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THE CITY OF A PRINCE

A ROMANTIC CHAPTER IN TEXAS HISTORY
Copyright, 1888, by Lee C. Harby

AT 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 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.

The method that seemed best adapted to preserve the autonomy of Texas, was the eradication of slavery within its borders. To do this enormous numbers of immigrants opposed to its principles were to be introduced, so that the majority of the population should be in favor of a " free " republic. It was the belief in England that the slave states of the Union would never permit the annexation of Texas as a free tate; in which case this anti-slavery republic would act as a breakwater to the encroachments of the 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 republic, and when this was completed, England was to take it under especial protection. All of which is plainly shown by the letters of Prince Solms to officers of the society, and to the secretary of state under President Houston, threatening a European war in case of annexation. That this plan completely failed is due to the astuteness of the Texan leaders of the period.
To give a brief account of it, the young republic being at that time much embarrassed for means, decided, if possible, to raise $4,000,000 from European governments, the security for the loan to be mortgages on the public lands. When Ashbel Smith, minister from Texas at the Court of St. James, broached the subject, he found himself listened to attentively, but put off from day to day for an answer; for England was then busy with her German colonization scheme, and considered that a much surer and safer way to assist Texas, than by lending her money. At the same time Hamilton had opened similar negotiations at the Court of France, and with every chance of success; but just as everything seemed propitious for securing the $2,000,000 asked for, information reached the French Government of the coalition between England and the German princes. This immediately put a stop to the proceedings, as France considered it would injure the value, to her, of the public lands in Texas if any such condition of things obtained. In 1842 Hamilton wrote the matter home to his President, but Ashbel Smith had already written of this English-German alliance, their letters being now in the archives at Austin. At this juncture the genius of Sam Houston saved Texas to the Americans and outwitted the diplomacy of the Europeans. He renewed the proposition of the annexation of Texas to the United States. This move has often been ascribed to his personal ambition causing him to lose sight of the eventual greatness Texas would attain if she maintained her independence, and so fostered and hastened the development of her enormous natural resources. It has been said that he aimed at the chief magistracy of the two united countries; but the inner history of the English-German alliance proves that only by this astute move on Houston's part could their plans have been defeated. Texas was helpless ; burdened with 84,000,000 war debt, sparsely populated, the treasury empty, and constantly menaced by Mexico. If, in addition to this, England was allowed to carry out her scheme, the few thousands of Americans in Texas would find their independence as a nation a position almost impossible to maintain. Hence Houston's persistence in favor of annexation. This fact does not seem to appear in the written history of the country, but it is certain that it played a considerable part in the question of the union of the two republics—as is fully shown in Houston's letter to Van Zandt, then minister at Washington from Texas, in which he rehearses the situation in reference to the coalition, and instructs his minister to urge upon the President the pressing need of annexation as the only means by which England could be foiled in her plans. In December, 1845, Texas was admitted to the Union, and Great Britain found to her cost that it was a short-sighted policy when she sent German emigrants instead of money to the new republic. She had been completely outwitted by General Houston, becoming in his hands an instrument with which to force annexation. The German princes and noblemen had been thus summarily cut off from a nice little revenue which they would have derived from England as the price paid them for inducing their subjects and countrymen to emigrate.

The history of German emigration to Texas, is one of peculiar interest, and yet, strange to say, it is almost unchronicled. The histories already written of the state simply mention it, inquiring not into its cause nor giving an account of the sufferings and trials attending the establishment of its settlements. Some German manuscripts exist which give a clear insight to their private history, but these are almost unattainable. It only remains, then, to gather from the few eye-witnesses yet living the information desired, drawing from the participants in those scenes such recollections of personal experience and reminiscences of others, as will serve to give a fair idea of the romantic record belonging to these colonies in general and to New Braunfels in particular; a record of endeavor, disaster and final success ; the history of a colony which was the offspring of political intrigue, yet was founded on a basis of pretended philanthropy and in a way that appealed directly to the ambition of the many; a colony established not fifty years ago upon American soil, but under the patronage of nobility and the leadership of a prince.

