▁ 1 8 4 2 , ▁H orton ▁would ▁again ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁officer ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁captain ▁against ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁R á f ael ▁V ás quez ▁on ▁March ▁ 7 . ▁ ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ship ▁and ▁later ▁life ▁After ▁Texas ▁became ▁a ▁U . S . ▁state ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁H orton ▁became ▁its ▁first ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor . ▁He ▁was ▁declared ▁the ▁first ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ▁of ▁Texas ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁ ▁Texas ▁governor ▁James ▁Pin ck ney ▁Hend erson ▁was ▁absent ▁from ▁his ▁duties ▁to ▁command ▁Texas ▁troops ▁during ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War . ▁H orton ▁served ▁as ▁acting ▁governor ▁from ▁May ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁to ▁November ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁After ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁lieutenant ▁governor ' s ▁office , ▁he ▁retired ▁to ▁private ▁life . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Convention ▁in ▁Char l eston , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁Sec ession ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁Before ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁he ▁owned ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 ▁slaves , ▁and ▁was ▁considered ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁rich est ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Texas , ▁but ▁after ▁the ▁Civil ▁war , ▁he ▁lost ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁fortune . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁original ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁trust ees ▁that