Bishop Cammerhoff Started Journey Among Indians on January 6, 1748

John Christopher Cammerhoff was a Moravian missionary who undertook several hazardous trips to the Indians along the Susquehanna and to Onondaga, and of whom there is an interesting story to be told.

He came to America in the summer of 1747, in company with Baron John de Watteville, a bishop of the Moravian Church, and son-in-law and principal assistant of Count Zinzindorf. They were also accompanied on the voyage by the Reverend John Martin Mack and the Reverend David Zeisberger, the latter also an interpreter, and each of these figured very prominently in the early history among the Indians of the great Susquehanna Valleys.

Cammerhoff was born near Magdeburg, Germany, July 28, 1721; died at Bethlehem, Pa., April 28, 1751. He was educated at Jena and at the age of twenty-five was consecrated Bishop in London and came to America.

His greatest success was among the Indians of Pennsylvania and New York. The Iroquois adopted him into the Turtle Tribe of the Oneida Nation, and gave him the name of Gallichwio or “A Good Message.”

Accompanied only by Joseph Powell, he set out from Bethlehem for Shamokin on the afternoon of January 6, 1748, and reached Macungy, now Emaus, by night. The next day they traveled through deep 16snow, sleeping that night at the home of Moses Starr, a Quaker. Early next morning the Schuylkill was reached, which was partly frozen over. A crossing was effected with great risk over the thin ice, leading their horses, which broke through and nearly drowned. They passed through Heidelberg, Berks County, and reached Tulpehocken, where they slept at Michael Schaeffer’s.

Next morning they arrived at George Loesch’s and here determined to leave the mountain road via the Great Swatara Gap and Mahanoy Mountains, and to travel along the Indian path leading from Harris’ Ferry, which they were to meet at the river.

They got as far as Henry Zender’s, where they spent the night, and next morning set out for Harris’ Ferry, a long day’s journey along the Great Swatara, which they reached at noon. Seven miles from Harris’ they got lost in the woods, but the missionaries arrived at Harris’ at 7 o’clock and found there a great company of traders.

Next morning, January 11, they proceeded toward Shamokin, following the path made by some Indians who the previous day had traveled from Shamokin to Harris’ Ferry. They passed by Chambers’ Mill, at the mouth of Fishing Creek, seven miles above the ferry. They proceeded, after a sumptuous noonday meal, and in a few hours struck the base of the mountain, which marked the northern limit of Proprietaries’ land. They passed over Peter’s Mountain, then forded Powell’s Creek, and, completely exhausted, arrived at Armstrong’s house, which was at the mouth of the present Armstrong Creek, above Halifax.

In spite of a hard storm during the night they pressed on the next day and nearly lost their lives crossing Manhantango Creek, which was very high, reached the house of Captain Thomas McKee and passed the night.

At 3 o’clock next day they reached Mahanoy Creek, which they forded at a place McKee had advised, and night overtook them five miles from their destination, but in the moonlight they pressed on, and descending the steep hills they encountered a miraculous escape, and again at Shamokin Creek were carried nearly 100 yards down stream by the raging current. Here Missionary Mack and others, anticipating their approach, met them at 9 o’clock at night and cheered them on the last two miles of their long and tedious trip. They arrived at Shamokin (now Sunbury) at daybreak on Sunday, January 14.

Shikellamy went to see Cammerhoff and expressed his regret that he had such a fatiguing journey, and during his stay at that great Indian capital showed him every attention.

Following the great conference at Philadelphia, in August, 1749, it became necessary the next spring for the Moravian missionaries to visit the Great Council of the Six Nations at Onondaga.

It was arranged that the Rev. David Zeisberger, who was then at Shamokin, should join Bishop Cammerhoff at Wyoming and accompany 17him on this journey. The latter, having obtained a passport from Governor Hamilton, set out from Bethlehem on May 14, accompanied by John Martin Mark, Timothy Horsfield and Gottlieb Bezold. They journeyed on foot up the Lehigh to Gnadenhutten, then over the mountains to Wyoming, where they arrived May 20, 1750, and “at once went to Nanticoke town; there they were kindly welcomed, and where they awaited the Indian who was to guide them.”

When the Cayuga chief arrived, accompanied by his wife, his son, aged fourteen, and his daughter, aged four years, they departed in canoes on the afternoon of May 28. “David and I, with the boy and girl, set out in our canoe and the Cayuga and his wife in their hunting skiff,” records Cammerhoff.

On June 6, they passed Wyalusing Falls, and then came to Gahontoto, the site of an ancient Indian city where a peculiar nation once lived. Traces of their former Indian city were discernible in the old ruined corn fields. The Cayuga chief told the Bishop that the Five Nations had fought and exterminated the inhabitants of this city long before they fought with guns.

They proceeded up the Susquehanna and then into the Tioga or Chemung River, and disembarked at Gandtscherat, a Cayuga village near Waverly, N. Y. Thence they traveled overland by way of Cayuga to Onondaga, where they arrived June 21, the very day the big council was to convene, but its actual assembly was delayed because a majority of the Indians got drunk.

When the council finally met at Onondaga, the design of the proposed negotiations, as made known to the visitors, was that emissaries of the French were endeavoring to entice the Six Nations from their compact with the English.

During the course of the conference, Cammerhoff presented to the Council a petition from the Nanticoke Indians at Wyoming, to the effect that they might have a blacksmith shop, under Moravian auspices, set up in their village. This request was denied by the Council, and the Nanticokes informed that they could avail themselves of the services of the blacksmith at Shamokin. This smith was Anthony Schmidt, who was sent to Shamokin from the Moravian Mission at Bethlehem. He arrived there August 3, 1747, accompanied by his wife. He remained there many years and performed his task to the general satisfaction of the Indians who traveled 100 or more miles to have a gun barrel straightened or the firelock repaired.

Their business at Onondaga being finished, Cammerhoff and Zeisberger journeyed overland to the Susquehanna, where they embarked in a canoe and floated down the river as far as the village of the Nanticoke, which they reached Sunday, August 2, 1750. They tarried only a day and then proceeded to Shamokin, where they arrived August 6, having traveled more than 600 miles on horseback, afoot and in canoes.

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