2026 Myra Lee Adams Goff Scholarship Award Essay – by Jaelynn Davidson

The Texas Hill Country was a stunning and dangerous arena of cultural conflict in the mid-19th century. To the Texas nobility of the Adelsverein, it was a fantasy of a “New Germany”; to the German peasants who arrived on the shores of the Texas coast, it was a last hope of a new life; but to the Penateka Comanche, it was the Comanchería, their ancestral domain. Although Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels is said to have founded New Braunfels, it was his successor, John O. Meusebach, whose brilliance of diplomacy ensured that Comal County would not only survive, but flourish. The Meusebach-Comanche Treaty of 1847 was the single most important event in the early history of the county, an extraordinary occasion of mutual respect and unbroken peace in the American frontier.

Upon John O. Meusebach’s arrival in New Braunfels in 1845 to assume the position of Commissioner General, he found a colony on the brink of disaster. The colony’s finances were in shambles, and the people were dying from disease and starvation. More urgently, the land grants that the settlers received were located far within Comanche territory, well north of the Comal Springs. Although the zeitgeist of the time was one of military conquest and displacement of Native Americans, the intellectual pragmatism of a scholar and bureaucrat like Meusebach dictated that if New Braunfels was to survive, it could not be an island of Europeans at war with their neighbors.

Meusebach went on an expedition with only twenty men as an entourage to the very heart of the San Saba hills. This was viewed as a suicide mission by most. However, Meusebach knew something that his contemporaries did not: the importance of “The Word.” He was determined to meet the Comanche chiefs, namely Buffalo Hump, Santa Anna, and Old Owl, without the Texas Rangers and the U.S. Army. This was a level of respect for the Comanche that was unheard of at the time.

The treaty that came out of this was revolutionary. It was not a treaty of surrender, but of co-existence. The Germans agreed to share their land and their resources, and in return, the Comanche agreed to allow the settlers to farm and travel through the area. Perhaps most importantly, the treaty allowed the Comanche access into the town of New Braunfels to trade. This brought a unique cultural exchange to Comal County, where Comanche men were often seen in the town plaza trading skins for German goods. This would have been unthinkable in other parts of Texas.

The importance of this occurrence cannot be overstated with regards to Comal County. While other frontier settlements were marred by decades of “Indian Wars,” New Braunfels was spared the bloodshed that defined the Texas borderlands. This gave them the space needed to concentrate on the development of the infrastructure that defines the county today: the mills along the Comal River, the Sophienburg, and the educational system. The treaty gave the area the literal and figurative “breathing room” that was needed for the German culture to take hold and thrive without being strangled by the specter of violence.

Today, the legacy of Meusebach’s diplomacy is incorporated into the very fabric of the identity of Comal County. It is a reminder that the history of the county is not simply one of European settlement, but of American adaptation. As Myra Lee Adams Goff so often said in her historical writings, the history of Comal County is the history of “grit.” It took grit to cross the Atlantic, but it took a different kind of courage – the courage of diplomacy – to walk unarmed into the hills to shake hands with a supposed enemy.

In sum, while the physical features of the New Braunfels heritage site – The Gruene Water Tower, the Faust Bridge, and the Comal Springs – are integral to our heritage, it is the Meusebach-Comanche Treaty that is the unseen foundation upon which all of these rest. John O. Meusebach’s decision to reject the status quo of violence in the 19th– century frontier in favor of a more peaceful approach has made Comal County a shining example of industry and culture. It is a testament to the fact that peace is not merely the absence of war but a function of respectful and courageous negotiation.

“Around the Sophienburg” is published every other weekend in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

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The story of the capture of children in 1800s Texas is told through the research of Scott Zesch in his book “The Captured”. Many children were captured by the Plains Indians. In his book, he studies in depth the life and eventual release of nine children, mostly boys under 14, who were captured in the Hill Country by Comanche and Apache tribes.

Remember that the original land grant that the emigrants had with the Adelsverein was that they were granted 320 acres for a family and 160 acres for a single male in the three-million-acre Fisher-Miller grant between the Llano and Colorado rivers known as the San Saba. Now remember that Prince Carl found out from Ranger Jack Hayes that this piece of land was way too far from the coast and it was dangerous because it was the prime hunting grounds of the Comanche.

Prince Carl decided that he needed to make arrangements for a stopping place. New Braunfels was chosen but instead of just a stopping place, it became the final destination. Here the emigrants were given a half-acre lot and 10 acre farm lot. This decision led to the unhappiness of the settlers due to the discrepancy of the number of acres that they were promised.

