American Leaders and Heroes Part 25

TO THE PUPIL

1. Give an account of Fulton's life at school, and his youthful inventions.

2. Tell about his experience with the diving-boat.

3. What serious accident happened to his boat?

4. Imagine yourself on the Clermont at the time of its trial trip, and give an account of the journey from New York to Albany.

5. What do you admire in the character of Robert Fulton?

CHAPTER XXI

Andrew Jackson, the Upholder of the Union

[1767-1845]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Andrew Jackson.]

Only four years after the Clermont made its successful trip up the Hudson, the first steamboat on the Ohio was launched at Pittsburg. This boat was the forerunner of numerous steam-driven craft which swarmed the extensive network of rivers west of the Alleghany Mountains. A fresh impulse was given to westward migration, for settlers could now easily and cheaply reach the fertile lands of the Mississippi Valley, and, having raised an abundant crop, could successfully send the surplus to the Eastern markets. Under conditions so favorable the West grew in population with marvellous rapidity.

Wealth went hand in hand with the increase of population, and greatly strengthened the influence of the people of the West in the affairs of the country. By 1829, one of their number became the sixth President of the United States. This was Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee.

Andrew Jackson was born in Union County, N. C., in 1767, of poor parents, who about two years before had come from Ireland. In a little clearing in the woods, they had built a rude log hut and settled down to hard work.

But Andrew's father soon died, and his mother went with her children to live in her brother's home, where she spun flax to earn money. She was very fond of little Andrew and hoped some day to make a minister of him.

With this in view she sent him to school where he learned reading, writing, and a little ciphering. But he cared so little for study that he made small advancement, and in fact never learned to spell well nor to write the English language with ease or even correctness.

He found great pleasure in hunting and in rough-and-tumble sports, excelling in running, jumping, and wrestling. Although not robust, he was wiry and energetic, and when a stronger boy threw him to the ground, he was so agile that he always managed to regain his feet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Andrew Jackson's Cradle.]

As a school-boy Andrew was a bare-footed, freckle-faced lad, with slender frame, bright blue eyes, and reddish colored hair. Full of life and fun, he became known as "Mischievous Andy." Andy was brave and ready to champion the weaker and smaller boys, but sometimes he became overbearing and at other times his quick temper got him into trouble.

One day his companions, wishing to play a practical joke upon him, secretly overloaded a gun, and dared Andy to shoot it. The fearless little fellow, seizing the gun, shot it off, and was kicked violently upon his back. But quickly jumping up, his eyes blazing with anger, he shouted, "If any of you boys laugh, I'll kill him." The boys did not laugh.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Spinning Wheel.]

While he was yet a lad the Revolution broke out, and there was severe fighting between the Americans and the British near his home. His love of action, which up to that time had expressed itself in out-of-door sports, now took a more serious turn. War became a pa.s.sion with him, and from this time he could not visit the local blacksmith's shop without hammering into shape some form of weapon. Once while fiercely cutting weeds with a scythe he was heard repeating these words: "Oh, if I were a man, how I would sweep down the British with my gra.s.s blade!"

In the course of a few years young "Andy" had real British soldiers to fight; for he was only thirteen when he was made a prisoner of war. One day soon after his capture, a British officer ordered him to clean his muddy boots. The fiery youth flashed back: "Sir, I am not your slave. I am your prisoner, and as such I refuse to do the work of a slave."

Incensed at this reply, the brutal officer struck the boy a cruel blow with his sword. Andrew saved himself from the brunt of the blow, but received two severe wounds, the scars and the bitter memory of which he carried through life.

These indignities were but a beginning. He was transferred to the prison pen about Camden jail, some forty miles away, where without shelter and almost without food, he suffered from heartless exposure. In a weak and half-starved condition, his wounds yet unhealed, he fell a victim to small-pox. Hearing of his wretched plight, Andrew's mother secured his release and took him home with her. Andrew struggled for months with a severe illness. Before he had entirely recovered, his mother died leaving him quite alone in the world.

But these hardships pa.s.sed, and some years later Andrew decided to become a lawyer. After studying law for a while, at twenty-one he crossed the mountains with an emigrant party into the backwoods region of Tennessee. Now grown to manhood, he was six feet and one inch tall, slender, straight, and graceful, with a long slim face and thick hair falling over a forehead beneath which looked out piercing blue eyes.

When he reached Nashville, the destination of his party, his experience was, in a large measure, the same as that of Daniel Boone in the wilds of Kentucky. When the women of the settlement went out to pick berries, and when the men hoed corn in the clearings, some of the settlers, gun in hand, with watchful eyes stood guard against attack from stealthy Indians.

To the dangers belonging to backwoods life, Jackson was greatly exposed.

The court-houses in which, as public prosecutor, he had to try cases, were in some instances hundreds of miles apart. In going from one to another he journeyed alone, and sometimes had to remain alone in the woods for twenty nights in succession. In periods of unusual danger, he dared not light a fire or even shoot a deer for fear of Indians.

But in the midst of all these dangers he escaped harm, and by his energy and business ability achieved success as a lawyer. In time he acquired the means to become a large land-owner. After his marriage he built a house which he called The Hermitage, on a plantation of 1,100 acres, about eleven miles from Nashville.

