Grayson, Peter W.

Born: 1788-XX-XX Bardstown, Kentucky

Died: 1838-07-09 Bean Station, Tennessee

Born into a prominent political family, Grayson served in the War of 1812. He began practicing law in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also served as a state legislator. Suffering from poor financial management and possible mental illness, he began the process of relocating to Texas in 1830 and had established himself near Matagorda in 1832. Grayson became one of Stephen F. Austin's closest advisors and interpreter, traveling to Mexico City in 1834 to negotiate Austin's release from prison. He was Austin's aide-de-camp during the Texas Revolution and assisted in drafting and negotiating the Treaty of Velasco. Grayson was one of the commissioners sent to Washington, DC, to try and promote annexation and later served as attorney general of the Texas Republic. Sam Houston endorsed Grayson for president of Texas in 1838 but Grayson committed suicide before the campaign got underway.

Gravestone, Eastern Cemetery, Louisville, KY; Leslie H. Southwick, "Grayson, Peter Wagener," Handbook of Texas Online, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fgr29, accessed 29 January 2020.