The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-17
THE REAL POTTER OF TEXAS
CONGRESSMAN VINO BECAME AN OUT
LAW AVID MODERA TOR CHIEF.


cnco-Kiiled by n hand of Regulators.
In all the literature OF the border OF tho great
West and Southwest. IL Is doubtful II any char
! acter who really existed and was factor in
| the early history az tho nations wonderful
! western empire. has been 40 entirely miarep-
! resented as has Mr. Potter OF Texas" The
! Mr.. Potter OF tho stage of fiction and Of popu-
| lar conception. is about as nike the real Rob-
/ ert Potter. the member OF Congress. the out
law. the commodore oithe navy OF the Republic
| OF Texas and the Moderator chief. as 1t is pos
sible for one man tn be unlike another
| The real Mr.. Potter was born In North Caro-
| lima some timo very near the beginning OF the
century He came OF good old South Carolina
| stock. and grew to manhood with brilliant
| mind and an adventurous disposition. both OF
| which helpcd him to seat In the National
| Congress before he was 40 years OF age. There
| he served two terms and was q candidate for
! recollection when u series OF events happened
that changed him from ono OF the political
| leaders OF his own Slate to an outlaw In the
| wilds OF Texas The Potters we're wealthy:
| most OF their neigh were not Partly by
purchase. uartly through physical dominance.
| which was one OF his marked characteristics.
| Robert Potter secured the hand OF the most
| beautiful girl in his district Just at the
! beginning OF his political career. notwith-
| standing the fact that she was the betrothed
became Methodist minister Potter was
| often away from home for months at time
| after his marriage. at Washington. as the rep
resentatiye Of his district. and between terms
| electioneering among his widely scattered
| constituents. The former lover and minister
OF the gospel was often guest at the Potter
| plantation home. In those days gossip was
slow to begin and slower to spread and 1t was
not until Potter was a third time a candidate
| for Congress that any rumor OF his wfes rela-
| tons with her former lover reached his ct Is.
| Two stories are told as to what happened then.
| One Is that Potter went straight to the minis
ter without any effort at verifying the report
that had come to him: the other is that he
went frat to his wife and wrung confession
from her One thing is certain. He found the
man and. taking the law into his own hands.
punished him.
Had the affair resulted in the death Of the
preacher. Potter would probably have served
at least an other term in Congress. living and
| dying a successful North Carolina politician.
| But even the lax public sentiment Of the North
| Carolina OF that day. when 1t was a question OF
settlement between man and man. was not
equal to passing an act OF the cruelty OF
Potter's As a consequence. Potter went to
Texas. then the favorite home OF the outlaws
OF two continents. q fugitive from justice He
served with some distinction in dozen or so
small engagements during the Texas war Of
Independence and on account OF his work in
the capture OF Mexican schooner at Victoria
by a detachment OF Texas cavalry that swan
its horses out to the vessel which was beached
upon shonl. under fire Of all the enemys
guns. boarded Il and captured vessel and crew.
he was made commodore in the navy OF the
Republic OF Texas.
Soon after the close OF the war. Commodore
Potter went to east Texas and established
himself on the north shore Of Caddo Lake.
near a point which still bears his name. in
what is now Marion county In that part OF
the Republic the civil authority totally
disorsanizcd, and brigandage was rapidly be-
coming organized. The chosen prey OF the
forces Of outiawry were the negroes on the
large plantations that were cleared like magic
along the lakes and streams OF east Texas as
soon as the Republic was established To pre-.
vent these being driven of and sold. the plant
ers organized themselves into a band known
as Regulators" which speedily suppressed
the negro thieves. As frequently happened In
| other localities. the necessity that called the
better class OF citizens into the ranks OF the
Regulators" having passed away. these left
the organization. which quickly degenerated
into band OF brigands as bad as those whom
it was originally intended to suppress. This
state OF affairs drove the settlers Into another
organization. which was known as the Mod
orators" having for the reason OF it's beng the
| suppression OF the Regulators" In time. as
the authority OF the courts and their officers
became better established. the best class Of
citizens came to rely on them for protection
moro and more. and the organizations OF both
Regulators" and ''Moderators" were main
tanned solely as instruments OF a feud between
their respective leaders
Potter was natural leader of men, and his
qualifications in that regard. together with his
great personal magnetism. made him chief OF
the "Moderato:s" soon after they were organ
lied. Atthat time he was. so far as appearances
60 a typical robber chiettain. with some sug-
gestions OF the English Gentleman OF the Road
OF the earlier portion Of the eightee tn century
He is thus described by one Who saw him. and
heard him deliver = Fourth Of July grafton the
, year before no Was killed:
II have seldom II ever seen a man whose
personality was more striking. He was tall
straight as an Indian and finely proportoned'
His features were bold and clear cut. His eyes
were black and sparkling. while his hair was
also jetty black, inclined to curl. and hung to
his shoulders. Finer shaped hands l have
never seen. His bearing was elegant and
very graceful When he smoke his words came
quickly and smoothly. and he always thrilled
his hearers holding their attention almost as
much with his eyes with his voice and the
subject matter OF his discourse"
J The feud between Potter and Rose. the
leader OF the Regulators" became in time a
systematic and continuous campaign against
each other. Each always went armed. and
was always attended by an armed bodyguard
Meetings between these armed parties were
frequent. and their results were always des-
perate fighting and plenty OF casualties. For
months both Rose and Potter seemed to bear
charmed lives. though both were in the thick
OF every fight: and both were tho special tar
gets OF expert rihemen and woodsmen. In
these encounters the "Moderators" generally
won and their boldness grew with success
/ On q high bluff commanding a Wow al Caddo
Lake and OF the surrounding country for
miles. Potter established his headquarters.
building log house that was part fort. part
dwelling. This was veritable arsenal. its
. walls were covered with small arms OF every
, variety. and it's approaches were defended
with cannon. This house was standing until q
few years ago. when il was DESTROYED by FIRE