The Cypress and Other Writings of a German Pioneer in Texas 9780292761759

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THE CYPRESS and Other Writings of a German Pioneer in Texas

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NUMBER NINE

The Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation Series

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Hermann Seele

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THE CYPRESS and Other Writings of a German Pioneer in Texas By Hermann Seele Translated by Edward C. Breitenkamp

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS, AUSTIN

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Originally published as Die Cypresse und Gesammelte Neu Braunfelser Zeitung, 1936

Schriften by the

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Seele, Hermann. The cypress and other writings of a German pioneer in Texas. (The Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation series; no. 9) Translation of Die Cypresse und Gesammelte Schriften. Includes index. 1. Seele, Hermann. 2. German Americans—Texas—Biography—Collected works. 3. Historians—Texas—Biography—Collected works. 4. German Americans—Texas—Genealogy—Collected works. 5. German Americans— Texas—History—Collected works. 6. German Americans—Texas—History— Fiction. 1. Title. II. Series. F395.G3S4213 976.4'004'31 79-11769 ISBN 0-292-79014-7 Copyright All rights Printed in Design by

© 1979 by the University of Texas Press reserved the United States of America Joanna Hill

Requests for permission to reproduce material in this work should be sent to: Permissions, University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, Texas 78712. The illustrations in "The Cypress," drawn by Hermann Seele himself, were kindly provided by Ruth Seele Aniol.

ISBN 978-0-292-76175-9 (library e-book) ISBN 978-0-292-76176-6 (individual e-book)

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CONTENTS

Preface

ix

Introduction

xi

1. The German Immigration into Texas 2. A History of the German Settlements in Comal County

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3 39

3. My First Christmas Eve in Texas A Sentimental Recollection of the Past

45

4. Galveston County in 1844 Pages from the Diary of a German Texan

49

5. On the Brazos in April 1844 From the Recollections of an Old German Texan

57

6. The German Colony of New Braunfels in May 1845

65

7. My First Day of Teaching in New Braunfels A Recollection of the Time of the First German Settlement in West Texas

77

8. Shadows: Dark Days of Death and Sorrow in 1846 Scenes Remembered from the Time of the German Settlement of West Texas

85

9. A Christmas Day in West Texas in 1849 From the Memoirs of a German Texan

93

10. How the First Singing Festival Came to Be

107

11. How the Singing Society Traveled to Sisterdale

109

12. A Wedding A Happy Scene from the Time of the German Settlements in Texas

121

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13. A Murder A Tragic Event from the Time of the German Settlement in Texas

127

14. Travels in Texas From the Memoirs of a German Texan

143

15. The Cypress A Legend from the Time of the First German Settlement in West Texas

161

Index

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PREFACE

In 1936 the printshop of the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung (New Braunfels Times) published a slender volume of German writings by Friedrich Hermann Seele under the title of Die Cypresse und Gesammelte Schriften (The cypress and collected writings). This is the English translation of that work. The book contained a short romantic tale of the same name, i.e., "The Cypress"; a history of the German settlements in Texas to 1889; and a series of autobiographical sketches that traced Seele's life from the Christmas of 1843 to his travels in Central Texas in 1860, on the eve of the Civil War. To the general reader, we especially recommend these autobiographical writings. They are invaluable for the vivid, detailed picture of life in Texas during the two decades that preceded the Civil War. Scholars may find that certain parts have a familiar ring. Among others, R. L. Biesele (The History of the German Settlements in Texas, 1831-1861) and Oscar Haas (History of New Braunfels and Comal County, 1844-1946), two authorities on German-Texan history, have introduced excerpts from the Seele writings into their works. In making the transition from German to English, I have sought to do as little violence to Seele's language as possible. And, no attempt has been made to correct factual inaccuracies; e.g., the list of Germans living in Houston obviously refers to a time later than "the close of the first period in 1836." The order of the chapters has been changed by moving the fictional part, "The Cypress," to the end and putting the autobiographical material into chronological order. An index identifies, where possible, the many persons whose names are mentioned in the text. Other entries serve in lieu of notes. For their help, my sincerest thanks go to Mr. Louis A. Hartung, Dr. Jack A. Dabbs, and Mrs. Ruth Seele Aniol (a direct descendant of Hermann Seele). I should like to remember here Frederic Oheim, a distinguished citizen of New Braunfels, who set the type and printed Die Cypresse in 1936. His death occurred in the autumn of 1978. Finally, I should

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X

Preface

like to figuratively tip my hat to another fine gentleman and revered Texan, Oscar Haas, the New Braunfels historian. Edward C. Breitenkamp

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INTRODUCTION

When Hermann Seele disembarked at Galveston on December 12, 1843, he found himself in the Republic of Texas. He had been born Friedrich Hermann Seele on April 14, 1823, in the German city of Hildesheim in the Kingdom of Hannover, at that time a domain of the king of England, and was the son of Jonas and Anna Seele (nee Runge). He was educated at the Andrenaeum Academy in Hildesheim and acquired a level of training roughly equivalent to that required of the American bachelor of arts. He knew Latin well (important for his future career as an attorney), and his mastery of English was such that upon his arrival in Galveston he served as an interpreter for his fellow immigrants. His writing gives evidence of a considerable knowledge of biology and geology. In "My First Christmas Eve in Texas," Seele tells of his first impressions of Texas. During the early months of 1844, he worked as a farmhand for Carl Rossi and then set out on foot for Brazoria in search of work. The story of this trip is narrated in "Galveston County in 1844" and "On the Brazos in April 1844." Unable to find employment, Seele returned to Galveston, where he was recruited by the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. In May 1845 he made the trip with a wagon train to the new colony of New Braunfels, where he was to live out the remainder of his life. He describes his arrival in "The German Colony of New Braunfels in May 1845." New Braunfels was, at that time, on the edge of Indian country, and Seele always speaks of its being in "West Texas." Another peculiarity is Seele's reference to the Cibolo, Sabina, and Guadalupe "mountain chains." These refer to the chasms cut by the Cibolo and Sabina creeks and the Guadalupe River into the Balcones Escarpment. Clearly not meant are the Guadalupe Mountains along the New Mexico border. Seele soon established himself in the colony, and he and a friend, Heinrich Herbst, built a lodging on their town lot. At that time Pastor Louis C. Ervendberg, the spiritual leader of the colony, chose Seele

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Introduction

to teach the colony's first school ("My First Day of Teaching in New Braunfels"). The New Braunfels community today still honors Seele as its first educator. In New Braunfels' emerging civil government, Seele became a civil servant and served as district clerk of Comal County from March 1846 until 1854. On April 27, 1855, he was admitted to the bar. His outstanding achievement as an attorney was the successful defense of the New Braunfels citizenry in a law suit brought by the Veramendi heirs to dispossess the citizens of their land. On the eve of the Civil War, Seele was active on behalf of the Democratic party but was not a secessionist. When Texas seceded, however, he gave it his complete loyalty. From 1861 to 1865, he served as adjutant and inspector general of the Thirty-first Brigade, Texas Militia, with the rank of major. Concurrently, he served as New Braunfels' Civil War mayor (June 1861-March 1866). From 1863 to 1865, he also served in the Tenth Texas Legislature. During the Civil War years, he married Mathilde Blum (on January 25, 1862). To their union were born three sons: Harry, Fritz, and one son who died in infancy; and two daughters: Emily (Mrs. John Faust) and Hulda (Mrs. George Eiband). While serving as mayor, he turned his attention again to education. Until 1879 he served as a member of the board and of the faculty of the New Braunfels Academy. In 1871 Seele organized the first Teachers Conference and, when in 1872 the Texas State Board of Education mandated the creation of teachers institutes, Seele's school served as a model. It is attributed to Seele's influence that Jacob Waelder, a member of the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1876, was able to include a section creating independent school districts empowered to finance public schools through taxation. In the fall of 1876, Seele had again to turn his full attention to the Veramendi land case that had been dragging on since 1852. When, in 1879, the U.S. Circuit Court finally ruled in favor of the New Braunfels citizens, Seele was the only surviving party to the original suit. On October 1, 1889, he became the postmaster of New Braunfels and served until February 28, 1895. He died in New Braunfels on March 18, 1902, at the age of seventy-eight years, eleven months. Hermann Seele's outstanding contribution to the city of New Braunfels, Comal County, and the state of Texas was widely recognized during his lifetime. After his death he continued to be honored as the

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Introduction

xiii

"first German schoolteacher west of the Colorado River (of Texas)." His monument stands at the site of his first class of August 11, 1845; he was included in the 1954 painting commissioned by the Texas Heritage Foundation to honor eighty-four "Heroes and Heroines of Texas Education"; and the Sixty-fifth Legislature of the State of Texas designated April 14, 1977, as "Hermann Seele Day in Texas." Thus far in this condensed biography, we have failed to mention that as a leader in the religious, social, and cultural life of New Braunfels, Hermann Seele was (1) active in the organization of the First Protestant Church in 1845 and served from that date until his death as a lay preacher and secretary (in which latter post he was succeeded by his son, Harry, who served until 1924—a total span of seventy-nine years); (2) a leader in the Germania Singing Society and the Singing Festivals (Saengerfeste) throughout the state; and (3) a journalist. In 1851 Ferdinand Lindheimer, the great Texas botanist, founded and edited the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung (New Braunfels News); Seele participated in the founding, contributed to its columns, and for a time had editorial control. Seele was a facile writer, both of prose and verse. He was regularly called upon for a few appropriate stanzas to grace birthdays, weddings, and other social and civic events. A collection of his poems is presently in the possession of Hermann Seele, a grandson, of San Antonio. In Die Cypresse (The cypress), Seele makes an excursion into fiction. Students of literature will immediately recognize it as a work of romanticism with its vivid nature description, religious tone, the noble savage of Rousseau and Chateaubriand, a certain exoticism (the Indians are Aztecs, not Texas Indians), and a melancholy that does not come through too well. The name of the hero, Arthur Bonpland, suggests Aime Bonpland, the companion of Alexander von Humboldt. Von Humboldt had captured the imagination of the civilized world with scientific discoveries made during a trip of exploration to Latin America (1799-1804). Aside from the name, however, this character seems to have been modeled after Ferdinand Lindheimer. Themes for the plot have been drawn from the Arabian Nights (Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves) and Die Insel Felsenburg or Robinson Crusoe. At the end Seele introduces himself and his friend, Heinrich Herbst, as those who discover and rescue the hero. Prince Carl and his entourage of the spring of 1845 appear under their own names.

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THE CYPRESS and Other Writings of a German Pioneer in Texas

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1. THE GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO TEXAS

The territory of the state of Texas, to whose population and development the German immigration has made such an essential contribution, is very large. Rising gently from the low flat coast of the Gulf of Mexico up to the High Plains, which are twenty-five hundred feet above sea level and are crossed by mountain ranges (extensions of the Rocky Mountains) it lies between 94° and 106° 30' west longitude and 26° and 36° northern latitude. It measures 800 miles from east to west and 750 miles from south to north. Its area covers 252,514 square miles (62,000 more square miles than Germany), thus about 162 million acres. From its natural formation and the geology of the surface, three regions can be distinguished which differ from one another in climate and their effect on human health. The first region, the coastal plain, is comprised of the lengthy, curving seacoast extending from the Sabine to the Rio Grande and reaches between sixty and a hundred miles into the interior. It is sparsely forested, covered by prairies, but has in the river bottoms the richest diluvial soil. The high humidity as well as the low altitude, the lack of fresh water, and the high temperature have a deleterious effect on the health. The second region, a rolling, hilly area, rises three hundred to seven hundred feet above sea level and makes up the largest and loveliest part of the state. Prairies and forests, hills and valleys, are agreeably

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into Texas

interspersed. Swiftly flowing streams with clear springs and creeks, pure air whose temperature is pleasantly moderated even in the hot summer by sea breezes that regularly rise during the day, and the fruitful soil make it the most suitable for settlers from northern areas. The third, the mountainous region, directly adjoins the second region. Its high plains spread out to the northwest as far as the New Mexico border and the Indian Territory and are occasionally broken by mountain ranges, principally on the upper arms of the Pecos, the Brazos, and the Red River. The climate is healthy; the land—won only recently for civilization by the protection from Indians provided by the United States Army and by the building of the railroad—is well suited for cattle raising, farming, and fruit culture. The chief products of the state are corn, cotton, sugar, tobacco, cattle, and horses. The natural conditions in the country, in combination with the political situation, were the main factors influencing the settlement by immigration. They also determined the selection of the settlements by the German immigrants and had a decisive effect on the success or failure of the latter. This large country, so richly endowed by nature, remained for centuries in the unrestricted possession of the numerous Indian tribes, even though, since the conquest of Mexico, it was nominally under the rule of the German emperor, Charles V, and after him, of the kings of Spain. Not until 1685, when the French government sought to establish its claim to this possession and through Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, to exercise its right to the same by founding a colony, did the viceroy of Mexico send troops and colonists under Alonso de Leon to drive out the French and found a colony. The first attempts of both nations came to naught. From that time on, however, the Spaniards attempted to win over the Indians to Christianity by establishing fortified missions and to make use of a small part of the vast land through forced colonization. These projects were initiated in Mexico and were limited to a small number of locations on the lower and middle courses of a few rivers. Toward the end of the previous century, they had increasingly fallen into a state of neglect. But, after Mexico had won its independence from Spain in the early decades of this century and many battles, including some in Texas,

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The German Immigration into Texas

5

had been fought, Texas was opened up to a new wave of immigration. From the United States of North America and from Europe, a number of men entered the area and settled in the fertile river valleys. From 1823 onward their numbers increased from year to year. Unable to match their vitality and courage, the semicivilized as well as the uncivilized population had to yield and retreat after a short struggle. Under the free government that was created with great effort and difficulty and preserved in bloody battle and under the better, more stable conditions, this steadily growing population (from two thousand to two million) succeeded in laying the firm foundation for the prosperity and progress of our state. Even the War of Secession and its aftermath, the abolition of Negro slavery, have been unable to slow the progress that is leading Texas steadily and rapidly to a greatness and glory that exceeds our boldest imagination. What part the Texas Germans have had in this and how much they have contributed is evident from the history of their immigration. In order to obtain a somewhat orderly treatment, we shall arrange our history of the German immigration into Texas in line with the main periods of the general history of Texas and divide it into three sections, although the events of the different periods follow in unbroken succession and overlap. First Period: The German immigration into Texas during the time of Spanish and Mexican rule; i.e., from the discovery of the country by La Salle in 1685 to its independence in 1836. Second Period: The German immigration into Texas during the time of the Republic of Texas; i.e., from independence in 1836 to its union with the United States in 1845. Third Period: The German immigration into the state of Texas from the time of its admission to the Union in 1845 to the present.

First Period: Immigration

of

Individuals

During the period of the settlement of Texas while it was under Spanish and Mexican rule, only individual Germans came to live in Texas; and this occurred, moreover, at the beginning of this century. Their names, like those of others, would have been forgotten and lost, had they not had a significant influence on the political development and

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the settlement of the country through immigration from the United States. For these immigrants the personality of the Baron von Bastrop and his connections with the officials of that time had a decisive and momentous significance. Don Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, as he is called in the Spanish documents, had immigrated into Mexico from Louisiana at the beginning of this century. He was very familiar with conditions in the country, its nature and institutions, and was respected and popular with the higher officials of the royal Spanish government. Just as earlier in Louisiana, he had already in 1807 obtained large land grants in Texas from them. One of the grants contained four leguas (leagues) situated on the Guadalupe, and it included the Comal Springs. This was to result in a protracted court battle between his assigns and the citizens of the city of New Braunfels. It was finally decided in favor of the latter. In New Orleans Bastrop had become well acquainted with Moses Austin, and they may well have exchanged their like views on Texas and the colonization of this province and have become friends. When Austin came to San Antonio in December 1820 to present his plans for establishing a colony in Texas to the governor, Antonio Martinez, Bastrop met him on the plaza as he was dejectedly leaving the residence of the governor. Austin was on the point of giving up his plan in desperation and leaving Texas again. The governor had refused to hear him and had dismissed him brusquely, ordering him to leave the city immediately and the province as quickly as possible because Austin had violated the Spanish law that prohibits every foreigner's presence on Spanish territory without a special pass. Bastrop, a man of refinement, spoke to him in the most friendly way and took his friend, who was exhausted from the difficult journey, to his quarters, where he learned the cause of Austin's dejection as well as the purpose of his trip. The next morning Bastrop went to the governor, with whom he stood in high favor, and told him that Austin was his friend, was sick and could not depart; and he produced written proof that Austin had already been naturalized as a Spanish subject in Louisiana in 1799. At this warm intercession, Martinez revoked the order of expulsion, granted Austin an audience, and accepted his petition. In a few days, the combined efforts of Austin and Bastrop moved the governor to most warmly recommend Austin's petition that asked permission to settle three hundred families in Texas. This was for-

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The German Immigration into Texas

7

warded to the commandant, Don Joaquin Arredondo, in Monterrey. Austin, however, was unable to wait for the decision. He, therefore, granted Bastrop his full power of attorney and left San Antonio de Bexar in January 1821 for Louisiana. Bastrop carried out his friend's commission so well that already on January 17, 1821, Austin received permission to bring in three hundred colonists. Bastrop immediately sent him news of the favorable development. However, before the plan could be carried out, Moses Austin died on June 10, 1821. The project was taken up by his son, Stephen Fuller Austin, who, with Joseph Polley and Henry Holstein, came to San Antonio in August 1821. And, in the autumn of the same year, the first colonists settled on the Brazos. Austin's grant was confirmed by Emperor Iturbide on the eighteenth of February 1823 and, after his being deposed, by the Executive Council of the Republic of Mexico on April 14, 1823. When the colonists arrived, Don Luciano Garcia, the republican governor, named on July 17, 1823, Baron von Bastrop to be commissioner and authorized him, together with Stephen F. Austin, to act in the name of the Republic (of Mexico) and to take the necessary steps to place the settlers in possession of their lands. Both began the distribution of land, and Bastrop issued the deeds. The above mentioned concession of four leguas (leagues) was confirmed by Saucedo on June 8, 1824, and Bastrop was formally placed in possession of the land. He likewise had contact with Haden Edwards and his brother, Benjamin W. Edwards, who obtained a grant under the laws of the state of Coahuila and Texas when Bastrop was a member of the state congress in Saltillo in 1826. In 1830 he laid out the city of Bastrop in the municipality of Mina on a stretch of land that had been granted to him on the Colorado River by the Mexican government for the purpose of colonization. Bastrop is said to have died and been buried in Saltillo. Comparable to Bastrop in West Texas, Heinrich Rueg occupied an outstanding position in East Texas. Swiss by birth, he came to the United States in 1818 and led a number of German families to the Red River with the intention of founding a colony there. When this failed to thrive, he left and came to Texas in 1821. Here he carried on a trade in mules for a while and opened a small store in Nacogdoches. A close friendship developed between him and the commandant there, Colonel Don Jose de las Piedras, so that through the latter's interces-

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sion he was named political head of the newly created departamento. He thus became its first and last head. When Santa Anna in 1835 sought by force to subject the Texans to his dictatorship, Rueg favored and supported the war party that wanted to offer armed resistance. He also published in his department a circular in which he openly declared his support of the free, federal form for the Mexican government. For this, General Cos accused him of inciting rebellion against the legally existing government. Nothing further could be learned about the part Rueg played in the struggle for liberation or about his further fate. From the beginning, the policies of the national government of Mexico with respect to immigration from foreign lands were more liberal than those of the former Spanish government. It granted large tracts of land under favorable conditions for settlement not only to colonists brought in under special contract by empresarios like Austin and others but to every immigrant without distinction of nationality. In 1824 the legislative assemblies of the separate federal states were empowered to make laws governing colonization in their respective territories. That of the state of Coahuila and Texas enacted such a statute on March 24, 1825. By virtue of this law, every family that carried on farming received a labor (farm), i.e., one million square varas of land; and if they also raised cattle, the amount was increased to a sitio (ranch), twenty-five million square varas. Unmarried men received a fourth of the above amount. When they married, however, they received the same amount as the married men. But, if they married a native-born Mexican woman, they received a fourth more than the heads of families. (A vara equals 2.8 feet.) Within six years after taking possession, the settlers had to pay the state thirty dollars for each sitio of grazing land, two and a half dollars for a labor that could not be irrigated, and three and a half dollars for one that was so situated that it could be irrigated. In 1832 the law was changed, but each settler was still granted a large tract of land under equally favorable conditions. News of these laws, as well as of the nature of the land, spread first in the United States. Immigration from there increased with each year. Included were Germans, unmarried or with their families, who came to the new land which offered so many natural advantages for settlement and broad opportunities for advancement.

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The German Immigration into Texas

9

Concerning the Germans who immigrated during the time preceding the struggle for independence, we can supply only a brief and meager account. They settled in the small, scattered localities of the time (called towns) or near already existing farm settlements. This was necessary for greater safety from Indian attack. Nevertheless, it required a high degree of courage and perseverance to make a home for oneself and family in this wild land and to hold on to it during the disorders of war. At the close of the first period in 1836, the following Germans (along with others whose names are not known to us) were living in Texas. This list makes no claim to completeness. In Galveston: Dr. Baeumlein, who helped found the city and was a personal and political friend of Don Jose Antonio Navarro and of a number of outstanding Anglo-Texans. In Nacogdoches: H. Rueg, J. von der Hoya from Waldeck, Mrs. Heder from Oldenburg, and F. W. von Wrede from Hesse. In San Antonio: Gustav Elly. In Houston: H. F. Fisher, Dankwerth, H. Kessler, Ferdinand Lindheimer, Gustav Erichson, Schweichardt, and Schrimpf. Settled since 1833 on farms in the hill country between the Brazos and the Colorado: Joseph Biegel, B. Scherrer, J. D. Meyer, and Joseph Ehlinger. Since 1835 F. W. Grasmeyer (who had landed in Matagorda) has operated a ferry on the Colorado River below Bastrop. Since 1835 there have lived nearby: L. R. W. G. Ph. von Roeder with his family from the Paderborn area, Robert and Ludwig Kleberg from the same place, and W. Frels, Renke Stoeltje, and Georg Herder from Oldenburg. Since 1836 J. P. Pieper from the Rhine area, and Zimmerscheidt. In this year Fordtran and Ernst founded Industry. These were the pioneers who with other Germans that immigrated later and are mentioned in the following sections laid the firm foundation for the flourishing settlements of this area and introduced and preserved there the German language and German customs. Second Period: Mass

Immigration

In the history of German immigration, the first half of this second period shows similarities to the last six years of the preceding period.

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It differed in that the number of immigrants increased when the reconquest of the country by Mexico became less and less probable because of the increase in the general population, and the continuance of the republican form of government on an orderly and firm foundation became more assured and more firmly established. The recognition of the new free state by the maritime powers, the commercial treaties concluded with them, and the resulting commercial relations spread knowledge of the country in Europe. In addition, there were the letters sent to Germany by those already settled here, and two books were published there about Texas: Ehrenberg's Freiheitskampf [Struggle for freedom] and Scherpfs Beschreibung der Republik Texas [Description of the Republic of Texas]. The struggle for independence in 1836 drew many German men here from the United States. They entered the ranks of the companies organized there as volunteers and helped win independence. Many of them settled permanently in Texas after the war, but there were also many casualties among the Germans fighting bravely at the side of their comrades. In the battles of San Antonio (Alamo), Goliad, and San Jacinto, they gave their lives for the freedom of their newly chosen homeland. The government showed its gratitude and with a generous hand gave the veterans and the families of the fallen from the treasure that they had won—the great expanse of land. The constitution of the Republic assured them of rich gifts of land; the congress confirmed this and at the same time passed liberal laws for the promotion of immigration. They granted to each free, white inhabitant of the Republic who had arrived after the declaration of independence but before January 1, 1837, and who had resided here for three years with his family 1,280 acres of land upon payment of the cost of surveying and recording the deed. Every unmarried, free, white man was given 640 acres under the same conditions. Later, this grant was extended to the first of October of the same year. In 1839, however, these land grants were reduced to 640 acres for the head of the family and to 320 acres for unmarried men. The conditions for receiving the grants remained the same. However, only those qualified who had immigrated between October 1, 1837, and January 1, 1840, had resided in the Republic for three years, and had fulfilled their duties as a citizen toward the Republic. The law of 1841

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extended the period of land grants in the same amount to January 1, 1842, but required that the immigrant settle and reside for three years on the land in question and that he cultivate not less than 10 acres of it. The described conditions, whereby under these laws the immigrants were offered from a half to two square miles of land of their choice at small cost, persuaded many to come to Texas following the war. Among them were a relatively small number of Germans from the United States. The latter preferred to settle in or close to the older settlements of their fellow Germans for reasons of security of life and property and because of language and social intercourse. Since the best tracts along the banks of the main rivers had already been taken by those arriving first, they had to accept deeds to free land that was remote from the rivers or obtain the land by purchase from the owners. The price was still very cheap, and many of the owners were glad to sell a part of their large holdings to the welcome, newly arriving settlers. The Germans at Cat Spring, Mill Creek, and Cummins Creek were joined by others from the Union and soon also by immigrants who came directly to Texas from Germany. Despite the simple furnishings of their houses and their modest, almost inadequate livelihood, the established settlers generously provided their newly arrived countrymen with shelter and support and lent them a helping hand in starting their own farms. All were dependent on their own enterprise and the products of their own hands. Their daily requirements were supplied by hunting, field cultivation, and the few cattle that they possessed; the woods supplied berries for wine, nuts, other fruits, while wild bees provided honey. For other needs they bartered furs, hides, and tobacco with peddlers who appeared at lengthy intervals; or they carted their products to market in Houston. Such a trip often required weeks. Slowly these conditions improved. The Stuessi brothers from the Swiss canton of Glarus built a sawmill in the area, and A. Frede opened the first store in La Grange. In their free Texas homeland, social life soon developed among them. Shared common need makes one receptive to common pleasures. The families held social meetings and founded a lodge which organized public celebrations at which German songs were sung by a mixed chorus in Texas groves.

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Louis Cachand Ervendberg, a German preacher who had come to Houston from Illinois in 1839 to found the first German Protestant congregation of thirty families (fifty-eight souls), came to this region in December 1840 and settled with his family in Blumenthal. Here too, he founded a like congregation that numbered seventy-two souls from Blumenthal, nineteen from Industry, twenty-nine from Wild Cat Spring, twelve from Biegelland, six from La Grange, and six from Columbus. Dr. Joseph Anton Fischer, a professor of theology from Switzerland, served with him; and a school and divine service were conducted regularly in the German language. Germans were to be found in almost all Texas cities, and their number rose from year to year, especially in Houston and Galveston. It was the German businessmen in Galveston, among them the Consul Klaener from Bremen, who in 1842 persuaded the shipping firm, Heinecken and Company, to bring immigrants to Galveston on their ships. The brigs, Weser (Captain Haeslop) and Ferdinand (Captain Hagedorn), brought the first immigrants across directly from Bremen (Brake). This occurred in January 1843 and again on their second voyage in December of the same year. Also, certain immigrants intended for Castro's colony landed in Galveston from ships that came directly from Europe. This was repeated in the summer and autumn of 1844. A number of the immigrants, especially craftsmen, remained in the coastal cities, while others settled in the towns or in the rural areas of the interior. The same occurred when the members of a German society that had been formed in New York to establish a colony arrived in Galveston in the winter of 1839. However, the society disbanded without having carried out its purpose. On the first of January 1842, the Texas congress discontinued making land grants to individual immigrants entering on or after that day. The eflFect of these laws was that, with few exceptions, only that part of Texas that lay southeast of the old Spanish military road from Laredo to Nacogdoches could be regarded as settled. In the greater part of the Republic, northwest of the road, only very few white men were living on the millions of acres of land, even though venturesome surveyors, while on expeditions against the Indians, had plotted townsites on the upper courses of the rivers. This broad expanse of land was in the unrestricted possession of wild tribes who occasionally attacked and wiped out the outermost settlements. In the west the

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Indians had extended their raids as far as the coast. The settlers, who had always to be on guard and always ready to fight, often had to flee. One of these earliest pioneers was George B. Erath, who especially distinguished himself and who now, a sturdy veteran of the old days, still lives at an advanced age near the city of Waco. This justly esteemed man, in whose honor in 1856 one of the counties of the state was named, was born on January 1, 1813, in Vienna, Austria, and received an excellent education at the polytechnic school there. In July 1832 he came to New Orleans and then to Texas early in 1833. Having decided to get to know the country, he bought a Spanish mare for eight dollars and a rope for fifty cents and rode without saddle or bridle to San Felipe de Austin. He hired out on the Brazos and helped the farmers on the lonely settlements in present-day Burleson County. With surveying parties he ranged the territory as far as the sources of the Trinity River. In 1836 he fought under Captain Billingsley at the battle of San Jacinto. Then he returned to the frontier, participated during the following years in expeditions against the Indians as a scout, sergeant, and lieutenant, and was a member of every scouting party. In 1837 one such expedition took him far into the wilderness to the sources of the Brazos. In 1839 he was elected captain of a company of Rangers and was occupied almost without interruption in preventing Indian raids until, in 1841, he assumed command of the Minutemen. Since payment for his services by the government could be made only in devalued debt certificates, he had to earn the cost of his equipment by surveying and, for months, he subsisted on wild game. In 1842 he farmed and then joined the unhappy Mier expedition. After his return in 1843, his friends elected him to the congress of the Republic. Here he proved to be an active and influential member so that he was reelected in 1844 and 1845 and then to the first state legislature in 1846. This short narration of the life of one of the Texan-German pioneers and the condensed account of his meritorious service may give the reader an idea of conditions in the country at that time and of the severe demands made by those times on the character and physical strength of the men who, in a bloody struggle, undertook to forge a path for civilization. At the same time, the leading statesmen had the difficult task of promoting, through wise laws, the establishment of new settlements while contending with financial difficulties.

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They recognized it had to be an almost impossible task to settle the still unoccupied land in Indian country on the basis of grants made to individuals. In order to more surely and swiftly bring about the settlement of this area, the Texas congress in February 1841 and 1842 empowered the president of the Republic to negotiate contracts with W. S. Peters and other companies that might be formed for the purpose of bringing colonists in large numbers into such parts of the vacant region as the president might consider suitable. Of the colonization contracts concluded by President Sam Houston under these laws, only two are of importance for the history of German immigration for they produced the great mass immigration of Germans who streamed into Texas from the year 1842 on. They populated primarily the west and transformed the Indian hunting grounds into areas of flourishing civilization. THE CASTRO COLONY

By authority of the law of February 5, 1842, Sam Houston entered into a contract with Henri Castro on February 15 for the colonization of a considerable stretch of land in Bexar County. And, he named Castro to be consul general of the Republic of Texas to the Kingdom of France. The land designated by the president lay thirty miles from San Antonio and extended westward toward Mexico. The grant required Castro to colonize a part of the land within a period of three years, in the manner prescribed in the contract. The time was extended by a law adopted on February 15, 1845, to February 15, 1847. Castro wasted no time and, already in May of the same year, was in Paris carrying out the contract. The first group of more than three hundred immigrants from Europe arrived in Texas on four ships in the winter of 1842-1843. They were mostly Alsatians, Germans, and Swiss. They settled on the Medina, where they founded the city of Castroville. The number of immigrants brought in by Castro (on twenty-seven ships from that time until February 15, 1847) amounted to 842 heads of families and unmarried men, a total of 2,134 persons, according to documents presented to and certified correct by the state commissioner for the colony, John G. Carolan. With the greatest difficulty and after traveling over primitive trails—the women and children in oxcarts, the men on foot—they reached the wilderness land

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that had been promised to them. Struggling with privations of every kind, they began to erect their first shelter. There were some who went only as far as San Antonio, then gave up the attempt to settle, and returned to the coast. The persistent ones, however, succeeded under the most discouraging conditions in founding and holding Castroville, the first settlement of the colony—an undertaking which required all their strength, courage, and endurance. Being on the farthest western frontier, they were in constant danger of attack by the nearby hostile Mexicans and were, at the same time, surrounded by the wild Indian tribes of the vast, uncultivated areas to the west and north. Against these enemies, they had always to be on guard to protect their lives and possessions. Nevertheless, the Indians inflicted dire losses on them, and they had many a bloody battle to withstand. Forced thus to defend themselves, gun in hand, against the treacherous red enemy, many of the colonists found it impossible to clear and make arable the required number of acres in the time allowed them or to settle and live on the more remote tracts continuously for three years, as stipulated by the contract, in order to qualify for a deed to the land. THE MAINZ SOCIETY OF NOBLEMEN

(Adelsverein)

On April 20, 1842, ten German sovereigns and noblemen assembled in the palace of Duke Adolph von Nassau in Biebrich on the Rhine to form a corporation; they had previously declared their intention of becoming members by subscribing to shares of five thousand gulden each. The article of incorporation read: We, the undersigned, declare by these presents that we have constituted ourselves a corporation for the purpose of the purchase of tracts of land in the free state of Texas— Biebrich, April 20, 1842. Adolph, Duke of Nassau; Emmerich Karl, Prince zu Leiningen; August, Count of Leiningen-Westerburg for himself and by proxy for his Grace, the Landgrave Philipp zu Hessen-Homberg; Carl, Count zu Castel for himself and Prince Philipp zu Lowenstein-Wertheim; Joseph, Count von Boos-Waldeck for himself and Prince Hermann zu Wied; Armand, Count of Renossa; Count Anton von Boos-Waldeck; Victor, Count von Alt-Leiningen-Westerburg; Chris-

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The German Immigration into Texas tian, Count zu Neu-Leiningen-Westerburg for himself and Prince C. Solms-Braunfels and for Count Friedrich of AltLeiningen-Westerburg.

The aims which motivated these highly placed noblemen to undertake this project were honorable, patriotic, and philanthropic. Following the death of Louis-Philippe of France, the uncertain conditions in Europe threatened to overturn the political and social order and made it desirable for them to invest a part of their fortunes usefully and safely in the New World. The increasing poverty among the population in their principalities and elsewhere made emigration a necessity for many more than just their own subjects. Throughout Germany thousands sought to escape further impoverishment by leaving their fatherland with what was still left to them, insofar as it was sufficient to enable them to emigrate and seek their livelihood and future in distant lands. Recognizing this necessity for emigration, the lords set themselves the task of limiting the inherent risks by organizing a colony for all—one that would retain contact with the old homeland, be of service to it, and promote its prosperity. This was doubtless a high goal worthy of a German and a philanthropist. Now, if we accept the magnanimity of a person's intent and acts performed for his fellowmen and for posterity as against what he strives for and does for his own interest and well-being as the standard for judging his character and deeds, then those German sovereigns deserve our full commendation. At the same time, however, we must regret that they lacked the necessary knowledge and means for the successful realization of their project. When the society was formed, it was difficult to arrive at a correct judgment of conditions in Texas. In order to obtain reliable information, they decided to send one of their number to gather information in the country itself and, should conditions prove favorable, to set up a large-scale operation and to immediately purchase the necessary land. Primarily, they intended that the undertaking should promote German emigration. At that time some of the members (but primarily the sponsor of the society, the Duke of Nassau), with wise foresight, recognized that this could have future implications of great importance for Germany. Count Boos and Count von Leiningen, provided with the necessary legal authority, set off for Texas in May 1842. Both unanimously de-

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clared that an acquisition of land would be advantageous and safe despite the war with Mexico. They bought a piece of land on which they laid out a plantation with Negro slaves in 1843. Count von Leiningen returned to Germany in May of the same year; Boos, as the actual agent, remained to manage the plantation. His periodic reports from Texas continued to be favorable. Upon comparing these reports with the goals of the society, the thirty German noblemen, among them ruling sovereigns, were hardly content to acquire a plantation in Texas and then do nothing further—not even for the assistance of Germans emigrating on their own initiative. So, on July 8, 1843, the members drew up and adopted a plan of action. It was intended to assure the society of its proper recognition by the world and, at the same time, to safeguard it from the loss of its funds, which were not sufficient to operate a plantation and carry on colonization. The plan proposed to obtain a grant from the Texas government, begin colonization on a large scale, and, in addition, seek certain trading concessions. In the matter of colonization, it was Mr. H. F. Fisher who placed in prospect the first grant. From Count Boos, who had been informed of this, no answer was received. In the meantime German newspapers published articles about the project and discussed the colonization, although no official announcement of the plans of the society had been made. At the same time, Bourgeois d'Orvanne, a Frenchman who had been in Texas, applied to the society and proposed the transfer of a grant located on the Medina River to the west of San Antonio. A preliminary contract was entered into with him with the condition that it would become null and void if it were not ratified by the membership within three months. Simultaneously, they approached the Texas government through Colonel Daingerfield, the Texas charge d'affaires at The Hague, seeking to obtain trading concessions. The efforts of Count Castell in Berlin to get help from the German governments were without success since a strong party at court worked against it. They feared England would be opposed and the government would become involved in political entanglements. From the answer given later by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, it appeared that Prussia first wanted to see how the project would develop and then join if it appeared advantageous to do so. Since there was still no word from Count Boos, the general assem-

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bly decided on January 13, 1844, to approve the contract with Bourgeois d'Orvanne and, in order to be independent of the government (in Berlin), to raise new capital of 200,000 to 250,000 francs through the sale of one thousand-franc shares of stock. The society immediately subscribed for fifty shares. Then, suddenly, Count Boos returned by way of England and reported that he had turned over the plantation, which had cost 54,000 gulden, to a neighbor, H. E. Fordtran, to manage and that he was against the plan of colonization. An assembly of all shareholders now became necessary, and it was convened in Mainz on March 2, 1844. Detailed reports of the executive committee were presented, one dealing with the colonization of d'Orvanne's grant, another with a request by the government of Texas for a loan of one million dollars. The loan was rejected. The meeting decided on colonization and adopted the prepared draft of statutes for the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. These stated the primary purposes of the society to be as follows: 1. Improvement of the unemployed working class and thus the amelioration of pauperism 2. Creation of new markets for the nation's industrial products 3. Development of overseas commerce The specific purposes of the society were these: 1. To regulate and control in Germany's interest the flow of German emigrants; to direct the emigrants to one place, that being Texas 2. To establish agriculture, industry, and commercial centers in that part of the world; to acquire tracts of land with or without payment; to distribute, sell, make arable, and cultivate this land; and to carry on trade in Texas products 3. To establish commercial ties between Texas and Germany 4. To take under its protection those Germans living in or immigrating into its colonial settlements The capitalization of the society was to be 200,000 gulden represented by shares of 5,000 gulden each. Named as president was Prince E. Leiningen; as vice-president, Count Castell; as members of the executive committee: Prince Leiningen, Count Ch. Leiningen, and Count Castell; as alternates: Count Victor and Count Fr. Leiningen; as business manager, Count Castell. On May 3, 1844, the Ducal Ministry of State of Nassau published

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the announcement that "the Duke was pleased to grant permission for the organization of a society which has the purpose of giving aid and protection to Germans emigrating to the Free State of Texas." On April 9, 1844, the society had issued the first general public announcement of the purpose of its formation and plan of operation and stated that the first group leaving in September of the same year would be limited to 150 families. An unmarried man must have a capital of three hundred gulden, and the head of a small family must have six hundred gulden before being accepted for settlement. A second announcement was issued in June 1844. It contained the conditions which the colonist had to fulfill and what the society obligated itself to do for him in return. These are more closely defined in the contract, a copy of which is given further on. Comprehensive drafts for the carrying out of the colonization as well as instructions for the director, the commissioner general, and other officials were worked out and adopted. Prince Carl of SolmsBraunfels was named commissioner general of the society and empowered to lead the colonists and establish the first settlement. He attempted to carry out this assignment in accordance with the instructions to the best of his ability in spite of many difficulties and embarrassments which neither he nor the society had anticipated. By the first of July, the prince had arrived in Galveston and traveled through the country in order to familiarize himself with it at first hand. The transmission of letters to and from Germany was very slow and irregular in those days so that the news that the first group of immigrants would leave Germany in September reached him at the same time that he learned that the society had undertaken to colonize a grant on the Llano, far from any settlements existing at the time, instead of the grant on the Medina, where he had expected to found the settlement. Through a law passed by the Texas congress on January 25, 1844, Bourgeois d'Orvanne, and with him the society, temporarily lost the grant he had held. Thus, the society saw itself compelled, if it were to go ahead with the project it had started, to deal with the Texas representative to the Free City of Bremen, Henry Francis Fisher (Heinrich Franz Fischer), for the colonization of a tract of land granted to the latter. A contract was made on June 24, 1844. This gentleman, a shrewd businessman, and his partner, Burchard Miller (Burckard Miiller), had entered into a contract in Houston on

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June 7, 1842, with the president of the new republic, Sam Houston. In compliance with the congressional acts of January 4, 1841, and February 5, 1842, he assigned them an area for settlement by colonists —the area having the following borders: Begin at the mouth of the Llano, then follow its course to the source of its main northern branch, south from there fifty miles, then northwest at a forty-five degree angle as far as the main southwest branch of the Colorado, along its course (east) to the main stream, and along its course to the starting point. The contracting parties were bound to bring in within three years a colony of six hundred families or unmarried men who must be more than seventeen years old and settle them within the stated borders. Every family was to receive 640 acres from the government (every single man, 320 acres) if a good and comfortable cabin were built on the land and at least fifteen acres were kept under cultivation and well fenced. Should the contracting parties, i.e., Fisher and Miller, require it, deeds for that part of the land to which every immigrant would be entitled under this contract, as had been agreed between them and the contracting parties, were in every case to be issued, providing that such part should not exceed a half of the land. For every hundred colonists thus brought in and settled, the contracting parties were to receive as a premium ten sections situated within the grant. If a third of the colonists, i.e., two hundred families were not brought into the territory of the Republic within one year of the date of the contract, the contracting parties were to lose all claims, rights, and privileges that they might hold under the contract; the persons brought in by them, however, should nevertheless be entitled to their certain part of the land. Neither criminals nor persons of bad moral character were to be brought in under pain of forfeiture of the land, nor were they or the colonists to sell or give the Indians intoxicating beverages or supply them with munitions or weapons. Within three years from the date, the tracts of land must have been surveyed and subdivided, whereby the Republic reserved every other section. The number of six hundred colonists could be increased if the contracting parties made known this intention to the government within one year. A written notice could be lodged with the ambassador in England or the consul general in France. The president also extended the term of one year by an additional six months.

