July 26, 1863

Sam Houston died in Huntsville, Texas, from pneumonia. Houston had served variously as governor of Tennessee, the Republic of Texas, and then of the state of Texas. He had spent much time in Arkansas Territory, serving as an Indian subagent and helping many Native Americans resettle in Arkansas and what was to become Oklahoma. He had lived among the Cherokee in Arkansas, and some historians argue that his basic attitudes were formulated during his time in Arkansas Territory.