296
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1835
back in Texas. For a while during the ad interim government (March 2, to October 22, 1836), John A. Wharton served as Secretary of War; then he was elected a Representative from Brazoria County to the First Texas Congress. After one term in the House he refused re-election to the Second Congress, retired to private life, and entered into a law partnership with E. M. Pease and John M. Harris at Houston. He accepted election to the Third Congress, and while serving in that body he died. Being a member of the Masonic fraternity he was buried with both Masonic and military rites. David G. Burnet delivered the funeral oration, the first sentence of which has often been quoted: "The keenest blade on the field of San Jacinto is broken, the brave, the generous, the talented John A. Wharton is no more; but surely it will be engraved on the tablets of our history that Texas wept when Wharton died." See James Lynch, The Bench ancl Bar of Texas, 217-220. Z. T. Fulmore, The Histo1'y and Geogravhy of Texas as Told in Co1mty Ncimes, 86-88. Yoakum, History of Texas, I, 308-340 pnssim, also II, 250. Com7>troller's Military Service Recorcls, Texas State Library. The S011thwestem Historicctl Quarte1·ly, XIX, 271-278.
APPLICATION FOR HEADRIGHT IN BURNET'S COLONY 1
To the Special Commissioner of the Colony of David G. Burnett: Samuel Houston a native of the United States of the North, with due respect present myself before you and say that induced by the generous provisions of the Colonization laws of the State, . I have come without family~ to establish myself in it should you in view of the accompanying Certificate see fit to admit me in Class of a Colonist conceeding to me a Lrngue of land of the vacant lands of said Colony. Therefore I pray you to grant me the favor I ask for which I shall be forever thankful Sam Houston Nacogdoches April 21st 1835 [On the same page] : Decree. Let the petitioner proceed with his Certificate to the proper Empresario in order that he may report upon the ·foregoing petition. George Antonio Nixon, Commiss. Empresario's Reply. To the Commissioner: I certify that the party interested is one of the Colonists which my principal has introduced in compliance with the Contract which he entered into with the Supreme Government of the State 22nd December 1826, you may therefore issue the order of Survey of the land petitioned for. Nacogdoches 21st April 1835 David G. Burnet by his attorney Arthur Henrie
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