The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-11-30
THE FIRST SETTLEMENT.
BETHABARA THE FIRST HOME
OF THE MORAVIANs.
A Brief Sketch of the First Years
Existence of the Colony at Old
Town.

In speaking of the Moravian (14Oth
anniversary celebration at Old Towr
! (Bethabara) last Saturday, the Unior
| Republican prints the following in
teresting review of the first settle
ment of the Moravians in the South
On October 8th, 1853, a company of
II single brethren set out from Beth
| the uiidS Of the South.
Among the number were Bernhard
Adam CRUDE, the first minister of the
infant settlement, who died in his
92nd year and on his Goth birthday,
walked from Bethlehem to Nazareth,
back few days after, having returned
to Pennsylvania in after years.
Jacob Losch was another of the
party and was the antecedent of the
Lash family in this section of today.
He was uperintendent of the colony
in It's temporal affairs.
Hans Martin Kalberlahn. Norwe-
gian, was surgeon and medical adviS-
or Of the party. The remaining nine
brethren were farmers and mechanics
and N 1stly immigrants from Europe.
Their route led through the west
ern part of Virginia. In a wagon
with six horses they carried the vari-
Gus articles necessary for a long Jour-
ney and over roads seldom travelled.
Not unfrequently they had to unload
and carry a portion of the same over
the mountains. Travelling by Win
chester and Augusta courthouse, now
Staunton, Va, small town of twen-
ty houses in the mountains, crossing
the Blue Ridge at Evans Gap, and
passing the Upper Sauratown, the
little band arrived November 18th on
the northern line of North Carolina.
On Saturday, Nov. 17th, 1853, at 3
p. M. they reached the spot where
stands today the town of Bethabara,
now commonly called Old Town
Here they found shelter in small
cabin, built and previously inhabited
by German named Hans Wagner.
but then Unoccupied. In the evening
when keeping their first love-feast,
they were forcibly reminded that it
was a wilderness, for they heard the
wolves bowling round about their cab
in. The next day was the Sabbath
and the weary pilgrims enjoyed their
much-needed rest beyond measure.
Monday they began active prepara-
tiOns for establishing themselves. The
house was repaired and enlarged and
eight acres Of land was cleared and on
Dec. 4th the Brother Losch sowed the
first wheat in this hitherto unculti-
waited soil.
Four days after their arrival, Nov.
2lst, the brethren celebrated their
first Lords Supper.
Difficulties of various kinds were
not wanting. Two of the company
left for Pennsylvania Dec. 10Th and
those remaining began to prepare for
winter. One went to Virginia for
SAT-, another to Dan River to buy
oxen, several to Yadkin TO buy flour
and corn. Dear, bear, turkey and
other game was killed. Wolves and
panthers were plentiful. Their cabin
was nearly destroyed by fire on Jan.
lst, l754. A week later one OF their
number was nearly killed by a falling
limb of tree he was telling. Inva-
lids were attracted from d distance Of
sixry miles by the fame Of the Mora
Wan doctor Money was scarce and
his pay in provisions, live stock, etc,
was CT great assistance to the colony.
The tailor, Bro. Peterson, also did
good business and as the loom had
not yet been introduced, deer skins
served the purposes Of cloth. During
the winter a second cabin was erect
ed, garden laid out and fenced in
and roads cut through the woods.
Thus passed the first winter of the
Morayians in North Carolina.