41
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
learning which placed his name, in his later life, in the ranks of the dis- tinguished jurists of Texas. He was admitted to the bar in 1811, and located at St. Stephens on-the Tombigbee River, in Alabama, where he successfully engaged in the practice of law. In 1812, he served in a cam- paign to suppress Indian hostilities fomented by England in the war of that year. Thereafter he served as a member of the Territorial Legislature of Alabama. Upon the organization of the state government in 18i9, he was appointed Circuit Judge. In 1823, he was chosen Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, in which position he served eleven years. He resigned this position in 1835 and removed to Mobile, where he resumed the practice of law. In 1838 he was elected a member of the Alabama Legis- lature, but in 1839, resigned that office to move to Texas, where he was appointed Secretary of State by President Lamar. He was a member of the Convention of 1845, and ·introduced into that body a resolution accepting the terms of annexation that had been submitted by the United States. In 1846, Governor Henderson appointed him a justice of the Supreme Court of the State, a position he held at the time of his death. In 1813 Judge Lipscomb was married to Elizabeth Gains, the daughter of a planter in the Mississippi Territory; she died in 1841, and he was married in 1843 to Mary P. Bullock, the daughter of Dr. Thomas Hunt of Austin, Texas; she survived him. His death occurred at Austin during the session of Supreme Court, November 30, 1856. See E. W. Winkler (ed.), Secret Journals of the Senate, Re7mblic of Texas, 1836-1845, pp. 174, 177; James D. Lynch, Bench cmd Bew of Texas, 85-90; J. H. Davenport, The Histo1·-y of the Sup1·eme Com·t of Texas, 30-49. To COLONEL BARRY G1LLESPIE 1 Executive Department, City of Galveston, April 30h., 1842. To Col. Barry Gillespie: Sir - Reposing special trust and confidence , in your discre- tion, wisdom, patriotism, capacity and integrity, I do hereby appoint you General Agent of this government to New Orleans. You will be careful to appoint no one to act with you or under your orders, in whom you have not implicit confidence. To pre- vent imposition upon our friends in the United States, is all important. You will correct any and all abuses which may exist by persons claiming to be agents of Texas. You will render all aid in forwarding troops and aids to the Republic, and see that no cash (contributed to this government) be expended·unless by special order of the President or the Secre- tary of War. You will keep the Secretary of War apprised of all important intelligence which you may possess, in relation to the interests of Texas. You will receive all instructions which have been sent
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