Mrs. William A. Donelson.
On February 19, 1889, Mrs. Rachel J. Lawrence, Mary W. May, Mrs. Mary
Hadly Clare, Mrs. E. L. Nicholson, Miss Louise Grundy Lindsley, Mrs.
Henry Heiss, and Mrs. Mary C. Dorris applied to the State of Tennessee
and were granted a charter incorporating the Ladies’ Hermitage
Association. The objects of the Association stated in the charter were
to purchase from the State of Tennessee certain land, including the
residence and tomb of Andrew Jackson, and to “beautify, preserve, and
adorn the same throughout all coming years, in a manner most befitting
the memory of that great man, and commensurate with the gratitude of his
countrymen.” The General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, on April 5,
1889, conveyed to Trustees for the Ladies’ Hermitage Association
twenty-five acres of the Hermitage farm, including the house, tomb, and
surrounding buildings.
Dr. and Mrs. J. Berrien Lindsley rendered very efficient service in
securing from the State Legislature the original conveyance of
twenty-five acres to the Ladies’ Hermitage Association.
The General Assembly of the State of Tennessee (Chapter No. 27, Public
Acts of Tennessee, 1923), at the earnest solicitation of the Officers
and Directors of the Ladies’ Hermitage Association, conveyed 232⁵/₁₀
acres of the Hermitage farm, located in the Fourth Civil District of
Davidson County, Tennessee, to the Board of Trustees for the Ladies’
Hermitage Association, to the end that said Ladies’ Hermitage
Association be permitted and encouraged to preserve and beautify same,
so as to display the respect, love, and affection which a grateful State
and people cherish for their illustrious hero and statesman, Andrew
Jackson.
The General Assembly of the State of Tennessee in 1935, by Public Act,
conveyed 500 acres of the original Hermitage farm tract to the Board of
Trustees to be maintained under the care and custody of the Ladies’
Hermitage Association. The Hermitage farm is now under the supervision
of the Ladies’ Hermitage Association for preservation as a perpetual
memorial. In 1960 the Association acquired 125 acres adjoining the north
boundary as protection against future industrial or housing
developments, bringing the total acreage to 625.
The furniture and relics were in the Hermitage at the time of the
organization of the Ladies’ Hermitage Association in 1889, and Col.
Andrew Jackson gave the Association an option upon them. But failing to
raise the necessary money after four years’ trial, the entire collection
of relics and furniture was removed in 1893 by the owner, Col. Andrew
Jackson, to Cincinnati, where he had them on exhibition for pay. This
venture was not a success, so they were returned to Nashville. From this
collection and from various members of the family and others, the
Association has bought the relics it now owns, that so beautifully adorn
the residence where they first were placed.
The Association in its early years put forth untiring efforts to raise
the funds necessary to restore the mansion and collect the original
furnishings and relics. It inaugurated various enterprises, such as
lectures, concerts, balls, etc.
President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Hermitage, October 22, 1907,
and in a speech then promised government aid. He incorporated the matter
in his annual message, and as a result and through the efforts of
Senator James B. Frazier and Congressman John W. Gaines, both of whom
were trustees, Congress made an appropriation of $5,000 to repair and
improve the Hermitage. The present sources of revenue are admission
fees, souvenir shop sales, and Association membership dues.
The collection of relics and furniture now in the house is the result of
years of effort of the Ladies’ Hermitage Association. It is interesting
to note, in this connection, that the Hermitage is the only great
National Shrine in this country having original furnishings throughout.
All furnishings in the house originally belonged to General Jackson,
with the exception of a few articles which, in each case, are noted in
the catalogue.
In 1961, the National Park Service of the U. S. Department of the
Interior designated the Hermitage as a Registered National Historic
Landmark.
For forty-five years following the opening of the Hermitage to the
public, Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Baker served as careful and dedicated
custodians of the buildings and grounds. They were succeeded by their
son, Andrew Jackson Baker, who was born at the Hermitage, and his wife,
and it is due to their continued dedication and interest that the
Hermitage has maintained its reputation as the nation’s best-kept
shrine. Due to ill health, Mr. Baker resigned in 1963.
The present custodian is Steve S. Lawrence.
ANDREW JACKSON CHRONOLOGY
BY W. B. MARR
1767 March 5 Born near the line between South Carolina and
North Carolina.
1784 Fall Began study of law.
1787 May Admitted to practice law in North Carolina.
1788 August 2 Duel with Colonel Waightstill Avery at Jonesboro.
1788 Spring Appointed public prosecutor for territory south of
Ohio River.
1791 August Married Mrs. Rachel Donelson Robards at Natchez,
Miss.
1796 January 1 Member first constitutional convention of
Tennessee.
1796 Elected representative In Congress from Tennessee.
1797 November 2 Appointed by Governor Sevier Senator from
Tennessee, succeeding William Blount, resigned.
1798 June Resigned from Senate.
1798 Elected member of the superior court of law and
equity.
1801 Elected major-general of Tennessee militia.
1804 Moved from Hunter’s Hill to log house, original
Hermitage.
1804 July 4 Resigned from superior court.
1805-6 Entertained Aaron Burr.
1806 May 30 Duel with Charles Dickinson.
1809 Nephew of Mrs. Jackson adopted, named Andrew
Jackson, Jr.
1812 June 5 Offered services of Tennessee Volunteers to the
United States Government in the War of 1812.
1813 January 7 Started for New Orleans with Tennessee Militia.
1813 February 15 Arrived at Natchez.
1813 March 25 Started home from Natchez.
1813 April 22 Returned to Hermitage.
1813 September 4 Wounded in affray with Thomas H. and Jesse Benton.
1813 October 11 Started with his command for the Creek War.
1813 November 3 Battle of Talluschatches, Creek War.
1813 November 9 Battle of Talladega, Creek War.
1814 January 22 Battle of Emuckfau, Creek War.
1814 January 24 Battle of Enotocopco, Creek War.
1814 March 27 Battle of the Horseshoe, Creek War.
1814 April 19 Appointed Brigadier-General United States Army.
1814 May 1 Appointed Major-General United States Army, Vice
William Henry Harrison, resigned.
1814 August 10 Had treaty with Creeks signed.
1814 September 9 Started first Florida campaign.
1814 December 2 Arrived at New Orleans for the defense of the city.
1814 December 16 Declared martial law in New Orleans.
1814 December 23 First battle in defense of New Orleans.
1815 January 1 Second battle in defense of New Orleans.
1815 January 8 Won battle of New Orleans.
1815 March 5 Caused the arrest of Judge Dominick A. Hall,
United States District Judge at New Orleans.
1815 March 13 Abrogated martial law at New Orleans.
1815 March 24 Fined $1,000 by Judge Dominick A. Hall for
contempt of court, which Jackson paid the same
day, and which was refunded by Congress with
interest in 1842.
1815 May 15 Arrived at Nashville from New Orleans.
1817 December 26 Entered upon second Florida campaign.
1818 April 28 Caused the execution of Arbuthnot and Ambrister.
1819 February 8 House of Representatives in Congress sustained
Jackson’s conduct in the Florida campaign.
