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This is our American stories, and some of our favorite stories to tell are stories about our history.

From George Washington to Jackie Robinson, we love bringing you in-depth looks into the lives

of great Americans. Today's story is less about a great American, but his pet parrot that had

to be removed from his funeral. History professor Mark Cheatham tells us one of his favorite stories

that he learned while working at Andrew Jackson's plantation, The Hermitage. Here's Mark.

When I was a docent at the Hermitage, the summer between my junior and senior years of college,

one of my favorite stories to tell was that of Paul the Parrot.

I never questioned its validity at the time, but several years ago, I decided to check on this

story and see, was it actually true?

Marsha Mullen, the authority on all things Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage,

directed me to Reverend William Menifeie Normant's recollections, which are in volume three of Samuel G. High School's book, Andrew Jackson and early Tennessee history.

And speaking about Jackson's 1845 funeral, Normant recorded, Before the sermon, and while the crowd was gathering,

a wicked parrot that was a household pet, got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house.

It's a great anecdote, and it's one I've told many times over the years.

But the story became even more interesting for me because Normant was a graduate of Cumberland University where I currently teach.

He was one of a group of Cumberland University students who visited Jackson shortly before the former president died in June of 1845.

According to one Normant obituary, there are few, if any, people living today who saw General Andrew Jackson in the flesh.

Since the death of Judge Nathan Green of Lebanon, Tennessee a few years ago, Reverend Normant is the only survivor of that little group of students of Cumberland University that in the spring of 1845 visited Old Hickory at his famous country home, the Hermitage, 15 miles from Nashville. Here Reverend Normant described their visit.

Cumberland University is at Lebanon, about 15 miles from the Hermitage.

In the early spring of 1845, six of us Cumberland students decided we wish to meet General Jackson.

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