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On September 1, 1843, at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Sam Houston and Fisher and Miller signed a new, similar contract in which an enlargement of the area of colonization was provided for, in the event that more than six hundred colonists should be brought in. In accord with the changed situation, the statutes and instructions of the society's officials were appropriately modified by the society. For vacating their contract, the conditions of which they did not have the means of satisfying, Fisher and Miller were to receive from the society for outlays already made: (a) one hundred friedrichs d'or; (b) on July 15, 1844, the sum of fourteen thousand gulden in cash through the society's banker, Mr. Flersheim; and (c) on September 1, 1845, two thousand dollars to be paid by the society. Besides that, they were to receive a third of the sums resulting from the colonization through the sale of land and of the net profits from the industrial enterprises financed with the remainder of the base capital. The society assumed all the obligations that Fisher and Miller had taken on with the grant of September 1, 1843, and it agreed to immediately spend 200,000 gulden of its funds, a sum which Fisher claimed was necessary to get the colonization under way. Of the funds received from the sale of stock, the society was to replace the expenditures made since May 14, 1844, and the remainder was to go into the colonization project. The management in Texas was changed. Prince Carl remained commissioner general and was responsible for the management of the enterprise and the administration of the colonial finances. He had 37,000 gulden at his disposal which, according to the plan of the executive committee, was to be used for the transport, support, etc., of the colonists and the establishment of the settlement. Fisher was made director of colonization and was to carry out the technical operations having to do with the colonization and such other operations as he considered necessary. In this he was independent of the colonial council and the commissioner general. For the financial operations, he required the assent of the colonial council and the commissioner general. He was given eleven thousand dollars for the purchase of wagons, plows, and other supplies for the colony. The Bavarian first lieutenant, retired, Nicolaus Zink, was appointed engineer; Dr. Theodor Koester, M.D., colony physician; and Lord von Coll, first lieutenant, retired, of the Duchy of Nassau, was named col-

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ony financial officer. All served under conditions fixed by contract. These officials with the commissioner general and Mr. Fisher made up the colonial council with eight votes of which Fisher held three. One hundred and fifty families and young men signed contracts with the society and in September 1844 were transported from Bremen on the ships, Johann Detthard, Herschel, and Ferdinand to Galveston, where they arrived in November and December. They were taken from there by schooner to Lavaca Bay, where they were placed in a tent encampment. Of the Germans in Texas who had joined the society under the same conditions as those in Germany, most also came to this encampment. On Christmas Eve the prince prepared a distribution of Christmas presents for the children of the colonists in the camp. An oak tree was decorated with gifts and candles for the occasion. There too, the first divine service in the German language was held by Pastor L. C. Ervendberg, whom the prince had called from Cummins Creek to be chaplain. A number of young men were organized into a mounted rifle company for the protection of the colonists on their long treks through the sparsely settled country and in the first settlement in the wilderness. Where this was to be laid out, no one knew, not even Prince Carl, who had no land. On Powderhorn Bayou below Indian Point, where a storehouse had been rented for the society's property, he had Galveston carpenters erect a two-story frame building and, to the landing consisting of three buildings, he gave the name of Carlshafen (Carl's harbor). Some of the immigrants remained there, but the greater part were gradually taken to Spring Creek near Victoria, where they were again moved into a camp. The prince had urgent business to settle for the society with Fisher and Klaener in Galveston and had been there since the beginning of February. He was at odds with Fisher, who was supposed to give him an accounting of the expended sums. The latter had also told new immigrants arriving on the Neptune not to join the society but rather to sign with Dr. Stroberg, who was recruiting for his projected colony at San Gabriel. From the twenty-fifth to the twenty-seventh, the prince was in Carlshafen, and then he rode to the camp at McCoy Creek. In the camp the conflict between the prince and Fisher came to a head. The colonial council, which Fisher and Miller attended, voted unani-

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mously to apply to the executive committee in Mainz to pay off these gentlemen (Fisher and Miller) through the complete purchase of their entire interest or, failing that, to secure them in the execution of their contract with the Texas government through the posting of sufficient bond. Fisher went to Galveston and then to Washington-on-the-Brazos, and the prince, accompanied by several colonists, rode upriver into the interior to San Antonio. On the advice of Johann Rahm, an old Texan who had immigrated from Switzerland and who had called his attention to a piece of land situated on the Guadalupe fifteen miles above Seguin and containing the Comal Springs, the prince bought the Comal Tract from the heirs of the Juan Veramendi League. With Rafael L. Garza and his wife, Maria Antonio Veramendi Garza, he negotiated on March 15, 1845, a sales contract by which the sellers agreed to deliver a clear title to the 1,265 acres as soon as the purchaser had met the conditions; viz., that of the sales price of $1,111, he pay $500 in cash. The remaining $611 he agreed to pay thirty days after the settlement of a suit which was pending in the district court arising from the previously mentioned concession of the Baron von Bastrop. The purchaser was to bear the costs of litigation. These conditions resulted in lengthy court battles and caused the society and the citizens of New Braunfels great trouble and expense but were all finally decided in favor of the citizens. Since the prince was given the right of immediate occupancy, he went to the site a few days later with his companions and set up his tent camp. Under the leadership of Lord von Coll, the immigrants were now transported to the place which the prince had selected for the first settlement and had named New Braunfels after his ancestral castle. The first wagons with the colonists crossed the Guadalupe River on Good Friday, March 21, 1845, and moved into the camp that had been set up on the steep bank of Comal Creek. For protection against Indians, a kind of moat and wall were constructed on the side facing the prairie; also cannon with gabions were set in position. The twenty-two men whom the society had hired as soldiers served as guards here and on the other side of the Guadalupe, where the supplies were unloaded. Although the settlement was located on the outermost fringe of Texas Indian country and there was no white habitation between San Antonio, a city of ruins, and half-abandoned

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Austin, the settlement was never seriously threatened by hostile Indian attacks. The numerous, friendly tribes were well treated by the officers of the society and the settlers, although the red men frequently made outrageous demands and, in spite of the greatest watchfulness, stole horses. It was the Lipans, Tonkawas, and Caranquoes [Karankawas] who made the region unsafe and, on the fourth of May at a cannibalistic victory feast, they devoured the body of a slain Waco in the immediate vicinity of the settlement. The prince had the engineer, Nicolaus Zink, survey the townsite and lay out lots. They were then numbered and distributed in a drawing. Most of the immigrants were reluctant to accept the half-acre lots because they had expected to receive immediately the 320- and 160-acre tracts promised by the society. However, they gradually began to fell trees in the society's cedar woods, move them to their city lots with the oxen and wagons provided by the society, and build log cabins next to their tents and lean-tos. Since this took a lot of time, even with their helping one another, and the season was far advanced, no land could be cultivated and harvested that year. However, gardens and fields were fenced and the sod was turned. The necessary food was obtained from the society's stores, and fresh meat rations were supplied daily from the same source. By April the prince had moved the headquarters to a hill in the south part of the town (the Sophienburg) and resided there in a cabin woven of branches and roofed with straw until a double log cabin, built by the two Smiths from Seguin, had been finished. On April 27 he laid the foundation stone for a larger building there. On this occasion he arranged a celebration for the officials and employees of the society. Lacking a German flag, he had the black and yellow one of Austria hoisted to the accompaniment of salvos of cannon and had an appropriate record sealed in the cornerstone. At the same time, the settlers in town raised the flag of the Republic of Texas on a flagpole set up in the marketplace. They had organized themselves into military companies and elected their own officers. The former Hannoverian officer, Oscar von Claren, became commander. Early in May the prince was in San Antonio and purchased from the Veramendi league an additional large piece of land that extended to the southwest on both sides of Comal Creek. Later, this was divided into ten-acre lots.

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On May 15 the prince left New Braunfels to the regret of many colonists, who had learned to know and respect him as a German gentleman of honor. The following day his successor, J. O. Meusebach (Baron Ottfried Hans von Meusebach), arrived to take over as commissioner general and assume the difficult task of settling thousands of immigrants while lacking the necessary funds. The day after his arrival, he went to Gonzales to see the prince and, upon his return, he set out to bring order into the affairs of the settlement. Farm lots of ten Bavarian acres each were laid out and assigned to the settlers, who began their cultivation. At the end of May, the first election was held, and a county commissioner and a justice of the peace were elected for the Bexar County precinct in which the colony was located. A second group of immigrants arrived in June of the same year on the Bremen ships, Johann Detthard and Ferdinand. The newcomers were transported to New Braunfels in the society's wagons and, like the first colonists, were assigned city lots, thus further extending the original area of the town. Some of the first colonists received oxen, plows, and carts from the society. Every day all were given fresh meat, corn, and other provisions when available. They had to grind the corn themselves with hand mills attached to trees. Under a grove of trees at the foot of the Sophienburg, divine services were held regularly on Sundays and, beginning on the eleventh of August, the first German-English school was held. The settlers helped one another by sharing their possessions and skills and developed a lively social life. In the evening cheery German songs rang out as the soldiers of the society marched singing through the streets. Messrs. Reuter, Baur, Herbst, Thielepape, and Rennert organized a quartet that met in Reuter's log cabin. There was still ample game nearby: deer, turkeys, ducks, woodcocks, fish, and turtles. And, that autumn the gardens produced the first fresh vegetables. On October 5 the German Protestant congregation was organized, and its officers were elected in conformity to the law of the land. Late in October Mr. F. von Wrede and Mr. Oscar von Claren were murdered and scalped by Indians while returning from Austin. They were the colony's first casualties. A companion escaped and brought back the tragic news of the death of the two gentlemen. Between October 13 and the end of the year, thousands of immi-

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grants reached the coast on seventeen of the society's ships that had sailed from Bremen and Antwerp. Many of the immigrants came directly to New Braunfels and bought land, but others remained in Indian Point, where they had disembarked, or in camps along the way until transportation could be found for them. Third Period: From 1845 to 1889 The mass immigration of Germans, that had begun in the previous year under the direction of the society, continued and increased as a result of the persistent, increasingly more oppressive conditions in the old fatherland and in spite of, or better, because of the annexation of Texas by the United States. The great numbers began to exhaust the resources and capabilities of the society. Finally, it succumbed under the weight of the task and the associated responsibilities. Without going into the reasons that led to the termination—so painful for the society in Germany—of an undertaking that had been begun with so much hope, enthusiasm, and sacrifice, or listing the great sums lost by the society's members, let us continue with the narration of the events transpiring in Texas itself. Between January 1 and August 10, 1846, an additional 852 German immigrants from Bremen and Antwerp arrived in an almost unbroken succession in Galveston and Indianola on thirteen ships of the society and other ships. From September to January 1847, they were followed by over a thousand more, of whom most were heads of families. This mass of people of more than five thousand souls, firmly trusting in the society, had paid its European agents not only the sums required for the benefits listed in the contract but had also deposited more than $80,000 with them for repayment upon arrival in Texas. Instead, only rations and limited facilities were provided in Galveston, where they stayed until they could be brought to Indian Point on small, often miserable ships. But, there too, no provision had been made for the new arrivals. A few canvas tents and a couple of wooden houses offered some protection from the winter rains, but many were able to protect themselves from the inclement weather only by digging holes in the ground and enclosing them with earthen walls roofed over with branches and brush. Over this were stretched bedspreads and tablecloths. In these

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improvised shelters, they settled themselves and their not inconsiderable possessions. Yet, those arriving at that time were fortunate in that they found a narrow strip of woods growing between Indian Point and Carlshafen. It was soon to be used up for fuel. They were fortunate too because it was still possible for them, either on their own or with the aid of United States officers, to move inland, where they were spared the misery endured by the thousands left on the coast during the steamy hot spring and summer. There was no lack of provisions, that is, of fresh meat, but it occasionally came from turtles. The consumption of this unaccustomed diet in such quantities after the sea voyage, the long waiting of so many people crowded together on the swampy coast in such squalor and with insufficient protection and organization, the lack of any means of passing the time, the uncertain waiting for rescue from these wretched conditions from which they were powerless to free themselves through their own efforts, and the resulting and growing concern for the future—all these filled the hearts and minds of the numerous fathers and mothers with the deepest dejection and discouragement. In addition, as the inevitable consequence of all this, malaria, dysentery, scurvy, dropsy, and other diseases spread. First, they carried off individuals, then entire families—some while they waited on the coast, others during the inland journey or at the final destination. A description of the horror and misery of that frightful time would fill volumes, going far beyond the scope of this work. It should be noted here, though, that the young German men who answered the government's call for volunteers to help in the fight against Mexico displayed courage enough. They organized a company, elected a hardened fighter, Captain August Buechel, as their leader, and marched off to the war, where they bravely fought for the chosen land that had not yet become their homeland. In their dire distress and ignorance of the situation prevailing in the administration of the colony, the immigrants at that time attributed the sole blame for these conditions to the society's commissioner general, Baron von Meusebach. And yet, their fate could have been much worse had not this circumspect man carried out the responsibilities entrusted to him—once he had accepted them—with a singular tenacity of spirit and strength of character. Conscientiously, he carried on, even when the society in Germany

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sent him to found a colony of thousands of people with only a like number of dollars. In order to do everything in his power for those entrusted to his guidance and care and to shield them from total destruction, he held it to be his holy duty to continue in the position that he had assumed. This he did to the greatest extent possible under the most difficult, most discouraging conditions. When he took over the administration of the colony in Texas, the society was already in debt, and he had no money available. Only 34,000 gulden were sent to him during 1845, and even that sum required his most urgent representations. This money was used almost entirely for the payment of debts. With the arrival of the immigrants during the autumn, the expenditures for their maintenance increased, as did the amount of money deposited by them in Europe, which he was supposed to repay on demand. His attempts to borrow money failed, and yet this man, who was everywhere hounded by the society's creditors, succeeded in getting the immigrants to Indian Point and some of them with their goods and the supplies of the society all the way to New Braunfels. At that point the war between the United States and Mexico began. Where this did not preempt all means of transportation, it drove up its cost, as well as the cost of all provisions, so that von Meusebach was forced to leave more than three thousand immigrants down on the coast. There he was able to supply them with provisions more easily than up in the interior. He sent Dr. Wm. Remer as physician and George Kirchner, a justice of the peace, as consultant. Both gentlemen fulfilled their duties in an exemplary fashion. The last named died there of an inflammation of the gall bladder. Settlers arriving in New Braunfels camped at random under the shady trees on the banks of the Guadalupe, where a ferryboat had started operation, or they built themselves huts of poles covered with grass thatch. Others bought a place for themselves and built log cabins, to which framed structures with clapboards or stone walls and shingled roofs were added during the year. The largest building was the German Protestant Church, which was used for divine service from the end of March 1846 and could also be used for a school. A tavern and a general store were also opened, and later a larger store was built. A number of immigrants, who mostly arrived sick, were

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given emergency shelter in a long open shed built on piles and covered with branches and thatch. There, the number of deaths rose to over three hundred. Only a few of the dead could be placed in coffins because of the lack of boards. During the summer as many as three— wrapped in canvas or blankets—were transported together every morning by a teamster in the employ of the society to the cemetery, where they were buried in the prescribed manner by the appointed gravediggers. However, many of the dead who could not be brought across the Guadalupe because of the high water were interred on the far bank of the river. There were always those present who were willing to perform this final service of love. The surviving orphans were housed in a large tent set up by the society near the church and were placed in the care of a foster mother and supervised by the pastor. The distribution of provisions to the first group of colonists was discontinued. This placed them in a difficult situation because most of them had not yet made a crop from their newly cultivated fields, and only teamsters and craftsmen could earn a wage. Of the moneys deposited with the society, only rarely could small amounts be had. Nevertheless, every diligent worker scraped through; he endured cheerfully the frequent lack of the greatest necessities until his situation improved. In order to shorten the pointless and expensive stay in New Braunfels of immigrants intended for other settlements, Meusebach had already sent out an exploratory party that winter in the direction of the grant. And, in the spring he selected and purchased land eighty miles northwest of New Braunfels. A road was built, and a wagon train with immigrants was sent there. These were first assigned a town lot in the Fredericksburg colony in the middle of a post oak woods on the Pedernales. The colonization was carried out in a manner similar to the first colony but under much more difficult conditions because of the greater distance from the inhabited parts of the country. Suffering, disease, or the loss of family members had destroyed the early enthusiasm for many. The society had to coerce many who were unwilling to move by threatening to withdraw their distribution of provisions in case they failed to make use of the transportation provided them. Thus, several hundred arrived in Fredericksburg during the summer. There

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they had to depend on support from the society for more than a year because it was too late in the season to prepare the fields and grow a crop. Soon, however, the scanty supplies of the society were no longer available to them because the administration, headed by a Dr. Schubert or Stroberg, was in the hands of officials who exploited their positions for themselves and their followers in the most selfish and unscrupulous way and caused the poor colonists great suffering by treating them in a mean and vile manner. Only after the number of deaths from hunger, disease, and the resulting demoralization had increased and after Schubert had absconded (after charging a tremendous sum against the society's treasury in New Braunfels) did this shameful state of affairs come to the attention of Meusebach. Lord von Coll was sent there, and he put things to rights as well as was possible. He dismissed the officials, had the ten-acre lots surveyed and assigned, distributed seed and farming implements, and then declared that the work of the society was terminated and the distribution of provisions ended. All now began to work for themselves. Many satisfied their hunger with bread made from acorns, or they ate boiled wild thistles and wild spinach. Game was obtained by barter with the Indians. The first harvest turned out well. The garrison of Fort Martin Scott, which was located nearby, and later the garrisons of other forts provided a good market for produce. Trade with the Indians was profitable; houses were built; businesses were established; in short, the town flourished. Here too, the sure reward of persistence and diligence was prosperity. Meusebach boldly took an expedition into the unknown regions of the grant, parts of which were then explored; and he succeeded in concluding a treaty of friendship with the Comanches. On this expedition he was accompanied by Dr. Ferdinand von Roemer, to whom we owe the first geological description of this and other parts of the state. This is found in the history of his travels and in a larger scientific work, published later, on the geological makeup of the state. Aggrieved and unappreciated, Meusebach submitted his resignation, but not before taking the measures necessary for the survey of the grant. In July 1847 a company of capable young men representing various social classes arrived. It was their intention to establish on the society's

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land a colony based on common work and mutual interest. One of them, Hermann Spiess, was made a trustee and given the responsibility for the general administration of the society in New Braunfels. On occasion, Ludwig Bern and Gustav Schleicher acted in his stead. Known as the "Darmstadt people" or the Fortiers (Vierziger), they laid out a settlement on the north side of the Llano within the grant itself, to which other settlements were soon added. The settlements close to New Braunfels—Comal Town, Horton Town, and Schumannsville—came into existence. German farmers also settled in Sisterdale, Comanche Spring, along Sabina Creek, and in the region of Fredericksburg. Quihi, Vandenburg, and D'Hanis were settled. Sawmills and flour mills were built in Castroville, New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg, while among the old pioneer settlements, Industry, Frelsburg, and other places prospered. A part of the immigrants who did not move on to the west (aside from those belonging to the colonies, a large number had entered the country) joined those already established here. Others moved into the older towns or their surrounding countryside, or they purchased land cheaply and founded their own farms and towns. Thus, Meyersville, Yorktown, Coletoville, Arneckeville, and other flourishing business centers came into being in that fruitful region along the Coleto that is inhabited and farmed primarily by Germans. When the time fixed for the colonization of the grant had expired and, in place of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants, there were left only the immigrants and a horde of creditors with their demands and claims against the society's property in Texas, the state saw itself compelled to take steps to insure the just treatment of the colonists and, as far as possible, to bring order into the badly tangled affairs of the society. In addition to other laws bearing on this matter, the legislature stipulated that to each qualifying immigrant a certificate be issued for the full amount of land promised him, viz., 640 acres to each head of a family and 320 acres to each unmarried man, whenever he should produce proof of the entitlement to the satisfaction of a commissioner to be appointed by the governor. Each was free to select on a survey map, which the state would make available to him, a section of land in the grant. Then, in order to obtain the deed to this piece of land, he had to pay the cost of the survey and

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the recording of the field notes, send these with the certificate to the General Land Office, and later pay the fees for the issuance of the deed. For those entitled to land in the Fisher-Miller grant, there were issued: NUMBER OF YEAR

1848-49 1850 1851 1854

COMMISSIONER

CERTIFICATES

W. F. Evans J. P. Portis G. H. Sherwood J. O. Meusebach

1,410 905 438 739

Total 3,492 For those entitled to land in Castro's Colony, there were issued: NUMBER OF YEAR

1850 1854-55

COMMISSIONER

CERTIFICATES

J. M. Carolan T. Ward and C. R. Riotte

345 198 Total

543

The sum total for both colonies came to 4,035. Many who were entitled to certificates did not claim them. Others, who through inheritance or otherwise were entitled to two or more certificates, sold them for extremely low prices because the land was situated far off in unknown, wild territory and they had neither the means for meeting the cost nor for occupying and cultivating the land. For the state the Germans represented a gain that is not to be overestimated. They were, and still are today, the most stable and, at the same time, the most progressive element of the population. Reluctantly and but rarely does the German leave his beloved home that he has built through hard work. He constantly seeks to make it and its surroundings more lovely and comfortable for himself and his family and, for his children, he strives to create one that is equally pleasant or better. This was true of the majority and is still true today. How they have promoted progress and spread it over broader and broader areas is shown by the record. Slowly but steadily, the German pioneers pushed into the wilderness of the west along the frontier, created farms, and were ever alert to courageously defend themselves from hostile Indians. Under their active and skilled hands, their fields

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were enlarged, their harvests increased, their herds grew, and their farms were improved. Their family life became freer from care; their social life happier, friendlier, more rewarding; and, in their commercial and social relations with their English-speaking fellow citizens, they became less inhibited and more confident. The latter soon learned to recognize and esteem the cash dollar and good work of the German. However, his basic qualities of character were valued even more highly as he proved himself to be persevering, reliable, law abiding, and of high morals. The year 1849 also brought an increase in the number of the liberally educated element from Germany, and they had a refreshing and progressive influence on the German Texans. The schools increased in number and quality; societies were organized; and new newspapers were established. The merit of having published the first German newspaper in Texas belongs to the late L. H. Buechner. This paper, Die Galveston Zeitung (The Galveston News), was published weekly at the beginning of 1849. Also in 1849 the first authorized translation of the general law of the State of Texas was published in its printshop. In the place of Die Galveston Zeitung, there later appeared Die Union. On November 12, 1852, there appeared the first issue of the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung (New Braunfels News) published by Ferdinand Lindheimer and, thus, it is the oldest German newspaper in the state of Texas today. In San Antonio in 1854, the German Texas Staats Zeitung (Texas State News) appeared. Everywhere in the state, Germans joined societies, clubs, and organizations—to practice shooting and gymnastics, to protect property, to carry on adult education, and to cultivate social life and the arts. It was primarily the singing societies that enthusiastically and gleefully advanced the last named. Since a friendly relationship existed right from the beginning between the singers in San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Austin, the Germania, founded on March 2, 1850, undertook to present in the autumn of 1853 a joint German-Texan singers' festival in New Braunfels, to which all known singing societies were invited. To this first Texas State German Singing Festival, which was held on the sixteenth and seventeenth of October 1853 and was well attended from near and far, came the societies of New Braunfels, San Antonio, Austin, and Sisterdale.

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When the massed chorus struck up the patriotic song by Rinnen, Und Von Das Tief

horst du das machtige Klingen, der Ostsee bis iiber den Rhein, Lied mit den sausenden Schwingen, dringt es durch Mark und durch Bein.

And if you hear the mighty ringing From the Baltic to beyond the Rhine, The song on rustling pinions Strikes deep into marrow and bone tears ran down the suntanned cheeks of strong men and were brushed aside by hands calloused by years of hard work. The German song made this land of their choice (Texas) their true home, and the sounds of home brought sincere joy and comradeship into their hearts. With this festival began a vigorous tradition that led to the founding of the Texas State German Singers League in 1854 and to a long succession of truly fine and enjoyable—indeed, magnificent festivals which brought days of pleasure and worthy enjoyment to thousands. It inspired imitation and awakened and greatly promoted the appreciation and love of music among the numerous groups. In like manner the singing societies in the mountains of the west joined together into the West Texas Mountain Singers Federation. It celebrated its first singing festival in Boerne in October 1881 and its eighth in New Braunfels on the fifth, sixth, and seventh of October 1889. In numerous localities the singing societies were joined in the presentation of festivals by the German shooting, gymnastic, and music societies. In 1879 the first folk festival was held in Houston. It was soon followed by more or less pretentious and popular folk, May, gymnastic, and shooting festivals in Dallas, Brenham, Galveston, San Antonio, Waco, and many other places. These festivals were then repeated annually, and they did not fail to attract non-Germans, who gladly participated and were (and are) well aware of the commendable nature of the German concept of the enjoyment of life. In many towns, and also in the country, German societies and clubs have built their own halls, which are mostly equipped with theatrical stages. Those halls in Galveston, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas,

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Bastrop, Fort Worth, Brenham, La Grange, Schulenburg, Flatonia, and Shelby are truly imposing buildings. Of like excellence are their school buildings, in which trained teachers give thorough instruction in English and German—for the German Texan still loves and esteems his mother tongue and, with it, German culture and customs. Mutual aid societies against sickness, disaster, and death exist in San Antonio, Galveston, New Braunfels, Yorktown, Brenham, and other places. A large number of Germans are members of beneficent lodges, and many belong to farmers' organizations or agricultural societies. All this would not have come about, did not almost all German Texans enjoy a certain comfortable prosperity. The Germans in Fayette County own about two-fifths of the county's total wealth, or approximately nine million dollars. Through persistent industry, good business sense, and an enterprising spirit combined with prudence and thrift, they have laid the secure foundation for their prosperity and, at the same time, they have won the respect of their fellow citizens. In the business world, German businessmen are respected and trusted; German craftsmen, manufacturers, and artists are sought after and esteemed for the quality and excellence of their work; workers, for their loyalty and reliability. The many government positions which Germans hold, they administer capably and with conscientious care. For this reason we find them elected to office in many of the counties of our state, often without reference to party; or they are elevated to positions of high honor, although they usually do not campaign for such. Jacob Kuechler and J. J. Groos were elected commissioners in the General Land Office, where in the course of the years a number of Germans have been employed. They have occupied, and today still do occupy, well-deserved positions of prominence; and their splendid service is of the greatest value to the state. Among them are to be named C. W. Pressler, then R. Kreuzbauer, H. Wilke, Reiche, W. von Rosenberg, Arlitt, C. C. Stremme, Martin, Schenk, E. Schuetze, E. von Rosenberg, H. Pressler, G. J. Thielepape, Rudolph Schmidt, Blau, Schwarzer, Langermann, Wyschetzki, and others. To the Congress of the United States were elected the German-born representatives, Edward Degener and Gustav Schleicher. Their deaths were mourned by the entire Union. Wm. N. Sigler was in the convention that drew up the plan for the provisional government for Texas;

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G. B. Erath was a member of the congress of the Republic and of the legislature. In the state conventions were Th. Koester, E. Degener, and J. Waelder. In the course of the years, some thirty Germans have sat in the legislature. The following have now, or have had, responsible positions in government: G. Loeffler, immigration commissioner; F. Moureau, J. Kaufmann, and Dr. Hertzberg, consuls; C. R. Riotte, ambassador; Teichmueller, district judge; Kleberg, U.S. district attorney; and Paul Fricke, federal marshal. George Pfeuffer was for years president of the state agricultural and trade school in Bryan (Texas A&M College); R. Wipprecht has been professor of modern languages at the same school. Walter Tips was a member of the state supervisory board for penitentiaries. German physicians, teachers, architects, and other men educated in the arts and sciences enjoy well-deserved reputations for excellence. The political influence of the Germans is also growing as their numbers continually increase, even though it is not possible to give figures for lack of exact data. This growth is due first to the continuing immigration, although this is no longer as great as formerly because conditions in the German Empire have changed. Whereas formerly money was brought in by the immigrant or remitted to him from Germany after his arrival in Texas, today the German Texan possesses the means of sending money abroad or of buying ocean passage here so that relatives and friends may immigrate. The newcomers—in the event that they do not settle in a town as craftsmen or laborers—with the help and advice of their sponsors, rent a piece of land, cultivate it a few years and, if they are hardworking, thrifty, and of regular habits, they are in a position to buy property and, as free men, to establish a homestead on it for themselves and their families. It is especially noteworthy that the children that are born to the amply blessed German marriages are in most cases much taller than their parents and that they leave home and found their own households earlier than is the custom in Germany. This is doubtless due to the climate and the less restricted conditions of life that favor their better development. If one takes into account the continuing immigration and the facts related above, then the number of German inhabitants of Texas, stated

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at 35,347 in the census of 1880, appears much too low. This number, however, represents only the number of German-born immigrants living in Texas at that time and does not include the descendants of earlier immigrants. A number more closely approaching reality is given by a compilation made by Mr. A. Haidusek, the county judge of Fayette County, of the Germans living in the different counties. It is based on the statistical reports of the state agricultural commissioner, L. L. Foster, and is contained in the state census taken on December 31, 1887. The number is 123,457. If we assume that in 1889 there were 150,000, this should not be too high an estimate. Just as the history of the Germans in Texas reveals a panorama of tragedy and death, hardship and struggle, great effort and work; yet, individually and generally, it shows success achieved, and well-being and happiness attained. This justifies the hope that the industriousness and earnest striving of the Germans in close cooperation with their fellow citizens will continue to lead our state on the path of progress and prosperity and make Texas the home of a great, free, and happy people. What we once inscribed on the gateway at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the colony of New Braunfels may stand here as a parting greeting to the reader: 1845 LaBt muthig uns die Gegenwart ertragen Und hoffend vorwarts schau'n. Let us endure the present courageously And with hope look forward. 1870 Auf dem GeschafFnen diirft Ihr's weiter wagen Und sicher aufs Gelingen bau'n. With what has been achieved may you venture forth And surely count upon success.

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2. A HISTORY OF THE GERMAN SETTLEMENTS IN COMAL COUNTY

Starting from the mother colony of New Braunfels, various settlements in Comal County—to which the greater part of Kendall County formerly belonged—have, in the course of time, taken root. That this was accomplished only over a rather long space of time was due in part to the character of the area to be brought under cultivation, and in part it resulted from the conditions existing in earlier times. Only a mile beyond the rich Comal valley, which here forms the boundary of the rolling hills of Central Texas, the mountains begin to rise, interrupted only by river valleys and isolated patches of fertile, tillable soil. From there they merge into the Rocky Mountain system. Instead of the rolling, rounded line of hills covered with lush grass, so restful to the eye, or the broad prairies of the coastal plain where isolated groups of trees stand out like islands and the wooded riverbanks form a dark backdrop for the pastel colors of the flowers and grasses—here we find plateaus covered now with rock debris, now with the detritus of weathered limestone. They stretch for miles toward the northwest to the progressively higher peaks and summits of the mountain ranges that appear blue or violet depending on the time of day. Often only sparse grass grows in the soil between the jagged gray or reddish brown-tinged rock. Chalk white roads wind around mountains overgrown with yucca filamentosa and brush, or they lead along and over terraced layers of rock. Here and there in the high country,

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a valley—now narrow, now broad—with porous soil will spread out from the springs of the gullies which, as they flow toward the rivers, become crystal clear creeks flowing in beds of rock. Along their banks tower tall trees. On the valley floor along the Guadalupe, they form dense forests of nut trees, cembra pines, wild cherry trees, elms, sycamores, and massive cypresses, whereas over stretches of the high country and the mountain slopes are found blackjack, cedar, post oak, and live oak. The terrain determined the layout of the first settlements and limited the first settlers to those sites that could offer, in addition to arable soil, that indispensable life necessity—water. Thus, the first settlements were located close to flowing water, such as the Guadalupe River and the springs and creeks feeding it. The manner in which Texas was settled also had a profound influence on the gradual winning of this part of West Texas for civilization. In 1846 the entire northwest was wilderness. One hundred and fifty miles from the coast, New Braunfels was the first and outermost outpost that large-scale German immigration had produced on the Indian frontier between the older cities of San Antonio and Austin. Only the paths of hostile Indian tribes, who had their hunting grounds in the mountains, led through this territory. Over them the red men moved down onto the plains to rob and murder the isolated settlers. It would have been an insane venture to settle in Indian territory before the mass settlement along the Comal could afford support and security by its proximity. This was reinforced when the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants laid out Fredericksburg on Barrons Creek and brought in a number of immigrants at the same time. The Mormons also founded a colony on the Pedernales. In order to make possible the first settlement (New Braunfels), the society had to build a road. Its route and the traffic on it also decisively influenced the pioneers in their choice of homesites. In addition to the protection and security afforded by these first settlements, they gave the German settlers an opportunity during their stay in New Braunfels to learn the methods of farming and raising cattle here, skills which were of vital importance to them. They were also given provisions and the means to establish themselves. The colony gradually developed in such a way that it was able to supply all the settlers' needs. Thus, those coming later had life somewhat easier than the first

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colonists, whose supplies had to be brought in from the coast. But, it always called for great courage and manly strength to take upon oneself the hardship and sacrifices of pioneer life and to risk the dangers of the wilderness, against which one could prevail only by great effort and hard work. In line with and on the basis of the principles and facts just stated, the following sequence of the settlement of Comal County in the course of time is, to the best of my knowledge, correct. In 1845 and 1846, the first colonists laid out their farms to the southwest along the old Nacogdoches road in the direction of San Antonio on the society's land along both sides of Comal Creek. At almost the same time, Comal Town was settled and, on the Horton League on the east bank of the Guadalupe, land was bought by the Iwonsky, Mueller, Eikenroht, Wallhoefer, Schulz, Dangers, Alves, Manger, Mittendorf, Voges, Bodemann, Beuckisch, Harms, and Habermann families. Here a windmill was erected. In so-called Schumannsville, where the Schumann, Rudeloff, Sanchelin, Zipp, Maurer, Koepsel, Kantsch, Altwein, Blumberg, Adams, Beissner, Kohler, and Engelke families settled, a large piece of land was cleared and made into a communal enclosure; and the houses along the bank of the Guadalupe formed a street. The first settler at Frenchman's Corner (so called because in 1845 a Frenchman had been murdered there, probably by Indians) was Henry Voelker, who later served for many years as judge of this precinct. At Mission Hill, L. Kepler, J. Brecher, H. Dietz, Bremer, Kappmeyer, and Foerster settled. They were later joined by Boehms, Walzem, Mueller, Startz, and Kendall. At Waco Springs, the families of Spiess, Wetzel, Krueger, Groos, Lohl, Meine, and Pape settled in 1847. The families of Grothaus, Schuette, Riefkohl, and Klauss settled at Eight Mile Creek (Danville) in 1848, and H. Bremer, Jonas, Schaefer, Hierholzer, and Wenzel settled nearby. In New Frankfort, there settled the Dietz brothers, Halm, Rudorf, Behr, Buss, Bauer, and Weber; on the Santa Clara, Leichner, Orth y Schulz, Helmke, Voges, Troeste, Klein, Kurre, and Weyl; at Clear Spring, Breustedt, Stein, Brandes, Specht, Bock, Steinmeyer, and Jauer. When the Esnaurizar Eleven-League Grant—which included the rich land between the Guadalupe and the San Geronimo and to which

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some of the settlements mentioned above belonged—was divided, the following also settled there: Wahnschaffe, Gervin, Oelkers, Specht, Timmer, Pieper, Stein, and Fehlis; and along the San Geronimo: R. Bechem, Coochmann, Wuppermann, Tips, Harborth, Moorfield, Goldbeck, and Luessmann. The New Braunfels merchants, Ferguson and Hessler, established a farm in Marienthal in 1849. That same year, Freitag, Holzgrave, Juack, Braunholz, Biesele, and Ernst bought land on York Creek. On the upper course of the Cibolo, Schulmeier, Piper, Voges, Rompel, Vogel, the Wehe brothers, Koch, Kavelmacher, and Foerster all settled at about the same time. On the lower Cibolo toward La Vernia, the Hellmann brothers, Zuehl, Perryman, Stahl, and Gelven settled. In Smithson Valley, where Ben Smithson first bought land, he was soon followed by H. Busch, C. Kuehn, Groennke, Hillert, Loeffler, Gass, Spangenberg, C. Ohlrich, and Sengers. The first settlers along the Guadalupe, upward from Buffalo Springs, were Bremer, Kunz, Olsen, Kleinhans, and Tausch; beyond that, Smith and Calhoun; then Bose, Conro, Hefter, Arzt, Holz, and Starz. The south side of the upper Guadalupe was settled by Elmendorf, G. Rummler, Schurz, and Esser; and in 1850 came James Henderson and Jowers. That same year Pauly built in Jakobsthal, and Hans von Specht on Honey Creek. The first German at Spring Branch who brought in his family was Dietrich Knibbe in January 1852. Later came Peter Imhof, Kriegner, and others; and then Judge W. E. Jones, who lived at Curry's Creek. L. Willke built not far from there on the road to Fredericksburg (which was laid out by the Comal County Company by way of the Blanco), while on the Blanco, George, Wuppermann, Jonas, Goar, Patton, Durham, Blasingame, Callahan, Kneuper, Meyerhofer, and Muenzler settled. This occurred while this part of Blanco County still was a part of Comal County. The settlement of Sisterdale, begun by N. Zink and Holekamp, was added to significantly by the arrival of Behr, Degener, Dr. Kapp, Corstanger, Rhodius, Dr. Runge, Kueckler, and Neupert. Likewise, the number of farmers on the Guadalupe was increased by the families of Panthermuehl, Baedge, and Kaemmerling. Very soon after the beginning of the settlement, Louis Donop and one of Judge Jones' foremen were killed by Indians.

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We end our list with the names of those settlers who built above the Horton League: Friedrichs, J. Voelker, and Harms, and those further up, Sattler, Fischer, and Branch. This may suffice for this sketch, which can lay no claim to completeness in listing the first settlers of whom there must be many whose names have not been mentioned. A more detailed history of the different settlements—desirable as it may be—must be left until later. It will, like this brief treatment, record how the courage, hard work, and stamina of the Germans have brought civilization to this stretch of land so little favored by nature. The result has been that hundreds of families have now established homes and prosperous lives, and German customs and a free, joyous way of life have developed. Long may they endure!

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3. MY FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE IN TEXAS A Sentimental Recollection of the Past

The house that we lived in during the winter of 1843 was rather far from the actual business district of the city of Galveston. It was located on the beach near the bay and not far from a windmill. On the day after our arrival, on the thirteenth of December, the Rossi, Behrmann, and Budde families rented it until the first of the year for eight dollars. I had made a contract with Mr. Carl Rossi to work with him for a quarter of the yield on a piece of land that he expected to buy, and so I was quartered with him. The house stood in the open, almost alone, by a little-traveled road. The structure was very spacious, twostoried, built of wood with wood siding, and had a small balcony over the door on the side facing the road. It belonged to a French gentleman, Mr. Savage. Rossi's family lived in two cheery, bright rooms on the second floor. The other families and an instrument maker, Hemmke, and his family lived in the other rooms save one, a large room that was later occupied by the Bruns brothers and with them Fritz Heidemeyer. A long addition on the side facing the water served as the common kitchen. Continuing rainy weather, that did not seem too cold to us freshly arrived Germans, had kept the plant life green until then; and the semitropic heat of the succeeding sunny days had stimulated the growth of the plants. And so too on Sunday, the twenty-fourth of December, the sun rose brightly over the Gulf of Mexico. In the freshness of the early, spring-

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like morning, I went to a small nearby creek in which the clear, fresh water, flowing from a depression in the sand, trickled to the beach. I dipped it up with a ladle until I had a pailful. The loud crowing of roosters sounded from the isolated farms and was mingled with the lively twittering of the birds and the roar of the gulf. Like heavy raindrops the pearls of dew lay on the tall green blades of grass and hung from the low freshly green bushes and vines. In the drops sunbeams were reflected as flashes of glistening, colored light. Filled with good spirits, I performed the household tasks assigned to me. I was kept busy with them until noon. At the common midday meal, our conversation dwelt on the Christmas celebration in Germany, where at this moment (there it would already be 7:00 P.M.) the Christmas Eve festivities had long been under way. My thoughts wandered to my loved ones beyond the sea—how their Christmas tree was radiant in bright splendor and, how at home, they were thinking of me with love and concern. However, I did not have the leisure to long pursue such thoughts but accompanied Meta, a girl from our ship, to the city as her interpreter. She had taken a job as cook with an American family named Yates and would earn ten dollars a month. After a short stay in this gentleman's pleasant home, I also visited the Catholic church, where sermons were held in German. Then, I hurried home and remained there until after supper when, with Conrad Grupe, I took Dr. Mueller's things to the residence of Alexander Rossi, for the doctor wanted to watch at his sickbed. Now I was at liberty and, once again, I went to town, although the sky was becoming overcast with gray clouds. I found my way to Christ's church. For a short time, I listened to the pastor in the Methodist church. He was preaching too loudly and too rapidly for me; so I betook myself to the brightly lit English Episcopal church. It, like the Methodist church, was a wooden structure and was decorated with dark green garlands of leaves and flowers. Over the altar was inscribed: "Holiness is thy house, O Lord." The magnificent decorations, with fresh greenery in the midst of winter, reminded me of the Whitsuntide festival at home, when the church was decorated with light green May boughs. The solemn, full-voiced singing of the welltrained choir pleased the ear and filled my soul with pious reverence. It was the song of praise by the heavenly host on that holy night of

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the birth of our Savior—Gloria sit in excelsis Deo!—to which I had so often listened in the Christmas mass. In the depth of my heart reverberated the words: Per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen! Thus filled with the true Christmas spirit, I left the church and stepped out into the dark, mild night with the crowd of worshipers. They soon dispersed while I walked along the broad street leading from the church. I had a great desire to see, this very evening, a Christmas tree. Finally, my wish was to be fulfilled. On the right side of the street stood a house in a yard with fragrant, blossoming rosebushes. Through the shutters of one of the windows, a light brighter than that of the other windows reached me, a lonely wanderer. I stood a while in front of the garden gate, watched, and listened to the muffled sound of happy children's voices. Finally, I ventured hesitantly to open the gate and approached cautiously with soft steps over the sandy path. Then, just as softly, I climbed the few steps to the porch. At the nearest window, I peered through the slats of the shutter that I had carefully pushed farther apart and looked into a cheery room. There, in the splendor of a small pyramid of lights decorated with green branches and brightly colored ornaments, I saw the eyes flashing with joy and the cheeks glowing with pleasure of the dear little children with their magnificent pile of gifts. I did not long indulge myself in the sight of this charming scene of happy family life but, happy and yet full of melancholy too, I went quietly back to the gate as unnoticed as I had come. From there I walked on through the dark night, a lonely stranger in a country still so new to me. It was dark around about me, and gloomy clouds with which the sky was overcast obscured the friendly stars so that they were unable to cast their light down onto my path or into my heart to brighten the unrevealed and uncertain future of my life. Only the roar of the surf on the gulf beach—now rising, now falling, borne on the rising, offshore wind—reached my ear ever more loudly as I approached the sea toward which my road was leading me. Here I climbed the high sand dunes which ran along the coast like a protective wall, warding off the impact of the waves. Before me lay the restless sea which ceaselessly cast its dark waves with their foaming whitecaps onto the flat light-colored beach. Here they broke with a slapping sound and were quickly swallowed up by their successors.

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A shudder at the mighty force of nature passed over me, and I turned my eyes toward the land that, like the sky and the sea, was shrouded in murky gray. Then, scarcely to be noticed, there appeared a brighter, friendlier patch of sky on the western horizon. Just as a girl awaiting her lover peeks from a place of hiding, then shyly withdraws when, instead, a stranger appears, so a single star peered briefly from a break in the clouds and then disappeared as quickly again. Yet, an opening had been made. The thick black veil of mourning became tattered and was reshaped into white and silver gray ships whose airy sails revealed, now here, now there, a sparkling star. Only in the southeast did a giant wall of dense clouds, dark and threatening, persist over the sea. Vainly a star emerged from it—then reappeared and remained. And now, the upper edge of the cloudbank turned to gold. At first dimly, then ever more brilliantly, it gleamed forth and, in the reflected light, the island with its brightly colored buildings became a dream-vision of the imagination. Glowing ever more brightly, ever more radiantly, the upper edge of the receding cloudbank continued to shine, as the moon, like a point of light, appeared from behind. With its golden arc, it seemed to merge with the cloud and form the keystone of the mighty vault of light. Soon, however, it broke free and rose clear of the rim of clouds. A royal lord of the night, it cast its radiance onto the peaceful earth and the restless sea, into which the dark cloudbank withdrew. As it had for thousands of years, the moon flooded its mother, the earth, with reflected sunlight—a sublime image of the victory of the light of truth over the darkness of error and deceit. Before me now lay the broad sea as though encircled by a halo. It formed a bridge of light over which my thoughts traveled to the distant, familiar scenes with my loved ones in the old homeland and up to the radiant, heavenly heights of eternal love. And, amidst the roar of the surf, there came forth from a soul that was deeply stirred and a heart that was filled with joy the words: Glory be to God in the highest, Peace on Earth, And good will to men.

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4. GALVESTON COUNTY IN 1844 Pages from the Diary of a German Texan

It was during the week of Easter in the beginning of April 1844 that I took down my walking stick to hike from Dickinson Bayou to Brazoria. Cheerful and full of good spirits, as only a twenty-year-old can be, I slid over the two tree trunks that connected with what was left of a beam bridge that had been torn loose and left dangling by a flood. I climbed the west bank of the bayou and now found myself in the broad open prairie. The green plain spread out before me like a great sea. In the distance there arose a marvelous little island, my first landmark on the road, just as it had been described to me. Wagon tracks that were occasionally visible in the grass, but often enough disappeared completely, marked the road. But then, the road from Houston to Galveston by way of Virginia Point was no different except that from time to time there were ten- to twelve-foot poles that had probably been set up earlier to mark the road. With enthusiasm and good cheer, I set out for my destination but, in order to survey the countryside, I took care to climb every mound that was higher than usual. The prairie was all too beautiful in its spring dress. At my feet the mimosa spread its tender, delicate leaves and round white, red, or yellow blossoms. Round about, a countless number of delightful pale pink or golden yellow cups of the prairie rose (Monsonia) stood out from the light green of the grass. Then, like dwarf trees, the dome-shaped, dark-leafed indigo bushes displayed clusters of yellow blossoms and, next to them, the ixia (iris)

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were like stars gathered into bouquets. Here and there, a small bird fluttered up through the blades of grass while swallowtail butterflies, as large as your hand, flitted from flower to flower on yellow wings edged in black, and red- or deep blue-winged butterflies balanced on the flower calices. In wide circles high overhead, the buzzards glided in the clear air, and pensively my eyes followed their flight into the distance. On a burned-off patch, now freshly covered with newly sprouting grass, stood a herd of deer but, before I could get off a shot from my gun, they took off at full speed. Looking after them, I caught sight of a large object in the distance to the south. It rose above the level ground, and I soon recognized it to be a corral erected on the prairie by the neighboring farmers for capturing mustangs. The approach formed a widely extended V that converged toward the entrance. At the island I sat down in the shade under the trees and took my midday lunch from my badger-skin knapsack. My lunch consisted of cornbread, boiled eggs, and jerky (pieces of dried beef), which Mrs. Carl Rossi had thoughtfully prepared for me and that tasted especially good with the water dipped from the shallow creek. After rest came toil, for the sun had advanced far beyond the zenith, and now I had to move on. I had a choice of numerous paths that the cattle had made through the grass on their way to water, but which was the right one? In the distance shimmered the blue line of the forest. That part (of the forest) on the right seemed closest; so I set out that way. At the beginning the prairie had contained hillocks (mounds that were two to three feet high and eight to ten feet in diameter) and had been dry, but here the water was often ankle deep under the tall grass. My feet sank deep in the mud, and I became more and more tired as I struggled slowly forward. It was then that I discovered that the trees toward which I was moving belonged to a single island and not to the larger woods of Chocolate Bayou which lay on my left, indistinct and blue. I headed straight for it and finally reached a path that was dry and well trod. Here I made a short stop while a bunch of wild mustangs with flaring nostrils rushed past me and soon disappeared from sight in the green sea of grass. Then I went on in order to reach the woods before nightfall. The sun sank lower and not a single friendly house was to be seen.

