 The Cavalcade of America, presented by DuPont. The Raven Wind Texas, a story of Sam Houston. That is for radio from The Raven, the for-surprise winning biography by Marquis James. Starring Walter Houston, in the role of Sam Houston. Tonight, the DuPont Company, makers of better things for better living through chemistry, again has the privilege to present Walter Houston in an original Cavalcade of America drama, The Story of Sam Houston. In a brilliant career in the American theater, Walter Houston is noted for his performances in the Barker, Doddworth, and Nickerbocker holidays. He has been acclaimed for his roles in the motion picture version of Doddworth, as well as in Rhodes and The Lights at Space. This week, he returns to Broadway in a new play, Passenger to Bali. Tonight, he appears for the second time in this series of The Cavalcade of America, in the role of Sam Houston in The Raven Wind Texas. At the end of a summer day in the year 1832, in the White House of Washington, two men face each other, President Andrew Jackson and General Sam Houston. Sam? Maybe you spoke to me a long time ago about Texas. Yes, I do, Mr. President. You said you weren't ready to talk about it then. Well, I am now. I've been keeping my ear to the ground, hearing a lot about what's going on down in Texas now. And here it is. They were promised statehood in the Mexican Confederation eight years ago. And by the town of Sam, that promise ain't been kept? Of course it hasn't been kept. Didn't think it would be, did you? Here's what I'm thinking, Sam. Texas shouldn't belong to Mexico at all. Certainly it should. It should belong to the Union. It's gonna have a walloping fight to get it in. Well, who's afraid of a fight? No, more on a fight, Sam. Bigger things than that in Texas. Powerful big things. It's the whole Southwest. There's gotta be only one civilization down there. One, the American civilization. Amen to that, sir. Sam, you go on out there, Texas. You find Steve Austin, say everything's out there. He's a good man. Maybe too good to be dealing with that in Mexican rattlesnake Santa Anna. Watch out for his things. He's got them in use. That's a big job, General. Sure it is, Sam. But I tell you, Texas should be in the Union. Should be by the tunnel at Charles. That's what I promise you, General. By the at Charles. Mind if I walk you through your horse, Mr. Austin? Why, no, General Houston. I'm glad to have a few words with you if you'd like. What's on your mind? Mr. Austin, ever since I came to Texas, I've been telling you Santa Anna is a split-tongue reptile that you can't trust. I'm asking you for the last time. Don't go down to Mexico City to see him. It won't do any good. General Houston, I've got to go. You were at the convention. You know they sent me down there to ask Santa Anna to recognize the rights of Texas. I know. I fought the plan all through the convention and I still say it won't work. I tell you, you can't rely on Santa Anna. He's got every reason to be grateful to us. Texas helped make him President of Mexico. Listen, General, you've been paying too much attention to the hot-headed elements down here. I trust Santa Anna and I believe he'll give us our way in Texas. He can't trust him, sir. He's a tyrant and you'll find out you're just wasting your time. I'm the best judge of that, General. Goodbye, sir. Goodbye, Mr. Austin. Then you're President. Yes, El Monte. What is it now? It is this, then you're Stephen Austin. He still waits to see you. You must wait, El Monte, until I am ready to see him. Actually, it is now six months that he has been here waiting for an audience. May I remind you that... Enough, enough, El Monte. You can remind him and yourself, too, that I am the Napoleon on this continent. But then you're extra defundant and you're Stephen Austin ready to leave. Me? He just told me so, he said. Waited six months, he said. Six months, he too saw the time, El Monte. Senor Stephen Austin will stay with us a little longer. See, would it not be... I need no help from Senor Stephen Austin. I have discovered a letter here. A letter Senor Austin wrote to friends in Texas. It was too badly wrote. I shall make Senor Stephen Austin pay for that mistake I hear. I do not quite understand that Senor Stephen Austin was indiscreet enough to write that Texas might have to separate from Mexico. Separate from me. You're here and join the United States. He is a traitor to Mexico. Senor