1819 Jan. and Feb. Visited eastern cities.
1819 February Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
1819 Built Brick Hermitage.
1821 Appointed by President Monroe governor of Florida.
1821 May 31 Resigned from the army.
1821 July 17 Took possession of Florida as governor, and it
became a territory of the United States.
1821 October Resigned as governor of Florida, and returned to
Hermitage.
1822 July 20 Nominated for President by the Legislature of
Tennessee.
1823 Offered and declined mission to Mexico.
1823 October Elected to the United States Senate from Tennessee.
1823 Contributed major part of funds for building
Presbyterian church in Hermitage neighborhood.
1824 March 4 Nominated for President by the Pennsylvania
convention.
1824 November 4 Received plurality of electoral votes for
President.
1825 February 9 Defeated for President in the House of
Representatives in Congress by John Quincy Adams,
who received the vote of thirteen states, Jackson
seven, William H. Crawford of Georgia four.
1825 Lafayette visited the Hermitage.
1825 October Resigned from the United States Senate.
1825 October Renominated for President by the Legislature of
Tennessee.
1826 or 1827 Communion Sunday, date uncertain, promised Mrs.
Jackson to join the church when out of politics.
1828 November Elected President of the United States.
1828 December 22 Death of Mrs. Jackson.
1829 January 17 Left Hermitage for his inauguration.
1829 March 4 Inaugurated President.
1830 April 13 Offered toast: “Our federal union, it must be
preserved,” at Jefferson’s birthday dinner.
1830 December 7 Recommended that the Southern Indians be removed
to the Indian Territory.
1831 Two wings added to the Hermitage.
1832 July 10 Vetoed bill re-chartering the Bank of the United
States.
1832 November Re-elected President of the United States.
1832 December 10 Issued proclamation to nullifiers of South
Carolina.
1833 June 26 Harvard College conferred the degree of LL.D.
1833 September 23 Ordered withdrawal of deposits from the Bank of
the United States.
1834 Hermitage damaged by fire; repaired. No changes
since.
1834 March 28 Censured by Senate by resolution for removing
public deposits from the Bank of the United States.
1835 December 29 Treaty with the Cherokee Indians for their removal
to Indian Territory.
1835 January 8 Proclaimed the payment in full of national debt of
the United States.
1837 January 16 Resolution passed in the Senate expunging the
resolution of censure of 1834.
1837 March 4 Issued farewell address to people of the United
States.
1839 Became a member of the Presbyterian Church near
the Hermitage.
1840 January 18 Visited New Orleans.
1845 June 8 Sunday, at 6 P.M., died.
1845 June 10 Buried by the side of Mrs. Jackson at the
Hermitage.
_The Carriage House_
In 1897, Col. Andrew Jackson, from whom most of the relics were
purchased, sold to the Association the interesting old coach used by
Jackson at the White House for state, ceremonial, and social purposes
and for several trips to the Hermitage. The trip to the Hermitage took
thirty days’ time. His journeys were a continual ovation.
The skeleton of the phaeton is all that is left of the beautiful vehicle
presented to General Jackson by the “Democratic-Republican” citizens of
Philadelphia. It was made from timbers taken from the old ship
Constitution. The phaeton in which General Jackson rode with Martin Van
Buren to the latter’s inauguration was damaged by fire in Cincinnati,
where the Jackson relics were stored before being acquired by the
Ladies’ Hermitage Association. (Photograph is on wall.)
Stone doorstep in front of carriage house was presented to Col. W. W.
Parks by General Jackson. Given to the Ladies’ Hermitage Association by
his granddaughters, Misses Annie and Grace Handly.
Display boards on the walls show photostats of the Library of Congress
letters of Rachel Jackson, personal accounts of life at the Hermitage
taken from letters and histories, and pamphlets relating to the life and
times of President Andrew Jackson, presented to the Hermitage by C.
Lawrence Winn, great-grandson of Andrew Jackson, Jr.
Anvil, used in shoeing General Jackson’s race horses.
Carpenter’s plane, said to have been used by William McCreary in
building the Hermitage. Given by Stanley F. Horn.
_The Museum_
The brick house now used as a museum, which was restored and built on
the original foundation, was formerly used for house servants. This is
the only piece of restoration on the grounds, the brick having been made
on the Hermitage grounds years ago.
THE MUSEUM
[Illustration: The Museum]
SOUTH ROOM
On the Walls:
1. Lace veil intended for Mrs. Rachel Jackson to wear at Jackson’s
inauguration in 1829, but her death occurred shortly before.
The veil was presented by the ladies of Cincinnati. Each
letter in the name Jackson is made from a different pattern of
lace. The twenty-four stars above the name represent the 24
states, and in the center is an emblem of peace. This veil was
inherited by Miss Mary Wilcox from her grandmother, Mrs.
Andrew J. Donelson. Miss Wilcox presented the veil to the
Tennessee Woman’s Historical Association, which, in turn,
presented it to the Hermitage Association.
2. Pictures of Jackson’s cabinet members in 1829.
3. Part of original parlor draperies.
4. Part of original bedroom draperies.
5. Jackson’s portrait by Michael Nachtreib, a copy of the Dodge
Miniature, is the likeness of Jackson widely used on stamp and
currency issues.
6. Part of original parlor curtains.
Case No. 1
Shelf No. 1:
1. Gold sword presented to Andrew Jackson by the City of
Philadelphia after the Battle of New Orleans.
2. Unique gun cane.
3. Turkish sword presented to General Jackson.
4. Cannon ball used in the Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815.
Presented by Mrs. Burrell Jackson.
5. Sword captured at the Battle of New Orleans by General Jackson.
Bought by the Association in 1897.
6. Cavalry sabre, captured at the Battle of New Orleans, bearing the
coat of arms of the English Government and the initials G. R.
(George Rex, III). Presented by W. E. Metzger.
7. Blade of sword presented to General Jackson by the citizens of
New Orleans. This sword was bequeathed to Col. Andrew Jackson
Coffee. Presented by Alexander D. Coffee.
8. Air gun and pump.
Shelf No. 2:
9. Leather shot pouch belonging to Andrew Jackson, Jr.
10. Sword said to have been used by Jackson at the Battle of New
Orleans. Presented by Mrs. W. M. Calhoun.
11. Sword used by General Coffee at the Battle of New Orleans.
12. Piece of dining room floor laid in 1835 and removed in 1894.
13. Piece of the old bridge built by General Jackson’s troops to
cross a swamp at the head of the Bayou Grand near Fort
Barrancas, Fla.
14. Gold sword presented to General Jackson July 4, 1822, by the
State of Tennessee for his services at the Battle of New
Orleans. It was bequeathed to Andrew J. Donelson, his former
secretary. Purchased by the Ladies’ Hermitage Association in
1940.
