Edward Degener
| Edward Degener | |
|---|---|
| San Antonio City Council | |
| In office 1872–1878 | |
| United States Congressman Texas 4th Congressional District | |
| In office 1870–1871 | |
| Preceded by | District Created |
| Succeeded by | John Hancock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 20, 1809 Brunswick, Germany |
| Died | September 11, 1890 (aged 80) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
Edward Degener (October 20, 1809 – September 11, 1890) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Texas during Reconstruction.
Biography
Born in Brunswick, Germany, Degener pursued an academic course in Germany and in England. He was twice a member of the legislative body in Anhalt-Dessau and was a member of the first German National Assembly at Frankfurt-am-Main in 1848.[1]
He immigrated to the United States in 1850 and settled in Sisterdale, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio, with its burgeoning German immigrant population. Degener engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Civil War
During the Civil War, civilian Degener was arrested by the Confederate States Army and charged with being "a dangerous and seditious person and an enemy to the government."[2] Degener had allegedly criticized the Confederacy, corresponded with alleged enemies of same, and failed to report known Union sympathizers. Degener pled not guilty. His legal counsel challenged the legal authority of the military, and the charge of sedition, which was not a crime legally recognized by the government. Found guilty anyway, he was ordered to post a bond of $5,000 that he would be loyal to the Confederacy.
Degener's sons Hugo and Hilmar died during the Nueces massacre. To honor their memory, Degener along with Eduard Steves and William Heuermann, purchased land for the establishment of the German-language Treue der Union Monument, which became part of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Texas November 29, 1978.[3]
Politics
Degener served as member of the Texas constitutional conventions in 1866 and 1868, and served on the Committee for Immigration along with fellow committee members Julius Scheutze, H.H. Foster, George W. Smith, Erwin Wilson, John Morse and Stephen Curtis (the lone black man on the committee).[4]
Upon the readmission of the State of Texas to representation was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first Congress and served from March 31, 1870, to March 3, 1871. Degener was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress.
He served as member of the city council of San Antonio, Texas from 1872 to 1878.
Death
Edward Degener died in San Antonio on September 11, 1890. He was interred in the San Antonio City Cemetery No. 1.[5]
Sources
- Edward Degener at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association.
References
- ↑ Hooker, Anne W. "Edward Degener". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
- ↑ Davis, William C (2003). Look Away! A History of the Confederate States of America. Free Press. pp. 172, 173. ISBN 978-0-7432-3499-3.
- ↑ "National Register of Historic Places-Kendall Co, Tx". U.S. Dept. of Interior, the National Park Service. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ↑ Rozek, Barbara J (2003). Come to Texas: Attracting Immigrants 1865-1919. TAMU. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-58544-267-6.
- ↑ Edward Degener at Find a Grave
External links
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by District Created |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 4th congressional district March 31, 1870–March 3, 1871 |
Succeeded by John Hancock |
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.