David G. Burnet
David G. Burnet | |
---|---|
President of the Republic of Texas Interim | |
In office March 17, 1836 – October 22, 1836 | |
Vice President | Lorenzo de Zavala |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Sam Houston |
2nd Vice President of the Republic of Texas | |
In office December 31, 1838 – December 13, 1841 | |
President | Mirabeau B. Lamar |
Preceded by | Mirabeau B. Lamar |
Succeeded by | Edward Burleson |
Secretary of State of Texas | |
In office May 4, 1846 – January 1, 1848 | |
Preceded by | Charles Mariner |
Succeeded by | Washington D. Miller |
Personal details | |
Born | David Gouverneur Burnet April 14, 1788 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | December 5, 1870 Galveston, Texas, U.S. | (aged 82)
Resting place | Lakeview Cemetery, Galveston |
David Gouverneur Burnet (April 14, 1788 – December 5, 1870) was an early politician within the
Burnet was born in
In 1826, he moved to
On hearing of
After Sam Houston's victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, Burnet took custody of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna and negotiated the Treaties of Velasco. Many Texans were infuriated that the treaty allowed Santa Anna to escape execution, and some called for Burnet's arrest for treason. Burnet declined to run for president and resigned as interim president on October 22, 1836.
He served as vice president under
The first
Burnet County, Texas, is named for him.
Early life and career
Burnet was born to Dr.
In 1805, Burnet became a clerk for a New York counting house, Robinson and Hartshorne. When the firm suffered financial difficulty, Burnet gave his entire personal inheritance, $1,300, to try to save the company. The firm went bankrupt, and Burnet lost all of the money.[3]
In 1806, Burnet volunteered to serve the unsuccessful
Upon his return Burnet moved to
Early Texas years
In 1817, Burnet moved to
His cough improved, Burnet returned to Cincinnati.[6] In his return, he asked that the Mexican prisoners be released with him and allowed to return home as well. The Comanches agreed to this proposal and the Mexican families were surprised that there was no ransom or other agreement to the release of these prisoners.[citation needed]
In Cincinnati, Burnet wrote a series of articles for the Literary Gazette detailing his time spent with the Indians. He practiced law for several years, but returned to Texas after hearing of
Texas empresario
After a failed venture with Milam, the Western Colonization and Mining Company, in 1827 Burnet traveled with
Burnet returned to Ohio to recruit settlers, but was unable to entice the required number of families. In 1828, he sold his land grant to the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company for $12,000. Burnet remained in the United States for several years, and on December 8, 1830, married Hannah Estey of Morristown, New Jersey. At the time of their wedding he was 43 and she was 30 years old.[7]
Eager to return to Texas, Burnet and his new wife chartered the ship Call and brought with them a steam engine to operate a saw mill. A storm grounded the ship along Bolivar Point, and, to lighten the load, they were forced to discard all of Hannah's furniture and her hope chest. The steam engine was the only piece of cargo that was able to be saved.[7]
Burnet established his saw mill on 17 acres (10 ha) of land along the
Early public service
Burnet was a delegate to the Convention of 1833, where he was elected the chairman of a committee which created a petition arguing that the Mexican Congress approve separate statehood for Texas.[7][8] Stephen F. Austin carried the petition to Mexico City and was promptly jailed.[8]
Shortly after the Convention of 1833 disbanded, Antonio López de Santa Anna became the new president of Mexico. Over the next two years Santa Anna began consolidating his political control over the country by dissolving the Mexican congress, and disbanding state legislatures. In October 1835, Santa Anna declared himself military dictator and marched north to "reassert control over Texas".[8]
During this time, Burnet had been appointed the first judge of the Austin district and organized a court at San Felipe. From then on he was known as Judge Burnet.[8] He and other Texians were determined that Texas should be an independent state within Mexico. In November 1835, the Consultation of 1835 was held at San Felipe. At the consultation, Burnet took the lead in forming a provisional state government based on the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, which Santa Anna had already repudiated.[8]
Republic of Texas
Birth
On March 1, 1836, a constitutional convention, the
After hearing of the fall of the Alamo, the chairman of the convention, Richard Ellis, wanted to adjourn the convention and begin again in Nacogdoches. Burnet leaped onto a bench and made a speech asking the delegates to stay and finish their business. They did so, and the new constitution was adopted that evening. The frontrunners for the presidency of the new country, Austin, Sam Houston, and William H. Wharton, were absent from the convention and so the nominees became Burnet and Samuel Price Carson. Burnet won, on a vote of 29–23, in the early hours of March 17, becoming the interim president of the new Republic of Texas. De Zavala was elected vice president.[9]