Shelf No. 3:
15. Wax candle found in Cornwallis’ tent in Yorktown the night of
his surrender to Washington. Presented to General Jackson who
highly prized it and lighted it on each anniversary of the
Battle of New Orleans.
16. Foresight of one of the cannons used at the Battle of New
Orleans. Presented by Capt. E. W. Averell to Mrs. Bettie M.
Donelson for the Hermitage Association.
18. Old door knob, removed from one of the doors.
19. Pieces of marble from the tomb of Mary Washington, mother of
General George Washington; the cornerstone was laid by Jackson
in 1833. Presented by Walter B. Parmer.
20. Military Regalia of General Jackson, presented by Joseph Horton
Fall and John Hill Eakin.
21. United States cutlass used on the American Brig Carolina in a
fight against the British in 1814-15, under General Jackson.
22. Silver mounted cane of General Jackson.
23. Italian carved cane, presented to General Jackson.
24. Gold-headed cane presented to General Jackson by Lt. Col.
William L. Harneys, 2nd U. S. Dragoons, Sept. 30, 1838.
25. Walking cane of hickory.
26. Gun cane.
27. Cane made from wood that grew at the tomb of General Washington
at Mt. Vernon. Presented by John Bigelow to General Jackson.
28. Folding bamboo camp chair.
29. Walking stick, presented to President Jackson by Thomas Hart
Benton and John C. Calhoun and presented to the Hermitage
Association by Mrs. J. A. Mitchell, Macon, Ga.
Shelf No. 4:
30. Shakespeare volume given and inscribed by Jackson to Henry L.
Rucker of Cincinnati, 1837. Presented by Mrs. C. P. J. Mooney,
1950.
31. A British Dragoon flintlock holster pistol found on Jackson’s
battlefield at New Orleans in 1850. Presented by W. E.
Metzger.
32. A stone from the grave of Andrew Jackson, father of General
Jackson, who died in 1767. The grave is at Waxhaws Churchyard,
S. C., and the stone was procured by Mr. Walter Lacoste Wilson
and sent to Mrs. Rachel Jackson Lawrence, who presented it to
the Hermitage Association.
33. Dueling pistol (one of a pair) owned by General Jackson.
Presented by Miss Spon. The whereabouts of the other is not
known.
34. Pistol used at New Orleans. Presented by Bettie Hoffstetter
Reise.
35. English bayonet embedded in cypress root, found on the
battlefield at New Orleans and presented to General Jackson in
1844.
36. The sword and belt of Capt. Samuel Jackson, C. S. A., grandson
of General Jackson.
37. Powder flask used by General Jackson at the Battle of New
Orleans.
38. Old pair of shears.
39. Rifle ornamented with plates of German silver, was given by
General Jackson to Andrew Jackson, Jr. It was given by the
Jacksons at the Hermitage in 1861 when a call was made for
guns by the Southern Confederacy. Purchased at Clarksville,
Tennessee, by a Federal officer whose son sold it to Mrs. B.
F. Wilson, who presented it to the Ladies’ Hermitage
Association.
Shelf No. 5:
40. Picture of Judge Spruce Macay, Justice of the North Carolina
Supreme Court, law preceptor of Andrew Jackson. Gift of
Archibald Henderson of North Carolina.
41. Jackson’s license to practice law, 1787, North Carolina.
42. Commission of Major-General, issued to Andrew Jackson, 1801, by
Archibald Roane, Governor of Tennessee. Given by J. McGavock
Dickinson.
43. Healy’s account of his visit to the Hermitage to paint Jackson’s
portrait as commissioned by Louis Philippe.
44. Framed Declaration of Independence.
45. Letter to General Jackson from Bishop Henry Conwell, Roman
Catholic Bishop of Philadelphia, written when he was in Rome,
containing a picture to Pope Leo XII. Presented by Mrs. Bettie
M. Donelson.
Case No. 2
Shelf No. 1:
1. Door scraper, one of a pair used on the front porch.
1A. Original bedspread used until recently in Jackson’s room, with
initials R. J. in center.
2. Mexican leggings, hand-tooled leather. Presented to Major-General
Andrew Jackson by Gov. Sam Houston.
3. Old account books of Jackson’s & Hutchings’ Store, December 26,
1803-June 15, 1804.
4. Part of one of the original lace curtains.
5. Fringe made and used by Rachel Jackson for a bedspread. Presented
by Miss Emma Hoffstetter.
6. Sample of original chintz in Jackson’s bedroom. Presented by Miss
Cora Watson, having been given by Rachel Jackson to a member
of her family, who were the Jacksons’ neighbors.
7. Lace collar given by Rachel Jackson to Mrs. Governor Carroll, who
gave it to her niece, Miss Bradford. At her death, at the age
of 95, it was inherited by her niece, Mrs. Lizzie Miller
Jones, who presented it to the Association.
Shelf No. 2:
8. Flat silver used at the Hermitage and at the White House, and two
mahogany cases in which it was kept. Silver knife and
corkscrew which belonged to Jackson. Presented by Mrs. Ramsey
McIver, II.
Shelf No. 3:
9. Gold watch of the adopted son, Andrew Jackson, Jr.
9A. Memorandum book of Sarah York and Andrew Jackson, Jr., 1859, and
his vest.
10. Daguerreotype of Captain Samuel Jackson, C.S.A., grandson of
General Andrew Jackson, who was killed at the Battle of
Chickamauga.
11. Two daguerreotypes of Andrew Jackson, Jr., adopted son of
General and Mrs. Jackson.
12. Miniature of Mrs. Rachel Jackson Lawrence, only daughter of the
Jacksons’ adopted son. Her visiting card and that of her
husband, which were given by Mrs. Richard Plater.
13. Portion of a gold link chain purchased by General Jackson in
Philadelphia, 1831, and presented to his daughter-in-law,
Sarah York Jackson. Given by Mrs. Joseph H. Thompson. The
other portion of this chain was purchased from Miss Fannie O.
Walton, great-great-niece of Mrs. Jackson.
14. The christening robe was worn by the children of Andrew and
Sarah York Jackson.
15. The baby cap, which belonged to Rachel Jackson Lawrence, was
given by her grandson, C. Lawrence Winn.
15A. Heart pin cushion, made by Rachel Jackson Lawrence of dress
scraps from the Hermitage household. Given by Mrs. R. H.
Oliphant, whose mother received it from a member of the
Jackson family. The second heart pincushion, also made by
Rachel Jackson Lawrence, the pearls from the Sarah York
Jackson necklace, and the sample of the lining of the Jackson
coach were acquired from Miss Effie McIver, whose forebears
were close friends of the Jacksons.
16. Pearls which were given to Mrs. Sarah York Jackson, wife of
Andrew Jackson, Jr., by President Jackson, when she went to
the White House as a bride in 1831. She wore them to
receptions given in her honor as a bride and also later as
lady of the White House. The pearls have adorned seven brides
in the immediate Jackson family. Purchased from the family by
the Hermitage Association.
17. Small knife and fork set; were given by General Jackson to his
grandson, Andrew Jackson, III.