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"You'll have to spend the night in the open," I was thinking to myself, when all at once a wisp of white smoke appeared over the trees. After another quarter-hour's walk, I caught sight of a large farm. The tall trees with their bare branches were sure signs of habitation. (The mighty giants of the virgin forest are not felled, but a deep ring broad as a hand is cut around the trunk close to the ground, and the tree is allowed to die and rot until a high wind brings it down.) I had made no mistake, for soon I heard the lowing of the mother cows and their calves that were confined in a pen. It was milking time, and two very pleasant American girls were busy milking the cows, while an old Swede held the calves that had been pulled away from their mothers' udders with a rope. I approached, removed my straw hat, and asked, "May I stay here tonight?" They answered pleasantly, "We believe you can. Ask our mother. She is in the house." With that information I went to the broad old log house, where a venerable lady was rocking in her chair under the porch roof. "Good evening, madam." "Good evening, sir." "Can I stay here tonight?" "Yes, sir, walk in and take a seat." I had been on my feet long enough, and I found it pleasantly cool inside. The first part of the conversation concerned where I had come from and where I was going. In speaking English, I felt myself somewhat inhibited. The girls came in with full pails and were followed by a vigorous seventy-year-old man holding his two granddaughters by the hand. They had stuck flowers into their headbands, and now they ran over to their mother. Again there was an exchange of greetings, and then the invitation, "Come in to supper." The food was simple and wholesome, and the hospitality at table generous. "Help yourself," and a dish of jerky was proffered. In addition, there was hot cornbread, cool sour milk, and fresh sweet milk. In the dining room stood a large fourposter bed with a brightly colored quilt. As the guest bed, this was placed at my disposal and, as soon as the family had withdrawn, I lay down, thought of my loved ones at home, and gently went off to sleep. The morning sun streaming into the room awakened me. Outside

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the whole farm had come to life: cocks crowed, hens cackled, and the cows ran joyfully out of the opened pen to freedom. "Good morning, sir. How did you sleep?" etc.,—the same friendly formalities that we Germans observe. Before breakfast I was able to go out into the field and inspect the construction of a large corn mill. Then we ate a simple, tasty breakfast like yesterday's supper: coffee, milk, meat, cottage cheese, butter, and the steaming corn cakes. It was now time for me to go but, since I had no money to pay my lodging and board, my embarrassment at having to ask the obligatory question, "What do you ask for my staying here last night?" is easy to imagine. Likewise, my relief when the old man said, "Nothing, sir, and if you come this way again, give us a call. You are welcome." With gratitude I shook the hand of my generous host in farewell and echoed with feeling the parting greeting of the family, "Good-bye, good-bye!" With that I again marched out onto the prairie and pondered in my heart the stories told last evening by the two old settlers, especially a remark of the silver-haired philosopher, Little, "I'd like to see Texas free and then die." When asked why, he responded, "Because I suffered so much in and for this country." Below oaks, spruce, and pines in which birds were chirping and building nests, the way led to the low-lying but shallow Chocolate Bayou, then out into the prairie which extends from there to Oyster Creek. The morning-fresh, green sea about me, the clear, light blue sky above me, and the gulf breeze blowing about me—all put me in a happy mood so that I began to sing beloved old marching songs and to walk along vigorously to their beat. There, where the edge of the Oyster Creek bottoms form a pleasing triangle, stood a new log cabin at the edge of the woods. The simple building, set on high blocks, looked neat and trim; and its plan of construction, two rooms separated by an open central room with a porch in front, made a special impression on me so that I decided to build my own house by this plan some day. The owner was a young blacksmith who had been born in Ireland but raised in Canada. He was busy setting a heavy gate to his cow pen on wooden hinges that were affixed to an oak tree. I wished him a good day, and he responded in a like friendly manner. Since I saw that I could help, I put my baggage and coat aside and lent him a hand. In this way the work was soon finished. He drew water from a

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twenty-foot well and, while we were refreshing ourselves with the clear, good-tasting water, he told me that he had settled here two months before and that he lived here with his sister. If I would wait a bit until she came up from the creek with the wash, I could share their meal. We went into the house and sat down in the doorway that was open to the fresh south wind. Miss Jimmenson, a young woman with rosy cheeks, soon came and extended her hand in a friendly greeting, then quickly turned to preparing the meal that in a short time brought us together around the neatly set table. The pleasant home and the open, friendly character of the two young people put me completely at ease so that the time slipped by too quickly, and I would have much liked to stay. However, I cordially took my leave and continued my journey in order to reach before nightfall the next farm that they had told me about. The sun set, however, before I could reach the woods. Though tired and exhausted, I hurried in the quickly falling twilight toward a large two-storied building. Imagine my disappointment and dismay when I found the house empty and abandoned; likewise, the entire farmyard. My steps, dull and hollow, reverberated in the large rooms. Now that night had fallen, should I sleep here alone? No, rather in the woods. So, I set out again, hoping I might still reach another house. In the pitch dark, not knowing the way, which was rutted and trampled by cattle, I groped my way forward through the woods. I shouted and was answered by whoo-whoo-whoo from the thicket. It was the cry of a night owl. Lights flashed before me. They were only fireflies flitting about. The ground became damp and muddy; the ruts, deeper. I was at the end of my rope. I threw down my knapsack and was preparing to lie down on it when I heard the barking of dogs, and my eyes clearly perceived the flame of a fire. It had the effect on me of an electrical shock and drove me on again. Close by, to the right of the road, was a bottomland farm, and the fire had been lit in the old log cabin to drive off the mosquitoes. A young American was living there, whom, however, I could not see in the darkness but only heard as he called back his dogs. To my timid question, if I might stay, he answered, yes, and invited me to come in. His wife, a tall, slender lady who was likewise very young with curly brown hair, did the honors at table; and a black woman

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served. After the meal the young man told me that he was poor in that he had only thirty cows of his own. He was renting the plantation, but otherwise they had everything necessary for their livelihood, and he had hopes of prospering. I thought to myself: "Well, if this is poverty, what are you who have nothing much but your clothes?" A bed was made for me between the two doors but, in spite of the smoke, the mosquitoes made sleep difficult, if not impossible. They stung me and, with the blood, sucked away sleep. With the first gray light of dawn, the sound of an ox horn awakened me. I got up quickly since my bed had to be cleared away to make room for the breakfast table. The rainwater dipped from a large barrel—there was no well—was cool and clear, only it was alive with mosquito larvae. I inspected some cotton seed and was told how it was cleaned as we walked through a field in which young corn stalks were standing over a foot high in absolutely straight rows. At the same time, I became aware of the mortal danger that I had been in the night before. A deep swamp, overgrown with rushes and reeds, ran close to the edge of the road that I had traveled during the night; and I could have easily fallen in. Inwardly thanking God for keeping me from harm and heartily glad for the answer to my question concerning the amount owed for my lodging—"Nothing. You are welcome."—I took my leave of these hospitable people and promised to call again whenever I should come that way. This time my road took me through the woods to the open grassland, where the air was heavy with the fragrance of flowers. A species of tree, which is called "China tree" (chinaberry) here, was growing in dense clumps and formed tall, slender boskets such as are found in parks. The bright green, leafy crowns were hung with countless bluish red clusters of blossoms, resembling the lilac and having a lilaclike fragrance. Round about these groups were densely entangled blackberry brambles covered over and over with large, white, roselike blossoms that also gave forth a sweet fragrance. Often the groups converged more closely on both sides of the road so that it resembled an artificially cultivated avenue of blossoms. Viewing this splendor, I could but recall the image of my dear departed mother, and I imagined the joy that she, a devoted lover of flowers, would have felt had she been able to behold it. A change in the landscape soon dispelled the feeling of melancholy

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which I, walking through the wilderness in a strange land, felt at the memory of the dear departed one. In front of me in the woods, the deep gully of Oyster Creek wound in sharp bends. Over it led a narrow pile bridge about thirty feet high. On the opposite side was a large plantation, past which the road again led into the exceptionally lovely prairie. Imagine a meadow about five miles in diameter, surrounded by woods whose numerous salients and the farm buildings stand out in sharp contrast. Behind them are seen giant trees, dead and gray, and hung with long gray strands of flaxlike Spanish moss. In the fresh grass, thousands of cattle are grazing in groups. From their midst the peaceful sound of bells are heard. With spring in the air, heavy with the fragrance of May blossoms and, over it all, the bright blue vault of heaven across which scurry snow white wisps of cloud, you can easily imagine my lightness of heart. Eilende Wolken, Segler der Liifte Wer mit Euch wanderte, mit Euch schiffte! GriiBet mir freundlich mein Jugendland! Scurrying clouds, mariners of the winds, Whoever travels with you, with you embarks, Let him fondly greet the land of my youth! My song rang out in the fresh air but broke off as I caught sight of two riders coming toward me on the road, the first travelers that I had met. They were an elderly gentleman and lady, to whom I offered the time of day. They stopped and were kind enough to tell m£ about the road and distance to Brazoria, and they also explained the strange occurrence of so many skulls lying along the roadside—not of men, but of cattle. It seems that people are accustomed to shoot the animals on the prairie, skin them, and carry off the meat and hides, but leave the heads behind. I still had eight miles ahead of me, so I marched off at a lively pace. On a rise in the prairie, I caught sight of a white mound. Hoping to see Texas rock for the first time, I approached and found it to be a mass of bleached and weathered bones that had been piled up there, and I wondered how they had gotten there. But, I was thirsty, and so I went to one of the plantations and asked for a drink of water.

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A young woman invited me to come into the house which spread out sedately between fig trees in the shade of a broad-branched live oak. I drank pure cistern water and met a young man, Joseph Polley, who offered me a chair, and we talked. Since it was noon, he invited me to the dining room to eat with them. At the table the young wife, whom I had taken to be a girl (she was only fifteen and had a sixmonth-old baby), laughed at my European English which seemed "sorter outlandish" to her. When I asked about the pile of bones, I learned that during a flood on the Brazos, Bailey's Prairie had been submerged, and the cattle had tried to find safety on the higher places. Crowded together there, they had drowned. Both young people said that I should come back if I did not find work with the Giesecke brothers in town or on the farm. Promising to do this, I took my leave. A broad cleared road through the Brazos bottoms, which I was now entering, led to the bank of the mighty river. A ferry station stood on this side. Without accepting payment, the ferryman, Mr. John Pruitt, took me across the yellow flood filling the deep riverbed on his bobbing skiff to old Brazoria, the destination and goal of my journey.

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5. ON THE BRAZOS IN APRIL 1844 From the Recollections of an Old German Texan

Schlecht und recht By hook or by crook It was on the third day of my hike from Dickinson Bayou to Brazoria that I reached the left bank of the Brazos River. On the opposite side, level with the left bank, stood the town of Brazoria. Communication between the two riverbanks was provided by an old flat-bottomed ferryboat. On it the ferryman carried me across the river, which, he said, was twenty-seven feet deep at that point. From there the rather broad river leisurely transports its dirty yellow flood a distance of twenty miles down to the gulf. Although the town itself had been laid out scarcely ten years before in one of the most fertile regions of the Republic, it presented a run-down appearance in the spring of 1844. Many of the houses, which were built of wood, were standing empty and in a state of decay. Likewise, the fences and the only partially completed wood sidewalks were in a state of disrepair. Weeds flourished in the streets, as well as in the neglected gardens. The spacious courthouse may once have been attractive; now it stood out among the trees, gray with age, hostile and threatening. A more agreeable impression was given by the single-storied but well-kept building in which Mr. Eduard Giesecke had his amply stocked store. It was here that I went and received a friendly reception from my countrymen. I spent the evening with them in the so-

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ciable German manner. The good entertainment, enlivened by music performed on the violin and piano, let me forget that I was in a foreign land and made me feel at home. Among the company was a young man named Ahlers, who manufactured cigars. I spent the night in the store. Giesecke's farm is rather large, has rich soil, and is located near the town, but further down river. One of the brothers operates it with the help of Negroes. They chiefly raise tobacco and in winter also distill brandy. They had no employment for me, and all inquiries concerning a suitable job for me were without result. Thus, nothing came of my hope of finding work in Brazoria. I did not want to remain at Giesecke's any longer; so I decided to go back to Polley's farm. I was encouraged to do this by the ferryman, John Pruitt, whom I had asked about the family. I shouldered my knapsack and strode off cheerily along the same road through the same Brazos bottoms that I had traveled two days before. Thin gray clouds spread across the sky, and a slow rain began to fall, from which the thick crowns of the ancient forest giants sheltered me. The silence of the forest surrounding me initially was broken after I had gone a few miles by the ring of axes and the crash of falling trees. The crack of whips and the shouts of men soon sounded louder and closer to my ears; yet I saw no one. Then, where the road made a bend around a wide creek, I caught sight of a busy band of men and a number of horses tied to trees beside the road. They were the mounts of the local planters who were improving the road. Massive trunks of oaks were dragged up by oxen, rolled into the dry creek bed by Negroes, laid alongside one another, then covered with branches and bushes, over which dirt was spread. This was necessary because there are no stones here. An old but vigorous planter, six foot tall, was standing on a tree stump directing and supervising the work. Dressed in a blue hickory shirt and trousers with a narrow-brimmed hat on his whitish gray curly hair, his sinewy and wiry figure towered even above the riders. Walking slowly toward the group, I offered the men my greetings, which were cordially returned. I then watched the work which proceeded without interruption. "How do you like our new bridge, stranger?" one of the men asked me. "Very much, for it is strong and heavy for such a creek," I replied.

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"It ought to (serve well) when the rain sets in after the long spell of dry weather we have had since Christmas. ,, I tipped my hat and walked on, covering the remaining five miles past Governor Henry Smith's farm and marching out into Bailey's Prairie. At the edge of the woods, I turned off the road to the left and soon reached Polley's farm. The house was shaded by the broad mosshung branches of a centuries-old live oak. There I caught sight of the familiar figures of young Polley and his youthful wife, together with his mother and younger brothers and sisters, sitting under the porch roof. There was the exchange of greetings, the cordial invitation to come in, and the introduction of the family members whom I had not yet met. I wore my heart on my sleeve. I told how I had failed to find work in Brazoria and that I would like to stay here with them. In this I addressed myself primarily to the mother of the house, who did not appear old at all. She spoke sympathetically about my request and asked me to wait with them until Master Polley should return from working on the road. The time passed quickly in conversation with the ladies and children. The latter were shy at first but soon became better acquainted with me. In the evening the old gentleman returned on horseback accompanied by the Negroes and the team of oxen. He was the same gentleman that I had met a few days before and whose businesslike handling of today's bridge building I had liked so much. To him, too, I spoke openly of my desire to stay with him in order to learn the American way of farming. I also said that I was not so much interested in earning money as in gaining knowledge in agriculture, the language, and life in Texas. He replied that, although he had no need of my labor, I should in the meantime stay with him until I had found a suitable place. Tomorrow was Sunday, and on Monday he would see what he could do for me. To this I was agreeable. To the north of the main house stood a spacious cabin solidly built of large squared oak logs. It contained a window and a large fireplace, and in it a clean, freshly made bed with a mosquito net had been set up. To this my kind host led me, wished me a friendly good night, and left me alone under the hospitable roof where I felt safe and secure.

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Fatigued by the journey and the events of the day, I quickly undressed and lay down while the heavy rain splashed down on the solid shingle roof. However, it was a long while before the troubled thoughts about my uncertain future were dispelled by my firm trust, reinforced by past experience, in God's gracious guidance of my destiny. The memory of the various happenings of my so eventful twentyfirst year, which I had completed on this day, turned to fantasies of happy times ahead. The active life of the farm awakened me early the next morning from a deep, refreshing sleep. My spirits were as bright as the sun rising over the prairie, which was freshly green from the rain. In a million droplets, the sunlight sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow. Filled with cheerful gratitude and optimism, I began this first day of my twenty-second year of life. I quickly dressed in my Sunday best and went to the large cow pen where the daughters of the house and a few Negresses had long been milking a large number of wellfed, glossy-coated cows. From the taut udders the rich milk was drawn into the shiny pails. Then I went to the barns and enjoyed looking at the handsome horses and the powerful mules which were contentedly chewing on the ample supply of foot-long ears of corn. I also sampled the water from a bucket well that had been sunk twenty-eight feet into the rich marshland and lined with brick. The water was clear and cool but had an earthy taste; so it was used for watering the animals and for washing. For drinking and cooking, rainwater was used. It had flowed from the broad roof of the house through wooden conduits to a spacious cistern in a shed especially built to house it. After the large herd of cattle had been turned out to pasture—I counted more than a hundred head—we were summoned to breakfast. This consisted of good coffee with sweet cream and golden yellow, coarse-grained sugar, fresh milk, buttermilk, beefsteak, hominy, hot biscuits, and cornbread. In addition, there was really excellent butter and freshly made cottage cheese. It tasted delicious in spite of the haste with which we ate, for the table had to be set a second time for the children. While the two women were busy with the children and clearing the table and the two men were shaving and changing clothes, I sat down

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on the porch, took my notebook, and drew a map of Texas. One after another, the children, filled with curiosity, came over and watched. When Emmeline, one of the daughters, who was pretty as a picture with long dark brown curls, asked me to draw her, I gladly fulfilled her wish and made a quick sketch of her profile. This produced a lot of excitement among the children, and everyone had to come and see this rather unprepossessing piece of art. Even the Negroes had to come and see Emmeline, and then all the children wanted to pose. They said, "Oh, Mr. Hermann, draw me too!" "No, me first!" until the master of the house ordered them to desist. The men sat down with me, and I had to tell them about my past and why I had come to Texas. I spoke openly and frankly. The old gentleman seemed to like my fresh youthful spirit and smiled with approval. But then, becoming thoughtful and serious, he said that I might soon lose my rosy complexion because I was not acclimated, and the fever would first have to break my constitution. I had already heard of this "breaking the constitution," and it had been a source of vague concern. So, I replied that for this reason I wanted to work diligently without pay for good folk in order that they might help and care for me if I should become sick. I also told him that I was not afraid and felt myself strong and sound enough to withstand the disease. He shook his gray head and said that it was the strong young men like myself who were most vulnerable. A visit by the neighbors, who stayed for dinner, interrupted our conversation and soon banished the melancholy but fleeting impression that it had made on me. The following conversation, which I listened to attentively but in silence, drew my thoughts to other things. The subjects of the conversation consisted of family events (in which the Negroes were included), the outlook for more of the so necessary rain, the cultivation of the fields, the condition of the crops, the care of the horses and cattle, and also the plans for extending and improving the farms. In brief, it was a leisurely conversation, such as is customarily carried on between good neighbors enjoying the undisturbed peace of a Sunday afternoon. The existing state of war with Mexico and the possibility of a renewed invasion by the Mexicans were, to my surprise, not even mentioned. It was just on this point that I would have liked to learn more.

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There existed such a complete lack of concern in this regard that it appeared to me that there was no thought of danger nor any fear of such an eventuality. In the evening supper had been eaten before sunset, the visitors had ridden home, and I was again sitting at ease on the porch with the members of the family, cooled by the fresh gulf breeze sweeping across the prairie. I could no longer hold back from asking about the lack of concern for the war. I got my answer from the old pioneer, who in 1812 had served in Canada in the war against England and had come to Texas with Stephen F. Austin in 1823. "The Mexicans," he said, "who are being brought here are a rabble forced into service. No man of courage need fear them. They are cowards who desert their officers when it comes to a fight. Far from here to the west, in San Antonio, Captain Jack Hays has a company of brave fellows who have had many a hard fight with the Indians. They'll show them right away that it's no picnic to fight with Texans and, even if they come by the thousands, these men will hold them back until our militia and volunteers come and drive them back across the Rio Grande—those who can still run, that is. No Mexican will ever get this far again. You can be sure of that." Then he and the matron of the house told me how they had first lived in the small log cabin that now formed one room of the present house, and how, lacking bread, they had lived on game and had fashioned their clothing and shoes of deerskin. At intervals of several months, peddlers had come and traded them bullets, cotton cloth, cooking utensils, and salt, and sometimes coffee too, for furs. Against marauding, hostile Indians, they had barricaded themselves in the log cabin and defended themselves until the Indians had moved on or been driven off with the help of neighboring settlers. The two old people spoke in such a simple and matter-of-fact manner of the hardships and dangers of those first years of homesteading in the wilderness, as though they had been in no way extraordinary, but rather were the usual vicissitudes of daily life. It seemed to me that, in their present comfortable situation, they were happy not only to have lived through those bad times and to have those years behind them but to have lived through them in this manner. In them the old saying, Juvat meminisse praeteriti mali (It is pleasant to remember past troubles), was confirmed.

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With eager attention I listened to their stories of that distant time that must have been so very difficult. I would have liked to have stayed up and heard more. But, when the grandfather's clock struck ten, the old gentleman got up, wished everyone a good night, and with that all went to bed. I too took my candle (they are made here of tallow in sheet-metal forms), walked across the quiet yard to my log cabin, and thought: Tomorrow it's early to work, for here they follow Franklin's motto: Early to bed and early to rise Makes men healthy, wealthy, and wise.

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6. THE GERMAN COLONY OF NEW BRAUNFELS IN MAY 1845

It was at the beginning of April 1845, when Texan teamsters from Victoria in the employ of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas (Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer in Texas) arrived in Indian Point, which at that time consisted of one dwelling and a shed, the society's warehouse. The teamsters came to take us (the first group of immigrants) and the society's freight to the first settlement, New Braunfels, which had been laid out along the Guadalupe River fifteen miles above Seguin. We spent four weeks on the road before reaching Seguin. The ground was so soft from the almost daily rainfall that our oxcarts could only cover a short distance each day, and that was possible only if the weather and roads would permit and if the swollen creeks subsided sufficiently so that we could pass. Hoping that this would be the last day of our trip, we set out from Seguin in the early morning in order to be in New Braunfels by evening. It was a long, hot trip up from Seguin through the prairie along the east bank of the Guadalupe. We followed the fresh wagon tracks, civilization's first imprint in this wilderness sea of grass. To our right lay the endless prairie; before us to the northwest rose deep blue mountain ranges, which reminded me of the view of the coast of Cuba when our ship sailed along the south side of that island two years ago. Swerving from the track into the lush grass, our heavily loaded wagon, which resembled a boat on wheels, sank into the soft ground

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and would have become hopelessly stuck had not other American teamsters traveling with us hitched their teams ahead of ours and pulled us out. That day we succeeded in traveling twelve miles. Toward evening the tired oxen were unyoked and turned out to grass after their forelegs had been fettered with rawhide thongs. By the edge of a wood (which grew on the right of the road along the bank of a creek as far as its source), we set up our rooflike sailcloth tent. A fire was lit and preparations made for a meal consisting of cornbread, fried bacon, and coffee. While we were busy preparing the simple meal, a tall, strongly built young man with brown hair and beard, his clear eyes strengthened by glasses, approached us with a pleasant sounding, "Guten Abend, meine Herren. Kann ich bei Ihnen bleiben?" (Good evening, gentlemen. May I join you?) We were pleasantly surprised by this and reminded of home by the familiar sounds of our native language, which, since leaving Victoria, we had heard only from the mouths of our small company of fellow travelers. Thus, we were overjoyed to meet this new companion in this border region of the Republic (of Texas) through which only Indians roamed, and we invited him to share our frugal meal. We soon became acquainted, an acquaintanceship which later developed into a lifelong friendship. He was Dr. Wilhelm Remer of Breslau, whom we met here for the first time. He told us that he had traveled from Memphis, where he had first hung out his shingle as an M.D., to New Orleans. There he had practiced briefly on the steamer McKrinn, and then, on the tenth of April 1845, he had set out for Texas with the intention of joining the German colony. Then we told him of our experiences and our plans for the future. We were confident that the German settlement up here in the wholesome western part of the Republic would prosper. Our expectations were founded primarily on the well-managed administration of the, in our opinion, richly endowed Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, and we imagined the realization of its plans and projects to be both grandiose and assured. Thus, we sat chatting around the crackling fire until a thunderstorm coming up from the north drove us under the sheltering tent roof, where we sat on mattresses stacked one on the other. We hunched together with our pets, two cats and a dog, while the heavy subtropical storm raged over our

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heads. One flash of lightning followed another, and stroke after stroke crashed through the continually rolling thunder. The rain came down in torrents, and the water gushed around and through our tents so that we squatted on the mattresses as though on islands in the sea. Whenever there was an especially bright flash followed immediately by an air-and-earth-shaking crash of thunder, the doctor would express his admiration of the frighteningly magnificent scene with the words, "Oh, that was beautiful!" Directly, his words would be followed by a soft, fervent prayer from the lips of old Mrs. B., "Oh, good heavens, the wicked demons!" In this way she gave vent to the fear in her heart. Finally, somewhat before dawn, the storm wore itself out so that we were able to enjoy a few hours of sleep before continuing our journey. It was this same thunderstorm, from the fourth to the fifth of May 1845, which put a sudden end to the bloody orgy of the Indians in the Guadalupe bottoms, during which they had cooked, roasted, and eaten one of their enemies, a slain Waco, as a victory feast. Tonkawa squaws returning from that grisly feast told us, while tapping their bellies with satisfaction—their mouths twisted into grins— how delicious they found the meat and that they hoped that eating it would enable them to give birth to warriors just as brave as the slain man. At the same time, they offered us ripe blackberries in a wooden dish. We, however, declined them because they had been picked by the hands of cannibals. We had no time to reflect on the disturbing thought that we would be settling among such people because crossing the muddy creek and its slippery banks was extremely hazardous for our oxcarts and required our full attention and effort. This called for real grit. After all the wagons had successfully gotten through and reached the top of the bank, we were able to make good progress on the road that was, at first, quite solid until we came to a swamp at the edge of a wood of live oaks. Slowly but without threat of danger, we crossed the swamp and reached a high place on the prairie where lupines with light blue blossoms were growing profusely. From here we caught sight of the white tents of the colony, which, in the clear morning air, appeared less distant than they actually were. They shimmered in the light of the

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morning sun like sheep in a green pasture. On a hill on the other side of the Guadalupe River, at the same level as our location, a black and yellow flag was fluttering. There, before our eyes, lay the destination for which we had longed so much on the four-week overland journey from Carlshafen (now Indianola). Now we hoped to reach it easily this very day. Our steps, quickened by this expectation, carried us quickly down into the valley and to the banks of the Guadalupe. However, the sweep of its waters, swollen by the downpour of rain, made impossible any attempt to cross. So, we were forced to stop at the top of the bank below the ford and to unload our chests, etc., beside the society's freight that had been brought in and piled here and was now being guarded by the soldiers of the society, the trim lads Wetzel and Hartung. They wore long riding boots, gray wool blouses trimmed with brass buttons and black velvet collars and cuffs. Broad-brimmed scout's hats with a black feather were set dashingly on the head. They had swords buckled on and were armed with good rifles. The two men made a good impression and inspired a feeling of greater security, for now we were no longer dependent only upon ourselves for defense. High on the opposite, steep west bank, we saw that a tent had been set up in which two countrymen who were friends of ours, Christoph Luenzel and Ed. von Lochhausen from Hildesheim, were camping. In order to reach a place where we could greet them and converse with them, we pushed into the forest which lined the river on our side and consisted of mighty pecan and walnut trees. All our efforts, however, were hardly worthwhile because the underbrush, bushes, wild hemp, and other plants were so dense, and the trees on the island in the middle of the river were so high that we had to climb an elm before we could attract our friends' attention and communicate with them. They were standing on a ledge of the high tree-crowned bank. The conversation took too much of an effort to last long. Upon returning to the campsite, we found the tent already set up. One of the soldiers, young Hartung, prepared some delicious coffee for us and, after enjoying it, we turned in early and were soon lulled into sweet slumber by the sound of the river in the clear, cool night. The sixth of May dawned clear, and we were awakened by the first rays of the morning sun. A few steps brought us to the western slope of the prairie where we had a full view of the opposite bank. Its steep

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wall rose from the white limestone bed of the Guadalupe to more than forty feet above the water's surface. Light blue clay formed a mighty deposit that extended about a third of the way up. On this base, over a layer of sand and gravel, there was a deposit of yellow clay topped by up to four feet of brownish topsoil whose upper edge was covered with high green grass. Here and there rose single trees and bushes. Down below, where at two places large springs gushed out of the lower stratum of gravel, slender sycamores with white trunks stood and lifted their light green tops to the upper edge of the bluff. The bank shone in the morning sunshine with the most beautiful light. In an arc sweeping far to the southwest, it lined the river, in whose surface it cast its reflection. Our simple breakfast was quickly prepared and eaten. Refreshed and fortified, Remer and I set out early on the road to the colony. This road led us about a mile down the high wooded bank to the river. The water was still high, but its swiftly flowing current was again crystal clear. We could see the river bottom and enjoy a refreshing drink of the sparkling water. One of the Americans, who was splitting shingles for the society's buildings, carried us over to the other bank in a canoe roughly hewn from the trunk of a cypress tree. In high spirits we hiked on through forest and meadow in the direction that had been pointed out to us. In places the ground reverberated under our feet as though it were hollow below. We were gladdened by the water, the ground, the stand of trees, and the invigoratingly pure air. While coming down a slope through the bushes and absorbed in lively conversation, we suddenly found ourselves at the edge of the Comal River. We were surprised and enthralled by its primitive charm and beauty. Reminded of home, we spent some time enjoying the lovely sight and imprinting it unforgettably on our memory before we descended the bank. At this place the waters of the river, which resembled a deep, clear forest lake, were divided into two arms by a small forested island. Then the current changed to a raging, roaring, foaming vortex, reunited, and swiftly disappeared around a bend in the tree-covered bank. Two tree trunks formed the crossing over the narrow arm to the island. From there a giant tree trunk that had been felled to serve as

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a bridge led over the other arm to the bank beyond. Through a forest of slender elms, broad-branched pecans, and other trees, we hiked up a gentle incline and found ourselves directly on the plain on which the town had been laid out. The first settlers, whom we met at their building site, were the members of the Bremer family from Werden. They gave us a friendly greeting and answered our questions. Our first view of the colony was an expansive one. Dispersed at random over the land that was covered with dense high grass stood isolated trees, tents, small enclosures, temporary shelters, and houses under construction. Wagon tracks led from the first camp, which had been set up on the highest point of the right bank of the Comal River, down to the Guadalupe River ford, a mile and a half distant. Wagon tracks also marked the future streets of the town. A beautiful group of trees extended to the southeast along the base of a ridge where cabins, sheds, and tents belonging to the society formed the headquarters of the commissioner general and the administration of the colony. We headed for the camp of the colonists that had been set up under live oak trees. There we caught sight of a stoutly built man whose sleeves were rolled up above the elbows. He was busily kneading dough with his muscular arms while his son, a fifteen-year-old high school student armed with a long shovel, kept a large fire burning by stirring the coals. Over the fire were two iron sheets. The two people were Mr. Heinrich Zuschlag and his son, Conrad, and they were baking bread in iron bread pans for the prince's table. They directed us to the tent of Mr. Eduard von Harz. This was a pleasant surprise, as the latter had once been my neighbor and school comrade at the Andrenaeum Preparatory School in Hildesheim. He introduced us to his wife, who invited us to eat with them. We not only chatted about the old homestead but were given information about conditions in the new one. The prince had moved up on the hill. The stores were, in part, still under a temporary shelter in the camp. Only a few of the colonists had taken possession of their town plots—reluctantly, since they had expected to be settled without delay on the 160 or 320 acres respectively of their grants. For lack of a German flag, but as its closest facsimile, the prince had raised the black and yellow flag at the laying of the cornerstone for the Sophienburg. The colonists, for their part, raised the banner

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of the Republic (of Texas) on the marketplace and elected the former Hanoverian captain, Oscar von Claren, to be the city commandant. They had also formed two militia companies as protection against Indian attack and had elected a mayor and a constable. The colony's council was filled with dissension. There was a lack of grain for bread; meat, however, was in good supply since fat oxen were butchered daily. Time passed quickly. We became acquainted with the Clarens and the Holekamps and, while Dr. Remer remained in town, I picked up a ration of fresh meat from the society's butcher, H. Burkhart, and hastened with it through the bushes and prairie down to the ford. Chr. Luenzel bade me cordially welcome at his place and invited me and friend Herbst to stay with him for the time being until a building site should be assigned to us. Herbst had swum the river, picked up the meat for Bothmers, and then, following the same path that we had taken, joined us. We spent the evening of the cheery company of the friends from Hildesheim, V. L. von Assel and Franz Marheinike, in the midst of the frames of abandoned wigwams, which consisted of bent branches with their ends fastened in the ground. Then we bedded down in a circle on the ground under the tent but, partly because of insufficient cover, we found the cool night air rising from the river to be most uncomfortable. Finally, sleep settled over our eyes and quieted our minds, excited by the day's adventures and the lively conversation. An unearthly howling, as though of wolves, startled us from sleep. A confused mixture of sounds and voices directly next to the tent made us jump up and reach for our weapons. A glance through the cautiously raised tent flap revealed a band of friendly Indians who, drunk on hard liquor, had left their camp and now, with wild gestures and motions, demanded more of the intoxicating beverage from us. When we showed that we did not understand them, they became more insistent and shouted at us in their Indian tongue intermingled with Spanish words. At the same time, they danced and hopped around us as though demented. In order not to arouse their hostility which might endanger the safety of the colony, we dared not start a fight but had to put a good face on it. When, however, their wild antics had almost exhausted our patience, the situation suddenly took a more serious turn. One of the wildest of our red visitors had, in his

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mad excitement and drunken state, come too close to the edge of the steep bank and toppled over. The Indians all suddenly became quiet and then rushed down the path to look for their comrade. On this side the path led down through the trees and then up the rocky edge of the river. After a fall of forty-two feet, the red man must surely be lying dead and crushed on the rocky ledge below, we thought. Imagine our astonishment when, in the light of torches, we looked down and saw him standing alive in the midst of the others! He had fallen on a grassy projection located directly below the place from which he had fallen and, from there, had slid onto the rock ledge. The fall had brought him to his senses and had also sobered the others to the extent that the sight of us, standing above with our rifles, decided them to move on down the river and disappear into the forest without disturbing us further. Happy that the threatened danger of a fight was now over, we set a watch and then slipped into the tent to make up for our lost sleep. In the dream sequences of our now undisturbed slumber, the memory of our latest adventure was not so peaceably resolved as in reality but became a terrifying fight to the death with the redskins. Early the next morning, the sun rose brightly in the clear morning sky and gilded the high wall of the riverbank with its first rays. The bright reflection in the blue surface of the water contrasted strongly with the dark green of the shadowy forest. After we had drunk in and savored this peaceful natural scene for a short time, we descended the narrow winding path to the river, where we took a shower bath by letting the foaming water falling from an overhanging limestone ledge splash over us. The dark memories of the events of the night before had been completely erased, and we sat down to breakfast with refreshed spirits and a tremendous appetite. Our table stood on the high ledge close to the edge of the bank under the densely leaved branches of stout hackberry trees. It had been made by nailing the top of a crate to posts driven into the ground. A large tree stump, crates, and trunks served as seats. The juicy, tender beefsteak tasted delicious with the good coffee. Mr. Von Assel had made an early trip to the butcher and had picked up our meat ration with that of the others; so there was plenty for all. Bread, however, was scarce, and the news that we had brought

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a bushel of cornmeal with us from Seguin was greeted with an enthusiasm that can only be appreciated by those who have had to go without this common, simple food for a time. After eating, we went down to the river where the workers of the society were busy creating a means of transport across the river. Below the old Nacogdoches ford, where the two arms of the river formed by the islands came together again, there stood at the edge of the river a giant cypress firmly rooted in the blocks of stone. Across from it the forest came down to the river and, beyond the forest in an exposed bight of the riverbed, a mass of wood containing thousands of cords of washed-up dead trees had accumulated. A good distance below this natural sheltering dam, the road led to the spot on the low bank where, just as we arrived, the workers had made a cable fast to a large water elm just opposite the aforementioned cypress. One of the men took a line fastened to the other end of the cable and swam with it across the stream. The cable was then hauled across and wound around the trunk of the cypress. The box of an old oxcart was so attached to the cable that two men could pull it across the river like a ferryboat. By means of this craft, the provisions and other property of the society were first ferried across in this laborious and tedious manner. The chests of the immigrants, ours too, had their turn later. However, our animals—but not the rooster—the flour, mattresses, and blankets were brought over earlier. By means of the same craft, the sentries were changed. Frequently, several persons found themselves together in the by-no-means watertight ferryboat. This was the case one day when a cask of wine was being brought across the river. When the cask had rolled down the rocky incline, some of the hoops had loosened or broken, and the wine (sherry or port) began to leak more and more rapidly into the boat. The men who were bailing out the water noticed how it became more and more clouded; they began to taste the mixture and, when it tasted good, began to drink with a will. The ferrymen stopped pulling and joined the drinkers, and all took to drinking their fill. Thus, the boat came to a stop about midstream. The men waiting on the bank, seeing the boatsmen plying themselves with the strange libation, understandably became excited and shouted and urged them to come ashore. The boatsmen, however, merely laughed, and only when they had sufficiently satisfied their seemingly unquenchable

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thirst did they pull to the shore. Some of those on shore waded into the water to pull in the boat, into which everyone then pushed and crowded. With buckets and hats, they dipped up the accidental punch, that otherwise would have been lost, until all had wet their whistles and filled their bellies. At that point the jubilation of the very tipsy men drowned out the roar of the river, which without doubt had never before witnessed such unrestrained merrymaking by white men. As they continued to drink, they sang the song composed by Captain Alexis Baur with lyrics by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels: Durch des Weltmeers Wogen, Getrennt vom Vaterland, Sind wir hergezogen, Von manchem Liebesband. Auf muthigen Rossen durchzieh'n Wir Texas heiBe Prairien, Und kurzen den Weg mit Gesang, Der schallet in diesem Klang: Hoch Deutschland, Deutschland hoch! Through the ocean's waves, Cut off from the Fatherland And many a bond of love, We have come hither. On spirited mounts we cross The hot prairies of Texas And shorten the way with song Which rings to this sound: Hail, Germany; Germany, hail! Lagern wir im Kreise Urns helle Feuer hier, Gedenken in der Feme Der trauten Lieben wir, Und spiegelt den seltnen Wein Des Feuers Wiederschein; Wir wurzen den Trunk mit Gesang, Der schallet in diesem Klang: Hoch Deutschland, Deutschland hoch!

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Reclining in the circle Around the bright fire here, We remember, far away, Our dearly beloved ones, And mirrored in the rare wine The reflection of the fire; We spice the drink with song, Which rings to this sound: Hail, Germany; Germany, hail! Geht es nun zum Kampfe, Mit Indianern wild und graus, Zum blutigen Schlachtentanze Dann Du deutsches Schwert heraus! Und wer den Tod hier fand Starb auch furs Vaterland. Er kampfte und starb mit Gesang, Der schallet in diesem Klang: Hoch Deutschland, Deutschland hoch! Hoch Deutschland, Deutschland hoch! If now it comes to battle With Indians, savage and cruel, For the bloody dance of battle Draw forth the German sword! And whoever here met death Died for the Fatherland too. He fought and died with song Which rings to this sound: Hail, Germany; Germany, hail! Hail, Germany; Germany, hail!

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7. MY FIRST DAY OF TEACHING INNEWBRAUNFELS A Recollection of the Time of the First German Settlement in West Texas

In the life of every thinking and conscientious person, there are certain events and happenings which, however insignificant and ordinary they may have seemed at the time, come in the course of time to be recognized as having an intimate and decisive influence on the shaping of his destiny and his endeavors, both for himself and others. Only later, when God's dispensation and intervention have become clearer to him, does he realize what great significance and importance the days on which such events occurred have had in his life. He may consider himself fortunate if, after a span of years, he not only retains in his mind a vivid recollection of such days but also holds this memory to be dear and of great worth. Through it his spirit is filled with gratitude and joy. One such significant day that I often and joyfully recall on its annual recurrence is the eleventh of August of the year 1845, when I began my career as a teacher in Texas. If I am able, I observe its anniversary by revisiting in the stillness of night the scene where it all began forty-three years ago today. Single trees still stand there at that place in the middle of the road and on the adjoining farm. They are the remnants of that splendid little woods that once enclosed the foot of the Sophienburg (where Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels had his headquarters) and from there extended into the broad open prairie. Just as I, these trees have grown old; their trunks have become thicker, and their formerly upward-

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reaching crowns densely filled with leaves now consist of a few broken branches that have withstood the storms and drought. Every spring, new bushlike twigs still sprout from them and reveal their inner vitality, while the evergreen mistletoe, drawing its life from the juice of the sapwood, has established itself more firmly and grows more luxuriantly than before. On such evenings, however, the memory of that long-vanished time reawakens in my mind in all its freshness, vividness, and beauty when, leaning against one of the rough trunks gray with age, I look up through the thin treetops to the unchanging, ever benevolent, starry vault and am alone with my God and my soul. Lost in the distant past, my thoughts were closed to the impressions of the present: the many homes, the railroad, and other enterprises that had been created and built in the intervening time by human hands. The scene, just as I had viewed it at the time of the first settlement and recorded it in my heart, arose before me in its original freshness and loveliness. To the northwest lay the broad open prairie covered with lush green grass and colorful blossoms. It was framed by the darker line of the river trees. Tall, slender elms and hackberry trees towered over the dense bushes that rimmed the hills in every gradation of green. Perched in a leafy treetop, a cardinal looked down on his less brightly feathered fellow musicians. Shimmering hummingbirds flitted here and there, while magnificent butterflies and brown, shiny rhinoceros beetles fluttered through the leaves. High overhead, above the nearby green hills and the distant blue mountains, spread the clear, transparent atmosphere in which buzzards, truly dark dots in the clouds, traced broad circles in the eternal light blue expanse. Single golden shafts of bright sunlight filtered through the treetops and cast a flickering light on the simple altar that had been set up on the west side of a cluster of trees in front of two taller slender elms. Between the elms there had been raised a cross, artlessly assembled from two plain tree limbs, the victory sign of the love of the Son of man and God that overcomes death. On this pleasant, beautiful spot, the Lord of Creation had built his own temple; the trees were its pillars; the heavenly vault, its roof. It was at this consecrated place that, toward evening on the Lord's Day, the Christian immigrants assembled to celebrate divine service and to hear the good news of the grace of the all-beneficent Father announced to them in the German language.

