Last Thursday, April 21, 2020, was San Jacinto Day here in Texas. For 184 years Texans have honored one of the great heroes of the Republic of Texas and a true symbol of both the Republic and the State. He is no other than Sam Houston who was a well-known figure before he set foot in Texas in 1832.
As a young boy in Virginia Houston ran away from home and lived for nearly three years with the Cherokee tribe in eastern Tennessee. He became fluent in the Cherokee language and customs; the tribe gave named him “Black Raven” that went with him for the rest of his life.
His inherent military skills became obvious while serving with Andrew Jackson at Battle of Horseshoe Bend in the Creek war. Jackson recognized his wisdom and bravery, but because of an injury Houston left the army and won a seat in Congress for Tennessee. Later he became the governor of the state. His brief marriage caused him to resign in 1827 and return to the Cherokee in Indian Territory.
Texas fever induced Sam Houston to cross the Red River and to invest in land speculation and trade with Texas Indians on behalf of both the Cherokee and the United States. With his credentials in law, military, and politics, the provisional government appointed Houston commander of the Texas Army. One of his first orders were sent to Jim Bowie and William B. Travis to abandon the Alamo and join the Texas Army. Bowie and Travis refused, only to face total defeat at the fall of the Alamo.
Houston then led a small force eastward from Gonzales as more men joined. Women and children followed in wagons, on foot, or horseback. East Texas becomes a quagmire during the spring. The march eastward was chaotic. Some wondered if Houston would ever confront the Mexican Army under President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. As days and miles passed, Houston had time to train his ill-equipped and poorly provisioned army. An April 21, 1836, Houston caught the entire Mexican Army by surprise. Some say it was siesta time for the Mexican Army camped on the banks of the San Jacinto River. Spurred on by the battle cry “Remember the Alamo,” Houston’s 800 men defeated a force twice its size in a mere 18 minutes. Santa Anna had no choice but to surrender after signing an armistice granting Texas independence.
The new nation immediately elected General Houston as President Houston. The vote was a landslide. A new statehouse was built in Harrisburg in 1837. President Houston changed the name of the community to Houston where he resided for two more years. When his term was completed, he served in the Texas house until he was eligible to run for president again.
When Texas joined the United States, Houston became one of the two Texas senators. He served thirteen years, continuously voting against slavery. In 1859, Houston was elected governor of the state. As he campaigned for the office, he traveled through Greenville and Bonham. He was the only Southern governor to oppose secession from the United States. Texas held a state convention on February 1,1861; the vote was 168 to 8 in favor of session. One month later Sam Houston refused to swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America; the Texas legislature deposed him. He rejected an offer to lead a Union force of 50,000 men against the Confederate rebels and retired to Huntsville, Texas, where he died in 1863.