Treüe der Union Monument
Encyclopedia
The German-language Treue der Union Monument (loyalty to the Union), in Comfort, Texas
, was dedicated on August 10, 1866 to commemorate those who died at the 1862 Nueces massacre
. Thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. With the exception of those drowned in the Rio Grande
, the remains of the deceased are buried at the site of the monument. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in 1968, Marker number 15. Added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Texas November 29, 1978.
imposed martial law
on Central Texas, due to resistance to the Civil War. Jacob Kuechler served as a guide for sixty-one conscientious objector
s attempting to flee to Mexico. Scottish
born Confederate irregular James Duff and his Duff’s Partisan Rangers
pursued and overtook them at the Nueces River
.
Thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. Jacob Kuechler survived the Nueces massacre. The cruelty shocked the people of Gillespie County
and surrounding areas. Two thousand took to the hills to escape Duff's reign of terror.
, Eduard Steves, and William Heuermann paid $20 for a lot in Comfort, for the purpose of building a monument. The bodies of those who drowned in the massacre were never recovered. The bodies of the remaining massacre victims were recovered for burial by local residents in a mass grave on the lot purchased by Degener, Steves and Heuermann. On August 20, 1865, at Comfort, Texas
, three hundred people attended the funeral for the remains of the victims of the massacre. The funeral cortege was accompanied by Federal troops who fired a salute over the mass grave. Eduard Degener, father of victims Hugo and Hilmar, delilvered the eulogy.
With donations from local residents and families of the victims, the Treue der Union Monument was dedicated on August 10, 1866 in Kendall County
. The obelisk
stands twenty feet high and was constructed of native limestone
by local stonemasons and several carvers. The main obelisk weighs 35,700 pounds, with the top containing the original four name tablets. The United States flag has thirty-six stars, representing the number of states at the time of the monument dedication. On the lawn at the base are four name tablets in German. Inside the second course of the monument is a time capsule.
In 1994, the Comfort Heritage Foundation oversaw a restoration conducted by Boerne
stonemason Karl H. Kuhn.
Comfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, was dedicated on August 10, 1866 to commemorate those who died at the 1862 Nueces massacre
Nueces massacre
The Nueces massacre was a violent confrontation between Confederate soldiers and German Texans on August 10, 1862 in Kinney County, Texas. Many Germans in Central Texas were first-generation immigrants from Germany. They tended to support the Union and were opposed to the institution of slavery. ...
. Thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. With the exception of those drowned in the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
, the remains of the deceased are buried at the site of the monument. 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....
in 1968, Marker number 15. Added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Texas November 29, 1978.
The battle
In 1862, the Confederate States of AmericaConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
imposed martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
on Central Texas, due to resistance to the Civil War. Jacob Kuechler served as a guide for sixty-one conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s attempting to flee to Mexico. Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
born Confederate irregular James Duff and his Duff’s Partisan Rangers
Texas Civil War Confederate Units
This is a list of Texas American Civil War Confederate Units.-Infantry:* 1st Infantry Battalion * 1st Infantry Battalion * 1st Infantry *Company A...
pursued and overtook them at the Nueces River
Nueces River
The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, approximately long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande...
.
Thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. Jacob Kuechler survived the Nueces massacre. The cruelty shocked the people of Gillespie County
Gillespie 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...
and surrounding areas. Two thousand took to the hills to escape Duff's reign of terror.
The monument
On August 19, 1865, Eduard DegenerEdward Degener
Edward Degener was a Republican U.S. Representative from Texas during Reconstruction.-Biography:Born in Brunswick, Germany, Degener pursued an academic course in Germany and in England...
, Eduard Steves, and William Heuermann paid $20 for a lot in Comfort, for the purpose of building a monument. The bodies of those who drowned in the massacre were never recovered. The bodies of the remaining massacre victims were recovered for burial by local residents in a mass grave on the lot purchased by Degener, Steves and Heuermann. On August 20, 1865, at Comfort, Texas
Comfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, three hundred people attended the funeral for the remains of the victims of the massacre. The funeral cortege was accompanied by Federal troops who fired a salute over the mass grave. Eduard Degener, father of victims Hugo and Hilmar, delilvered the eulogy.
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....
. The obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
stands twenty feet high and was constructed of native limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
by local stonemasons and several carvers. The main obelisk weighs 35,700 pounds, with the top containing the original four name tablets. The United States flag has thirty-six stars, representing the number of states at the time of the monument dedication. On the lawn at the base are four name tablets in German. Inside the second course of the monument is a time capsule.
In 1994, the Comfort Heritage Foundation oversaw a restoration conducted by Boerne
Boerne, Texas
Boerne is a city in the Hill Country of Texas in the United States. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Boerne was named in honor of Ludwig Börne, a Jewish German author and publicist, and its population was 10, 471 in the 2010 census. The city is noted for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court...
stonemason Karl H. Kuhn.
Names on Treue der Union Monument
| Name | Date and Place of Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| Captured and murdered | Fredericksburg | |
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | Comfort | |
| Captured and murdered | Comfort | |
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | Comfort | |
| Captured and murdered | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | ||
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | ||
| Captured and murdered | Fredericksburg | |
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | ||
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | Fredericksburg | |
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | Comfort | |
| Captured and murdered | Fredericksburg | |
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | Sisterdale Sisterdale, Texas Sisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1847 and located north of Boerne in Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25... , Cherry Spring Cherry Spring, Texas Cherry Spring is an unincorporated farming and ranching community established in 1852 in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located on Cherry Spring Creek, which runs from north of Fredericksburg to Llano. The creek was also sometimes known as Cherry Springs Creek by residents... |
|
| Captured and murdered | ||
| Captured and murdered | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | Fredericksburg | |
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | Kerrville | |
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | Comfort | |
| Captured and murdered | Comfort | |
| Captured and murdered | Comfort | |
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 10 August 1862, Nueces River | ||
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | ||
| 18 October 1862, Rio Grande | ||