> — : ' „»•«•, * ■• / EXTRACTS FROM BISHOP SPANGENBERG'S JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN NORTH CAROLINA. The Moravian settlement in North Carolina dates from 1753. The first Moravians in America settled in Georgia as early as 1735. Here they prospered and established a school for the Creeks, but on the outbreak of the war between the English and Spanish in 1737 they were compelled to bear arms, contrary to their well- known peace principles. In 1738 and 1740 they removed to Penn- sylvania, where they began settlements at Bethlehem and Nazareth and established missions among the Indians in Pennsylvania and New York, In 1749 an act was passed in Parliament to encourage them to settle in the English colonies in America. Among several offers of lands for settlement was one of 100,000 acres from Earl Granville. This purchase was made in 1751, and August Gottlieb Spangenberg, one of their bishops, set out in August, 1752, to visit and survey the purchase. The examination was completed in Jan- uary, 1753, 98,925 acres having been surveyed. The settlement was called Wachovia, in courtesy to Count Zinzendorf, the founder of the church, who had the title of Lord of the Valley Wachau, in Austria. It now lies mostly in Forsythe County, N. C. The Mora- vians had 1734 members in Forsythe and Davie Counties, N. C, and 45 in Carroll County, Va., in 1890. The principal town is Salem, which adjoins Winston, a town of recent growth, devoted prin- cipally to the manufacture of tobacco. The Journal kept by Bishop Spangenberg on this journey of exploration has been published in part in the North Carolina Colonial Records, Vol. V., pp. 1-14. The following extracts, trans- lated from the German original, now in the archives of the Moravian Brethren in Salem, N. C, by the late Rev. R. P. Linebach, are pub- lished, with the exception of a few paragraphs, for the first time. The Journal seems never to have been printed in full. For a more extended history of this church, see the account supposed to have been the work of Bishop Reichel, printed originally in Martin's North Carolina, Vol. I., pp. xxiv-lvi, and reprinted in the North Carolina Colonial Records, Vol. V., pp. 1144-1163, and The Moravians in North Carolina, by Rev. L. T. Reichel (Salem, N. C, and Phila- delphia, 1857). Bishop Rondthaler has been engaged for a number of years on a more extended history of the church than either of above. The following extracts were kindly furnished the Society by H. E. Fries, Esq., of Salem, N. C. IOO Southern History Association. Journal. Edenton, Sept. 12, 1752. Were I to tell you how I found it in N. C. I must say it is all in confusion. The counties are in conflict with one an- other, so that not only is the authority of the Legislature weakened, but also that of the magistrates. The cause of this, as well as I can learn from both sides, seems to be the following. When the Colony was still small, and weak, the older counties were allowed to send five members to the Assembly. This arrangement continued a long time. When the Colony had grown much stronger, each county was allowed to send only 2 men apiece, to the Assembly. The counties affected by this law, increased in number, until they had a majority in the Assembly and then they passed a law, bringing the older counties under the same arrange- ment with themselves, viz., two men only, to represent the county. The older counties, hereupon much irritated, re- fused to send any representatives at all, but dispatched an agent to England with a view of having their rights restored to them. Meanwhile, until this matter is decided they will not acknowledge any act of the Assembly. There is there- fore, in the older counties, a perfect anarchy. As a result, crimes are of frequent occurrence, such as murder, robbery, &c. But the criminals cannot be brought to justice. The citizens do not appear as jurors; and if Court is held to de- cide such criminal matters no one is present If any one is imprisoned — the prison is broken open and no justice ad- ministered. In short, most matters are decided by blows. Still the County Courts are regularly held and what belongs to their jurisdiction receives the customary attention. 1 1 This trouble began in 1746 when Governor Johnston called an Assembly to meet in Wilmington, in the extreme southern part of the province, instead of at Edenton or Newbern, which were the usual places. The representatives of the northern counties did not attend and the rump Assembly deprived them of their right to five members. The northern counties not only refused to send any representatives thereafter, but refused to pay taxes and defied the government. The matter was adjusted in 1754, when their ancient rights were restored by the authorities in England. Extracts from Bishop Spangenberg's Journal. 