David G.

Burnet
David G. Burnet

David G. Burnet

Interim President of Texas

In office
March 17, 1836 – October 22, 1836
Vice President Lorenzo de Zavala
Succeeded by Sam Houston

Vice-President of Texas
In office
December 10, 1838 – 1841
President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Preceded by Mirabeau B. Lamar
Succeeded by Edward Burleson

Secretary of State of Texas

In office
1846 – 1848
Preceded by Charles Mariner
 Succeeded by Washington D. Miller

David Gouverneur Burnet (April 14, 1788 – December 5, 1870) was an early politician
within the Republic of Texas, serving as Interim President (1836 and again in 1841), Vice-
President (1839-41), & Secretary of State (1846) for the new state of Texas after it was
annexed to the United States of America.

Burnet was born in Newark, New Jersey[1][2] and attended law school in Cincinnati, Ohio.
As a young man, he lived with a Comanche tribe for a year before returning to Ohio. In
1826, he moved to Stephen F. Austin's colony in Mexican Texas. He received a land grant
as an empresario but was forced to sell the land after failing to attract enough settlers to his
colony, and later lost his right to operate a sawmill after he refused to convert to Roman
Catholicism.

On hearing of William Barret Travis's plea for help at the Alamo, Burnet traveled to
Washington-on-the-Brazos to recruit help from the Convention of 1836. He remained at the
convention and was elected interim president on March 17, 1836. On his orders, the
government fled Washington-on-the-Brazos for Harrisburg, thus inspiring the Runaway
Scrape. Burnet narrowly avoided capture by Mexican troops the following month. After
Sam Houston's victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, Burnet took custody of Mexican
General Antonio López de Santa Anna and negotiated the Treaties of Velasco. Many
Texians were infuriated that the treaty allowed Santa Anna to escape execution, and some
people called for Burnet's arrest for treason. Burnet declined to run for president, and
resigned as interim president on October 22, 1836.

He served as the Vice-President under Mirabeau B. Lamar and participated in the Battle of
Neches. He was defeated in the next presidential election by Houston. When Texas was
annexed into the United States, Burnet served as the state's first Secretary of State. The first
Reconstruction state legislature appointed him to the U.S. Senate, but he was unable to take
his seat due to the Ironclad oath. Burnet County, Texas is named for him.

Contents
 1 Early life and career
 2 Early Texas years
 3 Texas empresario
 4 Early public service
 5 Republic of Texas
o 5.1 Birth of the nation
o 5.2 Interim presidency
 5.2.1 Wartime
 5.2.2 Peacetime
 5.2.3 Resignation
o 5.3 Vice-President
 o 5.4 Presidential candidate
 6 Later life
 7 Footnotes
 8 References
 9 Further reading
 10 External links

Early life and career

Burnet was born to Dr. William Burnet and his second wife, Gertrude Gouverneur Rutgers,
widow of Anthony Rutgers. His father had served in the Continental Congress. Both of his
parents died when Burnet was a child.[3]

In 1805, Burnet became a clerk for a New York counting house, Robinson and Hartshorne.
When the firm suffered financial difficulty, Burnet gave his entire personal inheritance,
$1200, to try to save the company. The firm went bankrupt, and Burnet lost all of the
money.[3]

Burnet volunteered to serve the unsuccessful revolt led by Francisco de Miranda for the
independence of Venezuela from Spain. He fought in Chile in 1806 and in Venezuela in
1808. After Miranda broke with Simon Bolivar, Burnet returned to the United States.[4] On
his return Burnet moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to study law. He lived with his two older
brothers, Jacob, who later became a U.S. Senator, and Isaac, who later served as mayor of
Cincinnati.[3]

Early Texas years

In 1817, Burnet moved to Natchitoches, Louisiana and set up a mercantile business. After
several months he developed a bloody cough. A doctor diagnosed him with tuberculosis
and suggested he move to Texas, then a part of Mexico to recuperate in the dry air.[3][5]
Later that year, Burnet traveled alone into Texas. A Comanche tribe invited him to live
with them, and he lived with them for a year. Near the end of the year, he met Ben Milam,
who had come to the village to trade with the tribe.[5]

His cough improved, Burnet returned to Cincinnati.[5] In his return to civilization, asked
that the Mexican prisoners be released with him and allowed to return home as well. The
Comanches agreed to this proposal and the Mexican families were surprised that there was
no ransom or other agreement to the release of these prisoners.[citation needed]

