Comments on: Letter From Texas: Gott Mit Uns

By: Karla D.

Karla D. — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:54:03 +0000

I would love to get together some time and discuss/share info. Adolph had a son named Max, who was my great-grandfather. Max’s daughter, Emmie, was my grandmother, and her son, Melvin Bohnert is my dad. We actually still own, and use the original Max Zoeller home (close to Capt. Zoeller’s home) on weekends. It is located on Zoeller lane in Waring, Texas, down from Zoeller Cemetary. I am trying to work on the paper work to get Adolph honored as a founding father of Kendall County. I just need to find the time to put all the paperwork together.

Was Bertha the daughter that died shortly after the birth of her last child? I believe that I have a picture of Otto and Max working in the field out in front of Captain Zoeller’s house. If you would like a copy, I can arrange to get one to you.

By: Mike G.

Mike G. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:13:29 +0000

I would love to see Adolph’s papers sometime! Funny how small the world is… I live in San Antonio, TX. Adolph had a daughter named Bertha who married Otto Wille. One of their children, Lina, is my great grandmother. She married Philip Strauch and their daughter, Bertha, is my grandmother. My grandmother married Troy Hess and had my mother Debra, who married my dad, Charles Glade. I’m pretty easy to find in San Antonio. I would love to know where you fit in the tree as our family history is so fascinating to me. I will need to look up more information about Edmund J. Davis so I can include this in the paper. Amazing!

By: Karla D.

Karla D. — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:51:54 +0000

My great-great grandfather was Captain Adolph Zoeller, who was one of the men that was involved with the Unionists that were on their way to Mexico when they were ambushed on the Nueces River. He, and a few other Germans, had gone on ahead of the men that actually were ambushed, that is why they survived to make it to join the Union troops. He served under Edmund J. Davis in the 1st Texas Cavalry. I actually possess the original papers that discharged him from service, as well as a medal that he was given for his service.

By: Mike G.

Mike G. — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:26:31 +0000

In doing research for my Senior Seminar paper, I came across your article. I applaud your research, as you’ve gone quite in depth for much of the details. As to the mention that none of the survivors of the Nueces River Massacre joined federal forces, I’m afraid you got that wrong, however. My great (x3) grandfather, Adolph Zoeller, was a survivor that fled into Mexico. He made it to New Orleans and joined the Union army and it is said that a few of the other survivors joined with him, including John W. Sansom. I believe Adolph’s unit was the 1st Texas Volunteers. After the war, he was even a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He died in Kendall Country in 1909.

By: Penny Willrich

Penny Willrich — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:52:22 +0000

This was all facinating information but I want to know about the African Americans or African slaves that were brought to Texas with these Germans. There are a number of persons in this country with German surnames, who need to have both closure and information about their heritage. Include the history of the African Americans that often accompanied these Germans. It is not enough to just refer to those persons as slaves. They are persons who have a history and families that would like to know their history and heroism.

By: Charles W. Scheel

Charles W. Scheel — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:23:10 +0000

I am very thankful for Mr. Tausch’s article upon which I stumbled quite inadvertently while playing with Google, as I will be able to correct no later than tomorrow morning some statements I had made only last week in front of my students in an American literature course I am now giving at the University Paul Verlaine-Metz (France). As an introduction to my course on Larry McMurtry’s novel The Last Picture Show I had given those students a few elements on Texas history, mostly taken from Wikipedia, which mentions the Nueces massacre. Not knowing any better, I had been led to generalize Texan-German resistance to Abolitionism. While I am at it I will draw the attention of my MA-history majors to Mr. Tausch’s article as an illustration of what serious research can still uncover!

By: Ethaan

Ethaan — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:43:46 +0000

Ethaan…

This was one time where I have to agree to disagree…

By: the articles of confederation

the articles of confederation — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 10:00:30 +0000

the articles of confederation…

…

By: Jerry Nelson

Jerry Nelson — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:01:56 +0000

Another myth destroyed! Or at least it will be we repeat this story often enough.

There is one point that Tausch makes that makes me somewhat uneasy, and that is his acceptance of the “Nueces Massacre” as fact without further explanation. According to what I remember reading in “Horse Sweat and Gunpowder,” which contains an account taken from the records of Duff’s cavalry, it was a lengthy battle which continued into the night and ended with a dawn attack. The “Unionists” were in a well-selected position of natural strength. They held off Duff’s cavalry for many hours and, according to the Confederates’ report, were as well-armed or even better so than the cavalrymen.

By: Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture | Your Home for Traditional Conservatism » LEISURE, THE BASIS OF CULTURE: August 2007

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:17:44 +0000

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