IV 



PRESIDENT JACKSON'S ORDERS AND 

 REMINISCENCES 



In the spring of 1834, while a member of Congress, I 

 was invited by my friend Maj. A. J. Donelson, private 

 secretary of President Jackson, to visit without ceremony 

 the stable of horses then being trained at Washington by 

 himself and Maj. T. P. Andrews of the United States 

 Army, consisting of Busirus, by Eclipse, owned by C. 

 Irvine; Emily, by Ratler, Lady Nashville, belonging to 

 Maj. Donelson, and Bolivia, owned by Gen. Jackson. 1 



I assisted in timing all the "trial runs" of the stable. 

 As the race meeting drew near, Maj. Donelson called to 

 notify me that the last and most important run would 

 take place on the following morning, urging me to be on 

 hand and saying the General and Mr. Van Buren (the 

 Vice-President) would be present. 



1 NOTE BY J. D. A. In a letter written from the White House 

 February 18, 1832, by A. J. Donelson, to Stockley Donelson, this 

 statement appears: "As to the colt training, the proper instructions 

 have been sent to Mr. Steele [overseer at the Hermitage] who will 

 no doubt execute them so far as to give Alexander the means. I do 

 not understand your meaning when you say it won't do to bring them 

 on to Baltimore. If they are promising and worth the price which 

 Uncle [President Jackson] has put upon them and which he has 

 been offered for two of them, I cannot see any difficulty in the way 

 . . . and do not fear the consequences of its being known that the 

 President has consented to have his horses trained and raced if 

 there is a prospect of his winning. I can assure you that injury on 

 this score is imaginary, and has long since ceased to be harmful." 



