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 13
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"In 1773 Pastor Daser lodged a complaint against one of the members for his improper conduct towards him, and hopes he would treat him with more kindness, and not judge him so severely."
Dr. Muhlenberg states further : "However, as Rev. Daser had always discharged the duties of his office as a secondary business, and both he and his wife had digressed in several things, had fre- quented too much company, and became deeply involved in debt, &c., the vestry discharged him before the end of the third year. He had, how- ever, a party of his own kind, who were offended at the vestry on account of his discharge, and who regarded his extravagance either as trifling or praiseworthy; yet they were far too weak to raise
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his salary without the aid of the elders and other well-disposed members." The vestry then wrote to the Reverend Consistorium of the Electorate of Hanover, supplicating that ecclesiastical body for a regular minister, but were informed that they could not be supplied from that source. Af- terwards the elders and wardens addressed Dr. Muhlenberg, and besought him to send them an educated and exemplary pastor of the Pennsyl- vania Ministerium. The adherents of Mr. Daser also wrote to him anonymously at the same time, accusing the vestry, stating that Parson Daser had been a good preacher for them, and that the vestry had discharged him without the will and knowl- edge of the congregation, without cause and from motives of personal hatred, &c.
Dr. Muhlenberg answered both communications, informing them that, "God willing, he would make a journey to Ebenezer, in Georgia, in the fall, and would then also come to Charleston on his way to Georgia, and there personally investigate their affairs."
Accordingly Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg set sail for Charleston, South Carolina, August 27th, 1774, and arrived September 8th following. He was received and welcomed with the utmost kindness by the principal German families, as well as by many English inhabitants, and whilst there he ex- erted himself, as far as he could, to heal the un- happy division then existing in the German Lu- theran congregation, caused by the irregularities of Pastor Daser, in which, as he was well adapted
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for this undertaking, and was frequently and justly entitled the peacemaker, he was quite successful.
In the mean time, which elapsed between Dr. Muhlenberg's answer to both parties in the con- gregation and his arrival in Charleston, Rev. Daser had procured a recommendation from the Lord Lieutenant-Governor of South Carolina, residing in Charleston, and also from the resident English Episcopal clergymen, to the Lord Bishop of Lon- don for Episcopal ordination, and afterwards to receive " a competent living in some country con- gregation, and thus become a dead weight in the English Established Church." However, before he had completed his arrangements for his cou- templated visit to London, Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg arrived in Charleston ; and then he hoped and ex- pected, through the venerable Doctor's interces- sion, to be called by the vestry of St. John's Lu- theran Church for life, and to receive an annual salary of £100 sterling.
But as soon as the Doctor had learned all the circumstances of Daser's own and his wife's con- duct "from sensible and impartial persons," he could not conscientiously interest himself in Rev. Daser's behalf; "for," says the Doctor, " when a minister makes himself familiar with drunkards, flourishes with his sword at night along the streets, throws stones at windows, &c., and his wife fre- quents the theatre at night, leads in the dance at weddings, &c., we can easily imagine what impres- sions this must make upon well-meaning mem-
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bers ! O Lord of Heaven, do Thou have mercy upon such a state of things !"
For the purpose of carrying out his design, Rev. Daser sailed in a vessel from Charleston to Lon- don, in order to obtain Episcopal ordination; many well-disposed persons subscribed liberally to the support of his wife and two small children during his absence; but a violent storm arose whilst the vessel was out at sea, and so injured her that she was obliged to return to Charleston. This provi- dential occurrence had the effect of changing Rev. Daser's purpose, and may have induced him to become a wiser and better man, for his after-life appears to have been considerably changed.
It is also recorded of him, that during his ab- sence at sea, the members of St. John's Church discovered that he had cut thirty-two leaves out of their church-record book, for which they took him to task immediately after his return, and he acknowledged that he had cut out and burned two leaves only. This accounts for the mutilation in that church-book as mentioned by Mr. Schirmer in his "Reminiscences of the Past."
Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg had no small difficulty in healing the dissensions of the congregation. He listened to all parties and heard their tale of grievances patiently, preached to them faithfully in the church every Sunday during his stay among them, called congregational meetings, and on the fourth Sunday of his visit administered the com- munion, and yet apparently with very little effect; for some still wanted Rev. Daser to be recalled,
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others desired the Rev. Mr. Martin, who now labored in the Saluda Fork, to return and be their pastor; whilst Dr. Muhlenberg, with many others, believed it to be the best policy to call an entire stranger from Germany or elsewhere, who could exert much more influence, and heal all divisions, than one who was already well known to the con- gregation. Acting upon this belief, and as a last resort, the Doctor drew up a petition to be sent to the "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," requesting it to send a pastor to this congregation, which reads as follows :
"We, the subscribers, for the time being, war- dens, vestrymen, and contributing members of the German Lutheran St. John's Church and congre- gation in and about Charleston, in South Carolina, His Brittanick Majesty King George III's loyal and dutiful subjects, do send greeting to the most worthy and reverend fathers in God, Frederick Ziegenhagen, His Majesty's Chaplain in the Ger- man Chapel at St. James, Anastasius Freyling- hausen, Louis Schultz, D.D., and to the Directors of the East and West India Missions at Halle, Gustavus Burgmann of the Savoy, Rector, and William Pasche, Assistant in His Majesty's Ger- man Chapel, all worthy members of the venerable Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; and do humbly request that," &c., &c. (here follows a description of the kind of minister that was de- sired, adding also this important clause), " who is able and willing to propagate the Gospel accord- ing to the foundations of the holy Apostles and
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Prophets, whereof Christ Jesus is the Corner- stone, and to administer the holy sacraments, agreeably to the articles of our unaltered Augus- tan (Augsburg) Confession." (Then follow an enumeration of the other pastoral duties, salary promised, use of the parsonage rent free, precau- tionary promises against further divisions in the congregation, &c., concluding the whole with) : "In witness whereof, we have hereunto inter- changeably set our hands and seals at Charleston, in South Carolina, this 25th day of October, in the sixteenth year of His Majesty's reign, Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and seventy- four." Evangelical Review, vol. i, pp. 401 and 402.
Dr. Muhlenberg had the satisfaction to see this petition signed by nearly all the members of the congregation. It was carried around to each one privately by several of the vestrymen, who by their personal influence, and the great desire for peace at last, enabled them thus to heal up the unhappy divisions then existing in the congrega- tion.
As a matter of course, this petition terminated all hopes of Rev. F. Daser's ministrations in this congregation for that time; how he returned and served this people again, and under what circum- stances, will also be made apparent.
The letter containing the petition of the congre- gation to the " reverend Fathers" in Europe for a pastor was sent to Rev. William Pasche in Lon- don; a merchant in Charleston, Mr. Mey, took it
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in charge, and forwarded it to Europe by the first opportunity.
The vestry also sent another letter to the Rev. J. N. Martin, beseeching him to serve the congre- gation once more until the new pastor would arrive, provided they should be successful in ob- taining one from the Society in Europe. Rev. Martin consented to their request, as Dr. Muhlen- berg states: "To-day an elder of the congregation showed me an answer from Rev. Mr. Martin, in which he states, that in compliance with the desire of the vestry, he will serve the Evangelical Con- gregation of this place one and a half years, and, Deo volente, will take charge the first Sunday in Advent. Thus, it appears, this object is gained, that the congregation will be supplied in the meanwhile, until it can be seen what will result from the critical strife between the Colonies and their angry mother, and whether the intended call to our reverend Fathers for an ordained minister will meet with the desired effect."
Under date of October 15, Dr. Muhlenberg states : " To-day I sent for the church records of this congregation, and recorded the actus ministe- riales that occurred during my five weeks' sojourn in this place."
On the 26th of October, Dr. Muhlenberg took affectionate leave of this people, after having satis- factorily settled all the difficulties in the congrega- tion. Many of his cherished friends attended him to the vessel which was to take him, together with his wife and daughter, who accompanied him, to
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Savannah. The good that he had effected in Charleston was long remembered by many grate- ful hearts.
