With Milam and Fannin facts for kids

Texas und Seine Revolution is a book about the Texas Revolution. It was written by Herman Ehrenberg and first published in Germany in 1843. The book was later reprinted with different titles, like Der Freiheitskampf in Texas im Jahre 1836 (1844) and Fahrten und Schicksale eines Deutschen in Texas (1845).

In 1935, an English version was published called With Milam and Fannin: Adventures of a German Boy in Texas' Revolution. This English version was changed quite a bit from the original German book.

About the Author: Herman Ehrenberg

Herman Ehrenberg was born in Germany in 1816. He moved to the United States in 1834. Soon after arriving in New Orleans in 1835, Ehrenberg joined a group of soldiers called the New Orleans Greys. He said he was one of the first to join and was probably the youngest member.

Ehrenberg fought in several battles in 1835 and 1836. He was even captured by Mexican soldiers and almost executed, but he survived. He kept a diary of his adventures, but he stopped writing in it after he escaped.

Ehrenberg left the Texian Army on June 2, 1836. He went back to Germany and studied mining at Freiburg University. Later, he taught English at the University of Halle. Sometime in the late 1830s or early 1840s, Ehrenberg wrote his story about serving in the Texas Revolution.

The Story in the Book

Both the German book and an early English translation start by describing Mexico before 1835. This part was left out of a later English version because it had strong anti-religious ideas.

The second chapter of the book describes Ehrenberg arriving in New Orleans. The city was full of news about the new Texas Revolution. On October 11, Ehrenberg went to a meeting organized by Adolphus Sterne. This meeting supported the Texians in their fight against Mexico. The very next day, Ehrenberg joined the volunteer army group known as the New Orleans Greys. They were called this because of their gray uniforms.

The Greys were split into two groups. Ehrenberg was in the group led by Captain Thomas H. Breece. He wrote about his company's trip upriver to Natchitoches, Louisiana. From there, they traveled by land to Texas.

Ehrenberg took part in the Siege of Bexar. He was briefly part of the Matamoros Expedition. Then, he joined the soldiers stationed at Goliad under James Fannin. After the Battle of Coleto, Ehrenberg helped translate during Fannin's surrender talks. When Mexican soldiers were ordered to execute the Texian prisoners at the Goliad Massacre, Ehrenberg was one of the very few who survived.

Ehrenberg wandered around the countryside for several days. He couldn't find food, so he approached some Mexican soldiers. He pretended to be a traveler from Prussia who needed protection. He traveled with the Mexican army for a few weeks. He then escaped with another Texian shortly after the Mexican army was defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21.

How the Book Was Published

German Editions

Ehrenberg's story was first published in Leipzig, Germany, in 1843. The publisher was Otto Wigand, and the book was titled Texas und Seine Revolution. It was reprinted in 1844 as Der Freiheitskampf in Texas im Jahre 1836. In 1845, it was reprinted again as Fahrten und Schicksale eines Deutschen in Texas. The words in the book stayed the same for these reprints.

English Translations

The first English translation of Ehrenberg's book was done in 1925 by Edgar William Bartholomae. This was for his master's degree at the University of Texas at Austin. Only parts of Bartholomae's translation have been published.

In the early 1930s, Charlotte Churchill found a copy of Ehrenberg's book. Churchill taught French at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, Texas. She learned that the book was not available in English, so she decided to translate it herself. She likely finished her translation in 1932. She wanted the book to be published for the 100th anniversary of the Texas Revolution.

The translation was published in 1935 by the Tardy Publishing Company. This company wanted to publish books that were good for schoolchildren. To make sure the book was suitable for kids, the publisher asked the editor, Henry Nash Smith, to clean it up. Smith removed two chapters and changed or removed words, sentences, and paragraphs. He took out all the anti-religious parts, some violent scenes, and some rude words. Ehrenberg's original ending was also replaced with a shorter summary.

After Smith finished editing, someone else added a note saying that only "unimportant details" had been removed. This made many scholars think the book was a perfect historical source, which was not what the publisher intended. Smith was upset that the book was advertised as completely accurate without mentioning the changes.

The book included drawings by Jerry Bywaters. It also had an introduction written by historian Herbert P. Gambrell. Gambrell had only two weeks to write about Ehrenberg's life. He used information from an 1880 book by Gustav Körner about important Germans in America.

With Milam and Fannin was sold to public schools in Texas. It was reprinted in 1968 by Pemberton Press.