USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume I > Part 8
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Concerning his burial Dr. T. M. Harris# says: "He was interred after the manner of their country, in St. John's burial ground, West- minister. The corpse, sewed up in two blankets, with a deal board under and another over, and tied down with a cord, was carried to the grave on a bier. There were present only Tomo-cha-chi, three of the
* Memorial Biography of James Oglethorpe, pp. 96-97.
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chiefs, the upper church warden, and the grave-digger. When the body was laid in the earth, the clothes of the deceased were thrown in; after this, a quantity of glass beads and some pieces of silver; the custom of these Indians being to bury such effeets of the deceased with him. As all methods made to console them were disregarded. Oglethorpe took. them out to his estate, that in the country retirement they might have a better opportunity to bewail the dead according to their custom, and that the change might serve to abate their sorrow." Altogether they spent four months in England, sight-seeing and receiving attention everywhere they went, returning to America in the transport ship Prince of Wales, commanded by Captain George Dunbar, and arriving at Sa- vannah Deeember 27th, 1734. Oglethorpe remained in England until October, 1735, when he made his second voyage to Georgia.
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CHAPTER V
THE JEWISH ELEMENT
ATTITUDE TOWARD HEBREW COLONISTS-THRIFTY. INDUSTRIOUS AND HON- EST PEOPLE-RECORD BY JEWISH DESCENDANT-JEWISHI CONGREGA- TIONS AND SYNAGOGUES-IIEBREW BURIAL GROUNDS-EARLY VINE- YARD OF A PORTUGUESE JEW-BOTH PROGRESSIVE AND PATRIOTIC.
While the people were engaged in aetive operations in the way of building their homes and making themselves comfortable and settling down to business, nothing of special interest occurred until the arrival of the second party of colonists on the 14th of May in the ship "James," commanded by Captain Yoakley. Seventeen persons comprised this party, among whom were some Italian experts in the keeping of silk- worms and the manufacture of silk. It was thought in the beginning that this would become a paying industry in the colony, and special efforts were made for its development. The seal of Georgia had as its deviee on one face silk-worms at work, with the motto Non Sibi Sed Aliis, a suggestion of one source of profitable labor as well as the pro- posed eonduet of those interested in the development of the new settle- ment.
The arrival of this addition to the settlers was recorded in the Gentle- man's Magazine in a communication from Savannah dated May 20, 1733, as follows: "The James, Captain Yoakley, 110 tons and 6 guns arrived here on the 14th, with passengers and stores. The ship rode in two fathoms and a half water close to the town at low water mark. The Cap- tain received the Price appointed by the Trustees for the first ship that should unload at this town, there is a safe riding for much larger vessels."
ATTITUDE TOWARD HEBREW COLONISTS
We have seen how the town was laid out in a very imposing manner on the 7th of July, 1733. This important epoch was closely followed by an incident which caused much trouble and brought forth some bitter words from the trustees in their official capacity and from individuals who became discontented and, as a consequence, denounced the whole work so far accomplished in Georgia. This was the arrival of a vessel from England with forty Hebrew colonists. The action of the trustees in this matter, when thoroughly explained, seems incomprehensible. The charter, as has been noted, prohibited Catholies from settling in
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the province, but nothing was said in that instrument which could be construed as being nnfavorable to the Jews. In fact, as early as Sep- tember 21, 1732, the minutes of the trustees show that "commissions were desired by, Thomas Frederick, Esq., Mr. Anthony Da Costa, Mr. Francis Salvador, Jr., and Mr. Alvaro Lopez Suasso, to take subserip- tions and collect money for the purposes of the charter," and it was "ordered accordingly ;" and on the same date it was stated that "sealed commissions for taking subscriptions and collecting money for the pur- poses of the charter [were] granted to Thomas Frederick, Esq., Mr. Francis Salvador, Jr., Mr. Anthony Da Costa, and Mr. Alvaro Lopez Suasso." Those men were Jews, and the trustees knew it. . They were willing to accept their services in collecting funds for the develop- ment of the scheme to assist poor but honest men and women in making homes for themselves, but, as will appear, they did not want any of their race to receive the benefit of the money so collected. They virtually said to them "We are willing to have you take part in the charitable work to which we have pledged our own support and influence, so far as you choose to relieve us of the unpleasant duty of soliciting subserip- tions to carry on that work, but you must not expect any of your race to partake of the benefits flowing from your successful efforts." They did not use those words, but they willingly accepted their offer, coupled with the mental reservation which that language implies. That such was the case there can be no doubt, as the action of their body on the 31st of January following, does not admit of any other construction.
