H. W. (Henry W.) Graber

Born in 1841 and later known as H. W. Graber, he wrote The Life Record of H. W. Graber: A Terry Texas Ranger, 1861–1865; Sixty-Two Years in Texas, first published in 1916. Project Gutenberg identifies him as Henry W. Graber and dates him 1841–1917.

His memoir recounts early memories of life in Germany before moving to Texas, the loss of his parents, and the responsibilities he took on as the oldest sibling. It goes on to describe work, frontier hardships, and his service during the American Civil War, giving readers a personal view of both military life and everyday survival in nineteenth-century Texas.

Today, Graber is remembered mainly through that memoir, which remains valuable as a firsthand narrative of immigration, settlement, and Confederate service in the West. Rather than writing as a polished literary figure, he comes across as a witness to the events he lived through, which gives his account much of its appeal.