The Junior Historian, Volume 20, Number 6, May 1960 Page: 24
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THE JUNIOR HISTORIAN
THE "LIBERTY ELM"
by ANN REED
Nacogdoches High SchoolMONG THE PAGES of Texas his-
tory lies the story of the "Liberty
Elm," a tree which once stood in
the town of Nacogdoches. The exact loca-
tion of this historic elm was a site on the
west bank of Banita Creek, east of the
Southern Pacific freight depot, and just
south of the brick warehouse near by.
Even though the old elm was neither
magnificent nor noted for its beauty, it
played a noble part in the growth and
expansion of Texas and the United States.
The lack of a courthouse and Protest-
ant church buildings in early Nacog-
doches rendered some sort of meeting
place necessary. Under the branches of
this historic elm tree, therefore, town
meetings and, perhaps, Protestant church
services were held for many years.
One of the earliest notable events which
occurred under this tree was the preach-
ing of the first public Protestant sermon
in Texas, about 1817. The sermon was
preached by William M. Stevenson, a
Methodist minister (missionary) on tour
from Arkansas. The most remarkable
feature of this occasion was the fact that
during this period of history it was both
imprudent and illegal for non-Catholics to
pursue their religious activities in Texas.
Under Mexican law this rash violation of
the law was punishable even by death.
The second in line of the extraordinary
events which occurred under this elm
took place in the year 1819, seventeen
years before San Jacinto. James Long, a
merchant of Natchez, was aroused to in-
dignation against the signing away of
Texas by the Adams-Ofiis Treaty. In an
expedition to recover Texas, Long cap-
tured Nacogdoches and set up a Republic
of Texas. It has always been said that his
declaration of independence was signed
under this old tree. This most likely ex-
plains its traditional name of "Liberty
Elm."Sixteen years after Long's expedition,
the Anglo-Americans in Texas became
sorely unhappy with Mexican rule. In
May, 1835, the Anglo-American munici-
palities began to meet and discuss their
grievances against Mexico. Since the "Lib-
erty Elm" was the meeting place in Nac-
ogdoches, it was here that the men of
Nacogdoches and its vicinity met to weigh
the chances for or against any attempts to
overthrow Mexican rule and gain the lib-
erty of Texas.
After the beginning of the Texas Revo-
lution the "Liberty Elm" again played a
distinctive part in Texas history. Sam
Houston, commander-in-chief of the reg-
ular Texas Army, which existed only on
paper, denounced the unfortunate Mata-
moros Expedition and retired to Nacog-
doches. Here under the "Liberty Elm,"
he made a treaty with Chief Bowles of
the Cherokee Indians, which kept the
tribe peaceful during the war. Present at
the signing of this treaty, which recog-
nized the rights of the Indians to certain
lands, were, besides Houston and Bowles,
John Forbes, later the first mayor of
Nacogdoches, and John Cameron, an-
other witness to the signing of the treaty.
An interesting sequel to this event was
the history of Houston's sword, given at
this time to Chief Bowles. In 1839, when
President Lamar had run the Cherokees
into Oklahoma, Bowles led a raid back
into Texas. The chief was killed with the
sword in his hand, and his grip was so
tight that the weapon had to be pried
from his fingers before he was buried.
Ten years after Houston's treaty, an-
other celebrated man honored this his-
toric tree with his presence. Reportedly
on the way to fight in the Mexican War
(1846-1848), Robert E. Lee and his
company of men camped under the shade
of the elm, because of its proximity to a
source of water, Banita Creek.24
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Texas State Historical Association. The Junior Historian, Volume 20, Number 6, May 1960, periodical, May 1960; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391532/m1/26/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.