Emil Kriewitz
Encyclopedia
Emil Kriewitz was a German immigrant and veteran of the Mexican-American War, who came to this country with the Adelsverein
colonists. After John O. Meusebach
successfully negotiated the Meusebach–Comanche Treaty, Kriewitz lived among the Penateka Comanche
as an intermediary between the whites and Penateka. In 1993, his home in Castell, Texas
was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
, Marker number 9444.
, Germany
.
colonization program. He left Bremen
, Germany on October 28, 1845 aboard the Franziska, and disembarked at Galveston, Texas
on January 11, 1846. From there, Kriewitz accompanied other Adelsverein colonists to Indianola
, which Adelsverein Commissioner-General Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
had renamed Carlshafen in honor of himself, Count Carl of Castell-Castell and Count Victor August of Leiningen-Westerburg-Alt-Leiningen whom Solms claimed had been christened Carl. Prince Solms' choice of Carlshafen and its inadequate accommodations as a port of entry, as well as the isolated route to New Braunfels, was to keep the Germans from interacting with any Americans.
John O. Meusebach, as successor to Prince Solms, had arranged with the Torrey Brothers for transporting the colonists inland, but the United States
hired the Torrey Brothers for use in the Mexican-American War to serve Zachary Taylor's
army in Corpus Christi
. An epidemic of spinal meningitis broke out at Carlshafen and spread with the emigrants to New Braunfels
and Fredericksburg
. Fellow German colonist and veteran of the French Foreign Legion
Augustus Buchel formed the First Regiment of Texas Foot Rifles, serving as its Captain. Kriewitz was a co-founding member of the company of eighty volunteers. On May 22, 1846, the company was drafted into the service of Col. Albert Sidney Johnston
as Company H, First Texas Rifle Volunteers. The unit saw service at Matamoros, Tamaulipas
and Camargo. A combination of bad climate and bad living conditions decimated the unit, most of whom were discharged.
. In the camp, Kriewitz began to assimilate into the culture to gain the confidence and friendship of Santa Anna, who otherwise was not totally trustful of the white settlers.
Santa Anna's group traveled to New Braunfels in August 1847 to meet with Meusebach and his successor Hermann Spiess
. Because of his assimilated appearance, the Germany parties did not recognize Kriewitz, whom Santa Anna had forbidden to speak during the meeting. Kriewitz communicated with the German parties by tapping one beneath the negotiating table, which prompted the German to pass a pencil and paper to Kriewitz under the table. Kriewitz was able to slip out to visit friends, but Santa Anna became distrusting thereafter. Afterward, Kriewitz requested, and received, permission from Santa Anna to visit his old friend Wilhelm Victor Keidel
, who had served with him in the Mexican War. Kriewitz, however, never returned to the Penateka camp after that.
territory in Texas. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, equipment and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves. Beginning in 1847, Kriewitz was assigned with building a road into the territory and to serve as guide for the Society of Forty immigrants into the territory to begin their settlements. The society began Castell, Leiningen, Bettina, Schoenburg and Meerholz in Llano County
; Darmstädler Farm in Comal County
; and Tusculum in Kendall County
. Of these, only Castell survives.
.
In 1852, Kriewitz settled in Castell and went into retail partnership with Franz Kettner. In 1870, Kriewitz was elected justice of the peace for Precinct Four of Llano County. In 1871, he served as a county election judge. On December 27, 1876, Kriewitz was appointed Postmaster in Castell, serving until the appointment of Ed Buckholtz in 1883. Kriewitz spent the rest of his life as a rancher and land speculator.
Emil Kriewitz died on May 21, 1902, in Castell, and is buried in the Llano City Cemetery.
Adelsverein
Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
colonists. After John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas Senate, District 22.-Early years:John O...
successfully negotiated the Meusebach–Comanche Treaty, Kriewitz lived among the Penateka Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
as an intermediary between the whites and Penateka. In 1993, his home in Castell, Texas
Castell, Texas
Castell is a small unincorporated riverside town in Llano County, Texas, United States. Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, its northern border is formed by the Llano River. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964, Marker number 9440....
was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
, Marker number 9444.
Early life
Emil von Kriewitz de Czepry was born on January 18, 1822, near PotsdamPotsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Texas
Kriewitz emigrated to Texas as part of the AdelsvereinAdelsverein
Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
colonization program. He left Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Germany on October 28, 1845 aboard the Franziska, and disembarked at Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
on January 11, 1846. From there, Kriewitz accompanied other Adelsverein colonists to Indianola
Indianola, Texas
Indianola is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The community, once the county seat of Calhoun County, is a part of the Victoria, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1875, the city had a population of 5,000, but on September 15 of that year, a...
, which Adelsverein Commissioner-General Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels , was a German prince and military officer in both the Austrian army and in the cavalry of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. As Commissioner General of the Adelsverein, he spearheaded the establishment of colonies of German immigrants in Texas...
had renamed Carlshafen in honor of himself, Count Carl of Castell-Castell and Count Victor August of Leiningen-Westerburg-Alt-Leiningen whom Solms claimed had been christened Carl. Prince Solms' choice of Carlshafen and its inadequate accommodations as a port of entry, as well as the isolated route to New Braunfels, was to keep the Germans from interacting with any Americans.
