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Robert
E. Houston
Source:
Rowland, Dunbar, ed. Mississippi, Comprising Sketches
of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged
in Cyclopedic Form, in three volumes. Vol. 3. [Contemporary
Biography] Atlanta: Southern Historical Publishing Association,
1907. pages 357-359
Houston,
Robert E., has for many years been engaged in the
practice of law at Aberdeen, Monroe county, and is known
as one of the representative members of the bar in this
section of the State. He rendered gallant service in the
Confederate ranks during the Civil war and rose to the rank
of captain. He has held various public offices and is at
the present time (1906) a member of the State senate. Captain
Houston was born in Madisonville, Monroe county, Tenn.,
May 27, 1839, and is a son of Joseph E. and Eliza (Haire)
Houston, the former of whom was born in Blount county, Tenn.,
Jan. 1, 1812, and the latter of whom was born at historic
old King's Mountain, S. C., April 16, 1814. Both were residents
of Madisonville, Tenn., at the time of death, the mother
having passed away in 1888 and the death of the father having
occurred Aug. 7, 1903, at which time he was ninety-one years
of age. One of his uncles was the only man killed in Sevier's
command in the battle of King's Mountain, in the War of
the Revolution. Both the paternal and maternal grandfathers
of the subject of this sketch were soldiers in the War of
the Revolution, and near the home of the paternal grandfather,
Gen. Sam Houston, a close relative, was reared. Joseph E.
Houston was a prominent and influential citizen of Tennessee,
where he held the offices of county sheriff, circuit clerk
and chancery clerk, having been incumbent of the last mentioned
position for twenty-seven years. After the Civil war he
took up his residence in Monroe county, Miss., where he
was an officeholder for half a century. He was an ardent
supporter of the Confederate cause during the Civil war,
and because of his uncompromising loyalty he was several
times imprisoned. Two of his sisters also were arrested
and placed in prison, for singing Confederate songs. Robert
E. Houston, the subject of this sketch, was afforded the
advantages of Hiwassee college in Monroe county, Tenn.,
after which he entered the law department of Cumberland
university, at Lebanon, that State, where he was graduated
in 160, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Since 1860
he has been engaged in the practice of his profession in
Aberdeen, Miss., where he has attained to pronounced success
and prestige. He was one of those loyal sons of the South
who promptly tendered their services in defense of the cause
of the Confederacy at the initiation of the War between
the States. On April 17, 1861, he enlisted as a private
in Company I, Eleventh Mississippi infantry, with which
he proceeded to the front, his regiment becoming a part
of the Army of Northern Virginia. While at Camp Fisher,
Va., he was accidentally wounded and by reason of the resulting
disability he was granted an honorable discharge in the
winter of 1862. He started for his home, but at Knoxville,
Tenn., he met Gen. John H. Morgan, in whose command he enlisted.
He became a member of Company A, of Duke's regiment, with
which he participated in all the engagements from Gallatin
to Augusta, at which latter place he was wounded in the
groin. On account of his injury he was sent to Lexington,
Ky., where he remained two months, at the expiration of
which he returned home. After the escape of General Morgan
from the Federal prison he made his way to the home of the
subject of this sketch, who accompanied him to Richmond,
Va., where, through the influence of General Morgan and
Colonel Phelan, Mr. Houston was appointed adjutant and inspector-general,
with the rank of captain. He then joined Gen. John C. Vaughn,
commanding a Tennessee brigade, and later he proceeded to
Grenada and finally to Vicksburg, Miss., where he arrived
on Christmas day, 1863. He was present during the memorable
siege of that city and July 4, 1863, surrendered to General
Grant. He was given a parole with two months' furlough,
was given charge of a parole camp in Atlanta, Ga., where
he remained until the time of the battle of Chickamauga,
when he was ordered to discharge the paroles and was sent
with General Longstreet's command to East Tennessee. Thereafter
he served under Generals Early, Breckenridge and Jackson,
and he was with his command within three miles of Lynchburg,
Va., when the news of Lee's surrender was received. He was
with a portion of his regiment at Raleigh, N. C., where
they met President Davis, to whom they acted as center guard
for a time. At Washington, Ga., they were informed of the
capture of the President and they then surrendered and were
granted paroles, after which Captain Houston returned to
Aberdeen, Miss., where he has since been engaged in the
practice of his profession. During his military career he
took part in the many engagements in which his command was
involved and he proved a mot loyal and valiant soldier of
the Confederacy. Captain Houston has been prominent in the
work of his profession and stands to-day as one of the leading
lawyers of his section of the State. He is numbered among
the loyal supporters of the principles and policies of the
Democratic party and he has held various offices of public
trust. He was prosecuting attorney of Monroe county in 1867-8,
and was a representative of the county in the State legislature
for four terms, having been elected to this office in 1884,
1890, 1894 and 1904. In 1905 he was elected to represent
his district in the State senate and is a member of that
body at the present time (1906). He and his wife hold membership
in the Presbyterian church and he is affiliated with the
Masonic fraternity and the United Confederate Veterans;
he also holds membership in the Mississippi historical society.
For the past twenty-two years he has been commander of the
local camp of the United Confederate Veterans and for two
years he was commander of the Second brigade of the order
in Mississippi. He has extensive plantation interests and
in all the relations of life he is known as a loyal and
progressive citizen. On March 10, 1871, Captain Houston
was united in marrige to Miss Mollie Weaver, daughter of
William B. Weaver, of Columbus, Miss. Of this union were
both five children, namely: Ellen, who died at the age of
eighteen months; Joe E., who was graduated in the law department
of the University of Mississippi and who is now associated
with his father in practice; Lulu, who died at the age of
twenty-two years; Mary, who died in childhood; and Robert,
who likewise died young. Mrs. Houston died Jan. 1, 1895,
and on Dec. 2, 1901, Captain Houston contracted a second
marriage--he wedded Mrs. Helen E. Stoddard, of Aberdeen.
She was born and reared in Mississippi and is a daughter
of the late David Rush, a Confederate veteran and well known
resident of Lowndes county, Miss.
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