Stranger Than Fiction: Andrew Jackson’s Foul Mouthed Fowl

Andrew Jackson

By modern standards, Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States would be considered a redneck. While he resided at the White House, he enjoyed hunting squirrel on the front lawn and kept a moonshine still on the property. He enjoyed horse and carriage races and often orchestrated such events on the front lawn of the White House.

By modern standards it must have been a peculiar site to behold. Visitors to the nation’s capital might expect to see Jackson’s friends and political allies racing across the lawn in carriages, or on horses, while Jackson and friends guzzled hard liquor he had brewed on the White House grounds. Known for his hot temper, Jackson was known to physically fight those that disagreed with him. Jackson often used profane language which rubbed off on one of his favorite pets and got the pet ejected from Jackson’s funeral.

Jackson loved animals and had a pet parrot he named Poll. The bird heard his owner’s foul language on many occasions and soon picked up the habit of using fowl, that is foul Language, and frequently let the obscenities fly.

Jackson died in his Nashville home, the Hermitage, on June 8, 1845 at the age of 78. On the day of his funeral, Poll, was brought into the viewing room where Jackson’s open casket sat. Poll was placed on a nearby perch and soon became excited at the mourners that had gathered. It was then the bird let loose the obscenities that got him ejected from the service.

Rev. William Menefee Norment recounted the incident in volume 3 of Samuel G. Heiskell’s book “Andrew Jackson and Early Tennessee History.” Norment wrote:

“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.”

Norment went on to recount “the General’s parrot, excited by the multitude and the wailing of the slaves, let loose perfect gusts of ‘cuss words.’ The Negro slaves of the General were horrified and awed at the bird’s lack of reverence.”

Poll died several years later but his presence is still reflected at the Hermitage. Today children touring the Hermitage are given an audio tour featuring a voice characterization of Poll. Fortunately, the Poll that gives the audio tour for the children does not use profanity.

Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled “Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse.” The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said “truth is stranger than fiction.”

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