The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-09-18
SAM HOUSTON.
How He Resigned the Governorship Of
Tennessee. Forsook his Beautiful VIE
and Joined the Cherokee Indians.


Tennessee, Forsook his Beautiful W;:e
and Joined the Cherokee Indians.
The true story of Sam Houston'> r.
signation of the Governorship of Tenne>-
SEE and Joining the Cherokee Indians in
Arkansas has never Yet been published.
and when heard it few days since.
from the lips of gray-haired resident.
who had been the warm personal friend
of the hero of San Jaeinto. | made "a
mental note of il.
You see" said the old gentleman
referred TO. Illusion and l We're ELI
ploved in a store together at Kingston.
East Tennessee. when We We're boys.
That was about 1872 The next year lie
enlisted as a private III the army and
marched off TO the Greek war. He was
soon made an ensign. and was the first
10 scale the works at the battle OF the
Horseshoe, where he was shot twic-. in
the right arm.
He came home and finally got well.
and was appointed sub-agent To the
Cherokee Indians. but he soon got INTO
a Quarrel with Calhoun, then Secretary
of War. and was removed. Then h5
came to Nashville, i'll 1918. He began
to study law with Judge Trimble, and
in six months time was admitted 10 the
Bar. At the first session of the Legisla-
ture after this he was elected Attorney
General of the State over Francis j.
Fop1. who was one of the most prolni-
nent and scholarly lawyers of the State.
He was sent to Congress, where he
was a warm jackson man, and while
there had a difficulty with John Il Irwin.
L. 4, L 20,
vile, Irwin challenged him, sending his
challenge by a noted desperado, of St
Louis, who had killed several men. He
was not considered a gentleman, and
Houston would not take a challenge
through him. General White heard of
this, and made some remarks about
Houston, which led to a duel between
Houston and White, i'll which White
was seriously wounded.
This added to the popularity of HouS-
ton. and he was elected Governor of the
State in 1927. He had succeeded Gov
ernOr Carroll, who was very prominent
man, and who was spoken OfprOminent-
ly as a candidate for reelection. HOu>-
ton was afraid of him, and in order 10
secure his own reelection to Congress,
in case Carroll beat him for Governor,
began to strengthen himself politically
and in order to carry out his scheme
married, in January, 30. a lady belong
ing to an influential family, at Gallatin.
thirty miles north of Nashville. She
was very handsome. brilliant young
lady, and attracted great attention
wherever she went, which eNaSperated
Houston. who was of IA mOrOse, jealous
disposition. ! used to see him frequent
lv. and knowing he had married purely
through political reasons. and soon saw
that his domestic life was an unhappy
one.
One Saturday. III April, | met him at
a big barbecue Just west of the city.
where he and Carroll made speeches. !
saw that the feeling of the crowd was
all in his favor. and told him 50, which
caused him to be in the very best OF spiI-
its. and while in that mood we separa-
ted. Monday morning ! called at the
Nashville Inn, where he and hls wife
had been boarding ever since their mar
riage but was refused admittance TO
his room. | persisted, however, aud
WIS finally admitted by DIR. Shelby. !
found Houston lying on the bed with
his face covered up, and, in answer to
INV astonished inquiries, DIR. Shelby told
me that Mrs. HoustOn's father had come
down from Gallatin for her the day be
fore, and that she had left her husband
and returned to the home Of her child
hood.
Said ], General: what's this hear:
Said he. I'm ruined man, I'm rII-
ined man"
| told him that he owed it to his
friends TO give some explanation for his
conduct. and asked him why he and his
wife had separated, to which he replied
that he hadn't word to say against his
wife-that she was very high-Ininded.
viriuous lady.
He then laid that he alone was 10
blame: that hc lial decided to exile
himself among the Cherokee Indians.
and that lac wnIit,'i me to carry has res
ignation ~ GovcruGrto the Secretary OF
State This / rinplIatically refused to
DO. at first but ut lis earnest Solicita-
ton. and that of DE- Shelby, finally
consented.
The next morning Houston, Shelby
and myself went aboard a steamboat,
Houston being disguised so that no one
recognized him. We bade him good
bye and went down the Cumberland.
He told me afterward that he had got as
far as Napoleon. Ark, without being
recognized. and in that case he begged
the man to say nothing about meeting
him. He went on to TT. Smith. where
he Joined Cherokee by the name of
JULY. whom h4 had been familiar with
while he was agent for the tribe. He
assumed the Indian dress. painted his
face. and could not be distinguished
from them.
A few years afterward he parsed
through Nashville with a delegation of
Indians OH his way to Washington. |
recognized him. but would not speak to
him. The fact is. his friends here con
sidered that he had disgraced them, and
were disgusted with him. While in
Nashville he went with his delegation
and called on General Jackson at Tie
Hermitage.
And how did jackson treat him.
asked.
/ don't know; but | suppose he treat
ed him all right, as they had been great
friends. After reaching Washington ]
know he whipped a member of Congress
by the name of Stansberry fer saying
disgraceful of Jackson.
After this we heard nothing more Of
Houston until just before the Mexican
war. when we heard that lie had gone
to San Augustine to practice law. You /
know his connection with the Mexican
war probably as well as do.
re married again, | believe,
YES. His wife got divorce, and he /
married Mobile lady. and She made "a I
man of him They visited Nashville to !
gether, and / went with them 10 see F..
Jackson at the Hermitage. twelve miles f.
from the city His first wife married /.
again and is now living near Nashville. .
unless she has died recently.
TEMPERATURE OF THE HEAVENS I