IRION, ANNA W. RAGUET (1819-1883). Anna W. Raguet Irion, who was courted by Sam Houston and married Robert A. Irion, the eldest of eight children of Marcia (Mercy) Ann (Towers) and Henry Raguet, was born in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on January 25, 1819.

Anna was reared and educated in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she resided until she was brought to Texas by her father in the spring of 1833. Upon her arrival in Nacogdoches, she became acquainted with Sam Houston. He evidently contemplated marrying her, for in 1833 he engaged the services of Jonas Harrison to secure a divorce for him from his first wife, Eliza Allen.

From the letters, Houston was clearly smitten with Anna. Anna, however, did not reciprocate his affections to the same degree . Because of the issues surrounding Houston's questionable marital status and the demands made on him by his country, Anna chose not to marry Houston. Instead, she married Dr. Robert Irion, a mutual friend of the Raguet and Houston families. Indeed, when Anna fell behind on her correspondence, Irion often gave Houston the latest news on her life.When Irion learned of the final rift between the two, he persuaded her to marry him. The date of their marriage differs in printed sources, one saying March 29, 1840; another, March 30, 1840; and a third, April 9, 1840.

Read more about Anna Raguet on The Handbook of Texas Online at http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/II/firfd.html