The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
On the 21st, the periagua (“so they call a rather deep, large boat”)
came to take the Moravians to Savannah, but it was necessary to call
at the other ship, as some of their baggage had been brought in that
vessel. Spangenberg went ahead, and found that for some reason the
baggage could not be taken off that day. He was pleasantly received by
“the younger” Reck, but the Baron was absent, having gone to see the
site to which the Salzburgers wished to move their settlement, Gen.
Oglethorpe having given his permission. About the time the periagua
arrived, a heavy rain came up, and fearing the effect on the new-comers,
Spangenberg obtained permission to take them into the cabin. When ten
o’clock came they decided to wait no longer, and started for Savannah,
with the result that they spent the entire night in the rain, in an
open boat, and then had passed but half way up the river! Early in the
morning Spangenberg took two men and his small boat and went ahead,
stopping at Capt. Thomson’s ship to get some things Korte had sent them
from London. They reached Savannah in the afternoon, and before daybreak
on Thursday, Feb. 23rd, the periagua at last landed its passengers at
Savannah.
That evening Spangenberg returned with Oglethorpe to the ship, that
various important matters might be more fully discussed. They agreed,
(1) that the five hundred acres already surveyed for Zinzendorf
should be retained, and settled, but that it would be wise to take an
additional five hundred acres of more fertile land nearer Savannah,
where it would be more accessible, the grant to be made to Christian
Ludwig von Zinzendorf, the Count’s eldest son; (2) that no Moravian
could accept a fifty acre tract without pledging himself to military
service, but land could be secured for a number of them at the rate
of twenty acres apiece, without this obligation. This land could be
selected near Zinzendorf’s estate, the town to be built on the Count’s
property. If any wished to leave the Moravian Congregation, he should
receive twenty acres elsewhere for himself. (3) Non-Moravians, like John
Regnier, might live with them on the same conditions. (4) If one of
the Moravians died without male issue, the Congregation should name his
successor in the title to the land. (5) The promised cattle should still
be given.
It was further arranged that Spangenberg should continue to hold the
title to his fifty acres, but with the understanding that it was in
trust for the Congregation; the same to apply to Nitschmann’s land, if
desired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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