The church council agreed to pay Rev. J. N. Martin half of his travelling expenses to Charles- ton, and give him a fixed salary of £130 quarterly, which was accepted, and he returned once more to them as their pastor early in December, 1774, and labored faithfully among his people, beloved by all, and in harmony with the various opposing parties that had previously existed. About this time the German Friendly Society presented the church with a clock.
The time of engagement with Rev. Martin as pastor among the Lutherans in Charleston was now drawing to a close, and no hope as yet pre- sented itself of obtaining a pastor from the So- ciety for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. Troubles of a more serious nature were gathering thick and fast. The high price of the necessaries of life, the struggles of the American Revolution which had caused it, the irregularity and final ces- sation of all commercial intercourse with Europe, made it now a matter of impossibility to obtain ministerial help from abroad; all of which induced the congregation in 1776 to enter into a new agree- ment with Rev. Martin, engaging him for two years longer, inasmuch also as they were well pleased with him as their pastor.
From an anniversary sermon, delivered by Rev. John Bachman, D.D., a glowing picture of the state of this church at that time is furnished us.
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The Doctor informs us, that "during the stormy season of the Revolution, the Germans of this city had been the strenuous advocates and defenders of the rights of their adopted country. The Ger- man Füsilier Company was formed out of the original members of this congregation. They par- ticipated in the dangers and sufferings of the Revolution, and their captain fell at the siege of Savannah. Their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Martin, many of whose descendants are still living among us, on his refusal to pray-for the king, was driven from his church and his property was confiscated. He was for a time placed under an arrest, and was afterwards compelled to leave the city, to which he did not return until the close of the war. In the meantime, the church was partially supplied by two other ministers, who were less exception- able to our foreign rulers."
The two ministers, alluded to by Dr. Bachman, were the Rev. Christian Streitt, and Rev. Fred- erick Daser; however, it is not to be supposed that the former was a Tory in principle. In the memoir of Rev. Mr. Streitt, published in the Evangelical Review, vol. ix, p. 379, we are in- formed, that "during our Revolutionary struggle, Rev. Streitt was appointed Chaplain in the army, and was, for a season, in the service of the Third Virginia regiment. Afterwards he was settled as pastor of a congregation in Charleston, South Carolina. During the sacking of the city in 1780, he was taken prisoner by the British, and retained as such until exchanged. The cause of his capture was, undoubtedly, his unwavering patriotism and
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firm attachment to the principles of the American Revolution. It is a source of congratulation to the Lutheran Church, that those who ministered at her altars during that memorable and trying period, with scarcely an exception, were the de- voted friends of their country."
The two pastors appear to have labored in friendly connection with each other, as the signa- tures of both are occasionally affixed to the records of the proceedings of the vestry, whilst at other times the signature of only one of them appears. This may have been permitted by Pastor Streitt and the vestry, from motives of respect to Rev. Daser, and for the purpose of conciliating him and his party.
Rev. Streitt entered upon the duties of his office in 1778. During the month of April of that year he preached several trial sermons, when he, soon afterwards, became the pastor. He was engaged to serve three years in this charge, but was taken away before the expiration of that term as a prisoner of war by the British. It was Rev. Mr. Streitt, says Ramsay, vol. ii, p. 23, who " first introduced divine service in the English language, so as to have one service in English every second or third Sunday." In July, 1782, he took charge of New Hanover Church, in Pennsylvania, and in 1785 he commenced his labors in Winchester, Virginia, where he remained to the close of his life.
An enormous rate of charges for ministerial duties appears to have been established by the vestry of St. John's Lutheran Church, in Charles-
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ton, in 1779, whilst the Rev. Mr. Streitt was the pastor. This was done on account of the very high price of provisions consequent upon the war, and was to remain in force only so long as such a state of things existed. They were as follows: For attending a funeral, £10; for preaching a funeral sermon, £30; and £50 for a marriage fee; of course, all in Carolina currency.
In the year 1781, Rev. F. Daser seems to have had sole charge of this church once more. This was the period of British rule in Charleston, and it is probable that he was the person who was "less exceptionable to our foreign rulers," as stated by Rev. Dr. Bachman. At all events he continued in office during the whole of that period, and resigned his charge of St. John's Church some time after peace was declared, viz., in July, 1786, when he removed to Orangeburg District, South Carolina.
