107
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1849
Eastern Cotton Belt.
The best brief biography is perhaps that in the
Dictionary of Americcm Biography, VII, 83-84. Other articles concerning this controversy between Houston and Gadsden, but not by the pen of Houston, are to be found in The Texas Banner, November 17, 1848. In the same paper, October 24, 1849, Gadsden ·to G. Hatch, Gadsden reviles Houston for publishing his private letter, and says that Houston's letter to him is full of falsehood, for he (Gadsden) never went to West Point and received no educational advantages from a public source, and disclaimed having ever received favors of any kind from Andrew Jackson. Gadsden's letter to Houston which called forth this controversy is published in The Texas Banne1·,0ctober 5, 1849. Although Francis B. Heitman, Histo1·ical Register and Dictiona111 of the United States A1-,ny, p. 441, shows for him a considerable period of service in the United States Army, it is nevertheless true that he was not trained for a military career at West Point. :Houston to his Constituents, March 2, 1849, this volume. JSee Remarks, August 12, 14, 1848, on Oregon Bill, this volume.
To NAHUM CAPEN 1
Huntsville 4th Nov 1849 My Dear Sir. I had the pleasure by last mail to receive your present, by last mail [sic] for which I very truly thank you. The envelope was nearly worn off the Book, and only the superscrip- tion remained. I was very fortunate to receive it considering the Risks it had run. I am on the eve of departure for Washington City, and it is not in my power to give such attention to the merits of your work as would enable me to decide understandingly upon its utility to the American Public, but so far as I have had an opportunity to look into it, I am satisfied that it is a valuable and necessary production, either in a Book of reference, or as one containing useful historical information. I wish you great success! Sam Houston Nahum Capen Esq. [Endorsed]: Saml Houston Texas Nov. 4, 1849 1 From the Emil Hurja Collection, Washington, D. C. For Nahum Capen (April 1, 1804-January 8, 1886), writer, and postmaster of Boston, Massa- chusetts, see the Dictiona111 of Americcm Biography, III, 481-482.
Powered by FlippingBook