Andrew Jackson: Lessons in Leadership

By Robert V. Remini and Wesley K. Clark

A gripping account of Andrew Jackson's triumphant military career by acclaimed military historian Robert Remini, winner of the National Book Award.

Andrew Jackson is best known as the president who created "Jacksonian democracy," with its focus on manifest destiny and laissez-faire economics. But rarely are his accomplishments as a general highlighted. Jackson's effective use of spies in war time and of martial law in peace time sparked a debate about the curtailing of civil liberties in the name of national security that continues to this day. Most of all, Jackson was a great motivator who could, with a few carefully selected words and by his own brave example, turn around starved, deserting troops, convincing them to fight.

With dramatic scenes of fierce battles and victories, Remini reveals here why Jackson's bold leadership as a general led to his election as President of the United States in 1828.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Sep 2, 2008
• ISBN: 9780230614703

Robert V. Remini

Robert V. Remini is professor of history emeritus and research professor of humanities emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and historian of the United States House of Representatives. He is the winner of the National Book Award for the third volume of his study of Andrew Jackson, and he lives in Wilmette, Illinois.

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9780230614703

Andrew Jackson

THE GREAT GENERALS SERIES

This distinguished new series features the lives of eminent military leaders who changed history in the United States and abroad. Top military historians write concise but comprehensive biographies including the personal lives, battles, strategies, and legacies of these great generals, with the aim to provide background and insight into today's armies and wars. These books are of interest to the military history buff, and, thanks to fast-paced narratives and references to current affairs, they are also accessible to the general reader.

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Sherman by Steven E. Woodworth

Andrew Jackson

Robert V. Remini

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Contents

Foreword—General Wesley K. Clark

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Indian Fighter

Chapter 2. The Creek War

Chapter 3. The Battle of New Orleans

Chapter 4. The First Seminole War

Chapter 5. The End of Military Service

Chapter 6. The Military Legacy

Notes

Index

Foreword

EVERY YEAR IN MOST STATES, DEMOCRATS FLOCK TO THEIR annual Jefferson-Jackson dinners. The emphasis is on Thomas Jefferson, of course, considered the founding father of the Democratic Party. Almost forgotten is the military record and legacy of Andrew Jackson, America's seventh president and perhaps greatest military hero before to the American Civil War.

Robert Remini's sparkling biography of Andrew Jackson helps set the record straight and reinvigorate Jackson's military legacy for modern Americans. More than anyone else, it was Jackson, through a combination of military leadership, inspired vision, and strong personality, who insured that America retained its independence, drove out European rivals. Under his leadership, America's influence grew to eventually span the entire continent.

Jackson's was a classic American success story: a young man born into poverty, orphaned, struggling against severe tribulations, and ultimately rising to the highest levels of success. As a youngster during the Revolutionary War, Jackson lost his mother and two brothers. His father had died just before he was born. Like other lads, he worked as a messenger around the American troops, was captured by the Brits, and bladed by a British officer for refusing to polish his boots. It was probably a defining moment in his life. Though lacking a proper education, he was determined to gain the military skills that would allow him to strike back against the British.

Jackson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and took on the mantle of leadership as a young civic leader, lawyer, and militiaman. But his principal aspiration was military leadership. A rising star in the political arena on the frontier, he parlayed his connections into an appointment as a leader in the Tennessee militia, and all else followed.

Jackson had seen war as a child; he was steeped in the lore and practice of Indian fighting, an all-too-common circumstance on the frontier. He'd learned the tricks of moving through the woods, of before-dawn stand-to, and early morning readiness, and he'd learned to encircle a foe. It was a standard repertoire. But Jackson brought to this three unique qualities: first, he was a keen judge of strategies and intent; second, he had an indomitable will; and third, he had a real thirst to be in charge. These qualities shone through, effort after effort.

Under Jackson, the United States defeated a superior British force at the Battle of New Orleans. It was his greatest victory; it made him a household name and it cleared a path for the United States to dominate North America.

From today's perspective, the battle looks tactical and almost feeble: a few thousand American troops defending a barricade behind a ditch along the Mississippi River south of New Orleans, with a weak and under-protected flank guard across the river. The outcome almost seemed to turn on luck—fog, clumsy, ill-timed British attacks, ponderous movements—and a poorly executed final assault which led to the slaughter of the British troops attempting to breach the ditch and storm the barricade. It would be easy to mistake the battle as more of a British defeat than an American victory. But that would be to underestimate the incredible strength and resourcefulness which Jackson brought to the campaign, and to disregard the months of maneuver and conflict which culminated in the battle. Jackson was not only a strong tactician; he was a master strategist, operating at the highest levels of the military art.

