The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-03
TOLD OF GEN. SAM HOUSTON
HIS LITE AMONG THE INDIANS AFTER HIS UNHAPPY MARIA

Ills Strange Departure from Tennessee
 --Said to Have Given Himself Up to
 Dissipation-His New Career In Texas.
 General Samuel Houston, named by
 the people of his state as the Wash
 ington of Texas" was born in Virginia
 in 1793. His widowed mother removed
 10 tennessee when he was nine years
 old. Here he labored on .he farm and
 went to school until he was sixteen,
 There was a settlement of Cherokees
 about nine miles from his home, where
 he made frequent visits and learned to
 speak the Cherokee language. He was
 adopted as son by John Jolly, chief,
 and formally admitted to the tribe.
 He was equal to them in feats of
 strength, agility, hunting, boating and
 horsemanship. He lived with them
 three years, until the war of 1912 broke
 out, when he enlisted as private sol-
 ulSI, Wa5 WllIl IGllSld JdCh-
 son. promoted to first lieutenant and
 resigned in 181S. He was elected twice
 to congress from Tennessee and in 1927
 was governor of that state. Tn Janu-
 ary, 1929, he married the belle of Nash vile, Miss Virginia Fraser. In about
 two months after his marriage the gov
 ernor of Tennessee suddenly resigned,
 left his wife and disappeared. This act
 caused q great sensation through the country. Houston was registered at
 the time as the most promising public man in the south. He had won dis
 tinction in congress, his administration as governor was successful and his popularity was unbounded. He had the friendship of Jackson, and many thought that Houston would one day occupy the presidential chair. But he flung away all opportunities, all the honors that had been showered on him; flung away the pleasures and comforts of civilized life and took up his resi- dence among the Indians.
 Houston never told his most intimate friends of the couse of this most strange act of his life. When any of them would touch upon the subject he would curtly say: "Sir, let us speak of something else" But it became known afterward that Virginia loved John En- dicott and was secretly engaged to him, but under the pressure of her ambi- tious parents influence had accepted Houston's attentions, and he married her without the least suspicion of the facts, so carefully had the designing mother drilled the daughter; and these points being known led to the reasona- ble surmise that Houston discovered his wife's sorrow and she confessed the facts to him. John Endicott, at the time, was the governors private secre- tary It is also said that Houston af- terward wrote to her a very kind let ter, in which he advised her to get divorce, which she did and married her lover.
 Houston spent the night, until day break, in his office, wrote his resigna- ton to the legislature, went through his papers destroying some and rear ranging others, and having concluded his affairs went back to his house and found that Virginia had gone to her mother. He then went to the stable, mounted his horse and left the town.
 We next hear of him at Cairo, at the mouth of the Ohio river, small trad ing post at that time. Here he pur- chased a boat and loaded it with a stock of groceries and goods for Indi- an trade, also salt, bacon, whiskey to- bacco, Sc. He had some experience when youth in grocery store and fioated down the Mississippi in his little store boat until he reached Montgome- rvs Point, at the mouth of the White river. He stopped at many places to trade and hunt the abundant game in the canebrakes along the river. He had for companions a negro servant, q white man who had river experience, and two large bear dogs. He stayed several days at Helena with James Bowie and his brother, Resin, who lived there and at Memphis, where he was recognized by some who knew him and sent intelligence to Nashville of his presence. With great labor he worked his boat up the Arkansas river to Little Rock, stopping along to rest and trade. He would exchange his furs, deerskins and beeswax, when he could for groceries. At Little Rock he met Wharton and Elias Rector, Captain IGElly WII dHl utilcl olctlitS tlll- zens of this state, and at Van Buren he met Major John Henry. with whom he formed strong friendship. While trading at Webbers Falls he met John Jolly his fosterfather. who was chief Of the old settlers, and lived on the Vian I Creek. The greeting was warm and between the old chief and the boy he had befriended in the old | nation.
 Houston was now at home among his | friends. He was wild with joy, dressed l himself in Indian costume, joined their l hunting parties and was foremost at | their feats and games. The Cherokees knew his fighting qualities He had l fought against them as an officer un- der Jackson, and fought with them | against the Creeks in the bloody and | desperate fights of Horse Shoe Bend l and Talladega.
 As warrior they admired him. | There were many moving bands of | Osages yet In the Cherokee country, with whom they had frequent conflicts, and Houston was always foremost in the fight. He seemed to court the wild est excitement and danger in war, hunting and revelry, probably as distraction of his mind from the sorrow ne had fled from in Nashville, for he had devotedly loved Virginia Fraser un- il the cruel blow fell that drove him