101 With reference to the Government of North Carolina, the following may be remarked. The first proprietors were Edward, Earl of Clarendon; George, Duke of Albemarle; William, Earl of Craven; John, Lord Berkeley; Anthony, Lord Ashley; Sir George Carteret; Sir John Colleton and Sir William Berkeley. These Lords obtained a charter, from Charles II for them- selves, their heirs and assigns, for the land lying North and East, beginning at 36 and 30' extended to 29 , South and West, inclusive. Furthermore it extended from South to North 8° and 30', i. e., a distance of five hundred and ten English miles. The length extended in a straight line from East to West, to the " South Sea." All the " Regalia," as they were called, were granted to them. Under the present administration, all the Proprietors sold their rights to the crown except Lord Carteret. He re- ceived for his eighth that part of Carolina, which is bounded on the North by Virginia. However, the " Regalia " (Royal Prerogative) and all pertaining to the Government, he re- signed to the King. The King has divided the whole of Carolina into three Governments, viz: Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and to this last belongs the district of my Lord Granville. North Carolina is, nevertheless, a large Commonwealth. The situation of the inhabitants is of such a nature, that, what is advantageous for the northern portion, is disad- vantageous for the southern, and vice versa. Hence there is constant strife between the northern and southern por- tions of North Carolina. Nevertheless they have but one Governor, one Council and one Assembly; yet they are gov- erned by the same set of laws. This condition of things occasions endless difficulties, and we shall not know how to get, and keep out of them should we establish ourselves here. Should my Lord Granville's district become a separate jurisdiction, it is to be feared that the colony, being still very 102 Southern History Association. young, would be utterly unable to bear the necessary ex- penses, for who shall salarize the Governor, Secretary, and other officers of the government if the people do not. The inhabitants of North Carolina may be divided into two classes, some are natives of the state, these can endure the climate pretty well but are naturally indolent and slug- gish. Others have come here from England, Scotland, and from the Northern colonies; some have settled here on account of poverty, as they wished to own land and were too poor to buy in Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. Others there are, again, who are refugees from justice, or have fled from debt, or have left a wife and children elsewhere, or possibly to escape the penalty of some other crime, under the impression that they could remain here unmolested with impunity. Bands of horse thieves have been infesting por- tions of the state, and pursuing their nefarious calling a long time. This is the reason North Carolina has an unenviable reputation among the neighboring provinces. Now, there are many people coming here, because they are informed that stock does not require to be ted in the winter season. Numbers of Irish have therefore moved in, but they will find themselves deceived, because if they do not feed their stock in winter, they will find to their cost, that they will perish. We are, however, informed that in other localities, peo- ple of quite a different character are to be met with — effi- cient and energetic, and industrious in their habits; of this we will know more by and by. P. S. After having traversed the length and breadth of North Carolina, we have ascertained that, towards the western mountains, there are plenty of people who have come from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and even from New England. Even in this year, more than four hundred families with horses, wagons and cattle have migrated to this state, and among them are good farmers and very worthy people, who will no doubt be of great advantage to the state. Extracts from Bishop Spangenberg's Journal. 103 We have had opportunity to see the main streams in that part of North Carolina which belongs to Lord Granville. We have not found one which may be strictly termed navi- gable. The Chowan and Roanoke are large and deep, but have no tide water, and only " freshets." They are further- more so winding, and have such high banks that sails can- not well be used here. Hence they can only use small craft, for navigation, and with great toil and labor ascend the stream; and in the event of high water and rain, they must remain where they are until the water subsides. The rea- son these streams have no tide water is the great sand banks which lie east of the state, which impede the rivers in their exit to the sea, and prevent the tide from coming in. Sometimes too, they change the narrow entrances which the ships use, for entering the rivers. These causes operate to make it difficult to reach North Carolina by sea. Is the Captain unfamiliar with the coast he may easily strike a sand bar, and he may do so, even if he is acquainted and experi- enced, as the sands are shifted by wind and sea. 1 Whoever comes to North Carolina must prepare to pay poll tax. Poll Tax is required from all white men — master or servant, from sixteen years of age and on : all negroes and negresses pay poll tax from their twelfth year. Whoever marries a negro, or Indian, or mulatto, or any one of mixed blood, his children are taxable to the fourth degree from the twelfth year on, and the female Indian or negro is also taxable. Should this tax not be paid to the sheriff, by whom it is demanded, he is empowered to sell any thing belonging to the delinquent party he can seize at public vendue, and after keeping enough to pay his own