USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 54
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seems to have fallen, James H. directing his atten- tion chiefly to private pursuits when not actually in the field under arms. Mr. Mitchell was a inan of an active, restless disposition in his early years, and the habit of busying himself with something clung to him down to the close of his life. He was always employed at something and believed thor- oughly in the philosophy of doing well what he . undertook to do. His last years were passed mostly in retirement. He died at Bryan, March 12, 1885, and his remains were buried at Old Boonville, in Brazos County, where lie those of his father, mother and other relatives. His widow, three sons and four daughters, survive him. His sons, John Car- son, James Henry, and Marsh, constituting the firm of Mitchell Brothers, merchants at Wheelock, and of the firm of Mitchell Bros. & Decherd, mer- chants and bankers at Franklin, are among the foremost business men of Robertson County. and in every way worthy of the name they bear.
Two of the four daughters are married, the eldest, Mrs. Samuel Downward, residing at Franklin, and the second, Mrs. John T. Wyse, at Bryan, while the single daughters, Jennie L. and Kate, with the eldest son, who is also unmarried, make their home at Franklin.
Mr. Mitchell was for many years in middle and later life a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was reared in the Presbyterian faith, but never actively identified himself with any church organization. He was a man, however, of broad views and generous impulses and would go as far as any one to help a struggling fellow-mortal or to further the cause of morality and good govern- ment. He was a well-nigh perfect type of that class of early Texians who were so well equipped by nature for the life they lived and the services they performed, being of rugged constitution, adequate courage, persevering energy, generous, hospitable, kind and faithful, with clear and well defined convictions, sound judgment and honorable impulses.
CHARLES GROOS,
SAN ANTONIO,
A native of Germany, came to Texas in 1848, landing at Galveston, November 21st of that year. It was his intention to settle in Fisher aud Miller's Colony, but, on reaching Galveston, he learned
that the colouy was not yet organized and aban- doned that intention. He proceeded to Houston on a Buffalo bayou steamer, accompanied by his four sons and four daughters, who then constituted his
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R. KLEBERG.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
family, his wife having died in the old country. His next move was to make a two weeks' prospect- ing trip through Texas, rent a piece of land near Round Top, in Fayette County, and return for his family. He found his sons had not been idle dur- ing his absenee but on the contrary had gone to work, having secured employment on the streets of Houston, where they were at work with piek and shovel at $1.00 per day, payable in eity scrip. Mr. Groos made his first erop in Fayette County in 1849. He bought a traet of land of two hundred and ten acres lying in the corner of Fayette County the following year and there established a permanent abode, where he resided until 1865,
when he removed to San Antonio and a little later to New Braunfels, at which latter place he died in 1882, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. At his death the four sons and four daughters, who accompanied him to Texas, were all living and had married. He had living at that time forty-five grandchildren. Others have sinee been added to the number and a seore or more have attained their majority. Some of them are heads of families and all of them maintain a good standing as citizens in the communities in which they live. The eldest of the name now living is Mr. F. Groos, the banker of San Antonio, who was also the eldest of the four sons and four daughters who came over in 1848.
ROBERT JUSTUS KLEBERG,
YORKTOWN.
Robert Justus Kleberg (christened Johnun Christian Justus Robert Kleberg), was born on the 10th day of September, A. D. 1803, in Herstelle, Westphalia, in the former Kingdom of Prussia. His parents were Lueas Kleberg, a prominent and successful merchant, and Veroniea Kleberg (nee Meier) a lady of fine eulture, sweet temper and good sense. They moved from Herstelle to Beve- rungen in Westphalia, where they were quite pros- perous for a time. Besides Robert they had the following children: Ernest, Louis, Joseph and Banise. For a number of years Robert's parents, hving in affluent circumstances, were permitted to give their children good educational advantages, but unhappily misfortune and death deprived the children at an early age of kind parental protec- tion, and the subject of this sketeh was thrown upon his own resources, which consisted chiefly of a healthy mind and body, a strong will and unsullied name. At an early age he entered the Gymnasium of Holzminden, where after a five years' course in the classies he completed his studies with high honors. Choosing the law as his profession he now entered the University of Goettingen, and in two years and a half received his diploma as doctor juris. Soon after he was appointed as one of the :tices of the assizes of Nirhiem, where he re- msined one year, after which he was promoted to satintis judicial positions, in which he prepared Winself for the practice of lis profession, and in * hah he served with eredit and distinction.
