Translation of 1847 Letter by Charles W. Presler from Texas to His Family in Germany

­This is a featured article from Comal County Genealogy Society’s Family Footsteps.   This is a great example of some of the material found in the society’s publication. The article was serialized in Volume II, No. 3&4, 1985, pp. 34-37, Volume III, No. 1, March 1986, pp. 2-8, and Volume III, No. 2, June 1986, pp. 83-94. ­  To obtain a copy of these issues, please see the Comal County Genealogy Society’s Publication list.

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Translation of Letter by Charles W. Presler from Texas to His Family in Germany

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Austin, Travis County
State of Texas
March-April 1847

My dear ones!

Your letter arrived just in time, since I took the notion to leave Texas pretty soon. Thinking I will have more luck in South America. I am planning to leave for New Granada, however, this depends on the passage I will get from New Orleans. I changed my former plans to settle in California on account of the Mormons who are dominating there. Also in Texas 50-60 Mormons settled about 23 English miles north of Austin. They have built a mill and everybody seems to be very
industrious up there. However, rumors tell about their communism, that they do not stop to take other people's property. News from California seems to underline this attitude since the Mormons, after their half year trek through the rocky mountains finally reached San Francisko. Here they bought a few head of cattle to feed themselves. They let the other know that this is the first and last time that they bought or will buy cattle from any other man.

Your letters arrived in December 1846 with Sorgelt. However, I did not get them before March. Accomplished by Julius who sent those letters from New Orleans.

You hardly can imagine how excited I was hearing from you. I could not even sleep after looking at all the pictures you sent me from home. To tell the truth, I am not happy here at all. How could I? Here they despise our fatherland and give us a dirty look when we talk German with another fellow or show interest in what is going on in Germany. Yes, we are free here, backed up by nobody in a nation without a heart and feeling. It is hard to be happy under those conditions.

I might not regret to leave America again but I am sure I will regret it if I return to Germany. Being under the pressure of government employees, police and a government which mistreats all human rights.

Our English will always have an accent, and we will be recognized as a foreigner always right away. It is better to stay out of politics here. We are no Germans and no Americans and we will forget our own language more and more. I just received a letter from Fritz dates the 16th of April 1846. His advice to look up Klappenbach, asking him for aid from the Verein is out of question. I do not favors, especially from the German Verein. According to August's letter, I have to assume that none of my letters have reached you. Therefore I will repeat my diary.

I already wrote that Julius and I decided to join the troops in the war against Mexico. Since I don't own a horse,

Julius promised me to help me so I helped him on his farm. We worked hard for two-three days making fences and plowed quite a bit. But Julius backed out and he told me to stay too. I cannot join by myself and I did not want to be ungrateful to him. From our log cabin looking down the hill we can see the road from Washington to LaGrange leading to West Texas. Often we saw volunteer companies from East Texas and the northern states passing by quite cheerfully. I was sad that I could not go along with them.

The way Julius is farming here will never amount to anything. Of course he has to save his money. I have been working for him already three months, still he does not have a cow which means we have no milk in the house. We fenced 2 1/2 acres carrying all the lumber on our bare back. It took us a full week. A sled with one ox only could have done the work in one day. With three more men we turned the soil (2 1/2 acres) in two weeks where two men, one ox and a plow could do the job in two days. Don't you see, under those circumstances I will never get any place. I talked things over with Julius, Fritz Kannengiesser and Schafer and we decided to separate from S. Believe me, it was hard for me to leave him and I would rather set my own interest back if it was not for you. Julius and I left in June while Fritz and Schafer more tied up in the place stayed with S.


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