The Fearless Fifty-Nine, Samuel Houston

Samuel Houston was the 43 year old Refugio representative. The most famous of the delegates, Houston played an integral role in Texas Independence. Before coming to Texas in 1832, he fought in the War of 1812, worked as a sub-Indian agent to the Cherokees, was elected attorney general of the District of Nashville, served as a Tennessee representative in the US Congress in 1823 and 1825, and as Governor of Tennessee from 1827-1829. Once in Texas, he became quickly involved in the Anglo-Texans’ politics of the rebellion. Houston arrived at the Convention in March and was soon appointed major general of the army. He joined his troops at Gonzales before retreating eastward. Soon though, Houston and his men defeated Santa Anna’s forces at the Battle of San Jacinto. After the battle, Houston became the first elected president of the Republic from 1836 to 1838 and once again from 1841 to 1844. In between the stints as president, he served as representative in the Texas Congress from 1839 to 1841. Once Texas joined the Union, he came a Texas Senator in the US Congress from 1846 to 1859. Then, Governor of Texas from 1859 to 1861. When the Civil War came around, Houston opposed Texas withdrawing from the Union which ended in Houston’s removal from office. He died in 1863 in Huntsville after succumbing to pneumonia at age seventy.