The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
The next day Mr. and Mrs. Toeltschig escorted Rose and his wife to their
new home, and at Ingham’s request united with them in a little
prayer service. Four days later fourteen of the Moravians went to the
schoolhouse, which was solemnly consecrated by Seifert, the Chief Elder.
That evening, in Savannah, Rose and his wife were formally set apart for
their missionary work, and the next day they returned to “Irene”, as the
school was called, to enter upon their duties.
At first everything was encouraging. The children learned readily, not
only to read but some to write; they committed to memory many passages
of Scripture, and took special delight in the hymns they were taught to
sing.
The older Indians looked on with wonder and approval, which stimulated
the missionaries to new zeal in mastering the language, and in taking
every opportunity to make the “Great Word” known to them. Zinzendorf
wrote a letter from Herrnhut to Tomochichi, commending his interest in
their message, and urging its full acceptance upon him; the Indians gave
some five acres of land for a garden, which Rose cleared and planted,
and everything looked promising, until the influence of the Spanish war
rumor was felt. True to their nature, the fighting spirit of the Indians
rose within them, and they took the war-path against the Spanish, for
the sake of their English allies, and perhaps more for the pure love
of strife. Then Ingham decided to go to England for reinforcements,
and Rose was left in charge of the work. He seems to have been a
well-meaning man, and much beloved by the Indians, but he was not a man
of much mental strength or executive ability, and the Congregation at
Savannah soon decided that he and his wife should be recalled until the
way opened for one or more of the others to go back to Irene with him.
The “Society”.
In their personal affairs the Moravians were experiencing the usual
mingling of light and shadow.
Dober’s effort to make pottery was a failure, for lack of proper clay,
but through Gen. Oglethorpe’s kindness a good deal of carpenter’s work
was given to them. They built a house for Tomochichi at his village,
and a house in Savannah, both in the style of the Moravian house, and
another town house in English fashion, as well as the Indian school, a
large share of their wages being applied on account, so that their debt
was gradually reduced, and their credit sustained.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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