Mrs. Susan J. Hancock is a native of New Berne--born 1819--nee Blaney. Her father was a prosperous merchant, and bestowed on her the best possible education.
She was always of a romantic turn of mind, but never wrote a line until she was thirty-five years old, when she wrote articles for various Southern periodicals, which were well received. Her poetry is impromptu and written to elicit much of joy as well as sorrow.
New Berne at an early period fell into the hands of the Union troops, and Mr. Hancock was sent with many others over the lines without provisions or protection. Her son fell in battle near Richmond. He was a member of the 2d North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel Tew. After the war was over she returned to New Berne, there remained until she moved to St. Paul, Minnesota.
She says, "if anything could make me forget the unhappy past and my beautiful Southern land, beautiful even in her desolation, it would be the warm-hearted kindness with which I have been welcomed to my new Western home."
Samuel Lowrie (born 1756, died 1818) lived and died in Charlotte. He was born in Wilmington, State of Delaware, August 12, 1756, and came with his parents to Rowan county, N. C., when he was fifteen years old. He was educated in Iredell county at the Clio Academy, under charge of Rev. James Hall. When the Revolutionary War came on he entered the army, and was in the Battle of Kings Mountain (October 7, 1780), and at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown (October 19, 1781). After the war closed he studied law, and was admitted to the bar at Camden, South Carolina, where he lived until his marriage in 1788, to Margaret, daughter of Captain Robert Alexander, who had served in the war as a Commissary, and whose wife was the sister of Captain James Jack, who bore the proceedings of the Mecklenburg Declaration to Philadelphia.
Mr. Lowrie, on his marriage, settled in Charlotte in the practice of his profession.
In 1804 he was elected a member of the Legislature from Mecklenburg county, with General George Graham, George W. Smart and Thomas Henderson as colleagues. He was re-elected in 1805-06. This last year he was elected one of the Judges of the Superior Courts for the State, which elevated position he held till his death (December, 1818).
He was twice married. By his first wife he had--
- I. Mary, married Dr. David Dunlap.
- II. Eliza--died unmarried.
- III. Margaret--same.
- IV. Lillie, married Brawley Oats.
- V. Robert Jack Alexander.
- VI. Samuel M.
By his second wife, Mary, daughter of Marmaduke Norfleet, of Bertie county, he had one daughter, who married Rev. Mr. Henderson, of Huntsville, Alabama.
ANDREW JACKSON.
We have alluded to the interview between Mrs. Smart and Andrew Jackson when he was quite a youth.* It seems to be settled in the public mind that he was born in South Carolina, but there is no certainty of the fact.*
* The Memories of Fifty
Years, by William H. Sparks, Philadelphia 1870.
* Governor Swain one of the
most accurate genealogists of the country, in his Tucker Hall address, states
positively that General Jackson was born at the house of George McCamie, in
Mecklenburg county, North Carolina, in the 15th of March, 1767. The line was not
ascertained on that locality until long after Jackson had removed to
Tennessee.
His early life was very
obscure and he himself was uncertain of his birthplace. He remembered many
incidents of the Revolution more especially these that transpired in North
Carolina. Unquestionably he was of Irish descent, and read law
Judge Porter visited Europe a
short time before his death, and made
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