Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-10
GERMAN VIRGINIANS.'
ELOQUENT LECTURE ny GEN. JOHN
E. ROLLER LAST NIGHT.
4 NEH FIELD FOR INVESTIGATION.
An Address Before the Society for
the Preservation of Virginia An
tiauities Tint Entertained ana Set
the Audience ts Thinking.

The lecture was under the auspices vi |
the Society for the Preservation Of Nir-
ginia Antiquities, and while the mem
bers of the society were in attendance,
OF course. the audience included many
other well-known ladies and gentlemen.
General Rollers subject was THE Co
lonial German Element OF Virginia. and
he discussed II In a most entertaining
manner He is not only speaker OF abil-
ity. being a lawyer Of long training. but
presented many highly interesting facts
relating to a subject of which but little
Is popularity known.
RARE BOOKS SHOWN.
The German-American books bearing
on the subject exhibited by General Roll
Ter were numerous and interesting
Among these was textbook used by
Nuhlenburg. the Revolutionary patriot,
when a student at the University OF
Halle. q Lutheran catechism, printed In
the German and Indian languages, or, as
the catechism itself says. 'in the IAN
gauge OF the Barbaric Nirginians'; aiso'
snecimens OF the books of devotion
brought over by the German Immigrants
who first came to Virginia, together with
hooks Of philosophy, OF history, dramatlc'
medical. historical, and educational DOCKS
of all sorts used by them; quaint set Oh
Sunday-school tickets, 3S In nuhperA
printed in 17A by Christopher Saur' tne
great German printer OF derHallto""'
Pa. twenty-five years before touet'
Raikes is said to have held the hrst sun
day school in the city Of London; aiso'
copies OF the Saur Bible, printed IN h4S'
thirty years before an Eglish Blple wa
printed I'm America, together with otner
rare and curious German and English
imprints from the Cloister press az
Enhrata. The learned speaker opened the
doors TO a new and most thrillingly ih'e-
resting field
Mfr. Joseph Bryan introduced General
Roller in a few words, tracing the gene
raj course of the ground covered by the
lectures under the auspices of the society
and commenting General Roller 10 the
audience as a man who had made almost
lifelong study Of his subject, being
| scion of the German race.
GENERAL LEES GERMAN BLOOD.
| After a few words of Introduction, Cen
eral Roller said he had long desired TO
have an opportunity to talk TO a Rich-
mond audience regarding the Germans OF
| Virginia He alluded TO the fact that
! General Fitzhugh Lee had in his life OF
| General Robert Il. Lee boasted OF the 1act
that this greatest Of all Virginia soldiers
had German blood in his veins. 1t used
to be very fashionable TO boast OF Hugue-
not descent and to say nothing of the
German blood in ones veins. but since the
overthrow OF the French armies by the
Germans in 1871 people had become proud
Of the German blood in their veins.
General Roller then proceeded TO dis
cuss the Gerpans in American history.
There were seven or eight Germans N
the jamestown colony. skilled workmen,
whom John Smith called damned Dutch"
Every Virginian OF German descent be-
lieves Smith TO have been braggart.
The speaker alluded TO the fact that no
less high authority than the accomplished
author and historian Of Virginia (Mr.
Philip A. Bruce had within the past two
years spoken of these Germans as Dutch,
as IL they had come from Holland. The
speaker devoted some time TO tracing the
history of Peter Mlnut. the predecessor
| of Wouter Van Twiller. as Governor OF
the Colony of New Amsterdam.
Campanius, a German, translated the
Lutheran catechism into barbaric Indian,
and spent his life in teaching Indians and
preaching to them. Did you ever hear OF
a Scotch-Irlsh or a Cavalier missionary 10
TO lndiansY
REAL KNIGHT OF THE HORSESHOE.
History has said much Of the Knights
Of the Golden Horseshoe, and barely men,
tions the name of John Lederer. a Ger
man, who in 1869, from the summit OF the
Blue Ridge. looked down into the great
Valley Of Virginia. The speaker read from
Lederer's diary giving an account of n
later ascent Of the Blue Ridge i'm ITO
The fire OF ST. Johannes was lighted in
America by Germans in 1894. and it has
never been allowed to die The German
Pietists under Kelpins visited Virginia in
that year before settling I'm Pennsylvania.
The speaker said he wished the Virginia
| Historical Society would obtain and pub
lsh the original subscription list resulting
from the appeal made TO Europe by JOhr
Caspar Slower for help for Lutheran con
gregations in Virginia. This document Il
Of immense value, and is preserved amons
the archives of old Hebron church, II
Madison county. General Roller then de
voted much time TO discussing Roster
the early Pietist pastor i'm Virginia.
great deal OF time, too was taken up il
discussing the early history of Seventh
Day Baptists in America, and also tn
Mennonites and Dunkards, who came L
America from Germany.
PALATINES IN AMERICA.
During the war of the Spanish success
sion many Protestants Of the Palaticat
went to England. were most kindly re
ceived. and attracted the attention OF IN
"fat frowsy Queen" queen Anne, VIII
had them well received In Virginia whe
they came over in l7l0. General Roller
description of the voyage OF the first {
these to America was extremely Interest
ing The refugees landed in Virginia, bu
4 IA. ri ar1
near what is now New Berne. N. c. Ger
eral Roller briefly described the earl
German settlement in orange county, cal
ed Germanno, and the early settlement {
Germans near what is now Warrentoi
! and called Germantown. At the las
named place was erected the first Reform
| ed church in America. Nearly two-thlrd
, OF the people OF Virginia west OF Fred'
ricksburg trace their descent TO the Gel
mans.
General Rollers portrayal OF the earl
| planting OF the Lutheran Church In VII
ginia was very interesting feature
, the address. and displayed a familarit
! with the subject evidencIng a wonderf'
an ourt of careful research.
Much of the latter portion OF Gener'
| Rollers address was devoted TO refl
, | tation of the statement made by man
historians that the early German settler
> were of the lowest classes and densel
ignorant. He said he thought the fa'
that they brought with him much or u
finest religious literature then known
the world was In itself SUFFICIENT arg
ment against such charges. He cited II
tltles OF many books Of devotion brougl
from America TO this country BY the ca
Hest German settlers, copies OF while
= are to-day found among their descen'
l. &C oanaciallv In the Valley OF Nirgini