18. Invitation to General Jackson’s funeral. Presented by Mrs. M. G.
Buckner.
19. Presidential ticket (printed on satin) announcing Andrew
Jackson’s candidacy for the Presidency. Presented by N. B.
Patterson, of Chicago. Printed by his grandfather, Col. J. B.
Patterson, who was subsequently editor of the _Jacksonian_.
20. Bank book of General Jackson, dated 1810.
21. Physician’s statement, 1826. Presented by Mrs. Leonard K.
Whitworth.
22. Knife of General Jackson. Presented by J. H. Baker.
23. Engraving of Judge John Overton, Jackson’s law partner and
life-long friend. Presented by his great-grandson, J. McGavock
Dickinson, Jr.
24. Letter from Andrew Jackson to the Hon. John Overton, August 21,
1831. Presented by Judge John H. DeWitt.
25. General Jackson’s ruler, with outstanding dates of his life
engraved thereon.
26. Pair of scales for weighing gold coin.
27. General Jackson’s lancet, used by Dr. Esselman when he bled his
patient. Presented by Mrs. Rachel Jackson Lawrence.
28. Original photograph of Dr. Benjamin Rohrer, physician to
President Jackson during the entire time he was in the White
House. Presented by Cordelia Jackson, 1922.
29. Latin Bible belonging to General Jackson, printed in Anno
MDXCIII.
30. Prayer book of General Jackson.
31. Bible of Rachel Jackson.
32. Brass compass of General Jackson which was like one used by
George Washington at Valley Forge.
33. Hair of General Jackson in two frames, and lock of his hair
presented by Mrs. Jack M. Bass.
34. Jackson’s peace medal.
35. Jackson’s temperance medal.
36. Billfold purchased by General Jackson in Tuscumbia, Ala., May 3,
1828.
37. Pocket comb belonging to General Jackson.
38. Miniature gloves made by an admirer and presented to Andrew
Jackson.
39. Congressional medal, presented to Major-General Andrew Jackson
after the Battle of New Orleans.
40. Picture of General Jackson and lock of his hair.
41. Porcelain French pipe.
42. Real amber pipe.
43. Pipe from the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas, where Davy Crockett
died.
44. Turkish wooden pipe.
45. Two snuff boxes.
46. Sunglass used to light his pipe. Presented by Roy Roe of Mobile,
Ala., to Mrs. George Nelson of Murfreesboro, who presented it
to the Association.
47. Dutch pipe.
48. Jackson’s watch, engraved: “Presented to General Andrew Jackson
by W. W. C. January 12, 1815.” Given by Rogers C. Caldwell in
memory of his mother.
49. General Jackson’s Prayer Book.
50. The stick pin worn by President Jackson. Presented by Mr. and
Mrs. T. Graham Hall, in memory of his mother, Mrs. Jennie
McIver Hall.
51. Gold-rimmed glasses worn by General Jackson until a few years
before his death and presented by him to his daughter-in-law,
Mrs. Sarah York Jackson. She gave them to the only
granddaughter, Rachel Jackson, who presented them to John
Marshall Lawrence. Purchased from him by the Association.
52. Miniature of Rachel Jackson, worn by General Jackson
continuously until his death and only removed at night and
placed with his Bible on a table by his bed.
Shelf No. 4:
53. “The Works of Lord Byron,” presented to Jackson by Earl.
Interesting letter from Byron to publishers of this volume is
shown in Case H in opposite room.
54. Tortoise shell card case which belonged to R. E. W. Earl, given
by Mrs. Stanley Horn.
54A. Card case and purse of Earl’s, presented by C. L. Winn. Pen
portrait of Earl.
55. Jackson Electoral Ticket, 1832. He was overwhelmingly reelected,
receiving 219 votes out of 286.
55A. Miniature of Jackson, given by Mrs. Benjamin A. Brakenbury, of
Santa Barbara, Calif.
56. Jackson’s Cabinet, 1829. Gift from Jackson to Major A. J.
Donelson, Secretary to President Jackson.
57. New York, Nashville, Clarksville weekly papers of 1845,
containing notices of the death of Jackson. Presented by W. M.
Drane of Clarksville in 1920.
58. Badge worn at Jackson’s funeral. Presented by Mrs. Frank
Jefferson Blodgett of New York City, through Mrs. Lindsay
Coleman of Nashville.
59. Badge used in commemoration of the death of Jackson. Presented
by Charles Costleigh in memory of members of his family.
60. Letter from Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, 1821, regarding James
Leander Cathcart.
61. Silver spoons, one of which is from a set of Jackson’s spoons
and the other from a set of Felix Grundy’s. The handles were
molded into Columbia Liberty Bells.
62. Silver cheese scoop, engraved, “G.W.C., Hermitage, Jan. 11,
1860,” Editor of Harper’s Weekly, to whom it was presented by
the Jackson family.
63. Shaving case used by General Jackson.
64. Water color of Stockley place in Virginia, the home of Rachel
Jackson’s grandfather.
65. Gavel made of wood taken from the birthplace of Rachel Donelson,
wife of Andrew Jackson. Presented by Mrs. Myrtle Blair Motley,
Wm. Pitt Chapter, Chatham, Va.
66. Mortar and pestle used for compounding medicine.
67. Case for aquamarine necklace of Rachel Jackson (displayed on
figure in opposite room).
68. Rachel Jackson’s night cap. Presented by Mrs. John H. Cunningham
of San Antonio, great-granddaughter of Mrs. William Watson, a
neighbor and friend of Mrs. Jackson who was with her during
her last days and to whom Mrs. Jackson gave the cap.
68A. Preliminary sketch made by Sully of one of his portraits of
Jackson.
69. Sewing case made and used by Rachel Jackson.
70. Long beaded purse, made by Rachel Jackson.
71. Spinning wheel in bottle presented to General Jackson.
72. Flat iron used at the Hermitage during Jackson’s lifetime,
presented by Andrew Jackson Baker, Jr.
73. Miniature of Jackson in youth.
74. Pair of gold-rimmed spectacles used by Mrs. Jackson.
75. Needlepoint bag.
76. Jackson beaded bag. Loaned by Tennessee State Library.
77. Miniature frame of onyx and gold inlay, containing lock of
General Jackson’s hair. Presented by Mrs. Joseph H. Crenshaw
of Ft. Royal, Va.
78. Work bag of Rachel Jackson.
78A. Pearl comb, which belonged to Rachel Jackson. Given to her
niece, Rachel Donelson Eckford, then to Mrs. H. J. Darden, who
willed it to her cousin, Dr. M. M. Cullom. Presented by Dr.
Cullom to the Association.
79. Rachel Jackson’s pearl ring.
80. Set of Mosaic jewelry consisting of belt clasp, necklace and ear
rings, each medallion representing a different ancient temple,
purchased by Andrew Jackson from widow of Stephen Decatur.