In 1834 when he was about ready to enter upon a distinguished judicial career, he eoneluded to emigrate to the United States. His reason for this sudden and important change in his life ean best be found in his own language, which is taken from a memorandum of his own writing :---
" I wished to live under a Republican form of goverument, with unbounded personal, religious and political liberty, free from the petty tyrannies, the many disadvantages and evils of old countries. Prussia, my former home, smarted at the time under a military despotism. I was (and have ever remained) an enthusiastic lover of republican institutions, and I expected to find in Texas, above all other countries, the blessed land of my most fervent hopes."
Texas was yet partially unexplored, . but the reports that reached the old country were of the most extravagant and romantic nature, and were well calculated to enthuse the impulsive and courageous spirit of the young referendary. The ardor of his desires to emigrate was heightened by a letter written by a Mr. Ernst, a German from the Duchy of Oldenburg, who had emigrated to Texas a few years previous, and who at that time resided in what is now known as Industry, Austin County, Texas. This letter reeited the advantages of Texas in the most glowing colors, comparing its climate to the sunny skies of Italy ; it lauded the fertility of the soil and spoke of the perennial flora of the prairies of Texas, etc. About this time,
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
September the 4th, 1834, the subject of this sketch married Miss Rosalia vou Roeder, daughter of Lieut. Ludwig Anton Siegmund von Rocder, the head of an old family of nobility who, too, were anxious for the same reasons to emigrate to Texas. The party had first contemplated to emi- grate to one of the Western States of the United States, but it was now determined to go to Texas. Again, the memorandum above referred to runs as follows :-
" We changed our first intention to go to one of the Western States, and chose Texas for our future home. As soon as this was determined upon we sent some of our party, to wit, three brothers of my wife, unmarried, Louis. Albrecht and Joachim, and their sister Valesca, and a servant by the name of Pollhart, ahead of us to Texas for the purpose of selecting a point where we could all meet and commence operations. They were well provided with money, clothing, a light wagon and harness, tools, and generally everything necessary to com- mence a settlement. They aimed to go to Mr. Ernst, the writer of the letter which induced us to go to Texas. Six months after our party had left the old country, and shortly after we had received the news of their safe arrival, we followed on the last day of September, A. D. 1834, in the ship 'Congress,' Capt. J. Adams."
The party consisted of Robert Kleberg and wife, Lieut. L. A. S. v. Roeder and wife, his daughters, Louise and Caroline, his sous, Rudolph, Otto and William v. Roeder, Louis Kleberg, Mrs. Otto v. Roeder, nee Pauline von Donop and Miss Antoinette von Donop (afterwards wife of Rudolph von Roeder). The other passengers were nearly all Germans from Oldenburg, and one of them was the brother-in-law of Mr. Ernst. They were all bound for the same point in Texas, and after a voyage of sixty days landed in New Orleans.
The narrative of said memorandum bere pro- ceeds : -
" Here we heard very bad accounts about Texas, and we were advised not to go to Texas, which it was said was infested with robbers, murderers and wild Indians. But we were determined to risk it, and could not disappoint our friends who bad pre- ceded us. As soon, therefore, as we succeeded in chartering the schooner ' Sabin,' about two weeks after we landed in New Orleans, we sailed for Brazoria, Texas. After a voyage of eight days we wrecked off of Galveston Island, December 22d, 1834. The ' Sabin ' was an American craft of about 150 tons. The captain and crew left the island, I think, in the steamer, 'Ocean.' The wreck was sold in Brazoria at publie auction and bought by a
gentleman who had come in the 'Ocean,' for thirty- odd dollars. Perhaps she was not regularly employed in the trade between New Orleans and Texas, and was only put in order to get her wrecked in order to get the amount for which she was insured. This was the opinion of the passengers at the time. It is impossible for me +. me with certainty the exact point of the island at which we stranded, but I think it was not far from the center of the island, about ten miles above the present site of the city ; it was on the beach side. The island was a perfect wilderness and inhabited only by deer, wolves and rattlesnakes. All the passengers were safely brought to shore, and were provided with provisions, partly from those on board ship and partly by the game on the island. Most of the men were delighted with the climate on the island, and the sport they enjoyed by hunting or fishing. A committee of five was appointed to ascertain whether we were on an island or on main land. After an investigation of two da. . the committee reported that we were on an island. The passengers then went regularly into camp, saving all the goods and provisions from the wr ked vessel, which was only about fifty yards from shore. From the sails, masts and beams they constructed a large tent, with separate compartments for women and chil- dren. Thus the passengers were temporarily pro- tected against the inclemency of the weather. Two or three days after our vessel had sunk the steamer 'Ocean ' hove in sight and, observing our signal of distress, anchored opposite our camp and sent a boat ashore with an officer to find out the situation. The captain would not take all the passengers, but cr isented to take a few, charging them a doubloon each .. I, with Rudolph v. Roeder, took passage on the steamer, which was bound for Brazoria. I went as agent of the remaining passengers to charter a boat to take them and their plunder to the main land. Finding no boat at Brazoria, or Bell's Land- ing, the only Texas ports at that time, I proceeded on foot to San Felipe, where I was told I would find a small steamer, the 'Cuyuga,' Capt. W. Harris. I found the steamer, but did not succeed in charter- ing her, the price asked ($1,000) being too high.
