The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-17
SAM HOUSTON In EXILE.
The Life Led by the Texas Patriot
Among the Cherokee Indians.
A Strange and New Episode in His Ltfe-His
Honorable Place in the Traditions
of the CherOkees.

thirty-six years of age, in the full flush of
personal popularity and political success, sur
prised the people of the United States by re-
signing the Office of Governor of Tennessee,
which he had held for two years, by a letter
of dignified stateliness, assigning as a reason
an EFFICIENCY in his personal affairs which he
did not describe. What was the cause of
this abandonment of a successful and promis-
ing career has never been definitely dis
covered. Houston never revealed it. so far
as is known, even to his most intimate
friends, and conjecture was lett to invent va
rious sensational and romantic stories. He
had been married three months previously,
and the most current romance was
that his wife had confessed in a mo-
ment of despair or irritation that she
had never loved him, and that her affections
were still engrossed by another. Such a blow
might have been sufficient to have unhinged
an ardent and passionate nature like that of
Houston, never remarkable for self-control,
and it is also not impossible, although it
might be considered more extraordinary that
a longing for the savage life such as he had
experienced during his youth had become
irresistible, and that no price was too heavy
to pay for its Indulgence.
There is no instance of quite so conspicu-
Gus an abandonment of fortune and honor
from that motive, but there have been many,
even to this day, in which persons of intelli-
gence and station have abandoned all the
hopes of a successful career and the charms
of civilized society, from an irresistible i'm
pulse to live with the children OF nature and
indulge their primitive instincts. Houston
had shown a strong bent in this direction
throughout his whole life. When a mere
lad he had left his mothers cabin in the
mountains of Tennessee, and lived for five
years with his friends and neighbors, the
Cherokees. learned their language-which
is SO difficult that no adult person is
said to have ever acquired it-and thoroughly
adopted their ways and customs. Tradition
says that he had been adopted into the family
of a chief, and at any rate his courage, actiy-
ity, and companionable qualities made him
a favorite as well as a tolerated resident of
the tribe. After he had left them and re-
turned to civilization, in his early manhood,
he shared a campaign with them, a consider
able force of Cherokees acting as allies to
Jackson's army in the Creek war, and they
bad seen his acts of desperate valor in the
charge upon the last fastuess of the defense
at the battle of the Horse Shoe. At any rate,
whatever the cause of the abandonment of
his career, it was with his old friends and
companions that he sought refuge and seclu-
sion.
HIS DEPARTURE FROM TENNESSEE.
Having settled up his affairs in Tennessee,
be descended the river to Cairo, then a small
trading post, where he fitted up a small fiat
boat with whisky and Indian goods, and
floated down the Mississippi to the mouth
OF the Arkansas. After q long and laborious
voyage up the river, he finally reached the
month Of tho Rovo1 Illinois N ep,alI e{rooo,
flowing into it about thirty miles below Fort
Gibson. Here was situated the original
town and council house of the tribe, and
here was the home of his friend, the princi-
pal chief. known by the English name of
John Jolly.
He took up his abode with the chief, put
ting on the Indian dress and adopting all
their habits and manners. Living witnesses
among the Cherokees have seen the old chief
and Houston seated on the earthen floor of
the cabin, by the wooden trough of ka-nau-
hama, hominy cooked to the consistency of
paste, which always stood in the center, and
feeding each other in the aboriginal fashion
of friendliness with the common spoon; and
although assuming too much dignity for the
ball plays and sports, he took part in all the
occupations of hunting and fishing, and
was, to all intents and purposes Cherokee
brave. Houston had more than one natural
characteristic of the Indian besides his fond
ness for wild life, and particularly shared
Inelr IOnQneSS 1Or DafDarlc display ana the
atrical effect. He may have been as careless
and slatternly as they when lounging
about the cabin, or on ordinary occa-
sions, but at the council or any gathering
of the tribe he arrayed himself in all the
picturesque habit of the Indian brave, The
Cherokees did not paint themselves, like
their neighbors, the Osages, and the other
plains Indians. but maintained at this period
the barbaric dress OF buckskin hunting
shirt, ~leggings and moccasins, and adorned
L.. IL ~ IL
the wild turkey. On occasions of state,
] Houston arrayed himself with the best.
He has been described as wearing, in full
dress. a white hunting-shirt brilliantly en-
/, bToidered, yellow leggings and moccasins
deliberately worked with beads, and a circlet
of turkey feathers for his head. He let his
hair grow and braided it in a long queue,
and wore his beard upon his chin in a goa
tee" shaving the rest of his face. The In
dians are very quick to ridicule any tricks
of ways and manners, and Houston's theat-
I rical dignity and splendor did not escape
their satire. On one occasion, at a council
meeting, they arrayed a negro in a carica-
tnre of his attire and stationed him behind
his seat, where he initiated his pose and
manner, to the great glee of the assembly.
Houston bore the presence of his imitator
with shrewd Indifference, and the joke was
not repeated.
Houston remained an inmate of the cabin
+ of his friend, John Jolly, for more than a
year, and was regarded as his adopted son.
1t was here that he fell in love with a Chero-
kee woman named Tyenia Rogers. She was
a half-breed OF great personal beauty, and as
tall and stately for her sex as Houston him
self. With her he took up as his wife, and
removed to the west of the Grand river, op-
posite Fort Gibson, where he made a clear
! ing, which still remains, and erected a log
cabin, which was burned during the war.
He maintained himself by keeping a small
trading store, and, as usual, after the Indian
fashion, by a little slatternly farming and
careless stock raising. He was not more am
bilious or industrious than his Indian asso-
ciates, and at this period his habits reached