[Walking south with Bros. Schnell and Brandmueller through Virginia. Note: Apparently I was mistaken; the dates have been converted to the new style calendar so they do represent the true position in the year.]
Nov. 16. We started early and hurried to the next house to get breakfast. The good people there had no bread, but they served us Welsh corn (hominy?) and buttermilk. After breakfast we crossed the mountains and came to the James River which we had to swim across. Toward evening we crossed another river and came to a house where we had to lie on bear skins around the fire like the rest. The manner of living in this district is poor. Clothes are deer skins and the food consists of Johnny cakes, deer and bear meat. (The missionaries are now in the present counties of Bath and Allegheny which was the frontier country with Indians immediately to the west.) The white people live like savages and hunting is their chief occupation.
Nov. 17. Our path led through the mountains. The wolves could be heard and were quite near. A Quaker walked with us for three miles. In the afternoon we came to the mill of Justice Robeson. We had expected to get some bread but he said there was no bread in the house. We went on for two miles and, on hearing that the next house was twelve miles away, we camped. That night it snowed the whole night.
Nov. 18. The way was narrow and wet on account of the snow. We crossed the Catawba Creek and a branch of the Roanoke more than thirty times. There was one house at twelve miles and the next was fifteen miles. We were wet the whole day. We stayed in an English house and enjoyed the comforts of a good fire and a pleasant conversation with our host.
On Sunday, Nov. 19, we were pleased in anticipation of seeing the New River and the Germans living there. Jacob Hermann received us with joy. It was too late to preach today so a sermon was appointed for tomorrow. On Monday I preached and on Tuesday we stayed quietly at Hermann's house and spoke with him. On Wednesday, I was supposed to preach again but the weather was so cold that no one came. Nov. 23. Mr. Hermann went with us to visit Jacob Goldman whose wife is the sister of my father-in-law. On Saturday I kept the Sabbath and on Sunday I preached. Some Seventh Day Baptists (Dunkers) lived at New River but we had no desire to visit them.
Nov. 27. We could learn no information of any German settlements to the south within the next 150 miles, so we resolved to turn our faces toward Pennsylvania and return to Bethlehem. The rain soaked us and we stayed that evening with Robert Lewis and dried our clothes.
Nov. 28. We made thirty miles again and crossed the Catawba and Roanoke about that many times. We stayed with a tanner who resoled Bro. Brandmueller's shoes. The next day we got a late start but we arrived at the James River by evening.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.