Friedrich Paul Schmidt, commonly known as "Paul," son of Friedrich Gottlob and Wilhelmine Ullrich, was born February 22, 1837, in Frankenhausen, Schwarzburg, and died December 26, 1921, at Smithville.

Paul was nine years old when his parents immigrated to Texas and must have found the journey quite an adventure in spite of the hardships travelers faced in those days. He grew up in Seguin and probably received his schooling there. Other than being listed in the 1850 census with his parents, his name does not appear in the public records of Seguin during this period of his life. It is interesting to note he is listed as "Powell" on the 1850 census, indicating the way "Paul" was pronounced.

After the family moved to Comal County, Paul appears on the tax rolls in 1860 when his father and he were jointly taxed for 37 cows and 150 acres of land. On August 30, 1860, he registered a mark and brand in New Braunfels (page 420 #55).

On February 23, 1861, Comal County voted 239 to 86 for Secession from the United States. Later that same year, Paul enlisted in Henry McCullough's Regiment of Cavalry, serving about 12 months.

In August 1862 Paul enlisted in Company K, 3rd Regiment, Texas Infantry under Captain Julius Bose and was enrolled at Camp Terry on Colorado, eight miles south of Austin and two miles above the mouth of Onion Creek. He remained with this unit until he was paroled on September 2, 1865, at New Braunfels.

Paul Schmidt received his parole at New Braunfels, as did other soldiers and officers of the Confederate Army. The men were probably glad to get back to a normal life.

You can view grandfather Paul's military page at http://trees.ancestry.com/view/Military.aspx?tid=6838&pid=-2145858913&pg=32768&vid=6bd79aa4-6e46-4580-86d0-6d74c7ef64c6&pt=1

In 1914 Paul was granted a pension (#28887) by the State of Texas for his service and continued to draw the pension until he died.

After the war, Paul returned home and engaged in farming. On December 31, 1866, he was married to Miss Auguste Leitsch by the Reverend August Schuchard, pastor of what is now the First Protestant Church (Church of Christ) in New Braunfels. The marriage was recorded in the church and county records. The old church record books are still held by the church, but a four-volume, indexed, typewritten transcript entitled Kirchenuch der Protestantischen Gemeinde Neu Braunfels, Texas is deposited in the University of Texas Archives in Austin. The transcript was made in 1938 and 1939 as part of the WPA historical records work project.

August Leitsch was born in Tegwitz, Saxe Altenburg, on December 10 (or possibly the 12), 1849, and came to Texas with her parents about 1852. She died at Rosanky on January 9, 1930, and is buried beside her husband.

By 1869 Paul was taxed for 10 horses, 24 cows, and 80 sheep. He also paid a poll tax that year but was not taxed for land. As previously shown, he and his young family were living with his parents in 1870, and it was during that same year that his father transferred 150 acres of the E. Dale survey to Paul. This portion of land probably included the house.

Paul and Auguste continued to live near New Braunfels until about 1878 when they bought 160 acres in Guadalupe County. They sold this land in 1882 (Deed Book U-447), but purchased 100 acres from Philip Alston on December 28, 1883, out of the Patrick Lynch League in Guadalupe County on the Sandies Creek about 25 miles from the town of Gonzales (Deek Book 1-350).

On November 27, 1882, Paul Schmidt, a resident of Guadalupe County registered a brand and mark (p 163).

The land on the Sandies Creek was sold o November 20, 1889 (Deed Book 6-48), ut they continued to live in the county until after 1893 when Paul was assessed taxes on a wagon, six horses, 10 cows, and seven hogs. He paid a poll tax but was not taxed for land.

On July 20, 1896, Paul bought 150 acres of land in Bastrop County in the S.H. Reid survey, about 24 miles south of the town of Bastrop, near present String Prairie (Bastrop County Deed Book 35, page 353). Here he farmed and taught school. He paid taxes on the land in 1897 and 1898, and still owned the land when he died in 1921 when it was listed in his inventory as community property, 150 acres, part of the R.H. Reid survey and valued at $1500.00.

He had a written will on December 7, 1908, and it was probated on November 18, 1922. It was recorded in Minute Book N, page 466, Bastrop County, Texas estate #1478.

According to the 1920 Federal Population Census Schedule, neither Paul or Augusta were naturalized citizens.