Stephen Austin will find his mistake to oppose me. El Monte, you go out there. You arrest Senor Stephen Austin. You give him a deep and a solitary cell. When you have done this, El Monte, you come back. Tell me about it. Yes, Victor. Well, sir, will the president see me now? I am sorry, Senor Austin. I have told you the president will not. But I have been trying to see him for six months. Surely. I have said, Senor Austin, you will not see. Senor Austin, you are under arrest. Arrest? What for? You have no right to arrest me. I represent Texas. And General Santa Anna represents Mexico. I trust him. Damn Houston was right. Tell your Santa Anna he can imprison Stephen Austin. But there are Americans in Texas who are making pay for it. You can't stifle the cry of liberty. No man ever has. No man ever will. Mr. Speaker, General Sam Houston. Mr. Speaker, gentlemen, we all know what we are up against. Santa Anna still holds Stephen Austin in a dungeon. And what have our people done? Driven a few Mexican garrisons out. And what's the result? These tortly slaps with Mexico have done more harm than good. Santa Anna will be back any day with an army for revenge. And gentlemen, Texas is not ready for him. We have no government. We have no army. We better organize both and be quick about it. Mr. Speaker, I move that Sam Houston to give him command of the army of Texas. Gentlemen, you have heard the motion. All in favor? The motion is carried. Mr. Speaker? General Houston, yes, what is it? There's a message from the boys at the Alamo. Santa Anna is attacked. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, just a minute. What's wrong, General? I've got a message here from Colonel Travis from David Clark at the Alamo. Ten days getting to it. It reads, I'm besieged by Mexican troops. Santa Anna demands our surrender. Otherwise, our troops will be put to the sword. I call upon you in the name of liberty, patriotism, and everything here to American. Contrary with dispatch. All this convention immediately adjourns. Arm and march to the aid of the Alamo. Gentlemen, gentlemen, please listen to me. This isn't the time to go off half-cocked. That's in our trouble. If you've got to save the Alamo, we've got to have an army to do it. Your place is here. Mine is to find an army. And God willing, we'll save the Alamo. General Houston, oh, firefly, oh. Oh, what is it, my dear? A couch up ahead, found a woman riding by herself, looking for you, sir. You're bringing her back here. Who do you suppose she is? I said her name is Mrs. Dickerson, General. Oh, here they come now, sir. Well, I want to, I want to, what's up? Give me order to hold. Yes, sir. I'm hold, I'm hold. General Houston, ma'am. I'm General Houston, ma'am. What's the trouble? General, I have a message for you. The Alamo is fallen. Fallen? We're too late. Colonel Travis, David Clark, they're all killed. Butchard, slaughtered by Santa Anna. Yes, General. We've set them off for 12 days. Only 180 men against 4,000. Then a dawn on the 13th day, the Mexican foot-scaling ladders against the walls. And that was the end. So only six of us left. We watched Santa Anna come into the Alamo and cross the square to where we were. He came prancing up on a pony and his men's ears and sang till I thought it never seems that many men he actually wanted to hear. The great Santa Anna. 13 days. Well, it's took him that long to ride inside these walls anyway. What do I do? What do I do for now? Keep up your nerve, Mr. Dickinson. Don't let him think you're scared. Remember, we showed him what we could do for 12 days. We're not going to quake the farm now. Make way! Make way for the President! At ease! At ease! At ease! At ease! At ease! At ease! At ease! Well, Almonte, the victory is mine. Yes, Mr. Presidente, but another one like it will ruin you. Silence, Almonte. Yes. These are his prisoners. These five men here are his seniors. The women there. Prisoners are annousings, Almonte. I do not wish to have them. You bloodthirsty beast! Haven't you brought to the enough of this? Oh, there is a flash of spirit for you, Almonte. I shall surely be must. Seniors, come here, Seniors. No! No, I won't! When Santa Ana orders to go, send the Seniors to very easily broke. Proceed, Almonte. No! Oh, no, don't! Almonte, what are you waiting for? Yes, Mr. Presidente. Wait! Wait! Wait! Please, Senora, but my words is very easy. Now you can do something for me. You know this General Sam