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They came to thank Him for His protection and to pray for His continued help and blessing in the difficult, laborious task, filled with danger and privation, of founding a new home in the wilderness for themselves and their children. The ground was covered with soft short grass. A narrow footpath led from the tents, grass huts, and the few log cabins of the colonists scattered over the plain off to the side, through the bushes and up to the hilltop on which the administration buildings of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas were located. The first commissioner general of this society, His Grace, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, had in accordance with the General Statute for the Colonial Settlements, called Pastor Louis Cachand Ervendberg to membership in the Colonial Council as the spiritual leader. Pastor Ervendberg had been educated in theology and philology at German universities. He had served in Illinois as a Protestant preacher since 1837, had married there, and in 1839 had come with his wife to the Republic of Texas. He first settled in Houston; then in 1840 he went to Cummins Creek, where he founded the first German Protestant congregation from among the Germans at Cummins Creek and Mill Creek. Here he served as pastor until he became acquainted with Prince Carl in 1844. After being hired by the latter as an officer of the society, he was entrusted with the establishment of the church and school in the society's colony. In this capacity he had gone to the camp of the immigrants at Lavaca and then moved with them to New Braunfels, where he built the first log cabin in the town. He regularly conducted divine service at the above-described place according to the rite of the German Protestant churches, which had been approved by the society. Later, on the fifth of October 1845, the congregation was organized under this name and incorporated in accord with the laws of the Republic. Since, at that time, it was the Reverend Ervendberg's responsibility to found a school "in which the children of both sexes should receive moral and religious training and be given instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic in the English and German languages," he called upon me to teach in the society's school. During the course of the summer, I had become well acquainted with him and a friend of the family. I accepted the position, inasmuch as I had the time for it. The little house that I and my friend, Heinrich Herbst, had person-

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ally built of cedar logs, with siding and shingles of cypress, had been finished since the middle of July. Our twenty acres of land had not yet been surveyed and assigned to us; so we were unable to begin preparing it for cultivation. At that time only fifteen children were registered in the school, and the tuition was set at a half-dollar monthly. Not until later did the society grant me the ration of an official of the second class as a teaching salary. This represented the value of eight dollars a month. On Monday, the eleventh of August, I was to begin my teaching. If, on that morning, we had not been awakened by the noise of the people who, already before dawn, were scurrying past our house to Henry Burkhart's slaughterhouse (Burkhart was the society's butcher. His lot is now owned by Ch. Tolle.) to pick up the ration of beef supplied them every morning by the society, the report of the cannon would have aroused us. It was fired each day at dawn by the civil guard. Fervently, I prayed to the Father that He would bless me in my new endeavor. Then the daily household chores were taken care of: the fire was lit, water brought from the nearby abundant spring on the bank of the Comal, meat obtained from the butcher, and, while my friend with the kindly help of the Bothmer family milked our two cows, I made coffee and fried liver. Thus, we had made and eaten our breakfast before six o'clock, when the society's bell on the hill summoned the people to work. After a short talk with the pastor, I made my way across the plain that was still covered with dew to where school was to be held. I found my small class fully assembled under the trees and waiting for me expectantly. It was a joy to look into the suntanned faces and bright youthful eyes of the healthy, mostly barefoot, boys and girls and to hear their friendly Gut en Morgen (good morning) with which they extended their hands in greeting. After a short prayer, I soon arranged them according to how much they knew. Among the older students, a very considerable difference was evident according to whether they had attended good or less good schools in Europe for a longer or shorter time. The students were either the children of those settlers who had been brought over by the society in the autumn of 1844 and in June 1845 or of those parents who had joined the society in Texas and had received parcels of land in the town and country

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of this first colony of the society. They had emigrated from northern, central, and southern Germany or from Alsace and were mostly farmers or craftsmen. To understand the various dialects of German in which they spoke gave me only slight difficulty, as I had become familiar with their various speech peculiarities through talking with their parents. It was necessary, however, to insist strictly that during class all the children speak correct High German so that all could understand. Nor was it difficult for me to win the trust and affection of the children. If one exhibits sincere, honest goodwill for them, their receptive and sensitive minds quickly and easily recognize this, and they are glad to respond and show themselves deserving. I took real joy in the learning capabilities as in the attentiveness and willing obedience of my charges and, with pleasure and love, I carried on the instruction, which consisted simply of arithmetic, reading, and Anschauungsunterricht (nature study). For reading they had to make do with readers brought from Germany (from Nassau and other principalities) and with Webster's spelling book. Arithmetic consisted primarily of figuring in one's head because only a few slates had survived the journey from Germany. Slate pencils had been carved by the children themselves from the light blue clay that occurs in large deposits between the solid limestone and the layers of gravel, sand, and loam on the banks of the Comal and the Guadalupe rivers. A thick plank fixed on posts driven into the ground served the larger students now as seats, now as desks. The society had built it as a seat for its officers to use during church service. During the recess at eight o'clock, the lively group romped on the grass in the shade of the trees or played hide-and-seek in the thick bushes. With the best of appetites, they ate the fresh cornbread with cold beefsteak. The bushes provided them with ample fruit for desert: small red-cheeked, sweet-sour cherry plums; waxy yellow, mealy Mexican berries; and the dark violet, egg-shaped fruit of the dogberry bush with its steel green, juicy flesh. For nature study the surroundings provided ample material for observation and discussion. As the sun rose higher, so that a part of the school's area was exposed to its heat—making it uncomfortable—the students gladly followed my suggestion and moved to where there was more shade

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and coolness. There they sat down in the grass in a circle around me, the teacher, who, leaning against the trunk of one of the trees, again took up the instruction. There were few interruptions since only rarely did one of the settlers come along the narrow path to the hill. The air, having been washed some days before by a thunderstorm and rain, was clear and pleasant; and a light breeze from the gulf blew across the prairie and brought a fresh and invigorating coolness. It gently stirred the treetops whose soft rustling interrupted the prevailing silence. Only occasionally did a bird whistle his song from the branches, fly down and, as soon as he saw us, hurredly flap his way to safety in the bushes. Later, when the hill path was heavily traveled, it was different. That was on the days, called provision days, when wagonloads of supplies had arrived and were distributed to the settlers at the society's storehouse. Then everyone, big and small, hurried up the hill with their bags and baskets to receive, before the supply was exhausted, the welcome and necessary ration of groceries that often had been in short supply. Not to have dismissed the children from school on such an occasion would have been both insane and an injustice to them and their parents, because the father at his work (mostly in the woods) was unaware of the arrival of the provisions or could not leave his work and the mother was so occupied with housework and the care of the smaller children that she could not pick up the provisions. The children assumed this task with the greatest readiness and alacrity, for they had learned early in the school of privation what was at stake. And the teacher? Yes, the teacher, too, had to go in order not to suffer the want of the most common daily needs. Later too, there was an interruption of a less serious kind. A number of the settlers had been able to acquire milch cows and, in the evening, the mother cows came to the pen and were milked. The calves, when they had had their fill, were left in the open during the night. In the morning they were allowed to go to their mothers again and drink their fill. Then the cows were milked and driven out to pasture while the calves remained penned up. After the cows had moved far enough away, the calves were turned loose. Now it sometimes happened that the cows found ample feed close by and, thus, the calves joined or threatened to join them. Such a situation caused a

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disturbance of the entire school. The children of the owners asked for permission to drive back the calves to prevent their sucking the cows dry or to prevent the cows running off to their former homes. The other students asked permission to help their comrades, and this too the teacher permitted. With their help the chase could more quickly be concluded and, thus, the time of disruption would be shortened, and instruction could begin again. More quickly than I had imagined, the morning hours passed in quiet work. I concluded the nature study hour with the first verse of a poem from one of the Nassau readers. The children easily and quickly memorized it: O wie herrlich, o wie schon 1st es in die Schule gehn. Oh, how splendid; oh, how lovely It is to go to school. At ten o'clock I dismissed the children and, talking cheerily with them and holding the smaller ones by the hand, I strode off in their midst to the pastor's house, where I took leave of them. The pastor and his wife showed great interest in the progress of the instruction, and I was able to give him a good report. After that I happily hurried home, where I and my friend prepared and ate our simple meal. After a short siesta during the hot midday hours, I had a laborious but necessary chore to perform that all unmarried colonists were burdened with, with the exception of those few who were able to secure the services of a maid by paying her passage. I washed our laundry, rinsed it in the nearby Comal, and hung it on bushes, where it rapidly dried in the breeze that blew more strongly toward evening. In the meantime we refreshed and revitalized ourselves with a bath in the crystal waters of the Comal. Supper consisting of milk, cornbread, and cold meat tasted great after such a day's work. My friend went to the choral society (Gesangverein), and I read by the light of a miner's lamp filled with tallow until my comrade's return. A short, congenial conversation and a short prayer of gratitude concluded this my first day of school in Texas.

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8. SHADOWS: DARK DAYS OF DEATH AND SORROW IN 1846 Scenes Remembered from the Time of the German Settlement of West Texas

It was the fourteenth day of July 1846. Since May the heat had continued to increase in intensity and, at the same time every week, had brought thundershowers so that the Guadalupe River rose and remained high. The ferryboat at the mouth of the Comal River (which was owned by Mr. Von Wedemeyer and operated by Mr. Von Lochhausen) had been washed away and had been repaired and put back into service only a few days ago. The election by voice vote for the first county officials had also been held. Mr. Victor Bracht, my opponent, had served with me as clerk during the voting, and I had been elected district clerk. After completing the election reports, I left town, where the election was being celebrated in a merry and noisy manner, and spent the night at Von Wedemeyer's. Early, before dawn, I hurried down to the riverbank to our farm, Elisenruh, to bring my friend, Heinrich Herbst, a few pounds of cornmeal that I had traded for beans from our garden. Thus, for a few days we had bread that so often had been lacking during the past months. Then I noticed that the makeshift fence around our little field had been broken into by oxen that had trampled down and eaten all our fine stand of corn. Thus, our expectation of our first harvest of flour for bread was dashed. That was a heavy blow, but it was useless to cry over spilt milk. I had to hurry back to take care of the distribution of meat rations to the immigrants. Since the first of July, Von Wedemeyer had un-

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dertaken to supply these meat rations, while it fell to me to keep the distribution records. The butchering of the cattle and the weighing of the meat were done by the butchers, Keller and Wilhelm Seekatz. It took several hours before the rations—up to five hundred in number—were distributed. The list of names had to be read off, whereupon the persons called, if they were present, pushed their way through the crowd in order to receive or draw (fassen, as it was called at that time) the amount assigned to them or their families. Finally, after the latecomers had been cared for and the noisy excitement was over, I could quite often spend an hour after breakfast at Von Wedemeyer's and give him a lesson in the English language. For this I received a sufficient supply of meat for our household. This was very acceptable and welcome since we belonged to the first group of immigrants and had been unable to draw from the society since the fifth of April. After that I returned to the farm, where we replaced the rails and reinforced the fence around the garden in order to, at least, safeguard the vegetables. From the sale of vegetables, we obtained money for flour and other expenses or exchanged them for bread in Dr. Koester's bakery, operated by H. Zuschlag. In the afternoon I accepted the invitation of Mr. A. Benner, an official of the society, to go with him to visit the camp of the immigrants on the east bank of the Guadalupe. We went to the ferry, where the hottest July sun sent its searing rays down almost perpendicularly. From the low-lying bottoms of the Comal which had been flooded and from the still high and turbulent river, there rose a foul, fetid exhalation that made it difficult to breathe. On the ferryboat, chests and boxes of the immigrants as well as goods for the society were brought over with great effort to our side of the river. The opposite bank, whose low edge was densely lined with cypress, sycamore, and other virgin trees, rose in terraces to the prairie and was thickly overgrown with woods and bushes. The ground close to the river was covered with mud and driftwood between which grasses and vines grew luxuriantly. Farther up were the camping places of the immigrants who for weeks had been held up by the high water. Here and there a tent was visible through the foliage, or shelters made from bedspreads and tablecloths shone through the trees. Everywhere baggage and household goods brought from the homeland were lying

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where they had been unloaded—some in good order, others in wild disorder. On bushes and grape vines, wash was laid out to dry. Fires were burning and, in the shade of the trees, men, women, and children were walking, standing, or sitting. They presented a colorful, lively picture. Before the boat reached the bank, people approached and wanted to know if we were officials of the society. Mr. Benner admitted to being such. "Then come with us right away. Our driver won't unload our things until he has been paid for the drayage. He is threatening to take the freight away with him." With a brief "excuse me," Benner followed the perplexed newcomers who had been anxiously crowding around him. I followed them up the gently rising slope. A cool southeast breeze was blowing over the open prairie, and I took a deep breath after the sultry, oppressive air of the bottoms. But what a scene! At the edge of the bushes was a heavily loaded wagon to which a cursing American was hitching his oxen in order to drive off again. A number of gesticulating immigrants, who understood not a word of English, stood helplessly looking on. Next to the wagon, lying on a feather bed, was an old farmer with a raging fever, while not far away, under a bush, the corpse of a woman wrapped in a bedspread had been laid. She had died an hour ago on the trip here from Seguin. Small children were sitting on the ground huddled together and were weeping bitterly for their dear, dead mother, while their elder sister was vainly trying to quiet them and control her own sobs. The father, a strong and sturdily built person, watched his property with embarrassed concern and vainly tried to understand the discussion being carried on in English between Benner and the teamster. Benner was accustomed to dealing with such people, and he called for the bill of lading. This showed that the freight was to be delivered to New Braunfels, Comal County, and the teamster was to receive payment there. Benner pointed out to him that this was not New Braunfels, but Guadalupe County, and that he could be required to take the freight to New Braunfels before he could demand payment. But, if he did not want to wait until the ferry could move his wagon across the river or the river had fallen to the point that he could ford it, which could take a long time, he would permit him to unload here and accompany him to the office of the society to receive his pay.

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After further talk and consideration, the teamster agreed to this. Now he unhitched again and, with the help of the immigrants, the unloading was quickly finished. While Benner was arranging which freight would be ferried over the river, and in what order, I took a last look at the grieving group of children and, deeply moved, stepped back into the forest only to be met with another scene of misery and tragedy. At the foot of a high-trunked sycamore, I saw a man sitting on the ground. His hat had fallen from his head, which was thus exposed to the singeing rays of the sun. I called to the sleeper to put on his hat; otherwise, he could suffer a sunstroke. He did not hear. In order to awaken him from his deep sleep, I went up to him, shook him with a yell, and raised his head, which had sunk to his chest when his wide-open eyes became fixed on me, motionless and unseeing. Startled, I drew back. The man was dead . I hurried to Benner and told him what had happened. He gave the order that both corpses were to be wrapped in sheets and buried there at the edge of the prairie, where already several immigrants had found their last resting place. Their graves marked the last station before the graveyard of the colony of New Braunfels, which was soon to contain more than three hundred graves. Every campsite between here and the coast at Indianola—and there were many, since the weather and roads, as well as the oxcarts, caused the overland journey to be filled with delays and to last many weeks— was marked with such graves, ghastly milestones on the way that the German colonists of West Texas had to traverse. Stunned by this scene of horror, I hurried through the forest camp that, upon closer inspection, held only too many sad scenes of sickness and death, in order to return to the ferry. As I passed a large tent, I heard a cry of distress. "Isn't there anyone there who will help us?" Looking into the tent, I caught sight of a family of nine persons bedded on the ground, moaning and groaning. To my question, "What's the matter? What do you want?" they answered: "We are all sick with dysentery and fever, and there is no one who will bring us a drop of water." I asked for pails, with which I brought up fresh water from the

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river. When I gave it to them, they drank greedily to still their burning thirst, even though the water was neither clear nor cool. Happy to have been able to render aid in a small way, I quickly went down to the ferry and on to the farm. On the way two riders galloped past me. One I recognized as Baron von Meusebach, the commissioner general of the society; the other would be the new doctor that he had brought along because he had been recommended as one familiar with the diseases of this climate.* His arrival gave new hope to the sick, but the number of deaths did not decline. The root of the retama, which he had collected on the prairie, checked the dysentery; but dropsy and bilious fever daily claimed their victims as before. How versed he was in pharmacy may be judged by an example. One day he came to Mr. A. Forke, who already at that time was recognized to be an excellent pharmacist and chemist, and said, "I am now going to prescribe quinine since, according to recent investigations, it is said to act on the inner vessels mechanically by virtue of its crystalline form." Mr. Forke smiled in his usual pleasant manner, looked at him in surprise, and remarked, "Well, Doctor, then quinine in solution would be ineffective!" to which the doctor had nothing to say. Concerning his high-handed mistreatment of the colonists subject to him as a director of the society in Fredericksburg, a later writer may possibly produce a historically true account. Saddened and downcast by the impression that these scenes of misery had made on me, I arrived home. In the evening I sought peace and quiet for my deeply disturbed state of mind at my favorite spot on the high bank of the Guadalupe. Here I had a view of the water of the river flowing far below, glistening in the soft moonlight. Gone was the optimistic, cheerful spirit with which in the previous year, the first of the settlement, I had celebrated in joyous song with friends of like mind at this very same place as we made plans for a happy future. *He was Mr. Stroberg, known here as Dr. Schubert and later under the nom de plume of Armand. His regal figure with fiery eyes, dark beard and hair on which he jauntily wore a dark pointed hat, his gallant manner, as well as his fluent, assured way of speaking created an imposing first impression.

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Gnawing worry took hold of me; dark visions arose within me as I thought of the present and the days to come. And yet, how small and insignificant seemed my concern for the future when compared with the scenes of misery that I had witnessed today. How tolerable and privileged was my fate when compared with that of the many broken families, the widows, and the fatherless orphans. How many of the immigrants had already died, and how many more were unavoidably doomed to a miserable fate because the society could not provide the assistance promised in the contract. The shining vision of a great, happy, German community in Texas—dreamed of, enthusiastically longed and hoped for from afar—crumbled into dust, smoke, and ashes. The sound of the water rose up to me as though it wanted to echo the many heartrending cries of lamentation, bitter grief, and hopeless desperation that it was forced to listen to. From the dense, dark forest sounded the shrill cry of the night swallow, "Weep, poor Will." I was aroused from this deep, melancholy mood by the shouts of the children of a man who, with other immigrants, had set up camp on our land. He wanted to see me. He too lay sick of dysentery and dropsy and, like others, suffered even more from homesickness. I went with the children to his bedside. With excitement and joy, the man extended his emaciated hand to me. His cheeks were lightly flushed, and his eyes were unnaturally bright. He wanted to let me know that he no longer suffered any pain, that he felt better and would soon be able to return to his beloved homeland with his family. Full of hope and joy, the wife and children listened to the father's words. From recent, sad experience at the deathbed, I saw his end approaching. I hid my thoughts and spoke a few words of encouragement and sympathy. At home, however, I told my friends, "We must get up early tomorrow in order to dig another grave." Before sunrise the next morning, the sick man had quietly passed away. We dug his grave in the field and gently laid him to rest. Then we quietly said the Lord's Prayer for the dead man and his family. Years have passed since then, and the dead man has rested in his grave alongside others whom we buried there. When the roadbed of the railroad was laid over the place, the green sod had long covered also those who had helped me bury him. The workers came upon but

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few bones that had been preserved in the sandy loam, and they reinterred them. Now the trains roll swiftly past with their puffing, clanging, and whistling while, in their old accustomed way, the waters of the river flow down to the sea—the river of time flowing into the sea of eternity. And, I listen to the old familiar strains of their song, just as I did long ago: Voriiber den Inseln und Steinen Entschwunden auf ewig sind wir, Mir ist's als mu6t' ich weinen, MuBt' weinen wie ein Kind. Beyond the islands and rocks We have vanished for eternity, I feel as though I must weep, Must weep like a child.

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9. A CHRISTMAS DAY IN WEST TEXAS IN 1849 From the Memoirs of a German Texan

The second Christmas Day (i.e., December 26) of the year 1849 had dawned more brightly than the first (December 25). Many a friendly sunbeam bringing welcome warmth was breaking through the shredded clouds from which in recent days the rain had poured. The streets of the city of New Braunfels were difficult even for horses to negotiate since the heavy clay firmly gripped with a special power everything that ventured onto or, better, into it. But, since I possessed a strong, dependable horse in my old sorrel, Bill, I decided to take advantage of the favorable weather and accept the friendly invitation of the Ervendberg family and celebrate at least one day of the festival with them and the children in the orphanage at New Wied. After all, I knew that I was always welcome and would be expected. So I rode through the prairie to town and along Seguin Street. Because many a happy, smiling face of an acquaintance looked at me curiously from behind the window panes and many a shouted invitation from the mouth of a friend called me to come in, the difficulty of the trip went unheeded; yet horse and rider were glad when the mud of the street had been left behind and they had slid down the bank of Comal Creek on this side and climbed it on the other. There was, of course, still the road over the narrow log bridges, past the buildings of Merriwether's mill, and through the river bottom to the Comal River; yet the lovely view of the woods and water, no less beautiful in winter and changing at every bend of the road, shortened

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the ride. Above the ford where we crossed the broad river, there was a simple footbridge built with planks. Below it the crystal clear water flowed swiftly but quietly over luxuriant, dark green climbers and water plants. Then the water plunged and leaped, murmuring in playful exultation. Foaming over the bluish white wagon tracks and reddish pebbles, it then lost itself again in the blue green surface that spread mirror-smooth over the dark depths of the broad bend in the river. Here cattle were standing in the river and watching us while they contentedly chewed on the juicy tendrils that they had fished up from the river bottom. At the edge of the bank, the spikes of the greening blades of grass and herbs were pushing through the protective leafy covering in such an inviting way that they immediately prompted one to search for violets in their midst. The small trouble of dismounting and searching was amply rewarded by several beautiful buds that were later to bring a sparkle of gratitude to the eyes of dear friends. From there we proceeded at a trot through the elms and cedar fences of Comal Town, washed clear of debris by the clear water of the Comal. Then, along the old, dry, pebble-strewn bed of the Comal and up the slope beyond the town where the ancient, massive, broadbranching live oaks with their long, gray moss beards mark the border of the bottomlands. Aye, behold that tree, around whose slender branches fiery red berries are strung like beads of coral. It could well be a Christmas tree decorated for the cardinal whose red-capped head with its thick yellow beak looks out from a dark green cedar bush. Though he swings in the wind on the unsteady branch, he did not let it disturb his lively song. The sky was completely empty of clouds, and a strong, fresh morning breeze blew about us here; the same breeze that in summer refreshes the traveler with an invigorating coolness as he passes from the heavy sultry layer of air blanketing the low-lying fields with their rich soil along the Comal and Guadalupe rivers and walks through the prairie toward the gently rising hills of the high plains. These hills extend for about five miles farther, to the north as far as the Guadalupe. Across the river can be seen the dark blue cedar forests on the southern mountain slopes. A dark brownish but dry road with a firm base winds its way through

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the prairie that is covered with short freshly green grass. Here, in the spring of the year, countless phlox blossoms appear. Flat whitish red stones seem to have been scattered across the prairie and the road and to have been piled up under the blackberry brambles. Individual depressions in the ground where the stone has been removed show traces of the human hands that cut out the stone. This stone yields excellent building material. Suddenly, to the right of the road, I noticed rows of mounds six feet long, more or less, of excavated brown earth covered with stones! They were graves. In them rested the remains of immigrants who died here in the Far West on the banks of the Comal without having reached the Promised Land. They belonged to those who first settled Comal Town in 1846. Here in the stony ground, their coffins could only be buried in graves so shallow that often it was left to the hands of pious passersby to cover with pieces of rock fissures that rain, or time, or animals had opened in the grave and coffin. But, more quickly than the horse could carry me past this place, my glance swept over the low-lying Guadalupe bottoms to Horton Town with its houses shining in the sunlight. As we made the bend around the small island in front of us, where the elms rose like slender columns and the live oaks showed green, I suddenly saw New Wied lying before me. The entire landscape had for me something so appealing, so familiar, such a homey charm. But why?—Because it bore the stamp of German lands and I was vividly reminded of similar places in the homeland where I experienced the happy events of youth. Now we approached the broad front of a building with its porch reclining snugly on a small hill, a tall live oak in front lifting its round crown high over it. The side wings were joined lower toward the river so that one might think that he was facing the farm building on a German estate. While riding through the dry creek bed, whose east bank formed the hill on which the farm was located, one already felt the contentment that dwelt in this place. The boys raced one another down the recently planted avenue to open the gate and, in the house, my arrival was noisily announced. On the porch the modestly bashful, yet openly friendly girls surrounded me with cheery greetings. Their faces and voices revealed their joy at my coming. Peter had taken the horse and was leading it

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down the hill to tether it in the bleaching yard, a grassy place on the southern slope of the hill. How nice the boys looked in their neat clothes and the new Christmas caps; how happy they looked as they ran off after greeting me. We entered a spacious hall-like entryway that ran through the entire length of the house. Two large tables stood in the middle with benches on each side. Before I could give the whitewashed walls and the three doors on each side more than a fleeting glance, I felt the warm handshake of the foster father. Carrying his own son in his arms, he gave me a cordial welcome and led me into the bright, warm living room on the right, where his wife in her hearty, clear voice called out to me, "Now, that is fine that you have come. We wished that you could have been here with us on Christmas Eve, but the weather was so bad. But, now you can stay until New Year's. You girls, hurry and set the table and put the water on for coffee. In the meantime, let's go into the schoolroom. There you can see what the Christchild has brought." No sooner said than done. We went through the central room into the schoolroom that occupied the northern wing of the building. But, first a glance and a greeting for the girls who were working in the kitchen that, together with the storerooms, occupied the southern wing. In the schoolroom the tables were covered with snow white tablecloths, and here there were Christmas presents for each of the children. On the right stood the Christmas tree—a splendid young cedar. In the little garden around it, some rocks (that had been carved out by the rain to resemble honeycomb) represented the mountains on whose fresh green grass the shepherds of Bethlehem had tended their flocks. On one of these pieces of rock stood the table that contained the Christchild slumbering in the crib. On the opposite (left) side between the windows, the newly arrived volumes from the Smithsonian Institution gleamed in the bookshelves. Strung on strings above the maps were silk cocoons, white, reddish, and nankeen. With the insect collections and the stuffed birds, they made an interesting decoration for the walls. On the opposite, gabled side of the room, a lively fire flickered on the broad hearth that provided the entire room with cozy warmth.

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An elderly man was sitting in front of it and leisurely smoking his short clay pipe, which he only took from his mouth to greet us. "Aye, Buegel, don't you know the gentleman any more?" asked our friendly hostess. "Why, that is Mr. . Well, how are you?" "Fine, and how are you, Buegel?" We shook hands and, with his wrinkled face all friendliness, his small eyes under the short-cut gray hair gazed at me with simple candor. "Don't get up," I said, "and don't forget that this evening you are going to tell me how you turned down the Caprae money." "Excuse me," Mrs. Ervendberg interrupted me, "but now it is time to eat, for I see that the table is set." So we seated ourselves at the table. There was simple, tasty, genuine German food prepared by the girls who, under the direction of Mrs. E., were learning to become capable housewives. While we enjoyed the different dishes, especially the excellent wild plum and grape preserves, our attentive hostess told us the story of each dish and urged us to eat our fill. In addition, there was a glass of mustang wine. After the meal we returned to the room, and the short afternoon was pleasantly passed in innocent merriment. Afterward, coffee and cakes from the kitchen were served, followed by cigars that were made from tobacco grown from Havana seed and expertly cured here on the farm. There was so much to tell of the making of the Christmas presents and how everything had to be kept secret. For eight weeks all the girls had been working together, sewing the suits for the boys and knitting stockings. Still, they had to make use of the last nights. "And, just imagine, as late as the night before Christmas Eve, Minna and Caroline were sitting in their room, and Francisca and Lisette in theirs, and were crocheting and sewing gifts for one another without the other ones knowing about it." "Yes, Uncle, and the boys braided whips for one another," said the eldest daughter, Augusta, and snuggled her little head with the long blond braids against her mother, whom she resembled to a tee. Then we looked at the new quilts in the boys' room. All were newly filled with cotton from the farm and quilted for each bed by the girls. Oh, the quilting days! What fun they were. Everyone whose quilt

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was finished had to treat the others who had helped, and each one tried to outdo the others with their cakes. What joking, laughing, and singing in innocent, youthful merriment. A walk in the open took us to the little winter garden, laid out on an island formed below in the Guadalupe bottoms by water flowing from a spring. Above a loudly roaring waterfall, mighty cypress trees, still green, were standing. The walk was cut short by the evening shadows which quickly spread a cold chill across the wintry fields as the sun dipped into a reddish bank of clouds behind Mission Hill. The crackling fire on the hearth around which we gathered in a wide circle felt good and cheering. Tea was served, and many a merry game was played with the children, many a jolly song sung, many a tough nut of a riddle was cracked—and also many a pecan. Then I called again on Buegel to relate his adventures. After some hesitation he unbuttoned his blue blanket jacket—he too was getting a bit warm—looked at his hickory trousers, knocked out his pipe, and in his unassuming and straightforward manner began his story. "I came to New Orleans in 1835 and worked there for the Capraschens (Capreches, Capretians?). They paid me in Capraschen banknotes for the work that I had to do on the dams and on the levee. I became sick because of this and had to spend six months in the inn. I paid the innkeeper every Sunday. But, when my money was gone, I had a row with the innkeeper because I had come late to dinner. I said to him, 'Sir, next Sunday I won't be able to pay.' "The innkeeper said, 'So says many a scamp.' "That made me mad, for I had always paid for everything. I got up from the table and picked up a knife. Then he called for the watch. Directly, the watchmen entered the house and wanted to take me out. I defended myself by biting, swung my fists, and threw stones into the house, for I was very bitter about the shoddy behavior of the innkeeper. Then the watchmen grabbed me and dragged me by the hair to the station, where I was skinned right. They kept me there for a week. Only I was still sick. When they brought me before the magistrate, he fined me two dollars. I told him that I didn't have it on me but that I would go and get it. They let me go, but I didn't come back to pay them. "Well, I was free again, but sick with no money. Evening came and

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then a really dark night. I was cold, and I thought, 'There is no one who'll help you. Go, jump in the Mississippi and end it all/ "So I went to the levee. There a man met me who asked where I was in such a hurry to get to so late at night. " T o jump in the Mississippi/ I said, 'for I'm at the end of my rope/ " 'Don't do it/ he said. 'Rather come along to Texas and fight against the Mexicans. There you'll have a better chance/ " 'OK/ I said, and that was that. We went to a house and drank wine together that warmed me through, and I enlisted for twenty-one dollars. After that I had to board a ship that was going to Texas. On the ship there were many regulars from all parts of the country. I had courage, and I thought, 'If I die, then I die!' "So I didn't take anything from anyone and, after I had knocked down a fat Irishman who had mistreated me and had challenged me to a fistfight, they knew I was the strongest. They learned respect for me and called me the Prusken (Prussian). They had heard of Old Fritz (Frederick the Great) and Bliicher, and from now on they left me alone. "Between the island of Galveston (where we saw nothing but a few large trees) and Velasco, we were put ashore in a boat and marched to Velasco on foot. The Mexicans were guarding the coast. We wanted to go to San Jacinto to join the army, but it was already too late. Very weak and with swollen legs, I dragged myself along. I didn't want to go to the hospital. I had courage even though I was sick; so I served for sixteen months with the soldiers in Velasco. Our captain's name was Snell. We had to guard the fort since the Mexicans were trying to land. From the fort, which was three hundred paces from the shoreline, we could, during the day, see three ships in the telescope. That was in May 1837. "In the evening a watch was posted along the coast. They always assigned me to the farthest post. It was two miles from the fort and fifty paces from the sea. The shore there is flat, and only where the sea has washed up the sand are there hillocks. There is a lot of driftwood lying there too. "The waves continually slapped the shore, and it got dark and foggy. Then through the dull roar of the waves, I heard the high-pitched screaming of the water birds being disturbed. I lay down on the ground so that I could see the light reflected from the water and saw

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three longboats being slowly rowed toward us. The other guards ran off as soon as they saw the boats, but I thought, 'That's not the German thing to do, to desert one's post'; so I stayed. "One of the boats reaches the beach. I jump up, fire my rifle, lower the bayonet, and charge at them. "I was thinking, 'You will die; they will shoot you dead.' "But, they had gotten a fright; they hurriedly pushed off again and rowed back out to sea. In the semidarkness I saw them rowing away. I loaded my rifle and kept a sharp watch, but they didn't come back. "Later, it began to rain. I built a shelter of driftwood in which I sat with my loaded rifle. I had taken off my coat and wrapped it around the rifle. Thus, I sat until the next morning. "Twice I heard the roll of drums in the fort. This was done each time the guard was changed, but I was not relieved. At nine o'clock they called roll. Even then no one came. "'Well,' I thought, 'at ten o'clock they start KP, which is what I always did, and they will finally think of me.' "Correct. Soon afterward they came looking for me. When they saw me, they asked in surprise why I hadn't returned to the fort. I told them that it wasn't the German way to desert one's post before one had been relieved. They agreed that I was right, and they were glad that the Mexicans hadn't landed. "However, we weren't afraid of them. Of the soldiers in the fort, many lost their lives about this time. Finally, there were only forty men left in the fort. When I came, there were only six houses in the town of Velasco, but when I left there were thirty-five. "Another time we were drilling in the open behind the sand dunes when we heard gunfire rolling over the water toward us like thunder. We immediately marched back to the fort. From there we saw that four Mexican ships were engaged in battle with two Texas ships from the Brazos. "They kept maneuvering around one another and shooting. We were all lined up in front of the fort. I was the first at the battery where six cannon were loaded with triangular shot. Then I was assigned to guard thirty to forty prisoners while the others manned the walls. The townspeople too were all armed. The violent bombardment continued. Nine additional prisoners were brought to the barracks and added to the others. I guarded them all and was well armed. "One ship was sent to the bottom, and one was captured. This I

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learned from those on the wall. Throughout the night the coast was continually patrolled and, since I had to take part, I got no rest. "The next day a man from Hamburg was brought in among the wounded. One of his legs had been shot away, and he was covered with blood. He gave me his hand as a fellow German, but I was unable to help the poor chap. I would so much have liked to help him, and it hurt me to see him lying there like that. He died soon after that." The old man sighed deeply and fell silent. He stared into the flickering fire on the hearth as though the scenes of former days were reappearing to him. In the circle of those listening attentively to his tale, the silence was heavy with suspense. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow and eyes, as though it had become too warm. Then he reached for his pipe and filled it. Before he could light it, one of the boys handed him a long splinter of burning wood. The long silence, during which we waited for him to continue his simple tale, was pleasantly interrupted by the voice of our gracious hostess. "Let's allow Buegel to catch his breath while we try our Christmas punch and the pound cake that Lisette baked all by herself. And, Minna can make the punch for the gentlemen. Buegel has earned it, and the others will enjoy it too." The suggestion was readily agreed to and quickly carried out. At the glowing fire, warmed through by the steaming punch, we listened contentedly to the norther blowing in the tops of the cypress trees and the weathervane creaking on the gate. While we indulged ourselves in the feelings of warmth and security, despite the rattling of the windowpanes that E. had set with lead but to which he had not yet applied putty, many a question was asked of Buegel and the questioner given a friendly answer. But, when he had finished smoking his pipe, he had to give in to our wish and especially to the urging of his special friends, the boys, and take up the thread of his tale. Brushing the tobacco ashes from his new trousers with both hands, he began: "The captain of our company was named Snell. He was a Creole, a rich merchant's son from New Orleans. He was too strict on discipline, and his punishments were too severe, just as it is now with the regulars. Thus, he came to be hated by the troops, and it was only a matter of time before the troops were ready to mutiny. They were just waiting for the opportunity. "Finally, a soldier born in America of Irish parents had a fistfight

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with a sailor. I have fought with them too. Snell had him arrested, and he was brought to the guardhouse. I immediately went and informed Osthaus, He was our sergeant, a Westphalian born in Cosfeld. He had earlier been a soldier under Napoleon. "He got up and said to the others, 'We can't take it any longer, being treated like this. This has got to end!' "We were all in agreement, talked it over among ourselves, and then went to the guardhouse with the Poles. We were also joined by some Americans. We had our loaded guns in our hands. "Snell came to the fort from town. Two men were holding the prisoner. Snell hit him in the back of the neck. "Snell ordered the sergeant, Tut the fellow in chains.' "Osthaus replied, 'That I won't do, but you are going to be shot dead/ "Snell drew two pistols from his belt and pointed them at Osthaus. But, when he saw us, he took off and ran back to town. Then, on Osthaus' orders, the barracks were set on fire. I was ordered to stand guard and to keep any of Snell's sympathizers from coming into the fort. I was standing between the embankment and the abatis, but then the heat of the flames drove me away. People came from town, but I didn't let anyone into the fort. They were all overjoyed and friendly, and I called out to them, 'All's well in the fort.' "The prisoners were released, and they took off for Mexico. The barracks burned to the ground. During this time the others were in the fort, and they called to one another from their posts, 'All's well.' "And then, when I too called out, 'All's well!' the people standing around, men and women, laughed and offered me wine. Not until the next day did I go into the fort. Since I couldn't go through the hot coals, I went through the other entrance toward the battery. "Three days later the townspeople celebrated the arrival of General Green. After that we were given leave by the people and the captain. From the storeroom we were given blankets and anything else that we wanted. We had elected Osthaus to be captain. He was of stocky frame, had blackish brown hair and a strong voice but blue eyes like a girl. "Most of them—I believe, all of them that left us at that time—have died. They wanted to go to Houston, but I set out for Brazoria in order to get my discharge there. A soldier from Switzerland went with me. Since we couldn't get a discharge in Brazoria, I wanted to go to

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Mill Creek where countrymen of mine were said to be living. I had my baggage on my back like a knapsack, my loaded gun on my shoulder, the cartridge case at my belt, and a pole in my hand. "So we went on, but the Swiss became so sick that he couldn't march any further. It was insufferably hot and sultry in the dense bottoms, and the road that had been cut through had deep ruts and was wet. At times we had to go through swamps and small creeks where the mosquitoes covered our faces and hands, so that we were kept busy warding them off. "Then I thought, 'You can't leave the Swiss lying here. That wouldn't do.' "So I stayed with him and took him to Columbia. He had two brothers living there who took him in. Later, he went back to Switzerland and has written me his thanks from there. "I left the place and went to Bailey's Prairie, where I worked for a week. Then I moved on until I got to Hill. There I found two comrades, Fregel from Wurttemberg and Helmann from Baden. However, I went on until I came to a place where two creeks flowed together. There I could go neither forward nor backward. "As I was wandering around in the bottoms, I saw an old house. Full of joy, I went to it, but it was empty and abandoned. For four days I looked in vain for a road and almost starved to death, for I had nothing to eat but wild mulberries. The heat during the day—it was in June—and lack of rest at night—the mosquitoes would not let me sleep, and I couldn't make a fire to drive them off with the smoke —wore me down completely. "Finally, I found a place where I could get through. I dragged myself along at night, for that was better than walking by day. That day I saw by the dry trees behind me that I had come past a farm. I dragged myself there and asked to be taken in, but the people were too poor and sent me to another larger farm. "The owner didn't want to give me anything to eat when I asked him. He was a small emaciated fellow with shifty gray eyes, who cursed and swore at me when I asked more urgently for food because otherwise I would die of hunger. "Then I fired my gun, reloaded it, and walked up to him and said, If you do not give me something to eat right now, I'll shoot you dead on the spot, you son of the devil.' "That helped, for now he called a Negro who had to bring me food.

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There was enough of everything on the farm. After eating, I made a camp for myself and spent the night there. "Then I moved on. I came to the place of some really good people who took me in. On the road I met Biegel, who wanted to go to Columbia but had turned back because his oxen were too fat. If he hadn't taken me on the wagon, I wouldn't have been able to go on. Through the exertions and deprivations, as well as through the heat in the bottoms, I had become sick. Biegel nursed me, found herbs for tea, and left me a short way from Industry, where his road turned off. Bob Pettus found me on the prairie, where I wanted to stay because I couldn't go on. His old father, Ernst, had his son bring me in. The next morning I wanted to go to Baeumer's. Therefore, I started out early with my gear, but on the way I lay unconscious under an oak at Post Oak Point from Friday until Tuesday. When I regained consciousness, I left everything behind and dragged myself to Cummins' place. He took me to Pieper's, from there to Wolter's, and on the next day to Baeumer's, where I lay sick for half a year. The following spring of 1838, I went to Houston to get my back pay and discharge. Nor did they refuse to give me an honorable discharge; also they gave me my pay, but in paper. Most of the soldiers drank up their money right away and, since there was nothing to make change with, I saw a one hundred dollar bill thrown on the bar for a single round of drinks. I myself had to pay twelve dollars on the way for a melon and two drinks of brandy." His tale ended just as the full strokes of the wall clock hanging in the hall announced the hour of eleven, while outside through the roaring of the wind the crowing of the cocks first sounded from the granary. With that, the lively circle around the fire broke up. With loud "good night's" the boys hurried out. Less boisterously and more graciously, the girls bade good night and, after everything had been carefully prepared for my bed on the divan next to the hearth, E. with the little ones asleep in his arms left the schoolroom with his wife. Buegel had already left, and soon I sank into the sweet sea of forgetfulness after many dreams in which Buegel's experiences were merged with my own. I was awakened by the first rays of the morning sun as it filled the white ceiling of the schoolroom with its rosy light and ushered in a new, clear day. From the opposite wing could be heard the lively

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sound of the coffee mill and the clear voice of one of the girls who was singing the song that Johannes Falk* had written for the festival of Christendom. Deeply moved by the thought of this noble German who had been the friend in need to so many abandoned orphans, I folded my hands and softly joined in:

O du frohliche O du selige, Gnadenbringende Weihnachtszeit Christ ward geboren, Hat uns erkoren, Freue dich, freu' dich O Christenheit! Oh, thou joyful, Oh, thou wonderful, Grace-revealing Christmastide, Jesus came to win us From all sin within us. Glorify, glorify the Holy Child! (English by H. Katterjohn, 1919)

* Johannes Daniel Falk, 1768-1826, German writer, wrote esthetic and educational treatises.

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10. HOW THE FIRST SINGING FESTIVAL CAME TO BE

In a small log cabin, J. G. Petmecky, Th. Goldbeck, and Carl Herbst were discussing the founding of the singing society, Germania (March 2, 1850). There in the shade of the dense foliage of the trees on the formerly very attractive riverbank with the view of the clear stream and green woods, this society resolved, during a general rehearsal, to hold the first public celebration of Independence Day on the fourth of July (1853). In the open area where the present singers' hall was later built, a round dancing floor was cleared, its lime surface compacted and roofed over with wagon canvas that had been borrowed from some teamsters for the purpose. Cedar posts formed the columns of this open pavilion. Next to it in a long shelter covered with green branches, roughly made tables and benches were set up for the guests. The single, narrow sliding window in the log cabin served as a dispensing counter where one could get three bottles of good French wine from the society for a dollar. Mrs. Krentz supplied good coffee in demitasses that resembled eggshells. Mr. Louis Korn also had a booth where all kinds of pastries were to be had. Light was given by the moon that shone as bright as day and by the society's oil lamps that L. Henne had made and Ernst Blum lit and tended. The members of the society themselves provided the music: J. J. Groos played the fiddle, and L. C. Ervendberg accompanied him on the guitar. In the full light of morning, the former was still coaxing tunes from the

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fiddle's last-remaining string on which he played the last dance. Invitations to participate had been sent by the society to Austin, and guests arrived from there and San Antonio. Amidst the bursts of music, the celebration of the merry groups of people, the singing, and the clink of glasses—in which was mingled the sound of the silvery river— the wine took on an excellent taste. And then simultaneously, an identical idea entered the minds of a number of people; viz., to hold a similar public festival, a singing festival, to which all the German singing societies in Texas should be invited.

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11. HOW THE SINGING SOCIETY TRAVELED TO SISTERDALE

Refreshed as by a cool evening breeze after a hot summer's day, the spirit is enveloped by the memory of the recent days filled with pure delight that we spent in the company of the happy people of Sisterdale. In response to the invitation and friendly urging of the Sisterdale choral society (whose director, A. Siemering, is the schoolteacher there), our singing group, the members of the Germania, started off into the Hill Country on Sunday, the first of October 1854. Although our pace was leisurely, our spirits were high—our mood, gay. The higher we climbed into the forested hills above the open plain of the prairie, the more the feeling of well-being welled up within us, inspired by a backward glance at the lovely Comal valley lying radiant in the bright sunlight. There, in peaceful quiet at the foot of the gently rolling line of green hills that extends toward San Antonio, lay our home settlement, the friendly town of New Braunfels. In the countryside, farm followed farm, their houses shaded by dark-leaved China trees. Around the houses lay green gardens and broad fields that had again been blessed with rich harvests. Free men dwelt there who, untroubled by concern for lack of food, were content in the enjoyment of their possessions and the rewards of their diligence. There our loved ones awaited our return. We had shouted to them a sincere farewell till we should return.

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Then, as we hiked off, we struck up Zoellner's "Wanderer's Song": Hinauf, hinauf mit frischem Muth, den Berg hinauf, den Blick hinab ins Thai, Wie blitzt so hell des Stromes Schlangenlauf im warmen Sonnenstrahl, Wie gliiht im lichten Sonnenschein die Stadt zu FiiBen mir! Leb' wohl, es muB geschieden sein; leb' wohl, bald kehren wir. Es rauscht der Wald, es grunt die Au, von Liedern klingt die Luft, Frisch auf bis wo das Himmelsblau verschwimmt in leichten Duft! Up, up boldly, onward up the mountain, look downward to the valley, How the stream's winding course brightly flashes in the warm sunlight, How the town glows in the yellow sunshine at my feet! Farewell, we must part; farewell, soon we will return. The forest rustles, the meadow is green, the air rings with song, Boldly onward to where the blue of the sky merges into the light haze! Past lonely farms, on stony paths that often wound around hilltops, we reached the magnificent, wildly romantic Cibolo valley. At a farm there, a hearty meal restored the travelers. Here everyone prepared his bed as well as he could and, fatigued with the considerable effort of the journey, sank into the arms of sweet slumber. Early, with the first flush of dawn, came the call, "Up and let's be off!" Throughout the day the sunlit journey continually afforded new enjoyment, revealing the rich variation in the picturesque mountainscapes of our West Texas. As the field of view expanded, we filled our lungs and drank in the great sea of air of purest blue that gently moved over and around us. Before us there now opened up a long valley with fresh, lush meadows framed by oak forests. From the heights we could see for miles over hill and dale to the blue summits and peaks of the Cibolo, Sabina, and Guadalupe mountain chains in the distance. Over all arched the clear, blue Texas sky, crossed from west to east by rose-colored rays as the sinking sun tinged the horizon with those violet shades that beautify the evening landscapes so dramatically here in the South.

