Family

He was the son of a grossherzoglich hessian politician.

Schleicher married 1856 Elizabeth Tinsley Howard. The married couple had 7 children.

Life

After conclusion of its education in Darmstadt, he studied engineering science and architecture at the University of pouring and worked afterwards as a civil engineer in the building of railways.

In the year 1847 belonged it and his friend Dr. Ferdinand von Herff (1820-1912) to a group of intellectual, which "„society of the forties "“, who emigrated there after Texas and Bettina (Texas) on the north bank of the Llano River (Llano County) created the noble-communist municipality, they after the authoress Bettina of Arnim designated. In this municipality they wanted to live friendship, liberty, equality "“as "„free philosophers "“after the conceptions of the communist ideal and gave themselves - freely after the slogan of the French revolution - the own slogan "„. They despised each conventional system of government.

Schleicher lost however soon its illusions: The municipality could not function, if intellectual ones constantly only discuss, but are not accustomed to have worked learn and this at all, but nevertheless sufficiently to meals not have wanted. Instead of its took up it contact to the settlers of neighbouring localities and operated a sand mill (shingle mill), which it after its arrival in Huaco jump already briefly close new brown rock (Comal County) had built and began to help as land surveyors other German settlers when defining of their Landbesitzes and acquire Landbesitz.

In the year 1850 Schleicher pulled after San Antonio (Texas) (Bexar County), where it created "„the Guadalupe Bridge company "“, which should build a toll bridge over the Guadalupe River between San Antonio and new brown rock with others. This group created also "„the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railway "“. As an engineer he took part in the building of the railway line of haven Lavaca (Calhoun County (Texas)) after San Antonio. In addition it was joint owner of a restaurant in San Antonio and member of different social and social organizations as for example in the texanischen "„singer federation "“. Schleicher is described as a large man, who danced gladly.

On 8 December 1852 he became American citizen, so that he could be also in the years 1853-1854 one the first German delegates in the texanischen house of representatives (parliament). Between 1854 and 1861 he worked again as a land surveyor of the Bexar country Districts, which covered the main area between San Antonio and El Paso (Texas). During this activity it acquired also rights at larger regions, predominantly in the Edwards' plateau.

In May 1856 he bought coming teacher and socialist, the appearing weekly German-language "„San Antonio newspaper to one from Adolph Douai (1819-1888), likewise from Germany "“, designated her in "„San Antonio state newspaper "“again and functioned at least 1859 common with its brother-in-law Heinrich Dresel, (probably) brother of the Gustav Dresel (1818-1848), as a publisher. In the same year he was also joint founder "„of the San Antonio Water company "“and 1860 "„of the Alamo college "“. From 1859 to 1861 he was besides a texanischer senator of the respected legislative period. Although Schleicher democrat was and supported before the American civil war together with SAM Houston the union, its contemporaries experienced him after splitting off of the Southern States as advocates of the secession movement. It became Captain (captain) the army and served in the engineer corps of general John Bankhead liking rudder (1807 - 1871). In this time some Forts at the Sabine built passport.

After the civil war he worked as an attorney in San Antonio. In the year 1866 he was partner "„of the Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad "“and worked again as an engineer with the building "„the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railway "“from Indianola to Cuero (DeWitt County (Texas)). It had to however only create this locality as stopover of the railroad line and moved also soon thereafter in the year 1872 even there. Without its own effort it became 1874 of the democrats as a delegate 6. Districts for the US house of representatives nominates and to 4. March 1875 into congress of US selected. It was thereby after Eduard Degener (1809-1890) one of the first ethnic Germans delegates in congress of US. Its first act as a delegate was - typically engineer - the installation of an elevator, but soon it made also as intelligent politicians a name and used themselves for the border control between Texas and Mexico. It was member of the committees for affairs of Indian, for railway and channels, in its second electoral period belonged it also to the committee for foreign affairs. Only after a heavy election campaign within the own party against John Irish country (1827-1896), it could be red-elect 1878. But on 10 January 1879 Schleicher in its office in Washington (D.C.) already died. With large Pomp and large ceremony he was carried on the American national cemetery in its hometown San Antonio to grave (section A, Grave 140).

Schleichers descendants live today in Uvalde (Texas), Uvalde County.

Honours

• After it the Schleicher County in Texas was designated.
• Also the Schleicher Bridge carries its names.

Literature

• Gustave Schleicher. Memorial Addresses on the Life and character OF Gustave Schleicher. Government Printing Office, Washington (D.C.) 1880
• Christine bulkhead: Gustavus Schleicher. A Representative OF the Early German Emigrants in Texas, west Texas Historical Association Year Book 28, 1952

Related links

• Biografie
• Congress Biografie

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