The Voyage.
In the year 1735 a voyage across the Atlantic was a very different thing
from what it is in this year of grace 1904. To-day a mighty steamship
equipped with powerful engines, plows its way across the billows with
little regard for wind and weather, bearing thousands of passengers,
many of whom are given all the luxury that space permits, a table that
equals any provided by the best hotels ashore, and attendance that is
unsurpassed. Then weeks were consumed in the mere effort to get away
from the British Isles, the breeze sometimes permitting the small
sailing vessels to slip from one port to another, and then holding them
prisoner for days before another mile could be gained. Even the most
aristocratic voyager was forced to be content with accommodations and
fare little better than that supplied to a modern steerage passenger,
and those who could afford it took with them a private stock of
provisions to supplement the ship’s table.
And yet the spell of adventure or philanthropy, gain or religion, was
strong upon the souls of men, and thousands sought the New World, where
their imagination saw the realization of all their dreams. Bravely they
crossed the fathomless deep which heaved beneath them, cutting them off
so absolutely from the loved ones left at home, from the wise counsels
of those on whom they were accustomed to depend, and from the strong arm
of the Government under whose promised protection they sailed, to work
out their own salvation in a country where each man claimed to be a law
unto himself, and where years were to pass before Experience had once
more taught the lesson that real freedom was to be gained only through a
general recognition of the rights of others.
On the 3rd of February, 1735, the Moravians arose early in their London
lodging house, prayed heartily together, and then prepared to go aboard
their vessel, “The Two Brothers”, Capt. Thomson, where the Trustees
wished to see all who intended to sail on her. A parting visit was paid
to Gen. Oglethorpe, who presented them with a hamper of wine, and gave
them his best wishes. After the review on the boat Spangenberg and
Nitschmann returned with Mr. Vernon to London to attend to some last
matters, while the ship proceeded to Gravesend for her supply of water,
where Spangenberg rejoined her a few days later. On the 25th of February
they passed the Azores, and disembarked at Savannah, April 8th, having
been nine and a half weeks on shipboard.
The story of those nine weeks is simply, but graphically, told in the
diary sent back to Herrnhut. Scarcely had they lifted anchor when the
Moravians began to arrange their days, that they might not be idly
wasted. In Herrnhut it was customary to divide the twenty-four hours
among several members of the Church, so that night and day a continuous
stream of prayer and praise arose to the throne of God, and the same
plan was now adopted, with the understanding that when sea-sickness
overtook the company, and they were weak and ill, no time limit should
be fixed for the devotions of any, but one man should pass the duty to
another as circumstances required!
Other arrangements are recorded later, when, having grown accustomed to
ship life, they sought additional means of grace. In the early morning,
before the other passengers were up, the Moravians gathered on deck to
hold a service of prayer; in the afternoon much time was given to Bible
reading; and in the evening hymns were sung that bore on the text that
had been given in the morning. Spangenberg, Toeltschig, and Seifert, in
the order named, were the recognized leaders of the party, but realizing
that men might journey together, and live together, and still know each
other only superficially, it was agreed that each of the ten in turn
should on successive days speak to every one of his brethren face to
face and heart to heart. That there might be no confusion, two were
appointed to bring the food to the company at regular times, and see
that it was properly served, the following being “the daily Allowance
of Provisions to the Passengers on board the “Two Brothers”, Captain
William Thomson, for the Town of Savannah in Georgia.
“On the four beef-days in each week for every mess of five heads
(computing a head 12 years old, and under 12 two for one, and under 7
three for one, and under 2 not computed), 4 lbs. of beef and 2-1/2 lbs.
of flour, and 1/2 lb. of plums.
“On the two pork days in each week for said mess, 5 lbs. of pork and
2-1/2 pints of peas.
“And on the fish day in each week for said mess, 2-1/2 lbs. of fish and
1/2 lb. of butter.
“The whole at 16 ounces to the pound.
“And allow each head 7 lbs. of bread, of 14 ounces to the pound, by the
week.
“And 3 pints of beer, and 2 quarts of water (whereof one of the quarts
for drinking), each head by the day for the space of a month.
“And a gallon of water (whereof two quarts for drinking) each head, by
the day after, during their being on their Passage.”
Another Moravian was chosen as nurse of the company, although it
happened at least once that he was incapacitated, for every man in the
party was sick except Spangenberg, who was a capital sailor, and not
affected by rough weather. His endurance was severely tested too, for
while the breeze at times was so light that they unitedly prayed for
wind, “thinking that the sea was not their proper element, for from the
earth God had made them, and on the earth He had work for them to do,”
at other times storms broke upon them and waves swept the decks, filling
them with awe, though not with fear. “The wind was high, the waves
great, we were happy that we have a Saviour who would never show us
malice; especially were we full of joy that we had a witness in our
hearts that it was for a pure purpose we sailed to Georgia,”--so runs
the quaint record of one tempestuous day.
A more poetic expression of the same thought is given by Spangenberg in
a poem written during the voyage, and sent home to David Nitschmann to
be set to the music of some “Danish Melody” known to them both. There is
a beauty of rhythm in the original which the English cannot reproduce,
as though the writer had caught the cadence of the waves, on some bright
day when the ship “went softly” after a season of heavy storm.
“Gute Liebe, deine Triebe
Zuenden unsre Triebe an,
Dir zu leben, dir zu geben,
Was ein Mensch dir geben kann;
Denn dein Leben, ist, zu geben
Fried’ und Segen aus der Hoeh.
Und das Kraenken zu versenken
In die ungeheure See.
“Herr wir waren von den Schaaren
Deiner Schaeflein abgetrennt;
Und wir liefen zu den Tiefen,
Da das Schwefelfeuer brennt,
Und dein Herze brach vor Schmerze,
Ueber unsern Jammerstand;
O wie liefst du! O wie riefst du!
Bist du uns zu dir gewandt.
“Als die Klarheit deiner Wahrheit
Unsern ganzen Geist durchgoss,
Und von deinen Liebesscheinen
Unser ganzes Herz zerfloss,
O wie regte und bewegte
Dieses deine Liebesbrust,
Uns zu hegen und zu pflegen,
Bis zur suessen Himmelslust.
“Dein Erbarmen wird uns Armen,
Alle Tage wieder neu,
Mit was suessen Liebeskuessen
Zeigst du deine Muttertreu.
O wie heilig und wie treulich
Leitest du dein Eigentum;
O der Gnaden dass wir Maden
Werden deine Kron’ und Ruhm.
“Wir empfehlen unsre Seelen
Deinem Aug’ und Herz und Hand,
Denn wir werden nur auf Erden
Wallen nach dem Vaterland.
O gieb Gnade auf dem Pfade,
Der zum Reich durch Leiden fuehrt,
Ohn’ Verweilen fortzueilen
Bis uns deine Krone ziert.
“Unser Wille bleibe stille
Wenn es noch so widrig geht;
Lass nur brausen, wueten, sausen,
Was von Nord und Osten weht.
Lass nur stuermen, lass sich tuermen
Alle Fluthen aus dem See,
Du erblickest und erquickest
Deine Kinder aus der Hoeh’.”
(Love Divine, may Thy sweet power
Lead us all for Thee to live,
And with willing hearts to give Thee
What to Thee a man can give;
For from heaven Thou dost give us
Peace and blessing, full and free,
And our miseries dost bury
In the vast, unfathomed sea.
Lord, our wayward steps had led us
Far from Thy safe-guarded fold,
As we hastened toward the darkness
Where the sulphurous vapors rolled;
And Thy kind heart throbbed with pity,
Our distress and woe to see,
Thou didst hasten, Thou didst call us,
Till we turned our steps to Thee.
As Thy Truth’s convincing clearness
Filled our spirits from above,
And our stubborn hearts were melted
By the fervor of Thy love,
O Thy loving heart was moved
Us Thy righteous laws to teach,
Us to guide, protect and cherish
Till Thy heaven we should reach.
Without merit we, yet mercy
Each returning day doth bless
With the tokens of Thy goodness,
Pledges of Thy faithfulness.
O how surely and securely
Dost Thou lead and guard Thine own;
O what wonderous grace that mortals
May add lustre to Thy throne.
In our souls we feel the presence
Of Thine eye and heart and hand,
As we here on earth as pilgrims
Journey toward the Fatherland.
O give grace, that on the pathway,
Which through trial leads to heaven,
Without faltering we may hasten
Till to each Thy crown is given.
Though our path be set with danger
Nothing shall our spirits shake,
Winds may rage and roar and whistle,
Storms from North and East may break,
Waves may roll and leap and thunder
On a dark and threatening sea,
Thou dost ever watch Thy children,
And their strength and peace wilt be.)
Before the vessel sailed the Trustees had followed up their request to
Spangenberg by requiring the forty Swiss emigrants to promise submission
to his authority, and consequently numerous efforts were made to be of
service to them. It was disappointing work, in a way, for attempts to
give them religious instruction were met with utter indifference, but
their material needs were many. There was a great deal of sickness among
them, and four died, being buried hastily, and without ceremony. The
Moravians themselves were not exempt, several being dangerously ill at
times, even Spangenberg was prostrated, from having, he supposed, stayed
too long on deck in the night air, tempted thereto by the beauty of a
calm night in a southern latitude. But having work to do among the Swiss
on the following day, he roused himself, and soon became better. Two of
the Moravians were appointed nurses for the sick Swiss, and by the use
of the medicine provided by the Trustees, supplemented by unwearying
personal attention, they were made as comfortable as possible.
Nor were the crew forgotten. From the day when the Moravians helped
lift the anchor as they sailed from the coast of Dover, they busied
themselves in the work of the ship, always obliging, always helpful,
until the sailors came to trust them absolutely, “even with the keys to
their lockers.” When the cook was suddenly taken sick they nursed him
carefully, and then appointed two of their number to carry wood and
water for him until his strength returned, and it is no wonder that such
accommodating passengers were well regarded.
Captain Thomson was disposed to favor them, but when they realized that
they were receiving a larger share of food and drink than went to the
Swiss, they courteously declined, fearing it would breed jealousy.
