German Pioneers in Texas; A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements Page: 75
3 p.l., 230 p. incl. plates, ports. 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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- 75
baskets on the backs of the squaws. I have always suspicioned
that the Indians' purpose was to impress us with their
numbers and military efficiency. Maybe it was just an over
played manifestation of friendship. After that they frequently
made trading trips to town, usually coming in considerable
numbers. Where it was honest exchange of the
meats, hides, etc., that the Indian had, for something we
could well afford to dispose of it was all right, but the
rascals had a habit of taking whatever they could easily
get away with and not even returning thanks for it.
"One day while I was at home alone in walked a big
buck Indian. I had just made a successful bake of bread
and was exceedingly proud of it. I had a real treat for the
tired folks when they came from work. I was terribly
frightened when the Indian deliberately walked in. I
didn't know whether to scream or run and hide. The big
scamp sized up everything, spied my bread, picked it up
and walked off with it. My fear turned to helpless rage, to
all of which the Indian paid no more attention than if I had
been a bird chirping in a bush. If I had had enough physical
powers I would have hung that Indians' scalp on the front
door as a warning to others. The enormity of the crime
can be imagined when the deplorable scarcity of bread in
Fredericksburg at that time is recalled. It also sealed the
fact that one white girl would never fall in love with the
"noble red man" nor any of his kinfolks or outfit.
"I was married to William Feller when I was eighteen
years old. He was an industrious, high minded young man.
Soon after our marriage we purchased 200 acres of land from
a party by the name of Ingram, this land being on what is
now Dry Creek, and about fifteen miles from Fredericksburg.
We moved on this land in 1853 and built a small house. By
hard work we soon had much of the land grubbed, fenced
and in cultivation. The price paid for the land was $2.00
per acre, making the total purchase price $400. We had our
place paid for and were just as happy and contented as
people could wish to be when the great tragedy of my life
came.
"We had been married thirteen years and had seven
children, the eldest twelve years old when this tragedy, or
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Biggers, Don Hampton, 1869-1957. German Pioneers in Texas; A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements, book, 1925; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29394/m1/81/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at Arlington Library.