128
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
to manhood, and married Catherine Wells. The young couple moved to Weakly County, Tennessee, where James Bourland established a slave market, and traded in negroes and horses. It was there, too, that he, in partnership with Nathaniel Harbert and Albert Early, owned a race track where many noted race horses were run. After reverses in fortune he came to Texas in 1840 to make a new start. He settled in Cooke County in the extreme northeast corner, on Red River. He opened a large plantation and a trading house. He exercised unusual influence over the Chickasaw Indians, and did a great deal in a rough and ready way to keep down disturbances on the frontier. When the Mexican '\,Var broke out, he and Colonel W. C. Young raised a thousand troops and marched to San Antonio to be mustered into service. Some irregularity in the mustering office caused Colonel Bourland to have to go to Matamoras to be mustered in; there, he was ordered back to San Antonio for muster. There he found that he and his men would have to be mustered in for five years, or for during the war. This, and some insubordination to orders brought on dissatisfaction among his men. Some of them received discharge, were disbanded and went home. Others reenlisted and joined other organiza- tions of the army. Bourland himself went home, and was elected to the first state senate. Prior to this-in February, 1842--he had been appointed collector of customs for the Red River District, a position he held for five or six years. When the Civil War broke out, he organized a regiment of men for border purposes, placing men up and down the river for home protection. He died in 1868. See E. W. Winkler (ed.), Sec1·et Journals of the Senate, Republic of, Texas, 1896-1845, p. 221; Garrison (ed.), Dip- lomatic Cor1·espondence of the Republic of Texas, II, 182 to 413 vassim; F. A. Battey Company, Chicago, 1889, Biographical Souvenir of Texas, 98; William Speer ind John Henry Brown, The Encyclovedia of the New West, 573.
TO ANDREW J ACKSON 1
City of Houston, 26th July, 1842.
My Venerated Friend: It affords me pleasure to present to you my friend Mr. Van Zandt who goes Minister Charge d'Affaires to the U. States. For the three last years I have known, & acted with him in public life, & vouch him to be a Gentleman, & patriot. I desire that he may see you, as he is a native Tennesseean I am confident you will extend to Mr. V. your courtesy. Mrs. Houston joins me in saluting you with filial and praying for your continued & happy existence. Friend affection, Truly yr
Sam Houston
Genl Jackson [Addressed] : To Genl. A. Jackson Mr. I. Van Zandt
Tennessee
Hermitage
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