In Cincinnati, Burnet wrote a series of articles for the Literary Gazette detailing his time
spent with the Indians. Burnet practiced law for several years, but returned to Texas after
hearing of Stephen F. Austin's successful colony for Anglos. Burnet settled in San Felipe,
the headquarters of Austin's colony, in 1826. For the next 18 months he provided law
advice to the 200 settlers in the town and organized the first Presbyterian Sunday School in
Texas. A deeply religious man, Burnet neither drank nor swore and always carried a Bible
in his pocket.[5]

Texas empresario
After a failed venture with Milam, the Western Colonization and Mining Company, in 1827
Burnet traveled with Lorenzo de Zavala and Joseph Vehlein to the Coahuila y Tejas state
capitol, Saltillo. The men applied for grants as empresarios under the Colonization law of
1824. Burnet received authorization to settle 300 families in East Texas, northwest of
Nacogdoches, an area that had already been settled by the Cherokee.[5] Under the terms of
his grant, a married settler could purchase a league of land 4,428 acres (20 km2)) for
$200.[6]

Burnet returned to Ohio to recruit settlers, but was unable to entice the required number of
families. In 1828, he sold his land grant to the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company for
$12,000. Burnet remained in the United States for several years, and on December 8, 1830
married Hannah Este of Morristown, New Jersey. At the time of their wedding he was 43
and she was 30 years old.[6]

Eager to return to Texas, Burnet and his new wife chartered the ship Call and brought with
them a steam engine to operate a saw mill. A storm grounded the ship along Bolivar Point,
and, to lighten the load, they were forced to discard all of Hannah's furniture and her hope
chest. The steam engine was the only piece of cargo that was able to be saved.[6]

Burnet established his saw mill on 17 acres (10 ha) of land along the San Jacinto River, in
an area that came to be known as Burnet's Bay. Under Mexican law, Burnet was entitled to
an extra land grant because his saw mill provided a needed public service. At that time,
however, the law also required settlers to convert to Roman Catholicism to receive the extra
land grant. The devout Burnet refused, angering the Mexican authorities to the point that
they cancelled his grant for operating the saw mill. The mill was finally sold to Dr. Branch
T. Archer at a large loss.[6]

Early public service

Burnet was a delegate to the Convention of 1833, where he was elected the chairman of a
committee which created a petition arguing that the Mexican Congress approve separate
statehood for Texas.[6][7] Stephen F. Austin carried the petition to Mexico City and was
promptly jailed.[7]

Shortly after the Convention of 1833 disbanded, Antonio López de Santa Anna became the
new president of Mexico. Over the next two years he began consolidating his control over
the country, dissolving the Mexican congress and disbanding state legislatures. In October
1835 he declared himself military dictator and marched north to "reassert control over
Texas".[7]

During this time, Burnet had been appointed the first judge of the Austin district and
organized a court at San Felipe. From then on he was known as Judge Burnet.[7] He and
other Texians were determined that Texas should be an independent state within Mexico. In
November 1835, the Consulatation of 1835 was held at San Felipe. At the consultation,
Burnet took the lead in forming a provisional state government based on the 1824
Constitution of Mexico, which Santa Anna had already repudiated.[7]

Republic of Texas
Birth of the nation

On March 1, 1836, a constitutional convention, the Convention of 1836, was held at

Washington-on-the-Brazos. Burnet was not chosen as a delegate to the convention. On
hearing of William Barret Travis's plea for help at the Alamo, Burnet immediately set out
to offer his assistance. He stopped at the convention to try to recruit others to join the fight,
but soon became so "inspired by their deliberations" that he remained as a visitor.[7]
Speaking privately with many of the delegates, Burnet professed that he would be willing
to serve as president of a new republic, even if that made him a target of Santa Anna.[7]

After hearing of the fall of the Alamo, the chairman of the convention, Richard Ellis,
wanted to adjourn the convention and begin again in Nacogdoches. Burnet leaped onto a
bench and made a speech asking the delegates to stay and finish their business. They did so,
and the new constitution was adopted that evening. The front–runners for the presidency of
the new country, Austin, Sam Houston, and William H. Wharton were absent from the
convention, so the nominees became Burnet and Samuel Price Carson. Burnet won, on a
vote of 29–23, in the early hours of March 17, becoming the interim president of the new
Republic of Texas. De Zavala was elected vice-president.[8]