His kindly feeling, however, continued, and when Toeltschig was ill he
brought a freshly killed fowl from which to make nourishing broth, and
on another occasion, after a severe attack of sea-sickness, they all
derived much benefit from some strong beer which he urged upon them.
There were a few cabin passengers on the ship, and on one occasion
Spangenberg was invited to dine with them, but their light jesting was
distasteful to him, and the acquaintance was not pursued.
Making a Start.
The vessel entered the Savannah River, April 6th, and the Captain,
taking Spangenberg and Toeltschig into his small boat, went ahead to
the town of Savannah, the capital of Georgia, now the home of about six
hundred people. Spangenberg had a letter of introduction to Mr. Causton,
who received him and his companion in a friendly fashion, entertained
them at supper, and kept them over night. Mr. Causton was one of the
three magistrates charged with all civil and criminal jurisdiction
in Savannah, and his position as keeper of the Store, from which all
provisions promised by the Trustees were dispensed, gave him such
additional power that he was really the dictator of Savannah, ruling
so absolutely that the people finally rebelled, and in 1738 secured his
dismissal from office. On his return to England in 1739, he found great
difficulty in trying to explain his accounts to the Trustees, was sent
back to Georgia to procure some needed papers, died on the passage
over, and was buried in the ocean. His treatment of the Moravians was
characteristic, for he was courtesy itself to the new-comers who had
money to spend, inconsiderate when hard times came, deaf to appeals for
settlement of certain vexing questions, and harsh when their wills were
opposed to his.
The next morning, before sunrise, Spangenberg and Toeltschig went apart
into the woods, fell upon their knees, and thanked the Lord that He had
brought them hither in safety. The day was spent in gaining information
as to the customs of the place, Mr. Causton again claiming them as his
guests at dinner, and in the evening they accepted the invitation of a
merchant to supper. As they ate, the report of a cannon announced the
arrival of their vessel, and Toeltschig went to spend the night aboard,
Spangenberg remaining on shore to push the preparation for the reception
of the company.
Early on the following morning, April 8th, he had their town lots
assigned, (Nos. 3 and 4 Second Tything, Anson Ward), in order that their
baggage might be brought directly to their own property, for he had
found that lodgings in the town were very dear, and decided that a small
cabin should be built at once and a house as soon as possible. Going
then to the ship he guided the company to their new home, and the entire
day was consumed in moving their belongings to the town, as it was some
distance, and everything had to be carried by hand to the little hut
which was hastily erected and roofed over with sacking. Evening came
before they had really finished the arrangement of their possessions,
but before they prepared and shared their evening meal, they humbly
knelt and thanked God for His mercies, discussed the Bible text for the
day, and joined in several familiar hymns. A New York merchant stopped
and asked them to sing one of his favorites, which was done, and an
Indian who had joined them near the river and followed them home, stayed
through the service, and at parting beckoned them to come and visit him.
Despite their fatigue, the “Hourly Intercession” was observed throughout
the night, their slumbers rendered more peaceful by the knowledge that
one and another in turn was watching and praying beside them.
On the following day two more Indians visited the Moravians. Their faces
were adorned with streaks of red paint, and they seemed very friendly,
rejoiced over the gift of two pewter mugs, and on leaving made signs
that some one should go with them, an invitation that could not then be
accepted.
The 10th of April, the first Sunday in America, Spangenberg attended
service in the English Church, and heard a sermon on the text, “Be not
overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good,” well fitted to be the
watchword of the Moravian settlers in the trials that were before them.
No unpleasant presentiments, however, troubled them, as they went busily
about their work during the next weeks. Mr. Causton was very pleasant
to them, selling them provisions at cost, offering them credit at the
store, and promising Spangenberg a list of such Indian words as he had
been able to learn and write down. He also introduced him to Tomochichi,
the Indian Chief, and to John Musgrove, who had a successful trading
house near the town. Musgrove had married Mary, an Indian princess of
the Uchees, who had great influence with all the neighboring tribes. At
a later time, through the machinations of her third husband, she made
much trouble in Georgia, but during the earlier years of the Colony
she was the true friend of the white settlers, frequently acting as
Interpreter in their conferences with the Indians, and doing much to
make and keep the bond of peace between the two races.
On the 11th of April the five acre garden belonging to Spangenberg
was surveyed, and work was immediately begun there, as it was just the
season for planting corn. Nine days later Nitschmann’s garden was laid
out aside of Spangenberg’s. By the 14th the cabin on Spangenberg’s town
lot was finished. It was twenty feet long, ten feet wide, and fourteen
feet high, with a little loft where they slept, their goods, with a
table and benches being in the room below. At daybreak they rose, sang a
hymn, and prayed together, breakfasted at eight o’clock, the daily text
being read aloud, then worked until half past eleven, when they dined
and read the Bible. More work, an evening prayer service, and such
conference as was needed that each might engage in the next day’s labor
to the best advantage, prepared them for their well-earned repose.
With this simple program steadily carried out, much was accomplished.
