The man known in Texas as Dr. Friedrich Schubbert claimed to be of royal descent and was born Frédéric Armand Strubberg on March 18, 1806, in Kassel, Hesse, Germany.

Strubberg grew up in a house of wealth and privilege, groomed for a career in the mercantile business.

Strubberg made his first voyage to the United States as a representative of the mercantile houses, stopping at Niagara Falls in 1828, and returning home to Hesse in 1829.

Upon receiving his diploma, Strubberg visited Memphis, Tennessee and purchased a stallion, which he rode to Texas.

When he returned to the banks of the Leona, he was accompanied by three other men, re-entering Texas from Shreveport, Louisiana and across Caddo Lake.

[11] When John O. Meusebach succeeded Prince Solms as Commissioner-General of the Adelsverein, he followed advice from Henry Fisher and in June 1846 appointed Strubberg to lead colonists into what became known as Fredericksburg.

[14] Without authorization from Meusebach, Strubberg led an armed group of colonists into Comanche territory.

Shawnee scouts reported seeing 40,000 to 60,000 Kickapoo at the Llano River, and Strubberg's group retreated to Fredericksburg.

After Hermann Spiess succeeded Meusebach as Commissioner-General of the Adelsverein, he engaged Strubberg in a gunfight on October 28, 1847, while trying to oust him from the plantation.

[19] A freak accident in 1854, with an insect sting to his eye, brought his return to Europe for medical treatments.

A non-fatal duel with a romantic rival for her affections coincided with Strubberg's departure for his first journey to the United States.

[23] His sister Emilie with whom he had been living died in late January or early February 1876 (buried Febr.