The Raven A Biography Of Sam Houston Author:Marquis James 1929. The colorful story Sam Houston (nicknamed the Raven) governor of two states, president of the Republic of Texas, U.S. senator, and military hero, and one of the most controversial figures of 19th-century America. Born near Lexington, Virginia he was reared in Tennessee by his widowed mother. As a youth he spent a lot of time with the Chero... more »kee Indians and developed close ties with them. Joining the army, he served under Andrew Jackson in the Creek Wars. In 1818, Houston resigned his commission and, after studying law for a few months, was elected attorney general for Nashville and appointed adjutant general of Tennessee. He served two terms in Congress and was elected governor of Tennessee. Houston was married three times, his second wife was a Cherokee Indian woman whose name was Tiana Rodgers, also known as Diana Rodgers.« less