[Continuing the trip with fifteen Moravian brothers from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in 1753.]
Oct. 28. One of the horses took sick. We were able to buy corn at a house. By noon we had made six miles. In the afternoon we had a stony and bad road and we had to hold the wagon back continually with ropes, lest it be overturned on the steep road. Four times we crossed creeks with high banks that made it difficult. The Blue Ridge and North Mountains are within two miles of each other. Toward evening we saw the James River. To descend a steep mountain, we attached a large tree to the wagon, locked both wheels, and had the brothers hold fast to the tree. Still we went down so fast that most of the brethren turned somersaults but without injury to anyone. We were very tired in the camp for, in spite of the bad road, we had covered sixteen miles. A man came by the camp and told us we could have used another road which was better.
Oct. 29. Our first frost of the journey. We passed safely through the James River. We shortly passed a house where we stopped for the day because the people baked bread for us and sold us a pig which we butchered on the spot. Mr. Illisen came to us (we had purchased corn once from him) and asked us to shoe his horse which we did. He said he was going to Philadelphia and would take anything along which we wanted carried there. Bros. Gottlob and Nathanael wrote several letters to our brothers at Bethlehem which they addressed to Sam. Powel in Philadelphia. [The location of the traveling party at this time is given on the Fry and Jefferson map as "Looneys Ferry."] Toward evening we went four miles farther.
Oct. 30. Bad weather today with rain and snow. We stayed in the tent. Some of the brothers had to spend the day in looking for our horses which had run off. We tried to bake bread in the ashes.
Oct. 31. We had to climb a high mountain which was hard on the horses because the ground was frozen and covered with snow. From the top of the top of the mountain we had a beautiful view. The road was miserable and sometimes very steep. We had to cross creeks. We came to Joseph MacDonnell's house and he kindly pointed out the roads to us. The road to the right goes to New River but we wanted the road to the left. Toward evening, we met an old man, named Mueller, who gave us turnips when we asked about buying some.
Nov. 1. Two of our horses were sick and we believe the change in feed may cause it. During the day we heard the distance to Roanoke was nine miles. The road grew very narrow and we had to use our axes to get through. It was necessary to find a new way or improve the old way. We met three men who had been in Carolina and were returning to Pennsylvania. They told us it was hard to find provisions along the way. The men agreed to take a letter and Bro. Nathanael wrote a note to Bro. Rauch. It was very hard to ascend the banks of the creeks. In a little bit we reached a buffalo lick (now Roanoke). At another fork in the road, the right branch leads to "Grain Brayer" [the brothers had difficulty understanding the Scots-Irish pronounce Greenbrier]. At Roanoke, we wanted to buy grain but we had to help husk the corn and thresh the oats. The miller came and gave us good advice about our sick horses. We had covered only twelve miles today.
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.