Texas was annexed by the United States in 1846 and war broke out again with Mexico, Lamar joined the U.S. Army. He fought in the battle of Monterrey and helped organize a municipal government in Laredo. In his later years, Lamar traveled, wrote poetry, and spoke out in support of slavery in the South.
Charg-it was the first official charge card in that it allowed users to withdraw funds directly from their bank account. Almost all cards by MasterCard, Visa, etc. today are credit cards, not charge cards.