Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/26

 and then concluded, that as he had not tried to solve a problem, he would not try again to be a scholar.

The following letter, from Miss N, B. Hamilton, one of his blood relatives, gives a running account of his genealogy and entire life: , May 19, 1866.



Having seen in the Virginia papers your call upon the friends and relatives of the late Gen. Sam Houston, for contributions, I now address you.

Being a native of Rockbridge County, a friend and relative, and having a brief genealogical account of the family, and having been honored for many years by his affectionate interest, and wishing to see justice done to his memory, I will try to send you a few reminiscences of our most pleasant intercourse. For in the social circle he stood pre-eminent. He seemed the inspiration of music, poetry, love, and friendship, that seemed to spread their radiant wings, gilding his delicious intercourse with the glorious rays of Heaven, making his associates forget they were the denizens of earth, until separation struck the wand, bringing them down to the actual. For he was a dreamer, a poet, as well as a statesman, patriot, and warrior.

His letters to me are purely family, and therefore too sacred to bear the light of publication.

The persons that have heretofore sketched his life have fallen into a common American error: that to make a hero they must make him spring from nothing. His fame needs the aid of no such props, and I hope your history will be more just to his honorable ancestry.

The Houstons belonged to the lowlands of Scotland, and were of note enough to possess a Coat of Arms, that you can find registered at the Herald's office in London.

At the time of the Reformation they embraced the tenets of Calvin. They have often been called Puritans. They were of pure Celtic blood, unmixed with either Saxon or Norman. The branch General Houston is descended from was forced to leave Scotland, and take refuge in the north of Ireland, and shared and suffered the woes of the celebrated siege of Derry.

About the year 1689, John Houston and his son John, with many wealthy friends, emigrated from Ireland to America.

Having a large amount of funds with them, and from the actions of the captain and the crew, they were forced to the conclusion that they intended to rob and murder them, so they held a consultation, and determined to seize the captain and crew; which determination they put into execution, and in eight days afterwards they landed at Philadelphia, and settled there; where John the second married a