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The night quickly spread its dark pinions over the earth. The wagon train leisurely moved in the direction of Sabina Creek—too slowly for two of our youthful members. Impatience and thirst moved them to push on ahead of the others in the expectation of a cool drink of spring water at Philipps' farm. On a slope to the right of the road stood the simple log cabin from which a ray of light reached them. Not far from there, the water emerges from the rock and, in the form of a small creek, flows wildly down to the Sabina. Upon reaching the creek, they found a basin that, although apparently not used for this purpose, provided them with an opportunity to dip up the water. Kneeling down, they filled their cups but, after drinking one cup, they did not take a second one! The alkaline taste of the water was so bitter that, in spite of their thirst, they had no further wish to drink. Both hurried up to the house to be joyfully received by the surprised residents and to have their request for a drink of water fulfilled. This water proved to be colorless and tasteless—as good water should, a true product of the mountains—and our two members drank as though they had gone for weeks without this divine gift. Informed that more thirsty people were coming, the hosts lit a lantern and, taking their pails, brought a sufficient supply of fresh water from the spring. Despite the immense quantity of water that they had drunk, the two early arrivals were still plagued by the horrid taste of their first drink; so they hurried to the spring, hoping to wash it down there. There the water bubbled bright and clear from the rock and had an excellent taste. In wonderment they inquired about the basin where the water collected farther below. The answer was to give them a shock. "We have dammed up the creek there and, in the pool that you call a basin, the women did the wash today." It is impossible to describe the feelings of the two who, in their youthful impatience, had drunk the soapy wash water. Although the quantity of pure water they had drunk ameliorated the effect, the bitter taste persisted in spite of the good schnaps (brandy) that was served when the others arrived. In the case of one of the two, the unpleasantness persisted until we reached our destination, where he was able to wash it away with the

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first glasses of spicy wine punch. Since the other one did not suffer as much from the bad effects and looked on it as a joke, he had to promise to keep the incident secret in order that insult should not be added to injury. The promise was, of course, given and just as obviously broken when the wine loosened his tongue, and the adventure was recounted for the amusement of friends. In the dark forest night, the wagon train crossed the Sabina and then moved along under tall cypresses. From there we continued upward into the somber cedar woods along a rock road with steps like a pyramid, up which we had to lift and shove the wagons. In the high country, we advanced in an arc around the mountaintops in the pale moonlight. Shortly before midnight, we crossed the roaring Guadalupe River below Behr's farm and soon arrived at the scene of the festivities, E. Degener's farm. While we were still in the high country, the colored lanterns had beckoned to us from afar. We were received with joyful shouts and warm, sincere handshakes and, anticipating our thirst, our hosts led us to the pleasantly steaming punch bowl. There the cup passed from hand to hand around the merry circle of friends until the tired guests were shown to the beds that had been hospitably prepared by the friendly hosts. After but few hours of nevertheless refreshing sleep, a bath in the clear waters of Sister Creek sent the blood coursing again through our rested limbs. Here the water flows between the mighty roots and tall trunks of two cypress trees, plunges foaming over the ledges into a rock basin, and spreads a delicious coolness in the shade of the dense foliage. The exuberant high spirits were evident in the always ready wit and jokes, the clever exchanges always deftly parried, and the hearty laughter as we bathed and then walked through the field to the hilltop. There the forenoon was pleasantly spent at the breakfast table and then on the porch or at a shady spot in the open. At noon the juicy roast venison, which had been provided by the rifles of our host's two fine sons, and the tastily prepared German cuisine were properly honored. The dinner was enlivened by the never-flagging conversation and the presence and efforts of our lovely hostesses, who with much care performed the duties of hospitality in such a gracious manner. As the mountains were casting their evening shadows across the

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valley, the neighbors arrived from their farms, near and distant, to share in the festivities. They came by horse and carriage (Uncle and Aunt Beseler, by oxcart). A green elevation under broad-branching live oaks on Degener's farm had been selected and made ready for the celebration. A log cabin had been built to serve as a wine cellar and was stocked with the choice juice of the vine in bottles and barrels. In front of the cabin was an emblem made of a large star fashioned of foliage with a highly polished black boot in the middle of it. This was intended to symbolize our being here on the border between civilization and the wilderness—or, as one of our party mournfully observed, that without stout boots one could hardly get away from here. In the tastefully decorated hall, the united choruses presented the selections, and the singers were rewarded by the applause of the ladies. All joined in a meal eaten at long tables in the open, and the food was excellent. Our charming hostesses outdid themselves in order to make our short visit enjoyable, and what limit is there to what the lovely ladies may accomplish? Their efforts succeeded in producing a conviviality and inner contentment that even the approach of a norther (strong wind or storm from the north, frequently encountered in Texas) and rain that drove us inside for a while could not quench. Indeed, the good feeling increased; in our hearts the joy was unclouded. This was evident from the happy faces and shining eyes; it found expression in many a clever witticism and amusing quip seasoned with Attic salt. Through the mediation of Mr. Ernst Altgelt, a large and fine barrel organ had been borrowed from one of the settlers in Sisterdale. But, since the owner, Dr. Kapp, had declined to participate in the festivities, the ladies did not want to dance to his tune, i.e., his organ, however beautiful the music might be. Secretly, the dashing singers, their hearts set on the dance, plotted to overcome the resistance of the ladies. They formed a group and, under the leadership of our director, EL Guenther, struck up the "Wine Galop" and, while singing, called upon the ladies to dance. In the midst of the dance, the organ took up the galop and the dancers continued to swing the surprised ladies. The trick succeeded; good humor and the pleasure of dancing gained the victory over the resentment toward the organ owner. The ice was completely broken and, from then on, pleasure wove song, games, music, and dancing into a lovely garland about the merry

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group of animated people. For them, in the enjoyment of all this, the hours passed unheeded. Scarcely had slumber settled on the weary eyes of the participants when at the break of dawn the clear tones of the horn sounded through the valley. Again, awakened by the fresh morning breath of the clear northern air, the singers came alive. The donkeys and horses were soon harnessed or saddled, but it was late before they were ridden off. The warm morning snack and the presence and pleasing activity of the ladies among us worked their usual magic and had the effect of detaining the singers so that the planned excursion into the mountains by two different groups was delayed until almost noon. The first group crossed the Guadalupe River and rode through the woods and prairie along the west side of the river to a steep bluff whose edge rises four hundred feet above the Guadalupe. From here we had a view of a lovely meadow valley in which, framed by woods, river, and the distant blue mountain crests, a farm with its brown fields, white farmhouse, and grazing cattle possessed such idyllic charm that we were irresistibly drawn to it. We felt as though we had been tricked by a mischievous leprechaun when we learned that we would have to ride another four miles before reaching it. The merry file of riders climbed higher to the top of Temptation Mound, a high summit in the center of one of the most breathtaking views offered by this part of West Texas. In the north, beyond milewide valleys, highlands, and plains that spread out before us in the most varied colors and shapes, rose the Twin Sisters and the Sister mountains. They were joined on the west by the forested valley of the Guadalupe, whose plain is, in turn, bounded by blue summits which were linked by a high mountain chain to the Cibolo and Sabina mountains. In the east the Guadalupe Mountains completed the great circle. As the whole panorama opened up to our astonished gaze upon our reaching the final mountain peak, the breast expanded, the heart beat faster, and the spirit exulted: Gott hat seine Saulen hier auf gebaut Und seine Tempel gegriindet. Here God has set up his pillars And established his temples. At a sharp trot, we descended from the peak without forgetting to

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pass the full wine bottles among the riders. After crossing the crystal clear river and watering our valiant mounts, we reached Theissen's farm. How the sight of the table, finely set for us with its amplitude of enticing dishes and tempting bottles of Rhine wine, affected us; how our appetites, sharpened by the ride over the mountains in the north wind, responded to the tasty food and choice drink; how enthusiastically we acknowledged the friendly invitation of the lovely ladies of the house—all this defies description. As we departed several hours later, we were forced to admit that the kind attention of our hosts had satisfied our every wish. On our ride back through the oaks, the evening sun gilded a scene already rich with autumn color. The red foliage of the sumac glowed the more, and the green of the woods and prairie became the more intense. And, as the sensation of beauty entered into our awareness, we struck up a song that reached out to Sisterdale, which with its farm buildings beckoned so hospitably to us in the splendor of the evening. After such an experience, the bright moonlit evening at Rhodius' farm, where all happily met again, promised to be just as joyous as the previous evening. After the meal had been enjoyed, a bright fire was lit outside and, while the music brought the dancers together in the rooms of the house, the mulled wine that was constantly being prepared refreshed those who had gathered around the fire to listen to the recounting of the day's excursions: "We visited the Patriarchs, two giant cypresses, thirty-two feet in circumference. We drank their health in wine, but the ancient waterdrinkers, whose roots have been washed by the Guadalupe River for thousands of years, only shook their heads, and we moved on to Comorn. This is a lovely log cabin in the middle of the woods, located on an elevation close to the edge of the riverbank. We dismounted and walked cautiously through the cedar bushes to the grassy edge of the bluff. Here we looked down on a landscape that shone in such glorious colors that no painter's brush could duplicate them. My description can only resemble a gray daguerreotype if you are unable to imagine for yourselves the vivid colors. "If you lower your glance directly before you from the deep blue of the sky and the violet gray line of the mountains, you'll see a bright

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level meadowland before you. On the right it is enclosed by the wide arc of the Guadalupe with its high densely forested bank. Now and then a flash of golden sunlight is reflected from the water where the foliage is heavier and darker. "Below you, under the red, yellow, or newly green tops of the cypress trees, lies the dull green surface of the river in enchanting chiaroscuro. The water shows a lighter, almost imperceptible, mingling of color where close under the darker shadow of the opposite bank the bluish clay bottom becomes more shallow and shimmers through the water. "Downward to the left, often hidden from sight, the river flows more rapidly; and you hear its distant roar. The peculiar, but not glaring, yellow light is reflected into the eyes from a nearby massive recess broken into the rock. Close by, its mighty gray masses tower above the highest treetops and are, in turn, crowned by the dark cedar bushes." The speaker got no further, for like many of his listeners he was unable to resist the invitation of a lovely lady to dance and was lured away from the crackling fire and the steaming punch bowl. Dancing and games alternated with merry songs and comic recitals among which a poem from the Sisterdale Chronicle—I believe it was written by Siemering, and it told of a silver dollar that had been lost here— was given unanimous applause. But, what repeatedly produced hearty laughter was the tragicomic tale of the barrel organ. A merry band of young guests had been quartered in a log cabin for the night. Among them was Mr. E., who roomed with the owner of the organ, Dr. Kapp. Brunko, a capable miner but inveterate prankster, was familiar with E.'s weakness for spreading gossip, and he plotted with the others to play a joke on him. When these lively fellows had turned in, they started talking as follows: "It sure is rough on Altgelt that he is responsible for the organ. It is really in bad shape. In the middle of one of the pieces, the valves go haywire, and it goes tweet-tweet! It will be bad if Dr. YouKnow-Who is told about it before it has been returned. That could be expensive for Altgelt. But, no one here would squeal!" The conversation went on in a whisper, but loud enough so that E. did not miss a word. The next morning he went straight to the doctor to give him the big news. Now when Altgelt and the others brought back the organ, the doctor asked whether it was still in good shape.

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"Certainly," Altgelt assured him. "Well, we'd better check it out first," replied the doctor who turned on the mechanism and played the first piece through without a false note. "I was told that the organ was broken and goes tweet-tweet at one place. I am very pleased that this is not so, Mr. Altgelt." "Well," said Altgelt, "you seem to think that I would return the organ to you after it had been broken and say nothing about it because I had guaranteed to bring it back in good condition. Will you please convince yourself completely and play the other pieces in my presence so that I can be relieved of all liability?" The doctor continued to play the instrument. Since the ominous tweet-tweet could not be detected, he wanted to stop after every piece, but Altgelt insisted with the straightest face in the world that the entire drum be played through. Inwardly, he was ready to explode with mirth. The doctor had to satisfy him. Finally, both declared themselves satisfied, and Altgelt had to rush away to release his pent-up laughter. All that evening the words "tweet-tweet" were able to convulse everyone with laughter. Since there was no end to the conviviality and no slackening of the celebration, dawn broke without any thought being given to the return homeward. In a more subdued manner but just as enjoyable as the preceding days, the next day was spent at Rhodius' farm; and if Sisterdale were not so rich in lovely spots, one would have to say that no more lovely and suitable place could have been selected for the celebration. For a considerable time, the conversation took on an elegiac tone that, after nights of merrymaking, is usually the forerunner of a somuch-the-more humorous spirit, such as came over us after the delicious noon meal and lasted the entire evening. Later, we parted from our dear friends with cordial farewells and, as the disk of the moon paled in the first rays of the dawn, we crossed the Guadalupe, stopping in the middle of the river to wave our hats decked with cypress twigs and take our last look at Sister Creek, on whose bank so many pleasant hours had been prepared for us. Es rauscht aus hellem Kieselgrunde Um uns des Stromes klare Welle. Des Abschieds wehmuthvolle Stunde Schlagt uns auf dieser schonen Stelle.

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How the Singing Society Traveled to Sisterdale Die macht'gen Stamme der Cypressen Erheben sich am Uferrande So feierlich.—Soil ich vergessen DaB droben schaumend wild ich kannte Den Sisterbach, der hier so stille So glatt und ruhig wie ein Spiegel Des Waldes reiche Blatterfulle Jetzt wiederstrahlt? Soil ich der Hiigel, Der Felsen, denen er im Spiele Leicht tanzend, springend schnell enteilet, Nicht mehr gedenken, und Gefuhle Der Wehmuth hegen, da er weilet Wo ihn umdunkeln dichte Schatten? O nein! Wenn auch die hellen Tone Der Farben jener lichten Matten Ihm schwanden, bleibt doch seine Schone Noch in der Dammerung, die milde Sich liber seine Flache breitet:— Und er wird uns zum schonen Bilde, Das hold an uns voriiber gleitet, Der Freude, die in Feierstunden Uns trauter Freunde Gunst gewahret, Wenn auch zur Feme hin geschwunden Jetzt zur Erinnerung verklaret! Over the light, pebbled bottom There sweeps about us the river's clear wave. The melancholy hour of parting Strikes for us at this lovely place. The mighty trunks of the cypresses Rise from the edge of the bank So solemnly.—Shall I forget That over there I found Sister Creek Foaming wildly, but here so still, Smooth and calm as a mirror, It reflects the ample foliage of the woods? Shall I no longer recall The hills, the rocks from which it scurries, Playfully dancing, quickly leaping, And nurse melancholy thoughts

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How the Singing Society Traveled to Sisterdale When it tarries where dense shadow Darkens all about? Oh, no! Even if the light tints Of color of those bright meads Desert it, its beauty still abides In the half-light that gently Spreads over its surface.— And it will become a lovely memory That gently crosses the mind, Of joy, which in leisure hours The favor of beloved friends brings. Though it has vanished in the distance, It lives, transfigured in the mind.

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12. A WEDDING A H a p p y Scene from the Time of the German Settlement in Texas

The northern half of the Comal valley, called Der Wald (the woods) by the citizens of the friendly little town of New Braunfels, forms a plain that is overgrown with trees and bushes of varying density. It rises from the waters of Comal Creek, which lazily flows along a deep bed of limestone to the rocky banks of the Comal River, which are covered with dark cedars. The soil is extraordinarily fertile, and the farms that now spread out there in unbroken sequence are among the most productive in Comal County. Here and there the creek forms deep ponds covered with water lilies, and reeds and rushes line the edge. The thick foliage of the trees standing at the edge of the loamy bank shades the calm surface of the water over which colored dragonflies dart or white and gray herons hover. Nothing disturbs the deep silence other than the babbling of the springs and the croaking of the bullfrogs. Not far from such a pond, a half mile above the town, there was a small farm with a field on the north that was fenced with cedar rails. A rail gate led from the fenced area into the farmyard, where tall elms and cembra pines cast a cooling shade over the elevated homesite that was, at the same time, open on the south to the gulf breeze. There, at

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the time of this modest tale, stood a log cabin that had been built in 1845, the year of the first settlement of our German colony. It consisted of one room and a porch that was closed with boards on the northeast but open on the southeast. A footpath that was treacherous in more than one respect provided our contact with the inhabitants of the farm. The loamy ground of the creek bank on our side, over which the path at first leads, was often washed out by the rain and in places was lifted. Broad fragmented plates of rock, over and through which the shallow water trickled, gave the passerby clear warning to be on guard. If one had crossed the creek without slipping or other mishap, it was necessary to climb the slope and push through the bushes in a westerly direction before facing the simple farm. Although the memory of the afflictions of that first decade in the life of the settlement floods through my mind as an almost uninterrupted sequence of tragic events, still, there is the memory of a pleasant scene from those days that I associate with this place and its surroundings. On the evening of the eighth of August (1854), I was present as usual at the regular practice session of our choral society, the Germania. This was a merry group of singers who met on the second floor of Rennert's comfortable house. Practicing the "Gesellenfahrten" ("Journeyman's travels") by Julius Otto under our excellent director, Mr. Guenther—and especially the delightful "Madel ruck, ruck, ruck an meine griine Seite" ("Maiden, come, come, come into my heart") of the basso profundo—had put everyone in his best mood. At the same time, the absence of two of the society's most enthusiastic members, the elderly Mr. Christoph Moeschen and the young Carl Riebeling with the curly black hair, was especially noticed. Then it was revealed that today was the birthday of the elder gentleman, whereupon the suggestion that he be honored with a serenade met with general approval. The songs suitable for such occasions had been so perfectly practiced that there was no necessity for further rehearsal. Therefore, the necessary torches were obtained, the sheets of music were distributed, and the society started out into the lovely night in high spirits. In Indian file we climbed the narrow path along the forested bank— which was still wet with rain—and met two messengers with the sur-

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prising news that they were on their way to the county clerk to get a marriage license for Riebeling and Moeschen's daughter, Friederike. The old gentleman had finally given his consent to the long-planned union of the young pair. Thus, there was double cause to celebrate— a birthday and a wedding. For the sake of surprise, we moved along carefully and silently as soon as we caught sight of the brightly lighted scene of the festivities under the trees near the house. We stole around the house, concealed in its dark shadow, until we were close to the gay, noisy party going on there. Before those present had any inkling that we were there, our torches flared forth, and the full chorus of the song, "Warum bist Du so fern, O mein Lieb?" ("Why are you so far away, oh my love?"), rang out round and full into the silent night. Taken completely by surprise and highly pleased at this quite unexpected serenade by his society, the birthday child first found it necessary to collect his wits before responding with thanks and a friendly welcome and inviting us to be seated at the richly set, festive table. It was decked with bouquets of flowers, and there were dishes piled high with golden yellow waffles, Mrs. Moeschen's specialty. We had often had tasty samples at earlier so-called dress rehearsals (picnics) of the society. Our double congratulations (on the birthday and wedding) were graciously received by the family, and many a glass of by-no-means inferior wine was emptied to the health of the birthday child and the engaged couple. The guests, consisting of friends and acquaintances of the family, were likewise acquaintances of ours. We were able to sing some of old Papa Moeschen's favorite songs before those sent to obtain the license returned from town with the document and a new supply of wine. Squire Julius Harms asked to be excused from performing the marriage ceremony and directed the bridal couple to me, who at that time held the same official position. Yielding to the combined wishes of the old and young couples, I finally agreed to conduct the ceremony. A small table was quickly placed under the slender elms. A white cloth was spread over it on which two candlesticks with burning candles were placed, with a vase of fragrant flowers in the center. In the meantime the young bridal pair had put on their wedding attire and now, in simple adornment, responding to my directions, they stepped before the improvised altar. Both faces shone with inward joy. What

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they had long desired and the old father had so long resisted was finally taking place. The choral society formed a half circle around the family and guests. In pure and clear tones, it sang the shepherd's Sunday song, "Das ist der Tag des Herrn" ("This is the Lord's day"). When the last notes of the chorus died away, a solemn silence fell upon the assembly. Only the numerous nearby springs whispered, and the night wind rustled in the full foliage of the treetops. A mockingbird, awakened by the bright light, whistled its complicated song from the branches of a pine tree. In a short speech, I spoke of the power of true, steadfast love uniting hearts, and then I completed the formal ceremony. The tears of emotion that welled up during the ceremony, the congratulations, and the customary kisses soon ceased when the choral society broke out with the merry tune, "Das nette Diarndr ("The cute girl"). Then old Moeschen requested "LaBt uns" ("Let us"), and all joined in singing: LaBt uns die Freude im Fluge erhaschen Eh' sie entflieht, DaB sie gebannt in dem Kreise der Flaschen Uns mit dem Kranze von Rosen umzieht. Frischer die Rosen der Gottin entsprieBen, Wenn wir sie fleiBig mit Nectar begieBen! Let us snatch joy in its flight Before it flies, Thus banned in the circle of bottles May it encircle us with the wreath of roses. More freshly bud the roses of the goddess When we diligently sprinkle them with nectar. In order to further test this truth anew, we all sat down again at the table to full glasses. Toasts and jests, humorous speeches and choral songs followed one another without a break until long after midnight, when the society left the merry circle and with our flickering torches set out through the woods for home. The moon's half-lit disk rose in the morning sky, and we could hear the chords of the guitar with which the happy young bridegroom up under the trees accompanied the conclusion of his song:

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A Wedding Raum ist in der kleinsten Hiitte, Fiir ein gliicklich liebend Paar There is room in the smallest cottage For a happy pair of lovers.

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13. A MURDER A Tragic Event from the Time of the German Settlement in Texas

"Have you heard? Old Squire Moeschen is dead. He died yesterday evening and is to be buried this afternoon at five o'clock." This I heard from the first of my acquaintances who met me when I came to town on Wednesday, the twelfth of September, in 1855. To learn more, I went to a friend of the deceased, W. Gerhard, who told me that his daughter Lisette had brought him the news that morning. A workman named Holzmann had found her while she was doing the wash at Comal Creek. He had given her a string and said that Mrs. Moeschen had told him to take it to Gerhard and say that her husband was dead and Gerhard should take care of it. Then Gerhard went on to say, "I assumed that the string was for measuring the length of the coffin and that Mrs. Moeschen wanted me to arrange the burial. In order to discuss this, I went out to the farm. There I met the wife at the corner of the porch. Riebeling, the old man's son-in-law, was lying on the ground in the shade of the roof. Riebeling's wife was sitting at his head, leaning her head against the back of a chair. To my question about the string, Mrs. Moeschen said that it was the measure for the coffin and that she told this to the workman. She wanted the burial to take place that day, the parson to come, Enk to make the coffin, and Thomae's carriage to be used. Also, the choral society should attend because her deceased husband had often expressed this wish. I told her that this would all be very diffi-

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cult. Then she asked me to go to Messrs. Sterzing, Zum Bergen, Seidemann, and other good friends with the request. "Riebeling told me, when I inquired, that he had the fever, that he had sent for Dr. Remer but he had not come. Mrs. R. said nothing at all. "So, I left the house and ordered the coffin and the carriage. That was at half past eight this morning. I notified Zum Bergen and the others of the death and the wife's wishes without suspecting that anything was wrong. About noon I saw Sterzing and heard about the sewing of the shroud, which aroused my suspicions. When I went out to Moeschen's again, Mrs. Moeschen only said that her husband had not been drunk yesterday evening, but that he had complained of being ill that morning before he rode off, and that he had come home in the evening. Mrs. Riebeling said that he had been at Coming's. Riebeling said that Moeschen had been in town and had asked Seekatz about the freight. Mrs. R. went on to say that her father had eaten a sandwich and drunk coffee but had not had much of an appetite. Afterward, he had read newspapers at the table. Then Mrs. Moeschen said that he had left the room and gone out onto the porch, where he had fallen. W e ran from the room, lifted him up, and laid him on the bed/ "To my question of whether he had been dead when they picked him up, she said, 'No.' "Then I asked how long it had been from his fall to the time of his death, and she said, 'About an hour.' "I asked when he had died, to which Riebeling replied that the clock had run down at ten o'clock; it could have been at half past eleven. When I asked if he had a cramp, they said that he had bent his head and swung his arms about more than once and had closed his eyes. "When Mrs. Riebeling said, 'Oh, if we only had him back again!' Riebeling said, 'Oh, leave him in peace. He is gone now.' "I now considered it fitting to ask to see Moeschen once before he was laid in the coffin. Mrs. Moeschen told me that it would not be possible. When I asked why—since, after all, I was one of his good friends—she said that they had sewed up the shroud. When I asked for the reason, she said it had been necessary because bloody saliva had flowed from his mouth. I replied that she easily could have covered the body with a sheet, as was customarily done.

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"Then all three spoke at once. Riebeling said, 'So many friends are coming who will want to see him,' and that it was to avoid the fuss and confusion. I don't remember what Mrs. Moeschen and Mrs. Riebeling said. I left in order to arrange the burial." Thus far, this was the report of friend Gerhard. I now considered it best to go to Mr. Martin Schubach, who at that time held the office of coroner and to whom Sterzing had made a report. As justice of the peace, I could assist him in conducting the inquest. At his place I wrote a summons for the jurors. This he signed and handed to the sheriff, George Ullrich, together with summons for the witnesses. It must have been about four o'clock in the afternoon when I went out alone to the farm to see how matters really stood, to keep the coroner from taking unwarranted measures, and finally to participate in the funeral service of our old comrade. I couldn't believe that a crime had been committed since the family, as far as was known, lived together peaceably; indeed, the old squire was having a house built for the children on a piece of land on this side of Comal Creek. The house was almost finished. As I stepped into the entry, I noticed that the cotton curtain was drawn before one of the bedsteads, behind which I assumed the corpse to be lying. Mrs. Moeschen, dressed in black, came toward me and invited me to step into the small parlor on the left. It was clean and neatly furnished. On a table at the right, covered with a white cloth, there were cigars intended for the pallbearers. On a narrow freshly made-up bed sat the young man, Carl Riebeling. He was wearing a clean shirt. His appearance was pale and wan. From under the curly black hair, his dark eyes in the pallid thin face had a lost look. His handshake was cold and limp; his voice sounded strained, almost toneless. His wife was not present. There was nothing unusual in the behavior of the two people. We spoke of the burial, of Riebeling s persistent fever, and of the doctor. I calmly explained to them that, because the father had died so suddenly, a coroner's inquest would be held in order to comply with the legal formalities. This should, however, cause no untoward delay. Inasmuch as I considered the suspicion of murder to be unfounded, I lit the proffered cigar and continued the conversation. A few at a time—acquaintances, neighbors, and friends who wanted to attend the services—arrived. Then came Pastor G. Eisenlohr, the

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members of the choral society, and the carriage with the coffin. Also, the coroner, the sheriff, the witnesses, and the jurymen appeared. In the meantime it had grown late, and the short autumn day was drawing to an end. The jury was assembled, the coffin was placed under the trees close to the house, and the inquest began. During this time Mrs. Moeschen and Riebeling remained in the room after Mrs. Moeschen had pointed to where the corpse was lying on a mattress. The curtain was now removed. The dead man lay wrapped in a dark brown checkered bedspread that had been sewed up and was now cut open and removed. On the bloodstained mattress, the corpse was carefully lifted from the bedstead, and carried out, and laid in the coffin. In the pale yellow twilight of the gathering dusk, the corpse offered a frightening appearance. The naked feet and hands were firmly tied with a red and blue handkerchief. The old shirt and trousers were stained with dried blood, but it was the head with the gray hair matted with clotted blood, the swollen features distorted beyond recognition, and the blue black, bloodied, and closed eye cavities that filled the hearts of the jurors and officials there with horror. In the presence of the dead man, the jurors were sworn in, and then Dr. Wilhelm Remer was called as a witness and sworn. A strained pause set in, a silence that was broken only by the rustle of dried leaves falling from the trees. The doctor broke the spell with a question to the coroner, "What am I supposed to do now?" "You are to state if the man is dead," the latter replied. "Yes, the man is dead! Now, can I go home?" asked the doctor, who was obviously annoyed at the stupidity of the question. He turned as though about to leave. "Don't be angry, and stay, Doctor," I attempted to mollify him. "We must determine how Moeschen met his death." He stayed, took off his coat, and with Dr. Theodor Koester and Louis Brumme, the surgeon, removed the bonds and the outer clothing from the corpse. Then he bent close over the body and with a quick, practiced hand examined the skull and exchanged a meaningful glance with Dr. Koester. Directly, he turned to me and, without straightening up, motioned with his eyes for me to bend closer. Then he whispered in my ear, "The old man has been murdered. Put the people under arrest immediately."

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Upon order of the coroner, the corpse was removed from the coffin and, at the direction of the doctors, laid on a large table in the open and prepared for an autopsy. In the meantime night had fallen, and it was now fully dark. The old woman and her son-in-law had remained in the house and were now asked for a light. They said they had no oil in the lamp, nor in the house. Therefore, messengers were hurriedly sent to town for candles and lanterns. Before they came back, however, I asked some of the cigar smokers to join me around a small table, and by the glow of their cigars—at which they puffed vigorously—I wrote an order to the sheriff for the arrest of Mrs. Moeschen and the Riebeling couple and had the coroner sign it. What my feelings were as I did this, the reader may well imagine. This was done at the same table under the same trees where in August 1854, as justice of the peace, I had performed the marriage of the young couple. The old woman and Riebeling were immediately placed under arrest and closely watched in their room, which they had not left— nor could they have left unseen. Finally, lanterns and candles were brought from town. By their light an exact examination and autopsy of the corpse were undertaken. The doctors found the left ear to have been split in several directions. Over it were several wounds in the skin of the head. There was another wound above the right ear. Below the wounds over the left ear, the skull was fractured into several pieces and the bone driven into the head. After the removal of the skin from the head, the cranium was found to be covered with blood. The upper part of the cranium was removed and shown to have been fractured at numerous places above the left ear. After the removal of the brain, it was found that the basis cranii (base of the skull) had been split from the left to the right side by one or more blows, and this hardest and thickest part of the skull was broken and could be moved. There was also a skull fracture below the wound above the right ear. Since the bones had been driven into the brain, it was evident that a powerful force had been necessary to smash the skull in this manner and that an instrument which was both sharp and blunt—probably an ax—had been used. The dead man must have been lying on a hard object when he received the blow and could not have taken a single step, or even half a step, for death must have been instantaneous. Further examina-

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tion showed additional contusions on the outside of the left arm, a wound on the left shoulder, and one on the left hand of the same type—all caused by a sharp instrument. Since there were no contusions on the hands and feet, these members must not have been bound together with the kerchiefs until after the man's death. A careful search for an ax turned up nothing. Nor was one found the next morning. Nevertheless, the medical examination showed that the deceased had not died a natural death, nor had he lost his life in an accident but had been murdered. So, after the autopsy, the corpse was carefully placed in the coffin again; the coffin was closed, carried into the house, and placed under guard. The prisoners were held in the midst of the officials and the jurymen prior to being taken to town for the hearing. A ghastly procession set out. The sky was covered with rain clouds, and not a single friendly star lit the narrow slippery path through the dark forest. Occasional flashes of light from the lanterns fell on the pale, fearful faces of the accused and on the dark, indignant faces of the men who followed and gave audible expression to their abhorrence of the monstrous deed, cursing the murderers. Finally, there were the austere countenances of the officials, who were determined to observe every requirement of the law. Thus, we walked through the roar of the wind whipping through the treetops and the rushing sound of water until we reached the flat whitish gray stone of the creek bed and then finally climbed the open slope on this side. In the nearby dwelling of the sheriff, the questioning of the witnesses was continued, and their statements, as well as those of the two accused, were recorded. The witnesses stated that the dead man had returned home on the evening of the previous day from a ride into the mountains and that his wife had brought the first news of his death on the following morning to the Holzmanns, neighbors who lived scarcely three hundred yards away. The statements of the time and manner of the death that the accused had made to friends and acquaintances who came to express condolences (J. Alsens, C. Kappmeyer, Th. Sterzing, and H. Zum Bergen) were essentially different and flatly contradicted the testimony which they gave under oath to the coroner and the jurors. The testi-

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mony showed that they had sewed up the body in the shroud and had refused to show it to their best friends. This, together with the statement of the doctors and the surgeon on the result of the autopsy, could only lead to the conclusion that the prisoners had committed the crime and had wanted to conceal their guilt. The old women complained of the bad treatment that she had to endure from her husband for twenty-two years and stated that she and her daughter had put him to bed the previous evening because he had had a spasm. After that they had brought in the cows from Zum Bergen's and milked them. During this time they had heard the dogs start barking twice, and there was a cry. When they came up again about nine thirty, her husband had been lying on the porch in front of the house and flailing about with his arms and legs. His head was wet with vomit or hemorrhaging. She had been unable to see any more as there was no light, but at daybreak she had found him all bloody and had to bandage him herself since neither her daughter nor her son-in-law could help her. "No one in Braunfels can say that I am bad and that I would try to murder him. I believe he had enemies. He had a fight with someone on the day before. He wasn't murdered by my hand or that of my daughter—to that I can swear. He often said that if he had an attack, he would kill himself, but, I think, he had a fight with someone. The dogs sometimes barked." She signed her statement with a firm hand while Riebeling was only able to scrawl his name with difficulty, his fingers trembling. His statement was briefly the following: "I can see no reason why I should be suspected of sharing the guilt for the murder of my fatherin-law. I had no quarrel with him since making the contract with him that is now at Sterzing's. I don't see how I could have had any part in it. The contract was made on June 22, 1855. If we had been enemies, then it might have been possible." The jury—consisting of the following citizens: C. F. Blum, F. Heidemeyer, Karl Kuehn, H. Fischer, David Karbach, and Wilhelm Gerhard —stated in their verdict that "Christoph Moeschen died of various wounds that had been inflicted upon him during the night from the eleventh to the twelfth of September 1855 with a sharp and a blunt instrument by the act of, and with the aid and abetment of, Carl

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Riebeling, Mrs. Johanna Moeschen, and Mrs. Friederike Riebeling." Thereupon, the coroner gave the order that the sheriff hold the prisoners under arrest until the next term of the district court, to place Friederike Riebeling under arrest, and to take her before one of the justices of the peace of Comal County for a hearing of her case. Thus, the coroner's inquest came to an end. The prisoners were taken to jail, and I and the others set out on the long way home, where—although tired from the work—I was unable to overcome the agitation of the day's events until, after much reflection, I eventually found forgetfulness in a short fitful sleep. The mystery that surrounded the murder itself, the circumstances of its commission, and the motives for the heinous crime were, in part, cleared up by the events and developments of the following day. In the morning the sheriff brought me, as the nearest justice of the peace, the coroner's order with the report that he had arrested Mrs. Friederike Riebeling at the farm of a neighbor, where she had spent the night. Accordingly, I immediately went to town. The hearing was held in the house of Mr. Julius Rennert, who was deputy sheriff at that time. The accused Friederike Riebeling was arraigned, advised of the charge against her, and told of her right to make a voluntary statement with the warning that it could be used against her. She remained silent and hid her pale, tear-stained face in her kerchief. When I asked her whether she wanted a lawyer, she answered in the affirmative, whereupon I sent for Judge M. A. Dooley, who took over her defense. The statements of those witnesses who had been questioned at the inquest agreed with those made at that time. In addition to them, Mrs. Helena Sterzing, George Holzmann, Friedrich Muenzler, and Eduard Rische were questioned, and then the court was adjourned until nine o'clock the next day. Long before this hearing, a messenger had come to ask me to see the accused, who wished to speak to me alone. On the way, I learned from the messenger that she had told one of the witnesses that she had only "lit the light." At Rennert's I found the woman in a room. She looked very exhausted and disconsolate. Sobbing, she told me that she had not been able to sleep during the night and, since she trusted in me as a friend of the family, she wanted to make a full confession. This I declined, saying, "If you want to make a confession, I will

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convene court in which you may confess before me as judge. Otherwise, I cannot hear you." To this she said that she could not do it in court, whereupon I said that she might write it down, but first she should see her lawyer. To this she agreed. The court was convened, and her petition to make a voluntary confession was admitted after she had again been made aware of the possible consequences. The confession was recorded, read to her, and she signed it. It read as follows: "I make this statement of my own free will without instigation. No one has told me that it will be better for me or that my penalty will be lighter. I feel within myself that I will find greater peace, for I have always been good. I never had false designs in my heart, nor had my husband until recently. But, my father's bad behavior toward me had aroused contempt for him in my heart. I then no longer loved and respected him as much as formerly. Before, I had always respected and loved him. "The night my baby died, my father was drunk in the yard and said, 1 wish the old bag had croaked. The child dies, and Tin stuck with the old goat/ Since he said that, I have had a greater hatred of him. I am not the primary cause of his death, although I was very angry at him and no longer loved him as a father. I had the smallest part in the death of my father, but I will bear the same fate as the others. Where they go, I want to go too. I want to be with them. I will admit to being as guilty as my husband and my mother. I love them too much to want to be free and see them in suffering and misery. "I want to share the same fate with my husband and my mother; more I cannot say. I can say that I have the least guilt in the death of my father. "Tuesday night—I don't know what time it was because the clock had stopped at ten—my father had gone to bed cursing and swearing. For a long time, my father had taken to swearing and cursing at us, and especially at my husband. He said that my husband wasn't sick but only pretended to be. That my father is dead, everyone knows, and they know how he died. The law may pronounce judgment on us and on my innocence. That is all that I wanted to say." Friederike Riebeling

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During the further proceedings, she wept frequently but followed the statements of the witnesses attentively. In addition, Mrs. Eva Holzmann, Lisette Gerhard, Hermann Coming, Hermann Zum Bergen, and Julius Eggeling were questioned. The first named had last seen the dead man on the day of the murder; the last named stated that the accused had said to Zum Bergen, "Be so kind and tell my mother to insist that I only lit the light and to say nothing else." Since it was plain from this hearing that Christoph Moeschen had been murdered and there was good reason to believe that the accused shared in the guilt for this crime, I decided that she should be placed in jail and remain there until her case should be decided in court. On October 23 of the same year, 1855, in the district court, the grand jury—of which C. W. Thomae was the foreman—handed down a complaint against her, her husband, and her mother, in which all three were charged with murder. Thos. J. Devine was at that time district judge; Frank Egan, state's attorney; and Judge Dooley was the lawyer for the defense. A motion for delay because H. Alsens was not present, submitted by the defense, was granted after the judge had denied a motion to adjourn the case because the accused had not been given a copy of the charges and the summons of the grand jury until the twenty-fourth of October at 6:00 P.M. A motion to dismiss the case because of a formality was also denied. At the spring court term of 1856, the case came to trial. Judge Dooley moved that the accused each be tried separately. The motion was denied, whereupon all three pleaded innocent of the crime. Of the thirty-six citizens summoned, the following twelve were sworn as jurors on the sixth of March after a long and careful examination: A. Nauendorf, P. O. Dougherty, Carl Floege, Joseph Betz, Scipio Schwarzhof, Georg Klappenbach, H. Spiess, Fr. Rauch, W. Ludwig, P. H. Meckel, Dan Murchison, and A. Scholl. With much excitement and suspense, the large crowd jammed the narrow rooms of the courthouse (the present expanded pharmacy of Mr. August Tolle) and stood around the building listening to the testimony of the witnesses and the speeches of the lawyers. The attempt to shift the suspicion of murder to another person and create doubt of the guilt of the accused failed completely for the usually eloquent Judge Dooley. When Frank Egan, the state's attorney, described the events of that night of horror and added link to link in the chain of

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proof against the defendants, a breathless silence fell over the deeply stirred spectators; and all were convinced that the accused were guilty of the horrible crime. Egan earnestly addressed the jury with convincing forcefulness and deep emotion as follows: "A gruesome crime has been committed in the midst of the peaceloving and law-abiding citizenry of Comal County. Christoph Moeschen, one of the first settlers of this colony, has been found slain in his house at the place that he had converted through hard work, effort, and sacrifice from wildnerness into a congenial homesite for himself and his family. Who were his murderers? What motivated them to perpetrate this infamous deed? The testimony presented to you can and must lead you to the one inescapable conclusion. These three— his wife, his child, his son-in-law! "It is my duty to demonstrate to you in accordance with the truth how such an unspeakable act could be committed; it is your duty to bring in a just verdict after ascertaining the facts. "Christoph Moeschen lived with his wife and his only daughter, Friederike, on his farm on the Comal in, as far as is known, peace and quiet for years. He was a simple worker who at times liked to take a drink. His wife bore this with patience. He loved his daughter, an only child, with perhaps too much weakness and indulgence for her wishes, and both parents were proud of her. She grew to maturity and became enamored of an interesting, curly-haired young man, a poor shoemaker, who also became fond of her. The mother approved of this attachment; the father did not. This resulted in dissension and angry scenes in the house, in which the old man, when intoxicated, became abusive; and the mother spoke to the daughter contemptuously of the old man behind his back. Nevertheless, the two knew how to persuade the old man to give his consent to the marriage. The young couple lived in the parental home, and the husband joined in working on the farm. The birth of a child assured and increased the happiness of the family. The death of the child shattered this bond of harmony and peace. Since that time, the daughter admits, she no longer loved her father but hated him; at that time, Riebeling says it would have been possible for me to kill him. Since that time the now-dead man feared that his wife would poison him. They complain of their troubles to

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nearby neighbors and friends. Living together in one house becomes unbearable. Then the father and son-in-law come to an agreement, according to which the latter will move with his wife to another parcel of land where the old man will have a house built for them. "In order to earn some money, the young man, who is unaccustomed to working in the open, transports freight with a team of oxen. But, he contracts the fever, and the work now falls on the old man alone. In his rough manner, he reproaches the young man, calls him a shirk who plays sick because he doesn't want to work. It is understandable how such thoughts made the father—who set such store by his daughter, for whom nothing seemed to him to be good enough and toward whom he was now overly tender, now frightfully coarse—angry and, when drunk, express himself violently. In the hearts of the daughter and her husband, however, they awakened feelings of hatred and bitterness. These were intensified by the mother's daily prodding. There arose the wish: If he were only out of the way, we could live in peace and would have undisturbed possession of all without his objections and stipulations. From the wish—if he were gone—evolves the conviction—he must go—which keeps returning until it spawns the decision to murder. "This was the situation in the family when, on the last morning of his life, Christoph Moeschen rode out to look for oxen in the mountains. He rides all day in vain but does collect some acorns—perhaps to plant them for his grandchildren—and returns home in the evening, tired from his ride but joking with his nearest neighbor's wife. Except for the defendants, she was the last person who saw him alive as he dismounted and accompanied his wife through the gate. "Received with morose expressions, the exhausted old man becomes cross and angered that the 'stupid boy,' as he calls him, is lying on the sloth's bed as on many of the preceding days. He calls him a damned loafer (einen verdammten Tagedieb) and lies down swearing and cursing him and the women. Finally, still cursing, he falls asleep while the three wait, sitting in the dark room. Now the deep, pent-up resentment breaks forth. He must be done away with. This is no longer to be endured. "The mother agrees. The plan is quickly laid. The ax is at hand. While the daughter provides a light, the first blow falls upon the head of the sleeping father. Instinctively, the sleeper, already fatally

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wounded, raises his powerful arm to ward off the instrument of death that he can no longer see. The blade of the ax strikes the arm, and then a second blow finds the head. The deadly work is complete; the murder of husband and father is done. Soundlessly, the victim sinks back from living sleep into eternal sleep. His voice is silenced. Who will raise the accusation? No eye that witnessed the act would betray it. Mute, the victim lies at the feet of the silent murderers. They listen for sounds from outside. There is nothing to break the silence of the night. Only the autumn wind wafts the withered leaves from the trees, and raindrops slowly fall. But, the sound enters the souls of the murderers and awakens the fear of discovery of their crime and of an avenging retribution. "How to conceal the evidence of the dead? The dead man's child turns away in horror. The dead man's wife forces the trembling girl to hold the light while she, assisted by the accomplice, lays her husband, when he—as she expresses it—was kaput, on the mattress and sews him into a bedspread so that no human eye may see the disfigured body and recognize the clear evidence of the criminal act. "The blood is washed from the threshold and swept out with the dust from the floor; the murder weapon is dropped to the bottom of the pond formed by the nearby creek. "Now they feel safe from discovery, and during the long, dark, fearsome hours of the nocturnal deathwatch, they scarcely dare whisper as they discuss how they will conceal the murder during the burial. They have extinguished the light so that it will not awaken suspicion among the neighbors, although these neighbors are wrapped in unsuspecting slumber and have no inkling of what has happened. "Gradually, the morning of the dark, rainy autumn day dawns. The old woman is the first one who dares to talk with people. She calls to her nearest neighbor, G. Holzmann, a laborer going to work at 6:00 A.M., to come to her. Seeking to hide her guilt in tears of sorrow, she tells him her husband has died and gives him a string that he is to give to Gerhard, who is to make all the arrangements. Gerhard, as an old friend of the family, makes the arrangements and sends out the desired invitations to the funeral. Everything goes as planned. Even the contradictory accounts of the death are not noticed by the sympathetic friends, and the murderers begin to cherish the hope that the grave will soon cover and conceal it all. Then one of the visitors

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expresses the very natural wish to see his old friend once again. This is refused on the pretext that the body has already been sewed into the shroud. He tells other friends of this strange and unusual manner of laying out the body. In turn, their repeated, urgent, but friendly requests to see the body are also refused because it would be too much trouble. The explanation given for the strange manner of preparing the body is that it was done because blood had flowed from the deceased's mouth. "Remembering earlier statements of the dead man, the friends become suspicious and consider it their duty to notify the authorities and to institute an inquest. The result has been that Christoph Moeschen is shown to have been shamefully murdered, as the doctors have given witness. "A plausible refutation of the fact of the well-planned concealment of the cause of death, of the murder, has not been given or proven by the family, nor does suspicion fall on anyone else. What was intended to conceal the deed has led to its discovery. The concealment of the crime reveals it. The everwatchful eye of omnipotent justice saw the evildoers in the darkness of the silent night. And, if you ask who are the murderers, the finger of Nemesis (the Greek goddess of justice), like mine, will point to these three and compel you—as it does me— to say with the irresistible power of complete conviction: All three accused are guilty of the murder!" Judge Devine gave his instructions to the jury in clear, understandable terms, whereupon they withdrew to the jury room. When they returned after a longer time than had been expected, they handed down the verdict: "The jury finds the accused Johanna Moeschen, Carl Riebeling, and Friederike Riebeling guilty of murder in the second degree and fixes as their penalty imprisonment at hard labor for nine years for each. H. Spiess, foreman." The motion to dismiss the verdict was rejected by the judge as unfounded. The judge stood up, told the prisoners to arise, and asked each of them if they had anything to say before sentencing. Riebeling objected that he could not do hard labor. The old woman continued to sit, whereupon the judge with severity ordered that she be told to stand up.

