Andrew Erwin (businessman)

Andrew Erwin (August 8, 1773 – April 19, 1834) was an American innkeeper, merchant, North Carolina state legislator, freelance imperialist (sometimes called a filibuster, although Erwin's efforts seem to have been diplomatic rather than martial), and a business and political antagonist of seventh U.S. president Andrew Jackson.

Andrew Erwin started his career as an assistant to a North Carolina peddler named James Patton. Two years later, when he was about 19, Erwin married Patton's sister Jane. Patton and Erwin then became business partners in Wilkesborough, North Carolina, working as innkeepers and merchants. According to the Chronology of North Carolina, "The firm of Patton and Erwin continued to exist for many years, and branches of it were established in various southern and western villages."^[1] According to Patton's autobiography, the partnership began about 1790 and ended about 1810.^[2]

Erwin was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons in 1800 and 1801. Erwin relocated to Asheville, North Carolina in 1803, where he took over the store of Jeremiah Cleveland, who had been one of the existing business partners of Patton & Erwin but had himself relocated to Greenville, South Carolina.^[1] As of 1803, Asheville had fewer than "a dozen log houses, tenanted by a still smaller number of families." Erwin became the first postmaster of Asheville.^[1] Among their business interests was the collection and processing of American ginseng: "In 1808 the noted botanist John Lyon mentioned passing through 'Patton & Erwines ginseng works' near Scott's Creek in Haywood County, which suggests [Isaac] Heylin may have taught them the art of clarification."^[3] Per Patton, when their partnership ended around 1810, they "made a complete dissolution in one day, to the astonishment of every person of understanding: it was effected in the following manner. As he was the active partner, I told him to make a division of the whole, accompanied with a statement on paper, and give me my choice, which he did; and in this way we came to an amicable settlement at once."^[2]

Erwin moved again, in autumn 1814, settling in Augusta, Georgia. Shortly after he moved to Georgia, as the War of 1812 "was closing...he was designated by Governor Hawkins to command a regiment of militia, ordered into service for the defence of our maritime frontiers. The regiment was barely mustered into service under Gen. Gray, at Wadesborough, when intelligence was received of the treaty of peace."^[1] Beginning with his move to Augusta, Erwin became "the leading partner in mercantile firms in Savannah, Charleston, Nashville, New Orleans, and many other towns. His operations were too widely extended, and as might have been apprehended, ended in disaster."^[1] Patton wrote of his brother-in-law, "Col. Andrew Erwin was a man of a clear head and a good heart, but too credulous and too easily imposed upon by bad men."^[2]

Erwin apparently moved to Coffee County, Tennessee sometime before 1819, because on August 7 of that year "Colonel Andrew Erwin, on whose land the fort was (which contains about 40 acres within its walls) caused to be cut down a white oak tree, which was growing on the wall. Maj. Murrey and himself counted 357 annular rings in this tree, which was growing on the wall. How long it was after the building of the wall before the tree began to grow, it is, of course, impossible to know. It may have been one hundred or a thousand years. But if no interval be allowed, which, however, cannot be supposed, the fort cannot have been erected later than 357 years previous to 1819, or 1462, 30 years before Columbus discovered America, and 78 years before De Soto made his famous tour of exploration."^[4] Erwin lived in late life at Wartrace, Bedford County, Tennessee, and his widow lived in the family home there until the 1850s.^[5]

Shortly after Stephen F. Austin arrived in Texas to open the Austin colony he wrote Joseph Hawkins that he had met with Robert Leftwich and Andrew Erwin of Tennessee about moving settlers from that state in Texas. Erwin and Leftwich represented the Texas Association of Davidson County, which had been organized on March 2, 1822, with the intent to apply for land grants from the Mexican government and "permission to settle a colony in Texas. The company originally consisted of 52 members and was subsequently increased to 74. Most of the members were business and professional men of Nashville. Their interest had been aroused in part, no doubt, by newspaper accounts of Austin's grant and his preparations to introduce settlers. Robert Leftwich and Andrew Erwin carried the petition to Mexico, where they arrived about the end of April, just as Austin reached the capital seeking confirmation of his own grant."^[6] The committee produced a document promising to "cultivate and bring to a rich fruition this great land so valiantly wrested from the miserable Spanish Crown by the noble liberty-loving Mexicanos but a year before (1821). The Memorial is dated March 10, 1822, and is signed by 70 names, among them being that of Sam. Houstom [sic]. The Association's agents were Col. D. Andrew Erwin of Tenn., Felix de Armas of La., and Capt. Robert D. Leftwich of Ky. The concluding pages contain supporting letters from Gov. Carroll of Tenn., Gen. James Wilkinson, and J. D. Blackburn attesting to the honesty of the emigration and to the respectability and upright qualities of those engaged in the enterprise."^[7]

