A. J. Donelson was born in Sumner County, August 25, 1799, son of Samuel Donelson. His eldest brother, John, served in the Creek war under Jackson and died soon after its close. His younger brother, Daniel L., was a Brigadier General and died in the Confederate service. Their father, Samuel Donelson, died while they were quite young. Their mother, the only daughter of General Daniel Smith, after the death of her husband, married James Sanders of Sumner County. Upon this second marriage, Andrew Jackson Donelson was adopted by Andrew Jackson, with whom he remained until he entered Cumberland College. In 1816 he was appointed in the first class at West Point, from which he graduated three years later. He was then commissioned in the engineers' corps, and was appointed on the staff of General Jackson, where he served until after the close of the Florida campaign, when he resigned. He then entered Transylvania University to study law. In 1823 he began practice at Nashville with Mr. Duncan, but soon abandoned the law and became a farmer. About that time he married Emily, the youngest daughter of Captain John Donelson, by whom he had four children- A. J., who died while a lieutenant of United States engineers; Emily who married General John A. Wilcox, who was a member of Congress from Mississippi; Capt. John S., who was killed at the battle of Chickamuga, and Rachel J., who married General William B. Knox.

When Andrew Jackson was elected president he appointed Mr. Donelson his private secretary, Mrs. Donelson doing the honors of the White House. In 1836 she died, and in 1841 he married Mrs. E. A. Randolph, daughter of James G. Martin. From this union he had eight children- Daniel S., who was a prominent Confederate and was murdered in Memphis in 1864; Martin, a planter in Mississippi, as was also his third son, W.A., near the Hermitage; Catherine who died in 1868; Captain Vinet Donelson, who was a merchant in Nashville; Lewis R., who resided in Memphis; Rosa E., and Andrew J.

In 1844 Mr. Donelson was appointed charge d'affaires to the republic of Texas, and secured its annexation to the United States. He was afterwards appointed Minister to Prussia. At the same time he represented his country at the court of Germany. He was afterwards transferred entirely to Germany, in which position he continued until the German mission was abolished. He was a delegate to the Southern Convention at Nashville in 1850. In April, 1851, he became the editor of the Washington Union. In 1856 he was nominated for Vice President on the ticket with Filmore. He died at his home is Memphis, June 26, 1871.