States. He took part in the war against the Creeks, was wounded and was made lieutenant. He was afterwards sub-agent to the Cherokee nation, then he studied law at Nashville, was elected attorney general of Tennessee, served two terms in Congress, and became governor of Tennessee in 1827. He resigned that office in 1829 on account, it is said, of his separation from his wife shortly after their marriage, and he returned to live among the Cherokees who were then in that region which became the Indian Territory. In 1832 Samuel Houston went to Texas, whose independence he assured by the victory of San Jacinto, and which he served as president of the Republic, United States senator and governor. He died at Huntsville, Texas, on July 25, 1863.

in 1839, was entrusted by General Canalizo, Filisola's successor, with the task of inciting the Indians to attack the Texans. Flores was killed in a marauding expedition, and papers referring to the Cherokees were found. It was resolved to remove the tribe to their former lands in Arkansas, but negotiations to that effect failed, and their territory was invaded by a force of about five hundred men under General Douglass. The Indians defended themselves in a ravine, but were defeated and driven from their lands near Nacogdoches. They lost about one hundred men in killed and wounded, and among the killed was the celebrated chief Bowles.

The Texans had next to deal with the warlike Comanches. In March, 1840, twelve of their chiefs met some commissioners at Béjar to treat for peace and were asked to deliver thirteen white captives. They delivered only a little girl, and soldiers having been introduced into the council chamber, the chiefs were told that they would be held prisoners until they produced the other captives. A fight ensued inside and outside the council chamber, and the twelve chiefs were killed, with twenty of their men, and several women and children were made prisoners. The Comanches determined to take vengeance on the Texans, and in August they made two unsuccessful attacks on Victoria. They succeeded in burning Linnville, from which the inhabitants had escaped, and started for their homes, after killing twenty-one persons and taking away many horses and much booty. On the way they were met and completely routed by a force commanded by General Felix Huston. War was carried into their territory, and in October they were attacked in their village by Colonel John H. Moore and were nearly exterminated.

The greatest difficulty against which the Republic of Texas had to contend was to raise funds for the maintenance of the government, and in spite of earnest efforts, the public debt. rose from nearly two million dollars, at the end of Houston's administration, to about seven and a half millions at the end of Lamar's term of office in 1841. President Houston succeeded later in bettering the financial situation.

In 1839 a movement was begun by the Federalists in Mexico to form the Republic of the Rio Grande, in which Texas would be included. The government did not accept the proposition, but about one hundred and eighty Texans joined a force of Mexicans under General Canales and crossed the Rio Grande. They took possession of the town of Guerrero, and without the help of the Mexican allies defeated General Pavon at the battle of Alcantro. Canales advanced then to Matamoros, which he besieged for a few days without success, then to Monterey, where, after some skirmishes with the Centralists, he recrossed the Rio Grande, and organized a republic with Cardenas as president and himself as commander-in-chief. The Texans nearly all left him, and he was defeated by General Arista. In June, 1840, however, he was joined again by Texan volunteers, among whom was Colonel S. W. Jordan, who had distinguished himself at Alcantro. The Texans were betrayed by their allies, and at Saltillo were attacked by a large force of Centralists whom they put to flight after severe fighting. Colonel Jordan finally succeeded in bringing back his brave men to Texas, and Canales surrendered in November what remained of his army. Thus disappeared the so-called Republic of the Rio Grande.

On December 19, 1836, congress had defined the boundaries of Texas as extending from the mouth of the Sabine to that of the Rio Grande, thence up the principal stream of the Rio Grande to its source, thence north to the fortysecond degree of north latitude, thence along the boundary line as defined in the treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819. An expedition to Santa Fé was planned in 1841 in order to acquire the territory claimed in 1836, or at least to bring about trade between Texas and New Mexico. President Lamar was very much in favor of the expedition, which was not approved by congress, and he addressed a proclamation to the authorities at Santa Fé explaining its purpose. He stated that they should decide whether they wished to acknowledge the jurisdiction of Texas or not, and

CHAPTER XXII

THE LAST YEARS OF THE REPUBLIC

In his inaugural address, delivered on December 9, 1838, President Lamar expressed himself against annexation to the United States. In his message to congress he spoke earnestly in favor of a system of public education, and recommended that lands be appropriated to establish such a system and also a university. His advice was heeded, and in 1839 three leagues of land were granted to each county to maintain an academy, and fifty leagues to establish and endow two universities. In this regard Professor Garrison says: "Considering all the conditions under which the educational policy of President Lamar was conceived and embodied in legislative enactments, there is no finer appeal to the noblest aspiration of a people in history." Both the public schools of Texas and the University of Austin have reached a high degree of efficiency.

President Houston had treated the Indians with leniency, but President Lamar was of the opinion that they should be dealt with severely. A body of Indian fighters, called the Texan rangers, was organized and rendered great services. In August, 1838, some Mexican settlers at Nacogdoches had attempted to rise against the Texan government, and had been joined by about three hundred Indians. The force of the insurgents numbered six hundred men, but they dispersed on the approach of Texan troops. Their leader, Vicente Cordova, seems to have held a commission from General Filisola, and in the same manner Manuel Flores,