Texana Thursday: 3 Things You Might Not Know about Margaret Lea Houston

Friday, March 2, will be Sam Houston’s 225th birthday. Much has been written about him, including in this blog. But his wife, Margaret Lea Houston, deserves much of the credit for Sam’s accomplishments.

It was an unlikely pairing. When they married in 1840, Sam had been a governor of Tennessee, the hero of the Battle of San Jacinto, and the first president of the Republic of Texas.

Sam was 47 and Margaret was 21 when they married. They had eight children. But much of their marriage was spent apart, as Houston pursued his political goals. He would serve as president of the Republic of Texas for another term. After Texas joined the United States, Houston served as a senator and later as governor. Margaret was with him when he relinquished the governorship for refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy when Texas seceded in 1861.

Interesting things about Margaret Lea Houston include:

1. Margaret was Sam Houston’s third wife.

When Sam was governor of Tennessee (1827-29), he married Eliza Allen, who was 16 years his junior. He was 35 and she was 19. The marriage lasted only 11 weeks, and the divorce finished Houston’s political career in Tennessee.

Houston was once asked what happened between him and Eliza Allen.

“Can you keep a secret?” Houston asked his questioner.

“Yes,” the questioner said.

“So can I.”

Houston rejoined the Indians, with whom he had lived for an earlier period of his life. He married his second wife, Diana (also called Tiana) Rogers Gentry, who was an Indian woman. He divorced her in 1832 when he moved to Texas. Diana married again and died in 1838.

2. Margaret is credited with encouraging Sam Houston to make a profession of faith.

Sam Houston was an alcoholic. Margaret was a strict Baptist. But with her encouragement over a number of years, Sam made a profession of faith and was baptized in a creek south of Independence, which is near Brenham, Texas.

After he was baptized, the minister told Houston that his sins had been washed away.

“If that be the case,” Houston is said to have replied, “God help the fish down below.”

3. Margaret is buried in Independence, Texas.

Often a wife, particularly one of a political figure, is buried next to her husband. That wasn’t the case with Margaret.

Sam Houston died in 1863 in Huntsville and was buried there. Margaret was in financial straits following Houston’s death, and moved to Independence to be near her mother, Nancy, who was better off financially.

Nancy Lea died in 1864 in Independence and was buried there. Margaret remained in Independence, and died of yellow fever in 1867. Yellow fever is symptomized by fever, pain in the extremities, and vomiting blood clots (known as black vomit). It is caused by a lack of mosquito control, poor sanitation, and a warm, humid climate—all of which described rural Southeast Texas in those days.

Under health laws of the time, she was immediately buried in Independence. Margaret is buried next to her mother, and not returned to Huntsville for burial with her husband as she would likely have wished.