Treue der Union Monument facts for kids

Treue der Union Monument
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Treue der Union Monument
Treue der Union Monument Location in Texas Show map of Texas Treue der Union Monument Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	High Street, between Third and Fourth Comfort, Texas
Area	less than one acre
Built	1866 (1866)
Part of	Comfort Historic District (ID79002989)
NRHP reference No.	78002966
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 29, 1978
Designated CP	May 29, 1979

The Treue der Union Monument, which means "Loyalty to the Union" in German, is a special memorial in Comfort, Texas. This town is located in Kendall County, within the state of Texas. The monument was officially opened on August 10, 1866. It honors German-Texans who died during the Nueces massacre in 1862.

Thirty-four people were killed, some even after being captured. They were targeted for refusing to sign loyalty oaths to the Confederacy. The Confederacy was a group of southern states that separated from the United States during the American Civil War. Most of the people who died are buried at the monument's site. This monument was the first place ever allowed to fly the American flag at half-mast forever. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The Fight for Freedom

In 1862, during the American Civil War, the Confederate States of America took strict control over Central Texas. This was because many people there did not support the Confederacy. They wanted to stay loyal to the United States (the Union).

A man named Jacob Kuechler helped 61 people try to escape to Mexico. These people were "conscientious objectors." This means they refused to fight in the war because of their beliefs. A Confederate group called Duff's Partisan Rangers chased them. They caught up with them at the Nueces River.

Thirty-four people were killed in this event, known as the Nueces massacre. Some were even executed after they had been taken prisoner. Jacob Kuechler managed to survive. This cruel event shocked people in nearby areas like Gillespie County. About two thousand people fled to the hills to escape the violence.

Building the Monument

On August 19, 1865, three men named Eduard Degener, Eduard Steves, and William Heuermann bought a piece of land in Comfort. They paid $20 for it. Their goal was to build a monument to remember those who died. The bodies of those who drowned in the massacre were never found. However, local people found the bodies of the other victims. They buried them together in a large grave on the land bought by Degener, Steves, and Heuermann.

On August 20, 1865, a funeral was held in Comfort for the massacre victims. Three hundred people attended. Soldiers from the Union army were also there. They fired a salute over the mass grave to honor the dead. Edward Degener, whose two sons Hugo and Hilmar died in the massacre, gave a powerful speech.

The Treue der Union monument, with the flag flying at half-mast.

People from the local area and families of the victims donated money. With these donations, the Treue der Union Monument was officially opened on August 10, 1866. It stands in Kendall County. The monument is an obelisk, which is a tall, four-sided stone pillar. It is twenty feet tall and made from local limestone. Local stonemasons and carvers built it.

The main part of the obelisk weighs 35,700 pounds. The top section holds the original four stone tablets with names on them. The United States flag from 1865, with thirty-six stars, is shown on the monument. These stars represent the number of states in the Union when the monument was dedicated. At the base of the monument, there are four stone tablets with names written in German. A time capsule is hidden inside the monument's second level.

In 1994, the Comfort Heritage Foundation helped restore the monument. A stonemason from Boerne, Karl H. Kuhn, did the restoration work.

Names Honored on the Monument

This table lists the names of those who died and are remembered on the Treue der Union Monument.