“The Uncertainty of Life and the Certainty of Death” — Sam Houston’s Last Will and Testament
Sam Houston, the first President of the Republic of Texas, lived a long, colorful life during which he influenced the history and politics of Texas, as well as the United States. On July 26, 1863, Houston passed away at seventy years of age due to complications caused by pneumonia.[1]
Leaving behind his wife, Margaret, and their eight children, Houston’s last will and testament not only handled the distribution of his assets but also specifically dictated the manner in which his children were to be raised. A land grant file in the General Land Office Archives contains a copy of this will, which provides a unique insight into Houston’s character.
Recorded on April 2, 1863, just months before his death, Houston’s will begins by acknowledging “the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death” before addressing the matter of settling debts and his estate.
Interestingly, Houston discusses his children and outlines how they should live. Houston emphasized the importance of raising his children in an environment that focused on formal education, religious studies, and developing strong moral character, both in themselves and in their associates. Houston’s oversized personality is apparent, as his directions were for his sons to “receive solid and useful education.” He instructed that they were to be taught English, Latin, the Holy Scriptures, geography, and history, while “no portion of their time may be devoted to the study of abstract sciences.” He wished that they were “early taught an utter contempt for novels and light reading.”
Recalling a time when he and so many other Texans had once risked their lives for Texas’s independence, Houston made it clear that the creation of the Republic of Texas was still significant and remained dear to him. One of his most valued possessions, symbolizing the strength and determination that helped create the Republic of Texas, was passed through his family with accompanying standards and conditions.
“To my eldest son, Sam Houston, Jr., I bequeath my sword; worn in the battle of San Jacinto, never to be drawn only in defense of the Constitution, the laws and Liberties of his Country. If any attempt should ever be made to assail one of these, I wish it to be used in its vindication.”[2]
When he passed, Sam Houston was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery just north of Huntsville, Texas.[3] A little over ten years later, a handwritten copy of his last will and testament was filed with the Texas General Land Office. Housed within our archives, it is located in Houston’s first class land grant file for land in Wood and Smith Counties. While the original purpose of the document was to confirm the disposition of land Houston had been granted during his lifetime, it serves the additional purpose of granting readers a remarkable look into his personal values, beliefs, and philosophies.
[1] Handbook of Texas Online, Thomas H. Kreneck, “Houston, Samuel,” accessed June 17, 2016, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fho73.
[2] First Class Headright grant for Sam Houston, Nacogdoches 1–001134, Texas Land Grant Records, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX.
[3] Sam Houston Memorial Museum. 2012. Accessed June 24, 2016. http://samhoustonmemorialmuseum.com/history/faq.html.