Over a period of more than a year preceding the battle, Jackson raised a force of several thousand men, marched them overland and moved by river from Nashville to Natchez, returned his force to Tennessee, reformed and refitted a new force, marched south into Alabama, wiped out an Indian force aided and abetted by the British, drove off a British force in the Florida panhandle and around Mobile Bay, countermarched to New Orleans, took control of the city (under martial law), and bent the city's resources to its own defense, including even the local band of pirates under the Lafitte brothers. In the course of these maneuvers he dealt with severe shortages of supplies, an absence of effective strategic direction from higher authority, and repeated disobedience, rebellion and desertion from within his command. At one point he faced down mutinous troops with a musket and his steely gaze; at another he actually trained his cannon on a mutinous brigade, stood in the line of fire, and invited the men to decide their fate, acknowledging that if they broke he would open fire and be among the first casualties.

Jackson was a man with a steel will. He persevered in command despite illness and personal suffering. He demanded the same level of hardiness from his troops, even as he took care of those who were ill and injured. And, ultimately, they came to love him for it.

New Orleans was a victory which set bells pealing across America. Despite defeat after defeat in the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans proved that the United States could beat the best that Britain could field. Jackson's victory confirmed America's independence.

In the years subsequent to the battle, Jackson went on to drive the Spanish out of Florida and became America's president. In that position he encouraged further settlement of the west, and was instrumental in pushing the American effort in Texas.

By twenty-first-century standards Jackson appears as a deeply flawed personality—a slave-owning, hot-tempered duelist, quick to anger and never able to forget a slight. He was quarrelsome, egocentric, and utterly demanding. His leadership as President was marked by deep controversy. But Andrew Jackson's military prowess, proved on half a dozen battlefields, makes him one of our greatest generals and a strategic force in the shaping of modern America. His is a legacy that must be remembered.

—General Wesley K. Clark

Introduction

ANDREW JACKSON HAS THE UNIQUE DISTINCTION OF FIGHTING those nations that, at one time or another, claimed possession of part or all of the continental United States. He fought the British as a soldier boy during the American Revolution and again during the War of 1812. He fought the Spanish when he invaded and seized Florida from them in 1818. And during much of his life, from his early years into maturity, he fought Native Americans.

Jackson had a vision. National security was central to his thinking about the destiny of this country. He felt that national security dictated the occupation of North America by citizens of the United States. And he was motivated by an intense love of country. He did not talk about Canada very much but concentrated on the lower half of the continent, especially the Southwest, along the Gulf of Mexico. It was dangerous, he declared, "to leave a foreign power in possession of heads of our leading branches of the great mississippi [sic]. Expansion was necessary for the security of the great emporium of the west, Neworleans [sic]. Besides, he went on, the god of the universe had intended this great valley to one nation. And that nation—obviously—was the United States. For that reason, he regarded the presence of the British, Spanish, and Native Americans to be a constant threat to the safety of the American people and why he was determined to get rid of them. One by one he had defeated all of them militarily. But that was not enough. Jackson was simply repeating what he had said just prior to the War of 1812. In a letter to General James Winchester, he said that with less than two million [dollars we] can conquer not only the Floridas but all Spanish North America."

All Spanish North America! I have a hope, Jackson continued, that at least two thousand Volunteers can be led into the field at a short notice—That number commanded by firm officers and men of enterprise—I think could look into Santa Fe and Mexico—give freedom and commerce to those provinces and establish peace, and a permanent barrier against the inroads and attacks of foreign powers on our interior—which will be the case so long as Spain holds that large country on our borders.

That large country on our borders must be surrendered to us, he said. And it will be—from the Floridas to Mexico.¹

A dream of empire—and, to a very large extent, General Andrew Jackson converted it into a reality.

What makes it all so intriguing is that this conqueror had almost no training in the art of war. He did, in fact, participate in military action as a youth, but what he learned resulted from observing leaders whom he admired. His development into a superb military general came about mainly because of his ability to inspire troops by his obvious talents as a commander. They had confidence in him, they trusted him, and they were devoted to him.