Interim presidency

Wartime

One of Burnet's first acts as president was to transfer the capital of the new state from
Washington-on-the-Brazos to Harrisburg, which was located nearer the small Texas Navy
at Galveston Island. Harrisburg was also closer to the border with the United States and
would allow easier communication with U.S. officials. The move took on a sense of
urgency when the convention received word that Santa Anna was within 60 miles (100 km)
of Washington-on-the-Brazos. Burnet quickly adjourned the proceedings and the
government fled, inspiring a massive flight known as the Runaway Scrape.[8] Burnet
personally carried the Texas Declaration of Independence in his saddlebags.[9]

Sam Houston, leading the Texian Army, decided to strategically retreat from Gonzales after
learning of the defeat at the Alamo. On hearing of the government's flight, "Houston was
pained and annoyed", maintaining it was a cowardly action that caused a great deal of
unnecessary panic.[9] Burnet was infuriated by Houston's criticism and accused Houston of
staging his own retreat because he was afraid to fight. Within several days, Burnet had
stationed a spy, Major James H. Perry, on Houston's staff. In an effort to discredit Houston,
Perry initiated a groundless rumor that Houston had begun taking opium.[9]

On March 25, Burnet declared martial law and divided Texas into three military districts.
All able–bodiedmen between the ages of 18 and 55 were ordered to report for military duty.
Four days later, Burnet issued a proclamation declaring that a man would lose his Texas
citizenship and any future claim to land if he left Texas, refused to fight, or helped the
Mexican army.[10]

In the hopes of gaining assistance from the United States, Burnet sent Carson, now his
secretary of state, to Louisiana to approach General Edmund P. Gaines. Gaines had been
given ordered by President Andrew Jackson not to cross the Sabine River into Texas.[10] A
small amount of relief did come on April 9, however, with the arrival of the "Twin Sisters,"
two six–pound cannons that had been sent as a gift from the people of Cincinnati to show
their respect for the Burnet family (at that time Burnet's brother Isaac was mayor of
Cincinnati). Burnet immediately sent the guns to Houston.[4][11]

Out of safety concerns, the government was moved again on April 13, this time to
Galveston.[11] Two days later, Santa Anna's army reached Harrisburg, to find a deserted
town. On April 17, Burnet received word that the Mexican Army was headed for his
location. He and his family crowded into a rowboat immediately, leaving all of their
personal effects behind. When they reached 30 yards (30 m) offshore, Colonel Juan
Almonte and a troop of Mexican cavalry rode into view. Burnet stood up in the rowboat so
that the army would focus on him instead of his family. Almonte ordered the troops not to

Peacetime

Burnet did not hear of Houston's victory at San Jacinto and subsequent capture of Santa
Anna until several days after the fact. He hurried to the battlefield, where he complained
often about Houston's use of profanity. Houston's staff "complained that the president
grumbled ungraciously, was hard to please, and spent all of his time giving orders and
collecting souvenirs."[13] The two men also argued over the distribution of $18,000 in
specie that had been found in Santa Anna's treasure chest. Burnet insisted that the money
should go to the Texas treasury, but Houston had already given $3,000 to the Texas Navy
and distributed the rest among his men.[13]
Santa Anna, in his distrust of civil government, had requested that he be allowed to
negotiate a treaty with Houston. His request was rejected, and Burnet took him into
custody, first to Galveston Island and then to Velasco. On May 14, 1836 the two men
signed the Treaties of Velasco. In a public treaty, Santa Anna agreed to immediately cease
all hostilities and withdraw his troops south of the Rio Grande. Burnet pledged that Sana
Anna would have safe passage home. Secretly, the men also agreed that Santa Anna would
"use his influence with the Mexican government to secure the recognition of Texas
Independence with its southern boundary as the Rio Grande."[14] Mexico later repudiated
the treaty.[15]