Shelf No. 5:
81. Part of letter written by Jackson to his wife, Rachel, regarding
the Hermitage church and its pastor, the Rev. William Hume.
Given by one of the latter’s descendants, Leland Hume.
82. Painting of the Hermitage church, by Cornelius Hankins.
83. Poem on the death of Mrs. Jackson.
84. Letter from John Adams, Quincy, Mass., March 25, 1822 to James
L. Cathcart.
85. Letter written by General Jackson to William Donelson, November
29, 1842. Presented by Miss Matilda Allison Porter, 1946.
86. Small portrait of Andrew Jackson, painted by Franklin Witcher of
New York, for Jackson’s Presidential campaign. Bought from a
relative Of the artist.
87. Springfield, Jefferson County, Miss., where Andrew and Rachel
Jackson were married in 1791. Presented by Daniel Clay
Bramlette of Woodville, Miss.
88. A letter of General Jackson to Mrs. Jackson, January 29, 1824.
Presented by Judge John H. DeWitt.
89. Hermitage (or Ephesus) church membership roll 1824-1839
including the Jacksons, given by C. L. Winn.
90. A photostat of Jackson’s list of contributions for repairs of
the Hermitage church and suggested alterations made by Andrew
Jackson Donelson, given by Stanley F. Horn.
Case No. 3
Shelf No. 1:
1. The green and white covered dishes, the six flowered soup plates,
and the small knife and fork, which all belonged to the
Jacksons, were given by Mr. and Mrs. T. Graham Hall, in memory
of his mother, Mrs. Jennie McIver Hall, a friend of the
Jackson family.
2. China platter and six matching soup plates, which were the
Jacksons’. Given by Mr. and Mrs. Sheffield Clark, Jr., in
memory of Mrs. Sheffield Clark, Sr.
3. Brass dinner gong.
3A. Pottery pitcher, given by Wylie B. Ewing, of Delray, Fla. Made
for a dinner given in honor of Jackson, June 11, 1834, in
Wheeling. W. Va.
Shelves No. 2 and No. 3:
4. Forty-three pieces of gold and white china, used at the White
House during Jackson’s administration.
5. Pieces of buff and gold china used constantly in the White House.
From a set of 600 pieces, which was given to Mrs. Rachel
Jackson Lawrence when she was married.
6. Cup, saucer, plate, fork and spoon used by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt on the occasion of his visit to the Hermitage,
November 17, 1934.
7. Six silver tablespoons of the Jacksons, loaned by Vanderbilt
University.
Shelf No. 4:
8. Silver basket.
9. Some of the valuable Jackson-Decatur silver, which included 16
round and oval dishes, which were purchased by Jackson from
the widow of Commodore Decatur, and used constantly for years
at the Hermitage. (See letter regarding the purchase in
Document Standard in Case B.)
10. Jackson’s memorandum to his secretary regarding the purchase of
the Decatur silver.
11. Salad fork and spoon, which were presented by Mrs. Andrew
Jackson, Jr., to Miss Sarah Livingston on the occasion of her
marriage to Judge Beard, at Tulip Grove, and were presented to
the Hermitage Association by her daughters, Mrs. Thos. Pierce
of St. Louis, Mrs. Beverly R. McKennie, and Mrs. Weaver
Harris.
11A. Silver compote, one of the pieces of the Decatur silver.
12. Old English silver coffee pot on trivet, presented to Wm. H.
Calhoun, Nashville, in 1848 by Andrew Jackson, Jr. These
pieces were in daily use during General Jackson’s residence at
the White House. Loaned by Vanderbilt University.
12A. Pieces of flat silver in daily use at the Hermitage.
13. Silver sugar tongs.
14. Silver muffinier or sugar shaker.
15. Pair of silver napkin rings.
16. Silver cups, marked A. J. and R. J., in daily use by General and
Mrs. Jackson.
17. General Jackson’s Communion Cup.
18. China cup, out of which General Jackson drank on the day of his
death, and spoon used daily.
18A. A buff and gold china tea cup and saucer, given to Mrs. C. A.
R. Thompson by Rachel Jackson Lawrence. Presented to the
Hermitage by the heirs of Miss Annie Kenneth Thompson.
19. China cup and saucer, of Louis Philippe, purchased by Jackson
from his stewart, Boulanger. Obtained from the McIver family.
20. Original blue plate, one of set of china used by General Jackson
at the Hermitage. (English reproductions of this plate are
sold in the Souvenir Shop.)
Shelf No. 5:
21. Silver in daily use at the Hermitage.
22. A pair of coasters with glass decanters.
23. Salt cellar.
24. Caster with glass bottles.
25. Silver nut crackers and picks.
26. Wine cart on wheels (mate in dining room).
27. Wine glass used by President Jackson at the White House,
1829-1837. Given by Bettie Hoffstetter Reise.
27A. Hock or wine glass, used at the dinner in honor of Lafayette.
Given by a member of the Jackson family to Mrs. W. L.
Granbery, a friend and neighbor at Tulip Grove, the adjoining
plantation. Presented to the Association by Mr. and Mrs. J. T.
Granbery.
28. Bohemian decanter.
29. Cut glass used at the White House during Jackson’s
administration, including a decanter, eight wine glasses, five
tumblers.
30. Silver and cut glass pickle jar.
Case No. 4
Shelf No. 1:
1. Letter from President Jackson to Major Andrew J. Donelson,
Louisville, 1837.
2. Letter from Mrs. Heyne, presenting shell letter racks to Mrs.
Jackson (shell racks on mantel in Earl’s room).
3. Letters of General Jackson, May 24, 1833.
4. Letter from Thos. Jordan, requesting appointment as Revenue Agent
for the State of Maine, initialed “A. J.” with memorandum.
5. Letter from Columbus, Ohio, supporters of Jackson, December 12,
1832, with notation in Jackson’s handwriting.
6. Communication from Andrew Jackson to the U. S. Senate, nominating
members of his Cabinet: “Edward Livingston of Louisiana,
Secretary of State; Lewis McLane, of Delaware, Secretary of
the Treasury; Lewis Cass, of Michigan, Secretary of War; Levi
Woodbury, of New Hampshire, Secretary of the Navy; R. B.
Taney, of Maryland, Attorney General of the United States.”
Dated, December 7, 1831.
Shelf No. 2:
7. “The Jackson Wreath,” published 1829, includes an interesting
account of the last hours and death of Rachel Jackson.
Presented by Mrs. James A. Wemyss, of Gallatin, who inherited
it from her great-grandfather, John Branch, Secretary of the
Navy in Jackson’s cabinet.
7A. Invitation from General Jackson to his neighbors, Dr. and Mrs.
Doyle, Fountain of Health, to dine at the Hermitage, Dec. 26,
1840. Presented by Miss Decatur J. Page, descendant of the
Doyles. Copy of the Globe, Dec. 5, 1837, inscribed “Jackson,
Fountain of Health” which was the nearest Post Office. Given
by Mrs. Lee Hunt.
