Posted By:	Mary Hicks
	Email:
	Subject:	Re: Eliza Blamer or Bennet Mason in VA/OH
	Post Date:	February 19, 2002 at 17:10:13
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/ai/messages/12385.html
	Forum:	American Indian Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/ai/

I too am a descendant of Andrew Huston and Elizabeth Green. A while back people were saying that he was descended from the family of General Sam Houston of Texas fame. This is not so. My husband has the same lineage as Gen Sam, and Andrew is not in this line. I have thoroughly traced Gen Sam as far as I can and haven't found any documentation to support this. Andrew was not even a Houston name until Gen Sam gave that name to one of his sons, because of his friendship with President Andrew Jackson. That was at a much later time in history than when our Andrew was born. And, when Gen Sam lived with his Native family it was in Tennessee as a young man, and in Oklahoma after the failure of his first marriage, after the Trail of Tears. It is thought that he took a Native wife at that time, but there is no real proof of that, nor proof of children born to a Native woman. I do have a name of a supposed Native woman who married Gen Sam, if anyone is interested, but the Houston family does not support that evidence. I too believe that Andrew might have been Native American, or at least part. After much thought, research, and comparison with other family members, it seems the only plausible explaination. Given his mysterious arrival in 1803 when he married Elizabeth Green, and, his equally mysterious death, that is an indication of Native heritage. The Houston family Gen Sam came from were prominent in history--they had money, and known careers--and were highly educated. They were ministers, lawyers, Dr's, and so forth. Even the women were educated,and very articulate, which was unusual for the times. Our Andrew didn't do any of those things, and lived a realitivly quiet life, out of the lime light. I don't believe he had the education or the wealth of the other Houston family either, based on what was sold when his children inherited his possessions and land. I have been in contact with a family member who is of KNOWN Native American heritage, and still lives in the same general area Andrew did. She has said she believes him to possibly be Shawnee, which would be correct for the tribes that moved into that area. She feels he was from the tribe that were "Blue Jacket's" people whose white name was Marmaduke Van Swearingen. If anyone knows how to research that line, it would be a good place to start. When you think of it, it makes more sense that he was all or part Native American, than any other explaination. However, you have to remember the time frame we are speaking of. It was no fashionable to be Native, or admit to having that heritage. Rather, it was to be hidden, so the descendants of Native people could fit into the white society, get jobs, and education, and so forth. I taught school for 30 years and countless times saw people with names like Lightfoot,Americanhorse, Brownwolf, and other noticable Native names, absolutely refuse any type of relationship to that heritage. My own family would get very angry if that was brought up in family discussions, yet my grandmother had the appearance of being Native--it's in the eyes, hair, and high cheekbones. Unfortunately for those of us today that find Native heritage to be acceptable, and even desirable, we can't undo what has been covered up so completely over time. There are even family members today that will flip out when they see this message, and who wrote it. I for one am saying clearly that I believe Andrew was Native, and we may NEVER unravel this mystery, because he didn't flaunt it, and it was kept quiet in families--especially my own. Unless someone finds him on the census for Native Americans, or in some reference book, we will most likely always just have our imaginations to go by. Warmest Regards, Mary Hicks needleartist@juno.com Ps If anyone cares to debate this issue I am open to that. But, you had better come loaded to defend your premise that Andrew WAS NOT Native American. If you wish to discuss it, let's not do so on this website--write to me personally at my e mail address above. I will be more than glad to share what I have on the Houston family, and any other topic.