Sam meets Margaret Lea

When the Texas Congress finally paid Houston for his services in the Revolution, he purchased a large tract of land for a summer home at Cedar Point on Trinity Bay. Freed of public duty, Houston formed a law partnership with John Birdsall of Houston and joined another partnership to begin a new town Sabine City at the entrance of Sabine Pass on the Louisiana border.

In May 1839 he was in New Orleans promoting Sabine City and shortly after in Alabama purchasing horses. While in Marion, Alabama Houston met a well-to-do widow, Nancy Lea, who had a beautiful young daughter named Margaret, whom he met when invited to a party at the home of Margaret’s brother Martin Lea.

Sam thought that Margaret was the married sister. In speaking with one of his friends at the party, Sam said, “If that charming lady was not already married, I think I would give her the chance to turn me down.” The friend replied, “Well General Houston, you’ve got the wrong sister, that’s the unmarried one.” There is a documented account of people present at this party that say once he found out Margaret was the unmarried one, he didn’t leave her side for the whole evening.

At the garden party, Sam Margaret took a walk. Margaret told him she had been in the crowd on the dock in New Orleans when he arrived after San Jacinto for medical treatment of his ankle. Houston plucked a carnation and gave it to her, pointing to the sky and picking out their star of destiny.

After he left, she fled to her room and wrote poetry:

“Why have I sought thee out love flower?

To gaze upon thy radiant bloom,

Or doth some tranquilizing power breathe in thy rich perfume.

He placed thee in my hand, that friend who now doth distant roam.

I took thee, little thinking then how dear thou wouldst become.”

Houston went to Nashville, Tennessee to visit with Andrew Jackson and to Maryville to visit with relatives. Margaret Lea was never far from his mind. When he departed the mountains of Tennessee to return to Texas, it was by way of Alabama, and they were engaged. Sam had discovered the violet eyed beauty, woman of stout fiber and devout religious conviction, and his partner for life.

Interested in a great book?

Read The Star of Destiny: The Private Life of Sam and Margaret Houston

Written by Madge Thornhall Roberts, their great, great grand daughter