Section 7. The Lutheran Church in Amelia Town- ship, Orangeburg District (County), South Carolina.
In addition to the settlement of Germans and Swiss in and around Orangeburg village, which received the name of Orangeburg Township, so great was the influx of German emigrants there, that another township was soon laid out, north- east of Orangeburg, and adjoining it, which was named Amelia Township, where a Lutheran con- gregation was organized and a house of worship erected, that received the name St. Matthew's Church, and which has survived all the vicissi-
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tudes and encroachments of more than a century of time.
When it was organized and who was instru- mental in effecting its organization can now be only a matter of conjecture. From the church- record book, kept by Rev. John Geissendanner, and still preserved by his descendants, we learn that he often visited the German settlers in Amelia Township, and performed ministerial acts among them; it is not improbable that he also occasion- ally preached there, but nothing is stated con- cerning a church-edifice and congregation having existed in Amelia Township during the first years of his ministry, and there is strong reason to be- lieve that such was not the case, inasmuch as he, at that time, connected the records of baptisms, marriages, &c., of these people with those of the Orangeburg congregation. Nevertheless, as he must have labored there some nine years before any other German minister arrived, he may have been instrumental in organizing St. Matthew's Lutheran Church.
In the year 1747, the Rev. Joachim Zübly, D.D., removed from Frederica on St. Simon's Island, in Georgia, and labored in this community. He was a German Reformed minister, and is spoken of in the highest terms in Dr. Muhlenberg's journal, as follows : " Oct. 28. According to invitation, I and my family dined with Rev. Dr. Zübly, and I spent the afternoon very pleasantly with him in his library and study. He is an experienced, influen- tial, learned, prudent, and very industrious man, of a sanguine temperament. He has a larger col-
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lection of fine books than any I have seen in America. The external appearance of his library and study is not surpassed by the most superior in Germany. All the books appear like trees that lose their fruit in autumn, so that innumerable printed leaves, whole and half tracts, manuscripts, &c., are scattered on the floor. It reminded me of the polyhistorian Markosius, and our venerable Bogatzky, whose studies are said to appear in such good order, that the most noted housewife dare not venture to arrange anything in them, lest she should put them in disorder. January 9th. Towards evening Rev. Dr. Zübly arrived here, who communicated to us in the evening his man- uscript Latin dissertation, 'Pro gradu doctoris,' which will shortly be printed. January 10th. Towards evening Rev. Dr. Zübly returned from Purysburg, where he had preached in English, and refreshed us during the evening with Chris- tian conversation."
During the ministrations of Dr. Zübly in Amelia Township, he doubtless was instrumental in effect- ing the organization of "The German Calvinistic Church of St. John on the Fourhole," which was incorporated by that name by the State Legisla- ture in 1788, but is now no longer in existence, and its members and their descendants have long since been mostly absorbed by the Lutheran churches in the vicinity. Fourhole is the name of a creek in Amelia Township, which with the fact that this (St. John's) Church is clustered together with the two Lutheran churches located in Orangeburg District (County), in one and the
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same bill of incorporation, locates that church in Amelia Township, or immediately below it, in Orangeburg County, which encompasses all that territory.
Rev. Dr. Zübly afterwards removed to Savan- nah, Georgia; where Dr. Muhlenberg met him on his way to Ebenezer.
In the year 1760, the Rev. John George Fried- erichs, the founder of the first Lutheran church in Charleston, commenced to labor in Amelia Town- ship, and remained in this pastorate for a long time, being still at that post of duty on October 15th, 1774, when Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg gives the following account of him :
"I received an agreeable letter from Rev. John George Friederichs, Lutheran minister in Amelia Township, one hundred miles in the country, dated October 15th, 1774, in which he states, that he learned of my arrival in Charleston, first from Rev. Hochheimer, who traveled through here, and was assured of it by letter of September 20th ult., which afforded him very great pleasure, and in- duced him to prepare for a journey to Charleston, but that he was prevented by sickness and the fear of not meeting me here, especially as I had intimated in my letter that I intended, God will- ing, to continue my journey to Georgia in October. But that he would request my host, Mr. Kimmel, to inform him when I returned to Charleston, and then, if we lived, visit me, &c., &c. The person bringing the letter returning to-morrow, I an- swered his letter and sought to encourage him to fight the good fight, to keep the faith, and to finish
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the course, &c. He sustains a good character for sound doctrine and exemplary conduct among in- formed persons; he has no family, and is satisfied with the necessaries of life.
