The Hermitage

The Hermitage is the home of President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).  Most of the furnishings are from the period the Jacksons lived there.  The rooms are very large and beautifully preserved.  Local reenactors act as guides.

The employees here were very interested in my personal connection with Jackson.  My distant cousin was a rifle maker in Tennessee.  He would make his rifles then take them down to Louisiana to sell.  He would be gone more than a year each trip.  Once he returned to find his wife with a brand new baby.  Furious with her infidelity, he cut the ears off that baby to mark it forever as being illegitimate.  Then he ran, knowing this terrible act would rightfully put him in jail for a very long time.  At last he stated he would surrender only to the local lawman:  Andrew Jackson.  This, of course, was long before the Presidency.  There is a History Channel program about Andrew Jackson and about 20 minutes into the program is the story of my cousin (four times removed, thank goodness) and his surrender to Jackson.  And that is my personal, dubious connection with the former President.

A wagon tour is offered, winding through the grounds and explaining how the plantation operated. The 1,120 acres also contain a 1.5 mile walking trail accompanied by an audio program that highlights some of the 40+ sites on the property.  I took advantage of both, and it was well worth it.  My feet, however, are annoyed that I only wore sandals.  Tomorrow I should break out the sneakers.