# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1861_S217
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The German Lutherans in America, etc. 217

division and disorder, etc., until, on the earnest advice of the Ministerium
and of well-meaning elders, a means was employed which seems to be doing good
effect, namely, my son Friedrich August had to move there with his family, to
gather the congregation again under divine assistance and to seek to unite
it; which thus far has gone well. Alongside this he also serves a branch
congregation in the Oley Hills and in New Goshenhoppen, although the bodily
support is not yet sufficient to meet his own and his family's needs in this
costly time, and the New York congregation, of which he had been preacher
until he had to withdraw on account of the circumstances of the war, has not
yet released him, but awaits his return when the thunderstorm or the tempest
shall be over.

7) Pastor Voigt now lives at Pikestown across the Schuylkill and serves two
congregations at the two new churches. The said congregations have bought a
fine parsonage property of 50 acres with good meadows and a spacious stone
house, and have handed it over to him for a residence. From there he also
performs the office every fourth Sunday at Providence and on another fourth
Sunday at Pottstown. Last winter, spring and summer he had his trouble and
heartache, because a spiteful commissary and field physician of the American
army, which had its winter camp not far from there, took over both new
churches as military hospitals, broke out the chairs and benches, and laid
sick soldiers in them; indeed, he even piled his dwelling house full of them
and vexed him with all sorts of oppressions, on the pretext that he did not
pray publicly for the Congress and was a Tory (an adherent of the king). But
after a German known to us, a chief field physician of our religion, received
the supervision of this region and the matter was laid before him, they at
once had to clear out of his house.

8) The vacant congregation in Readingtown was served as necessary, with great
difficulty, by my son Friedrich August from New Hanover, until their church
was handed over, with their consent, as a military hospital for the wounded.
Nor could he continue his visits, because riding about is far too costly.
E.g., a man on horseback can now hardly get by in a day and night for less
than 2 pounds of expense. A horse that one could formerly buy for 15 to 20
pounds now costs 100 to 150 pounds; and how high do saddle, bridle,
horseshoes and necessary clothing not come, when one has a family to provide
for besides. My son needed a new coat, which cost him 40 pounds. For a poor
roquelaure, which one could formerly have for 30 shillings, they now demand
40 pounds; and withal many people are so foolish as to suppose that pious
preachers ought to live directly by faith."

"I daily and hourly expect a call to eternity, because last winter, through
much sitting up and catching cold, I got a catarrh