Under his influence, the Texas Congress authorized the establishment of a planned city to serve as the seat of government.

[4] The opposition, led by former President Sam Houston, wanted the government to remain near the current population center, along the Gulf Coast.

"[5] Colonel Henry Jones, the military commander in Austin, convened a group of citizens to discuss Houston's order.

Public sentiment was that Austin was safe and that Houston's departure had created a lack of confidence in the city, which had resulted in devalued real estate.

[7] In September 1842, General Arián Woll led another Mexican expedition into Texas and temporarily captured San Antonio.

[7] In his introductory remarks, Houston demanded that Congress support the removal of the archives over the protests of the "seditious" citizens of Austin and asserted that "as to the propriety and necessity of the act no reasonable doubt could exist.

[9] On December 10, Houston privately tasked Colonel Thomas I. Smith and Captain Eli Chandler with moving the nation's archives to Washington-on-the-Brazos.

[7] Houston wrote, "The importance of removing the public archives and government stores from their present dangerous situation at the City of Austin to a place of security, is becoming daily more and more imperative.

"[10] The men were encouraged to raise a small troop on the premise of conducting an excursion against the native tribes and then to secure the archives quickly and to transport them.

The men were almost finished loading the wagons with papers when they were noticed by Angelina Eberly, the owner of a nearby boarding house.

[11] The group managed to travel 18 miles (29 km) before it stopped for the night at Kinney's Fort, along Brushy Creek.

The committee admonished President Houston for his actions in trying to move the capital from Austin without the approval of Congress.

[15] A Senate committee reported that they did not agree that Austin should be the capital, but without an immediate threat to the city, Houston had no legal reason to move the records.

[18] Former president Lamar received a letter in March 1843 that said the town of Austin was almost deserted; most businesses were closed, but the archives were still present.

[18] A bronze statue of Angelina Eberly was placed on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin in the summer of 2004.