Thomas Jefferson Rusk (December 5, 1803July 29, 1857) was an early political and military leader of the
Republic of Texas, serving as its first
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
as well as a general at the
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engage ...
. He was later a US politician and served as a Senator from Texas from 1846 until his suicide. He served as the
President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1857.
Early life
Rusk was born in
Pendleton, South Carolina
Pendleton is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,489 at the 2020 census. It is a sister city of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
The Pendleton Historic District, consisting of the town and i ...
, to John Rusk, a
stonemason, and Sterritt Rusk. After being
admitted to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
in 1825, Rusk began his law practice in
Clarkesville, Georgia
Clarkesville is a city that is the county seat of Habersham County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,911, up from the 2010 census population of 1,733, up from 1,248 at the 2000 census.
History
Clarkesvi ...
. In 1827, he married Mary F. (Polly) Cleveland, the daughter of
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
Benjamin Cleveland, grandson of Col. Benjamin Cleveland of King's Mountain fame. Rusk became a business partner of his father-in-law after the marriage. He lived in the gold region of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and made sizable mining investments. In 1834, however, the managers of the company in which he had invested embezzled all the funds and fled to
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially ...
. Rusk pursued them to
Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchitoch ...
, but never recovered the money.
Texas Revolution
Rusk decided to stay in Texas and became a citizen of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
in 1835, applied for a headright in
David G. Burnet
David Gouverneur Burnet (April 14, 1788 – December 5, 1870) was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas (1836 and again in 1841), Vice President of the Republic of Texas (1839–1841), and Se ...
's colony, and sent for his family. After hearing Nacogdoches citizens denounce the despotism of Mexico, Rusk became involved in the independence movement. He organized volunteers from Nacogdoches and hastened to Gonzales, where his men joined
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...
's army in preventing the Mexicans from seizing their
cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
. They proceeded to
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
, but Rusk left the army before the
Siege of Béxar
The siege of Béxar (or Béjar) was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texian army defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar (now San Antonio, Texas). Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican governme ...
.
The provisional government named him
inspector general of the army in the Nacogdoches District. As a delegate from Nacogdoches to the
Convention of 1836
The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether ...
, Rusk not only signed the
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was forma ...
but also chaired the committee to revise the constitution of the
Republic of Texas. The ''ad interim'' government, installed on March 17, 1836, appointed Rusk as Secretary of War. When informed that
the Alamo had fallen and the Mexican army was moving eastward, Rusk helped
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
David Burnet to move the government to
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
.
After the Mexicans killed all
James W. Fannin's Texan army at
Goliad
Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Gol ...
, Burnet sent Rusk with orders for General
Sam Houston to make a stand against the enemy. Rusk participated with bravery in the defeat of
Santa Anna Santa Anna may refer to:
* Santa Anna, Texas, a town in Coleman County in Central Texas, United States
* Santa Anna, Starr County, Texas
* Santa Anna Township, DeWitt County, Illinois, one of townships in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. ...
on April 21, 1836, in the
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engage ...
. From May to October 1836, he served as commander-in-chief of the
Army of the Republic of Texas, with the rank of
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
. He followed the Mexican troops westward as they retired from Texas to be certain of their retreat beyond the
Rio Grande. Then he conducted a military funeral for the troops killed at Goliad.
Republic of Texas
![TJRusk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/TJRusk.jpg)
In the first regularly elected administration, President Houston appointed Rusk secretary of war, but after a few weeks, Rusk resigned to take care of pressing domestic problems. At the insistence of friends, however, he represented Nacogdoches in the Second Congress of the Republic (1837–1838). Rusk was a
Mason. He joine
Milam Lodge No. 40(Later Milam Lodge #2) in Nacogdoches in 1837 and was a founding member of th
Grand Lodge of Texas organized in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
on December 20, 1837.
As chairman of the House Military Committee in 1837, he sponsored a
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
bill that passed over Houston's veto, and Congress elected Rusk
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
of the
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
. In the summer of 1838, he commanded the Nacogdoches militia, which suppressed the
Córdova Rebellion
The Córdova Rebellion, in 1838, was an uprising instigated in and around Nacogdoches, Texas. '' Alcalde'' Vicente Córdova and other leaders supported the Texas Revolution as long as it espoused a return to the Constitution of 1824,
It erupted i ...
