The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-17
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The Hero of San Jaclnto.

WnOle battalion OF infantry, take IN,
word for IT."
| .ss.a.z.as<<azzssszzr,a1-za
The Hero of San Jaolnto.
An old comrade OF Samuel Houston
writes as follows: When l first saw Gen
Houston his second term OF office as Pres
ldcnt OF Texas had not long expired. o
course l had heard OF him. There wa.
not human beng IN Texas who was moi
familiar with his name, and from my very
INFANCY had been taught by my father tc
honor and love him. When. therefore.
ono morning, as was trudging along tC
school, I heard General Houston was liz
town determined to see him. The city
or Houston was at that time the proud
possessOr Of one blicis building, known to
all as "the brick Office" 1t was a small
one story house, containing two rooms,
tho front one being nsed ae a lawyers Of
flee. lnqulring as went along of every
ono knew, 1 soon learned that my Il, ~
was at the brick Office. A. little child is
an unusual visitor In lawyers office, but
| knew this lawyer very well, and when
he asked me what wanted in his genial
way. answered promptly.
III want to see General Houston"
"But the General Is engaged Just no "
and don't think you can see him." But
voice, rich, sweet, sonorous, called out
from the back room: "Who is it wants to
SEQ me9" ''Only little girl General. -
"Certalnly will see her. " and as he spoke
the realization of all my dreans-Roland,
Bayard, Wallace aud Washington, all in
one-eppeared in the doorway and came
toward me with outstretched hands. |
introduced myself. "Ah the daughter
of my old tnend-my good friend 1 am
| very glad to see you"
~ said: 'My father published song
about you" ''lndeedl Can you sing 1t 3''
| yes, sir; came here to sing 1t to YOU"
Several gentlemen had followed the chief
from the inner room and my ingenious
confession was greeted with llughter
whlca mortified me no little until, quickly
looking up INTO my hero's face, saw thore
orly apleased expectancy which convinced
me he only spoke the truth when he SAID :
~ am very glad. Come. now, sit on my
knee and sing 1t all through" which I
| did. 1t was only an adoption of "Bruce 8
Address, to our own circumstances and
began:
| "TeXans who with Sam Houston bled
Texans whom Rusk has often led"
and was sung by an untaught little girl I;
but II had been Sontng or blallbran and
the song had been the most famous of
ariaa, no more profound homage could have
been rendered than and my simple paro-
dy received Proud, happy, intensely
fiattered, prepared to 20. '::Won't you
| 5e punished for beng late at school ?"
asked the lawyer. II reckon 30, but Y,
seen General HeustonI" was the s-Oon.
whereupon the friend of Jackso,dnessee,
grcssman and Ex-Governor eSldcnt or
hero OF San JacintO and 90 give him bis
| Republic, asked somclD with you, little
hat and said: ~ your EXCUSES and
daughter, and Il me To the school house
actually weph ready pardon for my late
and obtp'E
ness. = not see mm again for nearly two
../;s when l met him on tho street one
hay and was instantly recognized by HIM
and greeted by name. All the clrcum-
stances of my visit to HIM were recalled
as freshly ts If l were person Of import
ance and he mad had nothing else to think
of since. Cannot the reader see IN these
two instances some of the causes Of his
unbounded popularity2 He never forgets
q name nor a face. At the time Of my
second meeting he was on his way 10 my
fathers house where he was always a well
come and honored guest, and the evening |
of that day, sitting on the front veranda, |
he himself taught me with bits OF colored |
paper how to make Texas flag.
On subsequent visit he told me the |
legend of the origin of the name ''Texas,"
as be Lad 1t from All Indian chief. / wish |
[ could give his very words instead Of my |
memory of them. "a long time ago.
when the Spanlards overran and plundered |
Mexico, some of the red men left them and
came towards the rlsin = sun. They crossed
the Rio Grande, and not knowing what lay
before them entered upon the great salt
marshes. They travelled many days and
found but little sweet water or game.
The weather grew hot and the little
streams dried up and the grass wlthereu,
and many old men and women and child
rem died Of thirst. One day, after
many weeks of weary walking, party OF
young braves. who had been sent head to
reconnoltre, came running back and said:
eve havo found water; como On !" This
good news put new life into their VEINS
and although nothing could be seen but q
dry, flat prairie, the scouts were standing
sllll calling and beckoning to them and
pointing toward something apparently at
IiIoI. sooV. --s--..r'--
A. length they reach the spot where the
maVeB arc stanunR. cutYiteet BelOW tnem
tho li,npid waters OF the Colorado sang q
melody TO heaven. Beyond, far as even
an Indian vision could reach stretched a
green expansc. The tall, mesquite grass,
yielding to the breath OF the gentle south
wind, rolled In vast pillows Of verdure
under the aren't summer sun. Little
| "islands' of mesquite trees dotted this
grassy sea, and herds Of buffalo and deer
grazed In pcacefu' ignorance Of an enony's
approach. Forgetting hunger, fatigue and
even thirst IN this delicious Vision tho red
men fall upon their knees and cry out
tTehas Tehas /"
"Tehas" Is the nearest approach I can
make In English to the correct pronuncia
tlon of Texas and it means--.so the nara
tor explained TO me-Paradise.
How T+ong Ia q Mile?
| nautical mile or an EnvIish almi.