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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Sam Houston Biography HOUSTON, SAM (1793-1863). An American soldier and political leader—a leader, with Stephen F. Austin, in the movement which gained Texas independence from Mexico and a conspicuous figure in the early history of Texas as a State. He was born near Lexington, in Rockbridge Co., Va., March 2, 1793, of Scotch-Irish parentage. After his father's death, in 1806, the family emigrated to Tennessee, where he entered an academy, but left to try a clerkship in a store and, wearying of this, went to live among the Cherokees of east Tennessee. He remained with them three years, when he returned to civilization and taught school. His own opportunities for obtaining an education were scant. In 1813 he enlisted as a private in the United States army, served bravely in General Jackson's campaign against the Creeks, being wounded at Tohopeka, and soon rose to be lieutenant. In 1817 he was appointed agent to aid in negotiations with the Cherokees, incurred the criticism of the War Department, of which John C. Calhoun was Secretary, for attempting to prevent the smuggling of negroes from Florida into the United States, resigned his commission, 1818, and began the study of law at Nashville. He soon opened an office at Lebanon, was made adjutant general of the State in 1819, and major of the State militia. He was elected to Congress in 1822, was re-elected in 1824, and in 1827 was elected Governor by the Jackson Democrats. In January, 1829, he married Miss Allen, a Tennessee lady, but three months afterward left her and, resigning his office without giving either public or private reasons for his course, went to live among his old friends the Cherokees, who had emigrated to Arkansas, and was formally adopted a member of their nation. He championed their cause before Congress, incurring by this much enmity, especially from the "Indian ring," and becoming involved in an encounter with William R. Stanberry, Representative from Ohio, who had accused him of fraudulent attempts to obtain a contract for Indian rations. For beating Stanberry he was reprimanded in the House of Representatives and was tried and fined, but President Jackson remitted the fine. Between Jackson and Houston there existed an unbroken friendship. The incident served to give Houston once more a national notoriety. Visiting Texas in December, 1832, he was invited to settle there and become the leader of the American colonists in their struggle for their rights. He complied and was elected a delegate to the convention held April 1, 1833, to form a State constitution and seek membership in the Mexican Republic, separate from the State of Coahuila, with which Texas had hitherto been joined and in which the anti-American party was predominant. The rejection of the constitution and the attempt to disarm the Americans led to open warfare, and Houston was then chosen general of the military district east of Trinity River and soon afterward commander in chief of the Texan army. At the head of a small force of undrilled volunteers he led in the military movements which resulted in the defeat of Santa Anna on the San Jacinto, April 21–22, 1836, and in the independence of Texas. His force numbered less than 800, the great majority of whom were old settlers, while the Mexicans had about 1600. In September he was elected President of Texas. succeeding David G. Burnett, the first president of the Republic, and from 1841 to 1844 he served again, succeeding M. B. Lamar. Texas having been admitted as a State of the American Union in 1845, Houston was chosen one of its representatives in the Senate from 1846 to 1859. In 1859 he was again elected Governor of Texas, but opposed secession in 1861 and refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederate States, for which, on March 18, 1861, he was declared deposed. Both as Governor and as Senator he upheld the rights of the Indians. He retired to Huntsville, Tex., where, on July 25, 1863, he died. Consult: W. C. Crane, Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston (Philadelphia, 1884) ; Henry Bruce, Life of General Houston (New York, 1891), in the "Makers of America Series"; A. M. Williams, Sam Houston and the War of Independence in Texas (Boston, 1893); R. M. McElroy, The Winning of the Far West (New York, 1914). See Texas. The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XI (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 532-533.
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