The Cypress and Other Writings of a German Pioneer in Texas
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Hermann Seele
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Translated by:
Edward C. Breitenkamp
About this book
When Hermann Seele anived in New Braunfels in 1845, the raw colony was plagued by poverty, disease, lack of food, and hostile Indians. This personal record of the Germans in Texas shows their evolution from struggling colonists to prosperous citizens.
From his viewpoint of a hardworking yet imaginative pioneer, Seele presents first a history of German immigration and settlement in Texas during the nineteenth century. Next, his autobiographical writings range from a "sentimental recollection" of his first Christmas Eve in Texas to his first day of teaching in New Braunfels, from accounts of the popular singing society to murder and justice along the Comal River. In addition, Seele's romantic novel, The Cypress, is a delightful though improbable tale of a traveling botanist, a chieftain's daughter, and a savage Indian cult.
Hermann Seele—farmer, lawyer, teacher, lay preacher, mayor, state representative, Civil War major, and editor—epitomizes the best of the German immigrants who established their communities as models of respectability and prosperity.
Author / Editor information
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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Preface
ix -
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Introduction
xi -
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1. The German Immigration into Texas
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2. A History of the German Settlements in Comal County
39 -
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3. My First Christmas Eve in Texas A Sentimental Recollection of the Past
45 -
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4. Galveston County in 1844
49 -
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5. On the Brazos in April 1844
57 -
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6. The German Colony of New Braunfels in May 1845
65 -
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7. My First Day of Teaching in New Braunfels
77 -
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8. Shadows: Dark Days of Death and Sorrow in 1846
85 -
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9. A Christmas Day in West Texas in 1849
93 -
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10. How the First Singing Festival Came to Be
107 -
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11. How the Singing Society Traveled to Sisterdale
109 -
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12. A Wedding
121 -
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13. A Murder
127 -
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14. Travels in Texas
143 -
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15. The Cypress
161 -
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Index
189
