The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898 Page: 297
334 p. : ill., ports., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Some of My Early Experiences in Texas. 297
SOME OF MY EARLY EXPERIENCES IN TEXAS.
ROSA KLEBERG.
[The following is my grandmother's account of her first experiences
in Texas. She is the widow of Robert J. Kleberg, Sr., who as a mem-
ber of Baker's company participated in the battle of San Jacinto. She
is now eighty-five years old. She related the story to me in German,
which I have taken down and translated, preserving as far as possible
her exact words.-RUDOLPH KLI BERG, JR.]
After handling at New Orleans, we took sail for Texas, intend-
ing to land at Brazoria. Instead, we were wrecked off the coast of
Galveston Island on December 22, 1834. We managed to save all
our goods and baggage, which included everything we thought
needful to begin a settlement in a new country; and having built
a hut out of the logs and planks which had been washed ashore,
we were able to maintain ourselves for some time. There were
no houses on the island, but there was no lack of game.
After a few days a large ship passed the island; and the other
people who were with us went on board and landed at Brazoria.
We could not afford to leave our baggage; and so my husband,
the only one in the party who could speak English, together with
my brother Louis von Roeder, went with them to Brazoria. Thence
they proceeded on foot to San Felipe to find my brothers and sis-
ter, who had gone to Texas two years before, and from whom we
had not heard since their departure.
The task of finding them was not so difficult as might be sup-
posed. Entirely contrary to the fashion of the day, all had al-
lowed their beards to grow and had adopted the dress of Prussian
peasants. They found our people near Cat Spring. In the tim-
ber near Bostick's an Indian came toward them. My brother Louis
was of course ready to shoot; but my husband restrained him.
As it turned out the Indian was quite friendly, and told them
where they would find the people they were seeking. He belonged
to a troop of Indians who were camping in the neighborhood and
from whom our relations had been in the habit of obtaining ven-
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898, periodical, 1897/1898; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101009/m1/323/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.