The people of Texas were incensed at the terms of the treaty. The public, along with the
Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy, wanted to see Santa Anna executed for his
actions.[14] Despite the criticism, Burnet made arrangements for Santa Anna to travel by
boat to Mexico. His ship was delayed for several days by wind, and while it was docked
250 volunteers commanded by Thomas Green arrived. Green demanded that Burnet resign
immediately. The ship captain, afraid for his own safety, refused to set sail unless Green
approved. With few other options, Burnet ordered Santa Anna brought ashore and
imprisoned at Quintana. Many of the Texas army officers threatened to execute Santa Anna
and try Burnet for treason.[16]

The majority of Burnet's time was spent writing proclamations, orders, and letters
appealing for funds and volunteers.[17] As a system of taxation had yet to be implemented,
the Texas treasury was empty. There was no money to pay Burnet a salary, and his family
soon had trouble paying for their expenses. To make ends meet, they sold a Negro woman
and boy.[16] Filling the treasury would take more effort, and Burnet proposed that they sell
land scrip in New York. The bids dropped as low as one cent per acre, so the plan was
shelved.[17]

With no money and little respect for Burnet, it was not surprising that "no one followed
orders, and the government struggled to direct the state effectively."[15] Burnet wished to
replace Thomas Rusk as commander of the army, and sent his Secretary of War Mirabeau
B. Lamar to take Rusk's place. Rusk instead proposed that General Felix Huston be named
as his replacement. Lamar called a vote of the men in the army, who overwhelmingly voted
for Huston, essentially a vote of no confidence in Burnet's decisions.[17]

Resignation

The first Texas presidential election was held September 5, 1836. Burnet declined to run,
and Houston was elected to become the first president.[17] Houston was expected to take
office in December. On October 3, Burnet called the first session of the Texas Congress to
order in Columbia. Houston arrived at the session on October 9, and the Congress quickly
began lobbying Burnet to resign so that Houston could begin his duties. Burnet finally
agreed to resign on October 22, the day after de Zavala resigned as Vice-President.[18]

During the transition of power, Burnet's son Jacob died at Velasco. The Burnets returned to
their home, which had been looted, leaving them with no furniture or other household
articles. To support his family, Burnet practiced law and farmed.[18]
Vice-President

Burnet served as Vice-President under Mirabeau B. Lamar.

Houston's term as president expired in 1838. Burnet declined offers to run as his
replacement, but instead agreed to run as the vice-president for his friend Mirabeau B.
Lamar.[18] Once the election returns were in, Burnet and Houston engaged in a shouting
match, with Burnet calling Houston a "'half-Indian'" and Houston calling Burnet a "'hog
thief'".[19] Burnet challenged Houston to a duel, but Houston refused, saying "'the people
are equally disgusted with both of us.'"[19] Lamar and Burnet were inaugurated on
December 10, 1838.[19]

Burnet was an active Vice-President. In 1839, he briefly served as acting Secretary of State
after Barnard Bee had been sent to Mexico. Burnet served as part of a five–man
commission to negotiate with Chief Bowl for the peaceful removal of the Cherokee tribe
from their territory to the northwest of Nacogdoches. After a week of negotiations the
groups was not close to an agreement. On July 15, three regiments of Texas troops attacked
the Cherokee at the Battle of Neches. Chief Bowl and 100 Indians were killed; the
survivors retreated into Arkansas Territory. Burnet fought in the battle as a volunteer and
suffered minor wounds.[19]

In December 1841, Burnet became acting president when Lamar took a leave of absence to
seek medical treatment in New Orleans for an intestinal disorder.[19] His first official act, on
December 16, was to deliver an address to Congress alleging that Mexican armies were
preparing to invade Texas. Burnet wanted Congress to declare war on Mexico and attempt
to push the Texas southern boundary to the Sierra Madres. His proposal was defeated by
supporters of Houston, who was currently serving in the legislature.[20]

Presidential candidate

During his time as acting president, Burnet dismissed several of Lamar's appointees,
angering the president.[21] At the conclusion of Lamar's term, Burnet agreed to run for
president.[22] Lamar and his cronies only reluctantly supported Burnet after they could not
entice Rusk to run.[21] Burnet's primary competition was Houston, and the campaign was
dominated by insults and name–calling.[20] Houston questioned Burnet's honesty, accusing
him of taking a $250,000 bribe from Santa Anna and calling him a "'political brawler'" and
a "'canting hypocrite'"[22] Houston also accused Burnet of being a drunk. Burnet again
challenged Houston to a duel, and, again, Houston refused. Houston won the election, with
7,915 votes to Burnet's 3,619.[22]