One example of the intense relationship between Jackson and his soldiers occurred during the War of 1812 when he escorted his men through a wilderness back to Nashville. He surrendered his horses so that the sick would not be left behind and would have transport to bring them safely home. As the army marched, he walked alongside his troops, urging them on, appealing to their love of country, and assuring them of his pride in their bravery. They knew he cared for them and would do everything in his power to get them safely home. And it was that overwhelming sense of his affection for his troops that helped him to win victory over his country's enemies and lifted him into the ranks of great American generals.

CHAPTER 1

The Indian Fighter

ANDREW JACKSON WAS BORN TO A SCOTS-IRISH FAMILY THAT came to this country from Castlereagh on the east coast of Northern Ireland in 1765 and settled in the Waxhaw district, which straddles an area between North and South Carolina. General Jackson always claimed that he was born in South Carolina, but he may have been mistaken, for many North Carolinians, even today, believe he was born in their state. The problem arose because his mother, Elizabeth Hutchison Jackson, visited two of her sisters after her husband died, one living in North Carolina, the other in South Carolina. Presumably she was visiting Jane Crawford, her sister in South Carolina, when on March 15, 1767, she gave birth to a son and named him after his late father, Andrew. We do know that she took up residence in Jane's house and remained there for several years, serving as housekeeper and nurse to her ailing sister. So it is most likely that General Jackson was indeed a South Carolinian by birth.

There were two older brothers in the family, Hugh, the eldest, and Robert. When they were old enough, they, along with Andrew, attended an academy operated by Dr. William Humphries. Because Elizabeth was a very pious Presbyterian, she hoped that her youngest son would become a minister. To attain this goal, Andrew later attended a school run by a distinguished Presbyterian minister James White Stephenson, but he never demonstrated any interest or talent for the church. Quite the contrary. Lacking a father to properly guide him, young Andrew developed habits of speech to convey his anger or disappointment that no God-fearing person would tolerate. And his education was most deficient. He did learn to read and write and do simple problems of arithmetic, but he never received an education that prepared him for the great office he later achieved.

It was therefore up to Elizabeth to assist the boy in his character development, and being a strong woman herself, she contributed a great deal to the man he became. According to tradition, she taught him not to steal, lie, or sue for slander or assault. The dueling ground was the place to resolve personal grievances, she lectured. Sustain your manhood always. . . . Never wound the feelings of others. Never brook wanton outrage upon your own feelings. Apparently these instructions had a great impact on General Jackson. After he defeated the British in New Orleans in January 1815, he reportedly said to a group of friends standing nearby: Gentlemen, 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.¹

Elizabeth also taught Andrew to fear and hate Indians. According to a neighbor, Susan Alexander—Aunt Betty, as Elizabeth was known to family and friends—was a fresh-looking, fair-haired, very conservative, old Irish lady, at dreadful enmity with the Indians. Alexander claimed in what was pure speculation that Elizabeth's eldest son, but not Hugh or Robert, was killed by the Indians. The family, Alexander remarked, did lament about their eldest son and brother. They took great spells of mourning about him. Now Hugh, the eldest living child, died while fighting in the American Revolution, most probably of heat stroke, and Robert died shortly after his release from British captivity during that same war. And there is no evidence of any other son of the Jackson family. Still, Susan Alexander insisted that Elizabeth's fierce hatred of the Indians resulted from the killing of a kinsman.

Mrs. Jackson and her son, Andrew, came to our house, Alexander continued; but not Hugh or Robert. "Nor do I recollect hearing them mention any other brother than the one that was killed. I only recollect about the death of that one brother, and I had it as a perfect belief, that he was killed by the Indians—for they often mourned him, and they were inveterate haters of the Indians, on account of their barbarities—both he and his mother.

Oh, said Alexander, we all suffered by those horrid Indians, and the remembrance of it has not gone out of me yet.²

Although the local Indian tribe in the Waxhaw region was the Catawbas, who had long since learned to live peacefully with the white community there was always the danger of marauding tribes from the mountains to the west, such as the Cherokees, who would suddenly descend on frontiersmen and their families living in the Carolinas. Young children, like Andrew, learned early on about the danger the Indian represented and the need to protect themselves. No doubt Andrew picked up his hostile attitudes about Native Americans from his brothers, his uncles, and most probably his schoolmates and playmates. It was reported that he learned to make bows and arrows, just like the Indians, and became something of a marksman in shooting snipes, partridges and wild turkeys with his handmade weapons. Susan Alexander remembered him as a lank, leaning-forward fellow, tall of his age with a large forehead and big eyes. All in all, she said, he was an independent boy in his manner . . . [and] could not well be idle.³

