COMFORT pop. 1,660 alt 1,437

Established by German settlers 1854. Wearied by their journey from New Braunfels, the small group was so pleased by the picturesque site and pure water that they named it "Camp Comfort." With its abundance of vintage structures, much of the midtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today a popular tourist area with numerous camps along the Guadalupe River operated by various civic organizations. Visitors enjoy fishing, swimming and camping during summer months, hunting during fall and winter; interesting shops and art gallery year round.

A historical marker recognizes the 1930 art deco Comfort Theater, scene of live theater and the "Hill Country Opry."

Treue der Union Monument -

The Germans who settled here abhorred the idea of slavery and supported Governor Sam Houston's opposition to secession. When the Civil War started some openly expressed their loyalty to the Union and refused to sign the individual "oath of allegiance" to the Confederacy. This led to open hostility and harassment that included pillaging and burning of farms by Confederate supporters. In August 1862, a group of German settlers from the area around Comfort decided to escape through Mexico and join the Union forces.

About 65 men headed south. They didn't realize they were being followed by a Confederate cavalry unit. They were surprised at their camp on the Nueces River. Nineteen settlers were killed in the battle and another 15 were captured and executed. The rest escaped, either to Mexico or back to the Comfort area. The bodies were left unburied.

After the war, relatives, friends, and some of the survivors, who had escaped to fight with the Union and returned, gathered the bones of the victims and buried them in a common grave in Comfort. In 1866 they erected this monument in tribute to the men who were true to the Union. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. With the exception of those in national cemeteries, it is believed to be the only monument to the Union in a former Confederate state.

 

 

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