Houston. No. You will find this Senor Sam Houston. You will take a message to him. Almonte, you have a horse made ready for the Senora. Thank you. Listen well, Senora. Give him my compliments. Tell him what you have seen. Tell him to remember the alum. That will be the fate of every man in Texas who opposes my authority. Now, find this horse quickly, Senora. Up! Go! Santa Ana sends a message. And here's our reply, Mrs. Dickinson. We'll remember the alum all, and Santa Ana will never forget it. Yes, sir. So the men will have to eat cold rations tonight. I want no campfires burning. Too easily spotted by Santa Ana's men, yes, sir. And they'll wipe us out anyway, if you ask me. I tell you, General Houston is no good. We haven't a chance. I'll throttle you if you keep up that talk. Very well, sir. But tell me how 900 men are gonna drive off 7,000. That's my problem, I just missed it. The Mexicans haven't trapped us yet, and I'll tell you they won't. Texas is a powerful big place to fight in, and there's lots of room for one big blow. What's going on there? Right here. What is it? What is that? What's the matter there? You'll pick up a rifle, Snake, rid of it in the camp, General. When you speak up, you'll spy. Santa Ana! When is the next day? No, no, no. We don't serve in Mexico around here. English, you know English. All right. Tell him just what you told me. Go on. Santa Ana! You go on this way. For division. We've seen all. Right behind you. Yes. Santa Ana, right back of us. Shall I hang him or shoot him? No, please. No, no. No, did you? No, there's no hurry. Major Smith. Well, you're right, Smith. It's no use. We can't fight 7,000. I thought so. Yes, we'd better get out of here. Make for the border of the United States before it's too late. I guess it's all over, boys. We're licked. All right, sir. Make sense to me. What's this spy doing in here? Take him out of this camp. Before I change my mind and have him stung up. Get out! Get out of here! Come on. Get out! We'll have to hurry before it's too late. Well, you're going, Major Smith. I'm going to get out your orders. All right, Major. Yes, General? Do you think I'm alone at this? Didn't you just say it was all over? Sure, I said it. Sure, we're going to retreat. When that spy tells Santa Ana he'll come chasing after us, then we'll give him a run. A run he'll never forget. Then, boys, we'll strike. We'll hit him when he least expects it. All right, go ahead, but you're making a mistake. I'm commanding this army. I give the orders. Sound of retreat. Captain Baker. What is this, Major? Now, follow me down the road. Yes, sir. Yes. Oh, there. Oh. Captain Martin. Yes, Major? Follow us. Sorry. Yes, sir. Oh, there. Major Hartling. Yes. Oh. You follow us off the road here, over in those cottonwoods. What's the matter? Oh, come on. You'll see. All right. Yes. Hurry up. Now, listen, men, we've got to take a stand. Houston's kept us retreating for 38 days. Santa Ana's still hot in our trail. Officers of this town, I vote we demand an explanation. He'll give us an explanation, all right? Sure, he will. But if it isn't satisfactory, he should be removed from command. Who'll succeed him? You, Major? Well, that's beside the point, but this isn't. We're licked, men. The army's deserted. Hundreds have gone across the border in states. About time we did, too. Raps getting their hides off the sinking ship, huh? You all heard what General Houston said about this retreat being part of a plan? Yeah, we heard him. We heard him say a lot of things. Victory is certain. Remember the Alamo. I say he ought to remember it. Instead of backing us up to the border and then swinging the feast over this way, he doesn't know what he's doing. Kind of a general, is he? All right, men. He's had his way long enough. We can get along without him. Now, we all agreed to take a stand that way. Wait a minute. Somebody's riding through the woods. Who is it? He's alone, whoever he is. Houston. How did he find out we were meeting? Never mind. Too late now. Oh, boy. Well, I thought I missed you, boys. Letting the army get away ahead of you, aren't you? General Houston, I... Yes, what's the matter? Oh, come on, out with it. Go ahead, Major Smith. Well, how much longer are we going to retreat? We have a right to know. It's over the men, the ones who haven't deserted you. Yes. Is that the way you all feel? Bigger? Martin? Ockley. No, sir, I don't. Thanks, Ockley. The trouble with you men