No colonists, however, were sent over, and the title to the land lapsed for lack of occupancy, as that to Old Fort, on the Ogeechee, had already done.
1774.
Early in 1774, Mr.Knox, Under-Secretary of State in London, asked for missionaries to preach the Gospel to the slaves on his plantation in Georgia.
He offered a small piece of land, whereon they might live independently, and promised ample store of provisions.
This time the plan was carried into execution, and Ludwig Mueller, formerly teacher in the Pedagogium at Niesky, with John George Wagner as his companion, went to England, and sailed from there to Georgia.
They settled on Mr.Knox's plantation, and at once began to visit and instruct the slaves, and preach to the whites living in the neighborhood."Knoxborough" lay on a creek about sixteen miles from Savannah, midway between that town and Ebenezer.
The land had been settled by Germans, Salzburgers and Wittenbergers, and Mr.Knox had bought up their fifty acre tracts, combining them into a large rice plantation.The homes of the Germans had been allowed to fall into ruin, the overseer occupying a three-roomed house, with an outside kitchen.Mueller was given a room in the overseer's house, preaching there to the white neighbors who chose to hear him, and to the negroes in the large shed that sheltered the stamping mill.
Wagner occupied a room cut off from the kitchen.
In February, 1775, Frederick William Marshall, Agent of the Unitas Fratrum on the Wachovia Tract in North Carolina, (with headquarters at Salem)visited Georgia to inspect the Moravian property there, accompanied by Andrew Broesing, who joined Mueller and Wagner in their missionary work.It had been suggested that the Moravians preach in a church at a little place called Goshen, near "Knoxborough", a church which had been built by subscriptions of Germans and English living in the neighborhood, and had been used occasionally by a preacher from Ebenezer.
At this time the Salzburgers were in a very bad condition.
Bolzius had died in 1765, and Rabenhorst and Triebner, who shared the pastorate, were greatly at variance, so that the entire settlement was split into factions.
Dr.Muehlenberg, "the father of Lutheranism in Pennsylvania", had come to settle the difficulties, and heard with much displeasure of the plan to have the Moravians preach at Goshen.He declared, --"I doubt not, according to their known method of insinuation, they will gain the most, if not all the remaining families in Goshen, and will also make an attempt on Ebenezer, for their ways are well adapted to awakened souls.I have learned by experience that where strife and disunion have occurred in neighborhoods and congregations among the Germans in America, there black and white apostles have immediately appeared, and tried to fish in the troubled waters, like eagles which have a keen sight and smell."Dr.Muehlenberg was too much prejudiced against the Moravians to judge them fairly, for he belonged to the Halle party in Germany, and in Pennsylvania had clashed with Zinzendorf during the latter's residence there.The Lutheran Church was in no way endangered by the preaching of the missionaries, for their instructions were explicit: "If you have an opportunity to preach the Gospel to German or English residents use it gladly, but receive none into your congregation, for you are sent expressly to the negroes.""You will probably find some of the so-called Salzburgers there, with their ministers.With them you will in all fairness do only that to which you are invited by their pastor.You will do nothing in their congregation that you would not like to have another do in yours."Dr.Muehlenberg, therefore, might safely have left them free to preach the Gospel where they would, even to his own distracted flock, which was weakened by dissensions, suffered severely in the Revolutionary War, and gradually scattered into the adjoining country.
In accordance with his instructions, Mueller at once gave up all idea of using the Goshen church, and occupied himself with those who heard him gladly at Knoxborough.After a careful examination of the land, the Moravians decided not to build a house for themselves, but to continue with the overseer, who was kind to them, and gave Mueller the use of a horse for his visits to adjoining plantations.
James Habersham, who had come over with George Whitefield in 1738, was one of the most prominent men in Savannah at this time.
In 1744 he had established a commercial house in Georgia, the first of its kind, to ship lumber, hogs, skins, etc., to England, and this business had been a success.He had taken a great interest in Whitefield's Orphan House, and had been active in governmental affairs, having served as Secretary of the Province, President of the Council, and Acting Governor of Georgia.For many years he had been the Agent in charge of the Moravian lots in and near Savannah, and now, in failing health, and a sufferer from gout, he asked that one of the missionaries might be sent to his three estates on the Ogeechee River, partly as his representative and partly to instruct the slaves.
It was decided that Wagner should accept this invitation and go to "Silkhope", while Mueller and Broesing remained at Knoxborough, Mueller preaching at "Silkhope" every two weeks.
