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The Nueces massacre was a violent confrontation between Confederate soldiers and German Texans [1] on August 10, 1862 in Kinney County, Texas. Buildup to this event began in the spring of 1862 with the initiation of a Confederate conscription for Texans, to which many German Texans voiced their objection. [2]. In Texas the most adamant supporters of the Union were Tejanos and the German Texans from both Central Texas [3] and the counties of the Texas Hill Country [4]: Gillespie[5], Kerr, Kendall, Medina, and Bexar [6]. As word spread of these counties' objections, Confederate authorities declared them to be in a state of rebellion and sent soldiers to quell them [7]. At this time many German Texans of both regions decided to flee to Mexico. By August, a party of 61 German Texans from the Hill Country counties, who had plans to flee to Mexico, were overtaken by the Texas Confederate cavalrymen on the Nueces River. Shots were fired and as a result 34 German Texans were killed, some being executed upon capture [8]. The Germans from Central Texas were fortunate to avoid such a violent end. They managed to complete their flight to Mexico City under the leadership of Paul Machemehl of Austin County. [9]
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