A fence was built around a small kitchen-garden on their town property,
and a chicken-yard was enclosed, while the neighbors came to look on and
opine “that the Moravians had done more in a week than their people in
two years.” As the gardens (the five acre lots) lay at some distance
from Savannah, a hut was built there, to serve as a shelter against sun
and rain, a heavy storm having chased them home one day soon after their
arrival.
Either from the noonday heat, or other conditions to which they were not
yet acclimated, Gotthard Demuth and George Haberland became seriously
ill, causing Spangenberg much anxiety, for he did not feel at liberty to
send for a physician, as they could not afford to pay for medicine.
So resort was had to bleeding, then an approved practice, and to such
medicine as remained from their voyage, and Rose was fortunate enough
to shoot a grouse, which gave them some much needed palatable meat and
broth. Perhaps the most serious case was Gottfried Haberecht’s, who
suffered for several days with fever resulting from a cut on his leg.
Finally oak-leaves were heated and bound about the limb, which induced
free perspiration and quickly relieved him, so that he was able to
return to work!
A day was appointed on which Spangenberg and several others were to ride
out into the country to select the five hundred acre tract granted
to Count Zinzendorf, and the additional two hundred acres which the
Trustees had promised to hold in reserve, and grant to the Count’s
“servants” whenever he should request it, but there was rumor of a raid
by hostile Indians, under Spanish influence, so the expedition had to be
postponed, with the promise, however, that it should be made as soon as
possible.
By the close of the third week in Georgia the invalids were better, and
matters were in such a shape that the Moravians resolved “that on each
Saturday work should stop early, and every Sunday should be a real day
of rest.” As an immediate beginning, they on Saturday evening united in
a Lovefeast, where “we recalled much loving-kindness which God has shown
us hitherto; Toeltschig washed the feet of the Brethren; we remained
together until very late, and were truly blessed.”
Aim and Attainment.
When the “first company” left Herrnhut for London and the New World,
they took with them Count Zinzendorf’s formal “Instructions” for the
conduct of their affairs:
“I shall not attempt to tell you what you are to do from day to day. I
know that in many ways Love will lead you, prepare the way, and point
out your path. I shall only bid you remember the principles and customs
of our Congregation, in which, if you stand fast, you will do well. Your
one aim will be to establish a little place near the heathen where you
may gather together the dispersed in Israel, patiently win back the
wayward, and instruct the heathen tribes.
“You have and will ask nothing more than the opportunity to attain this
end through your own labors, but you will request free transportation
for yourselves and those who will follow you,--if they receive your
present small number the Lord will send you more.
“If you should be tempted to injure any work of the Lord for my
sake, refrain from doing it, remembering that I am under a gracious
guardianship which nothing can disturb.
“You will take absolutely no part in the Spangenberg-Halle controversy;
you know the mind of the Congregation regarding it. If you find people
prejudiced against you leave it to Him who has bidden you go to Georgia.
Enter into no disputes, but, if questions are asked, give the history of
the Congregation, being careful not to censure our opposers, and saying,
which is true, that the Congregation at Herrnhut gives them little
heed. Entire freedom of conscience must be granted you, but there may be
points which you can yield without injuring the cause of Christ,--if so
you will find them in due time.
“You must live alone, establishing your own little corner, where your
customs will irritate no one; and as soon as you are settled an ordained
minister will be sent you, out of consideration for the scruples of
the Salzburgers, although our Brethren in other Colonies are served by
laymen, as permitted by our ancient constitution.
“God willing, I shall soon follow you, and only wait until He opens
the way for me. Our dear Elder (Spangenberg) will quickly return from
America, and in his absence I commit you to the mighty grace of God.
Your brother and servant,
Lewis Count v. Zinzendorf.
“At this time one of the Elders at Herrnhut. November 27th, 1734.
“‘He everywhere hath way,
And all things serve His might, etc.’”
That these sensible and liberal instructions were not fully carried out
is at once apparent, especially in the two points of free transportation
and settlement in a quiet, secluded spot. The inability of the Trustees
to grant their request for the first, burdened the Moravian colonists
with what was, under the circumstances, a heavy debt, while the location
of Zinzendorf’s five hundred acre tract was responsible for their
failure in attaining the second.
When Gen. Oglethorpe planned the fortifications and defense of Savannah
in 1733, he decided to erect a small fort on the Ogeechee River, some
miles south, in order to command one of the trails by which the
Indians had been accustomed to invade Carolina. This “Fort Argyle” was
garrisoned with a detachment of rangers, and ten families were sent from
Savannah to cultivate the adjacent land. The tract selected in London
for Count Zinzendorf, was to lie on the Ogeechee, near Fort Argyle, an
excellent place from which to reach the Indians in times of peace, but
the worst possible location for noncombatants when war was threatening.
Spangenberg urged the survey of the five hundred acre tract as often
and as strongly as he dared, but from various causes, chiefly rumors
of Indian incursions, the expedition was deferred until Aug. 22nd, when
Spangenberg, Toeltschig, Riedel, Seifert, Rose, Michael Haberland, and
Mr. Johnson, the Trustees’ surveyor, prepared to start on their toilsome
journey, going by boat, instead of attempting to follow the circuitous,
ill-marked road across the country, impassable to pedestrians, though
used to some extent by horsemen.
