WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1843
424
smooth. Write to Hockley and Williams, to the Count, Capt. Elliot, and salute Gen Murphy. Thine truly Sam Houston Hon. Anson Jones, Washington, Texas 1 Anson Jones, il'lemoranda and Official Co1·respondence of the Republic of Texas, 241-242. 2 James Pinckney Henderson. See Houston to the Texas Senate, November 24, 1836. 3 Abner S. Lipscomb. See Houston to Abner S. Lipscomb, April 29, 1842. 4 This refers, no doubt to Kenneth Lewis Anderson. Kenneth L. Anderson was born in Hillsboro, North Carolina, September 11, 1805. In 1829 he went to Tennessee and lived for several years at Shelbyville, but removed to San Augustine, Texas, in 1837. Soon after his arrival in Texas he was appointed Collector of Customs at San Augustine by Mirabeau B. Lamar (See E. W. Winkler (ed.), Secret Jom·nals of the Senctte, Republ-ic of Texas, 1836-1845, 136). He became popular and was soon well-known on account of his remarkable eloquence in debate and public speaking. Encouraged by the discovery of his histrionic powers, he began the study of law, and was so successful in his profession that in 1843, Houston appointed him District Attorney for the Fifth District (Ibid., 231-232). He was elected repre- sentative from San Augustine to the Sixth Congress, and became Speaker of the House. He was elected Vice-President of the Republic-Anson Jones being President--in 1844, and was inaugurated into office on December 9, 1845. He served as Vice-President of the Republic until his death. Although Kenneth Anderson's legal career was short, it was brilliant, if one may judge by the partnerships he formed. First, he was associated with Royal T. Wheeler, reputed to be one of the finest jurists who has ever sat on the Texas Supreme Court bench; later he became a member of the law firm of Henderson, Rusk, & Anderson. He took great interest in pre- paring for the event of annexation of Texas to the United States, and was active during the early days of the Convention that met at Austin, July 4- August 27, for the purpose of ratifying the terms of annexation and of forming a constitution for Texas as a state. Called home for a few days on business, he was taken sick on the way at Fanthorps in Grimes County, and there he died, July 16, 1845. See The National Intelligence1· (Wash- ington, D. C.), July 28, 1845. He was buried at Fanthorps; and the inhabi- tants of that village changed the name of their town, the county site, from Fanthorps to Anderson in his honor. Anderson County is also named for him. See D. W. C. Baker, A Texas Scrav Book, 280; Thrall, A Picto1·ial History of Texa.s, 479; Z. T. Fulmore, The History and Geography of Texas as Told in County Names, 175; George L. Crockett, Two Centuries in East Texas, 238; Lamar Papers, II, 279, 313, 486, 511, III, 151, 154, V, 212, 220 i E. W. Winkler ( ed.), Sec1·et Jou1-nals of the Senate, Republic of Texas, 1896-1845, 136, 142, 231, 232, 304; Dallas News, October 25, 1925.
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