In 1842 the negotiations between England and Germany had assumed definite shape; it was next in order for the German princes to carry out their share of the bargain. About this time the estates of these potentates were suffering from over-population. Much distress existed among the poorer classes, discontent was brewing in all quarters, and every indication pointed to the revolution which came in 1848. The whole situation revealed England's wisdom in choosing these people as her tools, and, as a first step towards the accomplishment of her designs, there was formed in 1843, in Mayence, a society called by the name of that city. It was comprised of twenty-five members, all princes and noblemen. Prince Frederick of Prussia stood at its head, but Count Castell was the soul of the undertaking, while the Duke of Nassau was considered the protector of the society.

To but a few of its members was the real object of the society divulged. Only the leaders knew of the interest England had in its success, and to them was to be paid the price agreed upon for each emigrant sent over. The nobility generally were drawn into it by being assured that the idea was to establish large bodies of German settlers upon Texas soil, who would ultimately declare their independence of the republic and take rank as a principality under the government of one of their own princes. This would open a wide field to their ambition, and would serve too as a good provision for their younger sons, besides presenting a safe investment for their means and a refuge, perhaps, for themselves and property in case of a revolution in the mother country. All this was imparted by the leaders to the nobility as a secret among themselves, but to the mass of the people and to the world in general its philanthropic aspect was presented, and this was sufficiently praiseworthy to enlist the respect and attention of all. It purported to be the improvement of the lot of the poorer classes by establishing them in homes of their own in America, and supporting them until able to do for themselves; thus to lessen pauperism on their own estates and establish commercial relations between Texas and Germany, which would add materially to the prosperity of both countries. If this pretended view of the movement had been the real motive actuating the subsequent emigration, and the plans of support and encouragement had been carried out according to the original announcement, the May- ence Society would have gone down in history as a benefactor of two nations, instead of receiving scant chronicle as a miserable failure as a political factor, and a fraud practiced upon the defenseless common people of its own land.

Having gathered sufficient means together for its purposes, the society deputed Count Lieningen and Count Boos-Waldeck to act as its agents and travel through Texas and report. This they did and were well pleased with it, especially all that part between the Brazos and the Guadalupe. Here, in Fayette County, they bought a large plantation with negroes, and named it "Plantation Nassau." This place afterwards played an important role in the history of the society in Texas. But little more than forty years have elapsed since its first purchase, yet the information regarding it is meagre in the extreme and its story is hard to unravel. It is certain, however, that it became the headquarters of the officers of the society in Texas. Here they retired for rest and enjoyment, maintaining great style and keeping up much of pomp and ceremony. Its record is one of romance; it has been both pleasure place and fortress, the scene and subject of strife at arms and in the forum, being for twenty-five years in ceaseless litigation for debt, possession, and murder.

Boos-Waldeck remained in Texas a year, then returned to Germany without having acquired any land for the proposed immigration ; but when laying his report before the society he proposed to them a plan which he believed would be feasible and also profitable. His proposition plainly showed that he was not in the secret of the true object of this movement: it was to continue to buy farms and plantations in Texas; to employ the

immigrants at good wages as laborers upon the small farms, but to have the large plantations worked exclusively by slaves. This project being directly opposed to the real design of the society, was promptly rejected; whereupon the count resigned from its membership and severed all connection with its affairs.

During the year of Waldeck's absence in Texas, a great commotion had been made in Germany over the proposed emigration. Pamphlets were issued setting forth the great desirability of Texas as a home, describing its rich lands, its temperate climate, its valleys, forests, and limpid streams. Proclamations were promulgated throughout the German