8. General Jackson’s Farewell Address (1837), printed in satin. Was
carried as a banner in his funeral procession in Nashville,
1845. Statement of Wm. W. Bell, of Chicago, who presented it.
9. Inaugural address of General Andrew Jackson, March 4, 1833.
10. Jackson’s Message refusing to re-charter the U. S. Bank, July
10, 1833.
10A. Jackson’s Nullification Proclamation.
Shelf No. 3:
11. Communication of John Quincy Adams, 1819, to John Rodgers,
President of the Navy Board.
12. Invitation to the Eighth of January Ball, 1831, Nashville,
issued to Miss Clementine Boyd.
13. Letter from Emperor of San Domingo to Commodore Elliott,
September 6, 1832, with notation by Jackson.
14. Extract from letter, signed Frederick P. Ladd, Boston, August
29, 1829, regarding Jackson’s candidacy for President.
15. Letter to Andrew Jackson from N. Gevelot, Dec. 28, 1833,
presenting bust of Jackson.
16. Letter regarding supplies ordered for White House, June 19,
1829.
17. Letter from James Madison to M. Cathcart.
Case No. 5
Shelf No. 1:
1. Letter from Charleston, S. C., officials, expressing
gratification over Major-General Jackson’s proposed visit to
the city, March 7, 1821.
2. Commodore Elliott’s invitation to Martin Van Buren to visit Navy
Yard.
3. Address to citizens of Connecticut by the friends of Andrew
Jackson in 1828.
4. Medallions, illustrating stories from the Bible. On the reverse
side is the story itself. This unique set was presented to
General Jackson by an admirer.
5. Pamphlet containing refutation of charges made about Jackson’s
marriage by political enemies in Cincinnati, 1827.
6. Pamphlet in vindication of General Jackson regarding the
executions of Arbuthnot and Ambrister, 1824.
7. Wooden statuette given by Jackson to his granddaughter, Rachel,
whose family gave it to the Hermitage after her death in 1923.
The figures represent Louis Philippe and Jackson, saluting one
another upon the payment of the indemnity due from France. The
carving on the base represents the vessels bringing the gold
from France; the hickory tree symbolizes the firmness of
Jackson in demanding payment; the circle formed by the arms of
the two symbolizes the lasting friendship between them. Carved
by Pierre Joseph Landry, comrade-in-arms of General Jackson at
the Battle of New Orleans; this was presumably presented to
Jackson by the sculptor.
8. Pamphlet on the Battle of New Orleans.
9. Cartoon showing Jackson receiving cash payment from French
cavalry March 1836.
10. Copy of letter of Commodore Elliott, presenting the sarcophagus
of Emperor Severus to General Jackson (see [Page 55]), given
by the Hon. John Wesley Gaines.
11. Copy of General Jackson’s letter declining the sarcophagus,
presented by the Hon. John Wesley Gaines. (See [Page 56]).
12. Photographs of the sarcophagus, now on the grounds of the
Smithsonian Institute, given by former Secretary of War, Jacob
McGavock Dickinson.
13. Copy of New York _Herald_ of June 25, 1845, with pictures and
description of Jackson’s funeral procession. Given by Mrs.
James A. Wemyss, of Gallatin.
14. Jackson’s first message to Congress, December 8, 1829, printed
on silk. Presented by Mrs. Kendall Stickney, Monrovia,
California.
NORTH ROOM (MUSEUM)
On the Walls:
1. Bronze bust of General Jackson by Belle Kinney.
2. Battle of New Orleans. Presented by C. F. Gunther, of Chicago,
Endicott & Co., Lithographers, published by T. Yeager, Race
Street, Philadelphia.
3. Print of General Jackson at New Orleans.
4. Portrait of Jackson.
5. Engraving of the Hermitage. This is not correctly drawn. (Francis
Strickland, Architect, Lith. of Endicott & Co., N. Y.).
6. Engraving of Jackson.
7. Picture of Jackson at the Hermitage, 1830. Given by J. McGavock
Dickinson.
9. Land Grant signed by President Jackson. Given by J. McGavock
Dickinson.
10. Appointment of Chas. A. Anderson as secretary to the French
Court by Jackson, 1836. Presented in memory of Ewin Lamar
Davis by his wife.
11. Illustrated Map of Nashville 1832.
12. Certificate of Major-General Andrew Jackson’s membership in the
Hibernian Society, March, 1819.
13. Three pictures of Uncle Alfred, colored servant, born 1803 and
died in 1901. He lived in the log house back of the mansion
and is buried in the garden next to the Jacksons’ tomb. Given
by Dr. Harry Vaughan and Mrs. Paul E. DeWitt.
14. Equestrian Statue of Jackson. This picture hung in President
James K. Polk’s room at the White house. Presented by Mrs.
George William Fall.
14A. Engraving of General Jackson from a painting by Thomas Sully.
15. Death of Pakenham. Presented by C. F. Gunther, of Chicago,
Endicott & Co., Lithographers, published by T. Yeager, Race
Street, Philadelphia.
16. Blueprints showing the battlefield of Chalmette at New Orleans.
Presented by Hon. John Wesley Gaines.
17. Drawing by Norman Marsh of original Hermitage. Copy of print
from the collection of Mrs. Samuel Heiskell, now at the
University of North Carolina.
18. Engraving of Andrew Jackson given by Mr. and Mrs. Whitefoord
Cole, Jr., in memory of his mother.
Case No. 1
1. Engraving of General Jackson.
2. Clothing worn by General Andrew Jackson: dressing gowns and
slippers, wool socks used when riding in winter weather; night
shirts, pen marked, “Andrew Jackson,” and numbered in
indelible ink.
3. Account books used in stores owned by Jackson—Gallatin, 1803;
Hunter’s Hill, 1804; Clover Bottom, 1805.
4. Picture of “Aunt Hannah,” Mrs. Jackson’s personal maid, who was
with her at her death.
5. Writing case inscribed “Presented to Andrew Jackson, President of
the U. S., from the State of New Hampshire.”
Case No. 2
British uniform (coat and waistcoat) taken at the Battle of New
Orleans. Loaned by Andrew Jackson Lawrence, grandson of Andrew
Jackson, Jr.
Case No. 3
Uniform and hat of Major John T. Reid, who fought with General
Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. Presented by his
grandson, Mr. Maury T. Reid.
Case No. 4
Shelf No. 1:
1. Original letter of Amos Kendall, Nov. 20, 1829, and notation in
Jackson’s handwriting “Mr. Kendalls letter and remarks on my
plans on National Bank.”
2. Photograph of Mrs. Mary C. Dorris, in costume for a January 8
Ball. Mrs. Dorris was one of the four organizers of the
Ladies’ Hermitage Association, the first secretary and later
Regent, and a life-long worker in the preservation of the
Hermitage. Book, “Preservation of the Hermitage” by Mrs.
Dorris (Copies may be purchased in Souvenir Shop).
3. Small Liberty Bell, made from the overflow of the Columbia
Liberty Bell. These small bells were purchased by patriotic
associations to be rung on patriotic occasions.
