by Dr. Pelham Mead

The story of the Civil War Texas Rangers and how a few fled to Brazil after the war with Frank McMullen of Texas. After disembarking from Galveston, Texas 150 Confederate citizens sailed on the brig Derby. During a storm they were shipwrecked on the island of Cuba. Fortunately, some friendly Cubans helped the Americans survive. Frank McMullen rode 30 miles to Havana to seek help from the Portuguese embassy. Finally, the Brazilian government guaranteed passage for the 150 colonists on a Steamship out of New York. The 150 colonists left Cuban and headed to New York City where they had to wait a month until the steamship arrived from Brazil. They were forced to stay in an abandoned hotel on Canal street. Their plight came to the attention of the Sisters of Charity who brought clothes and food for the southerners. Local welfare organizations in New York also pitched in with clothes and food. There was no heat or hot water in the hotel and the colonists suffered in the cold for a month before departing for Brazil.

All this is based on historical recorded facts.

A month later the Steamship, North America pulled into Rio de Janeiro bay. Frank and his colonists and a few Texas Rangers later departed for Southern Brazil where they would found a new colony of Americans called Confederodos by the Brazilians. Some colonist settled down on the rivers and others went further inland in search of Gold.

To this day several hundred Confederodos have survived in Brazil and still hold ceremonies to remember America which they left behind.