states, setting forth the advantages to be gained and the favors to be shown the emigrants. It was announced to them that upon their leaving Germany a portion of good land would be secured by written deeds and agreement to each emigrant. The amount called for by this he would receive from the secretary of the society upon his arrival in Texas at his point of destination; this to be a donation, without any present or future consideration being required from the immigrant. The area of the land given was to be in proportion to the size of the family, and would become their free and unrestricted possession as soon as they had resided upon it for three years. During that period the products of the soil would belong solely to the family, " the society demanding only a last claim to land or products." The proclamation continues : " At landing places the emigrants will find wagons ready to take them and their movables gratis to the place of their settlement ; also all the necessaries of the journey will be provided. As soon as they arrive at their place of destination blockhouses will be erected for every one, and store-houses for provisions. Tools for gardening and farm-work, seeds and plants of every description will be on hand ; they will find also the necessary domestic animals, as plow-oxen, horses, cows, pigs and sheep. All these will be sold to them at a much lower price than they would bring at the nearest market place."

All this seemed to offer an Eldorado to those who would emigrate. The common people crowded to the society headquarters, but none were received except such as could take with them not less than six hundred florins a family, or three hundred francs a single man. Of such as these a thousand names were enrolled the first day, some of whom were worth from 10,000 to 20,000 florins. The nobility, having their own private ends in view, joined in with them, and in 1844 all arrangements were completed to s.end over a great body of colonists, and yet the society did not own an acre of ground on which to locate them ! It was then that an adventurer, Bourgeois d'Orvanne, offered the society land granted to him by President Houston of Texas under the law of the republic passed January 4th, 1841. This land bordered on the township of old San Antonio de Bexar. The society purchased this from him, and Prince Solms-Braunfels was sent out in May, 1844, to prepare for the coming of the colonists.

So great was the rush to be a part of this first expedition, that one hundred florins was paid to the society by each emigrant for that privilege and for participating in the promised benefits. Three ships set sail with them in the early fall of 1844, and when these vessels were in mid- ocean, the officers of the society discovered that they could not claim the land which they had bought from D'Orvanne. This needed actual settlement within a certain time to perfect the title, and it had been already forfeited back to the republic for non-fulfillment at the very time that it had been sold to the society of Mayence. It was too late to stop the emigrants ; they would soon arrive, and Prince Solms was in a quandary. At this juncture two German-Texans came to the rescue ; these were Burchard Miller and Henry F. Fisher, consul for Bremen at Galveston. They had received grants to large bodies of land between the Colorado and San Saba, on condition that they should colonize upon them six thousand souls; two hundred families to be settled within one year, and within three years six hundred families to be there located. The government agreed to give each family six hundred and forty acres, and half that amount to each single man. Besides this, to each colony of a hundred families a premium of one extra section (six hundred and forty acres) was given, and the contractors received ten of these sections for every one hundred families located.

This contract, with all its generous provisions on the part of the Republic of Texas, Fisher and Miller transferred to the society of Mayence on the following conditions: "That on the 24th June, 1845,

it should make a first payment to Fisher and Miller of one hundred Louis d'or, and engage itself to pay on the $th of July to Fisher 14,000 florins; the society moreover to raise 200,000 florins to cover the cost of the first settlement." All this money was to be refunded to the society as soon as the colonists were able, and whenever the return payment should be completed the society was to receive two-thirds of all revenue (net proceeds) accruing to the colony, and Fisher and Miller one third.

It is impossible to see where any benefit to the colonists came into this arrangement. It is 'true that they were assured a subsistence and were allowed time in which to discharge all debts thus incurred ; but they were forced to pay for homes which had been promised them as a " donation," and, once clear of debt, all the revenues from their land and labor, outside of their actual expenses, were to go to the projectors of the colony. If this contract had been carried out, the settlers could never have attained the independence of even a modest competency.

