Sam Houston’s Political Turmoil in 1834 Pt 2

After the divorce from Houston, Eliza Allen married Dr. Elmore Douglas of Gallatin. Here is a copy of the original marriage bond.


J. Mark Lowe
We are beginning the election cycle for the 2012 Presidential Race. Looking back at history makes us realize that life in the political fishbowl has been tough at best. We join this series of article discussing the separation of former Governor Sam Houston and his wife, Eliza Allen.
Committee members: General William Hall; William L. Alexander, Esq; General Eastin Morris; Colonel Joseph C. Guild; Elijah Boddie, Esq.; Colonel Daniel Montgomery; Thomas Anderson, Esq.; Captain Alfred H. Douglass; Isaac Baker, Esq.; Mr. Robert M. Boyers; Major Charles Watkins; Joseph W. Baldridge, Esq.; George Crockett, Chairman.; Thos. Anderson, Secretary.
The committee have had placed in their hands, a letter from Governor Houston to Mr. Allen, written shortly after the separation, a copy of which they subjoin without comment
Mr. Allen, The most unpleasant and unhappy circumstance has just taken place in the family, and one that was entirely unnecessary at this time. Whatever had been my feelings or opinions in relation to Eliza at one time, I have been satisfied, and it is now ‘unfit’ that any thing should be adverted to.
Eliza will do me the justice to say that she believes I was really unhappy. That I was satisfied and believed her virtuous, I had assured her on last night and this morning. This however should have prevented the facts ever coming to your knowledge and that of Mrs. Allen. I would not for millions that it had ever been known to you. But one human being knew any thing of it from me, and that was by Eliza’s consent and wish. I would have perished first; and if mortal man had dared to charge my wife or say aught against her virtue, I would have slain him. That I have and do love Eliza none can doubt, that I have ever treated her with affection, she will admit – that she is the only early object dear to me, God will bear witness.
The only way this matter can now be overcome will be for us all to meet as though it had never occured, and this will keep the world, as it should ever be, ignorant that such thoughts ever were.
Eliza stands acquitted by me – I have received her as a virtuous and chaste wife, and as such I pray God I may ever regard her, and trust I ever shall.
She was cold to me; and I thought did not love me; she owns that such was one cause of my unhappiness. You can judge how unhappy I was to think that I was united to a woman who did not love me. That time is now past, and my future happiness can only exist in the assurance that Eliza and myself can be happy, and that Mrs. Allen and you will forget the past, forgive all, and find your lost peace – and you may rest assured that nothing on my past shall be wanting to restore it. Let me know what is to be done,
Your most obedient (9th April, 1829) Sam. Houston.
The report was unanimously accepted, and it was...
Resolved, That the editors of the Gallatin Journal, Nashville Republican, National Banner, and all other editors who feel any interest for the character of an injured female, be requested to give the foregoing report and proceedings an insertion in their respective papers.
And the meeting adjourned. Geo. Crockett, Chairman; Thos. Anderson, Secretary.
Let’s look at some other related correspondence.
Letter from Willoughby Williams titled - Refutation of wanton slander.
Nashville, April 22, 1878. To Col. Samuel D. Morgan, Hon. J. C. Guild, Gen. Samuel R. Anderson and Maj. John L. Brown—Dear Sirs: Referring to the recent communication in the American, over my signature, addressed to Hon. Jo. C. Guild, touching certain events in the life of Gen. Sam. Houston, I related, among other incidents, his marriage to Miss Allen, of Sumner county, and his separation from that lady. I was handed to-day a copy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, of a recent date, containing a biographical sketch of Gen. Sam. Houston, extracted from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and written by a Mr. Asa Jarman, of Houston, Texas. Mr. Jarman makes mention of having seen Houston, when a youth, at Nashville, in the company of Indians; that he was very expert in the use of the bow and arrow, and afforded amusement to the citizens here by shooting six pences from the end of a pole placed there to test his skill. In all this Mr. Jarman is wholly mistaken, for Houston never visited Nashville until after the close of the war with Great Britain, a fact well known by all of his friends in this country familiar with his early career. Mr. Jarman further says that Gen. Houston married "Miss Lucy Dickerson, the belle of Nashville;" that Gen. Houston, enraged with jealousy of a Mr. Nickerson, caused an abrupt separation, charging his wife with infidelity to him. I have addressed my letter to you for the reason that you have known Gen. Houston personally well from his youth to the time he became a voluntary exile from Tennessee, Col. Morgan's friendship with him dating back to 1810. You are all familiar with this remarkable man's career from youth to the grave. Above all, you are familiar with the sad story of this separation from his wife. You all know that he married Miss Allen, of Sumner, a most estimable lady, whose name has ever been without reproach in the land that gave her birth. You know that after her separation from Gen. Houston, she married a gentleman of the highest repute, Dr. Douglas, of Sumner county. I call upon you, then, to remove any false impressions this letter of Mr. Jarman may have made upon the public mind. I hand you herewith enclosed the article alluded to in the Cincinnati Enquirer and copied from the Globe-Democrat, of St. Louis. Respectfully yours, Willoughby Williams.
Sources: Nashville National Banner, 7 June 1834; Old Times in Tennessee (Guild)