At one o’clock in the morning of Aug. 23rd the seven men embarked,
taking advantage of the ebbing tide, and made their way down the
Savannah River. It was very dark, the Moravians were unaccustomed to
rowing, and Mr. Johnson, who steered, went to sleep time after time, so
when they accidentally came across a ship riding at anchor they decided
to stay by her and wait for the day. When dawn broke they hastened on
to Thunderbolt, where a fort had been built, and some good land cleared,
and there they found two Indians, who claimed to know the country, and
agreed to go with them as pilots. Toward evening they reached Seituah*,
where a stockade was being built as a protection against the Indians,
and the night was spent with a Captain Wargessen (Ferguson), who, with
several soldiers, was out in a scout boat watching the movements of the
Indians and Spaniards in that neighborhood.
* On Skidaway Island, exact site unknown.--
The next day they made their way among the islands until they reached
the mouth of the Ogeechee, up which they turned, but night overtook
them, and they were forced to drop their anchor. The Indians had been
left behind somewhere, and with the return of day it became necessary to
retrace their course for some hours in order to learn where they were.
That night was spent at Sterling’s Bluff, with the Scotch who had
settled upon it, and the next morning they proceeded to Fort Argyle. As
they rowed up the river, a bear left one of the islands, and swam across
to the main land. “He was better to us than we to him, for Peter shot
at him twice when he came near us, but he left us in peace and went his
way!”
The following morning Spangenberg and Johnson, accompanied by the
Lieutenant from Fort Argyle and several of his rangers, rode out to
inspect the land selected for the Moravians. The horses were accustomed
to service against the Indians, and went at full gallop, pausing not for
winding paths or fallen trees, and the University-bred man of Germany
expected momentarily to have his neck broken, but nothing happened, and
after looking over the tract they returned to Fort Argyle.
Despite the exertions of the morning Spangenberg then manned his boat,
and started up the river to visit an Indian town, where he hoped to
find Tomochichi. Much floating timber rendered the trip dangerous and
tedious, and it was not until early Sunday morning that they reached
their destination, only to find the place deserted, as the band had
left a few days before for a hunting expedition, and, if fortune
favored them, for a brush with the Spanish Indians, with whom they had
a perpetual feud. Soon Johnson appeared, guided by some of the rangers,
who, after a hearty meal with the Moravians, returned to the Fort,
Johnson remaining behind.
Monday morning, August 29th, before the sun rose, the party repaired
to the Moravian tract, which Johnson surveyed, the Moravians acting as
chain-carriers. Spangenberg was much pleased with the tract. It had a
half mile frontage on the Ogeechee, extended two miles back into the
forest, and gave a good variety of land, some low and damp for the
cultivation of rice, sandy soil covered with grass for pasturage, and
dry uplands suitable for corn and vegetables. A rapid stream furnished
an abundance of pure water, and site for a mill, while the thick growth
of timber guaranteed a supply of material for houses and boats. Near the
river rose a high hill, where it had once been the intention to build a
fort, and a house had really been erected. This the Indians burned,
and later another site had been chosen for Fort Argyle, but the place
retained the name of “Old Fort”, and the hill would serve as the
location for the Moravian dwelling.
Indian tribes which were friendly to the English lived at no great
distance, and the trail to Savannah and Ebenezer led directly by Old
Fort, while the opening of two roads would bring both those towns within
a four hour’s ride of the settlement.
Well content, therefore, with their new acquisition, the Moravians
returned to Fort Argyle, whence Johnson rode back to Savannah, leaving
them to follow with the boat. At the mouth of the Ogeechee they
encountered a severe storm, against which they could make little
headway, try as they would. Their anchor was too light to hold against
the current, and there was a marsh on one bank and rocks on the other,
but at last, after night-fall, in the face of a terrific thunder storm,
they forced their way to a place where they could land, and where they
passed the rest of the night, enduring as best they could the heavy
rain, and the attack of insects, against neither of which they were
able to protect themselves. “This place takes its
name,--‘Rotten-possum’,--from an animal frequently found here, which
they call a Possum. I am told that it has a double belly, and that
if pursued it puts its young into one belly, runs up a tree until it
reaches a limb, springs out on that until it is among the leaves, and
then lays itself across the branch with one belly on each side, and
so hides itself, and saves its life!” The rest of the journey was
uneventful, and on Friday morning, September 2nd, they reached Savannah,
having been absent ten days.
It seems a great pity that the Moravians were unable to establish
themselves on this tract, where their industry would soon have made an
oasis in the wilderness, but one thing after the other interfered, and
the “second company” which arrived early in the following year, found
them still at Savannah.
In Savannah matters moved toward a fair degree of prosperity for the
Moravians. About four acres of Spangenberg’s garden were cleared in time
for the first summer’s crop of corn, which yielded them sixty bushels.
They also raised some beans, which came to maturity at a time when
provisions and funds were very low, so helping them greatly.
