History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 377

hISTORY OP TEXAS. 87

for more liberty and better advantages. The
family set sail from Bremnen, and landed at
Galveston, Texas, went thence to Houston,
where a few days' stop was made until ox
teams could be hired to convey the family to
Austin county, their destination. The father
was trained in one of the colleges of Germany,
and after reaching maturity engaged in teaching.
After arriving in this State he gave up
teaching and devoted himself to farming.
He began on rented land, preferring not to
own real estate until he had become satisfied
with the country. His confidence in tlhe State
soon became established, after which lie purchased
both land and stock, and in a few
years became one of the leading farmers of
Austin county. Mr. Vogelsang died in Austin
county, in 1889, aged eighty-five years. His
wife, whose maiden name was Mattie Behrens,
was a native of Oldenburg, Germany. Mr.
and Mrs. Vogelsang were the parents of four
children: Dora, wife of H. Meier, of Austin
county; Theodore, a resident of the same
county; Ernest, the subject of this sketch;
and Frederick. The mother died in 1878.
Ernest Vogelsang's education was greatly
neglected in his youth, on account of the
lack of schools in Texas during his youth.
In the winter of 1861, when hostilities had
broken out between the North and the South,
he enlisted in Company A, Twentieth Texas
Infantry, under Captain J. N. Daniel and
Colonel Elmore. The command was organized
for service in Virginia, but while waiting
for arms the Federals appeared on the
coast, and the new troops were ordered to
the defense of Galveston. - The battle of that
city was the only engagement of importance
in which Mr. Vogelsang participated. The
coast defense was afterward continued, and
the command was retained from Texas service
until disbanding at Richmond, in 1865.

From that time until 1869 Mr. Vogelsang
continued farming, when in the year last
named he embarked in mnerchandising with
his brother Frederick in Austin county. They
conducted a successful business eight yearsclosing
out in 1877. Six years later Mr.
Vogelsang purchased about 3,900 acres of
land in Milanm county, in partnership with
his brother, paying from $3.50 to $8 per
acre, and later added to this purchase until
their holdings amounted to about 5,000 acres.
Having divided their lands, the subject of
this notice now holds in his own name about
2,000 acres, all black prairie soil, all of which
is femiced and about 300 acres of which is iL
cultivation. He handles considerable stock,
principally cattle. A Democrat in politics,
he was while a resident of Austin county a
Justice of the Peace and County Commissioner.
He is a member of the Ancient Order
of United Workmen. Mr. Vogelsang
married in 1875, Mary, a daughter of Mr. C.
Wilkins, and by this marriage has had one
son, Frederick.
~W~\j\ M. GILL, County Clerk of Milami
County.-Men of intelligence, force
of character and business capacity
need no factitious introduction to public
flavor. They win that favor by their own
merit, and by their merit they hold it. The
subject of this notice, although a resident of
Milam county but little more than ten years,
has passed the half of that time in one of the
most responsible offices in the county, having
been called to it and retained in it by the
free choice of the people, Mr. Gill is a native
of Alabama, born in the county of
Laurens, March 7, 1847. His parents moved
during his infancy to Pontotoc (now Lee)
county, Mississippi, and in that county his

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