The minutes of that date contain the following language: "Ordered, That the secretary do wait on Mr. Alvaro Lopez Suasso, Mr. Francis Salvador, Jr., and Mr. Anthony Da Costa with the following message in writing: Whereas commissions were granted to the said Mr. Alvaro Lopez Suasso, Mr. Francis Salvador, Jr., and Mr. Anthony Da Costa to collect such monies as should be contributed for establishing the colony of Georgia in America, and to transmit the same to the trustees, by them to be applied to the purposes in the charter mentioned; And the trus- tees being informed that certain expectations have from thence been raised, contrary to their intentions, which may be of ill consequence to their said designs, Therefore, to obviate any difficulties that may attend the same, they desire the said Mr. Alvaro Lopez Suasso, Mr. Francis Salvador, Jr., and Mr. Anthony Da Costa will re-deliver to Mr. Martyn, their secretary, the said commissions."
It was doubtless about this time that the trustees began to be criti- cized for their action in granting the commissions." Indeed, one of their own number in a communication to his fellow members, at a later date, had this to say: "Bnt I beg leave to say something of the Jews, who, to the number of between forty and fifty, have procured them- selves to be already settled there contrary to the will, and without the consent of the trustees, and there are more of their nation now going over to them. I humbly conceive these shocking matters require your most serious attention for unless you speedily take some vigorous reso- lution to suppress effectually the two great evils aforesaid (the first.
* The communication is dated 27th March, 1734.
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was what he conceived to be an error in the matter of land grants) Georgia will soon become a Jewish colony, for that all the Christians there will, for the reasons aforesaid, fall off and desert it, as leaves from a tree in autumn, until there will not be a valuable Christian remaining except some few carpenters, sawyers, smiths, etc., whom the Jews will find most necessary and useful, and encourage them to remain to be employed in their buildings and otherwise, and that all Christian bene- factions for that colony will soon cease. Therefore, for these considera- tions, I beg leave to recommend the speedy entering into proper meas- ures for preventing as well the ruin of the Colony of Georgia as the reproach and seandal of the trustees." The letter from which the fore- going extract is taken is embodied in "A brief Account of the Causes that have Retarded the Progress of the Colony of Georgia in America." printed in London in 1743, and was evidently written by Thomas Stephens, son of William Stephens. Secretary of the Colony, and Sir Richard Everhard, son of the Sir Richard Everhard who was a governor of North Carolina. The letter, so quoted, was written by Thomas Coram.
On the 7th of February. 1732-3, "the secretary acquainted the Board that he had waited on Mr. Alvaro Lopez Suasso, Mr. Anthony Da Costa, and Mr. Francis Salvador, Jr., for the commissions granted to them, and had left a copy of the Minutes of January the 31st with Mr. Da Costa." No notice having been taken by the three persons named of that communication, the trustees, on the 2nd of December. 1733, took this peremptory action : "Ordered, That the Secretary do wait on Messrs. Alvaro Lopez Şuasso. Francis Salvador, Jr .. and Anthony Da Costa with the following message in writing: Whereas a message dated January 31, 1732-3, was sent for the Redelivery of their commissions with which they did not think proper to comply, and which on their said Refusal were vaeated by the trustees: And whereas the trustees are informed that by monies raised by virtue of their commissions (which monies ought to have been transmitted to the trustees) certain Jews have been sent to Georgia contrary to the intentions of the trustees, and which may be of ill consequenee to the Colony : the Trustees do hereby require the said Messrs. Alvaro Lopez Suasso, Francis Salvador, Jr., and Anthony Da Costa immediately to redeliver to Mr. Martyn. their Secretary, the said Commissions, and to render an Account in Writing to the Trustees of what monies have been raised by virtue thereof; and if they refuse to comply with this Demand, that then the Trustees will think them- selves oblig'd not only to advertise the World of the Demand and Re- fusal of their Commissions and Account, and of the Misapplication be- fore mentioned, in order to prevent any further impositions on his Majesty's subjects under Pretence of Authority granted by those Va- cated Commissions, but likewise to recover those Commissions. and de- mand an Account of the monies collected in such manner as their Coun- cil shall advise."