The two farm lots were laid out during the summer, Spangenberg assisting
with the survey. By the close of the year twenty-six acres had been
cleared,--on the uplands this meant the felling of trees, and gradual
removal of stumps as time permitted, but on the rice lands it meant far
more. The great reeds, ten to twelve feet high, grew so thick that a man
could scarcely set foot between them, and in cutting them down it was
necessary to go “knee-deep” below the surface of the ground, and then
the roots were so intertwined that it was difficult to pull them out.
Every acre of land that was cleared and planted had to be securely
fenced in, for cattle roamed in the woods, and ruined unprotected crops.
Indeed, the colonists in Georgia derived little benefit from their
cattle, which ran at large, and when a few were wanted for beef or for
domestic purposes, they were hunted and driven in. The Moravians had
to wait until midsummer before they could get their allotment, and then
they received a cow and calf, six hogs and five pigs, with the promise
of more. Before the others came the cows had again escaped to the woods,
and the swine had been drowned!
In July Spangenberg wrote to Herrnhut that he had given his fifty
acres of land, including the town lot, to the Moravian Congregation at
Savannah, and that he would at once apply to the Trustees to vest the
title in that body, and if he left Georgia before this was accomplished
he would give a full Power of Attorney to Toeltschig. From the first his
land had been used as the common property of the party, and he desired
that the nine men, who, with him, were bound to the repayment of the 60
Pounds, borrowed from the Trustees, should have the use of it until
that obligation was met, and then it should be used as the Savannah
Congregation thought best.
Nitschmann’s land seems to have been held in a different way, although
granted at the same time, and under similar circumstances. July 11th,
Spangenberg sent him a detailed description of the town and garden lots,
explaining the advantages and difficulties of cultivation, suggesting
several methods by which it could be done, and giving the approximate
cost, urging that instructions be sent as to his wishes. Later he wrote
that the company had decided not to wait for Nitschmann’s reply, but to
clear the garden on the terms usual in Georgia, e.g., that the man who
cleared a piece of ground held it rent free for seven years, when it
reverted to the owner. This had been done, and the garden was ready to
plant and fence, and if Nitschmann approved they intended to clear the
farm, and would build a small house on the town lot. Zinzendorf had
suggested that negroes be employed on Nitschmann’s land, but at that
time slavery was prohibited in Georgia, and any negroes who ran away
from Carolina were at once returned to their masters.
The two farms lay side by side about four miles from Savannah, the
gardens, also adjoining, were about two miles from town, so it was
necessary to build cabins at both places, as shelters from sun and
storm, which the settlers found equally trying. Two additional cabins
had been built in Savannah on Spangenberg’s lot, and by the end of the
year a house, thirty-four by eighteen feet in size, was under roof,
though not yet finished. This gave an abundance of room, not only
for themselves, but for the second company to whose arrival they were
looking forward with such eagerness.
When this reinforcement came they hoped to move to Zinzendorf’s tract,
and then, as soon as they could be spared, Demuth, Haberecht, Waschke
and the two Haberlands wished to claim the twenty acres apiece which the
Trustees had promised to the Count’s “servants”. Riedel was of the same
mind, but he did not live to see the arrival of the second company. Some
months after reaching Georgia, he was dangerously ill with fever, but
passed the crisis successfully, and recovered his full strength. He was
one of the party who went to survey Zinzendorf’s tract, but was taken
sick again three days after the boat left Savannah, and by the time they
returned he was obliged to go to bed, and soon became delirious. The
other Moravians were greatly distressed, but could do nothing except
nurse him carefully and pray for him earnestly, and toward the end his
mind cleared, though his body had lost the power to recuperate. He died
on the 30th of September, the first Moravian to “fall asleep” in the
United States, though others had given up their lives for the mission
work in the West Indies. His spiritual condition had at times caused
much concern to Toeltschig, who was especially charged with the
religious welfare of the first company, many of whom had been under his
care in Germany, but in the main he had been an earnest man, a willing
and industrious partaker in the common toil, and his death caused much
regret. The burial customs in Savannah included the ringing of bells,
a funeral sermon, and a volley of musketry, but learning that these
ceremonies were not obligatory the Moravians declined the offer of the
citizens to so honor their Brother, and laid him to rest in the Savannah
cemetery with a simple service of hymns and prayer.
As they were robing Riedel for his burial, a young man came to the
door, and asked if he could not make them some pewter spoons. In
the conversations that followed it developed that he was a native of
Switzerland, the son of a physician, and after his father’s death he
had sailed for Pennsylvania, intending there to begin the practice of
medicine. But his fellow-passengers stole his books and everything he
had, he was unable to pay for his transportation, and forced to sell his
service for seven years as a redemptioner. At the end of five years he
had become quite ill, and his master, having waited six months for his
recovery, heartlessly turned him out, to live or die as the case might
be. Instead of dying, his strength returned, and then his former master
demanded 10 Pounds Pennsylvania currency, for his unexpired term,
although only 5 Pounds had been paid for him, and he had served five
years. The young man was obliged to promise to pay this, and Spangenberg
encouraged him to push his spoon-making, in order to do it as speedily
as possible. Meanwhile the Moravians were so much pleased with his
appearance and speech, that they agreed to receive him into their
company for as long as he chose to stay, and John Regnier soon became an
important factor in their comfort. Spiritually he was somewhat at sea.