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Then he spoke to them earnestly and with dignity: "After a just trial and despite the able defense of your lawyer, you have been convicted by an unprejudiced jury of your peers of the most terrible crime that a human can commit, and you have justly been found guilty of the murder of your husband, your father, your father-in-law. Where may a man seek security for his life if not in his own house in the bosom of his family—with his wife, with his children? "Truly, you owe it to the leniency of the jurors that you do not have to pay for your unspeakable crime with the deserved death penalty and that I am not constrained to order the sheriff to cause you to hang by the neck until you are dead. I am obliged by the verdict only to sentence you to be delivered by the sheriff to prison and to be confined there at hard labor for nine years." The sentence has been carried out.

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14. TRAVELS IN TEXAS From the Memoirs of a German Texan

During the first week in May 1860, the new courthouse of Comal County was consecrated as the temple of Themis (Greek goddess of law). The old judge, M. P. Norton of Corpus Christi, presided at the spring term of the district court instead of our own judge, Thomas J. Devine, and dedicated the new building in New Braunfels while Mr. Jacob Waelder made the opening speech. W. E. Jones was also present. It was he who had, as district judge, held the first session of the District Court for Comal County in September 1846 in the old wooden building on the east corner of the marketplace (that now belongs to Floege). G. H. Sherwood was likewise present. As attorney for the plaintiff in the civil case of Beyer v. L. W. Thomas, I made the first speech to the petit jury in the new building and was busy with other cases until Saturday evening. Also I substituted as district clerk for my old friend, Gustav Dreiss, who was sick. Thus, after I accompanied the judge to visit George Pfeuffer, the father of his friend and neighbor in Corpus Christi, I felt very tired and went out to my comfortable home on my farm, Elisenruh. There I intended on the following day to take my ease procul negotiis (remote from business affairs). The peaceful quiet of the Sunday morning on the bank of the Guadalupe, however, was broken very early by Heinrich Seekatz, sent as a messenger by Mr. Jakob Schmitz (whom Olmsted had called "the landlord with the dyspeptic dinners") to summon me to the judge.

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Suspecting what he wanted, I betook myself to the Guadalupe Hotel. There the friendly old judge called upon me in the most persuasive way to accompany him to Blanco County and to serve there as district attorney pro tempore during the first term of the district court. The persuasion of friends, among them J. Waelder and Wilhelm Seekatz, helped overcome my excuse that I would not have time because of the addition to Singers' Hall (Saengerhalle) that I had undertaken. After I had made the necessary arrangements with my partner, Julius Rennert, for my absence and had packed a few law books and papers, I left town with the judge in his one-horse carriage. At Klappenbach's Mountain I got out while the old gentleman slowly drove up the rough road. Scattered clusters of blue flowers hung from the dense dark green foliage of the mescal-bean bushes, around which butterflies with black wings edged in blue were fluttering. Fresh light green twigs were sprouting from their branches and also from the still darker cedars. On the upper, curving edge of the fleshy broad-leaved clump of cacti, rows of lemon yellow or orange yellow blossoms were massed. They gleamed like burning torches of gold in the rays of the morning sun. Darting emerald and ruby red hummingbirds were busily visiting them. The red-feathered cardinal sounded his clear morning song from the wild grape vines or picked at the ripe reddish yellow berries of the barberry. Pheasants, running and leaping, flitted across the road, while plump cows plodded slowly and deliberately along the worn wagon tracks up the slope toward the lush pastures of the high plains. Wherever the firm reddish gravel of the ground permitted, our carriage rolled swiftly and easily over the plain. Only over scattered short stretches where the outcropping of the limestone occurred in angular and jagged layers were we slowed down, and the journey made less pleasant by the jolting. Farther on, the road wound around gently rising hills. The chalky roadbed was smooth and level, save for a rather long stony stretch and a creek. Open prairie, bushes and groves of trees, lone hilltops bearing yucca filamentosa, and isolated farms lent the landscape an agreeable variety. The air had a clear purity and transparency, and the sky exhibited that intense blue that is peculiar to Texas, while a fresh morning breeze cheered and invigorated us. It was a delightful journey. The enjoyment was made even greater by the lively, stimulating conver-

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sation with the old septuagenarian whose friendliness won me over completely. Such travel in good company, like shared social festivities, makes one more open and confidential. The shared enjoyment and the same good humor produce a harmony of feeling and thought and, thus, a link of understanding between souls is created that gives life a truly beautiful and gladsome quality. We turned in at Christian Loeffler's farm. There we had delicious clabbered milk and, later at Charles Esser's place, a good midday meal, both oflFered with ready hospitality. With a hearty appetite, we gratefully accepted and ate these meals. The fording of the Guadalupe was not without danger because of the high water. The river flowed through our carriage while we drew up our legs and sat with our suitcases on our knees. Our good horses, however, brought us safely to the security of the bank. In the evening we reached old Mr. George's place on the Blanco River and were given a modest but welcome night's lodging in his double log cabin, located opposite Middletown. We left Monday morning. Only after becoming lost did we happily reach Colonel Durham's place, where we were given a friendly reception. From there, after a short journey through the lovely Blanco valley, over the lush green prairie, between farms and herds of cattle, we arrived in Pittsburg (Blanco City). Not far from a beautiful spring there stood a few log cabins and a frame house in which Mr. Zork had a general store. We crossed to the other side of the creek, where we found the district clerk, J. B. Tennison. Close to his residence stood a log cabin made of massive tree trunks. It served to house the session of the court. The simple furnishings of this meetinghouse were in keeping with its rough external appearance. The furniture in the courtroom consisted of some rough-hewn benches and a long, very high table. The slender figure of the judge, who, like myself and the clerk, was sitting on a rawhide chair, rose above the table, but we had to stretch in order to be able to write on it. The horses tied to the trees outside were a signal to us that the citizens of the region who had business with the court had already arrived and were waiting for us. After a short discussion with the

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clerk, the judge had Sheriff Hamilton open the term and call the names of the grand jurors who had been summoned. Half of them consisted of Germans, and to discover dear old acquaintances among them, like Voigt, Donop, and others, gave me the greatest pleasure. I no longer felt alone and a stranger among the people of this county. However, I had no time to dwell on these thoughts, for the judge had appointed me district attorney; and I had to take the oath. Directly after that came the order, "District attorney, may I ask you to examine the jurors under oath concerning their legal qualifications." This was done then according to form. Thereupon, the judge appointed Mr. Robinson to be foreman and swore in the given number of selected jurymen. Instead of instructing them himself, he called upon me to do this in his place. This task then was also performed to his complete satisfaction, whereupon the grand jury withdrew for its deliberations. Their jury room was not in any building but in a shady grove of trees grown about with bushes. Here they let themselves down on the grass, while bailiffs armed with rifles and revolvers surrounded them for the purpose of keeping unauthorized or curious persons at a proper distance. In the meantime the court adjourned until the next morning. Although the clerk had brought the necessary record books, he had not yet made any entries in them. Therefore, I presented him with the first dockets of complaints, etc., entered the minutes of the day's proceedings, and also showed him how he should continue the same. I was glad to do this not only because he had kindly invited me to dinner but because I remembered how obligingly Colonel Andrew Neill had helped me sixteen years before to prepare my records properly at the first term of the district court in Comal County. With these tasks the day passed almost too quickly for me, so that I had only a little time to greet my friends and chat with them. In the evening Friend Torrey also arrived, and I walked home with him across the prairie along the Blanco. The broad shallow surface of the river reflected the red glow of the evening and the magnificent blue sky. Well satisfied with the day's work and chatting pleasantly, we walked along through the quiet, peaceful countryside whose silence was broken by the bleating of a herd of freshly shorn sheep and young lambs.

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At Durham's, where Judge Wm. E. Jones had, in the meantime, also arrived, there was a lively discussion of the Charleston Convention and the secessionists until a blast of cold air blew into the room. We went to bed early in a massive fourposter bed that had been prepared for Judge Jones and myself. The second day dawned clear, and our entire party set out early in the lovely May morning on the road to town. The grand jury summoned me and instructed me to draw up an indictment for assault with intent to murder Mr. Louis Zork. After this had been done and they had told me that there was no further business, I prepared forms for citizen's certificates and for other kinds of business. I was very surprised when the jury, after handing down the indictment, answered yes to the judge's question of whether they had any further business. Then they asked me to come to them, and I was told that they had decided to make one more report which I should put in proper form. This was given to me, and, to my astonishment, contained the following: "The grand jury thanks the judge for the capable and urbane manner in which he has organized and conducted the court and acknowledges with praise the services of the district attorney, his courtesy, and his good counsel; and it declares that the records of the district clerk have been kept in good order." This direct and indirect compliment to myself left me, at first, taken aback. I tried to excuse myself from its formulation but then composed it and, when it was presented after being signed by all the jurors, the judge ordered it entered into the record. This I again did for the clerk, made up the determination of the costs of the term, and issued the usual vouchers for myself, the jurors, and the bailiffs, whereupon the judge adjourned the court sine die. After I had taken most friendly leave of my old and new acquaintances, I still had time to write six letters with cards of invitation to the Seventh Texas State German Singing Societies Festival to be sent to the editors of various newspapers and to Boerne. Then I took leave of my host, Tennison, and his family and arrived in good time at Durham's. The cool evening before the glowing fireplace in the circle of his family was spent in a most pleasant fashion. I had soon won the hearts of the children, among whom I especially took a liking to one boy,

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Rienzi, because of his bright, alert nature and modest demeanor. While I chatted with them, I cut out little pictures of paper and cardboard which aroused their delight and admiration. On Wednesday we set out very early. The judge paid for everything, and we had a friendly leave-taking. At the Blanco we picked up Donop and Voigt and set off for home. Soon we reached George's farm. As we were climbing down to take breakfast, the old judge fell between the wheel and a barn and received a painful injury to arm and hand which fortunately was not dangerous. Turpentine oil was applied as the only remedy that we had. But, now I found myself in an embarrassing position. My hope of obtaining a horse from the Georges was a vain one. What was I to do now? The judge wanted to drive to Sisterdale from there, but my road took me to New Braunfels. I was faced with a quandary. But, a quick decision is a good decision!—I got into the judge's carriage and rode with him into the mountains to the place where his road turned off to the right to Sisterdale by way of Curry's Creek. There I got out, shook his hand and those of the friends accompanying him in a short but hearty farewell. I looked after them for a short time and then turned toward the two summits of the Twin Sisters. I could not deny myself the pleasure of climbing and examining them more closely and of viewing from their tops the delightful panorama of broad valleys and blue mountain ranges. Briskly and vigorously, but without weapons if not without concern because of the Indians, I continued my journey down the twisting road to the valley. "The Lord is my shepherd. He prepareth a table before me in the wilderness in the presence of mine enemies," I was singing to myself when I saw something coming toward me in the far distance on the long white road stretching through the greening valley. The hot sun beat down in spite of the fresh mountain air as I strode along, my coat draped over my shoulders. My thirst for a cool drink grew greater and greater without there being any prospect of quenching it in this arid mountainous region. With so much the greater excitement, I watched the approaching object which, to my great joy, turned out to be a wagon drawn by a team of oxen plodding along the road. Soon I made out two figures sitting in front under the wagon's canvas top. A rifle was propped up next to the whip. The amazement of those in the wagon at finding a traveler on foot here in the solitude of the moun-

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tains, miles from any farm, was undisguised. They recognized me earlier than I did them and, from a distance, they shouted, "Where did you come from, here in the wilderness?" I recognized young Cordova, who was driving up to his farm with his family. "From Middletown. Do you have anything to drink?" I then asked with a dry tongue and hoarse throat. "Sure," and with that the young man handed me a keg from the wagon. Without ceremony I quickly raised its spigot to my mouth and took a healthy swallow. But, oh wow! Instead of the expected water, it was whiskey that flowed down over tongue and palate, glowing hot like molten lead. My mouth and throat pained until the jug of water that Mrs. Cordova quickly handed me extinguished the burning sensation. Her husband laughed at the misunderstanding, and I told them briefly how I came to be there. Since it was well past noon, our meeting was not long, and we continued on our separate ways in opposite directions. After a few hours, I passed through Postoak Prairie and, after I had had a drink of good water at a teamsters' camp on the way, I reached the farm of Louis Willke, who had been my friend since 1845, when he had been town commandant in Carlshafen. He and his still beautiful wife welcomed and entertained me in the most friendly manner. There I rested and refreshed myself. They readily granted my request for a horse, and so I was able to ride on and by sunset had crossed the Guadalupe. I stopped at Esser's but did not tarry, in spite of the hospitable invitation to stay. At a lonely campsite on the heights above Smithson Valley, I met my friend, Hans von Specht, with his boy. From there I went on to Loeffler's, where I stayed overnight. After a bloodless battle of words for Texas v. Washburn and a bloody battle with the fleas who robbed me of my sleep, I rode off the next morning down the solitary road. Finally, I reached the slope of the Comal mountains and looked joyfully down onto the richly blessed home valley of the Comal, adorned with farms. My glance swept across the greening, gently rising chain of hills that undulated like a succession of waves to the town snugly nestling at their foot, gleaming in the friendly light of the May sun. What a pleasant contrast to the gray mountaintops, rocky cliffs and rough, stone-strewn roads, and the dry creek beds in the mountains. Slowly, I rode down the rockslides through the cedars and mescal-

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bean bushes to the ever fresh, clear, bubbling Comal Springs, where horse and rider refreshed themselves; then through the shady but sultry woods and past the clattering mill. My mount, however, carried me more quickly through the airy streets of the town out to Elisenruh, where I noted with pleasure the progress of the construction on the addition to Singers' Hall. It had advanced far enough for me to be certain that the building would be ready for the celebration of the Seventh Texas State German Singing Societies Festival on May 27. The summer of 1860 had passed with its enjoyable festivals and the good harvest, which was so much the more appreciated because of the three preceding bad years. November approached with the rising excitement surrounding the presidential election. During the autumn term of the district court, which was conducted by Judge Edmund J. Davis of Brownsville, I had practiced as an attorney and had won a number of cases. And, since I was also practicing in Blanco County, I decided to go there by horseback in order not to have to return on foot as I had done in the spring. Therefore, I saddled my faithful Bill and rode to town on Sunday, November 4. In the Guadalupe Hotel, I met the judge and the district attorney, Mr. Anderson, who had rented a hack from Jakob Schmitz' livery stable and had hired Louis Sarassin to drive them. They both invited me so persuasively to ride with them that I left my horse at Brumme's and, in high spirits, rode out from town into the mountains with them at two o'clock. The rare good humor of our party enlivened by the animated conversation full of witty remarks and anecdotes was heightened when, after the first milestone had been passed, a case of champagne was opened and a bottle of the noble beverage removed, uncorked, emptied, and deposited. Each succeeding milestone saw a bottle thus disposed of. The first longer stop of our jocular trip was made at Christian Loeffler's farm, where the horses were watered, and, surrounded by a number of uncommonly importunate mountain hogs, we enjoyed the good, tasty lunch that Jakob Schmitz had so carefully packed for us. The sun had gotten low in the west before we rode off. We drove on at a good pace through Smithson Valley over a good road, but night had already spread its dark wings over the valleys and heights by the

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time we reached the fork where the road divides and leads down into the Guadalupe valley. Not a star was to be seen. Scarcely a trace of the road could be recognized. I got out to scout the track; the carriage followed slowly after. The way led constantly downward into an open meadow surrounded by woods. Ahead we could hear the barking of dogs. Soon, in the glow of a dying fire, a house loomed out of the dark. In order to announce our coming to the residents, I sang German songs while the carriage slowly approached over the grass. However, neither the song of the Lorelei nor that of the maiden's wreath elicited any response. The barking of the dogs grew ever more distant and finally died away altogether. We stopped, got out, and went toward the house. Under a tree with broad branches, we found a burned-out fire on a hearth formed of piled-up stones. It faced the front of the house, where the door stood open. Since, in spite of our repeated shouts, all remained silent, we entered and looked around in the room by striking matches. It was quite comfortably furnished. Since we neither caught sight of anyone nor heard anything, we returned to the carriage, unharnessed the horses, and tethered them in the grass. Then we spread our wool blankets on the grassy ground and let the seats serve as pillows for our heads. Heavy with fatigue, we were soon wafted by the rustling of the wind in the branches into deep sleep and forgetfulness of our surroundings until the cold before dawn crept into our veins and awakened us. A good swig as a morning draft, a short consultation, and then we hitched up the horses and, at a rapid trot, followed the road along the valley which brought us in the early morning to the farm of our old friend, Scherz. Our unexpectedly early arrival was met with surprise but, after a short explanation, we were invited into the house with friendly hospitality. There, at the amply set breakfast table, warmed and enlivened with coffee, we narrated our nighttime adventure. Then our hosts explained to us how we had gotten off the track after Esser's ford, had taken a road that led to a newly laid-out preemption where we had camped. (Later, we learned that the residents had fled into the woods because they thought we were Indians, and they spent the night in the woods.)

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Invigorated by the good breakfast and especially by the coffee— which every Texan knows how to appreciate—and most thankful for the hospitality, we drove the short distance to the river. Fording the stream, which at that time was quite shallow, was very rough and uncomfortable because of the stone blocks deposited in it; and we bumped up and down over them in a lively fashion. The horses had almost reached the opposite bank when, with a jolt and a cracking sound, one of the wheels collapsed after having been wedged between two rock fragments. We jumped out of the carriage and waded to the bank while the horses dragged the carriage onto land. The ears of a certain innkeeper in town must have rung loudly at the strong and not exactly complimentary expressions directed at the miserable vehicle. It was, after all, a fine kettle of fish! "Now what do we do?" asked the judge. "We can't just sit here, and that contraption sure isn't going anywhere." "I don't know," said Mac. "We'll have to dry off first," and he sat down on a tree trunk and pulled off his wet shoes and stockings. "The only way," I told Sarassin, "is for you to ride back to Scherz's with the horses and try to get a carriage there in which to drive us to Blanco." This made sense to him, and he unhitched the horses and rode back with them across the river, leaving the rest of us to an uncertain fate. There we sat on our suitcases like the Jews at the rivers of Babylon and laughed at our embarrassment. Instead of harps we had hung our clothes on the bushes to dry and waited for what should come next. For a good while, our patience and good spirits were sorely tried, but we recovered and broke out into Homeric laughter when we finally heard our driver rumbling along in the borrowed wagon and saw him driving through the river. "Where did you get Noah's ark? Couldn't you get anything bigger?" we shouted out to him. "No, sir!" he answered laconically. It was, in truth, a relic of Texas' early days, a genuine Texas prairie schooner. The high box with the upper edge curving downward in the middle resembled a longboat and had once been painted sky blue. And, on this monster of a freight wagon, the honorable officials of the district court of law were to be provided transportation! But, there

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was no other choice and, without any hesitation, we climbed onto the wagon after the suitcases had been hoisted aboard. On these we placed the blankets and the seat cushions, and then we seated ourselves on them. We gave one parting, regretful glance at the abandoned carriage left to its fate in the wilderness and, bumpety-bump, away we went. That was one fine, maybe too smooth a trip! Barg up so sacht, Barg aff so licht, Up hill so softly, Down hill so lightly, (Low German) It was a trip over rock that was eroded into honeycomb by wind and rain and that protruded jagged and sharp edged from the ground, as did also the tree stumps in the Rebecca Creek bottoms, where we had to pass. The old wagon, bumping up and down and creaking in all its joints, was able to take the jolts and pounding; and we had to do the same. We breathed more freely though when, thoroughly shaken and roughed up, we came upon a smoother road in the Blanco valley. We began to appreciate the humor of our situation as we sedately entered the county seat of Blanco County in the triumphal chariot drawn by the jaded nags. We were truly happy to finally be there. The natives stared in wonder at our equipage and at us, the occupants. But, we made nothing of it and drove on to Colonel Durham's, where we received a most friendly reception and were given quarters. The old gentleman, as well as the children, greeted me as a dear old acquaintance. The children told me in confidence about the small cutout pictures that I had made for them and, full of pride, they brought the family Bible, where they had carefully kept some of them. The same familiar cordiality was lacking from the serious discussion that was held later among the men on the subject of the election of the following day. Its uncertain results and the apprehension as to its consequences filled everyone's mind with deep concern. Still thinking of the excitement of the election campaign in which we had had such an active part in our counties, we asked whether

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here too, in Blanco, public meetings and speeches were being held. "Oh, yes," said our host, "very well attended and, for a week now in the schoolhouse, they have been lasting until long after midnight." "Which ticket will get the majority then?" "Oh, it's not a question of that in the meetings. The big question is being debated between the Baptists and the Methodists on whether it is right to baptize children. The ardent adherents of these two religious groups have neither the time nor the interest left for the presidential election." To find such political apathy among the population that was otherwise so strongly sympathetic to the Know-Nothing movement aroused our great amazement, since it was in such crass contrast to the excitement that had gripped our entire nation. Filled with suspense, I was looking forward to the coming day, for I had taken an active part in politics and had brought along a large quantity of printed electioneering handbills for the candidates, Breckinridge and Lane, nominated by our party, the Democratic party; and I had already distributed some on the way. On Tuesday, November 6, we went to town early in the morning. The town had grown somewhat, and court was held in a more spacious building on the bank of the Blanco River, where later the stone courthouse was to be built. My old friend, Tennison, the district clerk, was overjoyed to see me, greeted me most cordially, and invited me to eat with him. The judge completed the initial court proceedings with his characteristic dispatch. I helped the clerk; the grand jury was organized; several Germans were granted citizenship; and court was adjourned for the day. After briefly greeting my many acquaintances, I went with them to the polls, which had been late in opening. There I immediately posted one of our Democratic handbills and, because the supporters of the party here were unacquainted with the names of Bell and Everett and of their electors—among whom was their fellow citizen, Judge Wm. E. Jones—I added these names to the handbill too. Thereafter, I electioneered actively for our party and was well supported by the German element among the voters. That evening I took great satisfaction in the fact that the Democratic ticket for Breckinridge and Lane had, for the first time, won a predominantly large majority in Blanco County. Whether my argument that the South by its unanimous vote for our ticket would restrain the North from aggressive steps, etc., or the con-

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venience of having printed tickets produced this result must remain moot. Our driver, Louis Sarassin, who had stayed with a German by the name of Leineweber, drove back that day. At that time Leineweber had a grocery in Blanco. In order to forestall any difficulties with the temperance-minded grand jury, he placed a keg of whiskey to cool in the spring that bubbles up near the courthouse; and he served it up generously. I dined at Tennison's, recorded the court minutes, and wrote out a sales contract. In the evening I first listened to the debate on the baptism of children carried on with eloquent and ardent zeal by Bird and Tennison. People had crowded into and around the building to listen. It had grown very late when I went over to Zork's store. A violent thunderstorm set in and, as welcome as the steady, heavy rain was for the winter planting, it was very unpleasant for me, for it forced me to spend the night there and sleep on the narrow counter. To make my way on foot through the rapidly rising river over the long road to Durham's place or over the short road to Tennison's was simply not possible. The next morning was cold and miserable. The water had subsided and was again passable, and I waded to Tennison's, where I finished writing the record. In court I won a favorable judgment in a land case. The grand jury handed down a complaint against Leineweber for illegally dispensing whiskey. This sent him into a fearful rage. Unable to contain his anger, he raised hell in German and cussed in English: "The damned scoundrels. They've drunk my whiskey, and now they're after my money. The devil take me and them too if I ever give them anything on credit again." This did not help at all, for he was found guilty and had to pay the fine. Judge Davis and Mr. Anderson rode with Sheriff Hamilton out to the latter's farm; Hutchison from San Marcos left early with me for Durham's, where during the evening we again talked politics. Judge Davis had said that we would all be taken for secessionists because we had voted the Democratic ticket. After a good night's rest, we went to court again on Thursday. There I kept busy, won another judgment, and recorded the proceedings until about noon. Then the court was adjourned sine die. My attempts at finding a direct means of transportation home were

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unsuccessful; so I decided to ride with the judge and Anderson to Comfort, where the autumn term of the District Court for Kendall County was scheduled to begin. At Durham's we waited in vain all afternoon for Kellum, a driver whom we had hired, and then spent a most enjoyable evening by the cosy hearth fire with the charming family of our host. Finally, on Friday morning at ten o'clock, the carriage drove up at long last. Friendly leave-taking. Then a slow but pleasant journey through the high country with a panoramic view of the blue gray peaks and summits in the distance. Against the fresh green background of the valleys, the numerous clumps of sumac stood out here and there in their autumn splendor. In the yellow sunlight, they cast glowing red color into our eyes like flaming stretches of fire. With a melancholy sigh of longing, I looked down the road that turned off to our left toward home, around the summits of the Twin Sisters, and which I had traveled in May. I recounted to my fellow travelers the amusing story of my adventurous trip of that time. We met nary a living soul in the high country until, at four o'clock, we reached Judge William E. Jones' place on Curry's Creek. There a hospitable meal was prepared for us and, because of the lateness of the day, we were urged to stay. However, we declined the kind invitation and, in spite of a staggering mare, we drove off into the night along the mountain road toward Sisterdale. The story of the recent murder of Judge Jones' foreman by the Indians and the white gravestone over his grave by the road brought to mind and turned the conversation to what we would do, if from the bushes the "sharp sticks" should start whizzing around our heads. The roughness of the road and the poor quality of our team caused us to get out and walk in front of or alongside our carriage, which our sorry nags were only slowly pulling forward. In the dark of night, we came down a wooded slope to the Guadalupe. Since the ford was not the one that I knew at Behr's farm, we turned around and went along the fences to Dr. Kapp's farm, where man and beast lay wrapped in slumber. At our call Mr. R. Wipprecht came out of one of the bathhouses. After quickly introducing my fellow travelers, I asked him for lodgings for the night. This was provided with friendly hospitality, and we were soon enjoying a sound, undisturbed sleep in well-prepared beds.

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The busy activity of the farm awakened us early the next morning. A magnificent, clear autumn day revealed the valley fresh with dew and sparkling in the morning sunlight. The judge washed his whole body with cold water as he was accustomed to do each morning. We others also performed our morning ablutions in our room, which had been furnished with simple comforts for guests. We were given a friendly greeting by Dr. Kapp, who showed my companions the excellent facilities of his hydropathic health resort, while I took a short walk through a field to say good morning to my friend, Theodor Bechstaedt, in his log cabin. That was quickly done and, upon my return, after the introductions had been made, we were invited to breakfast. This was served in the doctor's spacious highceilinged library. A lively and interesting conversation took a philosophical (scientific) turn during the delicious meal and was continued in the open in front of the house until the carriage drove up. The judge was greatly interested in hydrotherapy; I was fascinated by Reichenbach's books on his experiments on the "Od,"* about which a Northern newspaper had published articles; Mac Anderson gathered information on real estate and sheep. We had to leave and soon crossed Sister Creek, then reached the new green grass of the hill country that stretches from there to Comfort. I recalled vividly the delightful evening when I had ridden this same way with Julius Tips, returning to Sisterdale from our excursion to Temptation Mound on the occasion of the trip of the singing society in the autumn of 1854. I told my traveling companions of those unforgettably lovely days and the gay festivities in which the inhabitants of these meadowlands participated at that time. Our journey over the smooth, hard, calcareous roads could, in spite of the warm November sun, have been a speedy one as the horses, having gained new strength from the good feed and rest, stepped out smartly in the fresh mountain air, had we not stopped so often and gotten out. But, we could not resist the temptation to do so, for everywhere in the high country the vines of the mountain grapes that *Reichenbach, Carl Ludwig, Baron of (1788-1869), German chemist, discovered paraffin and creosote; formulated the concept of "Od," a vital force resembling magnetism and a factor, he thought, in hypnotism.

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densely covered the bushes were so extraordinarily full of ripe reddish blue fruit. They were so tempting with their delightfully sweet, spicy taste and were growing so close to the road that again and again we yielded to their beauty and charm and indulged ourselves in eating them. The more we consumed of the tasty, juicy, refreshing fruit, the more delicious they tasted; and the quantity that we had eaten produced such a feeling of well-being that only reluctantly did we heed the call of our driver, who constantly urged us to hurry. Nor did we return to the carriage without carrying along a quantity of the grapes, which we ate as we rode along. Comfort, the town that I found so prettily situated, had been enlarged and its external appearance improved. I liked the town just as much as before, but I could not say as much of many of the residents. In Faltin's tavern I spent a short time drinking a beer with a friend of my youth, Carl Herbst—at that time district clerk. Here I felt myself in unsympathetic surroundings. Where had the happy, always cheerful optimism—in spite of all the often very hard times—of the first settlers vanished? What had become of the harmonious, easy-going neighborliness and the good humor of this inoflFensive group of people? Dissension, vindictiveness, petty envy, discord, and contentiousness seemed to dominate all with whom I spoke. This one had been filed on or was the defendant in a suit; another had the intention to sue; while still another was afraid of being taken to court. The large number of civil and criminal cases entered on the dockets of the district court and the justice of the peace in such a young and sparsely settled county gave witness to the prevalence of this unholy mania for litigation. I felt ill at ease in such an atmosphere in a German town and settlement, though it appeared to be a battleground where an attorney should prosper! I found little "comfort" in the population's mad rush to court and, even though the prospects were good of receiving generous inducements to accept a number of cases, the thought of becoming involved revolted me. After I had visited the Altgelts, Holekamps, and Luetzmanns, I spent the evening, night, and morning with my friend's family in his modest but cozy home and was pleased with the domestic skills of his young wife and the rosy, good health of his two-year-old Emma and

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the month-old baby, Albert. Our reminiscences of the days spent together in the old and new homelands made me forget the unpleasant impressions of the present. However, I firmly decided to leave Comfort at the earliest opportunity that should offer itself, although, had I wished, I had sufficient free time to enable me to spend the duration of the term there. Therefore, when old Peter drove Mr. J. Waelder up from San Antonio on Sunday, I seized the opportunity and left Comfort in Peter's carriage at 1:00 P.M. after a cordial leave-taking from my friend and his dear family. The road through the mountains was good and dry but, in the oak woods, it was wet and muddy. Toward evening we stopped before StaffeFs hospitable door. Here I found a large Sunday gathering, to which I was joyfully welcomed as an old acquaintance and friend. Hermann Toepperwein gave me an especially warm greeting, and I was happy to find that he had become a teacher, county commissioner, and director of the singing society. Immediately, word got out that "Seele is here; the singing society must be called together." That was done. Right after the evening meal, everyone showed up and, in their midst, I experienced an evening such as I had not enjoyed in a good long time. The able delivery of the well-practiced German songs—among them, the appealing, personal compositions of the director—by the talented well-trained singers, the cordiality of the circle of friends among whom the wine goblet circulated so gaily, as well as the high spirits that animated the entertainment, bringing the enjoyment to ever greater heights, kept our table of guests together until long after the midnight hour had struck. We parted with the promise to meet again at the singing festival in Austin, and— Dann kniipfen ans frohliche Ende Den frohlichen Anfang wir an. Then to the joyful end Let us link the joyous beginning. Early the next morning, the journey to San Antonio was continued. The trip was pleasant, even though I had the company of an inebriated old "boy of the Shannon River of Old Ireland." Half-asleep, half-dreaming, I sat in the carriage and hummed to

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myself the melody of the picaresque song set to music by my friend, C.H.Klaus: Mein Modder schickt mi her For einen Drieer Schmeer. Einen Drieer hef ich nich Drum krieg ich ooch kein Schmeer nich. My mother sends me here For three pence of lard. Three pence I don't have So I don't get no lard too. When we reached San Pedro Springs, I had them stop in order to visit friend Duerler. Duerler invited us in and after the noon meal showed me around, and we discussed the system of ponds and tree plantings that he was planning. At two o'clock we drove to Ed. Braden's, who certainly did not overcharge me for the trip. He showed me the lifesize portraits of Breckinridge and Lane painted on white banners that he had made for the election. The remainder of the day and evening passed quickly and pleasantly in the company of Gustav Schleicher; then that night, at Dosch and Nauendorf's and in the casino. At eleven o'clock I went to Menger's Hotel in order not to miss the departure of the early mail coach. There I awoke at 4:00 A.M., although the mail did not leave until 6:00. In it I traveled in the company of Consul Henry F. Fisher of Houston and by noon arrived safe and sound in front of the Guadalupe Hotel. Thus ended my second return from Blanco—this time, not by the most direct route, but by the best.

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15. THE CYPRESS A Legend from the Time of the First German Settlement in West Texas

Chapter 1 Mexican camplife—A European naturalist—A botanical excursion—A wild ride as captives—Where to?—The cypress —An Indian open sesame—A stormy night in the wilderness—Missing and abandoned to fate The sun had gone down behind the northwestern chain of mountains, a spur of the Guadalupe range, between cloud strati after it had sent down its hot rays the entire May day. The gray cloudbanks were tinged with a fiery red that slowly faded, then was reignited, and finally died away for good. Evening stillness and the dusk of night quickly spread across the green carpet of the blossom-strewn prairie and along the stretch of forest which lined the east bank of the Guadalupe River. At the edge of the forest, campfires flared. There was a bustling, noisy commotion where the old military road, laid out by the Spaniards from Presidio del Norte to Nacogdoches, led to the ford. Mexican troops under the command of Don Juan Maria Veramendi had been dispatched by Colonel Piedras from Nacogdoches to San Antonio to escort a wagon train. Here camp was to be made for a day's rest. It was a picturesque scene, full of activity and enchantment, that now unfolded in the light of the flickering flames. Minute by minute, new

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and more varied groups took shape. On the one side, level with the prairie and close to the advancing line of trees, men were skillfully forming a solid line of carretas, those primitive Mexican conveyances which consisted of wooden cart frames spanned by raw hide and supported by a hardwood axle with two wheels fashioned from three massive wood slabs. This line was intended to form an effective defense against possible Indian attack. Brown-skinned women in brightly colored garments scurried from cart to river, and from the river to the fire, preparing the evening meal. Without their presence such a wagon train would be inconceivable. Some were busily pushing the iron caldrons up to the fire in order to cook the kernels of corn which had been hand-shelled during the journey. The cooking was done in lye water obtained by the addition of ashes. After the swollen kernels had been washed in the clear water of the nearby river, other women ground them into a thick paste. A flat stone with a special rim was used with another stone for this purpose. The paste was then baked in a shallow pan into thin cakes called tortillas. Still other women cut beef or venison, that had been dried in the sun, into slices and braised the meat with lard and red pepper and then served it with beans. The horsemen, in the meantime, unsaddled the horses, watered them at the river, and staked them out on long reatas (tethers) in the lush grass, where they were left to the care of the outposts. The cart drivers, however, after they had released their draft animals from the shafts by untying the yokes from their horns, fettered their front legs and turned them out to graze near the camp. After the men had completed their chores, they reclined on spreadout wool blankets or squatted next to the fires. From the inner husks of corn, they rolled cigarrillos, whose smoke was inhaled with satisfaction and blown into the air through the nose and mouth in artistic rings. Others inhaled the smoke completely. Thus, they waited until the simple meal was ready, which they ate with simple frugality. Life in the circle of the camp became more animated after the meal had been finished. In the light of the flickering fires, one group engaged in playing cards; another sang one of those melancholy love songs or let a patriotic song of liberty ring out, accompanied by the sounds of the guitar; while a third group had collected around the senoritas, practicing the arts of flirtation. Now and then were heard the shouts of swimmers, who were showing off their skills in swimming and diving in the cool waters of the river.

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With the advance of night, the camp finally fell silent. Stretched out on their wool blankets, all yielded to sleep. Only the hoarse cries of the night birds or the shouts of the guards broke, now and then, the silence of the sultry night. The fires burned out; fireflies flitted through the bushes; and, in the far northwest, sheet lightning lit a sky which was unable to provide a single drop of freshening dew to the thirsting plants. Then morning came. Tinged with red, the sun rose from a sea of haze. A fresh breath of air from the southeast swept over the resting place of the sleepers, and immediately it became the scene of lively activity and noise. Again the fires glowed, surrounded by busy women, for whom this rest day was, in reality, a wash day. After breakfast, which included coffee sweetened with piloncillos, had been completed, the women took up their work for the day. The men, free of their duties, gave themselves over to the pleasure of fishing or other diversion. The officers of the train, however, remained at their fire engaged in conversation with a young man in civilian dress who was a full head taller than they. Also, the light color of his face, the high brow, the gentle but intelligent blue eyes, as well as the blond hair and the brown beard set him off strikingly and unmistakably from those around him with their brownish yellow faces and dark flashing eyes framed with black hair and brows. He was Arthur Bonpland, a young physician and a native of Colmar in Alsace who, in his capacity of naturalist, was visiting this part of Mexico. Possessing letters of recommendation from a highly placed official, Don Jose Maria Letona, he had been permitted by the wagon master to join the train and travel under the protection of the Mexican troops to the capital city of Mexico by way of San Antonio de Bexar. The small circle of educated officers soon recognized that the young scholar was a valuable addition to their company. Because of his frankness, cheerfulness, and modesty of character and despite his extensive knowledge, he grew more and more in their favor and friendship from day to day. It is not surprising that they tried to dissuade the doctor, as they called him, from using the rest day for an excursion beyond the guarded area into the neighboring countryside, especially since in this region an unaccompanied person was an open invitation to Indian attack. However, since the doctor had convinced himself that the unexplored region north of the military road offered a broad field for

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Collecting botanical specimens

observation and was of a significantly different character from that part of the state lying to the southeast of the Colorado, he persisted in begging for Colonel Veramendi's permission to make a short journey of exploration. Permission was finally granted under the proviso that he remain within a certain distance of the camp and, for protection, be accompanied by a soldier. Shortly thereafter, the explorer and his guard set out, but not without being admonished by their friends to keep a sharp watch for Indians. The doctor's slender, agile figure—in a buckskin hunting jacket, high boots, a broad-brimmed sombrero, the double-barrelled gun slung from the shoulder, botanical specimen box and game bag at each

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side, a sharp knife in his belt, and a hand ax in his right hand—made a striking appearance as he walked vigorously through the tall grass ahead of his shorter, stockier companion. The latter carried his musket, equipped with a firing breech, on his shoulder and his saber at his side. He ambled cautiously after Bonpland, at the same time keeping a sharp lookout. Here and there they halted since, in the rainy season, the prairie offered beautifully developed blossoms of plants that were new to the young scientist and were, therefore, carefully gathered and stowed away. Between blocks of stone and with no path to follow, they climbed a modest rise on which grew blossoming yuccas and mighty opuntias (prickly pear). A scant mile from the camp, on their left, grew a grove of elms on the slope of a line of hills. The trees extended to the riverbank, which was very high here, and joined the broader bottoms further upriver. The hot noon sun was so much the more oppressive because there was no wind. The elms and the hackberry trees beckoned the travelers to rest in their cool shade. A clear spring, which bubbled from the ground there and snaked its way through the bushes to the valley, offered a refreshing drink. After the travelers had quenched their thirst, the doctor laid down his gun and collecting bag and settled down in order to spread out the morning's finds and make a preliminary classification. Then he followed the example of his guard, who had stretched out at ease in the grass. After his thoughts had dwelt pleasantly a while on his successful finds of the day, they turned back to earlier days and then to the scientific achievements that he planned to accomplish in the future. Then his thoughts became more diffuse and returned to the distant homeland and the loved ones, who should also share in his triumphs. A beloved figure took form in his mind in a flood of sunlight and joy. Thought lost itself in dreams. The murmuring of the spring and the monotonous roar of the waterfall, coming from the direction of the river, also had their sleep-inducing effect. Lulled into sweet, world-remote slumber, he lay prone in the grass, a smile on his lips. There was no voice to warn him in this peaceful moment that a frightful fate awaited him and was to ensnarl and hopelessly disarrange the web of his well-ordered life. Up in the tops of the tall trees, the sunlight was still playing in the green leaves; the spring still murmured softly, and the distant waterfall still produced its monotonous roar as the sleeper struggled to

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awaken as though from a horrifying dream. But, as his consciousness balanced between dreaming and wakening, it was not dream but rather dread reality that impinged on his sense of smell like the presence of a wild animal. He felt himself seized by the throat and limbs as though with metal bands. His first conscious glance told him that he was inescapably in the power of Indians. They bound and gagged him without his being capable of the least resistance. Not a sound escaped from the mouth of the defenseless young man but, in a flash, he came to the realization: "This is the end of your studies and plans, of the hopes of your twenty-four-year-old life." Lacking any will to resist, he submitted to the commands of the savages and was led noiselessly from the wood, lifted onto a horse, and firmly bound to it with thongs. He caught sight of his guard in another part of the band, bound in like manner on the back of a horse. He too had been seized and overcome during his siesta. Only after the lookout, who had been watching the Mexican camp from the top of a hill, had crawled back through the high grass and reported to the chief that all was quiet in the camp did the latter give the sign for departure. Hidden from view by the edge of the forest, they rode swiftly out onto the prairie, upriver to the north. Following a scarcely perceptible trail over broad plates of rock which rang under the horses' hooves, between prickly pear high as a man, more slowly through a wood of cedars, but then picking up speed again over a red-colored, sandy stretch, the horsemen galloped on until they reached a wide pond on the high plain, where the horses were watered. Then they pushed forward at greater speed. In the distance the blue tops of the Twin Sisters appeared but were soon lost from sight again when the trail led away from the prairie and up through the dry beds of mountain creeks to the mountain ridge. Closer and closer appeared the chain of the Guadalupe Mountains, reddish gray in the evening light. Slowly, in single file, the animals now walked to the edge of the mountain in a long line between charred trunks of cedars and jagged rock that had been washed out by rain to resemble a large honeycomb. At the base of the mountain extended a lovely valley framed by the Guadalupe. Over steps in the cliff, between rock and bushes, a twisting, scarcely visible, difficult path ran down the precipitous mountainside. Further below in the valley, the path passed through woods of elm, then across a plain covered with bushy grass to

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the riverbank, which was densely wooded with large cypress trees. A stop was made at the Guadalupe, whose shallow emerald green water flowed over white limestone slabs and enclosed the valley floor in a broad arc. The riverbed, which had been level up to this point, was broken by a shoal that extended across the entire width of the river. Below the falls found here, the river resembled a small lake with quiet, deep water of the purest dark blue. Here the chief took the lead and rode into the river and then downstream to where a creek flowed from a forest thicket growing above a rock wall on the opposite bank. Below this point the wall of rock rose almost vertically for about three hundred feet above the water. Piled one on the other in gigantic masses, the rocks formed extended terraces, whose narrow edges were overgrown with grass and undergrowth. At the top they appeared crowned with fortress like walls and battlements. From the foot towered a giant cypress; its mighty roots ran half into the solid ground of the bank, half into the rocky bed of the river. The arms of the roots firmly grasped the blocks of stone for support and, at the same time, shielded the bank from flash flooding. The straight trunk measured seven feet in diameter at its base and lifted its crown to a height of over eighty feet. The branches with their delicate light green leaves formed horizontal segments, from which emanated a fresh resinous fragrance. In the riverbed between the tree trunk and the vertical rock wall, there rested a massive square block of stone like an ashlar. The one side rested against the trunk, while the other side was wedged into the mountainside. Stopping before this piece of rock, the chief put a whistle made of turkey bone to his mouth and gave three shrill blasts. As by an echo, they were answered by three similar sounds which seemed to come from an adjoining thicket, where they stirred up a gobbling among the turkeys resting there. Once again, but in longer tones, the chief repeated his signal while clutching more tightly the reins of his horse, which was standing in the water. Then, as though on invisible rollers, the block of stone moved aside along the face of the rock so that a narrow crack appeared, just large enough to admit a horse with its rider. The water quickly entered this portal in the rock to the depth of one foot. Bending down over the neck of his horse, the chief rode through and was followed in single file by the others with the prison-

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ers. When the last savage had disappeared into the opening, the block of stone returned to its original position, closing and concealing the mysterious entrance, as though it had never moved. Those same hours that had, with dizzying haste, brought the doctor and his Mexican companion to an ominous fate had been spent in sweet idleness and enjoyment in the Mexican camp. In addition to card games, there were the popular cockfights arranged by the soldiers, who had brought along gamecocks in wooden cages for this purpose. The customary siesta time after the noon meal found all, save the sentries and the women busy with cooking and washing, lying on brightly colored blankets behind or below the carretas in the shade of the broadly branching pecan trees. Their whole day would have passed in rest and relaxation had not, toward evening, a thunderstorm come up from the north and threatened a flash flood. This forced a hurried breaking of camp. The wagon master, who was familiar with the region, knew from experience that May storms coming in slowly from the north produce a gigantic amount of rain. The mountain streams swiftly rise so high that they immediately become impassable and remain so for weeks. Therefore, the order to break camp was given and promptly carried out. While the draft animals were rounded up and harnessed, while the horses were saddled, and while the women and girls loaded the carretas two riders searched the surrounding area to alert the doctor and his companion. Then, in colorful confusion, the crossing began with the shouting of the drivers, who hurried their animals with long pointed prods, in the midst of the chatter of the women and the laughter of the troops. All reached the west bank without mishap. They now followed the course of the river downstream over calcareous ground, through a wood, and up a moderate slope in the loamy bank until they reached a flat plateau, where camp was made under mesquite and hackberry trees. In the meantime it had become evening, and the rapidly moving storm broke with violence. In the midst of the rain, the riders returned with the alarming news that they had not found the two for whom they had been searching but had discovered nearby the tracks of a large band of Indians. What now was to be done? As alarmed as the officers were for the fate of their learned friend, the impenetrable darkness, lit only now and then by lightning, prevented any further search that night. Their concern for their friend was further increased by the violence of the nocturnal

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storm. The ever-rising roar of the river joined the rolling and rumbling of the thunder in an infernal cacophony. But, with even grimmer fury than at the foot of the mountain, the storm was raging up there in the mountain valley. The blue gray cloudbanks in the north had churned and coalesced and had become broader and blacker. In advance of the dark threatening front floated isolated light gray cloud tufts from which lightning flashed with ever greater frequency. The initially muffled rumbling of thunder in the distance was followed by sharper claps that echoed majestically in the mountains. On the wings of the north wind, the storm spread across the entire sky and plunged it into sudden night. Like fiery snakes, the lightning ceaselessly lit up the pitch black night. Its bluish yellow, earthshaking strokes drowned out completely the continuous rolling and reverberation of the thunder, the sound of the wind, and the roar of the water. As though spellbound, the heavy low-hanging clouds lay over the Guadalupe valley. From their midst the rain slanted down in torrents. Plunging down from the high summits and peaks of the mountains, it transformed all the canyons into raceways. The river rose with amazing speed. Its muddy, murky water quickly flooded over the edge of the east bank, bent and broke off bushes and trees with its irresistible force, and covered the lovely valley floor. Breaking in swirling masses of foam over the stout trunks of the cypresses and the stone block of the concealed mountain portal of the savages, the water quickly submerged the great rock and rolled onward on its destructive way down to Espiritu Santo Bay to join the waves of the gulf. Finally, dawn appeared, so anxiously awaited by the Mexicans, who were camping in the open. They had just spent the long, troubled, and sleepless night in fear and worry. But, what a sight was offered by the river which yesterday had flowed so quietly in its bed and murmured so softly. This was no longer the lovely river of Nuestra Seiiora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe); it was a raging wolf, wrenching everything away in its unrestrained savagery. A mighty, dirty, yellowish gray mass of water swept along with awesome speed. Its tossing waves filled the broad riverbed to the edge of the bank which, on this side, measured forty-two feet and rolled over the tall trees of the island and of the opposite bank. Momentarily, the treetops

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of the highest trees would emerge from the water, only to disappear again under an advancing mass of uprooted trees and debris which swept down the middle of the stream like a floating island. On a projection of the bank, which had a stand of trees and where the riverbed narrowed and formed a bend, the flood produced waves as high as a man. Foaming, laced with whirlpools, the breakers crashed on the high rock deposits of the opposite shore and set the ground trembling under the impact of the colossal tree trunks. To the north, as far as the eye could see, lay the same muddy, agitated mass of water. For miles it covered the entire valley, which, on the previous day, had been the scene of a gay campsite. No matter how impelling the desire—under these circumstances—a crossing back to give aid to the missing was out of the question. Even if the governor's marching orders had allowed the officers a longer time, it would have required weeks, in view of the rains to be expected daily, before the water would run off sufficiently so that one could ride through the river. Hesitantly and sadly, Don Juan Veramendi finally saw himself compelled to abandon the lost men to their fate and to give the command to travel. The wagon train had to pass over ground saturated with water and through further downpours of rain. They reached San Antonio only on the fifth day, after being forced to follow the high ground which runs toward the west above the Salado Springs and the San Antonio River.

