Heinrich ging in Köln zur Schule und besuchte ab dem 16. Lebensjahr die Privatakademy der Stadt Düsseldorf. Und trat in die Rifle Legion ein, in der auch der Vater war. Er wurde Hauptmann. Dann erhielt er den Posten des Chef Ingenieurs der Preußischen Prinz Wilhelm Eisenbahn im Bereich Berg und Mark.

1848 nahm er aktiv an der Revolution gegen Absolutismus und Feudalismus teil. Er wurde zum Hauptmann gewählt und erhielt einen Militärstützpunkt. Er wurde Gesandter für das Frankfurter Parlament und das Abgeordneten Haus in Berlin. Er nahm an den Kämpfen teil. In diese Zeit fiel auch seine Eheschließung. Er entzog sich mit seiner Frau der Verhaftung und erreichte über Rotterdam und Le Havre im Herbst 1849 New Orleans.

Von dort zog er weiter nach Indianola und von da zum San Antonio River und kaufte 500 acres Land, gegenüber der Mission von Espade, 9 Meilen südlich von San Antonio. Er begann mit Schafzucht der Sachsen-Schafe, die er mitgebracht hatte, zusammen mit John H. Herndon aus Velasco.

1853 zog er mit Schafen und Rindern nach Fort Lincoln, in Medina County, 50 Meilen Westlich von San Antonio. 2 Jahre blieb er dort, bei dem Kommandanten Major Longstreet, später General der Conföderation. In der Nähe kaufte er 500 acres Land und eröffnete die erste Poststation westlich von Castroville, an der D`Hanes Siedlung. Dort war er bis zum Beginn des Bürgerkrieges leader of the citizen scouts for protection from the bloody inroads of the savages.

Zu Beginn des Bürgerkrieges war er für ein Jahr Friedensrichter und dann erster Richter des Medina County.

1861 wurde der Schwager von Heinrich von Indianern getötet.

1861 wurde Richarz vom Gouverneur im Rang eines Majors eingesetzt, “commanding the independent Battalion of 1^st Texas Mounted Home Guards of Medina County”. In erster Linie bekämpfte er Indianer, bis 1870. Nach dem Krieg auch irregulär und ohne staatliche Unterstützung als so genannte “Minute Men“. Die Staate Police, oft Schwarze, waren seiner Meinung nach unfähig: “Indians would drive off horses in sight of their camps.“

1870 gründete Texas das Frontier Battalion, kommandiert von Major John B. Jones, die wieder von jedem Texas Ranger genannt wurden. Richarz wurde Captain “E“ Company, stationiert in Ford Inge, am Leona River, 4 Meilen südlich von dem Ort Uvalde. Company E Capt. H. J. Richarz (September 1870 - April 1872 - Ft. Inge, Uvalde County)

Die Anweisung von General Reynolds, auch Seminolen Krieger unter Kommando zu nehmen, lehnte er ab, weil er sie aus eigener Erfahrung nicht für zuverlässig hielt und befürchtete, dass sie einen schlechten Einfluß auf die anderen Männer hätten. Zu seinen Männern gehörten auch die Sergants Eckford und Dr. Woodbridge.

Nach erfolgreichen Gefechten, auch am Rio Grande, erhielt Cpt. Richarz den Auftrag zwei weitere Kompanien aufzustellen.

Später war Captain Richarz als Richter tätig und betrieb seine Farm und Rinderzucht. He served one term as representative of the Fifty-second district in the Legislature.

Im Alter wurde er schwerhörig, aber konnte immer sehr gut sehen. Er verbrachte seinen Lebensabend auf einem romantischen Anwesen, mit Obstgarten, am Westufer des Seco, am Fuße der Hügel.

Capt. H. J. Richarz (engl.)

Among the pioneers of West Texas who deserve a place in Texas history is Capt. H. J. Richarz, one of the gallant men who led the famous Texas rangers against the savages on the frontier, and stood between these painted demons and the hearthstones of the pioneers.

Captain Richarz was born in 1822 on his father's estate, near Cologne, on the Rhine, being at this writing (December, 1898) 76 years of age. His father was second burgomaster and head of the municipality of the town of Ella, having now a population of 4000 souls; also for a number of years head administrator of Castle House, Ella, the residence of the late Princess Louise of Prussia, and up to his death in 1886, at the age of 92 years, honorary president of the War Veterans' Volunteer Rifles of 1813 and 1815. He was also knight of the Order of the Crown of Prussia, an order for meritorious service from the king of Prussia and the duke of Saxe-Coburg.

Captain Richarz was the eldest son and received a liberal education, first in the town school, and until the age of 16 years at a private academy in the city of Dusseldorf. At the age of 16 years Captain Richarz joined the same volunteer rifle legion in which his father served through the wars of the allies against Napoleon, and after serving his time out and being three times promoted, quit and took a confidential position as "commissar" of the chief engineer of the Prince Wilhelm Railroad, in the Prussian district of Berg and Mark. In 1848 he took an active part in the revolution against the absolution and feudal system, having been elected and commissioned as captain of a camp of militia and twice as elector for the representative of the Frankfurt Parliament and House of Representants in Berlin. He also took an active part in the bloody struggles that followed, and in the meantime married.

