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In fact, Samuel explained, two slaves, Uncle Ben and Creasy, who had been staying,
according to them, in the outbuilding that Russ used as a kitchen, reported that a French-speaking
A
man had been seen prowling around the property' over the last two weeks. At one point, the man set his dog on Old Ben who had ?to run to get out of his way, but he watched him so closely he could do nothing, so the man left about day light.? [Samuel Jackson to Rachel Jackson Lawrence Clifton March 31, 1858].
Samuel related to his sister the story told him by Uncle Ben concering those last hours before the Russ I^lace burned to the ground:?Uncle Ben was again disturbed last night by the
dogs, and went out but cei,ild see no one, he went to bed again, and was the second time aroused --
.Samuel expressed nis.sorrow and anticipated the great pain that the news was to .bring to by the dog, went out but couTcrs^eno one. he waitedout mere nil, he supposed eleven oclock
his .parents, who were still en roinWrornXjainesville tp Nashville. ?Words,cannot express my (sic jT ana again retirea. tne third time tne<jre awakened them, the whole side of the Duiiding
sorrow.? he.wrote his sister, ?I wiU try ancLcSsfc^ll intq forgetfulness. And tir and (ill?gible).to urupted (sic) m flames, and part of tne roof ralfingNyid the'rlames shooting through the whole
disperse the d^k and threatening cloud that seems to aTe-hang pur fortune. All my labor last year bunding. ColC?awakenea ancrseeing a large Tight, awaKeheqMr. Berry, a preactier staying with
proved fruitless. This year may be the^anie but L will not lookorttlie darkside qf.the book of him. they ran down asr quick as possible (sic) and passing Dr. Wnitters.caTled to mm. air three
ffortune <sic?>,.but will buckle, on mv armor and battle mv way ihrougnthis broad Universe.? . went down, but it was too Tate. ceing'S Tat fire it oumed like tar. Mr. Berry towjme to day, that he
[Letter reference]. Samuel.then speaks of rine strawbemes that he ate two weeks'ago. and how never saw any one so much affected as Lol\.?was. Mr. B?had to hold him up, ana sayed he
well the.pptatoes. radishes, lettuce Reas and corn were doing. , _	....	....
cryed (sic) as if he would creak hisTieart. and old Uncle Beti and Creasy cryed like children.
[Samuel Jackson to Rachel Jackson Lawrence Clifton March 31, 1858.]
A few days later, Samuel communicated a similar account to his older brother, Andrew
Jackson III, a graduate of West Point. In that letter, he mentioned that the parlor and dining room
had been made considerably larger. Earlier he had sent his father a diagram of the house, giving
him the dimensions of each room (This did not aecQmpany-the-lettef-sent b> Llurfleiinildgt lu the
Hancock County Historic Seerety): Samuel also related to his brother news about his plantings,
and mentioned that there had been a case or two of smallpox twenty-odd miles from Clifton. He
had therefore vaccinated all the little children on the plantation, numbering twenty-five or twenty-
six.
Samuel may have been reticent to break the news to his father, as that task was done by Claiborne. Even though his parents had just left the coast and were possibly still waiting for their transportation from Gainesville, Samuel explained to his brother that Colonel Claiborne had telegraphed the news to Nashville. There is no record of a letter concerning the fire written from Samuel to his father or mother. It was Andrew Jr. who broke the news to Sarah that their waterfront home had been consumed by fire in two very tragic letters dated April 7 and April 8,