第56章 Disintegration(13)

When he went again at the appointed time the storekeeper refused to pay anything without a new order from Oglethorpe, except the remainder of the first year's salary, now long overdue.Boehler concluded that the man had received private instructions from Oglethorpe, and that his services were no longer desired by the representative of "the associates", so in January, 1740, he gave up further thought of obligation to them, and prepared to go on his own account.

He planned to go by boat to Purisburg and from there on foot through Carolina to Charlestown, but on the way up the Savannah River the canoe was overtaken by a severe thunderstorm, and forced to land.

Knowing that a sloop would sail in two days he returned to Savannah, meaning to go to Charlestown on her, but on trying the lot he received direction to wait for the present in Savannah.

While Boehler was making his attempt among the negroes, some changes were taking place in the Savannah Congregation.

He had been very much distressed by the condition he found when he arrived, for owing partly to their many difficulties and partly to Seifert's absence among the Indians, no Communion had been celebrated for a year, and the "bands" had been dropped.The Bible and prayer gatherings were steadily observed, but it seemed to him there was a lack of harmony among the members, and they were by no means ready to take him at once into their confidence.Seifert, too, was not well, and had been obliged to leave the Indians, and return to Savannah.

The Indian work was most discouraging, for the men were careless and drunken, and in January, 1739, even Rose gave up, and moved back to Savannah with his family.In October, Tomochichi died, and was buried with great pomp in Percival Square in Savannah.The Moravians were asked to furnish music at the funeral, but declined, and it was hardly missed amid the firing of minute guns, and three volleys over his grave.

After his death his little village was abandoned, and the question of further missionary efforts there settled itself.

During the winter John Regnier became deeply incensed at some plain speaking from Schulius, and decided to leave at once for Europe, the Congregation paying his way.He probably went to Herrnhut, as that had been his intention some months previously, and later he served as a missionary in Surinam.In after years he returned to Pennsylvania, where he joined those who were inimical to the Moravians.

Peter Rose, his wife and daughter left for Pennsylvania soon after their withdrawal from Irene.They settled in Germantown, and there Peter died March 12th, 1740.Catherine married John Michael Huber in 1742, who died five years later on a voyage to the West Indies.

Being for the third time a widow, she became one of the first occupants of the Widows' House in Bethlehem, and served as a Deaconess for many years, dying in 1798.Mary Magdalena became the wife of Rev.Paul Peter Bader in 1763.

On August 10th, 1739, John Michael Schober died after a brief illness, the ninth of the Moravian colonists to find their final resting place beside the Savannah River.

In September, General Oglethorpe received instructions to make reprisals on the Spanish for their depredations on the southern borders of the Georgia Province.He rightly judged this to be the precursor of open hostilities, and hastened his preparations to put Carolina and Georgia in a state of defense.In October the British Government declared war on Spain, and November witnessed the beginning of fighting in the Colonies.Of course this meant a re-opening of the old discussion as to the Moravians' liability for service, a repetition of the old arguments, and a renewal of the popular indignation.

Oglethorpe was fairly considerate of them, thought Zinzendorf ought to have provided for two men, but added that he did not want the Moravians driven away.Still the situation was uncomfortable, and the Moravians began to make arrangements for their final departure.

By this time Boehler had won his way into the confidence of the Savannah congregation, and had learned that he was not the only one who had the Lord's interests at heart.With Seifert again in charge of affairs, the religious services had taken on new life, and on October 18th, John Martin Mack was confirmed.Judith Toeltschig, however, gave them great concern, and her brother Michael Haberland sided with her, so that the company gladly saw them sail for Germany in the latter part of January, 1740.There Michael married, and returned to America in May, 1749, as one of the large company which came to settle in Bethlehem, where he died in 1783.

Judith joined her husband in England, and in 1742 was serving as "sick-waiter" of the Pilgrim Congregation in London.

This left only six Moravians in Savannah, for John Boehner had already started for Pennsylvania on January 20th.

He had a very sore arm which they hoped would be benefited by the change, and he was commissioned to try and gather together the members who had preceded him, and to make arrangements for the reception of the remnant which was soon to follow.He aided faithfully during the early days of the settlement at Nazareth and Bethlehem, and in 1742 went as a missionary to the island of St.Thomas, where he labored earnestly and successfully for the rest of his life, and died in 1787.

Nothing now remained for the members still in Savannah, but to so arrange matters that they might leave on the first opportunity.