is you don't know what's going on. Instead of going off in the woods here, you should have stayed with me and learned a few things. The sculpture they put up at Santa Ana has gone into camp just beyond the San Jacinto there. Only one of his four divisions with him. What are you going to do, General Houston? You see, it's almost three o'clock. Now, they'll still be taking their siesta. Ockley. Is my imagination playing tricks with me again? Playing tricks? That eagle. See it up there? Yes, sir. But, say, there was an eagle above my head, and I came into Texas. Now, this one at San Jacinto, an eagle again, sailing toward Santa Ana's camp. All right, boys, but it seats over. Now, we attack. Here, here they are. Here are the orders. We'll assemble in these woods. When I raise the sword, we'll advance to catch them, and catch them asleep. Don't fire until I give the order. Remember now, no firing until I give the signal. All right, man, try it. You've got to catch them sleeping during siesta. No sign of life in the camp, yes, sir. They've seen us, sir. Hold your fire, man. Hold your fire, Ockley. Yes, General. You're almost the Mexican best. I know. It's about 20 yards, sir. Everything ready? Yes, sir. And you see our artillery? They're looking this way. They're waiting for the signal, sir. All right. Wave your hat. Now, get a grip. Remember the animal, boys. Sit down and lean against this tree, sir. All right, Ockley. All right. Try not to move that leg anymore when you have to, sir. Don't be afraid. Be shattered and bold. Never mind it, Ockley. Have they found Santa Ana? Where is he, Ockley? Well, the men have been searching all night, sir. I guess we missed him. Missed him? And we've failed, Ockley. Santa Ana will be back with these three divisions and wipe us out. We've got to find him. Well, we can't even tell who is an officer. Who isn't the way these Mexicans are ripped off their epilogue? What's going on back there? Major Ockley. Major Ockley, they've caught Santa Ana. Caught him? Where is he? They're bringing him in now. That one there. Well, they can't be Santa Ana. Roberson got him, but he didn't realize we had caught him. The other prisoners began starting our presence this way. What are you asking, Ockley? Wait till I race you up, General Houston. You'll have to. He's wearing a blue smart and red carpet slippery. This is the great Santa Ana. I guess we interrupted. He's the ester. That's it. Well, great work, boys. Go ahead now. Fine, here he is. I am General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, President of Mexico, Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Upper East. Indeed. Take a seat, General. Sit down. Sit on that box there. I place myself at the disposal of the brave General Houston. You don't have much chance, choice, do you? The man who has conquered the Napoleon of the West may consider himself born to no common descent. It now remains for him to be generous to the bank. Yes, you should have thought of that at the Alamo. I propose that General Houston. You propose? What? I propose an armistice. Armistice? Well, I'll do all the proposing, understand? As you wish. You'll write an order instructing your troops to lead Texas soil forever. Could I? Could I have? I'll send you one, a piece of opium. Opium? So? I... I would be very grateful. Now I see you in your two colors. The Napoleon of the West. It is not a great thing, I ask. No? No lie. Merely that your armies leave Texas. You'll write the order of evacuations. Yes, General. Yes, I will do so. Take him away, boys. No, General. Come on, now. Oddly, yes, General. Uh, get me a paper and a quill. I'm going to write to Andrew Jackson yet. We've won our freedom. Now all that remains is for us to join Texas with the Union. When that day comes, and someday it will, I'll tell all Hickley myself. By the eternal. General Houston. I'm sorry, Hannah. We got here too late. I'm sorry too, Jimmy. He asked about this very last. This is my son, Hannah. How do you do, Hannah? How do you do me, sir? Left as soon as we heard. Could we see him? Yes, sir. You can. Just wait for him. You come too, sir. My son. Yes, Father? My son. Always remember you've looked on the face of Andrew Jackson. He was a great man, wasn't he, Father? No man alive. No one will ever be his equal. Father, he sent you to talk to us, didn't he? A long time ago. Now he's gone without knowing that Texas belongs to the Union. No, General. He