VISIT OF GENERAL JACKSON TO THE CITY
AS A GUEST OF TAMMANY, IN 1819.*
BY GENERAL PROSPER M. WETMORE.
ONE incident in the history of Tammany caused a good deal of feeling at
the time of its occurrence, and has probably not been forgotten by all of those
who have survived the last half century. Previous to the year 1820, the war
between the Bucktails, or Regular Tammany orgaization, and the Clintonians, a
party of more recent date, had begun to wax warm, and it was expected that at
the then approaching national election an unusual degree of bitterness, perhaps
of violence, would prevail in the contest. Every preparatory effort was there-
fore put in force to increase the strength of each of the contending parties.
In the early spring of 1819, an unexpected event awakened the enthusiasm
of the people, of every class, to an unusual degree. It was the arrival in New
York of General Andrew Jackson, then only known as the hero of New Orleans,
and the successful commander who had closed the war with our British antag-
onists by the most brilliant victory of the whole contest. The name of Jackson
had not at that time become a watchword of party, although there were a few
sagacious politicians who regarded him as the "coming man." It will natu-
rally be supposed that the active members of the two contending parties would
be alive to the importance of securing so valuable an adherent, and a share of
the prestige which attached to the person of a victorious general.
Jackson was received with great eclat by the municipal authorities, and
with well-deserved honors at the hands of the people. A military review was
given him on the Battery, and the freedom of the city in a gold box, in the
Park. He was afterward escorted by a regiment of cavalry to visit the vener-
able and distinguished General Ebenezer Stevens, then living, at an advanced
age, on Long Island, near Hell Gate. Stevens had commanded the American
artillery at the surrender of Burgoyne, at Saratoga, and Jackson had defeated
Packenham and a greatly superior force at New Orleans. More than half a
century had elapsed between the two great events, and the visit of the young
and popular general was a graceful compliment paid to the warrior of another
During the stay of the General in the city, he accepted an invitation to dine
at Tammany Hall. He was received with the greatest cordiality by the domi-
nant party, who expected great results from so auspicious an event. The enter
tainment was superb, as the phrase was understood in that primitive day, when
Stetson was not, and Delmonico undreamed of. Alas! how precarious are all
human expectations! An explosion followed the opening of the intellectual
exercises, which speedily put an end to the harmonious hilarity of the occasion.
The circumstance which led to this disastrous result cannot be better stated
than in the language of one of Halleck's notes to an allusion in The Croaker :
"A grand dinner was given to General Jackson, at Tammany Hall, on the
23d of February, 1819, in honor of his visit to this city. The hall was crowded,
and the toast, 'To General Jackson; so long as the Mississippi rolls its waters
to the ocean, so long may his great name and glorious deeds be remembered,'
was replied to by the General, who proposed, 'De Witt Clinton, Governor of
the great and patriotic State of New York,' to the utter confusion of the Buck-
tails, who looked upon Clinton as their bitterest foe. General Jackson, per-
fectly independent of all parties, had conceived a great admiration for Mr.
Clinton, although he was at that time personally unacquainted with him, and
hence the toast. The greatest confusion ensued, amid which the General left
the room."
The subject was just fitted to call out the brilliant wits of the day. Drake,
in the first number of The Croaker, has the following lines
"I'm sick of General Jackson's toast
Canals are naught to me;
Nor do I care who rules the roast,
Clinton or John Targee."
Halleck took his full share of the fun.
One of his earliest contributions to
the series of The Croaker, entitled, "The Freedom of the City in a Gold Box
to a Great General," is in his happiest vein. One stanza from another of his
productions on the same topic must suffice. It is entitled, "The Secret Mine
Sprung at a Late Supper:"
The songs were good, for Mead and Hawkins sung 'em,
The wine went round, 'twas laughter all and joke,
When crack! the General sprung a mine among 'em,
And beat a safe retreat amid the smoke.
As fall the sticks of rockets when we fire 'em,
So fell the Bucktails at that toast accurst,
Looking like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram,
When the firm earth beneath their footsteps burst."
It may well be supposed that such an opening for jocose allusion was not
neglected, and the subject continued to be a sore one to the Bucktails for many
a month after the public at large had forgotten the occurrence. Jackson's
unpremeditated piece of strategy was not without its effect upon the future
policy of parties; for in after years the Clintonians became the most earnest
and influential members of the Jackson party.
ABOLITIONIST RIOT, 460.
Academy of Design, 588, 589, 609.
Albany City, 14, 16, 44, 45, 109, 110,
126, 148, 641.
City, Six Nations in Council at,
130.
County of, 114, 211.
County of, divided into three por-
tions, 238.
Albion, a ship, 156.
Alderton's Building, 90.
Alexander, James, a prominent lawyer of
New York, 134.
Alexis, Russian Duke, reception of, 639.
Alleged Robbery of Vouchers from Comp-
troller's Office, 627.
Allegiance, Oath of, Traders compelled
to reside within city limits, and
take, 52.
Allerton, Isaac, one of the "May Flower"
emigrants, 90.
Alliance with France, 288.
Almshouses, 336.
Ambuscade, a ship, 321.
America, Bank of, 603.
Bank of North, 603.
American Academy of Fine Arts found-
ed under Charter, 587.
Academy of Fine Arts, Trum-
bull's connection with, 587.
Army of 15,000 men, encamped at
Brooklyn, 247.
Civilization, 657.
Coast, 16.
Lawyers, eminent, 341.
Press, The, its History and Prog-
ress, 274-280.
Republic, new, a stranger's ex-
perience in the, 338.
Americans retreat across East River, to
New York, 247.
Ames, Fisher, 292.
