San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-03-01
SAM HOUSTON.
Some RecolIcctions of the Hero Of San Jacnto.
George Alfred Townsend.

Some RecolIcctiOns of the Hero Of San JacInto.
George Alfred Townsend.
"In who's administration was it that
he returned to Washington"
"It was in the middle of General
Jackson's administration. You remem-
Der that about that time he committed
an assault on member of congress from
Ohio, named Stanbery"
"What were the circumstances of this
assault ?"
"Well, Indian agents were cheating
the Cherokees in those times, and Hous-
ton had five Of them removed from Of
flee. They were like the star route
men of these days, mendacious and in
fuential, and they pestered him in all
sorts of ways, and got this man Stanbery
to make imputations on his integrity on
the floor of the house. Houston got
stick, met Stanbery on the way from
the capital and whaled him. Old Cen
eral Jackson remarked that he had serv-
ed him right. Jackson remitted the fine
of $500 that was levied upon him by the
courts, and Houston was brought be-
fore the bar of congress, where he had
once been q member. He got so dis
crsted with this character of fussing
that he went back to his wigwam on the
Arkansas river. He had had q taste,
however, of public life again, and in a
little while he turned up in Texas"
'What is the truth of the tradition
that General Jackson told him to go to
TeXas?"
"Well, I think there was something
in it. Jackson, who had made all ms
military reputation as military chief
in the southwest, and thought he saw
an opportunity for bold man to re-
peat the experience in Texas, and, sym
pathizing with the Texans, the best OF
whom were from Tennessee and person
ally known to him, Jackson thought
Houston was just the person to
bring that young state out OF her dan
oers: and never chose a better man"
{: As soon as he got to Texas he was
made a delegate to the convention tc
make the constitution. The moment nc
onneared in that convention everybody
seemed to defer to him. He chose the
Dost of general, and, although plcket
at bv half dozen lite scamps from the
southwestern states who had come tt
Texas to be great men, he lald ooWi
his rank and was again elected by TN
republic with but one dissenting vote
He took charge of an army composed
of 374 men. The Alamo had been ia
ken and Golian was about to fall-every
thing looked disaster and ruin. At til
onDroach of Santa Anna, when the lex
l an camp was seized with panic, Hous
), tom restored order to it, made lon
L and careful retreat, knowing that as Il
e onDroached the east he would be get
4 tino reinforcements from the America
l states. and finally, at San Jacinto, wit
e only two x-power guns contributed d
: the CITY of Cincinnati, and little arm
o of about eight hundred men, Housto
Il overturned Santa Annals army OF twlC
' his numbers, composed of tine best We
= erns in .Iexico and the astonshln
t number of $50 were killed and only Z.
s wounded, while Houston lost about u
T number that jackson did ut New "
s leans. eight killed and five wounds
s He was shot in the ankle, however. n
/ wound mortified and nearly killed MI
e He. serioulv did not want to he pres
V dent of Texas, but the popular te.nI
V compeIled him to have the. office. +
/ was inaugurated president of Texas
t 1896. only seven years after he had la
It down the Office of governor OF Iehhe
n ca very remarkable resurrection oil
mans fame in a short time.
Il -