Yes, the rumors are true. When a man named Charles Dickinson called me “a worthless scoundrel, a poltroon and a coward” in a local newspaper in 1806, I challenged this accuser to a duel. At the command, Dickinson fired and hit me in the chest. The bullet missed my heart by barely more than an inch. In spite of the serious wound, I stood my ground, raised my pistol and fired a shot that struck him dead. I have carried around the bullet in my chest as well as another from a subsequent duel since they happened.
Host: It must have been a terrifying experience.
Jackson. Not as much as you would think. I was a general in the War of 1812 and have experienced far more gunfire than you could imagine.
Host: Speaking of gunfire, tell us about your assassination attempt.
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Capitol on January 30, 1835, following a memorial service for a congressman, a deranged house painter named Richard Lawrence fired a pistol at me from just a few feet away. When Lawrence’s gun misfired, he pulled out a second weapon and squeezed the trigger. That pistol also misfired. I then charged at him with my cane as the shooter was subdued. A subsequent investigation found the pistols to be in perfect working order. The odds of both guns misfiring were found to be 125,000 to 1. Never bring a gun to a cane fight.
Host: You’ve survived several duels, an assassination attempt, and a war. You are quite a strong man, Andrew.
Jackson: They don’t call me “Old Hickory” for nothing.
Host: What is the meaning behind that nickname?
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