To secure additional land for the colony, their leader, John O. Meusebach, rode into the Indian hunting lands with a small party. After making peace with the Wacos, the party continued farther north to deal with the Comanches.

 John O. Meusebach

 After much negotiation, on March 2, 1847, the Comanche chief signed a treaty which opened more than 3,000,000 acres beyond the San Saba River for German colonization. This treaty is often cited as one of the very few treaties between Europeans and Indians that were always honored by both parties.

“The negotiations began with the peace pipe... Herr von Meusebach told the chiefs the following: He had come with his people on the peace path to view the land and greet them as friends... One of the chiefs replied with great dignity as follows: The hearts of his people had been alarmed when they had seen so many strange people... But now, since they were assured that they had come as friends... all was well.”    Ferdinand Roemer, 1846