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Mary Ann Smith
Mary Ann Smith, affectionately known as Polly, was the only daughter of Daniel and Sarah Michie Smith. She lived at Historic Rock Castle from the age of three to fifteen. Click through the pictures below to learn more about Polly's life--scroll over each picture for captions!
 1781-1857. Mary Ann "Polly" SmithPolly Smith was a headstrong yet loving woman, who married twice, raised eighteen children, and lived to the age of 76. Click through the images to learn more about her amazing life! |  1781. Polly's BirthplaceMary Ann Michie Smith was born April 26, 1781 on the Virginia Frontier in a small log cabin near the mountains pictured above. |
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 1784. Polly's Second HomeAt the age of 3, Polly and her family moved to present-day Tennessee, where her father began construction on Rock Castle. Pictured above is the first portion of the house to be completed. When the family finished the home in 1796, the 2nd-floor room of this portion became Polly's bedroom. The 2nd-floor window pictured here played a vital role in Polly's life... |  1796. Polly's ElopementAt the age of 15, a willful Polly disobeyed her father and eloped with Samuel Donelson out of her bedroom window. Samuel was the brother of Rachel Donelson Jackson and the law partner of future president, Andrew Jackson. (Andrew and Rachel Jackson re-enactors are pictured above.) The elopement caused a rift between young Polly and her father, but the birth of Daniel's first grandson a year later repaired the damage. |
 1799. Andrew Jackson DonelsonIn her marriage to Samuel, Polly bore three sons: John Samuel (1797), Andrew Jackson (1799), and Daniel Smith (1801). Andrew Jackson would lead an illustrious life attending West Point, serving as President Jackson's private secretary, assisting with the annexation of Texas, and serving as the U.S. diplomat to Prussia. |  1801. Daniel Smith DonelsonDaniel Smith Donelson was Polly and Samuel's last son. Daniel would go on to serve as a Tennessee House Representative and later as a major general for the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Donelson's two homes, Eventide and Hazel Path, still stand in Hendersonville, TN. Eventide is a private residence, and Hazel Path is an office and event space. |
 1804. Polly the WidowSadly, only eight years into their marriage, Samuel Donelson died of pneumonia after getting caught in a snowstorm. Pictured above is the Hermitage Churchyard Cemetery where he is buried. Polly's three boys moved to the Hermitage with their guardian, Andrew Jackson, while Polly, only a short time later, began accepting gentleman callers. A young widow at the time would have had little choice but to remarry to provide security for herself and her children. |  1806. Polly's Second MarriageIn 1806 Polly accepted the proposal of James Sanders. Sanders was a close friend of Polly's father as well as a widower himself with six children. He was a wealthy, middle-aged, highly respected planter, who ran the ferry across the Cumberland River. James and Polly were married until his death and had nine children together. |
 1807. Sarah Sanders CaruthersThe first of James and Polly's nine children was Sarah, known as Sally. In 1827 she married Robert Looney Caruthers, a man who would make a prominent name for himself in Tennessee. He was a state legislator, founder of the Cumberland University School of Law, state supreme court justice, and Confederate governor of Tennessee. Sally and her husband are buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon, Tennessee. |  1813. Mary Ann Sanders HoggattDespite the high infant mortality rate and the dangers of childbirth for mothers in the 19th century, Polly and most of her children lived to old age. This included her daughter Mary Ann Sanders, who later married Dr. James Hoggatt. They built Clover Bottom Mansion in Nashville, TN, which still stands today and acts as the offices of the Tennessee Historical Commission. |
 1836. Polly's Second HusbandIn 1836 Polly was widowed again, except this time there would be no need to remarry. At the age of 55, Polly was past her childbearing years. She had given birth to twelve children and helped raise six step-children. She was the matriarch of an extremely large and successful family, and she could now rely on her offspring to care for her until her death. |  1857. Polly's Final Resting PlaceOn December 29, 1857 Polly' story came to a close. She was buried next to her second husband, James Sanders, on their plantation; however, their headstones were moved in the 20th Century to the Rock Castle Family Cemetery. Polly's legacy lives on through the generations of descendants scattered across the nation as well as the inspiring stories told about the headstrong yet loving woman who helped continue the legacy of Rock Castle. |
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