Politician, Colonel of Texas Militia, Professor, and Librarian of Austin College, Historian, and Civic Leader. After Henderson Yoakum graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1832, he was brevetted lieutenant, and served in the Black Hawk expedition the same year. He resigned in 1833 he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced law in Tennessee from 1835 till 1845. He served as mayor of Murfreesboro. In 1839 he was elected a member of the state senate in Tennessee. He served as chair of the State Democratic Convention. After he moved to Texas in 1845, he served in the Mexican war as 1st lieutenant of Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers. He was promoted to colonel of Texas militia where he served from 1850 to 1856 while he also continued to practice law. He became a friend and an important personal and political confidant of Sam Houston. Colonel Yoakum was one of the founders, a teacher of law and the first librarian of Austin College. He grew wealthy, and owned over ten thousand acres in five east Texas counties. He was a contributor to various periodicals, and published the first comprehensive history of Texas titled "A History of Texas from its First Settlement under La Salle in 1685 to its Annexation to the United States in 1845" (New York, 1855). He and his wife Eveline Cannon Yoakum had nine children.
Politician, Colonel of Texas Militia, Professor, and Librarian of Austin College, Historian, and Civic Leader. After Henderson Yoakum graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1832, he was brevetted lieutenant, and served in the Black Hawk expedition the same year. He resigned in 1833 he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced law in Tennessee from 1835 till 1845. He served as mayor of Murfreesboro. In 1839 he was elected a member of the state senate in Tennessee. He served as chair of the State Democratic Convention. After he moved to Texas in 1845, he served in the Mexican war as 1st lieutenant of Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers. He was promoted to colonel of Texas militia where he served from 1850 to 1856 while he also continued to practice law. He became a friend and an important personal and political confidant of Sam Houston. Colonel Yoakum was one of the founders, a teacher of law and the first librarian of Austin College. He grew wealthy, and owned over ten thousand acres in five east Texas counties. He was a contributor to various periodicals, and published the first comprehensive history of Texas titled "A History of Texas from its First Settlement under La Salle in 1685 to its Annexation to the United States in 1845" (New York, 1855). He and his wife Eveline Cannon Yoakum had nine children.
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Advertisement
