The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-09

lZed nations, he clad himself IN buCkSkln
hunting shirt, knee breeches and leggings,
adding on occasions an Indian blanket.
Napoleon held that hero should be per
United one folly without being judged by
it; much more, then, Houston, who came
honestly into buckskin, and wore it with
the air of one to the manner born.
Sam Houston was not a creature of acct
dent affecting strange way in order to suit
his environment. The Scotch-Irish blood in
his veins was just the heritage needed for
the role TO be played-that of fighter in
the war against rude nature against EN-
battled enemies and against political evils.
His father was a soldier of the Revolution
and died when the son was lad of IA. The
boys education was snatched up during
breathing spells from hard teamwork. If
he finished his stint in time, he was per
mitted to run to the wayside schoolhouse
for spelling which was the closing exercise
of the day.
Major Houston's death in 1907 compelled
the family to abandon Virginia and make
a new home in the wilderness of east Ten
nessee. The emigration was followed by
chain of circumstances that doubtless
changed Sam Houston's whole life. He
got possession of some classical works of
imagination, among them Pope's "Iliad"
which he learned by heart. He also at
tended an academy and acquired ambition
to study ancient languages His teacher
opposed the idea, and the boy quit school,
declaring that he would never recite a les
son in any other study so long as he lived
His elder brothers began at this most un.
fitting time to manage and domineer the
boys fortune and finally compelled him
to engage as Il store clerk. He served long
enough to prove to himself that the life
was not to his taste, then suddenly diSap-
peared from the country. His brothers
hunted him up and found him with wild
Indian tribe beyond the Tennessee river.
He desired to be let alone and said that he
preferred measuring deer tracks to tape
and liked the wild liberty of the red men
better than the tyranny of his brothers, and
if he could not study Latin in the academy
he could at least read translations from
the Greek in the woods and read them in
peace"
If the future general did not read Greek
history to some purpose in his forest exile,
then he was genius of the first order. His
tactics at the battle of San Jacinto, which
made Texas nation, were precisely those
of the great Miltiades at Marathon. Even
the council of war held on the eve of Mara
thon, which decided against attack, and
marvellous victory, was repeated on the eve
of San Jacinto, and General Houston turned
his back on its Judgment with the conf
dence of a trained commander. Surely if
he had never read of Marathon, then soldiers
are born, not made, for Miltiades was
brilliant soldier of Athens when he fought
the battle which changed the course of the
ancient western world.
Houston lived among the Indians the
adopted son of "a chief until he was IS His
conduct toward the savages had been hu.
name and phllanthropic, and his sentiment
run him into debt at his old home. In or.
der to pay up he returned and opened a
school About that time the recruiting
sergeant for the war of 1912 marched
through the village with fife and drum
Sam Houston was the first to enlist, at
which the wiseacres said, 81 told you so,
for it was common saying that he would
disgrace himself somehow, and his relatives
lifted up their hands and rolled their eyes
in supreme disgust, that he should go as a
common soldier. Then Houston, out of
patience at last, made his first speech.
And what" said he, have you craven
souls to say about the ranksy | would
much sooner honor the ranks than disgrace
an appointment. You don't know me now,
but you shall hear of me-"
Army life was another great circum.
stance in Houston's development. He be-
came the best drilled man in the regiment
and before going into battle had won pro
motion step by step to ensign. He was
feet tall, straight as an arrow and splen-
did looking soldier. His first battle was at
the Horseshoe, where Jackson's Tennes.
seeans punished the Creek Indians En-.
sign Houston scaled the rude Indian pail