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Chapter 2 Life in the cavern—Ra-a, the winsome daughter of the cacique—Profitable language study—The doctor and the chief —The midsummer festival and its atrocity—More freedom— Love and marriage After the entrance had been closed by the block of stone in a mysterious manner, the Indians moved slowly forward with their prisoners through a long dark passage. Gradually, the rock cleft widened, and the dim light revealed connecting caverns on each side. In them were separate rooms for the horses, which the squaws and boys took from the riders and stabled there. The rock walls rose to a height of more than a hundred feet and converged so that in places they touched. The upper opening of the crevice at the top of the mountain was concealed by trees and bushes so that little daylight reached the cavern floor. Freed from their fetters, the prisoners were put in one of the smaller caves and, at first, left to themselves. In a semiconscious state, Arthur Bonpland sank onto a pile of buflFalo skins. They provided a welcome support to his limbs, which had been bruised by the rough ride on the barebacked animals. The prevailing darkness was punctuated only momentarily by flashes of lightning. As from a great distance, there could be heard the dull roll of thunder, mingled with a continuous roar that seemed to arise from a mighty river far below. After a few hours had passed, an Indian brought the prisoners some pieces of venison and a gourd filled with fresh water. In the light of the burning torch which the Indian carried, the rock of the wall and the vault of the cavern glittered and glistened like crystal veined with silver. While Bonpland's agitated state of mind had destroyed his appetite, his less sensitive companion turned eagerly to the provisions. Long after they were again enshrouded in the cheerless dark and the exhausted naturalist had found forgetfulness of his hopeless situation in troubled slumber, the soldier was still busy satisfying the demands of his stomach. With wonderment the naturalist looked about himself in the early morning of the following day and, then again, he became conscious of his fearsome situation. In the dim half-light stood bronze-hued

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women and children who, out of curiosity, crowded around the resting place and stared at the prisoners with lively interest while expressing their wonder in their foreign tongue. The Mexican soldier, a halfbreed, understood a word now and then and began a conversation with them, which was carried on more through gestures than words, until the chief entered. With a wave of the hand, he dismissed the suddenly silent crowd. He was a man whose age Bonpland judged to be between thirty and forty, of slender figure but with a strong frame and of a disciplined, commanding mien. In his peculiarly intellectual face were strangely mingled savagery and intelligence, pride, boldness, sagacity, and gentleness. While his dark eyes swept with indescribable contempt over the soldier and his Spanish uniform, they seemed to rest with lively interest on the person and face of the naturalist, whose color and features appeared to cause the chief unconcealed wonder. After placing the botanical specimen case and the bag of instruments before the doctor, the chief inquired as to their significance and use. With the help of the soldier, upon whom the chief did not deign to look, the two were able to make him understand that the doctor was a great medicine man of the whites and that he had come from a distant country but was not one of his hated enemies—was not a Spaniard. Apparently satisfied with this information, the chief went away. From then on the captives were amply supplied with food and drink, but they were not permitted to leave the place assigned to them for any length of time. Thus, one day followed another in monotonous boredom which was relieved from time to time only by the visits of the curious squaws and children. To them too, the soldier seemed to be an object of contempt, while the person of the naturalist more and more gained their interest; and, from day to day, they communicated more fully and easily. The doctor found diversion in learning the language of the savages in the shortest possible time. The special relationship that gradually developed between himself and Ra-a, the daughter of the chief, was to hold great promise for the future. Ra-a was the youthful image of her father, only of gentler cast, more delicate in form, slender and tall, noble and commanding, yet with soulful and gentle eyes. They reflected a wonderful depth of ardor and devotion when, with admiration, they rested on the unusually tall form and manly, noble features of the white foreigner.

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Within a few weeks, the brevity of which surprised the doctor himself, he was able to communicate with her so completely that it was possible for her to bring him plants and rocks that he had described to her. This enabled him to fill his hours with their examination and study. The lovely child of nature would sit next to him for hours, following his activity with inquisitive glances or hanging on his words when he tried to convey to her mind the manner of his former life or the sentiments arising from his present situation. If in the first weeks of his captivity he had become almost totally apathetic—lacking hope, concern, will, almost without feeling; if the stirring of the heart had almost withered from the inescapable, intransigent compulsion of his fate; now, in the presence of this gracious maiden with her growing interest in his narrow, limited existence, his interest in life reawakened. Hope began to stir again and, gradually, he began to find faith in a worthwhile future, whatever form it might assume. A few weeks of this, as it were, subterranean existence had passed when an event occurred which produced a change for the better in his life. One day Ra-a rushed into his cell in the greatest consternation and anxiety and, without speaking, led him into a neighboring chamber which was furnished with precious furs and many gold ornaments. There her father, the chief Koano, was lying in severe pain. Shortly before, the braves had carried him in on a litter of branches. In a struggle with a powerful bear, he had fallen from a precipice and had been severely injured. There were cuts on his arms and legs, from which bone fragments projected, and the chief had suffered a great loss of blood. Lying on his bed of precious wool blankets and animal pelts, he had slipped into unconsciousness. A strangely attired old Indian had appeared and, in his function of medicine man, was circling the bed, murmuring his usual incantations. Ignoring his angry glances, the doctor examined the wounds, skillfully removed the splinters of bone, set the bones, and applied the proper bandaging. Then he made cold compresses, for which fresh water had been brought from a stream that flowed at a considerable depth in the bowels of the mountain and that was reached by steps cut in the rock. From herbs the doctor prepared a potent drink and administered it to the injured man. As it took effect, the patient returned to consciousness. Gratefully, the chief acknowledged his help and asked the doctor to remain at his side. The eyes of the lovely

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The injured chieftain undergoing treatment

Ra-a alternated between the two: filled with sympathy and concern, they rested on the suffering father; with heartfelt gratitude and shy veneration, they looked up to the source of their help in distress. From then on, the doctor and the daughter shared in the care and nursing of the slowly convalescing patient. The chiefs vigorous constitution contributed to a rapid recovery. When the day finally arrived on which the chief left his chamber, he—out of gratitude—granted the doctor the freedom of the cavern. He was allowed to descend to the underground river and to visit the families in their homes. Only one room was kept closed to him. Its entrance was tightly curtained with woven mats, and the surrounding area was obviously held in the greatest reverence by the savages. Once, when the doctor happened to be near this entrance in the company of the daughter of the chief, he asked about the mys-

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terious room. In alarm she quickly laid her hand over his mouth and drew him away. However, the doctor, who each day had grown in favor with the chief and at the same time gained the respect of the tribe, was soon enough to learn the secret—to his great dismay and horror. The beginning of summer had arrived. On the morning of the summer solstice, the inhabitants of the cavern showed unusual excitement. All the Indians wore festive costumes, and the doctor too was persuaded to put on special garments which the chief had sent him by Ra-a. Shortly before midday, the curtains were removed, and the doctor was permitted to enter this secret part of the cavern with the Indians. With astonishment, the doctor found himself in a large hall with a high vault which rested on mighty stone columns skillfully cut into the rock wall. In the apex of the vault, a circular opening admitted light. On the north side of the chamber was mounted an image of the flaming sun made of pure gold. A smooth granite block stood in front of it in the middle of the rotunda. In the center of the block's upper surface was a hollow filled with clear water. Standing in front of the granite block, surrounded by his braves in war dress, was the chief, clad in a mantle, robe, and headdress, skillfully fabricated of beautiful, varicolored feathers. Around his brow he wore a golden diadem set with precious jewels. Next to him arose a priest, gray with age and frightful to behold, who held a sharp stone knife aloft in his right hand. With both hands the chief held up a heavy gold chalice. At the base of the block, with arms and legs extended and bound, lay a naked, brown-skinned human, whose head was covered with a red cloth. In absolute silence and with unswerving glance, the circle of savages stared up at the ceiling, where a sunbeam entering through the opening of the vault sent down a diagonal pencil of light. When it reached the upper corona of the gold image, the band of warriors began softly to sing. At first they sang slowly, then more quickly and loudly as the light moved lower until the sound had swelled to a wild roar. Suddenly, as the bright light of the sun fully illuminated the face of the golden image and was reflected in the water in the hollow of the stone, the chorus fell ominously silent. The priest dipped his hands in the water and sprinkled it so that the drops flew like so many diamonds against the sun image and the heads of the kneeling warriors.

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Festival of the summer solstice

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Then the bound man was seized and laid on his back on the block. Before the doctor, who had recognized the victim to be his fellow captive, the soldier, could utter a cry of horror, the priest had cut open the man's chest, removed the bloody, throbbing heart, and dropped it into the golden dish. The chief held it and the smoking heart high up toward the image of the sun while the deafening shouts of the savages drowned out the horrified cry of the doctor. Shuddering, he turned away and covered his face with his hands in order to see no more of the terrible event. When the shouting had ceased and he had recovered sufficiently from the terrifying shock of this cruel atrocity to look around again, the corpse had been removed and dropped through an opening into the subterranean river below. A feeling that cannot be put into words passed through the doctor. Involuntarily, his thoughts were lifted in gratitude to Providence that he had graciously been preserved from a like terrible fate. Weeks and moons passed. During this time the captive had had to learn to accept his fate, since there was no opportunity to escape. In time, however, existence in the bowels of the mountain became more bearable. Although he could not forget the many memorable events of his past life, it had, nevertheless, faded more and more into the recesses of his memory. He had found mental stimulation and a rewarding use for his time in teaching the cacique's daughter, who was eager to learn and was filled with grateful devotion to him. The chief was truly a cacique, for the tribe was Aztec and had fled here to live in hiding. The pleasure that the doctor took in teaching the receptive child of nature and inspiring her with the noble tenets of Christianity evolved into an ever more sincere affection for her. That his love for her was returned with ardor and passion, he had no doubt. From the beginning, at a time when thoughts of love had been far from his mind, she, in her unaffected way, had in no wise concealed her feelings for him. But, how would the cacique accept this turn of events? To the doctor's surprise, he approved of his daughter's choice and permitted her to be baptized by the doctor. However, the chief never permitted him to leave the cavern, and no member of the tribe who had knowledge of the mechanism for opening the exit to the outside dared reveal the secret. Thus, moons and years passed. Isolated from the outside world, the naturalist found a quiet happiness in the bosom of his family, in the love of his spouse and three children, whom he

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Ra-a and the doctor

baptized and educated and who gave him great joy as they grew older. Time and circumstance had set a limit to his desires and pleasures; yet this enabled him to be content with but little.

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Chapter 3 New prisoners—Revenge and destruction—on the Comal The old sun priest had died and, for many years, no human sacrifice had been made to the sun image. Then, one day in the autumn of 1842, the braves had again made a foray. They attacked a columna of Mexicans who were retreating to the Rio Grande after a defeat at the hands of the American settlers. The booty consisted, in part, of muskets and several kegs of gun powder, and there were three prisoners of Spanish descent. Because three of the Indians had been killed in the fight, the tribe was angry and, as retribution, pressed for the sacrifice of the captives. This was carried out at the summer solstice of each of the two following years. Despite the efforts of the doctor, one of the prisoners was executed on each occasion. It was intended that the third prisoner suffer a similar fate the coming summer. One of the doctor's children, however, inadvertently revealed to the prisoner how his comrades had died and that a like fate was awaiting him. From that time on, the prisoner thought only of how he might escape the cruel execution. Since escape was impossible, he resolved to avenge himself on the savages and cause them to share his fate. One day, at a time when the doctor had descended to the river, the prisoner told one of the Indians that a rich treasure was hidden in one of the captured kegs. The cacique, informed of this, commanded the prisoner to go to the kegs and point out the one with the treasure. This was done and, when the keg that he had pointed out had been opened, he quickly snatched a torch from its bearer and threw it into the open powder keg. There followed a tremendous explosion of all the powder kegs. It split the rock walls and buried the prisoner together with the entire tribe in a deep grave under the shattered rock. On one of the first days of May of the year 1845, two young German men were gaily walking over the tree trunks that formed a bridge to an island in the middle of the turbulent Comal River and from the island to the north bank. Both were dressed alike in green linen blouses. They wore wide-brimmed Mexican straw hats on their blond heads and carried rifles and hunting bags over their shoulders. At their belts were hunting knives. Only a few months before, this part of the Republic of Texas had

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The prisoner's revenge

been acquired by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels by purchase from the heirs of the former vice-governor of Texas, Don Juan Martin Veramendi. It was still a complete wilderness and the undisturbed hunting grounds of the Indians up to and far beyond the northern boundary of the Republic. The prince, as commissioner general of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, had, with prudent circumspection, selected this location in the Comal valley for the first settlement and had founded the colony of New Braunfels. He had assured the two young men that to each of them would be conveyed ten acres of land in the location of their choice on condition that they become the first settlers on the north side of the Comal River. Their search for a suitable location now found them climbing the high riverbank. They found the choice difficult; however, today they decided on a strip of land that extended upward from the river crossing

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on the bank of the Comal River and consisted partly of prairie, partly of forest. On the flat top of the slope, which was covered with lush grass and brightly colored flowers, they let themselves down in the shade under the broad branches of an ancient live oak. From there they could look beyond the trees edging the river below and see the agreeably undulating ridge of the hills. On the plain at their base, the men could see the scattered white tents and the thatch-covered cabins of the colonists. Quite at ease, yet ever alert, looking about and listening, they discussed the preliminary laying out and equipping of their farm. Suddenly, they were startled by a muffled rumbling like distant thunder that seemed to shake the ground beneath them. In surprise, they looked around, then up into the clear, bright blue sky where only white wisps of clouds were serenely floating. Assured that no storm was approaching, they again set out on their tour of the countryside. Keeping a sharp lookout, they followed the bends of the river. Further upstream at a shallow place in the river, they waded across. In the ancient forest of giant trees close to the rocky base of the mountains, they cut a passage with their knives through the dense underbrush toward where the sound of flowing water in the silence of the forest betrayed the nearness of the springs. Thus, they eventually reached the main source of the river, from which its crystalline waters gushed forth. Walther, the younger one, had knelt down for a cool drink when Willy, his companion, jerked him up and pointed to the body of a man lying on the coarse sand in a shallow place in the water. They approached with their guns held at the ready. However, when they caught sight of the high pale brow, the face framed with white hair and beard that, like the limbs visible under the torn leather garments, showed numerous cuts and bruises, they quickly laid down their guns and carried the unfortunate man to a higher place under an elm. Here they prepared a place for him to lie and administered a few drops of wine from their canteen, for they had discovered that he was still alive. Slowly, he began to breathe more freely and finally opened his eyes wide, but he quickly closed them again, for the light seemed to blind him. He was unable, however, to speak or move. After a short discussion, it was decided that Walther would return to camp for help while Willy remained to care for the helpless stranger. Before long Walther returned with some colonists, whom he had

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come across cutting fence rails in the forest. Carefully, the stranger was lifted onto a two-wheeled cart drawn by sturdy oxen and brought to the camp. There the ever solicitous prince had a bed prepared for him in the tent and placed him in the skilled care of the colony's physician, Dr. Th. Koester. As a result the patient, who had suffered no severe internal injuries but only external scratches, bruises, and abrasions, had so far recovered after a few days of care and rest that he could give an account of himself and his adventures. He did this in the presence of a company that the colonial counselor, Lord von Coll, had invited in celebration of his convalescence. Filled with suspense and growing astonishment, the company listened to the amazing adventures from the mouth of the pale man. It sounded like a fairy tale yet bore the unmistakable stamp of truth. It was further confirmed by one of the guests, the botanist Ferdinand Lindheimer, who was very well acquainted with the family and history of Arthur Bonpland—for it was none other—and of his mysterious disappearance many years ago. At the mention of his wife and children, Bonpland was overcome with grief, and only the sincere sympathy of all those present enabled him to recover to the point that he was able to finish his story. At the time of the explosion in the cave, which he explained in the manner that we have described, he was hurled by the blast into the subterranean river and lost consciousness which he regained only upon experiencing the blinding daylight. The subterranean current must have carried him along and deposited him where the water emerged from the ground as a mighty spring at the foot of the Comal mountain. Shortly after this evening, Doctor Bonpland departed with the prince from New Braunfels for his European home. The incredible story of the doctor's long stay in the Indian cavern spread among the colonists; however, no one at that time was bold enough to venture into the wilderness of that mountainous region to search for it. Not until years later—when the frightful days of hardship and death had passed for the German immigrants, the number of settlements had increased, and the danger of Indian attack in the Guadalupe mountains had been reduced—did a number of courageous Germans—among them, the two who had once rescued the doctor— follow the trail along which the Indians had taken the doctor and ride into that lovely valley encircled by the Guadalupe. They failed,

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however, to find the mysterious entrance despite a long and careful search. Yet, at the edge of the river, embedded in fragments of rock with the clear water flowing along its side, lay a massive flat stone such as might have been hewn by a sculptor. Next to this monument at the base of a pyramid of rock forming the tomb of the Indian tribe, there towered an ancient giant cypress. It rose high above the tops of its fellow trees which grew so densely along the riverbank. Its widespread branches and green-plumed twigs sheltered and shaded the stone. Atra cupressus (The black cypress).

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INDEX

Information that will assist the reader in the identification of the various entries of this index has been added here. The data come primarily from the following sources: Walter Prescott Webb, H. Bailey Carroll and Eldon S. Branda (eds.), The Handbook of Texas; Oscar Haas, History of New Braunfels and Comal County, Texas, 1844-1946; Guido E. Ransleben, A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas; Ferdinand Roemer, Texas; and R. L. Biesele, The History of the German Settlements in Texas, 1831-1861. Mrs. Barbara F. Cummings deserves special recognition for searching out many obscure historical facts and correcting numerous factual errors. Likewise, Louis A. Hartung, a direct descendant of Johann Zacharias Hartung (p. 68), contributed invaluable genealogical and historical data. Acorns, 30, 138 Adams, , resided in Schumannsville, 41 Adelsverein. See Mainz Society of Noblemen Ahlers, , cigar maker, resident of Brazoria in 1844, 58 Alamo, 10 Alsace, France, 81, 164 Alsens (Alsenz), John (Johann, Hans), 132, 136 Altgelt, Ernst Hermann, 1832-1878,

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founded Comfort in 1854, 113, 116, 117, 158 Alt-Leiningen-Westerburg, Count Friedrich von, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 16, 18 Alt-Leiningen-Westerburg, Count Victor von, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 15, 18 Altwein, , resided in Schumannsville, 41

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190 Alves, , settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River on the Horton League, 41 Anderson, Mac, district attorney in 1860, 150-158 Andrenaeum Preparatory School (Academy) in Hildesheim, Germany, 70 Antwerp, Belgium, 26 Arlitt, F . H., official of the General Land Office, 35 Armand, . See Stroberg, Arneckeville, DeWitt County, Texas, settled by Adam Christoph Henry Arnecke in 1859, 31 Arredondo, Don Joaquin de, Spanish military officer in Mexico until the recognition of Mexican independence in 1821, when he went to Cuba, 7 Ar(t)zt, , settled on the upper Guadalupe River, 42 Assel, L. (Hermann) von, 7 1 , 72 Austin, Moses, 1761-1821, pioneer merchant and businessman, 6, 7 Austin, Stephen Fuller, 1793-1836, son of Moses Austin, founder of Austin's Colony, known as the Father of Texas, 6, 7, 8, 62 Austin, Travis County, Texas, 24, 25, 33, 34, 40, 108, 159 Baden, Germany, 103 Baedge (Baetge), Charles, settled on the Guadalupe River near Sisterdale, postmaster at Sattler, 42 Baeumer, , 104 Baeumlein, Dr. , 9 Bailey's Prairie, Brazoria County, Texas, named for James Briton

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Index Bailey in 1821, 56, 59, 103 Baptists, 154 Barberries, 144 Barrons Creek, rises in Gillespie County, flows through Fredericksburg, and empties into the Pedernales River, 40 Bastrop, Baron von (Don Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop), ca. 1766-1827, pioneer businessman and adventurer, 6, 7, 23 Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas, originally called Mina, name was changed to honor Baron de Bastrop in 1837, 7, 9, 35 Bauer, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Bau(e)r, Alexis von, 25, 74 Bechem, Robert, New Braunfels businessman, Confederate general during the Civil War, 42 Bechstaedt (Bechstedt), Theodor, 157 Beetles, 78 Behr, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Behr, Ott(o)mar von, settled near Sisterdale in 1848, wrote a practical book on farming and ranching (sheep raising) in Texas, 42, 112, 156 Behrmann, , 45 Beissner, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Bell, John, 1797-1869, nominated for the presidency by the Constitutional Union party, defeated by Abraham Lincoln in 1860, 154 Benner, Adolphus, 1811-1851, 86, 87, 88 Bern, Ludwig, one of the

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Index Fortiers, arrived in Texas in July 1847, 31 Beseler, Mr. and Mrs., , 113 Betz, Joseph, 136 Beuckisch, , settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River on the Horton League, 41 Bexar County, Texas, 14, 25 Beyer, , 143 Biebrich on the Rhine, Germany, 15 Biegel, Joseph, persuaded German immigrants to settle in 1847 in what became Biegel, eight miles east of La Grange, 9, 104 Biegel (land), Fayette County, Texas, 12 Biesele, Leopold, 1827-1905, setded at York Creek, schoolteacher in Blum School, 1863-1876, 42 Bilious fever, 89 Billingsley, Jesse, 1810-1880, came to Mina (Bastrop) in 1834, led Company C, First Regiment, Texas Volunteers in the battle of San Jacinto, represented Bastrop County in the Congress of the Republic of Texas (1836-1837), state senator from Bastrop (1853-1854, 1859-1861), 13 Bird, , 155 Blackberries, 54, 67, 95 Blackjack, oak trees, 40 Blanco, Blanco County, Texas, originally called Pittsburg, 145, 152, 153, 154, 160 Blanco County, Texas, 42, 144, 150, 154 Blanco River, rises in Kendall County and flows southeast to empty into the San Marcos River, 42, 145, 146, 148, 153, 154 Blasingame, , settled on the

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191 Blanco River (Woodson Blasingame family was said to have caused the death of James Hughes Callahan in 1856), 42 Blau, S. G., official of the General Land Office, 35 Bliicher, Gebhard Leberecht von, 1742-1819, Prussian general, contributed to the defeat of Napoleon by Wellington at Waterloo in 1815, 99 Blum, Casper Friedrich, Seele's father-in-law, 133 Blum, Ernst Friedrich, Seele's brother-in-law, 107 Blumberg, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Blumenthal, Gillespie County, Texas, 12 Bock, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Bodemann, , settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River on the Horton League, 41 Boehms, , settled at Mission Hill, 41 Boerne, Kendall County, Texas, originally called Tusculum, settled in 1849, 34, 147 Bonpland, Arthur, fictional hero of "The Cypress"; name suggested by Aime Bonpland, 1773-1858, French explorer and associate of Alexander Humboldt, 164-186 passim Boos-Waldeck, Count Anton von, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 15 Boos-Waldeck, Count Joseph von, member and agent of the Mainz Society of Noblemen in 1842, 15, 16, 17, 18

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192 Bose, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Bothmer, Heinrich (Henry), a New Braunfels blacksmith, 71, 80 Bothmer, Justine, Heinrich's wife, 71,80 Bourgeois d'Orvanne, Alexander, adventurer and land speculator, 17, 18, 19 Bracht, Victor (Viktor) Friedrich, 1819-1886, merchant, businessman, writer (Texas in 1848), 85 Braden, Ed., San Antonio businessman, 160 Branch, , settled on the Guadalupe River above the Horton League, 43 Brandes, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Braunholz, , settled at York Creek, 42 Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas, established in 1828 as a port and trading center for Austin's Colony, 49, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 102 Brazos River, third largest river in Texas, rises in three forks that flow together in Stonewall and Young counties, flows south-southeast, and empties into the Gulf of Mexico at Freeport, 4, 7, 9, 13, 56, 57, 100, 103 Brecher, Jacob, settled at Mission Hill, 41 Breckinridge, John Cabell, 1821-1875, U.S. vice-president (1857-1861), defeated for the presidency by Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Confederate secretary of war, 154, 160 Bremen, Germany, 12, 19, 22, 26

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Index Bremer, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Bremer, , settled at Mission Hill, 41 Bremer, Heinrich Christian, and family, settled near Danville, 41, 70 Brenham, Washington County, Texas, 34, 35 Breslau, Germany, 66 Breustedt, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Brumme, Louis, New Braunfels barber-surgeon, 130, 150 Brunko (Brunchow), Friedrich, miner, accompanied Ernst Altgelt to site of Comfort in 1854, 116 Bruns brothers, 45 Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, 36 Budde, , 45 Buechel, August C , 1811-1864, died at Mansfield, Louisiana, of wounds received at the battle of Pleasant Hill, April 15, 1864, 27 Buechner, L. H., began publishing Die Galveston Zeitung, first German newspaper in Texas, in 1849, 33 Buegel, , 97, 98-104 Buffalo Springs, Comal County, Texas, on the Guadalupe River, now a ghost town, 42 Bullfrogs, 121 Burkhart (Burchardt), Henry, 71, 80 Burleson County, Texas, 13 Busch, Henry, postmaster at Smithson Valley, 42 Buss, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Butterflies, 50, 78, 144 Buzzards, 50, 78 Cacique, Aztec chieftain (ancestors

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Index of the Comanche Indians were, according to Comanche tradition, subjects of Montezuma II and had fled to Texas when Cortes destroyed the Aztec Empire), 173, 174, 177, 179, 180, 181 Cacti, 144 Calhoun, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Callahan, James Hughes, settled on the Blanco River, 42 Camino Real (Old Spanish Road), 12, 41, 161, 165 Cannibalism, 24, 67 Caprae (Capreches, Capretians?), 97, 98 Caranquoe (Karankawa) Indians, 24 Cardinals, 78, 94, 144 Carlshafen, Calhoun County, Texas, 22, 27, 68, 149. See also Indian Point, Indianola Carolan, John G. (J. M.), state commissioner for Castro's Colony, 14, 32 Casino (Casino Association), San Antonio's first German club, club and opera house erected on Market Street in January 1858, 160 Castell, Count Carl of, 1801-1850, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, served the duke of Nassau as a lieutenant colonel and director of the Nassau Department of War in 1849, 15, 17, 18 Castro, Henri, 1786-1865, Texas empresario, consul general of the Republic of Texas in Paris in 1838, established Castro's Colony in 1843-1847, 14 Castro's Colony, 12, 14 Castroville, Medina County, Texas, founded by Henri Castro in 1844,

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193 14, 15, 31 Catholic church, 46 Cat Spring, Austin County, Texas, founded by Robert Kleberg in 1844, 11, 12 Cedar trees, 24, 40, 80, 94, 95, 96, 107, 112, 115, 116, 121, 144, 150, 167 Cembra pine trees (pinon pines), 40, 121 Census of 1880, 37 Charleston (South Carolina) Convention, passed first ordinance of secession on December 20, 1860, leading to the Civil War, 147 Cherry trees, 40 China trees (chinaberry trees), 54, 109 Chocolate Bayou, rises in northern Brazoria County and flows southeast about fifteen miles to empty into West Bay, 50, 52 Cibolo Creek, rises in Kendall County and flows southeast to empty into the San Antonio River, 42, 110 Cibolo Mountains, canyon area in the Balcones Escarpment cut by Cibolo Creek, 110, 114 Civil War (War of Secession), 5 Claren, Oscar von, 1812-1845, with Captain von Wrede and a third companion, named Wessel, stopped during a trip from Austin to New Braunfels to camp. The two officers were attacked and killed by a band of thirty to forty Indians. Wessel was able to escape and return to Austin with the news, 24, 25, 71 Clear Spring, Guadalupe County, Texas, settled in 1845, 41 Coahuila and Texas, State of,

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194 originally created by Alonso de Leon in 1689-1690, united in the Mexican Constitution of 1824, separated permanently by the Texas Revolution and the Mexican War, 7, 8 Coleto Creek, rises in DeWitt County and flows forty miles southeast to empty into the Guadalupe River, 31 Coletoville, Victoria County, Texas, 31 Coll, Jean Jacques von, financial officer of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas in 1844, 21, 23, 30, 185 Colorado River (Texas), 7, 9, 20, 165 Columbia, Brazoria County, Texas, founded by Josiah H. Bell in 1826, 103, 104 Columbus, Colorado County, Texas, settled in 1823, 12 Comal County, Texas, created from parts of Bexar, Travis, and Gonzales counties in 1846, 39, 41, 42, 87, 121, 134, 137, 143, 146 Comal County Company, 42 Comal Creek, rises in south central Comal County and flows four miles into the Comal River, 23, 24, 4 1 , 93, 121, 127, 129, 136 Comal Mountains, canyon area of the Balcones Escarpment in the vicinity of New Braunfels, 149, 186 Comal River, flows from Comal Springs for four miles to empty into the Guadalupe River—all within New Braunfels, 40, 69, 70, 80, 81, 83, 85, 86, 93, 94, 95, 109, 121, 149, 181, 182, 183 Comal Springs, source of the

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Index Comal River in the northwestern part of New Braunfels, 6, 23, 150, 186 Comal Town, that part of present New Braunfels situated between the fork of the Comal and the Guadalupe rivers, 31, 41, 94, 95 Comanche Indians, 30 Comanche Spring, Kendall County, Texas, an early settlement that no longer exists, 31 Comfort, Kendall County, Texas, settled in 1854 by a group led by Ernst Altgelt, 156, 157, 158, 159 Comorn, a site on the Guadalupe River, 115 Conring, Hermann, Comal County farmer, 128, 136 Conro, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Coochmann, , settled along San Geronimo Creek, 42 Cordova, , (probably a relative of Jacob de Cordova), 149 Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, 143 Corstanger, , settled in Sisterdale, 42 Cos, Martin Perfecto de, Mexican general sent to drive Americans out of Texas, defeated at the siege of Bexar in 1835, later fought at the Alamo and San Jacinto, 8 Cosfeld, Germany, 102 Cummins, (either James C , ca. 1776-1849, alcalde at San Felipe de Austin in 1823, lived on Cummins Creek; or Moses C. Cummins, lawyer, teacher, surveyor, settled in Washington County in 1829), 104

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Index Cummins Creek (also called Mill Creek), rises in Lee County and flows southeast for thirty-seven miles to empty into the Colorado River north of Columbus, 11, 22, 79 Curry's Creek, rises in Kendall County and flows southeast for fifteen miles to empty into the Guadalupe River, 42, 148, 156 Cypress trees, 40, 69, 73, 80, 86, 98, 101, 112, 115, 116, 117, 118, 169, 171, 186

Daingerfield, William Henry, 1808-1872, mayor of San Antonio and chief justice of Bexar County in 1838, secretary of the treasury of the Republic of Texas in 1842, Texan charge d'affaires in the Netherlands in 1844, 17 Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, 34 Dangers, , settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels, 41 Dankwerth, , early resident of Houston, 9 Danville (Eight Mile Creek), Comal County, Texas, settled in 1848 on Comal Creek along the Old San Antonio Road, 41 Darmstadt people. See Fortiers Davis, Edmund Jackson, 1827-1883, district judge in Brownsville in 1854, supported the Union during the Civil War, brigadier general in 1865, governor of Texas from 1869 to 1873, 150-158 Deer, 25, 50 Degener, Edward, 1809-1890, an ardent adherent of equalitarian

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195 political theories, helped write the unsuccessful German Constitution of 1848, came to Texas after the collapse of the German revolutionary movement, became an outspoken emancipationist, imprisoned during the Civil War for Union activities, served in the Reconstruction Constitutional Conventions of 1866 and 1868, 35, 36, 42, 112, 113 Degener, Hugo and Hilmar, the two sons of Edward Degener, both killed in the Nueces massacre on August 10, 1862, 112 De las Piedras, Don Jose. See Piedras, Colonel Jose de las De Leon, Alonso, 1640-ca. 1690, led an expedition up the Guadalupe River in 1690 and established missions among the Indians of East Texas, possibly the first white man to view the Comal River, 4 Democratic party, 154, 155 Devine, Thomas Jefferson, 1820-1890, district judge in San Antonio in 1851, member of the Texas Secession Convention and Committee of Public Safety in 1861, imprisoned after the Civil War, appointed justice of the Texas supreme court in 1873, 136, 140, 141, 143 D'Hanis, Medina County, Texas, third (or fourth?) settlement of Castro's Colony (1847), named for William D'Hanis, Castro's agent in Antwerp, Belgium, 31 Dickinson Bayou, rises in western Galveston County and flows east to Galveston Bay, 49, 57

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196 Dietz, Henry, settled at Mission Hill, 41 Dietz brothers, bought the New Frankfort community between Seguin and New Braunfels about 1850, 41 Dogberries, 81 Donop, Louis, 42 Donop, Rudolph von, 146, 148 Dooley, M. A., first chief justice of Comal County, ordered municipal election in New Braunfels on June 7, 1846, 134, 136 Dosch and Nauendorf, saloon established in 1857 in the new Hummel building, at that time the finest, most imposing structure on Commerce Street in San Antonio, 160 Dougherty, P. O., 136 Dragonflies, 121 Dreiss, Gustav, New Braunfels city secretary in 1847, justice of the peace in 1850, district clerk in 1860, 143 Dropsy, 27, 89, 90 Ducks, 25 Duerler, , resided at San Pedro Springs, 160 Durham, Col. , settled on the Blanco River (possibly George J. Durham, 1820-1869, chief clerk in the office of the comptroller of the Republic of Texas from 1838 to 1840, officer in the Travis Guards in 1840, auctioneer in Austin in 1850), 42, 145, 147, 153, 155, 156 Dysentery, 27, 88, 89, 90 Edwards, Benjamin W., brother of Haden Edwards, launched the ill-fated Fredonian Rebellion, died in 1837, 7

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Index Edwards, Haden, 1771-1849, Texas empresario, established Edwards Colony in 1825, 7 Egan, Frank, lawyer, prosecuting attorney, 136, 137-140 Eggeling, Julius, New Braunfels mayor from 1852 to 1856, 136 Ehlinger, Joseph, veteran of the battle of San Jacinto, 9 Ehrenberg, Hermann, 1818-1866, youngest soldier of the New Orleans Greys, participated in the siege of Bexar, was with Fannin at Goliad, escaped the massacre, returned to Germany, wrote a book about the Texas Revolution, returned later to live in Arizona, 10 Eight Mile Creek. See Danville Eikenroht (Eickenroht), Friedrich, farmer, 41 Eisenlohr, Rev. G. W., second pastor of the German Protestant Church in New Braunfels, 129 Elisenruh, the Seele farm, 85, 143, 150 Elly, Gustav, early San Antonio settler, 9 Elmendorf, Carl, settled on the upper Guadalupe, 42 Elm trees, 40, 68, 70, 73, 78, 95, 121, 123, 166, 167, 183 Empresario, land agent or colonizer who brought groups of settlers into Texas as provided for in the Mexican colonization law of 1823. 8 Engelke, , 41 Enk, , New Braunfels wagon maker, 127 Episcopal church, 46 Erath, George Bernard, 1813-1891, surveyor (Caldwell, 1840; Waco, 1849), Texan Ranger, legislator,

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Index 13, 36 Erichson, Gustav, early settler in Houston, 9 Ernst, , bought land on York Creek, 42 Ernst, Friedrich (Frederick), received a grant in 1831 in Austin's Colony, where he and Charles Fordtran founded Industry, 9 Ervendberg, Augusta, daughter of Louis Ervendberg, married name, Wiegraffe, 97 Ervendberg, Rev. Louis (Ludwig) Cachand, 1809-1863, 12, 22, 79, 80, 83, 93, 96, 101, 104, 107 Esnaurizar Eleven-League Grant, was located east of New Braunfels and north of the Guadalupe River, granted to Antonio Maria Esnaurizar on November 10, 1831, 41 Espiritu Santo Bay (Matagorda Bay), Calhoun County, Texas, 9, 171 Esser, Charles, settled on the upper Guadalupe 42, 145, 149 Esser's ford, 151 Evans, W. F., commissioner of the General Land Office, 32 Everett, Edward, 1794-1865, clergyman and statesman, running mate of John Bell (Constitutional Union party) in the presidential election of 1860, 154 Falk, Johannes Daniel, 1768-1826, 105, 105 n. Faltin, August, merchant in Comfort, 158 Farmers' organizations, 35 Fayette County, Texas, 35, 37 Fehlis, , settled on the

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197 Esnaurizar Eleven-League Grant, 42 Ferdinand, brig, 12, 22, 25 Ferguson, James, New Braunfels merchant, family had a farm in Marienthal, 42 Fig trees, 56 Fireflies, 53 Fischer, Heinrich, wagoner, 43, 133 Fischer, Heinrich Franz. See Fisher, Henry Francis Fischer, Dr. Joseph Anton, theology professor from Switzerland, associated with Rev. Louis Ervendberg, 12 Fish, 25 Fisher, Henry Francis (Heinrich Franz Fischer), 1805-1867, land speculator, businessman, consul of the Republic of Texas in Bremen, Germany, in 1844, 9, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 160 Fisher-Miller Land Grant, 19, 20, 32 Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas, 35 Fleas, 149 Flersheim, , banker, agent for the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, 21 Floege, Carl, New Braunfels merchant, 136, 143 Foerster, , settled on upper Cibolo Creek, 42 Foerster, , settled at Mission Hill, 41 Folk festival, 34 Fordtran, Charles, 1801-1900, surveyor, founded Industry in association with Frederick Ernst, 9 Fordtran, Henry, Galveston real estate agent, 18 Forke (Forcke), August (us), New Braunfels pharmacist, 89

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198 Fortiers (Darmstadt people), a group of young intellectuals and political activists from the Darmstadt, Germany, area who took over the administration of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas in 1847 and founded a number of communities based on Utopian principles, 31 Fort Martin Scott, U.S. Army fort, established two miles from Fredericksburg in December 1848, 30 Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, 35 Foster, Lafayette Lumpkin, 1851-1901, legislator, Texas agriculture (1884) and railroad commissioner (1891), president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, 37 Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790, American statesman, scientist, printer, 63 Frede, A., pioneer merchant in La Grange, 11 Frederick the Great (King Frederick II of Prussia), 1712-1786, 99 Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas, 29, 30, 31, 40, 42, 89 Frederick William IV (king of Prussia), 1795-1861, 17 Fregel, , 103 Freitag, , settled on York Creek, 42 Frels, William, settled near Bastrop, 9 Frelsburg, Colorado County, Texas, named for John and William Frels, who settled in the area in the 1830s, 31 Frenchman's Corner, Comal County

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Index site, 41 Fricke, Paul, U.S. marshal, 36 Friedrich, August, settled above the Horton League, 43 Frogs, 121 Galveston, Galveston County, Texas, 9, 12, 19, 22, 26, 34, 35, 45, 49, 99 Galveston County, Texas, 49 Galveston Zeitung (Galveston News), founded in 1846, 33 Garcia, Don Luciano, governor of Texas in 1823 and 1824, assisted Austin's Colony, 7 Garza, Maria Antonio Veramendi, daughter of Juan Martin Veramendi and wife of Rafael L. Garza, 23 Garza, Rafael L., 23 Gass, , settled in Smithson Valley, 42 Gelven, , settled on lower Cibolo Creek, 42 General Land Office, established by the first Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1836, 32, 35 George, Enoch B., settled on the Blanco River, postmaster at Middletown, 42, 145, 148 Gerhard, Lisette (Elise), daughter of Wilhelm Gerhard, 127, 136 Gerhard, Wilhelm (William), 127-129, 133, 139 Germania Singing Society, 33, 107-108, 109-119, 122-124, 127, 130, 157 German language, 12, 33, 35, 46, 66, 78, 79, 80, 81 German population of Texas, 37 German Protestant church, 12, 25, 28, 79 Germany, 3, 18, 46, 81 Gervin, , settled on the

