Sam Houston

Born Rockbridge County, Virginia. Age 12, Family moved to Tennessee. Age 20, U.S. Army, became 1st Lieutenant. Age 25, Creek/Indian War. Age 26, Studied Law at Nashville, Tennessee. Age 30, member of Congress from Tennessee. Age 34, Governor of Tennessee. Age 36, due to a tragic love affair, his bridge of 12 weeks left him and took refuge in her fathers house.Houston was heartbroken and bitter. Resigned as Governor and went to Oklahomo terrifoty and for four years lived amoung the indians. He becames a tribal vagabond--refused to speak English only Cherokee Indian Language.He did agree to go to Washington to represent the Indians and he showed up in the Nations Capital in Beaded Buckskin shirts and trousers and the traditional indian blanket.President Andrew Jackson talked to Houston on his second trip and got him to agre to go to Texas to report on the American colonists and Indians who were settling in Texas, which was owned by Mexico, along with New Mexico, Arizona, California and parts of Colorado, utah, and Nevada.Two years after Houston went to Texas, the colonists mostly Americans, rebelled against Mexico and took over the Government and declard Texas independent of Mexico and elected Sam Houston Commander in Chief of the Armies of the Republic. less than 1000.First News the New commander received was that Santa Anna, President of Mexico had crossed the Rio Grande with 7000 troops. Houston gathered up what soldiers he could find and started to retreat before the superior forces.Santa Anna drove everything before him, took the Alamo and killed all 188 defenders, including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, two well known frontiersmen.Houston dedged and zig zagged eastward for 37 days as Santa Anna tried to pin him down and destroy his little army.Near city of Houston, San Jacinto River, Mexican Army 1400 men emcamped and rested. Houston with 800 men. Houston caught them off guard and defeated Mexican Army. All killed or captured. Santa Anna himself was also captured, but later escaped. (Rumor-Mason).Texas then became an Independent Republic with Sam Houston as President. 10 years before becoming a state.Sam Houston served 13 years in U.S. Senate, but was Anti-Slavery so legislature did not reelect him. Elected his successor 2 years before his term expired.Returned to Texas and was elected governor in 1859. Two years before Civil War and made a brave but hopeless fight to keep Texas out of the Confederacy.Hot heads voted to suceed from Union and summoned Governor before the Convention to take the Confederate. he refused and resigned as Governor. He said "In the Name of my own conscience and my own manhood, I refuse to take this oath. I will not yield those principles I have fought for."In midst of Civil War, Sam Houston died, still without swearing allegiance to the Confederacy.At age of three score plus 10, the Career of a great frontiersman and a great American came to an End. His statue stands in Hall of Fame in Washington, placed there by the people of Texas.