Saturday, June 16, 2018

DC TRIP: Andy Jackson is our Gen'ral's name


Andy Jackson is our gen'ral's name,
His reg'lar soldiers we'll put to shame,
Them redskin varmints us Voluteers'll tame,
'Cause we got the guns with the sure-fire aim.
Davy - Davy Crockett,
The Champion of us all!

So sang the choir on the Disney mini-series, linking Andy and Davy forever in my brain. On the show, and in real life during the Creek Indian War, the two had minor differences. Their serious differences came later, when Andy was President and Davy opposed his Indians and settlers in western Tennessee. This resulted in Davy being groomed by the Whigs as a possible Presidential opponent, and Andy using the power of his political machine to take away Davy's congressional seat. At which time Davy headed for Texas - and you know the rest. 

So I've always had an interest in Andy, especially after reading a bunch of books about the Battle of New Orleans, and paying a visit to the battlefield. 

The statue above is a small version of the one that stands in front (or back) of the White House (depending which side you're on), and the other in the plaza before the Cabildo in New Orleans. 

by Thomas Sully, 1984, now in the National Portrait Gallery




by Ralph E.W. Earl, 1836-37


General Andy's uniform above, and sword below, in the Museum of American History



by Hiram Powers, 1935

2 comments:

  1. Looks like Andy enjoyed an occasional toga party. His legacy took a bad hit when he championed the Indian Removal Act.

    ReplyDelete