fees and satisfy the tax, he returns the remainder to the party. In every county is one or more Parishes; these Parishes have their vestrymen, who have authority to impose a tax, 1 This shifting of bars and inlets has been noticed since the coast was first visited by Englishmen. The present Hatteras Inlet dates only from September 7, 1846, and the recent failure to fix the foun- dations of a lighthouse on Diamond Shoal is well known. io4 Southern History Association. and often not a small one, on all people who live in the county, whether they belong to the English church or not. The Justices in every county can also lay a tax on every head, for building Court House, Prisons, &c. We paid a visit to the Tuscarora Indians who live on the Roanoke. They live upon a tract of very good land secured to them by act of Assembly. I suppose it contains from twenty to thirty thousand acres of land. It is twelve miles long but not broad. The interpreter, Mr. Thomas Whitemeal, [Whitmell], was kind enough to go with us, showed us all their land, and made us acquainted with them. He has been a trader among them, understands their language and speaks it quite fluently. Now he is one of the wealthiest men about here, and has an excellent character among all classes. The In- dians have no King but a Captain, whom the whites select from their midst. There are also some individuals who live among them as chiefs. Their number is small: they side with the six nations against the Catawbas, but suffer from this relationship very much. They are very poor and op- pressed by the whites. Mr. Whitemeal is their agent and advocate and is much respected by them. No efforts have as yet been made to Christianize them. They gave us a message to the Catawbas, not knowing that they had made peace with the six nations, should we see them, " That there were enough young men among them, who knew the way to the ' Catawba Town/ They could come and go in twenty days: that they had remained very quiet and not molested the Catawbas except to hunt a little, and they should remain quiet, as long as the Catawbas did. Should they however, become troublesome, the way to the Catawba Town could soon be found." We were very kindly treated by the Indians, in parting they gave us a greeting for the Shawanas on the Susque- hannah. As yet, there has been no reliable map of North Carolina published. North Carolina, since it is the King's posses- Extracts from Bishop Spangenberg's Journal. 105 sion, has been materially changed. And since the part, which bounds Virginia, has been ceded to my Lord Gran- ville, it has been changed still more. I will give the counties, into which North Carolina is now divided. In my Lord Granville's district are: — Chowan, Currituck, Perquimon [Perquimans], Bertie, Tyrell [Tyrrell], Pasquotank, Edgecomb, Northampton, Granville and Orange. In the King's district are the following: — Carteret, Duplin, New Hanover and Onslow. The following lie partly in the King's and partly in my Lord's jurisdiction: — Hyde, Bladon [Bladen], Baufort [Beaufort], Craven, Johnston and Anson. The principal cities are: — Edenton, in Chowan County; Wilmington, Cape Fear and Brunswick, in New Hanover County; Bathtown, in Beaufort County and New Bern in Craven County. . . . November 11, 1752. From the camp on the Catawba. I sit in my tent and study about the " Patriarchal plan " followed up in North Carolina. I regard the circumstances here, and especially contemplate the condition of the In- dians. We are bordering on the country where the Ca- tawbas and Cherokees are found — more especially during the hunting season. The Senecas are also to be met with here, especially when they are waging war with the Ca- tawbas. Tis worthy of remark that the conduct of the Indians here, is quite different from that in Pennsylvania. There the Indians are not feared at all, unless they are drunk. Here they conduct themselves in such a way that the whites are afraid of them. If they enter a house and the man is not at home, they become insolent, and the poor woman must do as they command. Sometimes they come in such large companies that even the man, is sorely put to it, if compelled to deal with them. Sometimes men do like Andrew Lambert, who found traces of Seneca Indians on his land, and in his corn, and found that they had killed and eaten some of his cattle. He called his dogs, who were 106 Southern History Association. used to bear hunting, some eight or ten in number, and with his rifle in hand, he drove them out like sheep before him, and thus rid himself of the nuisance. This is the difficulty when people live alone in the woods about here: they are in danger of getting into unpleasant relations with the Indians. North Carolina waged war with the Indians; in time the latter became worsted and in con- sequence lost their lands. This created a bad feeling, not only among those tribes immediately concerned, but with all the rest. This feeling of animosity will not speedily die out. This asserts itself on all occasions, and it has come so far in North Carolina, that not only did the Indians rob the people of their stock, but in some cases even killed some of them. As regards the purchase and taking up land in North Carolina, every thing is incredible confusion, and I cannot but see that