At one time he had desired to be a hermit, and then he had drifted from
one sect to another, seeking something which he could not find, but
acquiring a medley of odd customs. Spangenberg advised him to turn his
thoughts from men to God, learning from Him “what was better and higher,
Faith, Love, Hope, etc.”, and under the Moravian influence he gradually
laid aside his unwise fancies, giving them encouragement to believe that
he would eventually come into the clearer light, as they knew it.
In material things John Regnier was of great assistance, owing to his
ability to turn his hand to almost anything. The shoes of the party were
badly torn, but though they had brought leather and tools from England
none of them knew the cobbler’s trade. John Regnier had never made a
shoe, but he took it up, and soon provided for them all, and then he
mended their clothing, and added new garments. He also showed much
aptitude for nursing, and Spangenberg put him in charge of several
cases. A man from a neighboring village sent word that he had severed
an artery and could not check the bleeding, and asked for help. Regnier
went to him, and was so successful in his treatment that in two weeks
the man was entirely restored. Some one discovered a poor Scotchman,
dying with dropsy, lying utterly neglected upon the floor of a miserable
hut, and appeal was made to the Moravians to take him and care for him.
They did so, moving him to one of their cabins, where they made him a
bed, and Regnier nursed him until death ended his sufferings. Another
man had high fever, and no friends, and him also the Moravians took,
and cared for, the Trustee’s agent furnishing food and medicine for the
sick, but offering no recompense for the care they received.
Indeed, as the months passed by, the Moravians established a reputation
for charity and for hospitality. Not only had they kept free of dispute
with the Salzburgers, but the friendliest relations existed, and the
Moravian cabins were always open to them when they came to Savannah. Nor
were they slow to avail themselves of the kindness. Gronau and Bolzius
often lodged with them, and others came in groups of nine or ten to
spend the night. During the evening stories would be exchanged as to
their circumstances in the home lands, and their reasons for leaving
there, and then sometimes the hosts would spread hay upon the floor
for their guests, at other times give up their own beds, and themselves
sleep upon the floor.
With their nearer neighbors in Savannah, they were also upon cordial
terms, though they found few who cared for religious things. The Jews
were particularly courteous to them, inviting Spangenberg into their
Synagogue, and bringing gifts of meat and fish on several occasions
when help was sorely needed on account of the illness of some of their
number,--for Riedel was not the only one who was seriously ill, though
no others died. All the conditions in Georgia were so different from
what they were accustomed to in Germany that it took them some time
to adapt themselves, and longer to become really acclimated, and they
noticed that the same was true of all new-comers. All of the Moravians
were sick in turn, many suffering from frosted feet, probably injured on
the voyage over, but Spangenberg, Toeltschig, Haberecht and Demuth were
dangerously ill. Nearly all of the medicine brought from Europe was
gone, and what they could get in Savannah was expensive and they did
not understand how to use it, so they were forced to depend on careful
nursing and simple remedies. Turpentine could easily be secured from the
pines, Spangenberg found an herb which he took to be camomile, which had
a satisfactory effect, and with the coming of the cooler autumn weather
most of the party recovered their health.
Probably the food was partly responsible for their troubles, though
they tried to be careful, and cooked everything thoroughly. Rice and
salt-meat were their chief articles of diet, for bread cost so much that
they soon gave it up entirely, substituting cornmeal mush, and butter
was so dear as to be entirely out of the question. During the summer
months which preceded the harvest, they could get neither corn, rice
nor beans at the store, so lived on mush, salt-meat, and the beans they
themselves had planted. Fresh meat was a great treat, particularly when
it enabled them to prepare nourishing broth for their sick, and once
Rose shot a stag, giving them several good meals, but this happened so
seldom as to do little toward varying the monotony of their fare.
Drinking water was held to be responsible for the swollen feet and
nausea from which many of them suffered, so they made a kind of
sassafras beer, which proved palatable and healthful, and used it until
they had become accustomed to the climate, when they were able to drink
the water.
When the Moravians came to Georgia they brought with them a little ready
money, the gift of English friends, and their cash payments secured
them good credit at the Trustees’ store. Other merchants sought their
patronage, but they decided to run an account at one place only, and
thought Mr. Causton, as the Trustees’ agent, would give them the most
liberal treatment. Their hardest time financially, as well as regarding
health, was during the summer, when credit came to be accorded
grudgingly, and finally Spangenberg, personally, borrowed 15 Pounds
sterling, and applied it on their account, which restored their standing
in Mr. Causton’s eyes. On Feb. 8th, 1736, they decided to buy enough
corn, rice and salt-meat to last until harvest, having learned by sad
experience how very dear these necessities were later in the year. Very
little work had been done which brought in ready money, for their time
had been fully occupied in building their house and clearing the land,
but all things were prepared for the coming of the second company, with
whose assistance they expected to accomplish much. In February the
two carpenters were engaged to build a house for Mr. Wagner, a Swiss
gentleman who had recently arrived, and rented one of the Moravian
cabins temporarily, and this was the beginning of a considerable degree
of activity.