The society seemed to understand well how to look out for its own interests, yet it conducted its business in a loose and irregular manner, as appears in the very first instance by its worthless purchase from D'Or- vannc, and next by the acceptance of Fisher's land-grant, which was a perfect terra incognita, being distant more than a hundred miles from any settlement, and scarcely ever touched by a white foot. No one even knew whether or not the land was fit for colonization; only one thing was certain, it was in full possession of the Indians. As it was, however, this unknown grant, though containing a considerable area of barren rock, had also much arable and fertile land, fine forests and a plentiful supply of good water; the mountains too possessed a real treasure of minerals, only waiting to be discovered and utilized. But none of this benefited the society, for its plans in respect to the grant failed utterly, as we shall see, and the lands of the Colorado, Llano and San Saba are now mostly in the hands of Americans ; only a few German settlements bear witness that a German empire was to be founded there. It cannot, however, be denied that to the society of Mayence belongs the credit of having started German mass-emigration to Texas. In saying that, all is said ; for whatever it did beside only hindered the success of the colonists. All its plans of assistance were ill-advised and incompletely carried out, and its interests were too many and too diverse to be made to agree harmoniously. That there are now large and flourishing German settlements in Texas, is due to the colonists themselves, and it may be said that their future was not secured until the moment arrived when the society entirely suspended its operations in Texas.

The three vessels sent out by the society landed in Galveston in December, 1844, where they were met by Prince of Solms-Braunfels, commissioner-general of the society of Mayence. This prince, to whom was intrusted the establishment upon American soil of an Anglo-Teutonic anti-slavery republic, was a Catholic and in the service of Austria. He combined in his own person two princely houses ; his paternal estate of Braunfels was in the southern part of Germany ; his mother was the Princess Frederika of Mechlenburg Strelitz, sister to Louisa of Prussia, the mother of the late Emperor Wilhelm. Prince of Solms-Braunfels' father dying, his mother married again, this time with Ernest August, the Duke of Cumberland and Prince Royal of Great Britain and Ireland ; thus George the Fifth of Hanover was Prince of Solms' half brother, and Victoria of England his cousin. This close connection with the reigning house made him have, naturally, English interests close at heart. He was a man of great ability, a keen judge of human nature, whole-souled, warm-hearted, high-spirited, but not too proud ; indeed he was a cavalier of the old school, liberal and friendly towards every one, yet every inch a prince, and seemingly the very man to make such a thing a success.

The immigrants were carried by ship from Galveston to Lavacca Bay, where a few were landed at Lavacca itself, but the greater part at Indian Point, near the newly founded Carlshafen, afterwards Indianola. The history of this little German settlement is a fitting illustration of how the fury of the elements may frustrate man's best- laid plans. This town received many accessions in population from the constantly arriving colonists. Situated as it was on a fine bay, and admirably adapted to commerce, it was soon sought out by many American families. It became of good size and of considerable commercial importance, when in 1872 a storm devastated it. The citizens then moved to a higher spot on Aransas Pass, called Powder Horn. The inhabitants put their wooden houses on wheels and rolled them to the new location. It was not long before the town flourished, but again in 1875 the waters arose in their might and the place was almost totally destroyed ; over a hundred persons perished. After this the town began to decay in importance. People were afraid to engage in new enterprises or to erect fine buildings there, and with a wise prudence ; for in 1879 another storm ravaged it, after which all its remaining business houses were moved away to some safer site. The United States signal station was, however, still kept up until last year, when yet another storm occurring, attended with further loss of life and property, it was determined to utterly abandon the place. Thus was Indianola done to death by wind and waves; it has passed out of existence, and so ended one of the German settlements in Texas, though it has never been claimed as belonging to their peculiar system of colonization.

Upon arriving at Indian Point the immigrants built for themselves a few cabins until transportation could be arranged. It was not until March 1st that they were joined by Prince of Solms-Braunfels and took up their line of march for that unknown tract of land which they were to colonize.

Solms-Braunfels traveled like a prince, with his comfortable tents, his cook and servants. He was surrounded by a host of cavaliers, barons and noblemen, also by his body-guard of young, strong men. This was commanded by Von Wrede, and was intended to be the nucleus of a future army. Every member of the Prince's party was splendidly mounted, but the mass of the immigrants were obliged to walk; only the children and women who were weak and ailing were allowed to ride in ox wagons.