numberless law suits will and must be the con- sequence of this state of things. If a man has possessed himself of a piece of land, and has improved it (even tho' in Carolina style), lo! another man comes, establishes a claim thereto, and how is the claim to be decided? There should have been from the commencement of the colony a Surveyor General, who should have kept an accu- rate map of the whole district. Whenever land was sur- veyed and sold, there should have been a return of it made, and entered at once on the map, and thus a man could easily have ascertained what was vacant land, and what had been taken up. But alas! Such a map is not to be heard of or seen. So too, old patents, issued by the Lords Pro- prietors should have been registered before they had come into other hands. But this was either not done at all, or else the records have been lost. So much is certain that whenever my Lord's Agent gives a patent he has always cause to fear that some other individual may come up and say " This is my land." To remedy this evil the General Assembly of North Caro- lina passed an Act in October 1748 (Vide Law Book of N. Extracts from Bishop Spangenberg's Journal. 107 C. p. 275) 1 according to which, under a penalty of five pounds, a man must present his Patent, and have it reg- istered, and whoever fails doing so, within twelve months after the passage of the act, losses his claim to the land based on such Patent, unless he can prove the Patent to be lost, and that he has had quiet possession of the land for twenty years. Orphans and those beyond the ocean were allowed, the former twelve months after majority to present their Patent; the latter five years from the date of the act of the Assembly. Mr. Corbin (Francis) has endeavored to remedy some of these evils by requiring the Surveyors of every county to construct an accurate map of his county, and to enter every piece of land that is taken up. The line between Virginia and North Carolina is marked off as far as the Blue Ridge, and the Boundary line between the Royal Domain and the Granville District is also " clearly laid down, in his eye" and is being wrought out, and thus there is a prospect that settlers may be able accurately to see what land remains unsold. At present there is no General Surveyors Map of the Granville District, in North Carolina, nor a special map for the individual counties. There is therefore no way by which we may ascertain what land is or is not for sale except by the declaration of the Surveyor " This land has been surveyed," which we must take for granted to be true. Mr. Corbin himself knows no more about the matter, and is entirely " in the Dark." Should the " Brethren " settle in this country, which I hope they will do, they must at once have some one to in- struct them with reference to the " Land Laws," as there are many points of which they will be ignorant, and not apt to think. Any one living within three miles of a public ferry, and taking a man, horse, cow across the river, and receiving pay 1 The reference is to Swann's Revisal, published in 1752. ' 108 Southern History Association. for the same, must pay a penalty of five pounds. If any one neglects to have his marriage, the birth of a child, or a death of any member of his family registered by the Recorder, must pay a fine of one shilling for every month that he neglects the matter (unless there is a clerk of the church). Whoever allows a stranger (i. e. one not belonging in North Carolina) to pasture cows, horses or hogs upon his land, must pay a fine of ten shillings. Whoever buys land of an Indian, without special permit from the Governor, and the Council, must not only lose his land, but must pay a fine of twenty pounds for every hun- dred that he buys. The boundaries of land owned by individuals must be gone over once in every three years, by persons appointed for such purpose: — the marks renewed and a registration made of the same. Whoever kills a stag or a doe from the 15th of February to the 15th of July, must pay a fine of five pounds sterling. All marriages must be solemnized by a minister of the Church of England, or by a Justice of the Peace. The latter, however, can not marry any one, unless there is no minister in the Parish, under a penalty of five pounds. Should any one marry without a license, or without publish- ing the Banns, there is a penalty of fifty pounds attached. When any one wishes to marry he must go to the Clerk of his county and deposit a Bond for fifty pounds, as assur- ance that there is no obstacle or impediment to his marrying. He then receives a certificate which he presents to the Jus- tice, who gives him his license; he may then get married. The fees are twenty shillings for the Clerk, five shillings for the Justice: — ten shillings for the minister. Should the " Banns be published ", however, the license fee is not re- quired. Should the marriage not be performed by the min- ister, his fee must, nevertheless, be offered to him. Who- ever marries a negress, Indian, mulatto, or anything of mixed blood, must pay a fine of fifty pounds. Whoever marries such a couple must also pay a fine of fifty pounds. Extracts from Bishop Spangenberg's Journal. 