The intercourse of the Moravians with the other residents of Savannah
was much impeded by their ignorance of the English language, and it
occurred to Spangenberg that it might be a good thing to take an English
boy, have him bound to them according to custom, and let them learn
English by having to speak to him. About July a case came to his
knowledge that roused all his sympathies, and at the same time afforded
a good opportunity to try his plan. “I have taken a four-year-old
English boy into our family. He was born in Charlestown, but somehow
found his way to Savannah. His father was hanged, for murder I have
heard, and his mother has married another man, and abandoned the child.
A woman here took charge of him, but treated him most cruelly. Once she
became angry with him, took a firebrand, and beat him until half his
body was burned; another time she bound him, and then slashed him with
a knife across the back, and might have injured him still more if a man
had not come by and rescued him. The magistrates then gave him to other
people, but they did not take care of him, and hearing that he was a
bright child, I decided to offer to take him. The Magistrates gladly
agreed, and will write to his relatives in Charlestown, and if they do
not claim him he will be bound to us. He is already proving useful
to the Brethren, as he speaks English to them, and they are rapidly
learning to speak and to understand. I am sending him to an English
school, as I would rather he would not learn German, but being bright he
is learning a good deal of it from the Brethren.”
On October 31st a widow and her seven-year-old son were received into
their household. The woman was in destitute circumstances, and anxious
to work, so after four weeks’ trial she was installed as maid, and
promised $14.00 a year wages. She proved to be quiet and industrious,
but not very bright. On Dec. 17th another boy, six years old, was taken,
his mother being dead, and his father a day-laborer who could not care
for him.
Of the Indians the Moravians had seen a good deal, but no start had
been made toward teaching them, except that some of their words had been
learned. Spangenberg decided that the only way to master their language
would be to go and live among them, and this Rose professed himself
willing to do as soon as he could be spared. With Tomochichi they
were much pleased. “He is a grave, wise man, resembling one of the old
Philosophers, though with him it is natural, not acquired. Were he among
a hundred Indians, all clothed alike, one would point him out and say,
‘that is the king.’” When the Indians came to the Moravian cabins they
were courteously received, and supplied with food and drink, often
remaining as silent listeners at the evening service. In turn their
good will took the form of a gift of grouse or dried venison, which the
Moravians gratefully received.
The English were very anxious to keep the friendship of these Indians,
on whom much of their safety depended, and when one of the nations came
five or six hundred miles to renew a treaty with them, they planned a
spectacle which would at once please and impress them. All the settlers
were put under arms, and led out to meet them, saluting them with a
volley of musketry. With great pomp they were conducted into the town,
presented with guns, clothing, etc., and then, through an interpreter,
they were assured of the good will and faith of the English, and urged
to be true to the treaty, and protect the settlement against those
Indian tribes who were under French and Spanish influence.
Spangenberg was ordered out with the others, but excused himself on
the ground of weakness from his recent illness, and when the officials
offered to depart from their custom, and allow one of Zinzendorf’s
“servants” to take his place, he explained that the Moravians did not
understand English, and knew nothing of military manoeuvres. During
the first year the question of military service was not sufficiently
prominent to cause real uneasiness, but Spangenberg foresaw trouble,
and wrote to Herrnhut, urging that the matter be given serious
consideration.
When the Moravians passed through London they had fully explained their
position to Gen. Oglethorpe, who promised them exemption, but they had
no written order from the Trustees to show to the local officials, and
not even a copy of the letter in which reference to the subject was
made. As Count Zinzendorf’s “servants” nine of them were ineligible, but
Spangenberg, as a free-holder, was expected to take part in the weekly
drill, which he quietly refused to do.
All free-holders were likewise expected to take their turn in the
Watch, composed of ten men, who patrolled the town by night and day.
Spangenberg admitted that the Watch was necessary and proper, but
decided that he had better not take a personal share in it, other than
by hiring some one to take his place, which was permitted. As the turn
came every seventeen days, and a man expected fifty cents for day and
one dollar for night duty each time, this was expensive, doubly so
because the officers demanded a substitute for the absent Nitschmann
also. Twice had Spangenberg been before the Court, attempting to have
the matter adjusted, but he found that this, like many other things,
could not be settled until Gen. Oglethorpe came. “All men wait for Gen.
Oglethorpe, it is impossible to describe how they long for him.” The
Salzburgers especially wished for him, for they did not like the
place where they had settled, and wanted permission to move to a more
favorable location which they had chosen.
On the 14th of February, 1736, Capt. Thomson arrived, bringing letters
from England, and one to Spangenberg announced that the second company
of Moravians was on the way and might soon be expected. At three o’clock
in the morning of February 17th, the town was roused by the sound of
bells and drums. Thinking it meant fire, the Moravians rushed out, but
learned that Gen. Oglethorpe’s ship had reached Tybee, and the people
were awakened to welcome him. Full of interest to learn whether the
second company was with him the Moravians paused for a hasty meal
before going to meet the ship, when to their great joy Bishop Nitschmann
appeared before them, “and his face was to us as the face of an Angel!”