John Meusebach who took Prince Carl’s place as commissioner general, lead a group to what would become Fredericksburg. Many more emigrants had landed at the coast and he had to find a place for them.

Fredericksburg was located south of the San Saba grant. To open up this territory, Meusebach called for a treaty between the Comanche chiefs and the Germans. Meusebach was the one qualified to do this – smart, charismatic and persuasive. He was successful with these 20 chiefs. The problem was that the treaty was only with a small number of chiefs and not all of them. In other words, each chief was autonomous for his tribe only and there was no “big chief” for all of the Comanches. Around the Civil War and immediately after, the Hill Country faced many Indian atrocities.

In New Braunfels and Comal County, there were Lipan, Tonkawa, Karankawa, Waco, and occasional visits from the Comanche. A few killings were recorded, but locals found most of the behavior more frightening and annoying than dangerous.

Hermann Seele witnessed a gruesome scene as he was traveling from the coast to New Braunfels in 1845. Right outside of Seguin, he experienced a Texas rainstorm which broke up a cannibalistic orgy by Tonkawa Indians in the Guadalupe River bottom. They had boiled and fried flesh and feasted on a Waco warrior. The squaws said that by eating this delicious meat of a warrior, their own offspring would be as brave as the Waco.

Lt. Oscar von Claren who was later murdered by Comanches on his way back from Austin writes to his sister of visiting the encampment of the Tonkawa, some 500 men, women, and children. Witnessing a ceremony inside a tent brought a menacing feeling to von Claren – the monotonous lamentations, the dull hollow drum, the senseless rattle of gourds and the earnest faces of the Indians brought on this foreboding. He went outside only to witness happy children playing around a tall pole on which hung the arm and leg of a Waco warrior.

Ferdinand Lindheimer tells of a Tonkawa camp on the Guadalupe above New Braunfels. One day the Tonkawa were celebrating because they had killed an enemy warrior and they cooked the flesh.

In spite of these cannibalistic practices, most of the relations with the Indian tribes in Comal County were tolerable, but not so in the Hill Country.

Zesch’s book tells of the captivity of children in the Hill Country, some for only months, and most for years. In spite of the terrible lives these children endured,all had a hard time readjusting to their family life once they were returned. Some even voluntarily reunited with their Indian captives.

Zesch tells the story of Rudolph Fischer (13), Banc Babb (10), Dot Babb (14), Minnie Caudle, released after five months, Temple Friend (7), Adolph Korn (10), Hermann Lehmann (11) brothers Clinton (10), and Jeff Smith (8). He covers subjects such as where and when they were captured, their individual lives in captivity, readjustment to white society, religious views, and more.

Understanding the “Indianization” of the captives has long been a subject of study. One reason that seems feasible is that the captive liked the freedom and adventure of the Indian culture. Their life on the frontier was monotonous labor. Zesch says, “The Comanche and Apache not only received the child captives warmly and without prejudice, they also spent much time training them, making them feel significant in tribal society”. Anyone who has a child who played “Cowboys and Indians” would understand this fascination of Indian life over frontier life.

These captives had mostly good things to say about the Indians who became their adopted families. They seemed to understand the motives and superstitions of the Indians. They admired the Comanche character and tribal laws.

Zesch tells the captives’ stories in a straightforward way and makes no judgment. Read the book and see what you think.

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You, no doubt, have heard of Baron John O. Meusebach’s treaty with the Comanche Indians to promote peace between the Comanches and the German settlers. There was one person, Baron Emil Kriewitz, who played an important part in the success of this treaty. Here is his story:

Kriewitz was a German aristocrat immigrant who left Germany in 1845. He had become aware of the economic conditions in Germany and the political unrest prompted him to join the Adelsverein. Kriewitz saw no future for himself in Germany.

The Adelsverein, organized in 1842 for all the right reasons to settle Texas, possessed inadequate knowledge of survival in Texas. Prince Carl, one of the Adelsverein members, was the one chosen to buy land in Texas. The Prince has been described as a visionary but a poor business man, a dangerous combination. Upon arrival in Texas the Prince discovered that the Adelsverein had already been swindled by one speculator. The Prince decided to purchase a large piece of land in the Fisher-Miller Land Grant composed of all land north of the Llano River to the Colorado River. Not only did he discover that this land was far inland from the coast where the immigrants would land, but it was also right in the middle of the Penetaka Comanche hunting grounds. Disturbed by these facts, Prince Carl purchased the Comal Tract land instead from Juan Veramendi. Before the Prince left Texas three months later, the settlement was named New Braunfels. While in Germany, Prince Carl began his sales pitch to come to Texas by making speeches about the beauty of the land. Probably Kriewitz heard the speaches and was sold. He joined the Adelsverein to go to the Republic of Texas.

