The Memories of Fifty Years | Page 2

years ago--who have listened at the parental hearth to their recital. To these I send this volume greeting; and if they find something herein to amuse and call up remembrances of the past, I shall feel gratified.
To the many friends I have in the Southwest, and especially in Louisiana and Mississippi, where I have sojourned well-nigh fifty years, and many of whom have so often urged upon me the writing of these Memories, I commit the book, and ask of them, and of all into whose hands it may fall, a lenient criticism, a kindly recollection, and a generous thought of our past intercourse. It is an inexorable fate that separates us, and I feel it is forever. This sad thought is alleviated, however, by the consciousness that the few remaining sands of life are falling at the home of my birth; and that when the end comes, as very soon it must, I shall be placed to sleep amid my kindred in the land of my nativity.
THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I
. REVOLUTIONARY TRADITIONS.
Middle Georgia--Colonel David Love--His Widow--Governor Dunmore-- Colonel Tarleton--Bill Cunningham--Colonel Fannin--My Grandmother's Bible--Solomon's Maxim Applied--Robertus Love--The Indian Warrior-- Dragon Canoe--A Buxom Lass--General Gates--Marion--Mason L. Weems --Washington--"Billy Crafford"

CHAPTER II
. PIONEER LIFE.
Settlement of Middle Georgia--Prowling Indians--Scouts and their Dogs--Classes of Settlers--Prominence of Virginians--Causes of Distinction--Clearing--Log-Rolling--Frolics--Teachers Cummings and Duffy--The Schoolmaster's Nose--Flogging--Emigration to Alabama

CHAPTER III
. THE GEORGIA COMPANY.
Yazoo Purchase--Governor Matthews--James Jackson--Burning of the Yazoo Act--Development of Free Government--Constitutional Convention--Slavery: Its Introduction and Effects

CHAPTER IV
. POLITICAL DISPUTATIONS.
Baldwin--A Yankee's Political Stability--The Yazoo Question--Party Feuds and Fights--Deaf and Dumb Ministers--Clay--Jackson--Buchanan-- Calhoun--Cotton and Free Trade--The Clay and Randolph Duel

CHAPTER V
. GEORGIA'S NOBLE SONS.
A Minister of a Day--Purity of Administration--Then and Now--Widow Timberlake--Van Buren's Letter--Armbrister and Arbuthnot--Old Hickory Settles a Difficulty--A Cause of the Late War--Honored Dead

CHAPTER VI
. POPULAR CHARACTERISTICS.
A Frugal People--Laws and Religion--Father Pierce--Thomas W. Cobb-- Requisites of a Political Candidate--A Farmer-Lawyer--Southern Humorists

CHAPTER VII
. WITS AND FIRE-EATERS.
Judge Dooly--Lawyers and Blacksmiths--John Forsyth--How Juries were Drawn--Gum-Tree _vs._ Wooden-Leg--Preacher-Politicians--Colonel Gumming--George McDuffie

CHAPTER VIII
. FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Governor Matthews--Indians--Topography of Middle Georgia--A New Country and its Settlers--Beaux and Belles--Early Training--Jesuit Teachers--A Mother's Influence--The Jews--Homely Sports--The Cotton Gin--Camp-Meetings

CHAPTER IX
. PEDAGOGUES AND DEMAGOGUES.
Education--Colleges--School-Days--William and Mary--A Substitute-- Boarding Around--Rough Diamonds--Caste--George M. Troup--A Scotch Indian--Alexander McGilvery--The McIntosh Family--Button Gwinnett --General Taylor--Matthew Talbot--Jesse Mercer--An Exciting Election

CHAPTER X
. INDIAN TREATIES AND DIFFICULTIES.
The Creeks--John Quincy Adams--Hopothlayohola--Indian Oratory--Sulphur Springs--Treaties Made and Broken--An Independent Governor--Colonels John S. McIntosh, David Emanuel Twiggs, and Duncan Clinch--General Gaines--Christianizing the Indians--Cotton Mather--Expedient and Principle--The Puritanical Snake

CHAPTER XI
. POLITICAL CHANGES.
Aspirants for Congress--A New Organization--Two Parties--A Protective Tariff--United States Bank--The American System--Internal Improvements --A Galaxy of Stars--A Spartan Mother's Advice--Negro-Dealer-- Quarter-Races--Cock-Pitting--Military Blunders on Both Sides--Abner Green's Daughter--Andrew Jackson--Gwinn--Poindexter--Ad Interim-- Generals by Nature as Civil Rulers

