Sam Houston

Note: This is the first in a series of articles designed to stimulate interest in preserving and maintaining the gravesites of notable figures from East Texas history.

Texans take pride in many things, not the least of which are the stories about the state's colorful past. Sam Houston dominates many of those stories; as the hero of San Jacinto, he holds a privileged place in the hearts of all who call themselves Texans. But many who celebrate Houston's heroics during the fight for Texas independence know little about his life prior to coming to Texas, or his role in shaping the state after annexation into the United States.

Sam Houston's early life prepared him well for later adventures in Texas. Born in Virginia and reared in Tennessee, at age sixteen he left his widowed mother and eight siblings to live with the Cherokee Indians for three years. He then enlisted in the Tennessee Militia and fought alongside his adopted Cherokee family under Andrew Jackson against the Creek Indians during the War of 1812.

Houston and Jackson became close friends, and both pursued successful political careers. In 1823 Houston was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives, then served as governor of Tennessee from 1827 until 1829. Marital discord led him to resign from office and return to the Cherokees, this time in Arkansas. In 1832 he came to Texas, and embarked upon that portion of his life that has become the stuff of legend.

For the next thirty-one years, Houston served his adopted state. He commanded the army during the independence fight, defeating Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. He was elected president of the Republic of Texas, then to a seat in the Texas Congress. After annexation he went to Washington as a United States senator from Texas and later returned to become governor of the state.

As the Civil War approached, Houston argued against secession; when it became inevitable, he lobbied against Texas joining the Confederacy. But his passionate pleas that Texans spare themselves the anguish of the coming fight fell upon deaf ears. In March 1861, after Texans had decided upon secession, Houston refused to swear an oath of loyalty to the Confederate States of America, and the governor's office was declared vacant.

Refusing offers of armed assistance to maintain his hold on power, including two from Abraham Lincoln, Houston instead retired to Cedar Point, on Galveston Island. When Union troops occupied Galveston in 1863 he moved to Huntsville. On July 26, 1863, the seventy-year-old Houston died of pneumonia in Huntsville, where he was buried.

Sam Houston's gravesite is located in Oakwood Cemetery, and maintained by the City of Huntsville. To get there, take I-45 to Huntsville exit Highway 190 (11th St.) and travel east through town. Turn left (north) on Avenue I and travel three blocks to the cemetery. While in Huntsville, be sure and see the mammoth statue of Sam Houston located south of the city along I-45.

For further information about Sam Houston, see one of the many fine biographies available. Information about historic Huntsville/Walker County and Oakwood Cemetery can be found at http://www.chamber.huntsville.tx.us/visitor.html. To learn more about East Texas history, contact the East Texas Historical Association at Stephen F. Austin State University or visit the ETHA web site at http://leonardo.sfasu.edu/etha/.