at the governor, and the governor returned the shot; but in their frenzy, both shot at random, and neither hurt each other or anybody else, or at all wounded their reputations as wise and dignified and law-honoring judge and governor. Meeting soon after on a highway, when Doctor Vandyke was with Jackson, he drew a pistol and called to the governor to defend himself. The governor leaped from his horse, and the animal, in self defense, took to his heels. His son, who was with him, drew his pistol; Vandyke drew his. In this war-like attitude, some travelers came up and put a stop to the fray.

This standing quarrel between judge and governor, broke out anew whenever they met, and involved many of their friends in it. Neither of them seemed to see that it reflected on the dignity of their official standing. In 1804, he resigned his judgeship.

BUSINESS EMBARRASSMENTS.

In his land speculations, and mercantile and produce business, he became financially involved. He had sold land to a Philadelphian who had failed and could not pay him. His partners had made mistakes and involved the firm. He sold property, paid all, and began again, in a smaller and safer way. His business difficulties came through others' mistakes, not his own.

PERSONAL COMPLICATIONS.

Early in 1806, Jackson got into a difficulty with Mr. Charles Dickinson, a young lawyer, who was also engaged in trade. It grew out of something that Dickinson had said disparaging of Mrs. Jackson. He had explained the words, and the offense was smothered.

Soon after, at a horse-race, where his favorite horse was to run on a stake of two thousand dollars, he got into an altercation with a young man by the name of Swann. Swann challenged him for a duel, but he refused to accept it, on the ground that Swann was not a gentleman; but he beat him with a bludgeon, a disgraceful affair in the dueling code. This led the way to a revival of the Dickinson trouble, as he had been

referred to by Swann, and a duel was brought on with Dickinson. Dickinson was regarded as the best shot in the world,- could, at the distance they were to stand apart, hit a dollar every shot. He was a brilliant young man, and very popular. The distance was eight paces. Dickinson fired at the word, and struck a rib near the breast bone, breaking it, but turning the ball so it only inflicted a fearful wound, but did not enter his vitals. Jackson gave no sign of being hit, and Dickinson exclaimed, "Good God! have I missed him?" Jackson then fired with deliberate aim, and shot his antagonist through, who died that night, without knowing that he had hit Jackson.

This duel, so needless, cutting down a young husband, and man of many friends, hurt Jackson's popularity, till he retrieved it with his mititary successes.

In 1805 Aaron Burr visited Jackson in the interest of his contemplated expedition in the southwest. Jackson fell readily into his blandishments, and entered into his project arranging to furnish men and boats. He proposed to conquer the Spanish dominions, and it is believed he secretly intended to establish a separate government making the seat of it on the Red river where he purchased four hundred thousand acres of land. But Jackson's suspicions of his integrity were soon aroused and he withdrew from all connection with him. Burr was afterward tried for high treason, but the charge was not sustained. At Burr's tial in Richmond, Virginia, Jackson was summoned as a witness. He championed Burr's cause. Mr. Parton, one of his biographers, says: "There he harangued the crowd in the capitol square, defending Burr and denouncing Jefferson as a persecutor. There are those living (in 1859) who heard him do this. He made himself so conspicuous as Burr's champion at Richmond, that Mr. Madison, secretary of state, took deep offense at it, and remembered it to Jackson's disadvantage five years later, when he was president of the United States, with a war on his hands. For the same reason, I presume, it was that Jackson was not called upon to give testimony upon the trial."

After this time he lived for some years in private life at the Hermitage, the name of his home. But, as was so common

with him; he had his troubles with various parties, among them "an animated quarrel with Mr. Dinsmore, agent of the Choctaw Indians."

GENERAL JACKSON.

Jackson had now been general of the militia for some years. In 1812 when the war with England broke out he offered his services to the government with two thousand five hundred men of his division of the Tennessee militia. His offer was accepted. In October Governor Blount of Tennessee was asked to send one thousand five hundred men to New Orleans. Jackson called for a meeting of troops at Nashville, December 10. A force of infantry and cavalry met and was organized amounting to two thousand and seventy men. On January 7, 1813, the infantry embarked in boats for Natchez, and the cavalry marched across the country.