John O. Meusebach, as successor to Prince Solms, had arranged with the Torrey Brothers for transporting the colonists inland, but the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hired the Torrey Brothers for use in the Mexican-American War to serve Zachary Taylor's
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
army in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. An epidemic of spinal meningitis broke out at Carlshafen and spread with the emigrants to New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
and Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
. Fellow German colonist and veteran of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
Augustus Buchel formed the First Regiment of Texas Foot Rifles, serving as its Captain. Kriewitz was a co-founding member of the company of eighty volunteers. On May 22, 1846, the company was drafted into the service of Col. Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
as Company H, First Texas Rifle Volunteers. The unit saw service at Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
and Camargo. A combination of bad climate and bad living conditions decimated the unit, most of whom were discharged.
Life with the Comanches
May 9, 1847, the vested party representatives of the Penateka Comanche and German colonists met in Fredericksburg to ratify and sign the "Treaty Between the Comanche and the German Immigration Company". In accordance with the terms of the treaty, Meusebach paid the Penateka Comanches $3,000, slightly less than $70,000 in today's money, in food, gifts and other commodities for their participation in the signing of the agreement. The Penateka also requested that a representative of the German colonists serve as an in-house intermediary and live among them. Kriewitz was assigned to be the intermediary, and went to live at the camp of war chief Santa AnnaSanta Anna (Comanche war chief)
Santa Anna was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians.-In The Early Life:Santa Anna was a member of the same band of the Comanche as the more famous Buffalo Hump. He was an important chief, though probably less influential than Buffalo Hump during the 1830s and...
. In the camp, Kriewitz began to assimilate into the culture to gain the confidence and friendship of Santa Anna, who otherwise was not totally trustful of the white settlers.
Santa Anna's group traveled to New Braunfels in August 1847 to meet with Meusebach and his successor Hermann Spiess
Hermann Spiess
Hermann Spiess was co-founder of the Bettina, Texas commune in 1847. He became Commissioner-General of the Adelsverein after the resignation of John O. Meusebach.-Early life:...
. Because of his assimilated appearance, the Germany parties did not recognize Kriewitz, whom Santa Anna had forbidden to speak during the meeting. Kriewitz communicated with the German parties by tapping one beneath the negotiating table, which prompted the German to pass a pencil and paper to Kriewitz under the table. Kriewitz was able to slip out to visit friends, but Santa Anna became distrusting thereafter. Afterward, Kriewitz requested, and received, permission from Santa Anna to visit his old friend Wilhelm Victor Keidel
Wilhelm Victor Keidel
Wilhelm Victor Keidel was the first doctor and first Chief Justice in Gillespie County, Texas. He was a veteran of the Mexican-American War. Keidel founded the settlement of Pedernales.-Early life:...
, who had served with him in the Mexican War. Kriewitz, however, never returned to the Penateka camp after that.
Settlements
Adelsverein Vice President and Executive Secretary-Business Director Count Carl Frederick Christian of Castell-Castell, made a deal with the socialistic organization Darmstadt Society of Forty to colonize two hundred families on the Fisher-Miller Land GrantFisher-Miller Land Grant
The Fisher-Miller Land Grant was part of an early colonization effort of the Republic of Texas. Its 3,878,000 acres covered between the Llano River and Colorado River. Originally granted to Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller, the grant was sold to the German colonization company of Adelsverein...
territory in Texas. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, equipment and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves. Beginning in 1847, Kriewitz was assigned with building a road into the territory and to serve as guide for the Society of Forty immigrants into the territory to begin their settlements. The society began Castell, Leiningen, Bettina, Schoenburg and Meerholz in Llano County
Llano County, Texas
Llano County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 19, 301. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River....
; Darmstädler Farm in Comal County
Comal County, Texas
Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 108,472. Its seat is New Braunfels.Comal County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History Timeline:...
; and Tusculum in Kendall County
Kendall County, Texas
Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2008 census, its population was 32,886. Its seat is Boerne....
. Of these, only Castell survives.
Post Comanche life
On December 15, 1847, Kriewitz was one of the petitioners requesting the creation of Gillespie CountyGillespie County, Texas
Gillespie County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 24,837. It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, who came to Texas in 1837. He was a Texas Ranger, an Indian fighter, a...
.
In 1852, Kriewitz settled in Castell and went into retail partnership with Franz Kettner. In 1870, Kriewitz was elected justice of the peace for Precinct Four of Llano County. In 1871, he served as a county election judge. On December 27, 1876, Kriewitz was appointed Postmaster in Castell, serving until the appointment of Ed Buckholtz in 1883. Kriewitz spent the rest of his life as a rancher and land speculator.
Personal life and death
In 1857 Kriewitz married Amelia Markwordt at Cherry Springs. The couple had eight children.Emil Kriewitz died on May 21, 1902, in Castell, and is buried in the Llano City Cemetery.