Sam(uel) Houston, governor of two states,
president of the Republic of Texas, U.S. senator, and
military hero, was one of the most colorful figures of
19th-century America. Born near Lexington, Va., on Mar. 2,
1793, he was reared in Tennessee by his widowed mother. As a
youth he spent much time with Cherokee Indians and developed
close ties with them. Joining the army, he served under
Andrew Jackson in the Creek wars (1813-14). In 1818, Houston
resigned his commission and, after studying law for a few
months, was elected attorney general for Nashville and
appointed adjutant general of Tennessee. He served two terms
in Congress (1823-27) and in 1827 was elected governor of
Tennessee.
While governor, Houston married
Eliza Allen on Jan. 1, 1829. For unexplained reasons (see
below), however, the marriage was dissolved almost
immediately, and Houston, under pressure from the influential
Allen family, resigned his office. For the next 6 years he
lived with Cherokee Indians in the Indian Territory (now
Oklahoma), taking a Cherokee wife, Tiana Rogers (see below),
and adopting Cherokee citizenship. He was a trader, advisor,
and special envoy for the tribe on several occasions. It was
in this last capacity that he first went to Texas, then under
Mexican rule, in 1832 in a futile attempt to secure a land
grant for the tribe. By 1835, Houston had moved to Texas.
With the outbreak of the Texas Revolution in that year he was named
commanding general of the revolutionary army. In March 1836,
Houston was a delegate to the convention that declared Texas
an independent republic. His command was reconfirmed, and he
led the Texas army to a brilliant victory over Santa Anna in
the Battle of San Jacinto (Apr. 21, 1836).
Houston served as the first
president of the new republic from 1836 to 1838 and was later
elected to a second term (1841-44). After the annexation
(1845) of Texas by the United States, he was elected to the
U.S. Senate, serving from 1846 to 1859. In the Senate,
Houston was known for his staunch Unionism and friendship for
the Indians. Unhappy that Texas seemed to be moving toward
secession, he successfully ran for governor as an independent
Unionist in 1859. Despite his efforts, however, the people of
Texas voted to secede, and he was forced out of office in
March 1861.
In 1840, Houston had married
Margaret Lea in Alabama. She had persuaded him to stop
drinking, for which he had a sizeable reputation, and to join
the Baptist church. They had eight children. Houston died at
his home in Huntsville on July 26, 1863. The city of Houston,
Texas, was named for him.
General Information and some
fun trivia....
Houston's
military records show that he was 6 foot 2 inches
when he was 19 years old. His Texas legend puts him
at 6 foot 6 inches on his death. His family holds that he was
a bit shorter.
Sam
had a bit of a drinking problem. In his early life, he drank
quite a bit, and it was certainly no secret. Later in his
life, after he married Margaret (his 3rd wife), she is
reputed to have "reformed" him and stopped his
drinking. However, Sam still consumed 'bitters', which were
considered medicinal alcohol. While Sam was a drinker,
probably for most of his life, most men in Texas were
drinkers of a sort as well, so he did not stand out in that
respect as heavy drinkers tend to do in today's society.
Sam
Houston settled in Huintsville Texas because The hills there
reminded him of his boyhood home near Maryville, Tennessee.
Sam
was married three times. His first wife was named Eliza
Allen. They were married January 22, 1829. Sam
Houston's second wife was a Cherokee Indian woman whose name
was Tiana Rodgers, also known as Diana
Rodgers. They were married in the summer of 1830.
Margaret Moffette Lea was Sam Houston's
third wife. They were married May 9, 1840 and remained
married for the remainder of Sam Houston's lifetime.
He was
seventy years old at the time of his death on July 26th,
1863. He died at 6:15 pm.
Sam
Was Buried in Huntsville, Texas in the Oakwood Cemetery.
Houston chose this location. It was across the street from
where the Steamboat House once stood. To access the Grave
site, Exit right on 19th Street as you leave the park. Go to
Avenue O (the first stop sign) and turn right. Continue on
Avenue O until 11th Street. At 11th Street turn right. Travel
six blocks to the intersection of Avenue I and 11th. Turn
left and go three blocks to the grave site.
Quotes...
Heres a quote From Sam
Houston on his thoughts of Education...
"I would not
be gotten into a schoolhouse until I was eight years old.
Nor did I accomplish much after I started. I doubt if I
had
gone to school six months in all when my father died. I
was fourteen at the time."
"It is a matter of great satisfaction to me to hope
that my children will be in circumstances to receive a
good education. Mine was defective and I feel the
inconvenience, if not the misfortune of not receiving a
classical education. Knowledge is the food of genius, and
my son, let no opportunity escape you to treasure up
knowledge."
Sam Houston
Heres a quote From Sam
Houston before the battle of San Jacinto...
"We view
ourselves on the eve of battle. We are nerved for the
contest, and must conquer or perish. It is vain to look
for present aid: none is at hand. We must now act or
abandon all hope! Rally to the standard, and be no longer
the scoff of mercenary tongues! Be men, be free men, that
your children may bless their father's name."
Heres a quote From Sam
Houston on Texas...
"Texas will
again lift it's head and stand among the nations. it
ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare
with it in natural advantages"
"All new states are invested, more or less, by a
class of noisy, second-rate men who are always in favor
of rash and extreme
measures, But Texas was absolutely overrun by such
men."
"Texas has yet to learn submission to any
oppression, come from what source it may."
Heres a quote From Sam
Houston on Indians...
"I preferred
measuring deer tracks, to tape-that I liked the wild
liberty of the Red men better then the tyranny of my
brothers".
"I am aware that in presenting myself as the
advocate of the Indians and their rights, I shall stand
very much alone".
Heres a quote From Sam
Houston on The Civil War...
"To secede
from the Union and set up another government would cause
war. If you go to war with the United States, you will
never conquer her, as she has the money and the men. If
she does not whip you by guns, powder, and steel, she
will starve you to death. It will take the flower of the
country-the young men."
"In the name of the constitution of Texas, which has
been trampled upon, I refuse to take this oath. I love
Texas too well to bring civil strife and bloodshed upon
her."
"I declare that civil war is inevitable and is near
at hand. When it comes the descendants of the heros of
Lexington and Bunker Hill will be found equal in
patriotism, courage and heroic endurance with the
descendants of the heroes of Cowpens and Yorktown. For
this reason I predict the civil war which is now at hand
will be stubborn and of long duration."
