Peggy Eaton - Wikipedia

Margaret O'Neill (or O'Neale) Eaton (December 3, 1799 – November 8, 1879), better known as Peggy Eaton, was the daughter of Rhoda Howell and William O'Neale,[1] the owner of Franklin House, a popular Washington, D.C. hotel. Peggy was noted for her beauty, wit and vivacity. Her marriage to United States Senator John Henry Eaton caused some controversy, as she had been widowed only a few months earlier, when her husband died while at sea.

After Eaton was appointed as Secretary of War, rumors continued and Peggy Eaton was snubbed by other cabinet wives. Her honor was defended by President Andrew Jackson and she became the subject of the Petticoat affair. Relations among the president's Cabinet became so strained that he replaced most of the members.[2]