PERSPECTIVES: Robards | Jackson
Marriage in Natchez | Divorce Laws

TIMELINES: Official | Remini's

Judge Overton's Narrative
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Soon after this affair Mrs. Robards went to live at Colonel Hay's, who married her sister. After a short absence I returned to live with Mrs. Donelson's, at her earnest entreaty -- every family then desiring the association of male friends as protection against the Indians. This took place, the best of my recollection, in the spring of 1790.

Some time in the fall following there was a report afloat that Captain Robards intended to come down and take his wife to Kentucky. Whence the report originated I do not now recollect, but it created great uneasiness both with Mrs. Donelson and her daughter, Mrs. Robards -- the latter of whom was much distressed, she was convinced, after two fair trials, as she said, that it would be impossible to live with Captain Robards; and of this opinion was I, with all those I conversed with who were acquainted with the circumstances. Some time afterward, during the winter of 1791, Mrs. Donelson told me of her daughter's intention to go down the river to Natchez, to some of their friends, in order to keep out of the way of Captain Robards, as she said he had threatened to "haunt her." Knowing, as I did, Captain Robards unhappy jealous disposition, and his temper growing out of it, I thought she was right to keep out of the way, though I do not believe that I so expressed myself to the old lady or to any other person.

The whole affair gave Jackson great uneasiness, and this will not appear strange to one as well acquainted with his character as I was. Continually together during our attendance on wilderness courts, whilst other young men were indulging in familiarity with females of relaxed morals, no suspicion of this kind of the world's censure ever fell to Jackson's share. In this -- in his singularly delicate sense of honor, and in what I thought his chivalrous conceptions of female sex, it occurred to me that he was distinguishable from every other person with whom I was acquainted.

About the time of Mrs. Donelson's communication to the respecting her daughter's intention of going to Natchez, I perceived in Jackson symptoms of more than usual concern. I determined to ascertain the cause, when he frankly told me that he was the most unhappy of men, in having innocently and unintentionally been the cause of the loss of peace and happiness of Mrs. Robards, whom he believed to be a fine woman. In this I concurred with him, but remonstrated on the propriety of his not giving himself any uneasiness about it. It was not long after this before he communicated to me his intention of going to Natchez with Colonel Stark with who Mrs. Robards was to descend the river, saying that she had no friend or relation that would go with her or assist in preventing Stark and his family and Mrs. Robards from being massacred by the Indians, then in a state of war and exceedingly troublesome. Accordingly, Jackson, in company with Mrs. Robards and Colonel Stark, a venerable and highly-esteemed old man, and friend of Mrs. Robards, went down the river from Nashville to Natchez, some time in the winter or spring of 1791. It was not, however, without the urgent entreaties of Colonel Stark, who wanted protection from the Indians, that Jackson consented to accompany them; of which I heard before Jackson's conversation with me already alluded to.

Previously to Jackson's starting, he committed all his law-business to me, at the same time assuring me, that as soon as he could see Colonel Stark and family and Mrs. Robards situated with their friends in the neighborhood of Natchez, he would return and resume his practice. He descended the river, returned from Natchez to Nashville, and was at the Superior Court in the latter place in May, 1971, attending to his business as a lawyer and solicitor general for the government. About, or shortly after this time, we were informed that a divorce had been granted by the Legislature of Virginia, through the influence, principally, of Captain Robards brother-in-law, Major John Jouett, who was probably in the Legislature at that time.

This application had been anticipated by me. The divorce was understood by the people of this country to have been granted by the Legislature of Virginia in the winter of 1790 -- 1791. I was in Kentucky in the summer of 1791, remained at old Mrs. Robards, my former place of residence part of my time, and never understood otherwise than that Captain Robards' divorce was final, until the latter part of the year 1793. In the summer of 1791, General Jackson went to Natchez, and, I understood, married Mrs. Robards, then believed to be freed from Captain Robards by the divorce in the fall of 1791. They returned to Nashville, settled in the neighborhood of it, where they have lived ever since, beloved and esteemed by all classes.

About the month of December, 1793, after General Jackson and myself had started to Jonesborough, in East Tennessee, where we practiced law, I learned for the first time that Captain Robards had applied to Mercer Court, in Kentucky, for divorce, which had then recently been granted, and that the Legislature had not absolutely granted a divorce, but left it for the court to do. I need not express my surprise, on learning that the act of the Virginia Legislature had not divorced Captain Robards. I informed General Jackson of it, who was equally surprised; and during our conversation, I suggested propriety of his procuring a license on his return home, and having the marriage ceremony again performed, so as to prevent all future caviling on the subject.

To this suggestion, he replied, that he had long since been married, on the belief that a divorce had been obtained, which was the understanding of every person the country; nor was it without difficulty he could be induced to believe otherwise.    [more >>]

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