Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-03-06
GEN. SAM H0UST0N'S
REMARKABLE CAREER

une OF S)JO, Wnlcn freSluent An
drew Jackson immediately remitted
saying. for divers good and suffi
cient reasons not specified. anG
further observed, that after a few
more examples of this kind mem
r berS Of Congress would learn &c
keep civil tongues in their heads.
This affair greatly increased his
popularity with the Jacksonian fac.
tion in Washington, and on his re-
trrp to the State of Tennessee he
was received with every demonstra-
ton of regard and admiration.
, In January, 1899. Sam Houston,
while Governor of Tennessee, mar
ried Eliza Allen of Sumner county
a young lady seemingly in every
way worthy to adorn the Capital
mansion, but in April of the same
year, to the amazemert Of the public
and without a word of explanation,
even to his friends, Houston re-
signed the governorShip and disap-
peared. He was soundly abused
for what was deemed the deSertiou
of his fair young wife, and it was
not till many years afterwards that
the truth, as claimed to have been
discovered in certain letters, was
really known. 1t seems his wife
had been married TO him because of
his brilliant attachments and repu.
tatiOn, but her love belo nged to an
other. Houston chose to make
sacrifice Of himself rather than sub
ject her to an existence without
love, and exiled himself from frieuds,
honCrS and civilized life. 1t is only
known, neither ever spoke i'll of the
other, and that he ever said, with
emphasis, that she was a pure sand
olameless woman. His wife secured
divorce from him on the ground
of desertiOn and married n man by
the name Of Douglass. He went dow
the Mississippi River to the mouth
of the Arkansas; thence by land and
water until be reached in the far
Northwest the land of his adopted
father, Cherokee Chief, Oolooteka,
better known to the whites as John
Jolly" (When Houston first went
to Blount county, Tenn, be had for
neigh bOrs the Cherokee Nation of
Indians, and made many frienos
among them; and was adopted as
son by the Chief Oolooteka and
given the name Of ColonnelL)
When Houston returned 10 the
Indians he resumed his Indian
name of Coonnell. but while among
them he sank into intemperance and
became better known to the Indians
by the name Of Big Drunk" than
by that OF Colonnell.
When leaving Nashville Sam
Houston addressed the following
letter to Gen. William Hall, speaker
of the Tennessee Senate, who sue
ceeded him as Governor:
Sir:-It has become my duty
to resign the office of Chief
Magi trate OF the State, and to place
in your hand the authority and re-
spOnsibility which on such an event
devolves on you by the provisions
Of the constitution. In dissolving
the political connection which has
SO loLg and in such a variety OF
fOrmS existed between the PEOPLE OF
/ Tennessee and myself, no private
affection, however deep or inclra-
BILE, can forbid an expression OF the
gratefGl recollectiOns so eminently
due TO the kind partialities of an in
/ dulgent public. From my earliest
youth, whatever of talent was com
Mitted TO my care, has been honestly
cultivated and expended for the
common good; and at no period of
life which has certainly been marked
by full portion Of interesting
events, have any views OF private
interest or private ambition been
permitted to mipgle in the higher
duties Of public trust.
In reviewing the past, can only
regret that my capacity for being
useful was 50 unequal to the devo
lion of my heart, and it is one of the
few consultations of nv life that even