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Maryland State Archives Adam Goodheart Collection MSA SC 5826 msa_sc5826_3_1-0030 Enlarge and print image (932K) |
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Maryland State Archives Adam Goodheart Collection MSA SC 5826 msa_sc5826_3_1-0030 Enlarge and print image (932K) |
| msa_sc5826_3_l-0030 ©Maryland State Archives - 30 - parade, my first love returned, and I applied for orders and joined my command then stationed at Annapolis, Md. My father was then in the Senate of the State, under the old Constitution, and I was invited to join his mess, a party of gay country gentlemen, the like of whom has passed away entirely. Each Senator had his horse, and when the weather suited, they would accompany Gen, Sterret RLdgely, who was one of that grave body and join in a fox chase. Of course there was no quorum on the days of the hunt, but the dinners on the return home were royal and jovial. From Annapolis I was promoted to a Company at Fort McHenry, and thence ordered to Fort Monroe, to embark for Charleston to suppress nullification under the iron heel of Gen, Jackson then President of the U.S. A large body of Troops was assembled on Sullivan's Island under Gen, Scott, and a small Naval force under Com. Elliott, assembled in front of the City with great promptness and decision, and there was not apparently the least hesitation on Jackson's part in making the boldest menace and showing an alacrity to resort to immediate war as a solution of the heresy of nullification. How different the action under almost similar circumstances thirty years after! Had Jackson then been the President in place of the good but weak Buchanan, what torrents of blood and millions of treasure would have been spared, Drayton, Huger, Pettigru and Poinsett were then the leading Union men of S. Carolina, Calhoun, Hamilton, McDuffee - of nullifica- tion. Hamilton was the Generalissimo of the forces, a good soldier and a very resolute man, but Jackson was too quick and determined. Besides the regular forced assembled so promptly, Gen. Jackson had arranged on the firing of the first gun to launch a column of Tennesseans on the Cerolinas, under the command of Gen. Coffee who was his second in command at the battle of N. Orleans, I mean that Mr. Buchanan was weak only in executive ability. He had neither the habit or character for Executive work. With splendid abilities for the Cabinet, he had been so long a politician accustomed to consult those about him, to catch |