Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-08
STORIES OF HOUSTON
RecoIIections of Judge KittreIl
of Texas.
MAN OF C0URTLY GRACE
Intense in His Hatreds, Strong in
His Friendships.
FOLLOWED NO OTHER, HE LED
Some Incidents of His Closing Years.
His Visit to Washington When
He Thrashed a Congressman.
FOLLOWED NO OTHER, HE LEI

BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
| Chicago Record Herald.
| HOUSTON, Tex, April ,, 1911.
| Judge Norman Kittrell of the Texas
| judiciary is one Of the few living men
who had a personal acquaintance with
Gen. Sam Houston. President Of the Tex
| as republic and his "reminiscences of that
| hero are very interesting.
He was the first and only man l had
| ever seen who had been in battle, or COM
| manded an army, said Judge Kittrell,
| land my father had taught me to respect
and honor him. l recall now as boy in
knee trousers / gazed upon him with
awe and veneratOn. My father and he
had lived near neighbours: my mother
and Mrs. Houston we're educated at the
same institution and married in the same
town, and she always greeted him with
the utmost cordially. 1t seems to me
that l can see him now, as he used to
come down the walk under the cedars
from the front gate to our house, walk
ing as erectly as if his age We're one
score, instead of more than three score
years. AS he drew near the front door
he would remove his broad-brimmed fur
hat and lay it on his left arm. He car
ried his buggy whip in his left hand, and
would meet him. Extending his right
hand, on which were usually two or three
seal rings, he would take my mothers
hand and, bending with chivalric courtesy
and dignity until his lips almost touched
her finger tips, would say with his char
acteristic delberation and distinctness
My lady, l am charmed to meet you
again. 1t is always pleasure to meet
YOU and become guest in your hosplta-
BILE home; Mrs. Houston babe me bring
you assurances of her love.
His manner and bearing were the
very impersonation of courtly grace, yet
there were many who believed, and per-
haps there are those who think so yet,
that he was a boor and lout. unfa-
miiar with the requirements of refined
society and good breeding.
Houston was a Union man in 1861. and
regarded secession as the wickedest of po-
always been opposed in politics. and 1t
was one of the unfortunate weaknesses Of
Gen. Houston that he rarely differentiated
between a political and q personal enemy.
My father was a gratifying exception to
the rule, and their personal relations
were always cordial. He sometimes drove
across the country from his home to
Huntsville. and as my fathers planta-
ton lay between the two towns, he was
often a welcome and honored guest at our
house
I'm his retirement he made his home
first at Chambers Point, on Galveston
bay. only a little way removed from that
battlefield with which his name is linked
in ever-increasing glory. Later he lived
at Huntsville, and there death found him.
Parlor Soldiers Rebuked.
at intervals he visited Houston. when
living on the bay, and during one of his
visits. he was sitting in the hotel which
stood where now stands the Hotel Rice.
In the lobby was group Of young OFF,
GERS, radiant in the regalia and insignia
of rank which mark the soldier who has
seen no dangerous service. One of the
group was denouncing all men suspected
of harboring Union sentiments AS he
proceeded, encouraged by his comrades.
he grew more violent, and to their evil
dent delight shouted:
II would like to run my sword through
the heart of that damned old coward and
traitor. Sam Houston
Sickness and wounds which had never
healed were slowly sapping away the life
of the old man. and he was very feeble.
His beard having grown out. he was not
recognized as he sat in a chair leaning
back against the wall. He heard the re-
mark, however. and those who had ban
died his name in profane jest were first
aware of his presence when he stood be-
fore them. With the forefinger of his left
hand pointing to his heart, he shook the
forefinger of his right hand in the face of
the upStart young officer AS his great
eyebrows contracted, he said i'm tones that
pierced the very marrow of the ribald
group:
Here is the heart of Sam Houston,
and whoever says it is the heart of a
coward or a traitor lies in his teeth. lies
like dog that he is! Soon he found him.
self alone. the majestic incarnation of tow
ering rage, for every one of those who
had dared revile him, as it were. went
backward and fell to the ground
Upon one of his trips across the coun-
try he stopped at my aunt's home on her
plantation. They had long been friends
and he was most welcome guest. She
said: General: we had expected you
some two weeks ago. He replied: Yes,
been here-ndeed. l had started and had
reached Ryans Ohe halfway stopping
place. when l heard of those terrible bat
ties in Mississippi. and Sam was at home
his regiment and that Margaret would
be greatly distressed, SO l returned to be
with her and comfort her. Margaret is
very. patriotic. but she is awfully afraid
of those rifled cannon
My aunt spoke up quickly and with
some fire in her tone: General 1 have
five sons each and every one of whom is
as dear to me as is Sam to Mrs. Houston.
Four of them are now in the army and
the fifth is preparing to go. And I'd
rather each and every one OF them should
go and die a soldiers death than that
single one should remain at home and
fill. sluggard'S grave
with profound bow, he replied: In
finitely so, my good lady, infinitely SO.
And so had Mrs. Houston. but she is
awfully afraid of those rifled cannon
Her first born did go at his country'S
call and bore himself as became the son
of his father, shedding his blood in the
forefront Of the fighting.
Conquered the Opposition.
''In an interior town in which there re-
sided a number of able and influential
men of opposing political faith. and
where the sentiment against his position
on the Kansas-Nebraska bill had aroused