USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Hempfield > History of old Zion Evangelical Lutheran church in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Near Harrold's > Part 3
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Later the Royal American regiment became the Sixtieth Rifles. "The rifle, in 1775, was used only along the frontiers of Pennsylvania and the Southern Colonies. It had been in- troduced into Pennsylvania about 1700 by Swiss and Pala- tine immigrants. The frontiersmen improved it and made out of it a superior type of firearms. Over every cabin door hung a well made and correctly-sighted rifle. As soon as a boy was big enough to level it, he was given powder and ball to shoot squirrels. These were the "expert riflemen" or- ganized by Act of Congress June 14, 1775, into a corps of nine companies. In one short month, the first company, Nagel's Berks County "Dutchmen" was at Cambridge, and in
9Smollett's History of England, page 111-475. (Frontier Forts, page 253).
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
less than sixty days nine companies of backwoodsmen from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia were at Boston. At a review, a company of these riflemen, while on a quick ad- vance, fired their balls into object of seven inch diameter at a distance of 250 yards. They were the nucleus of the Ameri- can army, absolutely loyal to the American cause and knowing no fatherland but the wilderness."1ยบ
"The Royal American Regiment was a new corps raised in the colonies, largely among the Germans of Pennsylvania. Its officers were from Europe; and of the most conspicuous among them was Lieut. Col. Bouquet, a brave and accom- plished swiss, who commanded one of the four battallions of which the regiment was composed." A list of the campaigns of this regiment is given :
"1757 First Battalion in Indian wars.
Five companies under Stanwix in Pennsylvania.
Third Battallion at Fort Hunter and Fort William Henry.
Second and Fourth at Louisbourg.
First Battalion under Bouquet in South Carolina. First and Fourth at Crown Point and Ticonderoga.
1758 Second and Third Battallions at Louisbourg. First and Fourth under Bouquet and Forbes at Fort Duquesne.
1759 Fourth Battallion under Prideaux at Fort Niagara. Second and Third under Wolfe at Quebec.
Fourth under Haldiman at Oswego. First under Amherst at Lake Champlain. Fourth under Sir William Johnson, Bouquet, Stanwix and Wolfe at Quebec.
1760 First, Second and Third at Quebec.
1761 First in Virginia.
10 Border Warfare in Pennsylvania Shimmel.
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA.
1762 Third at Martinique and Havana.
1763 First under Bouquet at Bushy Run and Pittsburgh."11
Many from this regiment took up lands in Westmoreland County. "At one time Michael Schlatter, pioneer of the Re- formed Church, resigned his congregation because of difficul- ties with the Holland Synod, and became Chaplain under Colonel Louden, in the Royal American Regiment, fourth bat- talion in the campaign against Nova Scotia and Louisburg. He held a similar position during the Revolutionary War."12
"From this time (1764) until the regular opening of the land office (1769) trouble was apprehended by reason of set- tlers occupying territory in various parts of the country, par- ticularly territory on the Monongahela and Youghougheny, in violation of the treaty rights of the Indians. Complaint being made, the Governor of Virginia, as well as Gen. Gage, the commander in chief of the British forces in America, used every reasonable exertion to have the settlers peaceably re- moved. Various conferences and treaties were held during this period between the agents of these officials and the Indians, at and about Fort Pitt. It was provided that the penalties that were attached to the violation of these laws, or treaty obligations, did not extend to those who had settled on the main communication leading to Fort Pitt, under the permission of the Commander-in-Chief, nor to settlements made by George Croghan, Esq., Deputy superintendent under Sir William Johnson, upon the Ohio above said fort."13
"On February 13, 1768 an act was passed which provided that any one having settled here without permission, and who should neglect to remove after a legal notice was served on him to do so, should, after being convicted of such neglect, be punished with death without the benefit of the clergy."14
11Frontier Forts.
12Faust.
13Frontier Forts.
14Boucher History of Westmoreland County.
-
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Because of the impending troubles a council was called at Fort Stanwix in New York in the fall of 1768. Sir William Johnson met the Indian Chiefs and made a treaty with them November 5, 1768 which restored peace and harmony once more. By this treaty all territory from a point where the Susquehanna crosses the New York line, down to the south- west corner of Pennsylvania, including the Allegheny, Cone- maugh, Monongahela and Youghougheny River valleys, was conveyed to the Proprietaries. This is called "The New Purchase." To us it is the most important of all purchases and was the last made by the Penns from the Indians. The sum paid to the Indians is said to have been $10,000 in presents and money and unlimited rum."15
This "New Purchase" was opened for settlement April 3, 1769 and several thousand warrants were applied for the first day.
"Fully two hundred families of Pennsylvania Germans, chiefly from the counties of Northampton, Berks, Lehigh, Franklin, Lancaster, Adams and York, crossed the mountains from 1769 to 1772, and took up lands, some of these Germans being from Maryland and Virginia and a few came direct from the Fatherland. The great majority of these earliest settlers located in Westmoreland, Fayette and Allegheny counties. The first settlements were Fort Pitt in Allegheny County. Harold's Brush Creek and Ligonier Valley in Westmoreland County; and German township in Fayette County. Other settlements effected soon after were Ridge, Schwab's, Kuen- digs, Hoffman's Seanor's, Greensburg (then Newtown) Manor, and Beamer's in Westmoreland County; Bethlehem and Ste- cher's in Allegheny County; West Salem in Allegheny Coun- ty; Buechle's in Butler County ; Rupp's and Crooked Creek in Armstrong County, and Brush Valley, Germany and In-
15 Boucher History of Westmoreland County.
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diana in Indiana County. The German settlements of Clarion, Mercer, Crawford and Erie Counties were made at a still later period."16
16'History of the Pittsburgh Synod of the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church-Burgess.
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CHAPTER IV Zion Church Settlement
The settlement around the present Herold's Church was made as early as 1750-60 and although these early settlers were driven eastward by the Indian attacks, they returned with Bouquet and reoccupied their farms. Much land was preempted by "tomahawk" right and military permit before this section was opened for settlement on April 3, 1769. After this formal opening, many more settlers arrived.
The interest of these early German settlers in religion is shown in that in the year 1765-or before, they preempted 158 acres of the choicest land for Church purposes ; this they styled "Good Purpose." A warrant for this tract was granted August 22, 1785, and patented May 23, 1789. This land was preempted and patented for the Lutheran Church alone. In fact, it seems as if there were but few German Reformed in the settlement at this time, as there are no authentic records of the German Reformed Church until the coming of Rev. John William Weber, who arrived early in June, 1783.
It has been supposed that the records kept by Balthasar Meyer, the Lutheran Schoolmaster, included the German Re- formed, as well as the Lutheran baptisms; but this is not the case; for we read in the History of the Reformed Church, Page 40, Edition of 1877: "These teachers were even con- strained, as we have seen in the case above given, if there were no minister, to administer infant baptism when it was thought necessary. This was probably more the case with
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA.
Lutherans than with the Reformed, who seldom or never per- mitted lay baptism."
emmanuel
fer Dir!
Erunterist und ans wurde gieten
b mogi burra tit Leuft
vov County.
Fac-simile of Taufschein of Johann George Eisenman, of Zion Church Settlement
Indeed, the records of Balthaser Meyer show that it was the established rule and custom to have children baptised at an early age. (See appendices A and D). There are also docu-
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
ments extant which show that the Lutheran doctrine of Baptis- mal Regeneration was well known and practiced in these early times as we read from the Taufschein of "John George Eisen- mann, born 28 of May in the year of our Lord 1788 and on the 13th of July was through the washing of Holy Baptism baptized into the congregation of Christ as a living member and as a young branch received." The Baptism witnesses were, in this sacred ordinance, the honorable John Peter Eisenmann and Anna Barbara, his wife; uncle and aunt of the child. This uncle presents the Taufschein to the child and upon it we read further this advice which he gives, "Take care of your soul and think that you, through the sacrament of Baptism, by Jesus, are received. It is only water which is externally used, but the blood of Jesus Christ internally, so that your soul, virtuous and clean, may enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through grace you are born anew. You are chosen to be an heir of heaven through Jesus Christ, the son of God, etc." Further we read, "The Baptism gives you new life, to live in that new life forever. Here in time and there in eternity."
Another fact of great weight in determining that these early records are Lutheran is that Balthasar Meyer was a Lutheran, which is shown when he ordains Anton Ulrich Luetge to the Lutheran ministry. Then again when Rev. Weber came to the settlement in 1783, he started a separate record of Baptisms which is paralel to, but not recorded in this book.
We must remember that although the Lutheran and Ger- man Reformed congregations later worshipped in the same building and owned the property jointly, they were not a Union Church. They were two congregations, distinct in doc- trine and organization, with each its own Pastor; and the record begun by Balthasar Meyer and continued by the Lutheran Pastors does not contain any records of the Re- formed Church, except the records of the yearly settlement;
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA.
and these relate to the financial conditions of the two congrega- tions and the joint property. These are signed by the officers of both congregations. (See appendix E.)
Doubtless both parties to the settlement retained copies, and the Lutheran copy was inserted in this book.
We have no reason to doubt that some of the earlier German Reformed also brought their children to the Lutheran schoolmaster for baptism, just as later, the Lutheran and Reformed pastors baptized all children brought to them for that purpose.
The first entry in this old Lutheran record is as follows: 1 "Register of all children in Zion Church settlement, bap- tized by Balthasar Meyer, schoolmaster, from the second of August, 1772, until - (See appendix A). The last entry in the handwriting of Balthasar Meyer is in the year 1792, the fourth of June. The record indicates in the year 1784 the advent of a regular Lutheran Minister, Rev. Anton Ulrich Luetge, but it seems that schoolmaster Meyer still continued to baptize children and entered the baptisms that he performed up until the fourth of June, 1792.
In 1784 a new baptismal list is begun, the heading is as follows :
"Record of such children, who were baptized in Zion's Church in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County in the state of Pennsylvania, by the Reverend preachers." Inasmuch as Rev. John William Weber was keeping a separate record of baptisms of the Reformed Church, we are led to believe that this is Rev. Luetge's list of Baptisms. It is kept in the same handwriting until the 10th of September, 1791. We have identified the handwriting of this list as that of Karl Schei- beler, schoolmaster. It was customary in those days to have the schoolmaster keep the Church Records.
Grbg. 2
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
1775
-
18
4
C
Agur1774
17 3 - 1770.
74
Fac-simile of Record of First Baptisms at Zion Church Settlement
"It was resolved that each congregation have its own Church Record, and that it be kept by the teacher of the con- gregation."1
1Minutes of the Evangelical Lutheran .Ministerium of Pennsyl- vania and adjacent states, 1793.
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA. 1193878
Rev. Luetge's name appears in this list as God father, as follows :
God-Parents
Hanna Friderica Parents Anton Ulrich Luetge
Born Feb. 18, 1785, John Samuel Mau Sophia Luisa, his wife.
Bapt. Mar. 6, 1785. Eva Catharina, his wifeJohn Spielman Catharina, his wife.
The record of the Baptisms is continuous from 1772 until the present.
The first communion record is headed as follows :
"Record of communicants in Herold's or Zion's Church in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, in the year of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 1791, 11th October." (See appendix B).
This record continues to the present.
The record of confirmants is begun as follows :
"Record of the Confirmants, who on the 26th of May, 1792, in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, in the Herold's or Zion's Church, by Pastor Steck, Evangelical Lutheran preacher, were confirmed and blessed, and on the following day, the 27th of May, for the first time partook of the Lord's Supper." (See appendix C).
The record of confirmants is continuous until the present.
The Church in the House
During the period of 1750 to 1772, we may speak of the congregation as the "Church in the house," when services were held in the house, for people who would preempt 158 acres of the choicest land for "Good Purpose" would not neglect the worship of God.
The Church in the School
From 1772 to 1782, we have the period of the "Church in the school." The interests of the settlement centered in the school. A schoolhouse was erected in 1772 and a schoolmaster
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
secured. Balthasar Meyer became the first schoolmaster and the religious leader of the settlement. The first formal records of the Church were made by him when he recorded the Bap- tisms which he performed.
The old schoolhouse was located about three hundred feet south of and slightly eastward of the present public school building.
The following description of the schoolhouse the author received from Mrs. Salome Miller, nee Leasure, of Armbrust, Pa., in the year 1912. Mrs. Miller was then in her ninety-third year of age, but was well preserved in health and had a re- markably clear memory. She was a pupil of "Grandpap" Zundel.
Mrs. Miller remembered the old schoolhouse at Herold's. It was first built as a one room log building. There was one door facing the east and one window opposite the door. The floor was of puncheon, the seats of hewn logs made into benches. At first the window lights were of greased paper, later we read in the Annual settlement of the Church, of an item of expenditure "for glass in schoolhouse, 8 shillings." This was in 1792. As glass was then a novelty, this item shows how highly these settlers rated their school and how progres- sive they were to improve its equipment. It is probable that this was the only schoolhouse west of the Alleghenies that had a glass window.
About the time John Michael Zundel became schoolmaster, probably in order to furnish him a home, a second story was added to the schoolhouse. This second story extended beyond the main building in order to afford protection to the doorway to the school room and also to give room for an entrance to the second story. This entrance to the second story was not very elaborate. It consisted of a trap door in the floor of the ex- tended second story and a ladder which would be drawn up at night. There was no provision for a stove or fireplace in the
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA.
second story ; the only heat obtainable was from the fireplace in the schoolroom below. The cooking for the family was done outside the house in an open fireplace. Thus, in winter and summer it was necessary for the schoolmaster and his good helpmeet, upon arising in the morning, to open the trap door, let down the ladder, then descend to the ground outside the schoolhouse, clear away the snow, if it be winter, then build a fire from the glowing embers secured in the schoolhouse fire- place or start the fire anew with flint and steel and punk, and finally prepare the morning meal.
In this second story of the schoolhouse, schoolmaster Zun- del lived many years. Here his children were born and reared until the eldest was probably fourteen years of age. Notwith- standing such hardships, John Michael Zundel lived to see his eighty-seventh year, and became the progenitor of a long line of school teachers, some of whom have succeeded him in the Herold's School.
After moving from the schoolhouse in 1827, he lived for a time on the "Yar" Adam Schneider farm and later lived with his daughter near Mt. Pleasant, Pa., and was buried in the private cemetery on the Schneider farm.
Balthasar Meyer was never ordained nor even licensed to preach the gospel. That he instructed the young, baptized in- fants, and read sermons are well established facts; but there is no evidence that he administered the, Lord's Supper.
The longing for the Lord's Supper must have been the ruling motive of the settlers when they had schoolmaster Meyer set apart the exhorter Anton Ulrich Luetge to the Ministry.
Anton Ulrich Luetge was born in Germany and educated at the Halle University for the Foreign Mission field, but later decided to come to America. He settled in Franklin County and in 1782 settled in the Zion Settlement in Westmoreland County. It is said that Mr. Luetge also practiced medicine in connection with his pastoral work. In 1789, he removed to
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
Schippensburg, Pa., then in 1794 to Chamberstown, Pa., where he died in 1795. His widow appealed to the Ministerium for aid and was granted sums at stated intervals.
There is no record of the ordination or of the action of the congregation regarding the election of Mr. Luetge. That the procedure was not regular is shown by the records of the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium, 1785. "Mr. Luetge, who has been ordained by a preacher named Meyer, asked in writ- ing for admission into the Ministerium. But it was resolved that the United Ministerium did not want to have anything further to do with him."
In 1788 the minutes make the following reference: "Mr. Luetge, who for some years was stationed in Westmoreland County as preacher, reported himself to the Synod, and asked to be received. He had been ordained by a certain Meyer, who himself was not ordained. The Ministerium declared his ordination invalid, and requested from him a written outline on Mark 1: 15: 'Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.'" On the following day, after the outline was read and considered, "The case of Mr. Luetge was again taken up and on motion, resolved to give him a license to preach and to baptize, on the following conditions :
1. That he shall improve his knowledge of Greek.
2. Keep a diary of his official acts.
3. Present to the Ministerium testimonials from the elders and deacons of the congregations in which he preaches."
Mr. Luetge complied with these conditions and was con- tinued on the rolls of the Ministerium as a Licentiate.
The action of the Ministerium seems severe, yet it was necessary in those days because of the many bad men and false prophets that aspired to the ministry. In spite of such severe methods and all diligent watchfulness, wicked men did occa- sionally secure entrance to congregations as pastors, to the great scandal and harm of the Church. Then again our fathers
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA.
were zealous to maintain an educated ministry. The difference between a licentiate and an ordained minister was chiefly that of education and experience.
"No. 30-That licensed candidate who is convinced that, by private application, he has advanced sufficiently to be able to undergo the examination referred to above in No. 27, may, in a spirit of meekness, make known his desire to be ordained in open session, but never without the afore-mentioned convic- tion as to a knowledge of the ancient languages and theology. No one will in future be ordained without both these require- ments, unless in a very extraordinary instance, or the most urgent necessity."-Constitution of the Ministerium, 1781.
At the same meeting of the Ministerium that Mr. Luetge was licenced, it was "Resolved that the ordinandi and licen- tiates must sign a revers, which shall be entered on the Proto- col." (Page 223.)
"The contents of the revers are:
1. To preach the Word of God in its purity, according to Law and Gospel, as it is explained in its chief points in the. Augsburg Confession and the other Symbolical Books.
(Thus, we see that the first preacher west of the Alle- ghenies was solemnly pledged to the unaltered Augsburg Con- fession and the Symbolical books.)
2. Diligently to instruct children, visit the sick, care for souls and administer Holy Baptism according to the command of Christ.
3. Diligently to exercise himself in Knowledge.
4. To adorn the office with a Christian life.
5. Not to leave or go beyond the congregations which were entrusted to him in the license.
6. To record the most noteworthy occurrences of his ministry in a journal and annually present this to the Synodical Meeting, also to appear personally as often as asked.
7. To renew the license annually." (Page 188.)
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HISTORY OF OLD ZION EVANGELICAL
The Synod also resolved (1788) "That the licentiates are obliged to attend each Synodical Meeting, and that they have a right to present matters and make comments, but not to vote."
In 1789 "Pastor Schulz moved that the licentiates should hand in to the Ministerium their journals and four complete sermons each year, as otherwise the Ministerium had no op- portunity to judge correctly of their presentation of divine truth. This motion was generally approved and accepted." (Page 227.)
This whole matter of licensing candidates had a useful purpose in the early unsettled days of our fathers when min- isters were scarce and the people demanded the services of their schoolmasters and others, but it has no place in a settled, well ordered state of the Church.
Mr. Luetge was called to Schippensburg, Cumberland County, in 1789. In the year 1791, we read "A letter from the congregation in Schippensburg was read in which the Ministe- rium was requested again to renew the license of Mr. Luetge, who also asked for it in person, whereupon it was unanimously -Resolved, That Mr. Luetge's license be renewed for one year."
In 1794, Anton Luetge is accredited to Chamberstown.
In 1796 we read, "Various Congregations now vacant : eg. - - - - - Gruensburg, Herold's Broshkrick, and Ridge, which the late Mr. Luetge served."
Thus, we see that the Ministerium never recognized the lay-ordination of Mr. Anton U. Luetge, and Mr. Luetge died as a licentiate.
The Church in the Sanctuary
We can readily see how the Indian attacks and the un- settled conditions of affairs would affect the work of the Church.
School houses were built at Zion settlement, Newton, now Greensburg, and at Brusch Creek, and schools were held at
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LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENSBURG, PA.
other points in Forts, Blockhouses, and private houses, or cabins for a few months during the year. The children were baptized by the schoolmasters and the older children were taught and catechized in the schools. Doubtless, these schools were also centers of worship and lay-preaching,-but the people longed for a church home.
A log church was begun at an early date but its completion was hindered by Indian troubles and other embarrassments, until the arrival of Rev. Luetge. It is said that when work was resumed after the Indian troubles, a goodsized oak sapling was found growing within the walls, indicating that the work had been retarded many years. During his pastorate, the building was completed.
"One of the old pastors of Harrold's congregation has made the following record concerning this church. 'The church building erected was rather spacious, but had only one door. The floor was made of puncheon, the seats were hewn logs. There was a gallery on the right side, open in front; it had rough seats to which a rude stairway led. At first there was only a plain table as an altar, but the present pastor re- members an altar there during the time of his ministerial ser- vice. The original pulpit was of the wine glass pattern, sur- mounted with a sounding board, painted a blue, with a canopy, showing the sun, moon, and stars in white.2 The windows of the church were often broken and left unrepaired, so that squirrels and birds had free access to the inside of the church. They were often seen sporting about in the church, diverting themselves and the young people during the ser- vices."3 This log church was used until the new stone church was built in 1830.
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