"A laborer, standing thus alone in the wilderness among rude people, must be much encouraged when he receives unexpectedly a few lines of com- fort from a fellow-suffering and tempted cross- bearer, as is manifest from his answer to my first letter. It is written, ' Woe to him that is alone.'"'
How long afterwards Rev. Friederichs labored in this charge cannot be ascertained, but it is pre- sumed that he remained there in the faithful dis- charge of his duty to the close of his life. Per- haps he did not live long after Dr. M.'s visit to Charleston, for nothing is further recorded of him, and his name does not appear among the list of ministers in South Carolina, who formed the Corpus Evangelicum in 1787; and in 1786 an- other minister had taken charge of the pastorate in Amelia Township.
It was during the ministry of Rev. J. G. Fried- erichs in this community, that a colony of Ger- mans came from Maine and settled in Orangeburg District, accompanied by their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Cilley or Silly; but, inasmuch as the records of this colonization of Germans do not harmonize with each other, they are inserted here without comment, leaving the reader to form his own con- clusions.
J. C. Hope, Esq., speaking of the Lutheran set- tlers in Orangeburg District, says: "In 1763 a colony of German Lutherans came from Maine,
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accompanying their pastor Silly, and joined their brethren in South Carolina; but in time the most of these returned."
Rev. Dr. Hazelius' statement is: "Rev. Mr. Cilley arrived in South Carolina with a colony of German emigrants from Maine, in the year 1773. But of his labors and success no accounts can be found."
The statement in "The Javelin," pp. 170 and 171, is as follows: "The disappointment and suf- fering which they were presently made to endure in consequence of the deceptions practiced upon them, were trying in the extreme. And to all their other troubles, the Indians fell upon them also, and destroyed many lives and much sub- stance. Ill-treated, robbed, wronged and disap- pointed, many of them, under the guidance of a Moravian clergyman, left Muscungus (Maine), and emigrated to Carolina, in 1773."
Section 8. The Lutheran Churches in Saxe-Gotha Township, Lexington District (County), South Carolina.
Saxe-Gotha Township having been settled as early as 1737, principally by Germans and Swiss, who continued to arrive there for several years following, soon became well populated by these colonists, considering the difficulties of emigration and state of the country at that time. The Ger- man Reformed settlers, as already stated, were supplied with a pastor, who labored among them from the year 1739 to the close of his life, a period of more than fifty years, for he was still living in
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1789. The Lutherans were not so fortunate as their German Reformed brethren, in being thus early supplied with the regular means of grace. At the time of Dr. Muhlenberg's visit to Charles- ton, in 1774, there were two Lutheran ministers laboring in Saxe-Gotha, the Rev. Lewis Hoch- heimer, at Sandy Run, and the Rev. J. N. Martin, in the Saluda Fork, and it is safely presumed that they were the first Lutheran ministers who labored in that township; at all events, it is an ascertained fact, recorded in the Urlsperger Reports, that no Lutheran minister had labored there previous to the year 1750, when a petition was sent to the pas- tors of Ebenezer, Georgia, signed by two hundred and eighty Lutherans, beseeching those pastors to send them a minister; yet their petition was not regarded, and they were left without a pastor of their own faith. How long they continued in this spiritually destitute condition is not known, but it is more than probable, judging from the condition of the colony and of the Church at the time of the criminal conduct of the Weberites, in 1760, that the Lutherans of Saxe-Gotha were then still destitute of the means of grace. Seven years later Rev. Martin removed from Charleston and commenced his labors in the Saluda Fork, but no records inform us at what time Rev. Hochheimer commenced his ministry in the Sandy Run Church.
The members of the Lutheran Church of that portion of Saxe-Gotha bordering on the Congaree River, known better as the Sandy Run settlement, although privileged to hear the Gospel in their na- tive language from the lips of the German Re-
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