This journey lasted nearly four weeks and necessarily had something of hardship in it, especially for foreigners accustomed to the beaten track and settled ways of old countries. They were longer on the road than they had anticipated ; the society land was still at a great distance, and already the Indians were appearing on the scene. At this juncture the

Prince determined he would take them no farther, and established them in camp on Spring Creek, where they were afterwards provisioned from Galveston. He then rode on to San Antonio; there he was told by John Rahm, an old Texan, of "Las Fontanas"—the beautiful Comal Springs. Dan Murchison.a scout belonging to Captain Jack Hays' famous company of Texas Rangers, piloted him to the place. It was in a magnificent tract of land, which he purchased from its Spanish owners. The Lipan Indians lived in that vicinity and used all this Comal country as hunting grounds. The Prince soon concluded a treaty with them and marked out the site of the City of New Braunfels, named after his paternal estates, on the west of the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, a mile above their junction. Then the immigrants came up on the east side of the river, and the first wagon crossed the Guadalupe on Good Friday, the 2lst March, 1845.

The spot where the Prince located his colony seemed to have been created for the purpose. It was entrancing to the eye and offeredall the blessings of salubrious air, limpid streams, thick forests and fertile lands. At the base of sloping, calcareous mountains, an extensive hill region stretched far away, partly woodland and partly prairie, while near at hand the crystal waters of the Comal River burst forth from the mountain side, its volume swelled by numerous springs that welled up in the most beautiful natural park the world ever produced. From the south a rivulet wound along the base of the heights for a distance of eight miles, emptying at length into the Comal, while the latter discharged its waters into the Guadalupe flowing down from the west. On the rolling plateau bordered by these three streams the Prince established the first colony of the Mayence Society.

A fortified camp was constructed on the high bluff of the Comal, and here the settlers remained until town lots had been assigned them. These contained a half acre of land, and one was given to each head of a family and to every single man over seventeen. Afterwards a ten acre field in the surrounding country was donated to the families, and to every single man five acres, all of which was to be considered as part payment of the six hundred and forty acres which had been promised them.

Now building began ; the first house to be constructed was, of course, for the Prince. It was a double block-house exquisitely situated on the top of a high hill commanding a view of the whole town site and of much of the surrounding country. Solms-Braunfels called it " the Sophienberg " in honor of his betrothed, " her most serene highness Lady Sophia, widowed Princess of Salm-Salm, born Princess of Lowenstein-Wertheim- Rosenberg-Rochefort." The ceremony of naming this place was conducted in the most solemn and impressive manner, the hoisting of the Austrian flag under which he was then serving being a part of the ceremonial. The Prince laid the corner stone for this building himself and deposited therein the following document, which will show how widespread in its influence was this move of England's, taking in as it did all the most prominent and influential German princes and noblemen. Yet they were politic and secret in the extreme, for this official document shows only the philanthropic side of the matter, saying never a word as to the machinations of the Prince's English cousins which had been discovered by Hamilton and Ashbel Smith long before.

" In the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-two, an association of Princes, Counts and Gentlemen was formed in Germany, who, mindful of the increasing excess of population and the poverty growing therefrom, particularly among the lower classes of the people, made it their object to redress this evil by regulating the already considerable emigration. The number of members was at that time twenty-one, viz.:

His Highness, the Duke of Nassau, His Highness, the Prince of Lieningen (President), His Highness, the Prince Moritz of Nassau.,His Highness, the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt, His Highness, the reigning Prince of Solms-Braunfels., His Highness, the reigning Prince of Wied.,His Highness, the Prince Colloredo., His Highness, the Prince Alexander of Solms-Braunfels.,His Highness, the Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels.,The Illustrious Count of Castell (Vice-President),The Illustrious Count of Colloredo.,The Illustrious Count August of New Lieningen Westerburg. The Illustrious Count Christian of New Lieningen Westerburg, The Illustrious Count Friedrick of Alt Lieningen.,The Illustrious Count Victor of Alt Lieningen.The Illustrious widowed Countess of Isenburg-Meerholz.The Illustrious Count Edmund of Hatzfeld.The Illustrious Count Clemens of Boos-Waldeck.The Illustrious Count Joseph of Boos-Waldeck.The Illustrious Count Anton of Boos-Waldeck.The Illustrious Count Renesse.