The merciless, reactionary monarchical side being victorious, Captain Richarz chose to go into voluntary exile, rather than to be fusilladed or imprisoned for years in a military fortress. He evaded the civil and military officers, had his property sold to a younger brother, and arrived safely in Rotterdam. He embarked at Havre, France, and arrived in New Orleans in the fall of 1849. The voyage across the ocean was disastrous, especially along the coast of Africa, and they were finally shipwrecked near St. Thomas, in the Yest Indies, and had to say there two months before they could again get shipping.

From New Orleans Captain Richarz and his wife and two children went to Indianola. on the coast of Texas, and from there made their way to the San Antonio River and bought 500 acres of land opposite the mission of Espade, nine miles below the city of San Antonio. He brought with him some Saxon merino rams, which he was lucky enough to save, and commenced sheep-raising. He was the first man to import this kind of stock to Texas. In the sheep business he had a partner named John H. Herndon. of Velasco.

In 1853 he moved with sheep and cattle to Fort Lincoln, in Medina County, fifty miles west of San Antonio. The fort was situated on the Secco Creek, about two miles from the old town of D'Hanis. Captain Richarz here occupied for two years the quarters of the last commander of that station, Major Longstreet, afterwards the famous Confederate general. He purchased 500 acres of land near here, and established the first postoffice west of Castroville at the D'Hanis settlement, and acted up to the civil war as postmaster. He served one year as justice of the peace during the war, and after that as chief justice of Medina County. Up to the time of the war, Captain Richarz was the leader of the citizen scouts for protection from the bloody inroads of the savages.

In 1861 the brother-in-law of Captain Richarz was killed and scalped by the Indians.

In 1861 he was commissioned by the Governor as major commanding the independent battalion of mounted home guards of Medina County. Part of this force was always placed in camp along the extreme frontier line, and kept scouts constantly out trailing and fighting the Indians wherever they could come upon them. Captain Richarz succeeded in those times in checking to some extent the inroads of the savages and taking a good deal of spoils from them. This state of irregular warfare between the Indians and the volunteer organizations lasted until 1870.

The country was really without aid from the government. The sparsely scattered garrisons of regular troops along the Rio Grande, mostly negro cavalry, were not adequate to the occasion. Captain Richarz says the Indians would drive off horses in sight of their camps.

In 1870 the State of Texas, under permit and authority from the Federal government, organized a frontier force of rangers, and Captain Richarz was given a commission as captain of E company, to be stationed at Fort Inge, on the Leona River, four miles below the town of Uvalde, and also an order from General Reynolds, of the United States army, to take the efficient warriors of the Seminole tribe of Indians under his command. The tribe at that time was under the control of United States agents, and encamped on the Rio Grande. The captain protested against this measure, and argued that he was well informed by personal observation of the unreliability of these savages and their moral degradation, and apprehending corrupting influence of his men. this plan was abandoned. Captain Richarz placed his men, carefully selected, in various camps, and only retained enough at his headquarters to make an efficient scout, and kept scouts going constantly along the Rio Grande and various parts of the imperiled frontier, and had regular communications from Laredo to the Llano River. After having some successful expeditions and fights, one of which was near the Rio Grande, Captain Richarz received command of two more companies of rangers.

The last bloody battle which the rangers under Captain Richarz had with the Indians was fought with the Kiowas and Comanches, near Carrizo Springs. The scout was commanded by Sergeant Eckford and Dr. Woodbridge. There were fourteen rangers and three citizens in the fight. The Indians numbered seventy, and fought in two lines. Eight Indians were killed, including their chief, who was fantastically adorned, and had four scalps of white women. The wounded of the Indians could not be ascertained. A ranger named Belleger, from Castroville, was killed, and Dr. Woodbridge was knocked from his horse by an Indian and severely injured. So hot was the fire the rangers ran out of cartridges and could not follow up the Indians, and had to return. The Indians at this time had invaded the frontier in three strong parties, and Captain Richarz was following another band when this battle was fought. About this time Walter Richarz, son of the captain, and Joe Riff, both rangers, were killed on the Blanco by Indians. When the bodies were found, the signs of battle showed with what desperate valor the young rangers had sold their lives. This was about the last of Indian raids on this part of the frontier.

After Captain Richarz left the frontier service he served as justice and attended to his stock and farm. Served one term as representative of the Fifty-second district in the Legislature. His hearing becoming defective, he was incapacitated from further public service, and he spent a quiet life on the west bank of the Secco, in a romantic spot near the foot of the hills, where he tended to his irrigated garden and orchard. He read the finest print without glasses, and never missed a rabbit or turkey at the distance of eighty yards with a rifle. He has a kind and friendly disposition, and had many friends. His judgment of men and things was astute, and he had a blunt way of talking and expressing himself, but his judgment was seldom at fault. He was a devoted Texan, and liberal in his views.

Find a Grave, Datenbank und Bilder (https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/71396264/henry-joseph-richarz: aufgerufen 23 Februar 2023), Gedenkstättenseite für Capt Henry Joseph Richarz (8 Sept 1823–26 Mai 1910), Gedenkstätten-ID bei Find a Grave 71396264, zitierend Richarz Cemetery, D'Hanis, Medina County, Texas, USA; Verwaltet von judylynnturner (Mitwirkender 47446693).

Henry Joseph Richarz

In dem Buch

Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas

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