The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-01-06

away dh OlJi'OtN ~ -->-''i ''Z
that had been showered on him; Hung
away the pleasures and comforts OF
civilized life and took up his residence
among the Indians.
Houston never told his most intl-
mate friends of the cause of this most
strange act of his life. When any OF
them would touch upon the subject
he would curtly say: "Slr, let us
speak of something else But it be-
came known afterward that Virginia
loved John Endicott and was secretly
engaged to him, but under the pres
sure of her ambitious parents 1ntiu-
ence had accepted Houston's atten-
tions, and he married her without the
least suspicion of the facts, so care
fully had the designing mother drill
ed the daughter and these points be-
ing known led to reasonable surmlse
that Houston discovered his wife s
sorrow and she confessed the facts to
him. John Endicott, at the time,
was the Governor S private secretary:
It is also said that Houston afterward
wrote to her a very kind letter, IN
which he advised her to get a di
vorce, which she did, and married her
lover.
Houston spent the night, until day
break, in his Office, wrote his resign
alton to the Legislature, went through
his papers, destroying some and rear,
ranging others, and having concluded
his affairs went back to his house anc
found that Virginia had gone to hel
mother. He then went to the stable
mounted his horse and left the town
We next hear of him at Cairo, a
the mouth of the Ohio river, small
trading post at that time. Here h'
purchased a boat and loaded it with
stock of groceries and goods tor In
dian trade; also, salt, bacon, whisky
tobacco, etc. He had some eXperlenc
when a youth in a grocery store, ant
floated down the Mississippi in hi
little store boat until he reached
Montgomery's Point, at the mouth Q
the White river. He stopped a
manv places to trade and hunt tn
abundant game in the cane brake
along the river. He had for compan
ions a negro servant, a white mar
who had river experience, and tw
large bear dogs. He stayed sever;
, days at Helena with James Bowie an
his brother, Resin, who lived there
and at Memphis, where he was re'
I ognized by some who knew him an
| sent intelligence to Nashville OF h
u presence. With great labor he worl
ed his boat UP the Arkansas river
Little Rock, stopping along to re
and trade. He would exchange h
D. furs, deerskins and beeswax, when
could, for groceries. At Little Rof
r he met Wharton and Elias Recto
i Capt. Pennywit and other disti
guished citizens of that State, and
- Van Buren met Major John Henr
with whom he formed a strong frlen
ship. While trading at Webbel
|, Fails he met John Jolly, his fostf
father, who was chief of the old 81
tiers and lived on the Wan cree
-. The greeting was warm and ettt
;, tionate between the old chief and t
how he had befriended in the old
ton. -
Houston was now at home amo
- his friends. He was wild with i
20 dressed himself in Indian costun
Z ioined their hunting parties and v
3 foremost at their feats and gam
g The Cherokees knew his tghtl
Z qualities. He had fought agaii
3 them as an officer in the army un'
g Jackson, and fought with tn
4& against the Creeks in the bloody