My Master: The Inside Story of Sam Houston and His Times by His Former Slave Jeff Hamilton [Paperback]

Lenoir Hunt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1992

Jeff Hamilton, only thirteen when purchased in 1853 by Sam Houston at a slave auction in Huntsville, Texas, was Houston's personal body servant during the period Houston was U.S. Senator, during both governorships, and was with him at his death. Originally published in 1940 shortly before Hamilton died at age 100, these memoirs contain Hamilton's fascinating and intimate viewpoints of the important issues during the last years of Houston's life, "It is something new, this opportunity of seeing a public character through the eyes of his former slave," wrote Franklin Williams, grandson of Sam Houston. Aware of Hamilton's narrative abilities and of the historical importance of his first-hand accounts of one of our nation's most prominent figures, the 1936 Centennial Association of Texas commissioned Lenoir Hunt, author of Bluebonnets and Blood to interview Hamilton to "save for posterity his rare recollections . . . one of the very few men now living who passed through the hates and passions of the 1850s and 1860s and who may give us an eyewitness picture of life and conditions in that eventful era." And what a picture! Hamilton saw "most of the meanness as well as the good things that were going on about me. . . . there are not many boys who have the distinction of being whipped by one of the great men of history." In artless simplicity he stuns us with his view of slavery--it wasn't the work, it was "the feeling . . . you had that you couldn't do what you wanted to. . . ." Containing revealing and intimate anecdotes nowhere else published, My Master is a valuable contribution to American folklore and history. In Hamilton, Lenoir Hunt had found "a guileless old soul who could give me from an entirely new angle a simple account of the stirring times in which he lived . . . an aged Boswell anxious to tell the inside story of the colorful empire-maker who had liberated a people and who directly and indirectly had added over a million square miles to the area of the United States."

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" Reveals much of Houston's character, and as such belongs on the shelf of everyone interested in Texas history." -- San Benito News --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 147 pages
• Publisher: State House Pr (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938349864
• ISBN-13: 978-0938349860
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,144,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book of Texas History, November 6, 2008

By 

Laura Samuel (Lake Jackson, tx United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Master: The Inside Story of Sam Houston and His Times (Hardcover)

I stumbled upon this book at the estate sale of an author of historical fiction. This beats any fiction story! The book covers the life of Jeff Hamilton from his early childhood as a slave through his time as a well-respected member of the community when he was 100 years old. Reading "My Master" is like sitting with Mr. Hamilton and hearing it in his own voice. He meant the book to be a tribute to Sam Houston, but there are two heroes in the story: Sam Houston and Jeff Hamilton.

Houston literally "invested" in Hamilton when he bought him as an act of compassion, but the general went on to invest himself in the mental/spiritual/character development of the youngster. His influence fell on fertile ground, and Jeff matured into a responsible adult who relied on the lessons he learned from Houston for the rest of his life.

Both Houston and Hamilton are great American success stories, but the real beauty of this book is the description of the bond that developed between these two men, based on trust, respect and affection.

Jeff relates episodes of Texas history that that are missing from the textbooks, with vivid descriptions of details only an eye-witness could have known. He tells of poignant family moments, heated arguments in closed-door meetings before the secession of Texas, Houston's special friendship with the Indians, and much more.

Jeff Hamilton and Sam Houston met at a time when slavery permeated all of their environment and culture, and Jeff lived to see it abolished. His unique point of view on history is priceless.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing alternative viewpoint from an actual slave!, April 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Master: The Inside Story of Sam Houston and His Times (Hardcover)

I am certainly not an advocate of slavery in any form. Yet how profoundly refreshing it is to unearth the point of view of an actual slave that shows that the "politically correct" viewpoint made popular with "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is not necessarily factual. Mr.Hamilton illustrates quite wonderfully that slaves were not always abused and mistreated as is popularly believed. What an eye opener this book truly is! Everyone should read this book. I feel that today's racial tensions would be somewhat mellowed if the attitudes shown by Mr. Hamiliton were more of the norm. This ex-slave has something to teach us all!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, easy to read, a great little book about Texas!, April 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Master: The Inside Story of Sam Houston and His Times (Hardcover)

Wow! Think how rare it is to read a book from a slave's point of view (about a famous Texan, that was known world wide, even before his death)!

Don't get me wrong, slavery is terrible, but the point of view is like from another world. It is worth mentioning, the spirit of forgiveness and even loving kindness felt by the former slave, for his master. And how lovingly the ex-slave tells of how he looked up to the great man from Texas! This is a very rare bit of reading material!