The Memories of Fifty Years: Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent in the SouthwestSparks, W. H. (William Henry)
History
The Memories of Fifty Years: Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent in the Southwest
Sparks, W. H. (William Henry)
Georgia -- History -- 1775-1865; Southwest, Old -- History; United States -- Biography
That there was anything disreputable attached to the lady's name is
very improbable; for she was more than fifteen months in the house of
Green, who was a man of wealth, and remarkable for his pride and
fastidiousness in selecting his friends or acquaintances. He was the
first Territorial representative of Mississippi in Congress--was at
the head of society socially, and certainly would never have permitted
a lady of equivocal character to the privileges of a guest in his
house, or to the association of his daughters, then young. During the
time she was awaiting this divorce, she was at times an inmate of the
family of Abner Green, of Second Creek, where she was always gladly
received, and he and his family were even more particular as to the
character and position of those they admitted to their intimacy, if
possible, than Thomas B. Green. This intimacy was increased by the
marriage of two of the Green brothers to nieces of Mrs. Jackson.
In 1835, when Jackson was President, the writer, passing from Louisiana
to New York with his family, spent some days at Washington. His lady
was the youngest daughter of Abner Green; he was in company with a
daughter of Henry Green and her husband; her mother was niece to Mrs.
Jackson. We called to see the President, and when my lady was
introduced to the General, he was informed she was the daughter of his
old friend, Abner Green, of Second Creek. He did not speak, but held
her hand for some moments, gazing intently into her face. His feelings
overcame him, and clasping her to his bosom, he said, "I must kiss you,
my child, for your sainted mother's sake;" then holding her from him,
he looked again, "Oh! how like your mother you are--she was the friend
of my poor Rachel, when she so much needed a friend--I loved her, and I
love her memory;" and then, as if ashamed of his emotion, he continued:
"You see, my child, though I am President through the kindness or folly
of the people, I am but a weak, silly old man."
We spent the evening with him, and when in his private sitting-room his
pipe was lighted and brought to him, he said: "Now, my child, let us
talk about Mississippi and the old people." I have never in all my life
seen more tenderness of manner, or more deep emotion shown, than this
stern old man continually evinced when speaking of his wife and her
friends.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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