Having spent time in what is now Farragut, Andrew Jackson doomed by duel
On March 15, 1767, Andrew Jackson was born. President Jackson is relevant to Farragut because he was a famous American who spent time here on his journeys between Nashville and D.C. But he also provides an interesting case study on how our greatest strength can become our biggest problem.
Jackson was a patriot, and undeterred by his youthfulness during the Revolutionary War, he got involved in the fight. This led to his capture as a 13 year-old.
When an officer demanded that the youngster shine the man’s boots, Jackson refused. He got smacked with the flat side of a sword for his insolence, but he never shined the Brit’s fancy footwear.
Bravery has a cost — Jackson earned a permanent scar on his face — but bravery carries a reward, too. Jackson was quite proud of that scar — it was a constant reminder of the day he did not give in to fear. There is satisfaction in taking a stand, even when it is not easy.
Unfortunately, Jackson’s bravery did not always serve him well.
He had quite a temper. One day in court (he was a lawyer before he was a president), his opponent made him look foolish. The opposition lawyer, the peculiarly named Waightsell Avery, was just doing his job. Jackson had been an indifferent law student, but rather than admitting his ignorance, Jackson decided Avery was trying to mock and humiliate him.
The future 17th President of the United States wrote out a formal challenge on a page in a law book and threw it (the single page or the whole book, the story varies) at his opponent. Avery tried to shrug the challenge off, but Jackson persisted. There was going to be a duel.
Fortunately, by the time of the event, Jackson had calmed down, so both men simply fired their guns harmlessly in the air, and honor was served.
Jackson was a tempestuous man, but his anger did not hurt him that time.
His enthusiasm for dueling eventually contributed to his death, though. He was shot in one of those duels. The bullet could not be removed, and over time it caused lead poisoning that factored into his heart failure.
Jackson’s bravery, perhaps his greatest virtue, was colorful and inspiring, but it helped lead to his doom. There is a lesson here about not leaning too hard on our most comfortable impulses.
Columnist Timothy D. Holder is a former dean and history professor at Walters State Community College. These stories about Jackson are referenced in Holder’s book “Devotions with Presidents.” He will be speaking about presidents overcoming adversity starting at 10 a.m., Tuesday. April 5, in Farragut Community Center.
