WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
131
command to a company of Mexicans; that such transfer was made by your order, ostensibly to ·protect the ballot box of a certain precinct in your county; but in reality, to secure the polling of fraudulent votes at said precinct. Considering the grave character of the charge, and the esti- mate hitherto formed with regard to yourself, the Executive will defer any action in the matter until you have had sufficient opportunity to render an explanation and vindication of yourself, for which purpose the facts are placed before you. Sam Houston. 1 Execut·ive Records, 1859-18IJ1, p. 217, Texas State Library. Charles G. Lovenskiold was born, 1822, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was said to have been educated in the best of schools of Europe, and to have spoken and written many languages, among them English, Danish, French, German, and Italian. He came to America in 1847, settling first in Florida; but he removed to New Orleans in 1848, and in the latter months of the same year came to Texas. In 1849, he married Miss Clark, the daughter of Joseph Clark, of Newton Center, Massachusetts. After living for some eight years in Houston and Galveston, he moved to Corpus Christi in 1855, where he was soon regarded as one of the brilliant lawyers of West Texas. He was an impressive speaker, keen of discernment, and ready of wit. When the Civil War broke out, he immediately joined the Confederate Army, and was commissioned a colonel. After the war he again became prominent and active in the political affairs of the state. He died in Corpus Christi, in 1875. See Goodspeed Brothers (publishers), 1We-mo1·ial and Gene- alogical Record of Southwest Texru, etc. (1894), p. 623.
To MILES R. PoLK 1 Executive Department, Austin, September 3, 1860.
Mr. Miles R. Polk, Sir: Information having been filed in this Department touch- ing certain frauds committed upon the Ballot Box of one of the precincts of your County, and that said frauds were perpetrated through the aid of a band of Mexicans commanded by one Miller, A German, and armed by order of Captain Lovenskiold with the State arms furnished to him for the use of his company. The Executive desires to ascertain from you the full particulars. You will please forward to this Department the statement of the matter which you had prepared to send by a private gentleman. Sam Houston.
1 Execzttive Reco1·ds, 1859-1861, p. 217, Texas State Library.
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