Born in Braunschweig, Germany, to Frau von Huellesen, Arthur Meerscheidt (1827-1887) served as captain of the 60th infantry battalion in the Hungarian army. He retired honorably in 1849, after fleeing Austria during the Hungarian uprising against the Hapsburg Empire in 1848, and immigrated to Texas in 1850. There, he married Lina von Rosenberg and began farming. Later, he served as a postmaster in LaGrange, Texas and eventually became a lawyer.
The Arthur Meersheidt Family Papers, 1844-1896, [ca. 1941], include correspondence from among the Meersheidt family members, family photographs, a scrapbook of German poems and German cartoons. The letters, both transcripts and originals, describe Arthur Meersheidt’s early life in Austria, journey to the United States, impressions of Texas and accounts of Civil War experiences. Materials are in German and English.
This collection is open for research use.
Arthur Meerscheidt Papers, 1844-1896, ca. 1941, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s