. In October, when Mexican agents were discovered among the
Kickapoo Indians, Rusk defeated those Indians and their Indian allies. He captured marauding
Caddo Indians in November 1838 and risked an international incident when he invaded United States territory to return them to the Indian agent in
Shreveport, Louisiana.
On December 12, 1838, the Texas Congress elected Rusk
Chief Justice of the Republic's
Supreme Court. He served until June 30, 1840, when he resigned to resume his law practice. Later he headed the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
of the Republic of Texas. He and
J. Pinckney Henderson, later the first
governor of the state of Texas, formed a law partnership in 1841.
Early in 1843, Rusk was called upon once again to serve as a military commander. Concern over the lack of protection on the frontier caused Congress, in a joint ballot on January 16, 1843, to elect Rusk major general of the militia of the Republic of Texas. But he resigned in June when Houston obstructed his plans for aggressive warfare against Mexico. Rusk then turned his energies to establishing
Nacogdoches University (operated 1845–1895).
He served as
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
of the university when the charter was granted in 1845 and president in 1846.
State of Texas
![Thomas Jefferson Rusk statue IMG 2966](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Thomas_Jefferson_Rusk_statue_IMG_2966.JPG)
Rusk supported Sam Houston and the growing movement to
annex Texas to the United States. He was president of the Republic's
Convention of 1845, which accepted the annexation terms. The first Texas state legislature elected him and Houston to the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in February 1846. Rusk received the larger number of votes and the longer term of office.
Rusk and Houston forgot past differences as they worked to settle the southwest boundary question in favor of Texas' claim to the Rio Grande. Rusk supported the position of US President
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...
on the necessity of the
Mexican War and the acquisition of California. In the debate over the
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850 that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican–Am ...
, Rusk refused to endorse
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
, proposed by some in the caucus of Southern congressmen. He vigorously defended Texas' claims to the land used to create the
New Mexico Territory in 1850, arguing for financial compensation for Texas.
As an early advocate of a transcontinental railroad through Texas, Senator Rusk made speeches in the Senate and throughout Texas in support of a southern route. The
Gadsden Purchase received his support. Rusk was in favor of the
Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by ...
. President
James Buchanan offered him the position of
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency.
The PMG is selected and appointed by ...
in 1857, but he turned it down. (Buchanan gave the post to
Aaron V. Brown.)
While Rusk attended to duties in Washington, DC, his wife died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
on April 23, 1856. Five of their seven children were still living at the time. During a special session in March 1857, he was elected
president pro tempore of the United States Senate.
Suicide
Missing his wife and ill from a
tumor
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
at the base of his neck, Rusk committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 29, 1857. He was 53 years old.
Legacy
* The State of Texas placed a monument at the graves of Rusk and his wife, Mary, in Oak Grove Cemetery in
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchito ...
.
*
Rusk County and the town of
Rusk
A rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake, rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the UK, the name also refers to a whea ...
were named in his honor.
* Part of his homestead became the campus of
Stephen F. Austin State University.
* There is a statue of Rusk in front of the
Rusk County courthouse in
Henderson, Texas.
*His handwriting was the basis for the font Texas Hero designed by Brian Willson.
* Former Secretary of State
Dean Rusk
David Dean Rusk (February 9, 1909December 20, 1994) was the United States Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the second-longest serving Secretary of State after Cordell Hull from the F ...
is a distant cousin.
See also
*
Timeline of the Texas Revolution
This is a timeline of the Texas Revolution, spanning the time from the earliest independence movements of the area of Texas, over the declaration of independence from Spain, up to the secession of the Republic of Texas from Mexico.
The first sh ...
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)
Notes
References
*
Biography on Thomas Jefferson and Mary Cleveland Rusk
External links
*
* Sketch o
Thomas J. Ruska
''A pictorial history of Texas, from the earliest visits of European adventurers, to A.D. 1879'' hosted by th
Portal to Texas History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusk, Thomas Jefferson
1803 births
1857 deaths
Texas lawyers
Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers
Army of the Republic of Texas generals
People from Pendleton, South Carolina
People of the Texas Revolution
Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence
American politicians who committed suicide
Suicides by firearm in Texas
Texas Democrats
Democratic Party United States senators from Texas
Republic of Texas politicians
Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate
Chief Justices of the Republic of Texas Supreme Court
19th-century American politicians
1850s suicides
19th-century American lawyers