Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-03-06
GEN. SAM HOUSTON'S
REMARKABLE CAREER
Born in Rockbridge Near Timber
Ridge Church
ONLY PRESIDENT OF TEXAS
Governor of States of Tennessee and
Texas

portrait OF Zen. sam Houston 10 inc bodtu OF ou-
pervisors in the Courthouse, Lexington, Va.
March 4, IoIz)
Twice President of a republic
(the Republic of Texas)-lS36 1888
and 1S4l-1S44.
Twice Governor of Tennessee
1929, and reelected in 1929 to sue
coed himself.
Twice Congressman from Tennes-
see 1S23-1S27.
Governor of Texas-1959-1S61
United States Senator OF Texas
from 1915 for fourteen continuous
years, is the record of the man from
Rock bridge, whom L do not hesitate
to pronounce the greatest celebrity
tn is famous county has produced,
and if we measure him by the NUN
Der and Importance of his deeds,
among the greatest celebrities
America has produced.
Sam Houston, soldier and states
m.n, was born in log cabin stu
ated about 200 feet in rear OF the
present site of the renowned Timber
Ridge presbyterian church, in
Rockbridge county, Virginia, on
March 2ud, 1898. He was son Of
Sam and Elizabeth (Paxtonl Hous-
ton. His father, planter by occu-
patton, served with credit in Nor
gan's Brigade OF riflemen in the
Revolution, and from the close oil
the war until his death, in 1906, was
assistant inspector-g general of the
frontier troops with the rank OF
major He was grandson Of Rob
ert Houston, a native of Philadel-
phia, Pa, W no. removing to Virginia
in early life, purchased an exten-
sive estate in Rockbridge county.
The original American ancestor was
John Houston, one OF good Scotch
Irish family who settled in Phila-
delphia in 1859, and was great great.
grandfather of Gen. Sam Houston.
Three years after the death OF his
: father, in 1909, Sam Houston, ther
in his fifteenth year, removed will
his mother and the younger chill
= dren to the newly settled country
now included in Blount county
T. Tenn. We are told his early edu
cation was limited to the "Fiel'
y Schools" of his native county an
to the reading OF such books as Cae
= sar's Commentaries, which strongl
II appealed to his innate military in
stincts, which after wards culm
g. mated in his holding the Offices {
;" acknowledgement and major genera
of the troops of Tennessee, an
afterwards was major-general an
D. commander-in chief of all the armie
." in being, or to be organized for tt
. establishment of the Republic {
Texas. The world knows the resu
Is of his genius and heroism which r
suited in the defeat of Santa Anr
y. in the most remarkable battle of Sa
IL Jacinto, in which 700 Texans d
~ feated 1900 Mexicans, Staying $50 ar
d. and wounding 80 and capturir
7sO, with a loss of six killed ar
w. twenty-five wounded, capturing II
- Mexican leader, who was va
10 enough to style himself the Nap
leon OF the West" Above the Fl
Va OF artillery and musketry was CIV
III heard the battle cry of "Rememb
'"' the Alamo" One of the mysteri
u in the life of Sam Houston is that
W. permitted the butcher Of the Alal
'i' and Goliad to live one minute aft
o'' his capture, but it spoke volum
for his humanity.
While in Congress for four yea
en- Houston displayed remarkable gu
~ tiles of craftsmanship and careful
suppressed all tendencies to exc,
'D" tricity. In the year of his last tie
in Congress he fought duel vi
''u' Gen. VIM. White of Tennessee, a
~" wounded him severely. Thereaft
o'' he steadily declined all ''meetin
on the Field of Honor" but t
're' did not interfere with him knock
~. down Congressman Standberry
'oJ' Ohio, in the streets of Washingt
disarming him and giving him a