Sam Houston was a citizen of Blount County from 1806 to 1818 and enlisted at Maryville in the War of 1812. He served as a congressman from Tennessee from 1823 to 1827 and as governor of Tennessee from 1827 to 1829. He became the liberator of Texas at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, then served as president of the Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1838 and again from 1841 to 1844. He later served as United States senator from Texas from 1846 to 1859 and as governor of Texas from 1859 to 1861. His mother said, “I had rather all my sons should fill one honorable grave, than that one of them should turn his back on an enemy. Go, and remember too, that while the door of my cottage is open to all brave men, it is always shut against cowards”.