As he entered his teenage years, Andrew gained a reputation as an unruly, wild, and headstrong ruffian. He never forgot an affront or insult, and he never suffered them without responding in kind. He was a mischievous troublemaker, stubborn and quick to anger. Perhaps his undisciplined behavior could be chalked up to his youth or his lack of an appropriate role model. An early biographer described him as a wild, frolicksome, willful, mischievous, daring, reckless boy. At the same time he demonstrated unswerving loyalty to his friends and could be singularly tender toward them.⁴

The fighting streak in Andrew soon had a worthy target when the colonial leaders in Philadelphia signed a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in July 1776 and took up arms to defend their newly declared freedom. In time, the British brought the war to South Carolina and Georgia by capturing Charleston and Savannah. Then, in the spring of 1780, approximately 300 mounted British soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, rode into the Waxhaws in a surprise attack and killed 113 locals and wounded another 150. Their assault was so savage that the raid was rightly called a massacre. They pillaged and burned homes and virtually destroyed the community.

The meetinghouse was converted into a hospital, and Elizabeth Jackson and two of her three young sons tended the wounded. The eldest, Hugh, had joined the regiment of William Richardson Davie and later died of the fatigues of the day at the battle of Stono Ferry.⁵A t the time, Andrew was 13.

Elizabeth encouraged Robert and Andrew to attend the drills and general muster of the local militia. The two boys quickly learned the commands and exercises of military service. Andrew, in particular, understood the value of the militia and how important it was to keep the men well trained. Discipline was essential, something he never forgot. But he also recognized the political and social values that accompanied membership in this military organization. Holding rank in the militia provided a high position—perhaps the highest—in American frontier society.

Following the Tarleton raid, the Waxhaws community kept pleading for protection, and it finally arrived in the person of Colonel Davie and a small fighting force intent on avenging the massacre. Andrew and Robert joined Davie's force and may have served as messengers or errand boys. As part of this fighting group, Andrew had the opportunity of observing the actions, attitude, and operation of the commanding officer.

An early biographer said that if General Andrew Jackson had any model for soldiering, that model was William Richardson Davie. The colonel cared for his men, looked after their needs, and regularly showed attention to their well-being. He hardly rested. He was constantly on the move, constantly vigilant and concerned and involved in every aspect of his command. In addition, he was bold in planning his military operations but extremely cautious in exercising them. Many of these same characteristics can be seen in Jackson's later struggles with the Indians, the British, and the Spanish.⁶

The following winter, 1781, the enemy returned to the Waxhaws, and fierce fighting broke out again. It turned into a vicious civil war between those loyal to the crown and those supporting independence. Men hunted each other like beasts of prey, wrote one biographer, and the savages [Indians] were outdone in cruelties to the living and indignities to the dead. Andrew and his brother participated in many of the skirmishes between the two factions, and they were both taken prisoner when a Tory neighbor notified British dragoons that they were hiding in their uncle's home. The troops surrounded the house, then burst in and captured the two boys.

One of the British officers ordered Andrew to clean his boots and when the boy refused, the officer drew his sword and aimed it directly at the lad's head. Andrew threw up his left arm to ward off the blow and received a deep gash on his forehead and fingers, a lifetime reminder of British brutality.

Robert and Andrew, along with 20 other captives, were taken to a concentration camp in Camden, South Carolina, where they were in-humanly and harshly treated, reported one early biographer. Never would Andrew forget the experience. Thrown in with 250 other prisoners, the boys were robbed and abused. Lacking proper food, medicine, and beds, they soon contracted smallpox. Fortunately, Elizabeth arrived at the exact time that an exchange of prisoners was being arranged by Lord Rawdon and Captain Walker of the American militia. Faced with the desperation of an imploring mother, the officers agreed to include her children in the exchange. They were surrendered, along with several other Waxhaws neighbors, in return for a number of British soldiers.⁷

Elizabeth could not believe what she saw: her two sons wasted by malnutrition and disease. She procured two horses and placed the dying Robert on one and rode the other herself. Andrew walked the 45 miles to their home, barefoot and without a jacket. Two days later, Robert died and Andrew was delirious. Fortunately, the attention and care of his mother, the help of a

Reviews for Andrew Jackson

[ohernaes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quite a character, both child soldier, orphan, lawyer, Indian killer, general, president. Probably not easy to be with, could be rash and manipulative. Scheming politician and demagogue. Did what suited his (sometimes idiosyncratic) interests.