Sailing on the Franzeska, it took almost four months on the stormy seas to arrive in Galveston. From there he traveled on to Carlshaven where the Prince had purchased land for the arriving immigrants. Krietwitz found that he was not in the Republic of Texas, but the State of Texas because this land had been annexed to the United States in December of 1845. He also learned that Prince Carl had been replaced after three months by Baron John Meusebach.

Kriewitz was horrified by what he saw on the Texas coast. By February, 1846, hundreds of immigrants had been stranded on the muddy, sandy beach with no food or clean water. Some made dugouts with mud walls and cloth tops to shelter themselves from the winter storms. Disease was rampant and hundreds had already died.

Meusebach tried to help the situation by purchasing oxcarts and wagons. The annexation of Texas had infuriated Mexico and Mexico declared war on the United States. All wagons and supplies purchased by Meusebach to help the colonists were seized by the United States Army in their war against Mexico.

A group of desperate, young German immigrants formed a group to join the United States Army. Kriewitz was one of them. They were led by August Buchel and he made Kriewitz first sergeant of the group that was mustered in as the First Texas Rifle Volunteer Regiment.

During this time Meusebach was busy trying to move settlers to the Llano. In 1846 he led a group to establish Fredericksburg. Meusebach knew that no one was safe in that area of the hill country and he was determined to locate the Comanche chiefs and negotiate a treaty. Meusebach asked for a company of men to accompany him to the Llano grant and Kriewitz was selected to organize this company. He immediately returned to the coast to gather soldiers, many of whom were Mexican-U.S. War veterans.

They left the coast for New Braunfels in January 1847, but upon arriving, they found that the Meusebach group had already left for Fredericksburg and the Llano. Kriewitz’s company left for the Llano and encountered Meusebach’s group on their return from a successful treaty with the Comanches. Kriewitz’s group was told to stay at the site of the treaty and help guard the surveyors of the land. “Without the survey the contract with the government of Texas would have lapsed and the colonists would not have received their allotments of land.” (John O. Meusebach by Irene King) The treaty opened up 3,878,000 acres of land.

The treaty called for the Comanches and Germans to live in harmony and form an alliance against other tribes. The Germans would give the Comanches $3,000 in gifts. The head chief, Santana, requested that one of the Germans live with them. Many were interested in the position, but none came forward, as is often the case. Kriewitz said that for the security of the settlers, he would “risk his scalp.” He was assigned to Santana and the main tribe on the San Saba. Kriewitz was to be the guarantee of the peaceable intentions of the Germans. He went with them and adopted their dress and behavior.

In about six months, the tribe began to feel that they needed more gifts from the Germans. Santana and his tribe, including Kriewitz. came to New Braunfels and met with Meusebach and Herman Spiess who had recently taken Meusebach’s place as the Adelsverein representative. All went well but the Germans did not recognize Kriewetz. They stayed in New Braunfels for two more days. This was the only time that the Comanches came to New Braunfels.

On the way back from New Braunfels to Fredericksburg, Kriewitz asked to visit a friend in town. He stayed a little too long and when he came back to the campsite, the tribe was gone. Kriewitz never rejoined the party.

After this, still in the employment of the Adelsverein, Kriewitz was given many assignments. He built a road and led the first colonists into the Fisher-Mill Land Grant. This group was the one who founded the communal colony of Bettina. Then he led three more parties to establish Castell, Leiningen, and Schoenburg. He eventually returned to Castell, opened a store, was elected justice of the peace for Llano County, served as a judge and finally postmaster of Castell. He died in 1902 and was buried in the Llano County Cemetery.

A celebration in Fredericksburg called “Easter Fires” commemorates the Comanche- German treaty and the safe return of the colonists. While the treaty was going on, the Comanches transmitted messages by smoke. When the fires burned high, other tribes knew that all was going well. The story goes that the fires frightened the children in Fredericksburg. Mothers told their children that the Easter Rabbit placed eggs in kettles that were boiling over the fires on the hilltops and then colored them with flowers. On Easter morning the eggs were laid in nests. As so often happens, an actual historical event leads to a colorful tradition.

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