Amherst, General, 184, 443.
General, visit to New York, 184.
Amsterdam, 10, 14, 56, 63, 85.
Chamber, 18, 35, 43, 63.
Chamber, proclamation relating
to settlement in and trade with
New Netherland, 35.
Directors, 59, 148.
Fort, 21, 25, 26, 27, 36, 46, 49, 62.
Fort, surrender of, 62 note.
Port, changed to Fort James, 62.
Harbor of, 10.
New, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 34, 35, 37,
39, 40, 50, 51, 52.
New, and Long Island Ferry, 40.
New, Population of, 53, 55, 59, 148.
New, Survey and Map made, 58.
New, Col. Nicholls anchors be-
fore, 61.
New, surrendered to the British,
61.
New, henceforth known as New
York, 62.
New, Literature of, 77.
New, Sunday in, 77.
New, Mode of Worship in, 78.
Anne, Queen, 124, 138, 155, 647.
Annual grants of supplies only, insisted
upon by the Assembly, 143.
Anonymous communications to Govern-
ment by Sons of Liberty, 204.
Appeal to Citizens on the Tammany
Frauds question, 624–627.
Appleton & Co., 604.
Apple-raising, 69.
Aqueduct, Croton, at Sing Sing, 500, 501.
Arcade in Maiden Lane, 419.
Archangel, 14.
Architecture of New York City, 601.
Arding, Rev. Charles, 319.
Armuyden, in Zealand, 95.
Arnold, Benedict, 154.
Arrival of two British regiments at Bos-
ton, 216.
Arsenal, State, 457.
Asia, a ship, 245.
Aspinwall, William, 41.
William H., 376.
Assembly, (Colonial) the people petition
for a representative, and are re-
fused, 106.
the first, meets in 1683, 113, 114.
the, provides for building a
church, 121.
the, refuses to grant supplies and
is dissolved, 143.
functions of the, annulled by the
British Parliament, 213.
elected in 1768, is convened, 215.
remonstrates with Gov. Moore,217.
dissolution of the, in 1769, 218.
meets; John Cruger speaker, 221.
petitions the Crown for redress
of grievances, 245.
123, 129, 136–146, 156-165, 172,
173, 174, 177, 179, 181, 183, 190,
191, 194, 196, 198, 202, 203-241.
Astor House, 232, 308.
Astor, John Jacob, 38.
John Jacob, Anecdote of, 413.
Astor Library, 649.
Astor Place Opera House, 521, 522.
Place Riot, 520.
Assurance Companies, 603.
Asylum for the Insane, seeking suitable
site for, 233.
Asylum for the Insane, Review of its sub-
sequent career, 233.
Atlantic Cable Celebration, 284.
Garden, 30, note.
and Pacific Oceans, 17.
Attucks, a mulatto, 228.
Auchmuty, Rev. Samuel, 167, 220.
Auction Hotel, 483.
BADLAM'S BATTERY, 246.
Baker, Gardiner, 329.
Sir William, 207.
Baldock, Captain R., 394.
Ball in honor of the opening of the Erie
Canal, 410.
in honor of the Queen's Birthday,
261.
Washington Inauguration, 309.
Baltimore, 369, 388.
Bancroft, George, 54, 161, 200, 248, 637.
George, delivers an oration upon
President Lincoln, 657.
Bank Street, 378.
Bank of Commerce, 603.
of the Commonwealth, 603.
of the Republic, 603.
of America, 603.
of New York, 603.
Broadway, 603.
of North America, 603.
Union, 603.
Banks suspend payment, 536.
Bauman, Colonel, 236, 299, 305.
Banyar, Goldsbrow, 201, 205.
Barclay, Rev. Mr., 166, 167.
Street, 251.
Street Ferry, 420.
Barlow, General, 645.
Barnard, Judge, 633.
Barnum's Museum, 511.
Barre, M. de La, Governor, 111.
Barren Island (Beeren Eylant), 98.
Bartlett, an artist, 636.
Batterson, James G., designs the Worth
Monument, 516.
Battery, The, 19, 25, 30, 49, 78, 87,
396, 403, 475, 499, 613, 657.
Fort, The dilapidated condition of,
47.
Beekman, Adrian, killed in a riot, 272, Booth's Theatre, 607, 609.
Street, 165, 184, 323, 331, 590.
Swamp, 70, 91, note, 167.
Boston, 30, 41, 122, 125, 199, 214, 216, 223,
227, 239, 243, 244, 246, 274, 387.
old post road, 91, 93.
Bouck, Mr., 408.
Boudinot, Elias, 292.
Boulevard, The New, 597.
Bowerie Village, 103.
Bowery, 12, 93, 403, 529.
Bowling Green, 19, 27, 30, 37, 78, 92, 115,
125, 200, 246, 289, 318.
William, Schepen of New Am- Bradford, Governor William, of New
Plymouth, 133.
Bradford's Gazette, 274.
Breast works erected, 246.
factories in New Netherland,
59.
Benton, Hon. Nathaniel, gives Canal Breweries, Brick-kilns, and other Manu-
Berkeley, Sir William, Governor of Vir- Brick Church, Old, 366, 590.
Officers and their wives indulg-
ing in gayety and frivolity,
whilst American citizens are
languishing in prison, 256.
Broad Street, 13, 24, 30, 87, 88, 89, 92,
115, 124, 231, 246, 251, 300, 303,
318, 321, 336, 421, 477, 480, 481,
482, 509, 510.
Broadway, 13, 19, 67, 89, 90, 92, 95, 102,
132, 152, 232, 321, 335, 340, 403,
421, 426, 462, 474, 499, 509,
603.
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