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16 HOUSTON ters to East Tennessee, within 8 m. of the Cher- okee country. Sam had read a few books, among them Pope's translation of the Iliad, of which he could repeat nearly the whole from memory. He desired to learn Greek and Latin, but was refused by his schoolmaster, upon which he left the school, and entered a store as clerk. This occupation he had no relish for, and absconding, he crossed the Tennessee river, and lived with the Indians about three years. Though under 18 years of age, he was six feet high and an active hunter, and stood high in the esteem of his savage associates. Oolooteka, one of their chiefs, adopted him as his son. In 1811 he returned to his family, and opened a school. In 1813, during the war with Great Britain, he enlisted as a common soldier, was promoted to be an ensign, and fought under Jackson against the Indians at the battle of the great bend of the Tallapoosa, March 24, 1814, where he was severely wounded. After the ratification of peace in 1815 he was pro- moted to be a lieutenant, and was stationed near Knoxville, Tenn., and afterward at New Orleans. In November, 1817, he was appoint- ed a subordinate Indian agent to carry out the treaty with the Cherokees which had just been ratified. In the following winter he conducted a delegation of Indians to Washington. Com- plaints were made against him to the govern- ment on account of his exertions to prevent the unlawful importation of African negroes through Florida, then a Spanish province. He was acquitted of all blame by the gov- ernment ; but conceiving himself to be ill treated, he resigned his commission in the army, March 1, 1818, settled in Nashville, and began to study law. In six months he was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Lebanon, 30 m. E. of Nashville. He was soon appointed adjutant general of the state, with the rank of colonel ; and in 1819 he was elected district attorney of the Davidson district, and took up his residence in Nashville. In 1821 he was elected major general of militia, and in 1823 a representative in congress. He was re- elected in 1825 by an almost unanimous vote, and in August, 1827, was chosen governor of Tennessee. In January, 1829, he was mar- ried, and in April, for reasons unknown to the public, separated from his wife, resigned his office, went to the west of Arkansas, to which his former friends the Cherokees had removed, and presented himself before Oolooteka, who had now become the principal chief of the tribe. He was kindly received, and by an official act of the ruling chiefs, Oct. 21, 1829, was formally admitted to all the rights and privileges of the Cherokee nation. In 1832 he went to Washington to remonstrate against the frauds and outrages practised upon the Indians. This resulted in the removal of five government agents from office, and he be- came involved in a series of personal and legal contests with the removed agents and their friends. He was accused in the house of rep- resentatives by W. R. Stansbury of Ohio of having attempted to obtain from government a fraudulent contract for Indian rations. This led to a personal rencontre between Houston and Stansbury, who was severely beaten. For this Houston was arrested, and publicly cen- sured by the speaker of the house. He was also tried for assault, and fined $500 ; but the sentence of the court was not enforced, and the fine was afterward remitted by President Jackson. A committee of which Mr. Stans- bury was chairman was appointed to investi- gate the charge of fraud, but reported that it was not sustained. Houston returned to his wigwam, and in December, 1832, went to Texas, where a revolutionary movement was organizing against the Mexican government. In the constitutional convention, which -met April 1, 1833, Houston exercised a controlling influence. When the war with Mexico began he was chosen general of the military district east of the Trinity, and in October, 1835, mus- tered his forces and led them to the camp of Gen. Austin, who was besieging Bexar. He was soon elected commander-in-chief of the Texan army. After the declaration of Texan independence, he resigned his command, and was immediately reelected commander-in-chief of the army of the new republic. On March 10, 1836, he went to the camp of Gonzalez and took command of the army of 374 men, ill or- ganized, poorly armed, and without supplies. The fort of the Alamo had just been taken by the Mexicans, and its garrison of about 170 put to death. On March 12 information reached the camp of this massacre, accompanied by the statement that the president of Mexico, Santa Anna, was close at hand with an army of 5,000 men. The wildest panic seized the Texan camp. Houston promptly restored or- der, and fell back to the Colorado, receiving from time to time small reinforcements, till at length the entire number of his force was 650 men. He had no artillery, and Col. Fannin, who was stationed at Goliad with 500 men well armed and supplied with artillery, was ordered to join him; but he was intercepted by a vastly superior force, and after a desperate defence capitulated, March 20, and with his command of 357 was massacred in cold blood, March 27. Santa Anna advanced to Ilarris- burg, the capital, which he laid in ashes, and marched upon the town called New Washington. Here upon the San Jacinto he was encountered by Houston, who had at length received two six-pounders from Cincinnati. His force had been increased till it numbered 783 men, all volunteers, most of whom had never seen a battle ; but, led in a general charge by Houston, with shouts of " Remember the Alamo! " "Re- member Goliad ! " they utterly routed (April 21) the Mexican force of 1,600 regulars, of whom G30 were killed and nearly all the remainder captured. The Texans had only 8 killed and 25 wounded. The next day Santa Anna, disguised as a common soldier, was captured and brought