The attention of the association having been directed to Texas, Count Joseph of Boos-Waldeck, and Count Victor of Lieningen, were sent there in order to make a more particular examination. Count Boos founded the farm Nassau on Jack Creek, but Count Lieningen returned in May, 1843, and made a favorable report on the subject. By a general meeting held in June, 1843, m tne Castle of Bieberich, the colonization was resolved upon and the association adopted the name ' Association for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas.'

Count Boos having also returned in January, 1844, I, the undersigned, was appointed Commissioner-General of the Association, and was sent there with the order to found the first settlement of the Association. The Association was by this time changed so far that the Counts of Boos- Waldeck had withdrawn, while some new members had joined the same month from Liverpool, on board the steamer Caledonia for Boston. On the first day of July, 1844, I landed at Galveston and traveled since through the territory of Texas in every direction to acquire exact knowledge of it. In November, the first vessel with immigrants landed at Galveston; it was the Bremen brig, Johann Dethart. On — December the Herscliel followed, and on — December the Ferdinand. The immigrants were at once shipped on board of schooners and landed at Lavacca Bay, partly at Lavacca itself, but the greater part thereof at Indian Point, (close to the newly founded Carlshafen) March 1st, 1845. I myself arrived with a few companions on this tract of land, and on Good Friday, the 2ist, the first wagons with immigrants crossed the Guadalupe. Camp was established on Comal Creek, and from there the town was laid-out to which I gave the name, New Braunfels.

Thus I had fulfilled my order, but not without having undergone manifold privations, hardships and dangers; for traveling in the heat of summer, sometimes twenty miles without water, and in the western part of the country roved over by Indians, as well as sea voyages in small, miserable and badly conducted vessels, are naturally accompanied there by. But I bore them as becomes a German and a man, and I do attribute it, next to the protection of the Most High, chiefly to the memory of that Lady to whom I devoted my heart and by the thought of whom nothing appeared to be insurmountable. As a tribute of gratitude due to her, and in order also to establish a lasting memory of her name on this side of the ocean, I name the fortification erected for the protection of New Braunfels and which shall enclose the government buildings, " The Sophien- berg." I laid the corner stone for it on Monday, the 28th day of April, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-five, and enclosed this document and the picture of her most serene Highness Lady Sophia, widowed Princess of Salm-Salm, born Princess of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg-Rochefort.

Authenticated by my signature and the impress of my family seal. Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Georg Alfred Alexander

Prince of Solms, Lord of Braunfels, Grafenstein Muen- zenberg Wildenfels and Sonnemvalde, Commissioner- General for the protection of German immigrants in Texas, His Imperial Royal Apostolic Majesty's captain in King Friedrich August of Saxony III Cuirassier Regiment, Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelph order and of the Ducal Brunswick order of Henry the Lion, and Knight of the order of St. George of Lucca. Sophienberg, Sunday the 27th April, 1845."

The foregoing is a translation recently made by the private secretary of Prince Solms of the original draft of the document which was placed in the corner stone of The Sophienbcrg, which draft was found in the archives of the German Emigration Society.

It is in keeping with the chivalrous character with which this Prince is accredited, that he should thank " God and his fayre Ladye " for the success of his undertaking, and have dedicated the first fruits of his enterprise as a monument to her to whom he had " devoted " his heart. This touch of sentiment hung ever about the place during his short regime, which may be considered as the romantic and chivalrous era of New Braunfels.

After the Sophienberg was built, the council had three log-houses erected for the accommodation of the immigrants until their own places should be improved. They faced the street called Lustig Strumpf (merry stocking), and were afterwards the scene of dire distress and death.

The colonists next turned their attention to building log-houses for themselves. They had until then lived in huts covered with prairie grass and brush. The Prince's secretary, Herman Seele, built the first log-house on the Guadalupe—a primitive structure, as will be seen hereafter, but only the first step to that easy competency which now distinguishes him.

PART II