October 28 - November 1, 1753 - - Diary of a journey of Moravians

This page has comments. Move your mouse over the highlighted text to view comments.

Please enable javascript to view comments in this manner. If your browser will not permit you to enable javascript, you can click the highlighted text to view the comment.

Oct. 28.

Photograph of a historical marker on the Great Wagon Road.

This historical marker stands along the route of the Great Wagon Road. Image credit. About the photograph

We rose early to continue our journey. One of our horses was sick. After a mile and a half we bought corn at a house. One mile further we came to a small creek, and two miles beyond approached the Blue Mountains. We stopped for noon by a large, beautiful spring, six miles from our night-camp. Br. Hermanus rejoined us, bringing several bushels of corn. Our afternoon road was stony and bad, and we constantly had to steady the wagon with ropes to keep it from overturning. Four times we crossed a bad, stony creek, and the banks were so high that it was difficult to pull out. The South and Blue Mountains here approach within two miles of each other; we turned to the right to the Blue Mountains. Towards evening we saw Jeams River; the road to it ran down so very steep a hill that we fastened a small tree to the back of our wagon. locked the wheels, and the brethren held back by the tree with all their might, but even then the wagon went down so fast that most of the brethren lost their footing; no harm was done, and we thanked the Lord that He had so graciously protected us, for it looked dangerous and we thought at times that it could not possibly be done without accident, but in spite of stump and stone we got down safely. We made our camp near the River, and rested well after the fatigue of the day, for the road had all been bad and yet, we had made sixteen miles. A man visited us, and asked whether we had come down the steep hill; he expressed surprise at our success, and said we need not have come that way, but might have turned to the right toward the Blue Mountains and have followed a good road around through a valley. Br. Gottlob held evening prayer.

Oct. 29.

We rose at five, having had a rather cold night with frost for the first time on this trip. We drove half a mile to the River, and found two roads, the one to the right going one mile further to Lunis Ferry, that to the left fording the river. A couple of the Brethren rode through to see what kind of a crossing it was, for there were many rocks and stones in the stream. Fortunately for us all the rivers and creeks are low just now, otherwise we could make little progress, for even the smallest creeks rise so in rainy weather that the horses would have to swim. From the Buffler Creek here we crossed streams every two or three miles. We crossed Jeams River safely, and thanked our Father in heaven that He had helped us through so many difficulties. We then had two miles of good road, crossed a creek, and came to a house where we spent most of the day, taking time to bake bread and to kill a hog that we bought. We were visited by the Mr. Illison from whom Br. Hermanus recently bought corn, and he asked that the Brethren would shoe his horse, which was done. He said that he would soon go to Philadelphia, and offered to attend to anything we wished done there. The Brn. Gottlob and Nathanael wrote letters to our friends in Bethlehem, addressing them to the care of Sam. Powell in Philadelphia, and we were glad of the opportunity of sending our Bethlehem friends some account of our journey. This evening we went about four miles further over a rather bad road. On the way we got some bread that we had had baked at Lunis’ Mill. We crossed a large creek, and set up our tent two miles from the Mill near a stream, but immediately had to change our position because the wind blew the smoke into the tent. It also began to rain. We turned our horses loose in the woods. The Brn. Petersen and Merkli, who had remained behind to finish baking the bread, came late in the night, and had had to swim the creek at Lunis’ Mill, which is quite deep.

Oct. 30.

The weather was bad, it rained and snowed, but we kept fairly dry under our tent. Our horses had strayed off and it took several of the Brethren nearly all day to find them, and we were glad when we had them back, for we had heard that in this neighborhood horses were often stolen, and that might have happened to ours. As the Brethren came in cold and wet through and through we had a cup of tea all round, and enjoyed it together. We changed the position of the tent on account of the smoke. Br. Gottlob held the evening service. We for the first time tried baking bread in the ashes.

Oct. 31.

We rose very early and prepared to continue our journey. Immediately we had to climb a considerable hill, which was very hard on our horses for the ground was frozen and covered with snow. One mile brought us to a small creek, and another to a larger one, near which was a plantation. Then came more hills, and from the top a beautiful view, the Blue and South Mountains forming a pretty oval, their summits all covered with snow. The farther we went the more snow we found, and travel was difficult. Two miles to the left was a plantation and some of the Brethren went thither to drink milk. Near at hand was a small creek, then the road rose again. After a mile and a half we came to another creek not far from a plantation; this would be a good place to camp as there is good water and wood. One mile further we came to a very bad piece of road, so sloping that we could hardly keep the wagon from slipping over the edge down the mountain, and had to use the tackle frequently. Then we began to descend, and in a half mile came to a small creek; we drove a bit up its valley, and took our noon rest there. One of our horses was sick, we gave him something that helped. After going a mile and a half further we passed over some bad hills, and by a fence, and came to Joseph Macdonald’s house. Two years ago he came here from Manakesie in Maryland, and before that he used to attend the preaching of the Brethren; he was friendly and told us about our best road without waiting to be asked. Half a mile from his house the road forks, the right hand going to New River. We took the left, came to another creek, and five miles further on camped for the night. Towards evening we met an old man whom Br. Nathanael engaged in conversation, and as we passed near his fence we asked him to sell us some turnips, but he was so good as to make us a present of a nice quantity, and gave an invitation that any of our people passing this way should visit him. He had heard perhaps a hundred lies about the Brethren, — that we were “bearded people,” that we enjoined celibacy, etc. — and now learning the truth the old man rejoiced, and took a friendly leave of us. His name is Müller. Another of our horses was sick and we bled him.

Nov. 1.

With earliest dawn we were again on our journey, but again had to bleed a horse. The change in food is largely responsible for the illness of our horses. At one and a half miles we found water, there was a small creek half a mile beyond, and one mile further another, near which was an old plantation, and the road forked, we going to the left. A quarter of a mile more brought us to the road leading to the left up the hills to Warrik, and to a stone house of which we had heard and where we expected to buy provisions, but we could get little. The people count it nine miles from here to Runoke. The road was narrow and we often did not see how we were to get through, indeed without our axes we would have been in a bad fix. We also had to work the road itself so that we could pass. We met three men from Warrik who had been to Carolina and were returning home. They said the road was very bad, and we would probably not be able to buy any provisions on the way. Br. Nathanael wrote a note to Br. Christ. Rauch, and sent it by these men. Two miles further we came to a little creek, and in two miles more to another which was full of stones, and we had much difficulty in getting up the bank. Another mile brought us to a large Buffalo Lick, where formerly many buffalo gathered because the marsh was rich in salt. Not far from there we came to a plantation where there is good water. We went about half a mile further, and then our road, — a rather narrow one, — turned to the left. That to the right is much better and leads to Grain Brayer. We stopped for noon by a creek, and had to drive through a large marsh. Br. Lösch, who had gone ahead to see if he could buy some corn, rejoined the party. About four o’clock we reached the Runoke, and had to wait for the corn, which was not yet shelled. Several of the Brethren went to the nearest plantation to help the people shell the corn, and two of them thrashed oats. It grew so late that we had to stay here all night. Mr. Evens, a miller who lives across the river, came to us and gave advice about the care of our sick horses, we tried his plan and it helped them. We thought today much about our brethren in Heidelberg, and wished they could know that the Saviour had brought us well and content so far. We made twelve miles today.