The Raven, by Marquis James

The Raven. By Marquis James with an Introduction by Henry Steele Commager. (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1929. Illustrations, introduction, notes, recapitulation, index. $16.64 paperback). 

In his 1929 Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Sam Houston, Marquis James sets out to provide history with an encompassing account of the life of Sam Houston. James’s Houston was a man of many titles: governor of Tennessee, brother to the Indians, Commander of the Texan Army, President of the Republic of Texas, United States Congressman and Senator, Texan trailblazer, husband and loving father. Given the year of first publication of The Raven, it is not surprising that James writes in true traditionalist form with clear biases. The Raven succeeds in giving modern readers a murky vision of the true Sam Houston. 

One of the most compelling aspects of Houston’s life is his tangled relationship with Eliza Allen. James plays the relationship out similar to a Greek tragedy. He builds up the eleven-week marriage between Houston and Allen on a swell of true love, and then lets the sudden separation crash down in secrecy. James is only able to speculate on the cause of the separation, in part because of Houston’s undying honor. However, James’s inability to ascertain more reasoning behind the failed marriage leaves a void in the biography. In addition, James’s speculation that Houston was able to visit Allen while in disguise and without her being able to recognize him on two different occasions is comical, at best.

James claims Eliza Allen changed the face of American history more than any other woman. Sam Houston did retreat into a self-imposed exile with Native American Indians after his separation from Allen. Years later Houston did leave the Indians for Texas. But, James makes a bold proclamation that the unsuccessful marriage with Allen spurred Houston’s claim on Texas. Houston had spent much time with the Indians before, and it is likely he would have again during his lifetime. Houston’s first thought was to settle in Mississippi, not Texas. No one can say what Houston might have done had the marriage lasted longer.

The Raven  is concerned more with the political climate surrounding Houston than with many aspects of Houston’s personal life. James delves into critical points when recounting in sweeping detail both the loyalties and the treacherous relationships of men involved in the United States government and in the founding of Texas. James devotes an enormous amount of space to Houston’s dalliance with Anna Raguet, but put little effort into the courtship of Margaret Lea, his future wife. Not to mention, very little is disclosed of Houston’s second wife, Talina. 

More than anything, James’s biography of Houston emanates traditionalist history. The white male, Houston, is portrayed. Events are described only from Houston’s point of view as the main character. Women play minor roles and most minorities seem non-existent. Much of The Raven centers on Houston’s Texas exploits, and gives very little consideration of his governance of Tennessee or the details of his life spent with the Indians. Slavery from the perspective of a Houston slave is non-existent. Indeed, James does not even refer to Houston’s slaves as such, but instead calls them either a driver or “a surplus negro.” This biography could be read without explicit understanding that Houston owned a single slave. 

James relies heavily on Houston’s own autobiography, Authentic Memoir, for much of The Raven. James readily admits that Houston changed or omitted facts in his Authentic Memoir. It is also common for James to cite as sources second-hand retellings of events years after they actually occurred. Houston’s daughter, Nettie Houston Bringhurst, seems to have been a wealth of information to James, despite the fact that she was a child when Sam Houston died. Other sources originate from elderly people fifty years after events took place. This type of information can not be depended upon for an accurate, balanced account of Houston’s life. A line from the introduction by Henry Steele Commager sums things up nicely: “He (James) has taken folklore and unwritten legends and transformed them into history.”

The Raven comes to an abrupt end with the death of Sam Houston. James draws no conclusions on the life Houston lived, nor the legacy he left to Texas. Where did Houston get his devotion to Texas? What was the significance of Houston’s marriage to Talina? What were the effects of Houston keeping his military plans secret? Readers desiring a better understanding of Houston’s eccentric life would be better served by reading Sam Houston, by James L. Haley.