WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1829
130
plot of ground on which The University of Texas now stands. He continued to live at his home near Austin until his death, December 4, 1898, six days before the hundredth anniversary of his birth. Biographical information from his great-granddaughter, Miss Charmion Shelby. To JOHN ALLEN 1 Mr. Allen The most unpleasant & unhappy circumstance has just taken place in the family, & one that was entirely unneces- sary at this time. Whatever had been my feelings or opinions in relation to Eliza at one time, I have been satisfied & it is now unfit that anything shou!d be averted to. Eliza will do me the justice to say that she believes I was realiy unhappy That I was satisfied & believed he1· virtuous, I had assured her on last night & this morning. This should have prevented the facts ever coming to your knowledge, & that of Mrs. Allen. I would not for millions it had ever been known to you. But one human being knew anything of it from me, & that was by Eliza's consent & wish. I would have perished first, & if mortal man had dared to charge my wife or say ought against her virtue I wou!d have slain him. That I have & do love Eliza none can doubt,-that she is the only earthly object dear to me God will witness. The only way this matter can now be overcome will be for us all to meet as tho it had never occurred, & this will keep the world, as it should ever be, ignorant that such thoughts ever were. Eliza stands acquitted by me. I have received her as a virtuous wife, & as such I pray God I may ever regard her, & trust I ever shall. She was cold to me, & I thought did not love me. She owns that such was one cause of my unhappiness. You can judge how unhappy I was to think I was united to a woman that did not love me. This time is now past, & my future happiness can only exist in the assurance that Eliza & myself can be happy & that Mrs. Allen & you can forget the past,-forgive all & find your lost peace & you may rest assured that nothing on my part shall be wanting to restore it. Let me know what is to be done Sam Houston 9 Apr. 1829 1Jackson MSS., U.S. Congressional Library. Photostat, The University of Texas Library. Jos. C. Guild, Old Times in TemH:-ssee, 272. Marquis James, 1'he Raven, 143-144. The copy in The Raven does not faithfully follow the original.
•t
f
Powered by FlippingBook