Herman Ehrenberg

Herman Ehrenberg (October 17, 1816 – October 9, 1866) was a German surveyor who later served as a Texian soldier. He was one of the few survivors of the Goliad massacre. During his escape, he purportedly yelled, "The Republic of Texas forever!" which popularized the catchphrase "Texas forever!"

A native of Germany, Ehrenberg joined the military volunteer unit the New Orleans Greys and fought against Mexico in the Texas Revolution. His memoirs of the Revolution were published in Germany in the 1840s and translated into English in the 20th century.

Ehrenberg created the first map of the Gadsden Purchase. Ehrenberg, Arizona, is his namesake.

Early life Ehrenberg's early life is the subject of some discussion. According to historian James Crisp, "the majority of what has been published about him consisted of misinformation". A frequently repeated story is that Ehrenberg was the son of William von Ehrenberg, an official at the royal court of Frederick William III. In this version, which is supported by historian H. W. Brands but which Crisp maintains has "not a shred of evidence to suggest that [it] is true", Ehrenberg later attended the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, where he became involved in protests against the government.

An alternative theory, held by historians Carlos Castaneda, Clarence Wharton, and Natalie Ornish, is that Ehrenberg was Jewish. This is based primarily on hearsay from Barry Goldwater, whose grandfather was a close friend of Ehrenberg.

Crisp and Ornish agree that Hermann Vollrath Ehrenberg was born on October 17, 1816, in Steuden, Prussia. His birth and his baptism three days later, were recorded in a local Lutheran Church. Ehrenberg was one of three sons of Johann and Sophie Ehrenberg. His brothers were Emil and Friedrich (d. 1832).

Texas Revolution

Ehrenberg arrived in New Orleans in October 1835. The city was abuzz with news of the newly declared Texas Revolution. All of the local papers and many of the residents supported the actions of the American settlers in Texas against the government of Mexico. On October 11, Adolphus Sterne organized a rally in support of the Texians. Ehrenberg attended the rally, which collected over $10,000 for the volunteer troops. Ehrenberg claimed to be the third person to volunteer for the Greys, and he was most likely the youngest member.

The Greys were divided into two companies. Ehrenberg was assigned to one led by Captain Thomas H. Breece. His group took a steamboat up the river to Natchitoches, Louisiana, where they prepared to enter Mexican Texas. The United States was officially neutral in the conflict, and President Andrew Jackson had publicly ordered that no armed men be allowed to cross the border. The Greys were cautious and crossed without incident.

Siege of Bexar The Greys joined the Texian Army outside San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio, Texas). The Texians had laid siege to the city, trapping Mexican General Martin Perfecto de Cos and his troops. On December 5, the Texians attacked. Ehrenberg's company followed the San Antonio River into town and made their way to the central square. As they neared the square, Mexican soldiers opened fire. Ehrenberg and several others entered a stone guardhouse which soon bore the brunt of fire from Mexican artillery.

Unwilling to return to the streets, where there was no cover, Texians began fighting from house to house. Ehrenberg's small group exchanged fire with forces on the other side of the street. One of Ehrenberg's companions was seriously wounded by one before they realized neither group contained Mexican soldiers. Determined to join forces again, the men dug a trench to allow for safe passage from one house to the other. Cos surrendered on December 11 and led his troops back to the Mexican interior.

Matamoros Expedition Ehrenberg was assigned to the Texian garrison at the Alamo Mission. He scouted the area around the mission, looking for provisions for the soldiers. No Mexican troops remained in Texas, and many garrison members became bored. James Grant and Frank W. Johnson were lobbying the provisional government to authorize an invasion of the Mexican interior. Many of the Greys, including Ehrenberg, left the Alamo on December 30 to join the Matamoros Expedition.

The expedition was soon the subject of much political turmoil. The governing council and the interim governor disagreed on who should lead the troops, and the governor soon dismissed the council, which impeached the governor. It was unclear who was in charge of the expedition - Grant, Johnson, or Colonel James W. Fannin.

Battle of Coleto Most of the troops, including Ehrenberg, heeded Houston's plea and returned to Goliad under Fannin, while Johnson and Grant took several dozen troops to continue preparing for a potential invasion. They were confronted by Urrea's troops that evening, and the Battle of Coleto commenced. On March 20, Fannin began negotiations for surrender. This almost caused a mutiny, as the soldiers had heard rumors that Mexican troops had killed Texian troops who attempted to surrender after the Battle of the Alamo several weeks previously and were worried that they would meet the same fate.

None of the Mexican officers spoke English, and none of the Texians spoke Spanish. When it was discovered that Mexican Captain Juan Jose Holzinger spoke German, Ehrenberg was asked to conduct the parley on behalf of the Texians. Fannin conceded all arms, while Urrea agreed to expel the men from Texas, provided they all promised not to take up arms against the present government of Mexico. Ehrenberg later admitted this was an easy promise to make, as no one expected the same government to be in power the following year. As a German citizen, Ehrenberg was invited to join the Mexican Army with no consequences, but he declined. A week later, the Texians were divided into groups and marched from the barracks. Ehrenberg was in a group marched towards the San Antonio River. Mexican soldiers opened fire at point-blank range. Ehrenberg was not wounded in the first volley. In the confusion, he fell to the ground and crawled toward the river. He suffered a small wound from a sword before jumping off the banks to the river below. According to Ehrenberg, after he reached the safety of the opposite bank, he "looked back at the place where my friends lay bleeding to death. The enemy was still shooting and yelling, and it was with a sorrowful heart that I listened to these shouts of triumph which in my fancy were mingled with the groans of pain of my dying friends." Ehrenberg was one of only a handful of men to survive the Goliad Massacre.

1836–1854 Ehrenberg returned to Germany and enrolled at Freiburg University to study mining. In May 1845, he sailed from Oregon to Hawaii on the brig Chenamus. Within several months, the Hawaiian government hired him to survey the streets of Honolulu.

For the next two years, Ehrenberg likely operated a schooner, Louise, which brought goods from La Paz in Baja California Territory to Hawaii. For at least part of that time, Ehrenberg lived in La Paz. Some historians, such as Ornish, maintain that in 1846 and 1847, Ehrenberg sailed to Tahiti and several other Polynesian islands.

Arizona In January 1854, California residents learned that the Gadsden Purchase had been completed. Charles Poston recruited prospectors, including Ehrenberg, to travel to the new area and see what mining opportunities existed in the region. The group intended to sail aboard the Zoraida to Guaymas, Mexico, then travel overland to Tucson. The Zoraida was shipwrecked just off the coast of Mexico, and Ehrenberg and his comrades were stranded on a small island with fresh water and wild cattle. The men constructed a raft and sailed to the mainland, where they continued on their journey. They were briefly imprisoned when Mexican authorities mistook them for filibusters following William Walker in trying to take Baja California.

The group reached Tubac, Arizona, and soon gathered gold, silver, and copper samples. Much of this was likely acquired from other miners. The site eventually became the town of Yuma; Ehrenberg saw no profit from it.

Ehrenberg contributed to Mining Magazine, the Journal of Geology, and Arizona Weekly. Grand Canyon National Park includes a summit named Ehrenberg Peak, and the town of Mineral City, Arizona, was renamed Ehrenberg after his death.