elancholy verse that genius is a fatal gift. It
dazzles as a meteor with its superhuman light, and as soon fades into
darkness, lighting its path with a blaze of glory, astonishing and
delighting the world, but consuming itself with its own fire.

Poindexter had won greatly upon the affections of the people of the
Territory, in the active part he had taken, in connection with General
Ferdinand Claiborne and General Hinds, in stimulating the people to
prepare to meet the exigencies of the war of 1812 with Great Britain.
Her eastern territory was exposed to the inroads of the Creek Indians,
a large and warlike tribe, who were hostile to the United States, and
were in league with the English, and being armed by them. The Choctaws
and Chickasaws were on her northern frontier, and were threatening. An
invasion by the way of New Orleans by English troops was hourly
expected. It required great energy and activity to anticipate and guard
against these threatening dangers. Poindexter employed his time and his
influence to prepare the people to act efficiently and at a moment's
warning. When the threatened invasion became a reality, and General
Jackson was descending the river with troops as the American commander,
and when the militia were on the ground, and nothing remained to be
done in Mississippi, he promptly repaired to the scene of action and
volunteered his services to Jackson, who, accepting them, placed him on
his staff as a volunteer aide.

In this capacity he continued to serve until the end of the campaign
and the termination of the war. It was to him the negro or soldier
brought the celebrated countersign of "Beauty and booty," found on the
battle-field, and which he carried to General Jackson. His enemies laid
hold of this incident and perverted it slanderously to his injury, by
asserting the note to be a forgery of his, done for the purpose of
winning favor with the General, and to cast odium upon an enemy
incapable of issuing such an infamous countersign.

Those who have read the history of the various strongholds of the
French in Spain which were stormed during the Peninsular war, will
remember these were the same troops and the same commanders, who were
quite capable of the excesses in New Orleans that they committed in
Spain. This slander was never traced; but there were those remaining
who, when the breach occurred between General Jackson and Governor
Poindexter, asserted that General Jackson believed it, a