knew. Word came this morning. Did he? Say anything? He smiled all over his face. Then he looked up and said, Texas, you mean? My old friend went through to his stuff. He said he smiled. Come along, son. We're going home. The raven sleight is ended. But the heritage he left us lies in the greatness of the lone star state. And tonight, Sam Houston, the foremost Texan of his time, and all time, takes an honored place in the cavalcade of America. Thank you, Walter Houston. We are happy to have you as our guest on the cavalcade of America. And now, before we hear from Dr. Monahan about next week's program, we have a story from the Wonderworld of Chemistry. Picture a room with rows of green apples hanged from hooks on the wall. One green apple hangs from each hook. Sounds foolish, doesn't it? But it isn't. It's just a part of the careful research to find a better and safer way of controlling the cuddling moth and preventing wormy apples. Cuddling moth worms love apples. They cause heavy damage to apple crops and make you pay more for the fruits. Materials now used to protect apples from these pests must be washed off at harvest time in order to protect your health. You can see what a fine thing it would be to have a safe protection that wouldn't need to be washed off. Some years ago, ufant scientists began a search for a material that would defeat the insects and not harm humans. So they built a dining room for the cuddling moth worms with tempting green apples hanging on hooks. They provided comfortable little cages for cuddling moths to live in and lay their eggs. Month after month, they treated green apples with various chemicals and watched the moth worms. It was a long search, but those ufant men kept plugging at it and they found a promising chemical with a long name, phenothiazine. Anyway, the name isn't half as important as the fact that it does protect apples against the cuddling moth when sprayed properly on the fruit. It also protects grapes against the grapeberry moth and a disease called the black rock that stops Japanese beetles from feeding on plants and fruits and is proving effective against other insects too. There's another queer angle to this story. Zoologists of the United States Department of Agriculture have tried out the same chemical as a remedy for certain internal parasites as sheep. They found it to be the most effective known remedy for this purpose. A single dose does the trick. It didn't take long for the news of this experimental work to travel to the great sheep-raising countries of Canada and Australia. Scientists there have had equally good results and now similar trials are being made with cattle, hogs and other animals. So you see, the benefits of chemical research travel far and wide. Whether you grow apples or raise sheep or merely buy a lamb chop and enjoy apple pie. Chemistry has been working to protect your pocketbook and there you have the essence of the DuPont's pledge, better things for better living through chemistry. And now the cavalcade of America's historians, Dr. Frank Monaghan of Yale University. Sam Houston, the founder of the Republic of Texas, was a great man molding a great event and so his name is written large in American history but it is true that frequently a great event can be approached and understood through the hopes and actions of the little people whom history does not headline. The cavalcade program for next week entitled On Jordan's Bank is the story of an unknown news named Sam Davis. Sam Davis was a Confederate spy, a spy who was taught but Davis during his brief career seemed to me to represent the highest devotion to a cause, the most complete loyalty to an ideal and these are qualities that have given strength to the fabric of American character and greatness. Next week when the cavalcade of America presents On Jordan's Bank, our star will be Elliot Reed. Radio listeners everywhere will recognize Elliot Reed and remember his outstanding performances on many radio programs. On Broadway, he's been a talented and versatile member of the Mercury Theater, appearing in Julius Caesar and The Shoemaker's Holiday. Next week, he will be starred in the cavalcade of America's drama On Jordan's Bank in the role of Private Sam Davis. On tonight's program, the orchestra and musical effects run the direction of Don Vorey with his battle rise dales saying good night and best wishes from Dupont. This is the National Broadcasting Company.