Interim presidency
Wartime
One of Burnet's first acts as president was to transfer the capital of the new state from Washington-on-the-Brazos to
Sam Houston, leading the Texan Army, also decided to strategically retreat from Gonzales after learning of the defeat at the Alamo. On hearing of the government's flight, "Houston was pained and annoyed" and maintained it was a cowardly action that had caused a great deal of unnecessary panic.[10] Burnet was infuriated by Houston's criticism and accused Houston of staging his own retreat because he was afraid to fight. Within several days, Burnet had stationed a spy, Major James H. Perry, on Houston's staff. In an effort to discredit Houston, Perry initiated a groundless rumor that Houston had begun taking opium.[10]
On March 25, Burnet declared martial law and divided Texas into three military districts. All able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 55 were ordered to report for military duty. Four days later, Burnet issued a proclamation declaring that a man would lose his Texas citizenship and any future claim to land if he left Texas, refused to fight, or helped the Mexican Army.[11]
In the hopes of gaining assistance from the US, Burnet sent Carson, now his secretary of state, to Louisiana to approach General
Out of safety concerns, the government was moved again on April 13, now to Galveston.[12] Two days later, Santa Anna's army reached Harrisburg, to find a deserted town. On April 17, Burnet received word that the Mexican Army was headed for his location. He and his family crowded into a rowboat immediately, leaving all of their personal effects behind. When they reached 30 yards (30 m) offshore, Colonel Juan Almonte and a troop of Mexican cavalry rode into view. Burnet stood up in the rowboat so that the army would focus on him, instead of his family. Almonte ordered the troops not to fire, as he had seen Hannah Burnet in the boat and did not want to put her in danger.[13]
Peacetime
Burnet did not hear of Houston's victory at San Jacinto and subsequent capture of Santa Anna until several days after the fact. He hurried to the battlefield, where he complained often about Houston's use of profanity. Houston's staff "complained that the president grumbled ungraciously, was hard to please, and spent all of his time giving orders and collecting souvenirs."[14] The two men also argued over the distribution of $18,000 in specie that had been found in Santa Anna's treasure chest. Burnet insisted that the money should go to the Texas treasury, but Houston had already given $3,000 to the Texas Navy and distributed the rest among his men.[14]
Santa Anna, in his distrust of civil government, had requested that he be allowed to negotiate a treaty with Houston. His request was rejected, and Burnet took him into custody, first to Galveston Island and then to Velasco. On May 14, 1836, both men signed the Treaties of Velasco. In a public treaty, Santa Anna agreed to cease all hostilities immediately and to withdraw his troops south of the Rio Grande. Burnet pledged that Santa Anna would have safe passage home. Secretly, the men also agreed that Santa Anna would "use his influence with the Mexican government to secure the recognition of Texas Independence with its southern boundary as the Rio Grande."[15] Mexico later repudiated the treaty.[16]
The people of Texas were incensed at the terms of the treaty. The public, along with the Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy, wanted to see Santa Anna executed for his actions.[15] Despite the criticism, Burnet made arrangements for Santa Anna to travel by boat to Mexico. His ship was delayed for several days by wind, and while it was docked, 250 volunteers, commanded by Thomas Green, arrived. Green demanded that Burnet resign immediately. The ship's captain, afraid for his own safety, refused to set sail unless Green approved. With few other options, Burnet ordered Santa Anna brought ashore and imprisoned at Quintana. Many of the Texas army officers threatened to execute Santa Anna and to try Burnet for treason.[17]
Most of Burnet's time was spent writing proclamations, orders, and letters appealing for funds and volunteers.
With no money and little respect for Burnet, it was not surprising that "no one followed orders, and the government struggled to direct the state effectively."[16] Burnet wished to replace Thomas Jefferson Rusk as commander of the army and sent Secretary of War Mirabeau B. Lamar to take Rusk's place. Rusk instead proposed for General Felix Huston to be named as his replacement. Lamar called a vote of the men in the army, who overwhelmingly voted for Huston, essentially a vote of no confidence in Burnet's decisions.[18]
Resignation
The first Texas presidential election was held September 5, 1836. Burnet declined to run, and Houston was elected to become the first president.
