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Michael has a BA in History & American Studies and an MSc in American History from the University of Edinburgh. He comes from a proud military family and has spent most of his career as an educator in the Middle East and Asia. His passion is travel, and he seizes any opportunity to share his experiences in the most immersive way possible, whether at sea or on the land.

Gillespie County, Texas

    Henry Meier and his son, Henry Jr., who lived on the line of Gillespie and Kendall county, and who were driving a heavily loaded wagon drawn by five yoke of oxen, started to the home of Hen. Heiligmann, who lived on the Guadalupe River, about nineteen miles southeast of Comfort, and fifteen miles northeast of Boerne. Hen. Heiligmann was a son-in-law of Meier, who was going for a load of cypress timber to be made into shingles. Hen Meier and his son drove about seventeen miles the first day and camped for the night. The next morning the father sent the son to the home of Hen. Heiligmann to notify him to meet Mr. Meier where the timber was to be cut. But Henry Jr. had only gone about 500 yards when he heard his father scream. So he hurried back, and discovered his father was being slain by the savages. The son then hurried on to the home of his brother-in-law for relief. Mr. Meier was shot with several arrows, stripped, but not scalped, and his death occurred July 20, 1866.

    Note: Author corresponded with Henry Meier, Jr., mentioned above, also interviewed surviving old settlers mentioned in two preceding sections.

The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell.

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