[Bros. Schnell and Brandmueller have turned back north and are now headed to Bethlehem, their point of departure. The year is 1749.]
Nov. 30. We heard many wolves. We had to travel about thirty miles to find a house where they had bread.
On Dec. 1 we passed through the Irish settlement (Augusta County).
On Dec. 2 we traveled all day so we could be with the Germans on Sunday. Late at night we arrived at the house of Stopfel (Christopher) Franciscus. On Sunday, the young Franciscus went with us to show the way to Mattias Schaub who, upon hearing my offer to preach, sent messengers through the neighborhood. In a short time, a considerable number of people assembled and I preached. Toward evening, Adam Mueller came and I asked him if I come to his house and preach. We set the date at Dec. 5 and he notified his neighbors.
On Dec. 6 we stayed with Philip Lung but he would not let me preach at his house saying no one would come since Rev. Klug (from "Hebron") had warned people to be on their guard against us. We left.
On Dec. 7 we walked twenty miles before breakfast before we could find food. In the afternoon we reached George Daelinger who would not let us preach because of Rev. Klug. We stayed with Caspar Funk. On Dec. 8 we visited a Mennonite and later came to the house of N. Schmidt Stepfa, a Catholic, in whose house we wished to preach because there were several Germans in the neighborhood. But he assured us that the people were much incensed against us. He had heard how Rev. Klug warned people to be on their guard. He believed we were sincere and he welcomed us into his house.
On Dec. 9, we went ten miles to Benjamin Frey. As Bro. Brandmueller had fallen into Cedar Creek, it gave him a chance to dry himself. On the next day, Sunday, we hastened early to old Mr. Funk where we had appointed a sermon. When we arrived there was already a good crowd. One of Mr. Funk's sons told us that a man had come to them, having traveled fourteen miles, to ask them not to permit us to preach. But the son told him it was too late. Later we went on and stayed with a Mennonite. But as he was under the influence of whiskey, we could not speak of anything sensible to him.
On Dec. 11, we visited the old Jost Hayd (Hite). We did not stay but continued on to Fredericktown where we called on a German shoemaker. We then traveled another ten miles to an Englishman with whom we stayed the night.
On Dec. 12, we left two hours before dawn and came to the Potomac where the ferryman (at Watkins' Ferry) took us over. He asked for one of our books and we promised to send it to him. Thus we left Virginia.
[Commentary. By 1749, the Reformed and Lutheran church leaders had become distrustful of the Moravians and were warning people against listening to them. Notice how many times that the name of Rev. Klug is invoked by the people that the Moravians visited on this trip. However, when the people formed their own judgments, they were often very favorably inclined to the Moravians. Rev. Klug visited the valley many times so that the eastern and western sides of the Blue Ridge were well acquainted with each other. On other trips the missionaries traveled on the eastern side, the Germanna side, of the Blue
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.