Later life
After losing the presidential election, Burnet returned to his farm.[22] When Texas was
annexed into the United States, Burnet served as the state's first Secretary of State under
Governor James Pinckney Henderson.[23] His feud with Houston continued, and in 1852
Burnet wrote a pamphlet titled "Review of the Life of General Sam Houston" which
recounted many rumors and allegations of Houston's improper behavior. Houston retaliated
in February 1859 by giving a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate that disparaged
Burnet.[23]

Burnet's health deteriorated so that he needed help with his farm work. He and his wife
purchased a Negro man and his sick wife for $1400. The man robbed them and ran away.
Unable to make ends meet on their own, Burnet and his wife rented their 300 acres
(1.2 km2) to another family in 1857, but continued to live in their house.[23]

Hannah Burnet died on October 30, 1858. Their only surviving child, William Este Burnet,
took a leave of absence from his military service and helped Burnet move to Galveston,
where he lived with an old friend, Sidney Sherman.[23] Burnet opposed secession, and was
saddened when his son joined the Confederate States Army. William was killed shortly
before the conclusion of the Civil War, leaving Burnet the only surviving member of his
family.[24]

In 1865, Sherman's wife died, and Burnet left his home to live with Preston Perry. The
following year the first Reconstruction state legislature appointed Burnet and Oran Roberts
to be senators from Texas. Neither man was able to take the Ironclad oath, so they were not
permitted to take their Senate seats.[24]

Burnet's last public service came in 1868, when he was appointed as a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention which nominated Horatio Seymour for president.[24] In his
later years, Burnet suffered from senility, and before his death he carried a trunk of his
private papers into an empty lot and burned them all. He died on December 5, 1870, aged
82, in Galveston.[25][26] He was first buried in Magnolia Cemetery, but in 1894 his remains
were moved to Galveston's Lakeview cemetery, where he was buried next to the grave of
Sidney Sherman.[27]

The county of Burnet was named in his honor when it was formed in 1852, as was the
county seat. In 1936, the state of Texas erected a statue of Burnet in Clarksville.[27]

Footnotes
 1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 33.
4. ^ a b Hendrickson (1995), p. 18.
5. ^ a b c d e Davis (1982), p. 35.
6. ^ a b c d e Davis (1982), p. 36.
7. ^ a b c d e f g Davis (1982), p. 37.
8. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 38.
9. ^ a b c Davis (1982), p. 39.
10. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 40.
11. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 41.
12. ^ Davis (1982), p. 42.
13. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 43.
14. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 44.
15. ^ a b Hendrickson (1995), p. 20.
16. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 45.
17. ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 46.
18. ^ a b c Davis (1982), p. 47.
19. ^ a b c d e Davis (1982), p. 48.
20. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 49.
21. ^ a b Hendrickson (1995), p. 21.
22. ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 50.
23. ^ a b c d Davis (1982), p. 51.
24. ^ a b c Davis (1982), p. 52.
25. ^ [3]
26. ^ [4]
27. ^ a b Davis (1982), p. 53.

References
 Davis, Joe Tom (1982), Legendary Texians, 1, Austin, Texas: Eakin Press, ISBN
0890153361
 Hendrickson, Kenneth E., Jr. (1995), The Chief of Executives of Texas: From
Stephen F. Austin to John B. Connally, Jr., College Station, Texas: Texas A&M
University Press, ISBN 0890966419

Further reading
 Clarke, Mary Whatley (1969), David G. Burnet, Pemberton Press

External links
 Handbook of Texas Article
 Letter from David G. Burnet on survey land for the establishment of an education
system, May 29, 1839 From Texas Tides
 Political offices

President of the Republic of Texas Succeeded by

Preceded by
(ad interim) Sam Houston
Office Created
1836 first term

Vice President of the Republic of

Texas
Preceded by Succeeded by
Mirabeau B. Lamar Edward Burleson
December 10, 1838—December 13,
1841

Preceded by Secretary of State of Texas Succeeded by

Charles Mariner 1846 - 1848 Washington D. Miller
v•d•e
Presidents of the Republic of Texas
Burnet (interim) • Houston • Lamar • Houston • Jones
v•d•e
Vice Presidents of the Republic of Texas
de Zavala (interim) • Lamar • Burnet • Burleson • Anderson
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