3A. Mourning badge worn at the time of the death of General Andrew
Jackson.
4. Photograph of Mrs. Rachel Jackson Lawrence, Jackson’s favorite
grandchild and namesake of Mrs. Jackson.
5. Photograph of Colonel Andrew Jackson, III, whose wife, Mrs. Amy
Jackson, conceived the idea of the Hermitage Association and
it was from this couple that most of the relics were
purchased.
6. Picture of Emily Donelson, white house hostess during Jackson’s
Administration, presented by Mrs. Frank Klapthor. Frame given
by Felice Ferrell.
7. Bust by Zolnay of Mrs. Mary L. Baxter, first Regent of the
Ladies’ Hermitage Association. Also an appeal to Association
members dated 1895 and signed by Mrs. Nathaniel Baxter,
Regent.
8. Booklet and program on the exercises held at the presentation of
Jackson’s statue by the State of Tennessee to the United
States Capitol, April 11, 1928. The statue, which is by Belle
Kinney, stands in the Capitol Rotunda.
9. Picture of Healy, artist sent by Louis Philippe to paint Andrew
Jackson and other prominent Americans.
10. Original floor plan of the Hermitage (changes in this were made
during construction).
11. Souvenirs of President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit in October,
1907. Special Register with autograph signature.
12. Poem to Rachel Jackson Lawrence by Emma Look Scott.
12A. Lace scarf worn by Emily Donelson at President Jackson’s
inaugural ball. Given by Mrs. Robert S. Cheek, in memory of
her mother, Mrs. Joseph Darling Pickslay.
Shelf No. 2:
13. Copy Book of Maine Student containing interesting references to
the Presidential election of 1825, given by Mrs. Henry W.
Dearborn, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
13A. Messages by President Andrew Jackson to U. S. Congress. Leather
bound volume, printed on silk.
13B. Commemorative and regular issue Jackson and Hermitage stamps,
1863-1963. Given by Dr. Pembroke J. Hart.
Shelf No. 3:
14. Flag from the grave of Lafayette, procured for the Association
by Miss M. E. Ford through General Horace Porter, Ambassador
to France.
15. Letter written by President Jackson, 1828, to Lafayette.
Presented by Reed Schermerhorn.
16. Appointment of Samuel B. Marshall as Marshal of Western District
of Tennessee, April, 1831. Presented by Mrs. Joseph A. Gray.
17. Coin token with head of Jackson. Presented by Mrs. Wm. H. Dow,
Portland, Maine.
18. Cane. Charles Sayers, personal friend of Jackson, cut the cane
while walking on the Hermitage grounds with Jackson. Presented
by Mrs. Wm. P. Delafield, Dallas, Texas.
19. Cane. Presented by H. V. S. Negus of Bound Brook, N. J. It was a
present from General Jackson to Mr. Negus’ grandfather, James
Engle Negus, a native of Philadelphia who had visited General
Jackson at the Hermitage frequently as they were close
friends.
20. A Cane hand made by Major McCalla, who served with General
Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. Presented by Dr. C. A.
Miller.
21. Silhouette of Andrew Jackson. Presented by Mrs. Whitefoord Cole.
23. Pictures of:
(A) Mrs. Emily Donelson, first hostess at the White House.
(B) Sarah York Jackson, wife of adopted son.
(C) Mrs. Rachel Jackson Lawrence, in childhood.
25. Picture of costume worn by Mrs. Andrew Jackson, Jr., at her
wedding reception in the White House, and now in the National
Historical Museum in Washington, D. C., with costumes of other
mistresses of the White House.
26. Centennial medal, Jackson, Michigan, designed and presented by
James B. Field of Jackson, Michigan, in honor of General
Jackson.
27. Octagon House, Washington, D. C., where General Jackson was
entertained. In a perfect state of preservation. Headquarters
of the American Institute of Architects. Presented by Mrs.
Cordelia Jackson, September 20, 1922.
28. Letter to Andrew Jackson written by Robert C. Foster, and
presented to Mrs. Harry W. Evans, Regent, by Robert Coleman
Foster, VII, great-grandson of the writer.
29. Watch given by Andrew Jackson to his ward, General Daniel Smith
Donelson, upon his entry to West Point. Presented by Samuel
Donelson, grandson of the original owner.
30. Home of Christopher Taylor, near Jonesboro where Andrew Jackson
boarded. Presented by L. M. McCowan.
Shelf No. 4:
31. Photostat copies of bill from doctor attending Rachel Jackson in
her final illness and bill for her coffin, 1828. Presented by
C. Norton Owen of Chicago.
32. Photostat copy of Deed of Trust for family graveyard, in
Hermitage garden, to John H. Eaton, John Coffee, and Andrew
Jackson, Jr. Presented by West Morton, 1926.
33. Bill of conveyance of slaves. Presented in memory of Jonas
Redelsheimer.
34. Andrew Jackson (by Earl) in the capitol of Montgomery, Alabama.
Presented to the Ladies’ Hermitage Association by Sarah E.
Cowan, great-niece of Rachel Jackson.
35. Itemized statement of Dr. McCorkle’s bill to Andrew Jackson,
October, 1825. Presented by Mrs. E. A. Lindsey. Of special
interest in reference to Jackson’s solicitude for the health
and welfare of his slaves.
36. President Jackson’s Contract with his cook, Prevaux. Presented
by Mrs. Bettie M. Donelson.
37. Currier & Ives Print; Death bed scene of General Jackson.
Case No. 5
Clothing and personal possessions of the Jacksons:
The red velvet dress, worn by Sarah York Jackson at the White House
(which is the same as in the Earl portrait of her in the Hermitage
dining room) was given by her great-granddaughter, Sue Rhea Symmes
McCutcheon, in memory of her grandmother, Rachel Jackson Lawrence.
Velvet sample shows original color. The shawl, which was presented by
Mrs. W. H. Wemyss, belonged to Miss Jennie Treanor, who lived at Tulip
Grove and was a friend of the Jacksons. The letter was written by Andrew
Jackson from the White House, 1832, to his daughter-in-law, Sarah York
Jackson. The leather hat box has the following name plate: “General
Andrew Jackson, President of the United States” and the hat with the
ten-inch mourning band is the one he wore in Washington following the
death of his wife. The rosewood cane was his favorite walking stick.
Displayed with one of his suits is a linen shirt made by seamstress
Gracey who lived at the Hermitage. The lavender moire dress, which was
Rachel Jackson’s, was presented by her great-granddaughter, Marion
Lawrence Symmes, and the white shawl, said to have been hers, was given
by Mrs. Bertha Pierce, of Daytona, Fla. The lace cap belonged to Rachel
Jackson, and also the aquamarine necklace (the case for this is in the
south room of the museum).
FLOOR STANDARD
A. Letters from Senator Edmond de Lafayette, grandson of General
Lafayette, concerning the French chair he gave to the
Hermitage, which is in the Brides’ Room.