Sam Houston’s Political Turmoil in 1834

Part One

[Photo: Sam Houston]

J. Mark Lowe


We are beginning the election cycle for the 2012 Presidential Race. Looking back at history makes us realize that life in the political fishbowl has been tough at best. We join this series of article [Nashville Banner, 7 June 1834] discussing the separation of former Governor Sam Houston and his wife, Eliza Allen.
On 22 January 1829 Houston (age 35) married Eliza Allen (age 19). It is believed he was deeply in love with the girl, but Eliza left him shortly after the marriage for unknown reasons. She returned to her father’s home and the couple never reconciled. In April of 1829, Houston resigned as governor of Tennessee and went west with the Cherokee nation to Arkansas Territory.
The article as printed in the Nashville paper in June of 1834.
The Wife of Governor Houston. The Nashville Banner of the 7th instant, contains the annexed articles, introduced with these remarks:
“We regret the necessity of giv8ing publicity to the following documents. We fear that on the whole, no benefit will accrue to any party from the measure. But, the number and high respectability of those who have promoted, aided and sanctioned it, the prominent standing of the individual principally referred to, and the anxious expectations of the public, who are already aware that some movements have been lately made on the subject, leave us no alternative but to comply with the request of those who have transmitted us the article for publication. Where the lady spoken of is personally known, we believe her reputation remains fair, and unsullied even by suspicion.
At a meeting of sundry respectable citizens of Sumner county, in the State of Tennessee, assembled at the Court-House in the town of Gallatin, on the 26th day of April 1830, George Crocket of said town was called to the Chair, and Thomas Anderson was appointed Secretary.
The design of said meeting having been explained by appropriate remarks from Colonel Joseph G. Guild, on motion of Mr. William Howard Douglass it was
Resolved, that the following gentlemen be appointed a committee to consider and draw up a report expressive of the opinions entertained of the private virtues of Mrs. Eliza H. Houston, and whether her amiable character has received an injury among those acquainted with her in consequence of the late unfortunate occurrence between her and her husband, General Samuel Houston, late Governor of the State of Tennessee, to wit:
General William Hall; William L. Alexander, Esq; General Eastin Morris; Colonel Joseph C. Guild; Elijah Boddie, Esq.; Colonel Daniel Montgomery; Thomas Anderson, Esq.; Captain Alfred H. Douglass; Isaac Baker, Esq.; Mr. Robert M. Boyers; Major Charles Watkins and Joseph W. Baldridge, Esq.
And that said Committee meet at the Court-House in Gallatin on Wednesday next, and report.
The meeting was then adjourned until Wednesday next, at 10 o’clock. George Crockett, Chairman.; Thos. Anderson, Secretary.

Gallatin, Wednesday, April 28
The citizens met according to adjournment, (all the members of the committee wre present, except Colonel Montgomery,) and presented the following report:
The committee deem it unnecessary at this time to annoadvert on the character and conduct of Governor Houston, except so far as they may be inseparably connected with the investigation and development of the character of his unfortunate wife.
It appears that very shortly after the marriage, Governor Houston became jealous of his wife, and mentioned the subject to one or two persons, apparently in confidence; yet the committee are not informed that he made any specific charges, only that he believed she was incontinent and devoid of the affections which a wife ought to have towards her husband. The committee cannot doubt but that he rendered his wife unhappy by his unfounded jealousies, and his repeated suspicions of her coldness and want of attachment, and that she was constrained, by a sense of duty to herself and her family, to separate from her infatuated husband, and return to her parents, which she did early in the month of April last, since which time she has remained in a state of dejection and despondency.
The committee will close this report by observing that they are informed that Governor Houston had lately made a tour through the Middle States, and had returned to Nashville on his way to Arkansas, where they understand he has located himself in the Cherokee nation; and it has been suggested that public sympathy has been much excited in his favor, and that a belief has obtained in many placed abroad that he was married to an unworthy woman, and that she has been the cause of all his misfortunes, and his downfall as a man and a politician whereas, nothing is farther from the fact; and without charging him with malignity of heart, or baseness of purpose, the committee have no hestitation in saying that he is a deluded man; that his suspicious were groundless, that his unfortunate wife is now and ever has been in the possession of a character unimpeachable; and that she is an innocent and injured woman there is not the semblance of doubt.
The committee appointed to express the sentiments of this meeting in relation to the character of Mrs. Eliza H. Houston, and the causes which led to a separation from her husband, beg leave to present, that on the 22nd day of January, 1829, Gen. Samuel Houston, the then Governor of Tennessee, was married to Miss Eliza H. Allen, the daughter of Mr. John Allen, a highly respectable citizen of Sumner county. Miss Allen was born in the town of Gallatin and has been raised in the county of Sumner, and is personally known to the whole of the committee, a majority of whom have known her from her infancy. Up to the time of her marriage with Governor Houston, no lady sustained (and the committee think justly sustained) a fairer and more unsullied reputation for all those virtues which embellish and adorn the female character.
The committee have had placed in their hands, a letter from Governor Houston to Mr. Allen, written shortly after the separation, a copy of which they subjoin without comment.
Stay tuned for more of this story.