The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-08-27
SAM HOUSTON.
How He Resigned the GovernOrship OF
Tennessee, FOrsoOk His Beautiful wife
and Joined the Cherokee Indians.

see, and his joining the Cherokee Indi-
ans III Arkansas, has never yet been
published, and when I heard it n few
days since from the lips of gray. haired
resident of Nashville who had been the
warm personal friend of the hero of
San Jacinto, made mental note of it
for the benefit of the Times readers.
You see," said the old gentleman
referred to, Houston and | were EN-
ployed in store together at Kingston,
East Tennessee, when we were boys.
That was about 1912. The next year he
enlisted as private in the army and
marched Oft to the Creek war. He was
soon made an ensign, and was the first
to scale the works ut the battle of the
Horseshoe, when he was shot twice i'll
the right arm.
He came home and finally got well,
and was appointed sub-agent to the
Cherokee Indians, but he soon got into
quarrel with Calhoun, then secretary
of war, and was removed. Then he
came to Nashville in 1918. He began
to study law with Judge Trimble, and in
six months time was admitted to the
bar. At the first session Of the legisla-
ture after he was elected attorney gen
eral of the state, over Francis b. Fogg,
who was one of the most prominent
and scholarly lawyers in the state.
" lie was then sent to congress, where
he was warm jackson man, and while
there he had difficulty with John II.
Irwin, and when they both came back
to Nashville Irwin challenged him, send
ing his challenge by noted desperate
OF st, Louis who had killed several
man, and Houston wouldn't take n
challenge through him. Gen. White
heard this and made some remarks
about Houston, which led to duel be-
tween Houston and White, in which
White was seriously wounded.
"This added to the popularity of
Houston, and he was elected governor
of the state in 1927. He had succeeded
Governor Carroll, who was n very popu-
lar man, and who was spoken of prom
inently us candidate for reelection.
Houston was afraid of him, and i'll or
der to secure his own reelection to con-
gress in case Carroll beat him for COVER
nor, began to strengthen himself polit
ically, and III order to carry out this
scheme married, in January, 1899, a
lady belonging to very influential
family at Gallatin, thirty miles north
of Nashville. She was very hand
some, brilliant young lady, and at.
tracted great attention wherever she
went, which exasperatcd Houston, whC
was of Il morose, jealous disposition.
used to see him frequently and knew
that he had married purely through
political reasons, and soon saw that his
domestic life was an unhappy one.
"One Saturday in April met him a
n big barbecue just west of the city
! wllrIu ilv uua Oo,so1t Svuu niud,
speeches. l saw that the feeling o
thai crowd was all in his favor, and tol'
him so, which caused him to be i'll tn
worry boob of opirito, and whilo in tina
mood we separated. Monday morning
| called Mt the Nashville inn, where ht
and his wife had been boarding sine,
their marriage, but | was refused ad
mittance to his room. | persisted
however, and was finally admitted by
Shelby. / found Houston lying on tht
bed with his face covered up, and, il
answer to my astonished inquiries, DIR
Shelby told me that Mrs. Houstont
father had come down from Gallatin fo
her the day before, and that she hat
left her husband and returned to tn,
home of her childhood.
"Said ], General what's this hear?
"Said he, I'm ruined man ; I'm
ruined man !"
al told him he owed it to his friend
to give some explanation for his conduct
and asked him why he and his wife sep
arated, to which he replied that h,
hadn't a word to say against his wife
that she was high-minded, yirtuou
lady.
4" He then said that he alone was
blame that he had decided to eXiI
himself among the Cherokee Indians
and that he wanted me to carry his re-
ignation as governor to the secretary {
state. This / emphatically refused
do, at first, but at his earnest solicti
ton and that of DR.. Shelby, | tinall
consented.
"The next morning, Houston, Shelb
and | went aboard steamboat, Hous
ton being disguised SO that no one re
cognized him. We bade him good bye
and he went down the Cumberland. II
told me afterward that he got as far Il
Napoleon, Ark, without being recog
nized, and in that case, he begged tn
man to say nothing about meeting him
He went on to Fort Smith, where Ia
Joined Cherokee by the name OF Jul
| iy. whom he had been familiar wit
while he was agent for the tribe. IL
assumed the Indian dress, painted hi
face, and could not be distinguishes
from them.
"a few years afterwatd he passe,
through Nashville, with a delegation Q
Indians, on his way to Washington.
recognized him, but wouldn't speak t.
him. The fact is, his friends here con
sidered he had disgraced them, ant
were disgusted with him. While II
Nashville he went with his delegation
and called on Gen. Jackson at the Her
mitage." :. -,
"And how did Jackson treat him p
asked.
81 don't know, but I suppose HI
treated him all right, as they had beel
great friends. After reaching Washing
Ton, I know he whipped a member o
congress- by the name of Stansberry fo
saying something disrespectful OF Jack
son.
"After this, we hear,l nothing NOR
of Houston until Just before the Mex
can war, when we heard that he ha
gone to San Augustine to practice la'
You know his connection with the Me
lean war, probably, as we'll as l do"
"He married again, l believer
eyes. His wife got divorce, al
ha ,nnrriad a Mohila lady aud she mao