Col. Erwin and Gen. Jackson, as they were called, were both involved in something called the Allison land speculation which led to years of legal filings and squabbling between the parties.^[8] This led Erwin, and his son John P. Erwin, to join a list of Tennesseans who opposed Jackson's rise to high office, along with figures like John Williams, Jesse Benton, James Jackson, Newton Cannon, Thomas D. Arnold, Wilkins Tannehill, Dr. Boyd McNairy, and others.^[9]

As part of Jackson's feud with Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford he wrote a letter to President James Monroe suggesting an investigation of Crawford's ties to Georgia governor David Brydie Mitchell, who was accused of illegally smuggling slaves from foreign ports to the United States via Amelia Island off Spanish East Florida. Among other things, Jackson wrote to Monroe, "That by calling on Colo. Gideon Morgan of the Cherokee Nation and Colo. Andrew Erwin; now of this state and who is now a candidate for the Marshalls office for West Tennessee, will prove positively that Genl. Mitchell did purchase by his agent who he had furnished with funds for that purpose a large number of African Negroes at amelia Iland, which were brought through the Indian Country to the Agency. My informant states that care must be taken, in putting the Interrogatories so that the witnesses Colo. Morgan and Erwin may not object, as the answers might implicate themselves, they both being engaged in the purchase of africans at amelia Island at or about that time, Mr Gross was the partner of Colo. Erwin; about that time and it was to this same Mr Gross that the agent Genl Mitchell gave the passport under which he proceeded to carry his Negroes through the Creek Nation to the Allabama Territory."^[10] As told through the testimony of Captain William Bowen, "With $25,000 in letters of credit from Stoutenburgh and Thorn and the house of Erwin & Co., he proceeded to Amelia Island in mid-October, where he found the price of the goods was too high. While he waited on a return boat to Savannah, one of Aury's privateers arrived at Fernandina with a cargo of Africans. Bowen was 'told that the negroes were condemned to the Captors as good prize; and that they were for sale; provided he would take drafts on Savannah. After making enquiry of the goodness of the paper I offered to negociate [sic], and declaring himself satisfied in such an arrangement, we closed our bargain... Shortly after wards the place of delivery being agreed upon, I received the property.'"^[11] According to historian Royce Gordon Shingleton, "[James] Erwin perhaps instructed Bowen to purchase coffee and sugar instead of slaves. The transaction was financed by Erwin, Groce and Co., partly owned by Erwin's father, Andrew Erwin, who was apparently ignorant of the purchase at the time it was made. Bowen, known by both Erwins, had transacted business for them in Savannah and Augusta."^[12]

The close examination during the 1828 United States presidential election of Jackson's enslavement of people like Gilbert, and his history of slave trading, was promulgated in large part by Erwin, who, according to historian Mark R. Cheathem was "determined to undermine Jackson's campaign out of personal spite, as well as for political benefit. The national media then seized on the accusations against Jackson as part of a larger discussion about abolitionism and disunion, prompted by the sectionalism of the 1820s."^[13] Erwin was related to Henry Clay by marriage.^[14] Erwin, primary author of the Gen. Jackson's Negro Speculations pamphlet, was mentioned in American Slavery As It Is (1839): "It is known in Alabama, that Mr. Erwin, son-in-law of the Hon. Henry Clay, and brother of J. P. Erwin, formerly postmaster, and late mayor of the city of Nashville, laid the foundation of a princely fortune in the slave-trade, carried on from the Northern Slave States to the Planting South."^[15] The genealogy is a bit mangled but this might refer Erwin or Andrew Erwin Jr., born 1800.^[16]