About our Family

In his early adulthood, Botzong was a maker of cloth and a weaver in Edenkoben, Germany. He was also a ‘presser’ in Hanau, Germany. It was here that he joined with Proli, the founder of the Germantown colony. Proli (self proclaimed Count of Leon) was arrested in Germany because he used religion to defraud others and because he was plotting a revolution. Frederick Botzong was a witness for Proli at his trial in Germany. He had come to Proli in destitute circumstances and was supported by Proli. Grand Duke Ludwig II stopped the trial with the understanding that Proli and his followers would leave his Duchy. Botzong signed on with Proli as a servant as this was a common way to pay for passage to the New World. 

 

From “Maximilian Proli, Profet of Offenbach” published in Germany in 1922 by Fritz Herrmann:

“Among those from the outside having connections to Proli who were pointed out and who testified were… Friedrich Botzong, 42 years old, evangelical, born near St. Lambrecht in the vicinity of Neustadt, earlier a cloth maker (weaver) in Edenkoben. For 10 years, he had been a presser in Hanau in very reduced circumstances. Thus, he came to Proli and is supported by him.”

 

Wilhelm Teutsch lived in Edenkoben also and it was because of Teutsch’s influence that Botzong became one of Proli’s followers. They apparently were good friends. Teutsch moved from Edenkoben to Oberrad (a suburb of Offenbach) in 1822. It is probable that Botzong moved at the same time. It is strange that records of this remain and the records of the testimony at the trial do not.”

 

From “Fragments of A Dream” by Rita Moore Krouse, Copyright 1962 by Rita Moore Krouse, Leader Press, Ruston, LA:

 

“Friederick Botzong and Fredricka Botzong signed a covenant as two of the establishers of the New Philadelphian Congregation on March 21, 1832. “The words of the Communal Pledge were formally inscribed in a large handwritten book bearing the superscription ‘Constitution and Laws of the New Philadelphian Congregation.’ This book seems to have been intended as a repository of the inmost secrets of the community–a sort of sacred book, and its preparation must have entailed much labor and expense. The text is written in beautifully precise, old-fashioned German script on folio-sized sheets of sheepshik, or vellum. 

 

“Along with other appurtenances of Count Leon’s theocratic rules, this volume of the law was all but forgotten after the break-up of the community. It was preserved for a time in the home of Philip Krouse in Germantown, but like other treasures of the colony, it passed casually from hand-to-hand until in some way it finally was given to the Library of Congress in Washington, where it is today.

 

“Having thus cut his ties with the past, Leon took his people to Bremen, where the chartered sailing vessel, Isabella, commanded by a Captain Meyer, was waiting for them. The passenger list for the voyage has been found in the federal archives…” 

 

Assuming the New Philadelphian Congregation was signed after they got to Philadelphia, records show the Isabella made a trip from Bremen and landed in New York on September 5, 1831 (15-243 microfilm roll, National Archives).

 

The name on the ship’s log showed “Pozong”, a phonetic pronunciation and he was listed as a servant, aged 30. A family legend states the recorder wrote the name as it sounded. Another family legend said the quill failed to make the bottom loop on ‘B’ on the log when he signed it.

 

Count Leon’s party spent the winter of 1831 in the colony of Economy, a commune established by George Rapp in Pennsylvania. Count Leon and George Rapp became embroiled in a legal dispute and it was agree that Leon and his followers would leave Harmony in the spring. Count Leon enlisted the support of several hundred Harmonists who left the colony with him. Count Leon’s group started the colony of Philipsburg, but the dispute between Rapp and Leon continued in the courts. It was decided Count Leon would move his group and establish a new colony away from Pennsylvania. They left Philipsburg on September 1, 1833, and traveled down to the Red River on long flat boats. These boats were 40 feet long, 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep. They came down the Ohio River, down the Mississippi River, up the Red River to Grand Ecore, Louisiana seeking a new Jerusalem on the same latitude as Jerusalem in Palestine. This boat ride took five months. Leon and his colony reached Grand Ecore on February 4, 1834.