In response to this, at a meeting held January 19. 1733-4, the secretary acquainted the board that, pursuant to their order of January 5th instant, he had waited on Messrs. Alvaro Lopez Snasso, Francis Salvador, Jr., and Anthony Da Costa, and left with them the message of the trustees in writing, and that he had received the commissions
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formerly given to them; and then he delivered the said eommissions . to the board.
"Resolved, That the said Commissions be laid by, and the further consideration of this affair be postponed till Mr. Oglethorpe comes home."
It does not appear that the trustees ever again took this matter under consideration.
THRIFTY, INDUSTRIOUS AND HONEST PEOPLE
The excitement eaused by the coming of those people ended by their being 'permitted to stay, although no definite action towards that end was taken. They had come without apparent reason to believe that in doing so they had no authority, and it would have been heartless on the part of Oglethorpe to refuse a landing under the circumstances.
They were thrifty, industrious and honest people, with everything connected with their advent greatly in their favor, with the single ex- eeption that their qualifications as colonists had not been passed upon by the trustees and the fund collected for their transportation and sup- port had not passed through their hands. The trouble soon ended. and they participated in the allottment of lands equally with the colonists .. Among them were the families of Isaac Nunez Henriquez, Moses le Desma, Samuel Nunez Ribiero, Daniel Ribiero, Moses Nunez Ribiero, Jacob Lopez d'Olivero, Benjamin Sheftall, Abraham Nunez, Monte Santo, Abraham Minis, and others. Some of them did not re- main in Georgia, but went over into South Carolina. Descend- ants of some of those who remained in Savannah are now numbered with her best eitizens. Oglethorpe made special men- tion to the trustees of the good work of Dr. Nunis and they requested him to offer pay to that humane physician for the medi- eal services rendered by him. At a later date the valuable aid rendered by one of that raee in the matter of the cultivation of the grape vine is thus acknowledged by the secretary of the colony. Mr. Benjamin Mar- tyn: "One. Abraham de Lyon. Portuguese Jew, in the year 1736, by encouragement from the Trustees, planted about a seore [ of vines]. which he had received from Portugal. where he had been bred among the vineyards; in the next year, by his skill in pruning and dressing them, they bore plentifully a beautiful large grape. as big as a man's thumb, almost transparent, and in great bunehes. A shoot. in one year. grew from the root of a hearing vine as big as a walking cane, and ran over a few poles placed to receive it. at least twelve or fourteen feet; and he has now a very promising vineyard .* "
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RECORD BY JEWISH DESCENDANT
The names of some of the first Jewish settlers who remained in Savannah are found in the list of persons to whom lands were alloted already given on a preceding page; but, as that list differs in some
* " An Impartial Inquiry into the State and Utility of the Province of Georgia." London, 1841.
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respects from the one given by a descendant of one of those families to the Rev. George White and printed by the latter in his Statistics of Georgia in 1849, the whole account of this matter is here quoted as perhaps the most accurate that can be found. Mr. White says. on pages 101 and 102 of his book: "The compiler of this work is indebted to the kindness of Hon. Mordecai Sheftall, Sr., for the following par- ticulars in relation to the history of the Jews in this state. Upon their authenticity every reliance can be placed, as they were derived from manuscripts prepared by the grandfather of Mr. Sheftall. On the 11th day of July, 1733, the following persons belonging to the Hebrew nation arrived in Savannah :- Dr. Nunis and his mother, Mrs. Nunis; Daniel, Moses and Sipra Nunis, and Shem Noah their servant ; Mr. Henriques and wife, and Shem, their servant; Mr. and Mrs. Bornal ; David Olivera; Jacob Olivera and wife and three children, David, Isaac, and Leah; Aaron Depivea; Benjamin, Gideon, Jacob Costa : David Depass and his wife: Vene Real, Molena, David Moranda; Jacob Moranda : David Cohen, wife and four children, Isaac, Abigail, Hannah, and Grace; Abraham Minis and wife, with their two daughters, Leah and Esther; Simeon Minis; Jacob Yowall; Benjamin Sheftall and wife; and Abraham De Lyon.
"The above-named persons sailed from London in the second ship which left that port for Savannah, and arrived four days after the wards and tithings were named. They brought with them the Safer Tora and the Hcchal, which are still used in the Synagogue of Savannah. Many of the first settlers lived to an advanced age. A. Minis lived 63 years, Benjamin Sheftall 73 years, Daniel Nunis 85 years, Moses Nunis 82 years. The descendants of only three of the first settlers are now living in Savannah, viz .: Sheftall's. Minis's and De Lyon's. Shortly after their arrival, they erected a house in Market Square for the purpose of divine worship. The synagogue was called 'K. K. Mickva Israel.' Here for many years they continued to observe the forms of their religion until 1740 or 1741, when the congregation was dissolved on account of the many removals to Charleston. In the year 1774, it was determined that new efforts should be made to resuscitate their congregation ; and accordingly Mr. Mordecai Sheftall, a gentle- man strongly attached to his religion, fitted up, at his own expense. a room in his house for the accommodation of the people, and worship was regularly observed until the American Revolution, when again the congregation was temporarily dissolved.
"In 1786 the Jews met, and resolved to re-establish their congrega- tion K. K. Miekva Israel. A house was hired in St. James square [now Telfair Place] and the heads of the congregation chosen. For many years service was performed regularly on the Sabbath and holy days, but a combination of causes again produced a suspension of public worship.
"For a long period there was no place for religious worship; bnt in 1820 a neat synagogue was consecrated, and which was accidentally destroyed by fire in 1829. After this event Dr. Moses Sheftall, who was then President of the congregation, was very active in devising plans by which money could be raised to build another synagogue. Sub-
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scriptions were liberally made, not only by the Jews, but by Christians of every denomination; and in a short time another synagogue of brick was erected, and afterwards consecrated."
JEWISH CONGREGATIONS AND SYNAGOGUES
At the time the above account was written there was but the one synagogue in the city, and it was situated on the north-east corner of Liberty and Whitaker streets. The building erected in 1820 was a frame structure and was, as stated, destroyed hy fire in 1829. It was in 1838 that the brick building spoken of was erected, and in it the people worshiped until 1878, when the present synagogue on Monterey Square was built, the corner-stone having been laid in 1876. In 1860, in the montlı of September, another Jewish congregation was organized, called The Congregation B'nai B'rith Jacob, and it was incorporated in 1861. holding services in Armory hall. The corner-stone of a synagogue was laid by that band in 1867, on the north-east corner of State and Mont- gomery streets; but the temple erected at that time was so small and the congregation has increased to such an extent that it was found necessary to rebuild on a larger plan, and the present commodious and comfortable house of worship, amply sufficient in space to accommodate them for many years, was erected in the year 1909.
There are other Jewish congregations in the city, but at present the people composing them hold services in rented halls.
HEBREW BURIAL GROUNDS
The families comprising the early Hebrew settlers did not make use of the colonial burying ground for the interment of their dead, but establislied a cemetery of their own at a point then far outside of the limits of the town. The space set aside for that purpose was very small. Indeed there were two such places of interment, nearly adjoin- ing each other, still existing; though the walls of the smaller one are nearly gone, one of which is said to have been for the exclusive use of the Sheftall family, and the other, somewhat larger, for more general use. Both were enclosed within substantial brick walls, and it is probable that within them burials were made at least as early as in the public, or colonial, cemetery, now known as Colonial Park, and at one time recognized as the Christ Church Parish Burying Ground. The oldest graves in these two Jewish places of sepulture are not marked by inscriptions; though what served as gravestones are still standing and have the appearance of being hard mortar or tabby which could not be cut into by engraving tools.
The lot, thus divided and enclosed in two sections, was doubtless a portion of the land parcelled out to the Hebrew settlers when they arrived here, as it is thus mentioned in the pamphlet of the malcontents Tailfer, Anderson, and Douglas: "Upon the west side of Savannah lie the township lots of the Jews. now [1741] deserted (they having all gone to other colonies. exeept three or four) as are all others on that quarter, excepting one or two."
Vol. 1-4
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In September. 1762, a deed from the town was made to Mordecai Sheftall of garden lot 22 west, containing five acres of land, and Mordecai Sheftall conveyed to Philip Minis et al., trustees of the Jewish cemetery, in August, 1773. one acre and a half of the same tract, but this land was entirely used, as already stated, for burial purposes long before.
These two old burial spots of the Jews are interesting places, and it seems a pity that they are now not so well cared for as they were formerly. They are located just where Stewart and Wilson streets meet. In one of them lies the body of Mr. Philip Minis who was probably the second child born in Savannah. He died on Friday, the 6th of March, 1789, and was buried, as stated, in the Georgia Gazette of Thursday, the 12th of the same month, "in the Jews' burial- place on Sunday morning, attended by a large number of respectable citizens, who, by their solemn attention, envinced how sensibly they felt the loss the community had sustained in so valuable a member." This statement is also made in the account of his death recorded in the same paper: "He was the first white male born in this state," and his age is there given as 55 years. It is elsewhere recorded that at the time of the landing of the first colonists Mr. Hume gave a silver bowl and spoon for the first child born in Georgia, which being born of Mrs. Close, were given accordingly. From these two statements it is fair to conclude that the Close infant was a girl. The Hebrew place of sepulture was in the midst of the important scene of action in the siege of Savannah in the month of October, 1779, when the combined American and French -troops endeavored to retake the city from the British. In his orders, issued on the 8th, Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, in command of the land forces, after instructing his officers to endeavor to enter the redoubt on the left of the Spring Hill on the following day, commanded that "In case of repulse, after having taken the Spring Hill redoubt, the troops will retreat and rally in the rear of the redoubt. If it cannot be effected in that way, it must be attempted by the same route at which they entered. The second place of rally- ing, or the first,-if the redoubt should not be carried, will be at the Jews' burying ground, where the reserve will be placed. If these two halts should not be effectual, they will retire towards camp." As the Spring Hill redoubt was not taken, that part of the instruction as to the Jews' burying ground was obeyed.
EARLY VINEYARD OF A PORTUGUESE JEW
As a matter of interest concerning the industry of the Jews as well as to show what efforts were made to develop the natural resources of the colony and to determine what the soil might be made to produce, the following account of Mr. De Lyon's vineyard is quoted from Col. William Stephens, secretary to the trustees in his Journal of Procccdings in Georgia, Vol. 1, page 48: "Tuesday, December 6, 1737-After dinner, walked ont to see what Improvement of Vines were made by one Mr. Lyon, a Portuguese Jew, which I had heard some talk of; and indeed nothing had given me so much Pleasure since my arrival as what I
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found here ; though it was vet (if I may say it properly), only a Min- iature, for he had cultivated only for two or three Years past about half a score of them which he received from Portugal for an Experiment ; and by his Skill and Management in pruning, etc., they all bore this Year very plentifully a most beautiful, large Grape as big as a Man's Thumb, almost pellucid, and Bunches exceeding big: all which was attested by Persons of unquestionable Credit (whom I had it from), but the Season now would allow me only to see the Vines they were gathered from, which were so flourishing and strong that I saw one Shoot, of this last year only, which he allowed to grow from the Root of a bearing Vine, as big as my Walking-Cane, and run over a few Poles laid to receive it, at least twelve or fourteen Foot, as near as I could judge. From these he has raised more than a Hundred. which he has planted all in his little Garden behind his House at about Four Foot distance each, in the Manner and Form of a Vineyard. They have taken Root and are about one Foot and a half high; the next Year he says he does not doubt raising a Thousand more, and the Year following at least five Thousand. I could not believe (considering the high Situation of the Town upon a Pine Barren, and the little Appearance of such Productions in these little Spots of Ground annexed to the House) but that he had found some proper Manure wherewith to improve the sandy Soil : but he assured me it was nothing but the natural Soil. without any other Art than his Planting and Pruning which he seemed to set some Value on from his Experience in being bred among the Vineyards in Portugal; and, to convince the World that he intends to pursue it. from the Encouragement of the Soil proving so proper for it, he has at this Time hired four Men to clear and prepare as much Land as they possibly can upon his forty-five Acre Lot, intending to convert every Foot of the whole that is fit for it into a Vineyard; though he complains of his present Inability to be at such an Expence as to employ Servants for Hire. From henee I could not but reflect on the small Progress that has been made hitherto in propagating Vines in the publiek Garden where, the Soil being the same, it must be owing to the Unskilfulness or Negligence of those who had undertaken that Charge."
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