State

Tar Heel By Billy Arthur The President And Pretty Peggy Hannah Casso gave Andrew Johnson his name — and twice saved his house from burning. H ISTORY As far back as 1808. Christinas week in Raleigh was one of gaiety and merrymaking. For Hannah Casso. popularly known as “Pretty Peggy." it turned out to Ik* one of particular joy. Just four days after Christmas that year, she named a future president of the United States Historians and newspa¬ per accounts differ on the details, but they agree on the basics. On the night of Dec¬ ember 29. the 1 7-уеагч>1(1 daughter of Peter Casso was attending a gala party and dance in the senate chamlier of the State Capitol, across from her father's tavern on Fayet¬ teville Street. As she danced, a little girl burst breathlessly into the room calling. “Miss Peggy, come quickly. Polly the Weaver wants you. Right away." Pretty Peggy rushed to the bumble res¬ idence of Polly the Weaver, as Mary John¬ son wits called. Her home was next door to Casso’s Inn. where her husband. Jacob Johnson, was a hostler. Peggy entered their home, found a newborn baby and offered to lend a hand. “What did you name him?" Peggy ачк«ч1. Polly invited a suggestion. “Andrew Jackson Johnson." Peggy answered. She knelt lieside the crib and kissed the infant. Biographer Robert W. Winston writes: “And so, with the middle name omitted for the sake of brevity. Andrew Johnson set out on bis pilgrimage" to become the 17th president of the United Suites. And Pretty Peggy, too. embarked on a journey that took her into historian Kemp P. Battle's list of Raleigh’s early “worthy citizens," distinguished for their Andrew Johnson , photographed abate by Mathew Brady, was born in this humble house in Raleigh in 1808. strength of character. The Johnson birthplace was а 12-Ы-18- foot, two-story, three-room house aliout 20 feet from the inn. On two occasions, in 1816 and 1821. the house and the Casso pro|H*rty were saved from lire by the courage and determination of I lannah Casso (then Hannah Casso St e*wart). In a Fourth of July address in 1876, Battle said: “When the fire demon, starting from the corner next to Capitol Square, moved down, leveling all tin* houses on its way, and assailed her (property) ... this heroic woman (slum!) like a bulwark against the onward march ol the flames.... “While strong men ga/ed helpless and despairing at this awful sight, she sprang forth to active conflict with the danger. She spurred on the lagging, she animated the faint-hearted, she heeded not the advanc¬ ing column of flames, the falling cinders, the suffo¬ cating smoke, the crash¬ ing timbers.... "Armed with wet blan¬ kets and hastily tilled buck¬ ets, she stood at the very jaws of the terrible heat until others, shamed into action at the recklessness ol her daring, rushed to her aid. Twice she conquered. Twice did she save from destruction her own pro|>- ertyand long rows of her neighbors* hous¬ es. Among her contemporaries, her praise was in the mouths ol all. I**t our young men and women reinc-mlier tin* deeds and honor the name of Mrs. Hannah Casso Stewart." During the June 1840 celebration mark¬ ing the completion of the new Capitol building and the Raleigh and ( laston Rail¬ road. I lannah Stewart organ i/cd the huge festive dinner and gala kill. And when President Johnson came back to Raleigh to visit hisbirthplaccin 1867. Pret¬ ty Peggy, who had kissed him on the night he was born, was present at his reception — and kissed him once again. ? Billy Arthur is и veteran lontrihutor to The Stale. Ловя соилпу <4 N.C Di.mon Ы Aiikivo and llnbx> The State/Dccembci IWI 13