 

The colony was hit by an epidemic of what was assumed Yellow Fever in the summer of 1834. The epidemic cost many of the settlers their lives, among them Count Leon, who died August 29, 1834. The followers changed the name of the town to Gethsemane and took on several new members in November of 1834. 

 

In the spring of 1835, the river flooded causing the banks of the river to erode. This collapsed several of the houses and killed many of the settlers. It also washed away many of the homes built on the low banks of the river and the cemetery where they had buried Leon. The Countess, Elisa Leon, sought out higher ground and was granted land in Claiborne Parish, now Webster parish. She booked passage on the boat “Charleston” with Captain Ruth Edwards in July of 1836. They landed at Allen’s Landing on Dorcheat Bayou and there, some new names were added to the Colony.

 

Thus, Germantown, Claiborne Parish, was established. This colony existed in the red hills of Louisiana from 1836 until 1871. It disbanded in 1871 when the Countess Elizabeth von Leon left and went to live with a married daughter, Mrs. Schardt, in Bastrop, Louisiana. She later moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she died and is buried.

 

The 1840 census lists only one name at Germantown, John Bopp. All the rest are in age groups. If the 1850 census (which names and gives the age of everyone at Germantown) is used, it is easy to see the Teutsch families and their friends, the Botzongs, are not at the colony. Frederick and his family didn’t settle in the Germantown colony. Rather, they homesteaded property near the colony. Their home served as a refuge for settlers who didn’t want to abide by the strict religious laws of the colony.

 

Frederick helped many get their start on a new life. In 1838 and 1839, Frederick was issued 75 and 63/100 acres at $1.25 per acre. He was issued receipt No. 111 for $94.54. By this time, his son, Charles George Frederick Botzong, had been born. 

 

The first census George Frederick appeared on was the 1850 census. Much like today, there was confusion on the spelling of the name and his family was listed as “Bodzong”. The census lists:

 

– Frederick, 69 year old male, occupation Planter, 300 acres, from Germany.

– Frederick (sic) 44 year old male (sic), no occupation, from Germany.

– Charles, 11 year old male, from Louisiana and in school.

– Emma, 9 year old female, from Louisiana and in school.

– Mary, 50 year old female, from Germany.

 

From the 1850 census on, Georg Frederich transacted all his business as George Frederick Botzong. In the 1850’s, he acquired more land. On November 29, 1851, he purchased 23 acres from Morris Miller. On February 1, 1853, he purchases 18 acres from Elkins T. Jones. On July 6, 1853, he buys 37 and 82/100 acres. 

 

On August 31, 1854, Michael Reiff gave Frederick Botzong the SE quarter of Section 18, Township 20, Range 8, all of his hogs, his pony, and all of his farming equipment. In exchange, Frederick promises “lodging, boarding and furnishing with all the necessaries of life”.

 

By 1859, father and son have 447 and 55/100 acres of land. The following entry appeared on the 1860 US Census rolls – Flat Lick Post Office, taken August 2, 1860. Census lists the following:

 

– GF Botzong, 79 year old male, occupation Farmer, 15.00 acres, value of assets $1,000.

  Place of birth: “E”. From other entries above, E looks like an abbreviation for Europe.

– F Botzong, 55 year old female, no occupation, place of birth: “Inda”.

– GCF Botzong, 21 year old male, occupation Farmer, place of birth: LA

– E Botzong, 19 year old female, place of birth: LA

– RF Botzong, 5 year old female, place of birth: LA

– GF Botzong, 3/12 year old male, place of birth: LA

– Emma, 19 year old female, place of birth: LA (his sister?)

– Mary Foread, 65 year old female born in Europe

– CF Ranier, 50 year old male, occupation “md”, place of birth: LA

 

No listing was found in the 1870 census for the Botzong family.

 

From a letter dated April 1, 1990 from Anette Schneider, Kaiserslautern, Germany: “Mr. Alfred Kuby from Edenkoben sent an interesting remark to your family history which he found in the “Burgerbuch Edenkoben” from the year 1813. In this year, Friedrich Botzong and his wife Karolina Piersene lived in Edenkoben at Tanzgasse 96 and they went to Hanau in 1820. But they did not have children.”