109 Whoever is nominated by the County Court, and is not qualified in ten days, must pay fifty shillings fine. Whoever finds stray cattle in his " Cow pen ", must put a notice on the Church door, or at the Court House an- nouncing the fact, and give the " marks or pay a fine of twenty shillings. Whoever uses weights and measures, not stamped accord- ing to the regulations of the Court (no matter how correct they may be) must pay a fine of ten pounds. Whoever uses a " Steelyards " in his trading, must have it tried annually, and receive a certificate to that effect or pay twenty shillings. No Christian who is brought into the land, can be a ser- vant unless he has made a written contract or Indenture with some one. If a slave or servant buys or sells anything without his master's knowledge and consent, the parties dealing with him, shall not only lose three times the amount bargained for, but also pay a penalty of six pounds. Whoever assists a slave to escape from his master, be it much or little, shall serve the master five years, as punish- ment. Any one having no land, that goes hunting, or shoots a buck or a doe, loses his gun and pays five pounds fine, unless he can show a certificate from two justices, certifying that he has, during the past year cultivated five thousand hills of corn. If a man of family or an overseer does not appear before a justice (whether summoned or not) once a year, and render an accurate account of all taxable property, before the first of May; also the names and ages of all persons of his house- hold who are taxable, be they white or black, shall pay a fine of forty shillings, and for every month that it is neg- lected twenty shillings more. Should the Brethren settle in North Carolina and form a separate corporation it must be a Borough, Town, Village or something of that kind, or a County. In 1744 my Lord no Southern History Association. Granville gave over to the King, all rights and privileges, which are called Regalia, and consist, viz: of the power to make laws, to call Assemblies, to hold Courts of justice, to appoint judges and justices, to pardon criminals, to open Ports and Harbors, to establish customs, to lay duties on goods, to form counties, build forts and castles, and cities, to incorporate cities, towns and villages. So also the Gov- ernor, as well as his council consisting of twelve men, is appointed by the King. The Governor is under restriction and can begin nothing new with[out] the approval of at least four of his council. If the Assembly makes a law and the Governor confirms under the approval of his council it be- comes a law. The King may, however, repeal it at his pleasure. . ! With regard to trade and business in North Carolina the prospect is not a very encouraging one. In consequence of their being no navigable rivers, there is of course no ex- portation, and that brings many evils, among the rest, it is the cause, that Edenton, tho' one of the oldest cities in this country and having a pretty situation, is still so small, being scarcely a fourth as large as Germantown, Pennsylvania. There are other cities marked in the Law Books but they " have names but no local habitation " but are only incor- porated by Act of Assembly. There is much tobacco raised, but it is taken from North Carolina to Suffolk or Norfolk in Virginia. It comes be- fore the Inspectors, i. e. persons appointed to examine tobacco that is to be exported — whatever is not considered by them merchantable, is burnt; the remainder is exported by the Virginia merchants, who pay the North Carolina colonists what they see fit to give. There are also a great many cattle taken to Virginia, but the North Carolina farmers do not receive the profits. The stock is driven to Virginia, there slaughtered, and the far- mers are paid for the flesh by weight; the hides and tallow are not paid for but kept by the Virginians. With their hogs it is so too. These are driven to Virginia, salted and Extracts from Bishop Spangenberg's Journal. in barrelled up, and sent to the West Indies as Virginia pork, exchanged for rum, sugar, molasses, &c., which are again sold to the North Carolinians for the " Cash." As for mechanical arts : — there is but little doing. In the one hundred and fifty miles west of Edenton we saw but little; there is scarcely any one who works at a trade. In Edenton I saw one smith; one shoemaker and one tailor at work, and no more. A few words regarding some of the difficulties in the way, should the Brethren settle here. They will need salt: this they can neither raise, nor manufacture. Where can that be obtained? They must either go to Charlestown, which is three hundred miles from here — The distance is not the only consideration: on the road they must use "stinking water ", almost altogether, if they even have that : and there is further more danger from robbers, besides, which makes the country insecure. Or else they must go to Boring's Point in Virginia. This lies on a branch of James River, three hundred miles distant. The planters usually obtain their supplies of salt at this place. It requires several weeks to make the trip and the road is very bad. Quite a number of streams, as also, mountains to cross. Or else go down the Roanoke, I know not how many miles, and then they will find salt, which is brought up the Cape Fear River. But there is, as yet, no proper road opened for such a route.