MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

VOL. XX

OCTOBER, 1888

No. 4

A

THE CITY OF A PRINCE*

A ROMANTIC CHAPTER IN TEXAS HISTORY

I

T what period German immigration to the state of Texas commenced, it is difficult to determine. Some few German settlers had already established themselves there while the country was under the dominion of Spain; they came in greater numbers with the Americans who formed the "Austin Colony," locating between the Brazos and the Colorado. In the Texas War of Independence they bore their share, and a German-Ehrenberg-was one of the few survivors of Fannin's massacre at Goliad in 1836. After peace was declared those who were in the army went up into the interior of the state and made homes for themselves; they were joined by others who came from northern states, but it was not until 1840 that an exclusively German town was founded. This was called "Industry "--a name well merited by the character of its people. Later on other families settled along the Brazos and Colorado, spreading themselves from Austin to Houston; so that at the present day that section is called "Little Germany," in contradistinction to “Great Germany,” which lies between the Colorado and the Rio Grande, and which afterwards received the bulk of the German immigration. Our concern is principally with this part of the state; for important political movements grew out of the large influx of foreigners, and these seemingly insignificant settlements were great factors in the sum of events which led to the annexation of Texas.

Most of the section of country lying west of the Colorado was in 1840 a savage wilderness. With sufficient area to form several kingdoms, its total population was but twelve thousand. Of these the town of San Antonio contained five thousand, four-fifths of whom were Mexicans. The rest of the population was scattered through several small villages and about their immediate vicinity. The country was an earthly paradise as * Copyright, 1888, by Lee C. Harby.

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far as soil, scenery and climate were concerned; but the Indians were in full possession and there had been much trouble between them and the whites, though at the time German immigration commenced, the strength of the Comanches had been broken and they had been driven back to the unexplored fastnesses of the mountains.

The first Germans who crossed the Colorado were Alsatians, and can be considered the pioneers of the great movement which afterwards took place. They called themselves French, but they spoke the German tongue and had German physicians, teachers and pastors. They were, however, under the leadership of a Frenchman, the Count de Castro, who tried to procure emigrants in France to settle on his extensive land grants, but being unsuccessful, took out large numbers of German Alsatians and set sail from Antwerp. This colony reached Galveston Island only to find themselves totally unprovided for. Galveston, containing then but a few hundred people, could do nothing for them, and they sought the mainland where many of them scattered through the different settlements; others held together and pushed on for the land of De Castro's grant. They found it a lovely, fertile domain. Here they established themselves, worked hard and flourished; later, they were joined by other Germans from the Society of Mayence. As their numbers increased they founded small villages; Guihi, Vanaenburg and New Fountain were laid out; then they organized their county, making Castroville, their first town, the county seat, and so by degrees settled up the entire country between the Nueces and the San Antonio.

Just about this time a society of princes and noblemen was being formed in Germany, the cause of whose organization can hardly be credited to pure philanthropy. It is not reasonable to suppose that the German potentates were so disinterested as to seek in other countries free holdings of lands and homes for their poor subjects. There are proofs extant that England took a considerable part in the movement; in fact it was due to her machinations that the society was organized. At this time the growing power of the United States was viewed with alarm by Great Britain. The enormous increase in the American cotton crop had already displaced East India cotton in European markets, and the home government had to devise some expedient to encourage the production of the staple in her own colonies. To do this, she endeavored to put a stop to the slave trade, promulgated abolition ideas, and determined to establish an anti-slavery republic on Texas soil, believing that without slave labor cotton could not be profitably produced in America. At that time Texas was an independent republic of enormous area and almost undetermined

boundaries. Sparsely settled, embarrassed financially, and constantly threatened by Mexico, it was but natural to suppose that she would ere long either fall a prey to the growing power of the United States, or seek safety, and more favorable terms, by annexation. To prevent any such contingency was clearly the policy of England.

United States and prevent their acquisition of more territory at the south. The over-populated provinces of the German princes were selected as the best field from which to draw the vast numbers needed to make this plan a success. These princes were comparatively poor, and therefore more open to negotiation than other potentates. It was believed that under the leadership and protection of their own rulers, a sufficient number of emigrants could be poured into Texas to completely Germanize that new