History of Stockley D. Hays in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 26, 2026

Stockley Donelson Hays was a 19th-century American lawyer, military officer, and nephew of President Andrew Jackson. He participated in the Burr conspiracy as a teenager. Hays aided Jackson in a Nashville tavern brawl in 1813. He served as a quartermaster in Jackson's army during the Creek War and the War of 1812. Subsequently, he served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army with the rank equivalent to a major from 1816 to 1821.

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Full Timeline

1903: J. G. Cisco's Description of Hays

In 1903, J. G. Cisco described Stockley Hays in a history of Madison County, Tennessee, as a lawyer of ability and a genial gentleman, noting his impressive physical stature.

1904: Hays' Grandson Featured as Notable Attorney

In 1904, Hays' grandson was featured as a notable attorney in an advertorial insert about the commerce and industry of Jackson.

1935: James Wilkinson's Great-Grandson Mentioned Hays

In 1935, James Wilkinson's great-grandson, a New Orleans lawyer also named James Wilkinson, mentioned Hays when he argued to history in defense of his ancestor.

1944: Profile of Hays Family Republished

In 1944, a profile of the Hays family was read to the Madison County Historical Society and subsequently republished in The Jackson Sun.

1996: Hays's absence in Old Hickory's War

In 1996, Hays makes no appearance in standard histories of the conflict such as Old Hickory's War by the Heidlers, so it is impossible to describe his combat experience or lack thereof.

2000: Hays in Natchez

In 2000, Stockley D. Hays was in Natchez, and he allegedly told John J. Bell that Jackson was to have had command of 2000 men under Burr.

2012: Samuel J. Watson on Hays's Involvement

In 2012, United States Military Academy history professor Samuel J. Watson wrote that many senior army officers, including James Wilkinson, were closely linked to leading intriguers like Aaron Burr, setting the stage for Andrew Jackson's usurpation of civilian authority.

2017: Hays as Beneficiary of Jackson's System

According to Inman's writing in 2017, Hays, as a nephew of Andrew Jackson, was one of the early participants in and beneficiaries of Jackson's vertically integrated family-business imperialism.

2017: Grave Markers Placed at Riverside Cemetery

In 2017, descendants and researchers placed grave markers at Riverside Cemetery in Jackson, Tennessee, for Hays, his sister Narcissa Hays, and his mother Jane Donelson Hays.