Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-08-28
SAM HOUSTON.
How EHe Resigned the G.vernor-
ship of Tennessee. E0rsoOL3 Ills
KBeauiiE;i, wife aEI Joined the
Cherokee Indians.

The true story of Sam Houslon's
resignation of the Governorship of this
State, and his joining the Cherokee
Indians Of Arkansas, has never YET
been published, and when we heard
it n few days since from the lips OF q
gray haired resident of this city who
mad been Il warm personal friend OF
the hero of San Jacinto, 1 made 8
mental note of it for the benefit of the
Times readers.
"You see," said the old gentleman
referred TO, Houston and L were en-
ployed in a store together in Kingston,
East Tennessee, when We were boys.
That was about 1872. The next year
he enlisted as a private in the army.
and marched off to the Creek war.
He was soon made al ensign, and was
the first to scale the works at the bat
tie of Horseshoe, where he was shot
twice 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, md was removed Then he
came to Nashville in 1918. He began
to study law with Judge Trimble, and
in six mouths time was admitted to the
bar. At the first session of the Legis-
lature after this he was elected Attor-
ney General of the State over Francis
3. Fogg, who was one of the most
prominent and scholarly lawyers in the
State.
"He was then sent to Congress,
where he was a warm Jackson man,
and while there had q difficulty with
John Il. Irwin, and when they both
came back to Nashville Irwin chal-
lenged him, sending his challenge by
noted desperate of st. Louis, who
had killed several men. He was not
considered a gentleman, and Houston
wouldn't take q challenge through
him. General White heard this and
made some remarks about Houston.
which led to duel between Houston
and White, in which White was seri-
ously wounded.
''Ihis added to the popularity of
Houston, and he was elected Governor
of the State in 1882. He had succeed
ed Governor Carroll, who was a very
popular man, and who was spoken Of
pr Omlnently as candidate for re cleo
ton. Houston was afraid of him, and
IN order to secure his own reelection
to Congress in case Carroll beat him
for Governor, began to strengthen
himself politically, and in order to
carry out this scheme married, in Jan
uary, 1929, lady belonging to a very
influential family at Gallatin, 80 miles
North of Nashville. She was a verv
handsome, brilliant young lady, and
attracted great attention wherever she
went, which exasperated Houston,
who was of a moros :, jealous DISPOSE
ton. 1 used to see him frequently
and knew that he had married purely
through political reasons, and soon
saw that his domestic life was an I'M
happy one. ....
"One Saturday in April I met
HIM at a big barbecue just west
OF the city, where he and Carroll
both made speeches. I saw that the
feeling of that crowd was all in
his favor, and told him SO, which
caused him to be in the very hest of
spirits, and while in that mood we
separated. Monday morning I called
at the Nashville inn, where he and his
wife had been boarding since their
marriage, but I was refused admit
'ance to his room. I persisted, how
aver, and was finally admitted by DR..
shelby. I found Houston lying on the
bed with his face covered up, and, in
answer to my astonished inquiries, DIR.
Shelby told me that Mrs. Houston's
ather had come down from Gallatin
or her the day before, and that she
eft her husband and returned to the
home of her childhood
"Said I, General, what's this I
lear q