During the transition of power, Burnet's son Jacob died at Velasco. The Burnets returned to their home, which had been looted, which left them with no furniture or other household articles. To support his family, Burnet practiced law and farmed.[19]
Vice president
Houston's term as president expired in 1838. Burnet declined offers to run as his replacement but agreed to run as the vice president for his friend, Mirabeau B. Lamar.[19] Once the election returns were in, Burnet and Houston engaged in a shouting match, with Burnet calling Houston a "half-Indian" and Houston calling Burnet a "hog thief."[20] Burnet challenged Houston to a duel, but Houston refused: "the people are equally disgusted with both of us."[20] Lamar and Burnet were inaugurated on December 10, 1838.[20]
Burnet was an active vice president. In 1839, he briefly served as acting Secretary of State after Barnard Bee had been sent to Mexico. Burnet served as part of a five-man commission to negotiate with Chief Bowl for the “peaceful” removal of the Cherokee tribe from their territory to the northwest of Nacogdoches. After a week of negotiations the group was not close to an agreement.
On July 15, three regiments of Texas troops attacked the Cherokee at the
In December 1840, Burnet became acting president when Lamar took a leave of absence to seek medical treatment in New Orleans for an intestinal disorder.[20] His first official act, on December 16, was to deliver an address to Congress alleging that Mexican armies were preparing to invade Texas. Burnet wanted Congress to declare war on Mexico and to attempt to push the Texas southern boundary to the Sierra Madres. His proposal was defeated by supporters of Houston, who was then serving in the legislature.[21]
Presidential candidate
During his time as acting president, Burnet dismissed several of Lamar's appointees, angering the president.[22] At the conclusion of Lamar's term, Burnet agreed to run for president.[23] Lamar and his cronies only reluctantly supported Burnet after they could not entice Rusk to run.[22] Burnet's primary competition was Houston, and the campaign was dominated by insults and name-calling.[21] Houston questioned Burnet's honesty by accusing him of taking a $250,000 bribe from Santa Anna and calling him a "political brawler" and a "canting hypocrite."[23] Houston also accused Burnet of being a drunk. Burnet again challenged Houston to a duel, but again, Houston refused. Houston won the election, with 7,915 votes to Burnet's 3,619.[23]
Later life
After losing the presidential election, Burnet returned to his farm.
Burnet's health deteriorated, such that he needed help with his farm work. He and his wife purchased a black slave and the slave's sick wife for $1400. The man escaped, robbing the Burnet's in the process. Unable to make ends meet on their own, Burnet and his wife rented their 300 acres (1.2 km2) to another family in 1857 while they continued to live in their house.[24]
Hannah Burnet died on October 30, 1858. Their only surviving child, William Estey Burnet, took a leave of absence from his military service and helped Burnet move to Galveston, where he lived with an old friend,
In 1865, Sherman's wife died, and Burnet left Sherman's home to live with Preston Perry. The following year the first
Burnet's last public service came in 1868, when he was appointed as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, which nominated Horatio Seymour for president.[25] In his later years, Burnet suffered from senility, and before his death, he had carried a trunk of his private papers into an empty lot and burned them all.
He died on December 5, 1870, aged 82, in Galveston.[5][26] He was first buried in Magnolia Cemetery, but in 1894, his remains were moved to Galveston's Lakeview Cemetery, where he was buried next to Sidney Sherman's grave.[27]
Burnet County was named in his honor when it was formed in 1852, as was its county seat. In 1936, the state erected a statue of Burnet in Clarksville.[27] David G. Burnet Elementary School in Dallas and David G. Burnet Elementary School in Odessa are named in his honor.
See also
References
- ^ "David Gouveneur Burnet". Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ^ "Guide to the David G. Burnet letters, 1836-1859 MS 188".
- ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 33.
- ^ a b Hendrickson (1995), p. 18.
- ^ a b "Burnet, David Gouverneur". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Davis (1982), p. 35.
- ^ a b c d e Davis (1982), p. 36.
- ^ a b c d e f g Davis (1982), p. 37.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 38.
- ^ a b c Davis (1982), p. 39.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 40.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 41.
- ^ Davis (1982), p. 42.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 43.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 44.
- ^ a b Hendrickson (1995), p. 20.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 45.
- ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 46.
- ^ a b c Davis (1982), p. 47.
- ^ a b c d e Davis (1982), p. 48.
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 49.
- ^ a b Hendrickson (1995), p. 21.
- ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 50.
- ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 51.
- ^ a b c Davis (1982), p. 52.
- ^ "David G. Burnet | TSLAC".
- ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 53.
Further reading
- Davis, Joe Tom (1982), Legendary Texians, vol. 1, ISBN 0-89015-336-1
- Hendrickson, Kenneth E. Jr. (1995), The Chief of Executives of Texas: From Stephen F. Austin to John B. Connally, Jr., ISBN 0-89096-641-9
- Clarke, Mary Whatley (1969), David G. Burnet, Pemberton Press