" In San Felipe I heard for the first time of the whereabouts of my relatives, who had preceded us. Here I also formed the acquaintance of Col. Frank Johnson and Capt. Mosely Baker, under whose command I afterwards participated in the battle of San Jacinto. These gentlemen informed me that two of my friends, Louis and Albert von Roeder, had located about fourteen miles from San Felipe on a league and labor of land, but that Joachim and Valesca von Roeder had died. We
MRS. KLEBERG.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
found them in a miserable hut and in a pitiful con- dition. They were emaciated by disease and want, and without money. Tears of joy strenmed from their eyes when they beheld us. After a few days rest I continued my errand to charter a boat. I bad a letter of introduction to Stephen l'. Austin and Sam Williams from a merchant In New Orleans to whom our ship had been consigned, which I presented to Mr. Austin's private seere- tary, Mr. Austin and Mr. Williams being nhuent. From him I received a letter of introduction to Mr. Scott, the father-in-law of Mr. Williams. From Mr. Scott I finally succeeded in chartering a small vessel for $100.00 for three trips, and immediately returned to Galveston, landing on the bay side opposite the camp four weeks after I bad left it. I found the passengers of the old . Şahin'in good health and spirits. They had spent their time in hunting and fishing. Those who could not shoot were employed to drive the deer to the hunters. There were deer by the thousands. I left the next day with the first cargo of passen- gers, including my wife, her parents and Caroline von Roeder. After a stormy trip we arrived on the evening of the same day at Mr. Scott's place, where we were hospitably treated. The next day we reached Harrisburg, where I succeeded in renting a comfortable house, intending to remain there until all the passengers had arrived from the island. The last passengers did not arrivo until the winter of 1835, though had I hired another small sloop from Capt. Smith in Velasco, which also made three trips. The winter of 1835 was unusu- ally severe."
This, it seems, ended the eventful and lengthy voyage from the old country to Texas, of which only the main incidents are given, to show the diffi- culties and many privations to which Tosan emi- grants in those early days were subjected.
Robert Kleberg, by reason of his superior edu- cation, was the only one among those curly German colonists who could make himself understood to the few American pioneers who inhabited the interior, and acted as spokesman for the rest. Indian tribes, both savage and civil, swarmed through the country, and it was necessary for the colonists to explore and settle the country in com- munities for self-defense. This condition of things is apparent from the narrative, which relatey ; ...
"To the place which had been settled upon by Louis and Albrecht v. Roeder we now repaired, leaving the ladies and children in Harrishing, under the protection of one of the gentlemen. We had formed a partnership with the view of assisting each other to cultivate farms and build houses for each
head of a family in our party, and we were to work in good earnest to break up land and fence it, and to build houses, as it was our intention to move the balance of our party from Harrisburg to our new settlement as soon as we could erect houses, but not being accustomed to manual labor, we proceeded very slowly. There was an Indian tribe, the Kikapoos, encamped on our land about a mile from our camp, who furnished us with game of all kinds, which the country afforded in abundance. The squaws were very useful to us, as they would hunt and bring in camp our oxen and horses when they strayed off. We rewarded them with ammunition and trinkets, which we had brought with us for that purpose.