CHAPTER XII
. GOSSIP.
Unrequited Love--Popping the Question--Practical Joking--Satan Let Loose--Rhea, but not Rhea--Teachings of Nature--H.S. Smith

CHAPTER XIII
. INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD.
First Impressions--Fortune--Mirabeau B. Lamar--Dr. Alonzo Church--Julius C?sar--L.Q.C. Lamar--Texan Independence--Colquitt--Lumpkin--What a Great Man Can Do in One Day--Charles J. Jenkins

CHAPTER XIV
. A REVOLUTIONARY VETERAN.
Tapping Reeve--James Gould--Colonel Benjamin Talmadge--The Execution of Major André--Character of Washington--A Breach of Discipline-- Burr and Hamilton--Margaret Moncrief--Cowles Meade

CHAPTER XV
. CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT.
Governor Wolcott--Toleration--Mr. Monroe--Private Life of Washington --Thomas Jefferson--The Object and Science of Government--Court Etiquette--Nature the Teacher and Guide in all Things

CHAPTER XVI
. PARTY PRINCIPLES.
Origin of Parties--Federal and Republican Peculiarities--Jefferson's Principles and Religion--Democracy--Virginia and Massachusetts Parties--War with France--Sedition Law--Lyman Beecher--The Almighty Dollar--"Hail Columbia" and "Yankee Doodle"

CHAPTER XVII
. CONGRESS IN ITS BRIGHTEST DAYS.
Missouri Compromise--John Randolph's Juba--Mr. Macon--Holmes and Crawford--Mr. Clay's Influence--James Barbour--Philip P. Barbour-- Mr. Pinkney--Mr. Beecher, of Ohio--"Cuckoo, Cuckoo!"--National Roads --William Lowndes--William Roscoe--Duke of Argyle--Louis McLean-- Whig and Democratic Parties

CHAPTER XVIII
. FRENCH AND SPANISH TERRITORY.
Settlers on the Tombigbee and Mississippi Rivers--La Salle--Natchez --Family Apportionment--The Hill Country--Hospitality--Benefit of African Slavery--Capacity of the Negro--His Future

CHAPTER XIX
. THE NATCHEZ TRADITIONS.
Natchez--Mizezibbee; or, The Parent of Many Waters--Indian Mounds-- The Child of the Sun--Treatment of the Females--Poetic Marriages-- Unchaste Maids and Pure Wives--Walking Archives--The Profane Fire-- Alahoplechia--Oyelape--The Chief with a Beard

CHAPTER XX
. EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Chicago--Crying Indians--Chickasaws--De Soto--Feast of the Great Sun--Cane-Knives--Love-stricken Indian Maiden--Rape of the Natchez --Man's Will--Subjugation of the Waters--The Black Man's Mission--Its Decade

CHAPTER XXI
. TWO STRANGE BEINGS.
Romance of Western Life--Met by Chance--Parting on the Levee--Meeting at the Sick-Bed--Convalescent--Love-Making--"Home, Sweet Home"-- Theological Discussion--Uncle Tony--Wild, yet Gentle--An Odd Family--The Adventurer Speculates

CHAPTER XXII
. THE ROMANCE CONTINUED.
Father Confessor--Open Confession--The Unread Will--Old Tony's Narrative--Squirrel Shooting--The Farewell Unsaid--Brothers-in-Law-- Farewell Indeed

CHAPTER XXIII
. WHEN SUCCESSFUL, RIGHT; WHEN NOT, WRONG.
Territorial Mississippi--Wilkinson--Adams--Jefferson--Warren--Claiborne--Union of the Factions--Colonel Wood--Chew--David Hunt--Joseph Dunbar--Society of Western Mississippi--Pop Visits of a Week to Tea--The Horse "Tom" and his Rider--Our Grandfathers' Days--An Emigrant's Outfit--My Share--George Poindexter--A Sudden Opening of a Court of Justice--The Caldwell and Gwinn Duel--Jackson's Opposition to the Governor of Mississippi

CHAPTER XXIV
. THE SILVER-TONGUED ORATOR.
John A. Quitman--Robert J. Walker--Robert H. Adams--From a Cooper-Shop to the United States Senate--Bank Monopoly--Natchez Fencibles--Scott in Mexico--Thomas Hall--Sargent S. Prentiss--Vicksburg--Single-speech Hamilton--God-inspired Oratory--Drunk by Absorption--Killing a Tailor--Defence of Wilkinson

CHAPTER XXV
. A FINANCIAL CRASH.
A Wonderful Memory--A Nation Without Debt--Crushing the National Bank--Rise of State Banks--Inflated Currency--Grand Flare-up--Take Care