No use was made of this force, and in the spring it returned to Nashville. The General offered it for an invasion of Canada, but no answer was received from Washington and it was disbanded.

While on the march from Natchez to Nashville the soldiers called their general "Hickory" on account of his toughness. In later years he was called Old Hickory, and hickory poles and trees abounded in his campaigns for the presidency, and at the celebrations of his victory at New Orleans. So identified did he become with this symbol of his toughness, that an old man who was a democratic boy in his time, cannot see a hickory tree without being reminded of Jackson. The hickory was one of the means of his popularity. The woodsmen over the whole country took to him on this account.

In 1813, Jackson's friend, who afterward became General Carroll, got involved in a quarrel with Jesse Benton, a brother of Thomas H. Benton, and was challenged for a duel. Carroll asked Jackson to be his second. Jackson prevented the duel for awhile, but Benton was bound to have it out according to the code of honor's barbarity. Benton sent an account of it to his brother at Washington. This led to an angry correspond

ence between Colonel Benton and Jackson. Jackson threatened to horsewhip him at their first meeting. They met in a street in Nashville, September 4. Jackson advanced upon him. Benton retreated backward till he stumbled down the stairway of a hotel. Just at this moment Jesse Benton fired at Jackson a pistol loaded with two balls and a slug, shattering his shoulder and bringing him to the ground. A general melee among the friends of both followed in which several were hurt, but none killed. All the doctors but one recommended the amputation of the shattered arm. But Jackson would not consent to it, and in due time it become a useful arm.

On the thirtieth of August, 1813, the massacre of Fort Mimms, by the Creek Indians, created a great excitement throughout the southwest. Jackson, from his bed, addressed circulars to all who would arm themselves to punish the Indians, to meet at Fort Stephens. On the twenty-fifth of September the legislature of Tennessee called for three thousand five hundred volunteers, besides the one thousand five hundred that were in the national service. Still suffering from his wound, Jackson met and took command of this force October 7. On the eleventh he moved rapidly toward the Indian's center of operation. After two or three severe battles with the Indians which severely punished them, the half-fed army became mutinous, and many went home. Some new recruits came in, some friendly Indians joined him, and with such an army as he had, he plunged into the midst of the Indian territory. After two or three successful battles in January, troops began to come to him. In February he had five thousand men. He followed and attacked the Indians in their own strongholds in such rapid succession that by midsummer they were completely conquered, their chief surrendered, and he made a treaty with them by which the most of them left the country and went north. A few fled to Florida. So thorough was his work, that it is said to have broken the power of the Indians in North America.

This gave General Jackson a national reputation. Occurring at the time the country was at war with England, and perhaps an Indian outbreak which the English had incited, it made him

a hero, even more than it would to have gained a victory over so many English soldiers.

In May, 1814, General Jackson was major-general of the United States army in the southwest over six other generals who had claims to the position.

The English were preparing for a grand attack on the southwest in July. General Jackson pushed forward to Mobile to hinder as much as possible their operations in that quarter. They had possession of Pensacola in Spanish territory, which they used as though it were their own. Jackson wrote for orders, but getting no answer moved against it with three thousand men and cleaned it of British war force and materials. He sent a force against the Florida Indians with equal success. He was soon back to Mobile in force; but finding he had swept that region clear of the enemy, he sent the mass of his army to New Orleans, and reached that place himself December 2, 1814.

On December 14, a powerful British naval force came up the river and captured several gunboats and a schooner. The next day Jackson proclaimed martial law in New Orleans. On the morning of the twenty-third the advance of the British army came within nine miles of New Orleans. At two o'clock that afternoon, with a little over two thousand men, Jackson attacked the enemy. A severe battle ensued, aided by Lieutenant Henly in the schooner Carolina. This battle gave the British warning of the welcome they might expect when they went nearer the city.

That night the British were heavily reinforced, and had an army of trained soldiers and marines of fourteen thousand effective men armed and supplied according to the best art of war at that time. This is the highest estimate. Their own writers have put their force as low as eight thousand. To oppose this force Jackson had a force of less than four thousand, composed of Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisiana militia, with a few regulars. He had two sloops of war in the river and one colored battalion.

After the battle of the twenty-third of December, Jackson fell back to within four miles of the city, and began to throw up