Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1922-03-17
Peter Mullenberg

lent article on General Peter
Muhlenberg written by Rev H
Manken of Washington. Wood
stock people are especially inter
eSted i'll all that pertains to the
life of Our Revolutionary Hero
The history Of the Luth rar
Church in America presents many
noble biographies in the realm oil
devotion to the Hottest ideals OF
pure A mericanism. John Peter
Gabriel Mullenberg was born ir
Lutheran parsonage at
Trappe, Pennsylvania, Oh Oct.
1916.
His father, the Rev. Henry
Melch1or Null enberg, a pioneer
and patriot, came to the colonies
to minister to those unshephe d
ed who had lie # the I'M
congenial, religious and politica
surroundings o their European
homes to find larger freedom ii
the WllderneSSeS of North America
His mother, "A Morning Star il
the Destiny Continent" wa.
Anna Maria. born in Pennsylvania
and daughter Of Colonel Conrad
Weiser, Jr., the celebrated Indiar
agent. He, as pioneer, soldier
diplomat and judge, contributed
a large share in laying the foun
datlons Of the commonwealth Of
Pennsylvania 1t is claimed thai
it was he who, during tile French
and Indian Wars, swung the col.
onies from French Catholic tc
English Protestant control.
From the pioueer Lutheran par
sonage went forth into a widen
ing stream Of American Church
and State activities an illustrious
group of men who were conspic
uous for their intense loyalty to
Protestant and American ideals
Of religious and political liberty
The Washington Star in a half
page illustrated article on the
subject of this sketch says: Per
haps no modest I'D church yard
in all America contains the dust
OF so many great men as does
that in Trappe.' The poet on, e
visited this "AIecca of lovers of
Coleman history" and wrote d
poem which concludes thus:
0 Church, that of old proudly
HOur1shed,
Upon thee decay gently falls,
And the founders by whom til, u
vert nourished
Lie low in the Shade Of thy
walls;
NJ stone need those pioneer Isages
To tell their good works to the
ages;
Thy ruin their greatness recalls
Peter Mu hlenberg was borr
an American country boy. Hi:
father once wrote of him that
his chief fault and bad inclina
ton has been his fondness fol
hunting and fishing" In thu
passing Of the years lie developed
a growing interest in spiritua
things and entered the ministry
OF the Evangelical Lutheran
Church. OF this faith he was al
ways loyal preacher, and in it.
communion he lived and died.
Many Pennsylvania Lutherans,
moving more and more toward
the frontiers. had pushed south.
ward through the fertile Cumber
land Valley into Maryland, AID
on beyond into the Shenandoah
Valley of Virginia.. From tiles,
an appeal now comes to the Rev
DR.. H. M. Muhlenberg for the
ministries Of Lutheran pastor
| The Rev. John Peter Gabrie
Muhlenberg settled in Vir.ini;
III l772, and made Woodstock hi.
residence, and the centre of hi
field OF missionary operation.
| Previous to his going south, he
Iserved the Raritan Lutheran con
Igregations in New Jersey. and
just before his call to Woodstock
had married Anna Barbara Meye
of Philadelphia. Sixty miles cas-
lof Woodstock, in what is nov
Madison County, another grouy
Iof pioneer Lutherans had settled
The Rev. A. ]. Henkel from Pa
served them as early as III
They built their church, Hebron
in 174O. 1t is still standing, a.
ancient landmark of colonial day
The pipe organ was installed i,
1902. and the sacred vessels bea
dates as old as 1927. About on,
hundred and twenty-five mile
east of Woodstock on the Potoma