B. Steubenville Republican Ledger, reporting supper given in honor
of Jackson’s triumph, Nov. 26, 1828, and Jackson’s election
returns, 1828.
C. Copy of National Banner and Nashville Whig, Aug. 12, 1828, given
by C. L. Winn, great-grandson of Andrew Jackson, Jr. and Sarah
York Jackson. Contains commendations of Jackson’s Policy
during Creek Campaign.
D. Interesting expressions of Jackson’s characteristics of
spirituality and patriotism in a letter (January 8, 1822) to
his ward, E. G. W. Butler, purchased from his grandson, E. G.
Butler.
E. Signed military orders from various officers, 1814.
F. Pay-rolls from Capt. Haley, Llewellyn Griffith and Major H. D.
Peire.
G. Military orders signed by Jackson and muster roll of regiment
commanded by Stokely Donelson, 1792. Extracts from letters of
Capt. Thos. Preston, John Overton, and J. Winchester and
receipts signed by Jackson.
H. Letter from Jackson to Dr. John L. Wynn. Photostat letter from
Rachel Jackson to her brother, Capt. John Donelson, Aug. 25,
1821.
I. Note of presentation of plaster cast of Powers bust, from Levi
Woodbury and Jackson’s reply. Letter from Jackson to Sarah
York Jackson, April 14, 1835.
J. Letter of condolence from Rachel Jackson to her niece, Catherine
Caffery Walker, on the death of her sister, Jane Caffery Earl.
A letter from Andrew Jackson to Catherine Caffery Walker,
regarding business matters, presented by a descendant, Vera
Walker Morel.
K. Letter from D. Morrison, contractor, concerning additions to the
house and erection of the tomb.
Letter from Jackson to A. Donelson, presented by Mrs. P. H. Manlove.
L. West Carolinian Extra Dec. 7, 1833, containing Jackson’s message
to Congress. This paper, which originally belonged to
Jackson’s Law instructor Judge Spruce Macay, was given by Mrs.
Fannie McNeely of Salisbury, N. C.
WALL STANDARD
Case A:
Jackson’s appointment as Judge of Superior Court, signed by John
Sevier, December 22, 1798.
Jackson’s receipt from post office, June 2, 1826, for payments on
his 17 newspaper subscriptions.
Invitation to Military Ball given at Huntsville Inn, 1825, in
commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans. Presented by Mrs.
George Dury, to whose grandmother the invitation was issued.
Photostatic copy of statement by Dr. Catlet regarding Dickinson
duel.
Letter from Jackson to Col. John Overton, regarding the former’s
“conduct in Florida” and Eaton’s appeal. September 16, 1831.
Case B:
Letter describing White House reception for Andrew Jackson, Jr., and
his bride, from Emily Donelson, Washington, 1831.
Note from Jackson to his wife, February 6, 1804.
Letter from Mrs. Stephen Decatur regarding sale of silver and china
and Jackson’s signed receipt of his purchases.
General Jackson’s orders for medicine and hospital stores, Nov. 4,
1813.
Case C:
Photostatic copy of letter regarding birthplace of Jackson and
burial place of his mother and father, from James H.
Witherspoon, Lancaster, S. C., April 16, 1825.
Land grant, signed by Jackson, presented by Mrs. J. C. Cartwright.
Letter from Dr. Beaumont to Jackson, expressing solicitude for
latter’s health and presenting his book on medicine.
Photostat of Major General Jackson’s orders to his troops, Nov. 24,
1812.
Election returns from Globe Extra, November 15, 1832. Presented by
Judge John H. DeWitt.
Case D:
Letter from Jackson to Maj. A. J. Donelson, 1837, relating the
ovations he received en route from Washington to Nashville.
Letter from Jackson to Maj. A. J. Donelson, July 25, 1833, giving
instructions for Hermitage farming operations and requesting
him to check and report on them.
Official nomination of John H. Baker as Secretary of French Treaty
Commission notation by Jackson.
Letter to Jackson from Roger B. Taney, Attorney General, regarding
New Orleans banks.
Case E:
Letter in French regarding Louisiana colonies.
Ship passport, signed by Jackson, June 4, 1835.
Letter accompanying original Treasury Draft, remitting the famous
Judge Hall fine.
Case F:
Photostatic copies of bills and letters from Philadelphia dealers
regarding Hermitage furnishings purchased in 1837 and of bills
for remodeling mansion after the fire in 1834.
Case G:
Copies of bills for Hermitage furnishings purchased in 1837.
Letter from Jane Caffery, Hermitage, Feb. 1815, regarding the Battle
of New Orleans, presented by Vera Walker Morel.
Poem written on Jackson’s birthday, March 15, 1837, White House.
Letters to Major A. J. Donelson, telling of marauder’s attempt to
break in to President Jackson’s bedroom.
Case H:
Letter from Jackson to his neighbor Dr. Doyle, requesting his
consultation with Col. Jeremiah George Harris’ physicians at
the time of his accident.
Letter from Lord Byron, Venice, 1819, to his Paris publishers,
remonstrating against publishing under his name volumes of
which he was not the author. Presented by Earl to Jackson,
along with volume of Byron’s poems.
Case I:
Letter from Jackson to Maj. Wm. B. Lewis, February 28, 1845,
regarding Polk’s cabinet and other political matters.
Letter to President Jackson from Edward Livingston, Paris, May 6,
1834.
Letter, Emily Donelson to Andrew Jackson Donelson.
Case J:
Letter from Andrew Jackson to Major William B. Lewis, Aug. 6, 1814,
referring to military matters.
Letter from Andrew Jackson to Dr. Doyle, Fountain of Health,
requesting bill for services to his ward, Dec. 27, 1840.
Letter, Andrew Jackson to Andrew Jackson, Jr.
MANSION AND GROUNDS
The Hermitage is built in “Southern Colonial” style of architecture,
with large verandas in front and rear, a wide hallway, with two rooms on
either side, and wings supplementing these. The rooms are spacious, and
are eleven in number, besides pantry, storeroom, kitchen, cellar. There
is a smoke-house and other outhouses. In 1922 a steam furnace was
installed at a safe distance from the mansion, eliminating danger of
fire from this source.
[Illustration: The hall.]
_The Hall_
The hall contains the original hat rack, umbrella stand, two mahogany
sofas, pier table, Brussels stair carpet and brass rods, and the
chandelier. The hall floor originally was covered with oilcloth. The
pictorial wallpaper was printed by duFour in Paris, about 1825. The
complete set consisted of twenty-five strips in colors, and was ordered
by General Jackson in 1835, being the original paper used when the house
was rebuilt. It was shipped by way of New Orleans up the Mississippi and
Cumberland Rivers. This paper is of outstanding historical interest, one
of the few historic, scenic papers preserved in this country.
The paper represents the legend of the travels of Telemachus in search
of Ulysses, his father, and is that part of the story of his landing on
the island of Calypso. He is accompanied by Mentor.
Scene I. The landing and the Queen advancing to meet them.