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Index Esnaurizar Eleven-League Grant, 42 Giesecke, Eduard, businessman in Brazoria, 56, 57, 58 Glarus, Switzerland, 11 Goar, , settled on the Blanco River, 42 Goldbeck, Fritz and Theodor, brothers associated in business in Comfort, 42, 107 Goliad, Goliad County, Texas, one of three oldest municipalities in Texas, name is an anagram of (H)idalgo, scene of the massacre of Texans captured at the battle of Coleto Creek by order of Santa Anna on March 27, 1836, 10 Gonzales, Gonzales County, Texas, settled as the capital of DeWitt's Colony in 1825, named for Rafael Gonzales, scene of the first battle and Texan victory of the Texas Revolution on October 2, 1835, 25 Grapes, 87, 97, 144, 157, 158 Grasmeyer, F. W., operated a ferry across the Colorado River near Bastrop, 9 Green, Thomas, 1814-1864, fought at San Jacinto, clerk of the Texas Supreme Court in 1841, killed in the Civil War at Blairs Landing, 102 Groennke, , settled in Smithson Valley, 42 Groos, , settled at Waco Springs, 41 Groos, Johann Jacob, 1824-1878, surveyor, bought Guadalupe Hotel in New Braunfels in 1869, commissioner of the General Land Office from 1874 until his death, 35, 107

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199 Grothaus, Frederick, settled at Danville in 1848, accompanied Ernst Altgelt to site of Comfort in 1854, 41 Grupe, Conrad, 46 Guadalupe County, Texas, 87 Guadalupe Hotel, New Braunfels, operated by Jakob Schmitz until purchased by J. J. Groos, 144, 150, 160 Guadalupe Mountains (not the Guadalupe Mountains of the Texas—New Mexico border—but, according to Victor Bracht, "fourth-rate mountains that extend northward and eastward from the source of the Nueces River and disappear in the hills west of the upper Brazos River), 110, 114, 161, 167, 186 Guadalupe River, rises in west central Kerr County, flows southeast through the Hill Country, flows over the Balcones Escarpment at New Braunfels, then meanders southeast across the Coastal Plain to empty into San Antonio Bay, 6, 23, 24, 29, 40, 4 1 , 42, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 81, 85, 86, 89, 94, 95, 98, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 143, 145, 149, 151, 156, 161, 167, 169, 171, 186 Guenther, Heinrich, 1821-1870, teacher, active in Germania and the Texas State German Singing Festivals, married Margarethe, widow of Jean J. von Coll, 113, 122 Gulf of Mexico, 3, 45, 57, 82, 121, 171 Habermann, , settled on the Horton League, 41

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200 Hackberry trees, 72, 78, 166, 170 Haeslop, , captain of the brig Weser, 12 Hagedorn, —, captain of the brig Ferdinand, 12 Haidusek, Augustine, 1845-1929, leader of the Czech Texans, served in the Civil War, county judge of Fayette County in 1874, editor of Svoboda, 37 Halm, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Hamburg, Germany, 101 Hamilton, , sheriff of Blanco County, 146, 155 Harborth, , settled on San Geronimo Creek, 42 Harms, , settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River, 41 Harms, , settled above the Horton League, 43 Harms, Julius D., teacher, justice of the peace in New Braunfels, 123 Hartung, Johann Zacharias, 1827-1896, Comal County farmer, son of Johann Christian and Friedericke Hartung, 68 H a r ( t ) z , Eduard von, wagoner, 70 Hays, John Coffee (Jack), 1817-1883, leader of the Texas Rangers, Indian fighter, 62 Heder, Mrs., , pioneer resident of Nacogdoches, 9 Hefter, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Heidemeyer, Friedrich (Fritz), saddler, captain of the Comal County Infantry Company, Thirty-first Brigade, Texas State Troops in September 1863, 45, 133 Heinecken and Company, shipping firm of Bremen, Germany, 12

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Index Hellmann brothers, settled on lower Cibolo Creek, 42 Helmann, , 103 Helmke, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Hemmke, , Galveston instrument maker, 45 Hemp, wild, 68 Henderson, James, settled on south site of upper Guadalupe River, 42 Henne, (Johann) Ludwig (Louis), New Braunfels tinsmith, 107 Herbst, Albert, son of Carl Herbst, 159 Herbst, Carl, 1828-1905, schoolteacher in Comfort, married Sophie Mohrhoff, 107, 158 Herbst, Emma, daughter of Carl Herbst, married Adolph Bartel, 158 Herbst, Heinrich, 25, 71, 79, 80, 83, 85 Herder, Georg, settled near Bastrop, 9 Herons, 121 Herschel, sailing ship, 22 Hertzberg, Dr., , consul, 36 Hesse, Germany, 9 Hessen-Homburg, Landgrave Philipp zu, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, imperial master of ordnance, governor of Mainz, Germany, died in 1845, 15 Hessler, Henry, New Braunfels merchant associated with James Ferguson, 42 Hierholzer, , settled near Danville, 41 High Plains, 3 Hildesheim, Germany, 68, 70, 71 Hill, Texas, probably in Brazoria County, 103

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Index Hillert, , settled in Smithson Valley, 42 Holekamp, Georg Friedrich (Fritz), 1812-1862, accompanied Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels to site of New Braunfels, settled in Comfort in 1854, served in the Confederate army, died of wounds received in combat, 42, 71, 158 Holstein, Henry, associate of Stephen F. Austin and Joseph Polley, 7 Holz, Christian H., settled near Buffalo Springs, postmaster at Spring Branch, 42 Holzgra (e) ve (Holzgraefe), , settled on York Creek, 42 Holzmann, Eva, wife of Georg Holzmann, 132, 136, 138 Holzmann, Georg(e), 127, 132, 134, 139 Honey Creek, an intermittent stream, rises in western Comal County, flows about five miles to the Guadalupe River, 42 Horton League, a section of land on the north bank of the Guadalupe River near Tom, Jacobs, Potter, and Sorrel creeks about fourteen miles above New Braunfels (Albert C. Horton received this land for army service in the Texas Revolution. The use of the term "league" is inappropriate as the land neither represents a Spanish league [legua] nor a Spanish or Mexican grant), 4 1 , 43 Horton Town, Comal County, Texas, developed by Leopold Iwonsky across the Guadalupe River from New Braunfels in 1847, now called Neighborsville,

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201 31, 95 Houston, Harris County, Texas, 9, 11, 12, 19, 34, 49, 79, 102, 104, 160 Houston, Samuel, 1793-1863, Texas general, president of the Republic of Texas (1836-1838, 1841-1844), U.S. senator from 1846 to 1859, 14, 20, 21 Hummingbirds, 78, 144 Hutchison, , 155 Illinois, 12, 79 Imhof, Peter, settled at Spring Branch, 42 Indianola, Calhoun County, Texas, original townsite abandoned because of hurricane disasters in 1875 and 1886, 26, 68, 88. See also Carlshafen, Indian Point Indian Point, Calhoun County, Texas, 22, 26, 27, 28, 65. See also Carlshafen, Indianola Indigo, 4 9 Industry, Austin County, Texas, founded by Friedrich Ernst and Charles Fordtran, first permanent German colony, 9, 12, 3 1 , 104 Iris, 49 Iturbide, Augustin de, 1783-1824, emperor of Mexico from 1822 to 1823, overthrown by Santa Anna, 7 Iwonsky, Leopold von, ca. 1805-1872, founded Horton Town in 1847, later settled in San Antonio, 41 Jakobsthal (Jacobsdale), Comal County, Texas, named for Jacob de Cordova, 42 Jauer, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Jimmenson, , Galveston

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202 County blacksmith, 52, 53 Johann Detthard, full-rigged ship, 22, 25 Jonas, , settled on the Blanco River, 42 Jonas, , settled near Danville, 41 Jones, Judge William E., 1810-1871, served in the legislature in Georgia, where he edited the Augusta Chronicle and Sentinal and Constitutionalist, came to Texas, was captured in San Antonio by Adrian Woll in 1842, judge of the Fourth Judicial District (1843, 1850s, 1870), 42, 143, 147, 154, 156 Jowers, W. G. W., 1812-1894, legislator and senator, came to Nacogdoches in 1839, served six months in the Texas army, settled on the south side of the upper Guadalupe River, 42 Juack, , settled on York Creek, 42 Kaemmerling, , settled on the Guadalupe River near Sisterdale, 42 Kantsch, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Kapp, Dr. Ernst, 1808-1896, came to Texas after the collapse of the liberal movement in Germany in 1849, settled in Sisterdale, where he instituted a water-cure treatment center, returned to Germany in 1865, 42, 113, 116, 117, 156, 157 Kappmeyer, Johann Conrad, settled at Mission Hill, 41, 132 Karankawa Indians, 24 Karbach, David, New Braunfels blacksmith, 133

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Index Kaufmann, J., consul, 36 Kavelmacher, , settled on upper Cibolo Creek, 42 Keller, Heinrich F., New Braunfels butcher, 86 Kellum, , coachman, 156 Kendall, , settled at Mission Hill (probably George Wilkins Kendall, for whom Kendall County was named), 41 Kendall County, Texas, 39, 156 Kepler, L., settled at Mission Hill, 41 Kes (s) ler, Henry, operated a store in Houston (Kesler's Arcade) from 1837 until his death, probably in 1840, member of the Houston city council, 9 King's Highway. See Old Spanish Road Kirchner, Johann Georg(e), ca. 1812-1846, justice of the peace, officer of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, 28 Klaener, , Galveston businessman, consul, financial agent of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, 12, 22 Klappenbach, Georg(e), Comal County roadmaster, 136 Klappenbach's Mountain, 144 Klaus, C. H., musician, 160 Klauss, William, postmaster at Danville, 41 Kleberg, Ludwig, U.S. district attorney, 9, 36 Kleberg, Robert Justus, 1803-1888, rancher, married Rosa, sister of Louis Roeder, wrecked off Galveston Island in December 1834, fought at San Jacinto, president of board of land

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Index commissioners in 1837-1838, lived at Cat Spring and Cuero, 9 Klein, , settled on Santa Clara Creek, 41 Kleinhans, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Kneuper, , settled on the Blanco River, 42 Knibbe, Dietrich, merchant and farmer, Comal County commissioner in 1858, first settler at Spring Branch, 42 Know-Nothing party, 154 Koch, , settled on Cibolo Creek, 42 Koepsel, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Koester, Dr. Theodor, physician, pharmacist, bakery owner, married Sophie Tolle on August 6, 1846, represented Comal County at the Texas Secession Convention in February 1861, 21, 36, 86, 130, 131, 185 Kohler, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Korn, Louis, New Braunfels baker, 107 Krentz, Mrs., , 107 Kreuzbauer, Robert, official of the General Land Office, 35 Kriegner, , settled at Spring Branch, 42 Krueger, , settled at Waco Springs, 41 Kuechler, Jacob, 1823-1893, a founder of the Utopian colony of Tusculum (Boerne), later a surveyor at Fredericksburg, opposed secession, made escape at the Nueces massacre in 1862, lived in Mexico during the Civil War, commissioner of the

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203 General Land Office (1870-1878), 35 Kueckler, , settled at Sisterdale, 42 Kuehn, Karl (Carl), settled in Smithson Valley, 42, 133 Kunz, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Kurre, , settled on Santa Clara Creek, 41 La Grange, Fayette County, Texas, site of Buckner Trading Post in 1819, named for hometown of Tennessee settlers in 1837, 11, 12, 35 Land grants, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20, 31, 32 Lane, Joseph, 1801-1881, U.S. senator, Oregon territorial governor, major general in the Mexican War, Breckinridge's running mate in the presidential election of 1860, 154, 160 Langermann, A. B., official of the General Land Office, 35 Laredo, Webb County, Texas, established by Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Gallardo in 1775, 12 La Salle, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de, 1643-1687, French explorer of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers (1678-1682), landed at Matagorda Bay in 1685, 4, 5 Lavaca. See Port Lavaca Lavaca Bay, a northwestern arm of Matagorda Bay, 22 La Vernia, Wilson County, Texas, was settled about 1850 on the west bank of the Cibolo, 42 Legislature. See Texas State Legislature Leichner, , settled on

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204 Santa Clara Creek, 41 Leineweber, , grocer in Blanco, 155 Leiningen, Prince Emmerich Karl of, 1804-1856, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, president of the German Imperial Ministry, half-brother of Queen Victoria of England, 15, 18 Leiningen-Westerburg, Count August of, born in 1789, captain in the Bavarian army, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 15, 16, 17 Letona, Don Jose Maria, governor of Coahuila and Texas in 1831, died in 1832, 164 Lilac, 54 Lindheimer, Ferdinand Jakob, 1801-1879, botanist, journalist, served in the Texas army in 1836, founded and edited the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung (1852— 1872), 9, 33, 185 Lipan Indians, 24 Little, William W., 51, 52 Live oak trees, 40, 56, 59, 67, 70, 94, 95, 113, 183 Llano River, rises in two forks which unite in central Kimble County and flow east to the Colorado River, 19, 20, 21 Lochhausen, Ed. von, operated the New Braunfels ferry owned by Adolph von Wedemeyer in 1846, 68, 85 Lodges, fraternal, 35 Loeffler, Christian, Comal County farmer, stepson of Johann Startz, 42, 145, 149, 150 Loeffler, G., immigration commissioner, 36 Lohl, , settled at

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Index Waco Springs, 41 "Lorelei," poem by Heinrich Heine, set to music by F. Silcher, 151 Louisiana, 6, 7 Louis-Philippe, 1773-1850, king of France from 1830 to 1848, 16 Ldwenstein-Wertheim, Prince Philipp of, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 15 Ludwig, Wilhelm, New Braunfels gunsmith, 136 Luenzel, Christoph, 68, 71 Luessmann, , settled on San Geronimo Creek, 42 Luetzmann, , settled in Comfort, 158 Lupines, 67 McCoy Creek, intermittent stream rising in DeWitt County, flows eight miles south to empty into the Guadalupe River, named for John McCoy in 1827, 22 McKrinn, Mississippi steamboat, 66 Mainz Society of Noblemen (Adelsverein), commercial enterprise organized by members of the German nobility of the Mainz area to promote German colonization of the Republic of Texas and to engage in trade with the Texas settlements, 15-31 Malaria, 27, 61 Manger, Nicolaus, settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River on the Horton League, postmaster at Hunter on York Creek, 41 Marheinike (Marheinecke), Franz, 71 Marienthal, Comal County, Texas, ten miles north of New Braunfels, named for Marie Hessler

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Index Ferguson, wife of James Ferguson, 42 Martin, Joseph, official of the General Land Office, 35 Martinez, Antonio Maria, governor of Texas from 1817 to 1820, resided in San Antonio, died in Mexico City in 1823, 6 Matagorda Bay (Espiritu Santo Bay), 9, 171 Maurer, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Meckel, Philipp Heinrich, New Braunfels wagoner, 136 Medina River, rises in northwest Bandera County and flows southeast for 116 miles to empty into the San Antonio River, 14, 17, 19 Meine, Henry, settled at Waco Springs, where he had a gristmill, 41 Memphis, Tennessee, 66 Menger *s Hotel, built in San Antonio in 1859 by brewery owner William Menger, 160 Merriwether, William H., owned a cotton gin and grist, flour, and sawmills in New Braunfels, 93 Mescal beans, 144, 150 Mesquite trees, 170 Methodists, 46, 154 Meusebach, John O. (Baron Ottfried Hans von Meusebach), 1812-1897, succeeded Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels as commissioner general of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, negotiated the MeusebachComanche Treaty in 1847, state senator, scientist, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 89 Mexican berries, 81

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205 Mexico, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 27, 61 Mexico City, 164 Meyer, J. D., settled between the Colorado and Brazos rivers in 1833, 9 Meyerhofer, , settled on the Blanco River, 42 Meyersville, DeWitt County, Texas, settled by Adolph Meyer in 1846, 31 Middletown, Texas, established by Otto Wuppermann on the Little Blanco River, now a ghost town, 145, 149 Mier Expedition, 13 Mill Creek, Washington County, Texas, was located on East Fork of Mill Creek, which joins West Fork in central Austin County and flows fourteen miles to join the Brazos River, 11, 79, 103 Miller, Burchard (Burckhard Miiller), businessman, land speculator, associate of Henry Francis Fisher, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 Mimosa, 49 Mina (Bastrop), 7 Minutemen, 13 Mission Hill, Comal County, Texas, located on the edge of New Braunfels, named for the mission of Nuestra Seiiora de Guadalupe, 41, 98 Mistletoe, 78 Mittendorf brothers, settled on the east bank of the Guadalupe River on the Horton League, first Germans to plant cotton in Comal County, 41 Mockingbirds, 124 Moeschen (Moesgen), Christoph, 122-124, 127-140 Moeschen (Moesgen), Friederi(c)ke. See Riebeling,

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206 Friederi(c)ke M. Moeschen (Moesgen), Johanna, wife of Christoph Moeschen, 123, 127-141 Monterrey, Mexico, 7 Moorfield, , settled on San Geronimo Creek, 42 Mosquitoes, 53, 54, 103 Moureau, Francis, New Braunfels businessman, merchant, consul, 36 Mueller, , settled on the Horton League, 41 Mueller, , settled at Mission Hill, 41 Mueller, Dr., , Galveston physician in 1843, 46 Muenzler, , settled on the Blanco River, 42 Muenzler, Friedrich, 134 Mulberry trees, 103 Muller, Burckard. See Miller, Burchard Murchison, Daniel, land agent, 136 Mustangs, 50 Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas, 7, 9, 12, 4 1 , 161 Nacogdoches ford, Old Spanish Road crossing on the Guadalupe River, 73 Nassau, Duke Adolph von, 1817-1905, duke of Nassau from 1839 to 1866, grand duke of Luxembourg from 1890 to 1905, 15, 16, 19 Nassau, Germany, duchy east of the Rhine River and north of the Main River, 18, 2 1 , 8 1 , 83 Nauendorf. See Dosch and Nauendorf Nauendorf, Ad., mayor of New Braunfels from 1856 to 1857, 136

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Index Navarro, Don Jose Antonio, 1795-1871, brother-in-law of Juan Martin Veramendi, friend of Dr. Baeumlein and Stephen F. Austin, sympathetic to and participated in the government of the Republic of Texas, four sons fought for the Confederacy, 9 Negroes, 5, 17, 53, 58, 59, 60, 61, 103 Neill, Col. Andrew, came to Texas in 1836 as captain of a company of volunteers, practiced law in Seguin in 1838, was captured by Woll in San Antonio and imprisoned in Mexico, escaped and returned to Texas in 1843, served the Confederacy in Galveston, died in 1883, 146 Neptune, sailing ship, 22 Neu Braunfelser Zeitung (New Braunfels News), 33 Neu-Leiningen-Westerburg, Count Christian of, 1812-1856, Austrian field marshal, 15-16, 18 Neupert, , settled at Sisterdale, 42 New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 39, 40, 65, 77, 79, 87, 88, 93, 109, 121, 133, 143, 148, 149, 150, 182, 185 New Frankfort, Guadalupe County, Texas, 41 New Mexico, 4 New Orleans, Louisiana, 6, 13, 66, 98, 101 New Wied, Comal County, Texas, on the Guadalupe River three and a half miles north of New Braunfels, also known as Orphans Home Farm, 93, 95

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Index Norton, Milford Phillips, 1794-1860, came to Texas in 1839, appointed judge of the Sixth Judicial District by Sam Houston in 1844, chairman of the 1845 Texas Convention, appointed judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District in 1856, 143, 144-148 Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, Spanish mission on the Guadalupe River, established in 1756 (Seele thought of Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patron saint of the river), 171 Oak (live oak, post oak) trees, 22, 29, 40, 52, 56, 59, 67, 70, 94, 95, 104, 110, 113, 115, 183 Oelkers, , settled between the Guadalupe River and San Geronimo Creek, 42 Ohlrich, Charles, postmaster at Smithson Valley, 42 Oldenburg, Germany, 9 Old San Antonio Road. See Old Spanish Road Old Spanish (Military) Road, route from the Rio Grande to Nacogdoches, blazed by Domingo Teran de los Rios in 1691, 12, 4 1 , 161, 165 Olmsted, Frederick Law, 1822-1902, traveler, author, landscape architect, passed through New Braunfels in 1855, visited Edward Degener in Sisterdale in 1856, noted his impressions in A Journey through Texas (1857), 143 Olsen, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Opuntia. See Prickly pear, Cacti

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207 Orth, , settled on Santa Clara Creek, 41 Osthaus, , sergeant in the Texas army, 102 Otto, Julius, 122 Owls, 53 Oyster Creek, rises north of Richmond and flows southeast to empty into the Gulf of Mexico, settled by planters in the 1820s and 1830s, 52, 55 Paderborn, Germany, 9 Pant(h)ermuehl, , settled on the Guadalupe River near Sisterdale, 42 Pape, , settled at Waco Springs, 41 Patton, Ben, settled on the Blanco River, 42 Pauly, , settled in Jakobsthal, 42 Pecan trees, 68, 70, 98, 171 Pecos River, rises on the east slope of the Santa Fe Mountains in Mora County, New Mexico, and flows southeast for five hundred miles to empty into the Rio Grande near Langtry, 4 Pedernales River, rises in the southeast corner of Kimble County and flows southeast for 106 miles to empty into the Colorado River, 29, 40 Perryman, , settled on lower Cibolo Creek, 42 Peters, W. S., Texas empresario, whose company contracted with the Republic of Texas in 1841 and 1842 to settle Peters' Colony on the Red River, resulted in conflict and litigation between company and settlers in 1848, 14

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208 Petmecky, J. Gottfried, New Braunfels schoolteacher, 107 Pettus, Bob, 104 Pettus, Ernst, father of Bob Pettus, 104 Pfeuffer, George I., tanner, farmer, 143 Pfeuffer, George, II, 1830-1886, went to Corpus Christi in 1846, moved his family to New Braunfels in 1861, county judge of Comal County in 1877, state senator from 1882 to 1884, became president of the board of directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in 1884, son of George Pfeuffer, I, 36, 143 Pheasants, 144 Philipps, , settled near Sisterdale, 111 Phlox, 95 Piedras, Jose de las, colonel commanding the Mexican army in Nacogdoches from 1827 to 1832, killed at Tampico, Mexico, in 1839, 7, 161 Pieper, , settled between the Guadalupe River and San Geronimo Creek, 42 Pieper, J. P., settled between the Colorado and Brazos rivers in 1836, 9, 104 Pine trees, 40, 52, 121, 124 Piper, , settled on the upper course of Cibolo Creek, 42 Pittsburg (now Blanco), Blanco County, Texas, founded on the Blanco River in 1853, named for Col. John D. Pitts, 145 Plums, 81, 97 Polley, Joseph Henry, 1795-1869, associate of Stephen F. Austin in 1821, sheriff of Austin's Colony

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Index during 1826 and 1827, teamster and stockman, settled on Cibolo Creek, 7, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 Portis, J. P., commissioner of the General Land Office in 1850, 32 Port Lavaca, Calhoun County, Texas, was established on Lavaca Bay in 1840, 79 Post Oak Point, Austin County, Texas, 104 Postoak Prairie, probably named for Postoak Creek, which flows from Kendall to Comal County, where it joins Cibolo Creek, 149 Post oak trees, 29, 40, 104 Powderhorn Bayou, a westward extension of Matagorda Bay in eastern Calhoun County, 22 Prairie, 3, 49, 50, 52, 55, 60, 65, 67, 68, 77, 78, 82, 86, 89, 93, 94, 95, 109, 114, 144, 146, 166, 167 Prairie roses, 49 Presidio del Norte, Spanish fort established in 1759 near present Presidio, 161 Pressler, Charles William, 1823-1907, surveyor and cartographer, joined the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas and landed in Galveston in 1846, purchased a farm near New Ulm in 1849, draftsman in the General Land Office from 1850 to 1899, 35 Pressler, Herman, official of the General Land Office, 35 Prickly pear (opuntia), 166, 167 Protestant church. See German Protestant church Pruitt, John, ferryman at Brazoria in 1844, 56, 58 Quihi, Medina County, Texas, laid

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Index out on Quihi Lake by Henri Castro in 1845, 31 Quinine, 89 Rahm, Johann Jacob, ca. 18061845, born in Switzerland, private in Morgan's Company G, Texas army in 1836, served with Hays' Texas Rangers in 1843, advised Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels to purchase site of New Braunfels, given four and a half acres to establish a slaughter house, mortally wounded by a certain Maertz (Johann?) on October 12, 1845, 23 Rangers. See Texas Rangers Rauch, Friedrich, Comal County wagoner, farmer, 136 Rebecca Creek, intermittent stream, rises in Blanco County and flows southeast four miles to empty into the Guadalupe River, named for the wife of Jacob de Cordova, 153 Red River (Texas-Oklahoma), rises near the New Mexico-Texas border, flows east-southeast through Texas, forms the greater part of the Oklahoma-Texas border, then flows southeast through Arkansas and Louisiana to empty into the Mississippi River, having a length of fifteen hundred miles, 4, 7 Reiche, Robert, official of the General Land Office, 35 Reichenbach, Baron Carl Ludwig of, 1788-1869, German chemist, 157, 157 n. Remer, Dr. Wilhelm, New Braunfels physician, 28, 669 69, 71, 128, 130, 131

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209 Rennert, Julius, Seele's law partner, Comal County deputy sheriff in 1855, mayor of New Braunfels from June 1857 to June 1858, 25, 122, 134, 144 Renossa, Count Armand von, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 15 Republic of Texas, 5, 10, 13, 14, 24, 57, 66, 71, 79, 181, 182 Retama (Spanish broom), 89 Reuter, Wilhelm, 25 Rhinoceros beetles, 78 Rhodius, Christian, settled near Sisterdale, 42, 115, 117 Riebeling, Carl, 122-125, 127-141 Riebeling, Friederi(c)ke, wife of Carl Riebeling, daughter of Christoph Moeschen, 122-124, 127-141 Riefkohl, , settled at Danville, 41 Rinnen, , composer, 34 Rio Grande, 3, 62 Riotte, C. R., land commissioner, ambassador, 32, 36 Rische, Eduard, New Braunfels merchant, 134 Robinson, Neill, postmaster at Hodges Mill on the Guadalupe and Curry's Creek, 146 Rocky Mountains, 3 Roeder, Louis R. W. G. Ph. von, brother-in-law of Robert Justus Kleberg, lived near Bastrop in 1835, 9 Roemer, Dr. Ferdinand von, 1818-1891, geologist, traveled in Texas (1845-1847), accompanied Meusebach to treaty with the Comanche Indians in 1847, wrote Texas (1849), became a professor at the University of

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210 Breslau, Germany, in 1855, 30 Rompel, , settled on the upper course of Cibolo Creek, 42 Rosenberg, Ernst von, draftsman in the General Land Office, chief draftsman in 1876, died in 1915, 35 Rosenberg, Wilhelm (William) von, came to Texas and settled his family at Round Top in 1849, moved to Austin in 1856, in 1861 became chief draftsman in the General Land Office, died in 1901, 35 Rossi, Alexander, 46 Rossi, Carl, 45 Rossi, Mrs. Carl, 50 Rudeloff, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Rudorf, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Rueg, Heinrich, born in 1798, came to Louisiana in 1818 and to Texas in 1821, horse trader and merchant, friend of Jose de las Piedras and political chief of the department of Nacogdoches from 1834 to 1836, opposed the Santa Anna dictatorship, moved in 1836 to Natchitoches, Louisiana, 7, 8, 9 Rummler, G., settled on the south side of the upper Guadalupe River, 42 Runge, Dr., , settled at Sisterdale, 42 Sabina Creek, intermittent stream, rises in central Kendall County and flows northeast eight miles to empty into the Guadalupe River, 31, 111, 112 Sabina Mountains, rugged area cut by Sabina Creek into the

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Index Balcones Escarpment, 110, 114 Sabine River (Texas/Louisiana), formed by three forks rising in Collin and Hunt counties, flows southeast to the Louisiana border, then south to empty through Sabine Lake into the Gulf of Mexico, 3 Salado Springs, in northern Bexar County, source of Salado Creek, 172 Saltillo, Mexico, 7 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 23, 24, 33, 34, 35, 40, 4 1 , 62, 108, 109, 159, 160, 161, 164, 172 San Antonio River, rises from Springs in the city of San Antonio, flows southeast to empty into the Guadalupe River near the Gulf of Mexico; principal tributaries are San Pedro Creek, Cibolo Creek, and the Medina River, 172 Sanchelin, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 San Felipe de Austin, Austin County, Texas, became headquarters of the Stephen F. Austin Colony in 1823, 13 San Gabriel, Milam County, Texas, 22 San Geronimo Creek, intermittent stream, rises in eastern Bandera County and flows into the Medina River, 4 1 , 42 San Jacinto, battle of, Mexican army of Santa Anna defeated by the forces of General Sam Houston on April 21, 1836, 10, 13, 99 San Pedro Springs, in present San Antonio, source of San Pedro Creek, 160

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Index Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez de, 1795-1876, Mexican general, president, and dictator, 8 Santa Clara Creek, rises in western Guadalupe County and flows into Cibolo Creek, 41 Sarassin, Louis, hotel employee of Jakob Schmitz, 150, 152, 155 Sattler, Wilhelm, settled above the Horton League, 43 Saucedo, Jose Antonio, as president of the deputation of the State of Coahuila and Texas in 1824, he approved the regulations for Austin's Colony, 7 Savage, , Galveston resident in 1843, 45 Schaefer, , settled at Danville in 1848, 41 Schenk, •, official of the General Land Office, 35 Scherpf, , wrote Beschreihung der Republik Texas [Description of the Republic of Texas] (probably George A. Scherpf, whose Entstehungsgeschichte (1841) is a description of the Texas Revolution and the Republic), 10 Scherrer, B., settled between the Colorado and Brazos rivers in 1833, 9 Scherz, , Comal County farmer, 151, 152 Schleicher, Gustav, 1823-1879, engineer, lawyer, viceadministrator of the Bettina Colony in 1847, captain in the Confederate army, U.S. congressman from San Antonio, 31, 35, 160 Schmidt, Rudolph, official of the General Land Office, 35 Schmitz, Jakob, New Braunfels

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211 innkeeper, bought the Guadalupe Hotel in 1858, 143, 150, 152 Scholl, Adam, New Braunfels joiner, 136 Schrimpf, , Houston resident in 1836, 9 Schubert, Dr., . See Stroberg, Schuette, , settled in Danville in 1848, 41 Schuetze, Edward, official of the General Land Office, 35 Schulenburg, Fayette County, Texas, 35 Schulmeier, , settled on the upper course of Cibolo Creek, 42 Schulz, , settled on the Horton League on the east bank of the Guadalupe River, 41 Schulz, , settled on Santa Clara Creek, 41 Schumann, August, settled in Schumannsville in 1847, 41 Schumannsville, Guadalupe County, Texas, named for August Schumann, town originally contained fifteen plots in a fenced enclosure; consent of all plotholders was required before a plot could be sold, 3 1 , 41 Schurz, , settled on the south side of the upper Guadalupe River, 42 Schwarzer, C , official of the General Land Office, 35 Schwarzhof, Scipio, Comal County farmer, 136 Schweichardt, , Houston resident in 1836, 9 Scurvy, 27 Seekatz, Heinrich, born in 1849, son of Wilhelm Seekatz, 143 Seekatz, Wilhelm, New Braunfels butcher, merchant, captain in the

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212 Confederate army, 86, 128, 144 Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas, originally called Walnut Springs, settled by Mathew Caldwell's Rangers in 1838, name changed in 1839 to honor Juan N. Seguin, who served in the Texas army throughout the revolution, 23, 24, 65, 73, 87 Seidemann, Peter, Comal County farmer, 128 Sengers, , settled in Smithson Valley, 42 Shelby, Austin County, Texas, named for David Shelby, settled by German immigrants about 1845, 35 Sherwood, Granville H., attorney, land commissioner in 1851, 32, 143 Siemering, August, 1828-1883, came to Texas in 1851, teacher in Sisterdale in 1854, against slavery, was impressed into the Confederate army and rose to the rank of lieutenant, founded in San Antonio in 1865 Die Freie Presse fur Texas (Texas Free Press), which became the leading Republican paper in Texas, 109, 116 Sigler, William N., born in 1798, member of the convention that framed the plan for the provisional government of the Republic of Texas in 1835, justice of the peace in San Augustine in 1837 or 1838, owned farm in Sabine County, 35 Singers' Hall (Saengerhalle), a large, many-windowed building near the early Hermann Seele residence (Elisenruh) on the bank of the Guadalupe River,

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Index 107, 144, 150 Sister Creek, rises in east and west forks in Kendall County and flows south nine miles to empty into the Guadalupe River, 112, 117, 118, 157 Sisterdale, Kendall County, Texas, founded by Nicolaus Zink in 1847, 31, 33, 42, 109, 113, 115, 117, 148, 156, 157 Sisterdale Chronicle, 116 Sister Mountains, rugged area in the vicinity of the Twin Sisters in southern Blanco County, 114 Smith, Henry, 1788-1851, came to Texas in 1827, wounded at the battle of Velasco in 1832, provisional governor of Texas in 1835, known as first Anglo-American governor, secretary of the treasury under President Sam Houston, owned a farm in Brazoria County, 59 Smith, Peter D., settled on the Guadalupe near Buffalo Springs, postmaster at Sattler, 42 Smith brothers from Seguin, built the "Sophienburg," a double log cabin that served as administrative headquarters for Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels and the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, in New Braunfels in 1845, 24 Smithson, Benjamin F., first settler in Smithson Valley in 1856, 42 Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 96 Smithson Valley, Comal County, Texas, 42, 149, 150 Snell, , (possibly Martin Kingsley Snell, 1815-1865, enlisted in the Texas army with the New Orleans Greys, fought

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Index at San Jacinto as a lieutenant, captain in the Texas army in 1838 and 1839, was a major in the Confederate army) 99, 101, 102 Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas (Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer in Texas), operational arm of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, had its headquarters in New Braunfels, 18, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 40, 65, 66, 70, 73, 79, 80, 81, 82, 86, 87, 89, 90, 182 Solms-Braunfels, Prince Carl of, 1812-1875, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, commissioner general of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, married Princess Sophia of Salm-Salm, 16, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 70, 74, 77, 79, 182, 185 Sophienburg, New Braunfels fort and headquarters of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels and the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, named for Princess Sophia of Salm-Salm, destroyed in the hurricane of 1886, site now occupied by Sophienburg Memorial Museum, 24, 25, 70, 77 Spangenberg, Christian, settled in Smithson Valley, 42 Spanish moss, 55, 59, 94 Specht, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Specht, , settled between the Guadalupe River and San Geronimo Creek, 42 Specht, Hans von, settled on Honey Creek, 42, 149

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213 Spiess, Hermann, sawmill operator, chief administrator of the Bettina Colony in 1847, settled at Waco Springs, 31, 41, 136, 140 Spinach, wild, 30 Spring Branch, Comal County, Texas, settled by the Dietrich Knibbe family in 1852, 42 Spring Creek, an intermittent stream in Victoria County, flows southeast to join the Guadalupe, 22 Spruce trees, 52 Staffel, August, postmaster at Boerne in 1856, 159 Stahl, , settled on lower Cibolo Creek, 42 Star(t)z, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Star(t)z, , settled at Mission Hill, 41 Stein, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Stein, , settled between the Guadalupe River and San Geronimo Creek, 42 Steinmeyer, , settled at Clear Spring, 41 Ster(t)zing, Helena, wife of Theodor Ster(t)zing, 134 Ster(t)zing, Theodor(e), Comal County farmer, 128, 129, 132, 133 Stoeltje, Renke, settled near Bastrop in 1835, 9 Stremme, Conrad C , 1807-1877, professor of architecture at Dorpat, Estonia, court councillor to Czar Nicholas I of Russia, came to Texas, member of Michler's exploration party in 1853, chief draftsman of the General Land Office in 1855, 35 Stroberg, , (Armand, Dr.

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214 Schubert), adventurer, 22, 30, 89 Stuessi brothers, pioneer sawmill operators, 11 Sumac, 115, 156 Swamp, 54, 67, 103 Sycamore trees, 40, 69, 86, 88 Tausch, , settled near Buffalo Springs, 42 Teichmueller, Hans, 1837-1901, teacher, attorney, county judge in La Grange in 1869, judge of the Twenty-second Judicial District in 1884, 36 Temperance movement, 155 Temptation Mound, Kendall County, Texas, 114, 157 Tennison, John B., first district clerk of Blanco County, 145, 147, 154, 155 Texas, Republic of, 5, 10, 13, 14, 20, 24, 57, 66, 71, 79, 182, 183 Texas Congress, 10, 12, 13, 14, 36 Texas Consultation, in San Felipe in 1835, 35 Texas Rangers, peace officers having jurisdiction throughout the state; Stephen F. Austin employed ten men as Rangers in 1823, 13 Texas Staats Zeitung (Texas State News), founded in San Antonio in 1854, 33 Texas State German Singers League, 34 Texas State German Singing Festival, 33, 108, 147, 150, 159 Texas State Legislature, 36 Texas State News (Texas Staats Zeitung), 33 Texas v. Washburn, appears not to have been a court case, but rather a public controversy, possibly concerning the secession question, 149

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Index Theissen, , settled near Sisterdale, 115 Thielepape, George J., official of the Texas General Land Office, 35 Thielepape, Justus G., 25 Thistles, 30 Thomae, Carl Wilhelm, mill owner, New Braunfels postmaster (1846-1847, 1848-1851), 127, 136 Thomas, L. W., 143 Timmer, , settled between the Guadalupe River and San Geronimo Creek, 42 Tips, , settled on San Geronimo Creek, 42 Tips, Julius, 157 Tips, Walter, member of the Supervisory Board for Penitentiaries, 36 Toepperwein, Hermann, teacher, county commissioner, 159 Tolle, August, New Braunfels pharmacist, 136 Tolle, Christopher, New Braunfels tanner and farmer, 80 Tonkawa Indians, 24, 67 Torrey, John F., 1821-1893, businessman and factory owner, 146 Trinity River, formed from the confluence of a number of intermittent small streams north and northwest of Dallas, flows southeast for about 550 miles to empty into Galveston Bay about forty miles north of Galveston, 13 Troeste, , settled on Santa Clara Creek, 41 Turkeys, 25, 169 Turtles, 25, 27 Twin Sisters, two similar peaks in a chain of hills in southern Blanco County, 114, 148, 156, 167

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Index Ullrich, George, Comal County sheriff, 129, 131, 132, 134 Union, Die, successor to Die Galveston Zeitung, 33 United States Congress, 35 Vandenburg, Medina County, Texas, settled by immigrants of Castro's Colony in 1846, now a ghost town, 31 Velasco, Brazoria Colony, Texas, settled by Stephen F. Austin's first colonists in 1821, 99, 100 Veramendi, Don Juan Maria (according to Seele, a colonel in the Mexican army assigned to the department of Nacogdoches between 1827 and 1832), 161, 165, 172 Veramendi, Don Juan Martin, 1778-1833, a native of San Antonio, was granted eleven leagues of land in 1825, became the fifth governor of Coahuila and Texas, was the father-in-law and partner of James Bowie, 182 Veramendi League (Eleven-League Grant), under the Mexican law of 1825 Don Juan Martin Veramendi petitioned for eleven leagues of land at the Comal and San Marcos rivers and at San Pedro Springs: the land on the Comal overlapped that of the 1805 grant of the Baron von Bastrop, involving the citizens of New Braunfels in years of litigation; the final decision in 1879, favorable to the New Braunfels citizenry, is ascribed primarily to the work of Hermann Seele, 23, 24 Victoria, Victoria County, Texas,

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215 founded by Martin de Leon in 1824, named for Mexican president Guadalupe Victoria, 22, 65, 66 Vienna, Austria, 13 Violets, 94 Virginia Point, Galveston County, Texas, on the mainland side of West Bay, 49 Voel(c)ker, Henry (Heinrich), first settler at Frenchman's Corner, 41 Voel(c)ker, Julius, settled above the Horton League, 43 Vogel, settled on the upper course of Cibolo Creek, 42 Voges, , settled on upper Cibolo Creek, 42 Voges, , settled on the Horton League, 41 Voges, — , settled on Santa Clara Creek, 41 Voigt, , 146, 148 Von Claren, Oscar. See Claren, Oscar von Von Coll, Jean Jacques. See Coll, Jean Jacques von Von der Hoya, J., resident of Nacogdoches in 1836, 9 Von Lochhausen, Ed. See Lochhausen, Ed. von Von Roeder, Louis. See Roeder, Louis von Von Wedemeyer, Adolph. See Wedemeyer, Adolph von Von Wrede, F. W. See Wrede, F. W. von Waco, McLennan County, Texas, townsite surveyed by Erath for Jacob de Cordova at the site of an ancient Waco Indian village in 1849, 13, 34 Waco Indians, 24, 67 Waco Springs, Comal County,

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216 Texas, settled in 1847, had a shingle and sawmill built by Hermann Spiess and a gristmill built by Henry Meine, 41 Waelder, Jakob, 1820-1887, attorney, lieutenant during Mexican War, state legislator in 1860, represented Twenty-ninth District in the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, 36, 143, 144, 159 Wahnschaffe, , settled between the Guadalupe River and San Geronimo Creek, 42 Wald, der (the Woods), 121 Waldeck, Germany, 9 Wallhoefer, August, settled on the Horton League, postmaster at Hunter on York Creek, 41 Walnut trees, 68 Walzem, , settled at Mission Hill, 41 Ward, Thomas William, 1807-1872, joined the New Orleans Greys, lost a leg at the siege of Bexar in 1835, second commissioner of the General Land Office in 1841, involved in the Archives War, mayor of Austin (1840, 1853, 1865), 32 Washburn. See Texas v. Washburn Washington-on-the-Brazos, Washington County, Texas, ferry operated at the site by Andrew Robinson in 1822, town incorporated in 1837, temporary capital of the Republic of Texas in 1843, 21, 23 Water lilies, 121 Weber, , settled in New Frankfort, 41 Webster's spelling book, 81

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Index Wedemeyer, Adolph von, official of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, owned the New Braunfels ferry until 1847, 85, 86 Wehe brothers, settled on the upper course of Cibolo Creek, 42 Wenzel, , settled near Danville, 41 Werden, Germany, 70 Weser, a brig, 12 West Texas Mountain Singers Federation, 34 Wetzel, , settled at Waco Springs, 41 Wetzel, Wilhelm, New Braunfels locksmith, 68 Weyl (Weil), Henry, settled on Santa Clara Creek, postmaster at Sattler, 41 Whippoorwills, 90 Wied, Prince Hermann of, member of the Mainz Society of Noblemen, 15 Wilke, H., official of the General Land Office, 35 Willke, Louis (Ludwig), town commandant of Carlshafen in 1845, settled on the Fredericksburg road near Spring Branch in 1858, 42, 149 Wipprecht, Rudolph, 1824-1892, married Julia, daughter of Dr. Ernst Kapp, was first professor of modern languages at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, skilled in the translation of Spanish documents, 36, 156 Wolter, — , settled near Columbia, 104 Woodcocks, 25 Wrede, F. W. von, resident of

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Index Nacogdoches in 1836, 9 Wrede, Joachim F. A. von, killed by Indians, 25. See also Claren, Oscar von Wuppermann, , settled on San Geronimo Creek, 42 Wuppermann, Otto, established Middletown on the Little Blanco River, 42 Wurttemberg, Germany, 103 Wyschetzki, , official of the General Land Office, 35 Yates, Andrew Janeway, 1803-1856, attorney, procurement officer during the Texas Revolution, published the Galveston Daily Advertiser, 46 York Creek, rises in eastern Comal County, flows twenty-three miles southeast to empty into the San Marcos River, 42 Yorktown, DeWitt County, Texas, settled by John York in 1846, 31, 35 Yucca, 166 Yucca filamentosa, 39, 144

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217 Zimmerscheidt, , settled near Bastrop in 1836, 9 Zink, Nic(h)ola(u)s, engineer of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, surveyed the city of New Braunfels for Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, founded the settlement of Sisterdale, later moved to Comfort, died at Welfare, 21, 24, 42 Zipp, , settled in Schumannsville, 41 Zoellner, Jost Heinrich, barkeeper in New Braunfels, 110 Zork, Louis, storekeeper in Blanco, 145, 147, 155 Zuehl, , settled on lower Cibolo Creek near La Vernia, 42 Zum Berge(n), Hermann, Comal County farmer, 128, 132, 136 Zuschlag, Conrad, son of Heinrich Zuschlag, 70 Zuschlag, Heinrich, employed in Dr. Theodor Koester's bakery, 70, 86

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