H.R. No. 688

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Sam Houston, one of the most imposing figures ever
	to lead the Lone Star State, was born on March 2, 1793, near
	Lexington, Virginia; and
	WHEREAS, After moving at a young age to eastern Tennessee
	with his widowed mother and eight brothers and sisters, Sam Houston
	ran away from home and lived for three years among the Cherokee,
	with whom he developed close bonds of friendship; and
	WHEREAS, His military valor during the War of 1812 brought
	him to the attention of his commanding general, Andrew Jackson, who
	subsequently helped to advance his career; Sam Houston remained in
	the army until 1818, when he resigned and began the study of law; in
	rapid succession, he was elected prosecuting attorney for the
	District of Nashville, congressman, and, in 1827, governor of
	Tennessee; two years later, however, while campaigning for
	reelection, he separated from his wife; in deep distress, he
	resigned his office and rejoined the Cherokee; and
	WHEREAS, By 1833, Sam Houston had moved to Texas, which he saw
	as a field of vast opportunity; quickly immersing himself in
	politics, he favored breaking away from Mexico and served as a
	delegate to several conventions, including the one that proclaimed
	Texas independence on March 2, 1836; two days later, he was
	commissioned major general of the Texas Army and put in charge of
	the troops at Gonzales; and
	WHEREAS, Commanding inexperienced soldiers and confronting a
	much larger Mexican force, Sam Houston began a more than monthlong
	withdrawal from Gonzales toward the northeast; though severely
	criticized by many, his strategy was vindicated on April 21, 1836,
	when he vanquished the troops under General Antonio Lopez de Santa
	Anna at San Jacinto; and
	WHEREAS, The following September, Sam Houston became the
	first regularly elected president of the Republic of Texas; he
	served until 1838 and again from 1841 to 1844, during which time he
	supported annexation to the United States and worked to maintain
	peace with both Mexico and the Indians; and
	WHEREAS, Greatly admired by many fellow citizens, Sam Houston
	then served as a U.S. senator from 1846 to 1859, when he was elected
	governor; a staunch Unionist, he opposed the extension of slavery
	and argued strenuously against secession; when, in 1861, Texas
	followed a number of other southern states out of the union, he
	refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy and was
	deposed from office; in the fall of 1862, he moved with his wife,
	Margaret, and their children to Huntsville, where he died on July
	26, 1863; and
	WHEREAS, A man of exceptional ability, ambition, and force of
	character, Sam Houston shaped the history of this state and
	captured the imagination of its people as few other individuals
	have ever done, and it is indeed fitting that his life be honored on
	this celebrated date; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the 216th anniversary of the birth
	of Sam Houston.
	Kolkhorst
	Fletcher
	Branch
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 688 was adopted by the House on March
	3, 2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House