Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1863-01-09
nra.shcro OF the !Germnn. IN rcxns.
Translated from the Galveston Union for the sandusk
nnoi.for lao o,t.

uuhtHCrO OF INC 6ernnue Ill VcXbRs
Translated from the Galveston Union for the Sandusky
Register by Louis Altstaettcr.
[ The GalveJson Union is German paper, esta5-
Hshed SINCE Ns occupation Of that place By Mc
Union forces.
Near the origin Of the Quad Cape and Piede-
ruales on Johnsons Creek several American
and two German familiessettbed but two years
ago. COntendng against the roughness Of tho
soil and the wild Indians, they had no pleasant
position, but they perserved, conscious of their
courage and their intrepidty, and the lower set
Elements owed It to them that they had less TO
suffer from the raids of the Indians These bor-
der inhabitants received but little news about
the condition Of the country and the events of
the war. All at once they were notified to pay
war taxes and to drill. The first demand they
could not comply WITH because they had no
money, not even cornmeal for their families, and
the last order they could not obey because they
lived so distant from each other and their alb
sence would leave their families without pro-
| lection. For these reasons they were consider
ed Union men and Captain Duff, a notorious
rowdy, was sent against the settlers with n COM
Pany of Texans They asked the protection of
their friends, but had TO fly from the oyerpower-
ing number of their enemies to the mountains.
Many Germans and Americans were arrested and
imprisoned in Fredericksburg and Captain Duff
was reinforced by 400 men to operate success
fully aginst the German abolitonsts, and hunt
! up the Yankees. The soldiers again visited
! Johnson's Greek, but found most of The settlers
had fled to the mountains Fred Daoerer
alone they surprised sleetpinp under the poTch Of
his house, butawakened by the cries of distress
of his wife and the discharge of muskets of his
enemies, who fired Ia shots after him, he fortu-
nately made his escape.
! His house was ransacked and all movable
property taken off Other farms in the neigh
borhood were also searched the families taken
prisoners and the houses burnt down. Upon
| the news Of these events Fred. Degener and 9TH
er fugitives, concluded to hy to Mexico: more
exiles joined them and soon they had company
OF % men. But they travelled too slowly and
befere day break one morning they were sur
prlsed by 2OO Texans. After most determine
ed resistance they were defeated and only 12 of
them, covered with wounds made good their es-
cape
| All fugitives which afterwards fell into the
hands OF the enemy were hung up. Among
these 6S men only were Americans the others
all Germans, A few of the fugtives escaped
across the Rio Grande; others wandering in the
mountains and suffering extreme hunger sought
protection among American families, but were
handed over to prosecutors and shot or huug
| 10 this news DR.. Adolph Deuai celebrated
German traveller, who for many years had lived
in that country makes the following notes:
"Wek know personally the most Of these un-
fortunate victims, which have been murdered so
the Government, but because they would not
act against the Union and would rather fly to
| Mexico. These murdered Union men were
some of the greatest benefaetors of the State
they had done the hardest pioneer work in it,
cleared it from the wild beasts and Indians; they
had saved it to civilization through more than
one period of pestilence and famine; secured as
borders their present prosecutors, the slavehold-
ers against the invasions of Indians and done
the best service as volunteers in the Mexican
war and the wars ON the frontier. They placed
the arts and sciences in Texas as well as they
could be found anywhere among the American
Germans Thew furnished tho nroof that tbav
could cultivate sugar and cotton witbont tLs
! least danger TO health. and Increased tbe riches
of the country millions of dollars .
The above related events are tbeir reward for
it. Hundreds who succeeded in making their
escape rove about in the woods, having lost
everything, some even their families. Hun
dreds are now chased like wild beasts through
the wilderness of Northwestern Texas. and snc-
cumb because of the most horrible tortures. their
fate never being known te their fellow men
Look here, YOU German Democrats and slave
adorersl-how no Won like this pictureP What
do You have to saw TO this Wholesale rnassocre
of Your countryman bv tbe sIavebolders-~
.dear brothersSn Can Won rood ond listo1 20
such atrocities without involuntarily clencbing
your fist and forcing an oath from vour Inns re
avenge this wrong on the perpetratorsP But we
hear Your leading men saw. what do we care
for these Germans-they were abolitionists and
they have TO bear the conseouenees of their wav
of thinking and acting 10 the vulpar sonis
who think and sneak in this wise we eve no
answer. But to Won. who have not vet lost all
human feeling. we answer the above MOI thew
were not abolitionists. thev were nredoninanily
Democrats, and the few enemies of slavery
among them had TO be so secretly. A handful of
them tried for three wears TO sunport free State
press, the San Antonio Ze;t,tno in order 70 save
Western Texas from total mpoyerisbment which
could be ,,o@on (as II now actually basS in cose
slavery would be extendsI there
! II all the Germans had steadiasny stood Inv
their free press, with their ten thousand Sharp
shooters which they could have putin the field,
they would have been invincible and Texas
now be in the Union and happy. But the ma
iorty was too democratic and the minority too
! tmid and peaceful. They would not d.soblige
their mere presence in the country, their free la
Dor, and civilization, and their proof that the
country might flourish without the existence of
slavery, and even better than with il, was