Editing Sam Houston (section)

==War of 1812 and aftermath==
On March 24, 1813, Houston enlisted in the army at the young age of 20 in the<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Sam Houston: A Legacy of Leadership in Texas History |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/houston-sam |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref> [[War of 1812]] against [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]] and Britain's Native American allies.<ref name=txcol>[https://baylorarchives.cuadra.com/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?79GdoJTeCj1nhB3qUyU26W9gGPVf7FuD0b1dNh@uSAAEXcURaTXNSkkwBitACmw6MgcUehqmfXz1IiV1I@nqtvVBjWZrdjJMvmYEdJ1L6QQ/0001my.xml Sam Houston Papers] #37, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.</ref> He quickly impressed the commander of the [[39th Infantry Regiment (War of 1812)|39th Infantry Regiment]], [[Thomas Hart Benton (politician)|Thomas Hart Benton]], and by the end of 1813, Houston had risen to the rank of third lieutenant. In early 1814, the 39th Infantry Regiment became a part of the force commanded by General [[Andrew Jackson]], who was charged with putting an end to raids by a faction of the [[Muscogee]] (or "Creek") tribe in the [[Old Southwest]].{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=11–14}} Houston was wounded badly in the [[Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814)|Battle of Horseshoe Bend]], the decisive battle in the [[Creek War]]. Although army doctors expected him to die of his wounds, Houston survived and convalesced in Maryville and other locations. While many other officers lost their positions after the end of the War of 1812 due to military cutbacks, Houston retained his commission with the help of Congressman [[John Rhea]].{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=15–17}} During that time he was promoted to the rank of [[second lieutenant]].<ref name=hbot />

Sometime in early 1817, Sam Houston was assigned to a clerical position in Nashville, serving under the adjutant general for the army's Southern Division. Later in the year, Jackson appointed Houston as a sub-agent to handle the [[Indian removal|removal]] of Cherokee from East Tennessee.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=19–20}} In February 1818, he received a strong reprimand from the Secretary of War [[John C. Calhoun]] after he wore Native American dress to a meeting between Calhoun and Cherokee leaders, beginning an enmity that lasted until Calhoun died in 1850.{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=24–25}} Angry over the incident with Calhoun and an investigation into his activities, Houston resigned from the army in 1818. He continued to act as a government liaison with the Cherokee, and in 1818, he helped some of the Cherokee resettle in [[Arkansas Territory]].{{sfn|Haley|2002|pp=26–29}}