" We had supplied ourselves with everything nec- essary to commence a settlement in a new country. We had wagons, farming implements, all sorts of tools, household and kitchen furniture, and cloth- ing which we had brought with us from Germany. Early in September, 1835, we had finished build- ing two log houses, one of them had even a floor and ceiling, as we had sawed by hand the planks from post-oak trees. We had also inclosed and planted a field of ten acres in corn and cotton, and we now moved the members of our party who had remained at Harrisburg to our settlement, with our wagons and teams. Such of our goods, for which we had no room, or no immediate use, we left at the house which we had rented at Harrisburg. Among the objects we left was a fine piano, belonging to my wife, many valuable oil paintings and engravings, music books, etc., all of which fell a prey to the flames which consumed Harrisburg during the war, which followed in the following spring."
Many were the privations and severe the task which these early settlers had already undergone in permanently settling in the adopted country, but their trials had only begun; the furies of war threatened to devastate the settlements of the col- onies, and Santa Anna was marching his minions into Texas to destroy the constitutional liberty of her people, and Texas patriots, though few in num- ber, bore up hier flag to rescue it from thralldom. Among them we find Robert Kleberg and his brother-in-law and compatriots. Albert and Louis von Roeder had participated in the sanguinary storming of San Antonio and returned to their set- tlement near San Felipe, when in the spring of 1836 occurred the massacre of Goliad and the fall of the Alamo. Texas independence had been pro- claimed, Santa Anna was preparing his march of conquest to the Sabine, when the young Republic, under her noble leader, Sam Houston, was making her last patriotic appeal to her bravest sons, in whose
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
.
hearts were now gathered all the hopes of Texas. It was at this juncture that at a family meeting of the Roeders and Klebergs, presided over by Ex-Lieut. Von Roeder, that these distressed colouists held a counsel of war to decide whether to fight for Texas independence, or cross her borders into the older States to seek shelter under the protecting ægis of the American eagle. The meeting was held under the sturdy oaks that stood on the newly acquired possessions. It was a supreme moment in the lives ,of those who participated. In the language of the historian : " The flight of the wise and worthy men of the country from danger, tended to frighten the old, young and helpless. furnished excuses to the timid, and sanctioned the course of the cowardly. The general dismay following the adjournment of the convention, induced many brave men impelled irresistibly by natural impulses to go to their aban- doned fugitive wives and children, to tender them protection." This little band, like their compa- triots, found themselves in the midst of a terrible pauie and they were now called upon to decide be- tween love of country and love of self and it may well be presumed that the debates in this little con- vention were of a stormy nature. The subject of our sketch, though bound by the strongest ties of love to an affectionate young wife and her infant child, was the champion of Texas liberty, and it was due to the eloquent and impassioned appeals of himself and the venerable presiding officer that it was decided that the party would remain and share the fate of the heroie few who had rallied under San Houston to fight for the independ- ence of Texas against Mexican despotism. As Albrecht v. Roeder and Louis v. Roeder had just returned battle-worn from the bloody fields of San Antonio de Bexar, they and others, except L. v. Roeder, were detailed nuder the aged Ex-Lieut. Roeder to remain with the fugitive families while Robert Kleberg, Louis v. Roeder and Otto v. Roeder were chosen to bear the brunt of battle. Now a parting, possibly for life, from all that was dear on earth and a voluntary march in the ranks of Capt. Mosley Baker's Company was the next aet in the drama of our warrior's life and, while the curtain fell on the pathetie scene, a brave young wife mounted a Texas pony with her tender babe to go with the rest of the Texas families to perhaps aoross the borders of Texas, driving before them the eattle and horses of the eolouists. The acts and deeds of Robert Kleberg from this time to the disbanding of the Texas army of patriots are a part and parcel of the history of Texas. Endowed with a spirit of patriotisiu which bordered on the sublime, possessed of a healthy and robust