Here Jackson lived with his wife, whom he loved with a deep and abiding affection. They kept open house for visitors, and entertained large numbers of guests at a time, treating rich and poor with like hospitality. His warm heart and generous nature were especially shown in his own household, where he was kind to all, including his slaves.

Having no children he adopted two, one of whom was an Indian baby-boy who had lost his mother. Of these children, Jackson was very fond.

Indeed, childlike simplicity was always one of his striking traits. Not even when he became a noted man did he give up smoking his corn-cob pipe. But we must not think of him as a faultless man, for besides being often rough in manner and speech he had a violent temper which got him into many serious troubles; among them were some foolish duels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Map Ill.u.s.trating Two of Andrew Jackson's Campaigns.]

After one of his duels, with a ball in his shoulder and his left arm in a sling, he went to lead an army of 2,500 men in an attack upon the Creek Indians, who had risen against the whites in Alabama. These Indians had captured Fort Mimms, which was in Southern Alabama, about forty miles north of Mobile, and had ma.s.sacred 500 men, women, and children seeking shelter there. Although Jackson was weak from a long illness, he marched with vigor against the Creeks. In the campaign he endured much hardship, increased by the difficulty of feeding his 2,500 men in a wild country, where they almost starved for lack of food.

Under such conditions Jackson had to exercise much firmness and tact to keep his army from deserting and returning home. The following incident is told to show in what way he won the confidence and love of his men: "A soldier, gaunt and woe-begone, approached the general one morning, while he was sitting under a tree eating, and begged for some food, as he was nearly starving. 'It has always been a rule with me,' replied Jackson, 'never to turn away a hungry man when it was in my power to relieve him, and I will most cheerfully divide with you what I have.'

Putting his hand into his pocket, he drew forth a few acorns, saying: 'This is the best and only fare that I have.'" But in spite of all his drawbacks, Jackson conquered the Creeks, and thus broke for all time the power of the Indians south of the Ohio River.

Not long afterward he was sent at the head of an army, with the rank of major-general, to defend New Orleans against an attack of the British who hoped to get control of the lower Mississippi and all the southern part of what was then known as the Louisiana Territory. When Jackson went down to New Orleans he was in such extremely poor health that he was hardly able to sit on his horse. Nevertheless he worked night and day with unflagging energy, arming his men and encouraging them to meet the over-confident British foe.

The British army consisted of 12,000 veterans fresh from victories over the great Napoleon. Naturally enough they despised the American backwoodsmen. Their confidence seemed reasonable, for they numbered twice as many as the Americans.

On January 8, 1815, the British made a vigorous a.s.sault on the American lines. But they were mowed down with such terrible slaughter that at the end of twenty-five minutes, they were forced to retreat with a loss of 2,600 men in killed and wounded. The Americans lost only twenty-one. The resolute courage and unwearied action of "Old Hickory," as Jackson was fondly called by his men, had won a signal victory. Through his military reputation Jackson soon became very popular. His honesty and patriotism took a strong hold on the people, and in due time he was elected President of the United States.

A man of pa.s.sionate feeling, he loved his friends and hated his enemies with equal intensity. Moreover, he did not seem to think that a man could disagree with him, especially in political matters, and still be his friend. So when he became President he at once began to turn out of office those who held government positions, and put into their places men of his own political party who had helped to bring about his election. Thus was introduced into our national civil service the "spoils system."

We can readily imagine that such a man, so warm-hearted, and yet so intolerant, would make many friends and many enemies. But no one doubted his sincerity, especially in matters pertaining to the welfare of his country. His absolute fairness and his high sense of duty are well ill.u.s.trated by his dealings with the Nullification Act. By reason of a high tariff, pa.s.sed for the protection of manufacturers in the North, South Carolina declared that she would not allow any such law to be enforced in that State. This declaration was called the Nullification Act.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JACKSON AT THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.]

Jackson himself did not favor a high tariff, but he was firm in his purpose that whatever law Congress pa.s.sed should be enforced in every State in the Union. When, therefore, he heard of the action of South Carolina, he rose to the full height of his executive authority. The news came to him as he was quietly smoking his corn-cob pipe. In a flash of anger he cried aloud, "The Union! It must and shall be preserved!

Send for General Scott!" Troops were speedily sent to compel obedience, and South Carolina withdrew her opposition.

In 1837, at the end of his term of office as President of the United States, he went to his old home, The Hermitage, where he once more took up the life of a hospitable planter. He was now nearly seventy years old, and a constant sufferer from disease. With his usual stubborn will, however, he battled for several years longer. He died in 1845, at the age of seventy-eight, one of the most striking figures in American history. His prompt and decisive action in compelling South Carolina to obey the tariff laws did much to strengthen the Union, for it prepared the nation to ward off the greater danger of secession, in which South Carolina took the lead, twenty-eight years later.

REVIEW OUTLINE

RAPID GROWTH AND INFLUENCE OF THE WEST.

ANDREW JACKSON'S EARLY HOME A RUDE LOG HUT.

"MISCHIEVOUS ANDY" AT SCHOOL.

"ANDY" AND THE BRITISH OFFICER.

JACKSON'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE.

LIFE AT NASHVILLE; BACKWOODS DANGERS.

HOME LIFE AT THE HERMITAGE.

JACKSON CONQUERS THE CREEK INDIANS.

HE WINS THE CONFIDENCE OF HIS MEN.

HE DEFEATS THE BRITISH AT NEW ORLEANS.