In 1809, Sam ran away from home and lived for awhile with the Cherokee tribe on Hiwassee Island. The Cherokee named him “The Raven”.

In 1812, he returned to Marysville and at the age of 19, established a one-room schoolhouse, the first school ever built in Tennessee.

In 1812, Houston enlisted to fight the British during the War of 1812. By the end of his first year, he had risen from the rank of Private to that of Lieutenant. In March, 1814, he was involved in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, where he was wounded by a Creek arrow. His wound was bandaged and he returned to the fighting.

When General Andrew Jackson called for volunteers to help rout a group of Red Sticks (Creeks) from their fortifications, Houston volunteered. Again, Houston felt the sting of battle as a minnie ball tore through his shoulder and arm. By this time, General Jackson had begun to notice this courageous soldier serving in his command. Over a period of time, Houston and Jackson became close friends. When Houston recovered from his wounds, he was assigned as an Indian agent to the Cherokees. In March 1818, he left the army in pursuit of an education in law.

He passed the Nashville bar exam, then opened a legal practice in Lebanon, Tennessee. In 1818, he was made the attorney general of the Nashville district and at about the same time, was given a command in the state militia. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1822 and was a loyal supporter of Andrew Jackson, except in the matter of Jackson’s approach to dealing with Indians.

In 1827, he declined an offer to run for Congress again, instead running for the Tennessee governor’s office. He won.

Again in 1828, he declined a chance to run for congress to marry eighteen year old Eliza Allen. This was a marriage forced by Eliza’s father, Colonel John Allen. This marriage was never a happy arrangement and ended in 1837 after Houston became the President of Texas.

Houston spent a lot of his time with the Cherokees and married a Cherokee widow named
Tiana Rogers Gentry and together they established a trading post. There were allegations that he spent a lot of time drinking. General Jackson did not like the things he was seeing of Houston. He had abandoned his political goals and his wife to become a drunk among the Cherokees. In time, Jackson and Houston would again be friends.

In 1832, when Houston was visiting Washington DC, he was verbally attacked by Congressman William Stanbery of Ohio. Houston confronted the man on Pennsylvania Avenue and began to beat him with a hickory cane. Stanbery pulled a pistol, put it to Houston’s chest and squeezed the trigger. The pistol misfired! On April 17, 1832, Congress ordered the arrest of Sam Houston. Houston was arrested and tried. He pleaded self defense, but was found guilty. Houston was given only a light sentence, a reprimand, and was freed. Houston’s attorney was Francis Scott Key, composer of the National Anthem.

Following the criminal action against Houston, he was sued in civil court. There, he was ordered to pay Stanberry $500. Houston didn’t pay the fine, but instead, left the country! In December, 1832, he entered Texas. Tiana had been asked by Houston to come to Texas with him, but she remained at the trading post. Tiana later married Sam McGrady; she died of pneumonia in 1838.

After his arrival in Texas, Houston became involved in the politics of the region. In 1833, he represented Nacogdoches at the Convention of 1833. He shared the belief of William Harris Wharton, who thought that Texas must be completely free of Mexico. He attended the Convention of 1835 and was made a Major General of the Texas Army in November 1835. At the convention at Washington on the Brazos in 1836, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Texas Army. The Texas Declaration of Independence was completed on March 2, 1836.

Following the signing of the Declaration, Houston joined his little army at Gonzales, Texas. From there, the Texas army was forced to retreat from the superior numbers of Santa Anna’s army. Santa Anna’s reputation for violence was spread throughout Texas with the fall of the Alamo. From Gonzales, the Texas army began a long journey that was to become known in history as the “Runaway Scrape”. On March 20, 1836, Santa Anna ordered the execution of 300 Texan prisoners at Goliad. The little army was beginning to fill with anger and hatred for Santa Anna, but its only reaction was a retreat eastward, toward the Sabine River and the state of Louisiana, always one step ahead of Santa Anna.

Citizens, now refugees, were tagging along with the poorly trained, poorly equipped little army in hopes of having whatever protection the army could offer.

During the course of the Runaway Scrape, Houston came under attack for what appeared to be cowardice. In spite of the defamation and slander leveled at him, he continued what appeared to be an escape to the US at the Louisiana border. Even within the ranks of his own tired army, there was talk of insubordination. Finally, upon recieving reports that Santa Anna was in Harrisburg, General Houston ordered his troops south, toward Harrisburg - toward Santa Anna! On the morning of April 19, 1836, the Texas Army crossed Buffalo Bayou and proceeded east to a point near the San Jacinto River. There, they established a camp.

In eighteen minutes on April 21, 1836, he led his army against the overwhelming numbers of Santa Anna's army. It was there that the little army emerged victorious in what has been described as one of the most decisive victories in world history. It was there that Sam Houston overcame all the criticism and endeared himself to Texans. He is today, their beloved "General Sam".

On September 5, 1836, he was elected president of the Texas Republic.

On May 9, 1840, Sam Houston married Margaret Moffette Lea in Marion, Alabama. He was forty-seven years of age and she was twenty-one. They had eight children.

Again, he was elected Texas President in 1841 and served until 1844. When Texas finally became a state in 1845, he was elected to the US Senate in 1846 and remained in that position until 1859. In 1859, he was elected governor of Texas.

In 1861, his refusal to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederate States of America cost him his office.

In 1862, the Houston family moved to Huntsville, Texas and lived in the Steamboat House. Within a few months, he developed a persistant cough, which was eventually diagnosed as pneumonia. In July of 1862, he was experiencing severe coughing spells with chills. On July 26, 1863, at 6:16 pm, he passed away in Steamboat House. Sam Houston is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas.