USA > South Carolina > History of the German settlements and of the Lutheran church in North and South Carolina : from the earliest period of the colonization of the Dutch, German, and Swiss settlers to the close of the first half of the present century > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32
M.A
TT
, 18
T
2
Gc 975.6 B45h 1135620
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02400 6501
Gc 975.6 B45h Bernheim, G. D. History of the German settlements and of the
MI Lì
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
2
March 13 1895-
HISTORY
OF THE
GERMAN SETTLEMENTS
AND OF THE
Lutheran Church IN
NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA,
FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD OF THE COLONIZATION OF THE DUTCH, GERMAN AND SWISS SETTLERS TO THE CLOSE OF TIIE FIRST HALF OF THIE PRESENT CENTURY.
BY
G. D. BERNHEIM, PASTOR OF ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, WILMINGTON, N. C.
"LOOK UNTO THE ROCK WHENCE YE ARE IIEWN." -ISAIAH 51 : 1.
PHILADELPHIA : THE LUTHERAN BOOK STORE, 117 NORTII SIXTH STREET. 1872.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872,
BY G. D. BERNHEIM,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
PHILADELPHIA : SHERMAN & CO., PRINTERS.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Strøet PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46501-2277
Vencological- 27.50
1135620
TO
THE MEMORY OF
REV. ERNEST LEWIS HAZELIUS, D. D.,
AND TO
REV. JOHN BACHMAN, D.D., LL.D., STILL LIVING,
TO WHOM THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE CAROLINAS IS GREATLY INDEBTED FOR ITS PRESERVATION AND PROSPERITY,
THESE PAGES
ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
BY
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
AN historical work requires no haste in its production,- it should be the creature of time, inasmuch as the arrange- ment of material, the weighing of testimony, and the search for missing links in the chain of narrative, all require time. That the historical contribution which is herewith offered to the public has not been hastily prepared, nor unadvisedly thrust upon the reader's notice, may be seen from the fol- lowing statements.
In the year 1851, the Lutheran Synod of South Carolina, by resolution, made it the duty of the author to gather together a copy of all its printed minutes, have them prop- erly bound, and place the bound volumes in the library of its Theological Seminary. In so doing, the author became interested in the records of Synod, provided a set of dupli- cate copies for himself, and arranged certain tables of statistics of that Synod, exhibiting the gradual increase of the Church, the date of each minister's licensure and ordi- nation, &c., &c., and had these written statistics bound with his volumes of the Synod's minutes, merely for his own private use and future reference. A prominent min- ister of that Synod happening to overlook these statistics, suggested the propriety of their publication. To which the author replied, that it might be done, provided the minutes of the North Carolina Synod could also be procured, and similar statistical tables be arranged from them, when both could be published at the same time.
Not long afterwards, in 1858, the author was called to reside in North Carolina, when he commenced collecting the minutes of the Lutheran Synod of that State also, and
vi
PREFACE.
found such a large amount of additional historical docu- ments, that he became exceedingly interested in the search, and the labor has been to him a recreation and a pleasure rather than a wearisome toil. Public libraries were next visited ; the records of the Secretaries of State in the Capitol buildings of North and South Carolina were examined ; each colony of Germans in the two Carolinas was traced to its origin ; missionary journals, discovered to have been sent from the first ministers in North Carolina to Germany and there published, but no longer known to have any exist- ence, were sought after and obtained in Europe ; all of which produced a collection of historical material greater than was at first believed to be possible.
During the years, from 1861 to 1864, the author pub- lished, from the material then on hand, seventy-two "His- torical Sketches " in the columns of the "Southern Lu- theran," which were received with so much favor, that un- solicited suggestions came from Rev. John Bachman, D.D., LL.D., and from editors of several Southern journals, to have these "Historical Sketches published in a more con- venient and durable form ;"' besides, letters were received from private parties urging the same thing. On a visit to the North at the close of the war, these "Sketches " were exhibited to Rev. Dr. Hawks, of New York, author of the History of North Carolina, and to Rev. Dr. Krauth, of Philadelphia, and the same suggestion was repeated by both those learned gentlemen.
And now, believing that the information contained in this work is too valuable to be lost ; believing also, that the ripe and scholarly judgment of others should not be disre- garded ; believing, that the labor of twenty-one years, the leisure time of which was mostly spent in gathering to- gether the materials for this work, should not be spent in vain ; and lastly, believing that some good towards the advancing of the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom will thereby be effected, and that a generous public will so re- gard this work, these pages are sent upon the world with
vii
PREFACE.
the earnest hope that they may accomplish this their mis- sion.
But probably the most important question is: Is this book a reliable historical work? To which the author re- plies, that it is as much so, as human labor and patient toil can make it. This work has been altogether a labor of love, hence no pains were spared to make it eminently correct and exact in dates, names, localities, &c. That it occasionally comes in conflict with other historical authori- ties could not be avoided, as the author felt assured that Church records, missionary reports, records of the Councils of State, minutes of Synod, private journals and the like sources of information, produced at the time when the events occurred, are all of them more reliable than the statements made by authors, who had not these records at their command, however highly those authors may other- wise be regarded.
Some of them were unacquainted with the German lan- guage, German characteristics, and the religion of the Ger- man settlers, hence originated the errors that are sometimes found in American histories in reference to the German colonists.
It was deemed unnecessary to furnish a list on one or more separate pages of the sources whence the materials for this work were derived ; but, in order to remove all doubt concerning the reliability of this work, it was thought to be more serviceable to the reader to mention the names of authorities on the page where such authors and records are quoted.
There is a niche in the history of North and South Caro- lina that has never been filled. It is a well-known fact that these two Provinces were largely settled by German colonists, and yet their history has hitherto never been fully written. In the various histories of North Carolina we have extended accounts of the German settlements at New- berne and at Salem, but of the other German settlers, who located themselves in the central and western parts of the State, nothing is said, although they comprise more than
viii
PREFACE.
three-fourths of the German population. South Carolina historians have been equally remiss ; with the exception of the Purysburg and the Hard Labor Creek settlements, very little is said concerning those colonies from Germany and Switzerland, which were spread over a large portion of the interior of that Province. There can be but one solution of this apparent neglect, and that is, the records of these German settlements were couched in a language foreign to those historical writers. It is hoped that the omission has been, at least, largely supplied. A few more years, and the records of the history of our German forefathers would have passed beyond human reach. In view of this fact, how forcible are the remarks of Dr. Ramsay in the preface to his "History of South Carolina :" "Every day that minute local histories of these States are deferred is an in- jury to posterity, for, by means thereof, more of that knowl- edge which ought to be transmitted to them will be irre- coverably lost."
The author confesses to a few omissions in this work, and that this history has not been extended to the present time. His reason for the latter fact is, that occurrences so recent can scarcely be regarded as history, until they have been mellowed by age-have passed into perspective-when " distance lends enchantment to the view." At all events, the author prefers to close at a point, where he will not be obliged to record occurrences in which he was more or less personally interested.
The first omission consists in the want of an extended account of the ecclesiastical difficulty that arose in the year 1819, between the North Carolina Synod and the ministers, who afterwards formed the Tennessee Synod. In this the object was, not to open afresh those wounds which have been more than fifty years in healing. Let us by all means have a hopeful future, and let us throw no obstacles in the way of " the dead past burying its dead."
The second omission is a trifling one, namely, the pass- ing in silence the efforts made in 1842 by the North and South Carolina Synods to celebrate the supposed centenary
ix
PREFACE.
anniversary of the introduction of the Lutheran Church in America. To the South this celebration was peculiarly anachronistic. German Lutheranism was established in Pennsylvania in 1742, but it existed in the South eight years earlier, when Revs. Bolzius and Gronau commenced their labors in the German (Salzburg) colony at Ebenezer, Geor- gia, A.D. 1734, and in the Carolinas, five years sooner, when Rev. Giessendanner labored for the Germans in Orangeburg, S. C., in 1737.
The author is aware that this historical work, especially in its detailed ecclesiastical information, must be interest- ing chiefly to the members of the Lutheran Church in the Carolinas ; it is hoped, nevertheless, that the general reader will gather from it much information which is not to be obtained from any other source.
WILMINGTON, N. C., June 10th, 1872.
G. D. BERNHEIM.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY COLONIZATION OF THE DUTCH, GERMAN AND SWISS SETTLERS IN THE CAROLINAS.
PAGE
Section 1. The Causes, in general, which led to the Colo- nization of America with European settlers, . 25
Section 2. The Religious Persecutions in Europe as another effective cause of Emigration to America, . 30
Section 3. The War of the Spanish Succession, 37
Section 4. The Mission Societies established in Europe for the benefit of the early settlers in America, 46
Section 5. John Lederer's Explorations, A.D. 1670, 49
Section 6. The Dutch Colony of Lutherans on James Island, South Carolina, A.D. 1674, . 56
Section 7. The Colony of Palatinate and Swiss Germans in Newberne, North Carolina, A.D. 1710, . 67
Section 8. The German settlers in Charleston, S. C., 81 Section 9. The Swiss Colony at Purysburg, S. C., A D. 1732, . 88
Section 10. The German and Swiss colonists of Orange- burg, S. C., A.D. 1735, 99
Section 11. The German settlers of Saxe-Gotha Township, now Lexington County, S. C., A.D. 1737, 126
Section 12. The German settlers from Pennsylvania in Central North Carolina, A.D. 1750, . 148
Section 13. The Moravians at Salem, N. C., A.D. 1753, . 154
Section 14. The German Lutheran colony at Hard Labor
Creek, Abbeville County, S. C., A.D. 1763 and 1764, 161
xii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Section 15. Other German Settlements, particularly in
South Carolina, . 167 .
Section 16. Hessian Deserters during the Revolution, . 171
CHAPTER II.
CONDITION AND HISTORY OF THE GERMAN COLONIES IN THE CAROLINAS TO THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Section 1. A brief review of the planting of the different German colonies in North and South Carolina, . 175
Section 2. Trials and Difficulties of the Early Settlers, . 181 Section 3. Character, occupation and condition of the Ger- man settlers in the Carolinas, 185
Section 4. Great want of the means of grace among the early German colonists in the Carolinas, . 191
Section 5. An account of the Weber Heresy, . 195
Section 6. History of St. John's Lutheran Church, Charles- ton, S. C., to the close of the Revolutionary War, . 205
Section 7. The Lutheran Church in Amelia Township, Orangeburg District (County), S. C., 224
Section 8. The Lutheran churches in Saxe-Gotha Town- ship, Lexington District (County), S. C., . 229 · Section 9. Other German churches in South Carolina, 233 Section 10. Early History of St. John's Lutheran Church, Salisbury, N. C., 239
Section 11. Early History of Organ Church, Rowan County, N. C., 243
Section 12. Early History of St. John's Church, Cabarrus County, N. C., . 246
Section 13. The Delegation sent from North Carolina to Europe for Pastors and Teachers, and the Subsequent Organization of the Helmstaedt Mission Society, 253
Section 14. The Labors of Revs. Nussmann and Arndt in North Carolina, . 259
Section 15. Character of the Lutheran Ministry in the Carolinas previous to the Revolutionary War-Their Piety, Learning, Firm Adherence to the Confessions of their Church, Faithfulness in the Discharge of their Ministerial Duties-Liturgical Worship, &c., . 262
CONTENTS.
xill
PAGE
Section 16. Gradual Improvement of the Condition of the German Colonies and of their Churches in the Caro- linas, and Bright Prospects for the Future, · 267
· Section 17. The Effect of the Revolutionary War upon the German Settlements and their Churches, .
. 269
CHAPTER III.
HISTORY OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE CAROLINAS FROM THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, A.D. 1783, TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SYNOD OF NORTH CAROLINA, A.D. 1803, EMBRACING A PERIOD OF TWENTY YEARS.
Section 1. State of the German Colonies and of the Lu- theran Church at the close of the Revolution, . 274 Section 2. Reorganization of Ecclesiastical Affairs in the Lutheran Church in the Carolinas, . 278 . Section 3. Arrival of Rev. John Charles Faber-Reunion of the North Carolina Churches with the Parent Church in Germany-The North Carolina Catechism, published by Rev. Dr. Velthusen; and Rev. Daser's Report to the Helmstaedt Fathers, 281 . Section 4. The Corpus Evangelicum or Unio Ecclesias- tica in South Carolina, and the Ordination of Rev. J. G. Bamberg, . 288 Section 5. The Act of Incorporation of the fifteen Ger- man Churches in the Interior of South Carolina, 305 Section 6. Arrival of Revs. Bernhardt, Storch and Rosch- en in North Carolina, A.D. 1787 and 1788, 311 . Section 7. The Helmstaedt Mission Society-Letters from Revs. Nussmann, Storch and Roschen, published in the Helmstaedt Reports, indicating the Condition of the Lutheran Church in North Carolina during the years 1788 and 1789, . 322
Section 8. Further intelligence from St. John's and Organ Churches, and a Ministerial Assembly in North Caro-
lina, called to ordain the Rev. Robert Johnson Miller, 335 Section 9. Death of Revs. Nussmann and Martin-Resig-
xiv
CONTENTS.
PAGE
nation of Rev. John Charles Faber-Removal of Rev. Bernhardt to South Carolina-Return of Rev. Rosch- en to Germany-Arrival of Revs. Paul and Philip Henkel, . 340
Section 10. St. John's Church, Cabarrus County, N. C., after Rev. Nussmann's Death-Report of Rev. Storch to Dr. Velthusen-Decline of the German Reformed Church in South Carolina, . 346
Section 11. The great religious revival of the years 1800 and 1801, which swept over the United States ; reports of Revs. Storch and Henkel concerning it, 350 Section 12. Organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North Carolina, A.D. 1803, . 355
CHAPTER IV.
HISTORY OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE CAROLINAS CONTINUED, FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SYNOD, A.D. 1803, TO THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST LUTHERAN GENERAL SYNOD IN AMERICA, A.D. 1820; EMBRACING A PERIOD OF SEVENTEEN YEARS.
Section 1. Condition of the Lutheran Church in South Carolina in the year 1803, . 359
Section 2. Henkel's report on the condition of the Lu- theran Church in North Carolina in the year 1806, . 366 Section 3. Extracts from the First Minutes of the North Carolina Synod, from A.D. 1803 to 1810, . 372
Section 4. Missionary tours of Revs. Miller, Franklow and Scherer, 378
Section 5. Emigration from North Carolina to several new States and Territories, 392
Section 6. Additional extracts from the Minutes of the North Carolina Synod from 1811 to 1815, exhibiting the Rapid Increase of its Influence, the Extension of its Borders, and its great want of Ministers, 395
Section 7. Origin and History of several new Congrega- tions established in North and South Carolina, 401 . Section 8. Continued history of several of the older Lu- theran Congregations in the Carolinas, 411 .
XV
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Section 9. Arrival of Rev. John Bachman as pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Charleston, S. C., and his Report on the State of the Country and the Condi- tion of the Lutheran Church in America in the year 1815, .
415
Section 10. The Ordination Question, and Opposition to the Licensure of Candidates for the Ministry, · 425
. Section 11. The Literary Institution in Tennessee for the Education of Ministers, and the Publication by au- thority of the North Carolina Synod of a book, called " Luther," . 429
Section 12. The Convention which was called for the Pur- pose of Organizing a General Synod, . 435 Section 13. The First Rupture in the Lutheran Church in America, and the subsequent Formation of the Ten- nessee Synod, A.D. 1819 and 1820, . . 440
CHAPTER V.
FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TENNESSEE SYNOD TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT LEXINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, A.D. 1833.
Section 1. A Glimpse into the History of some of the .
Older Congregations, .
446
Section 2. Fraternal Union of the North Carolina Synod with the Protestant Episcopal Convention of North Carolina, 457
Section 3. Rev. John Bachman's Labors in Savannah and Ebenezer, Georgia, 463
Section 4. Organization of the Lutheran Synod of South Carolina, A.D. 1824, . 467 · Section 5. Removals to the West, and Missionary Labors of the North Carolina Synod in Illinois and other States, . . 470
Section 6. Rapid Progress of the South Carolina Synod, and the Missionary Labors of Revs. Scheck, Schwartz, and W. D. Strobel, · . Section 7. Death of Rev. Charles A. G. Storch in 1831, and arrival of other Lutheran Ministers in North Carolina, 480
474
xvi
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Section 8. Principal Transactions of the Tennessee Synod, from 1820 to 1833, 485
Section 9. Establishment of a Theological Seminary in South Carolina, under the Professorship of Rev. John G. Schwartz, A.D. 1830, 489 Section 10. New Churches Erected in South Carolina ; and the Early Deaths of Revs. Wingard, Schwartz, Bergman and Daniel Dreher, . 497 .
Section 11. Founding of the Theological Seminary at Lexington, S C., and arrival of Rev. E. L. Hazelius, D.D., as Professor of Theology, . 507
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORY OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE CAROLINAS CONTINUED TO THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1850.
Section 1. Condition of the Lutheran Church in North and South Carolina in 1834, 512 Section 2. Rev. Daniel Jenkins' Revivals in North Caro- lina-Commissioners sent by the South Carolina Synod to the North Carolina Synod with Proposals in behalf of the Lexington Theological Seminary- Death of Rev. Gottlieb Shober, . 516 Section 3. Increase of Lutheran Ministers in the Caroli- nas-Establishment of New Congregations-Visit of Rev. Dr. Bachman to Europe, . 520
Section 4. Settlement of North Germans in Southern Cities-Organization and Early History of St. Mat- thew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Charles- ton, S. C., . 529
Section 5. Formation of the Western Virginia Synod ; and Death of Rev. Henry Graeber, . 533
Section 6. Endowment of a Second Professorship in the Theological Seminary at Lexington, S. C .- Memoir of Henry Müller, Sr., 538
Section 7. Colony of German Settlers at Walhalla, S. C .- Additional New Congregations Organized-The Mis- sissippi and Texas Missions, 544
Section 8. State of the Lutheran Church in the Carolinas, in the Year 1850, 549 .
Section 9. Concluding Remarks, . 554
HISTORY
OF THE
Berman
ettlements and the
utheran Church
IN
NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
CHAPTER I.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY COLONIZATION OF THE DUTCH, GERMAN, AND SWISS SETTLERS IN THE CAROLINAS.
Section 1. The causes, in general, which led to the colonization of America with European settlers.
THE memory of the early settlers of America should ever be regarded as sacred; it was their courageous hearts or conscientious convictions of duty that led them to venture upon the dangers of a long and tedious voyage across the Atlantic, and to endure the perils and hardships of an in- hospitable wilderness, which greeted them upon their arrival in this country. To them America owes the debt of gratitude for having planted the "westward star of empire" on its shores; for having introduced the dawn of civilization on this continent, where brutal savages, always at
3
26
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
war with themselves, and threatening each other's destruction, formerly roamed unrestrained over its wide and trackless forests; for having borne the standard of Christianity to this vast country, where once the curses of idolatry hung like a funeral pall over its future progress and prosperity. In such a wilderness, and under many adverse and dangerous circumstances, our adventurous or pious forefathers made their homes and reared their hardy families; well may those early settlers, in more senses than one, be denominated the fathers of this-their adopted-country.
The causes which induced the early settlers of America to leave their native homes and seek an abode in the Far West, across the wide Atlantic, which, on account of its dangers, and a long, tedious, and expensive voyage, severed them for- ever from all that they once held dear, were nu- merous and of great variety ; but the principal of these causes of emigration shall be given and de- scribed in the following narrative.
Amid the over-abundant population of Europe, crowded within a small area of productive land, there always existed, for many centuries past, a large proportion of inhabitants of every class of society, whose pecuniary circumstances ever for- bade them to arrive at the condition of competency and wealth in the ordinary pursuits of life; the titled nobleman, by misfortune or bad manage- ment, had become deprived of that affluence, which once gilded the coronet of his ancestral house; the unfortunate merchant, by unwise
27
IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
speculation, improper investments, want of suc- cess, or some other mismanagement in his com- mercial affairs, brought himself and family to the verge of ruin; the industrious artisan could scarcely maintain a large and increasing family on the small pittance which was his daily support, forbidding his industry ever to reach beyond that which was necessarily consumed in the mainte- nance of his esteemed wife and beloved children ; whilst the tenant upon a lordly estate was so over- burdened with tithes and gatherings, that he groaned over the profitless labor which he daily performed.
In addition to these classes, many young and unmarried men and women, who could see noth- ing before them but pre-occupied situations, closed avenues of industry ; and servants, already too nu- merous, awaiting the rich man's bidding, felt but too keenly that the Old World had little employ- ment to offer, and less bread to spare.
Thus necessity, as well as inclination, induced these worthy members of society to seek a fortune in America, or at least to improve their pecuniary condition, which was accomplished by engaging in remunerative agriculture, trading with the aborigines of the forests, or in the pursuit of such commercial enterprises as invited the settlers to the enjoyment of prospective wealth, luxury, and influence. Capital was necessary, connected with the ordinary commercial judgment and prudence, to build up a fortune for the enterprising merchant in the Old World, but in America, industry and
28
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
economy accomplished astonishing results ; oppor- tunity was wanting to many an anxious aspirant in the Fatherland in all the various departments of industry, but in the New World, unoccupied situations presented themselves every day to all classes of honest and useful men, whilst the want of labor in the wilds of America was constantly felt. Lands, farms, and plantations were freely offered to every settler for a small amount of pur- chase-money, or for an annual quit-rent of a trifling character.
What an alluring prospect presented itself in this country to all the inhabitants of Europe, a country crowded for many centuries to its utmost capacity ! What an outlet to the inhabitants thereof, groaning under the stringent civil laws necessary for such a superabundant population, which was at times somewhat reduced by the horrors of civil war! They came, like so many swarms of bees from their native hives, to seek subsistence and wealth in America, where good prospects and fine opportunities awaited them.
A large number of emigrants to this country were possessed of a romantic spirit, desiring to roam free and unrestrained through the primeval forests in search of adventure; their highest am- bition was to hunt the wild deer, chase the fox and the buffalo, trap the beaver and the otter, or encounter other but more dangerous animals without the restraints of law or privilege of fa- voritism, which forbade their entering into Euro- pean forests with the rifle, the huntsman's dog,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.