physical constitution, a cultured, polished, cool and discriminating mind, he despised fear and was anxious to engage in the sanguinary and decisive struggle for freedom which culminated so gloriously for Texas and civilization on the historic field of San Jacinto. After this memorable battle, in which he and Louis v. Roeder participated to the glory of thetoselves and their posterity, he was with Gen. Rusk and the Texas van guard following the van- quished armies of Santa Anna to the Mexican bor- der and, returning by Goliad, assisted in the sad obsequies of the remains of Fannin and his brave men. In the meantime his family had moved back to Galveston Island, and we will again draw from the memorandum for the better appreciation and understanding of the conditions of the country that prevailed at this time: " It had been the intention of our party who went to Galveston Island in the absence of those who were in the army, to abandon the settlement commenced on the Brazos and settle on the island on the two leagues which were ehosen there. This move had been undertaken in my absence, partly from fear or danger from hos- tile Indians, also a want of provisions, and partly with an idea to permanently settle on the island. For that purpose the party had built a boat of about forty tons in order to move our cattle and horses and other property from the mainland. They were ignorant of the laws of Mexico, which reserved the islands for the government." To show the state of civilization on Galveston Island at that time, in the summer of 1836, the judge relates the following incident which occurred while he was in the army: 'One night during a time when all were enwrapt in souud slumber, they were sud- denly aroused by the frantic cries of one of the ladies of the party, Mrs. L. Kleberg ; she was so frightened that she could not speak, but only screamed, pointing her finger to a huge, dark objeet close to the head of the pallet upon which lay my wife and Mrs. Otto v. Roeder and their babes. To their great astonishment they dis- covered it to be au immense alligator, his jaws wide open, making for the children to devour them. Mr. v. Roeder, Sr., and Mr. Chas. Mason, who had hastened to the spot, dispatched the monster with fire and sword.' "
The narrative, speaking of their residence on the island after Mr. Kleberg returned from the war, proceeds : " We remained about three months on the island after building our house. Most of us were sick, especially the women and children - long exposure, bad food and water were the prob- able causes. Not long after we moved iuto the house, Mrs. Pauline Roeder, wife of Otto v.
KLEBERG BROTHERS.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
Roeder, died there. We buried her under the ' Three Lone Trees.' We were all down with chills and fever. Four Mexican prisoners waited on us. Their principal occupation was to gather oysters, pack wood from the beach of the gulf, make fires, wash dishes and elothing, and pack the deer which Mr. v. Roeder and myself killed, which, together with the fish and oysters, was our chief means of subsistence. We had neither bread nor coffee, nor sugar, and the water, of course, was brackish. Finally under these distressing cir- cumstances we became despondent and disheart- ened ; so, late in October, 1836, we again boarded our boat, taking along every thing we had with us, including our Mexican prisoners, who acted as oars- men, and once more made for the main land, landing at a place called Liverpool, a small village at the head of Chocolate bayou. The house on Galveston Island was abandoned, there being no one to whom we could sell ; there were no other families at that time residing on the island. Only Morgan's Fort was situated near the east end of Galveston Island. There were about 400 Mexican prisoners held there. Capt. Turner, Col. Morgan, and Judge Chas. Mason were there, but no families that I recollect."
The colonists, including the subject of this sketch, again located where they had made the first scttle- ment, at a point known as Cat Spring, now in Austin County. This was in the month of Novem- ber, 1836. Here Judge Kleberg and his family resided until the fall of 1847, when they removed to DeWitt County. At Cat Spring were born the following of his children: Clara Siegesmunde, November 28, 1835 ; Johanna Caroline, November 29, 1838 ; Caroline Louise, January 15, 1840, and Otto Josepli, October 27, 1841; Rudolph, June 26, 1847. In DeWitt County, Marcellus Eugene, February 7, 1849; Robt. Justus, December 5, 1853, and Louise Rosalie, September 2, 1855.
While living in Austin County, Judge Kleborg did much to develop the new country, which was then but sparsely settled, and was still inhabited by Indians. He frequently spoke of one occurrence during his residenee at Cat Spring, where a numer- ous tribe of Comanches passed by his house to the city of Houston to interview the President of the Republic of Texas on the question of making peaee. He speaks of the appearance of these savages upon their return from Houston as most ludicrous. Many of them had adorned themselves with stove pipe hats, red ribbons and all kinds of fancy dress artieles, all of which was in strange contrast with their usual wearing apparel. They stopped at the Judge's house on their way from Houston, and
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