| JOHAN DIEDRICH FAHNESTOCK LETTERS |
| On these next several pages I am going to try to add the letters wrote by Johan Diedrich Fahnestock to his family and friends back in Germany. The first one is shortly after he came to America. This is such a wonderful way to get an idea of how people lived, and how the newcomers felt about this country. These were graciously sent to me by Dorian Taylor as she got them from the "Family Memorial of the Fahnestocks, In the United States wrote by A. K. & W. F. Fahnestock Harrisburg, Pa. S. W. Fleming, Printer, 1879. I did try to scan the letters in, but they came out unreadable, so I will have to hand type them. This will take some time as there are 21 pages. There are drawings on 2 of the pages and I will try to scan those in so everyone can see what he is talking about. |
| My beloved relative, also mother-in-law, sisters and brother, together with all good friends and acquaintances. Through God's grace I am now here in New York as I arrived recently on St. Michael's day and we should like to know if all of you are still active and well. Concerning myself I have, thank God, been healthy and well and have not found it necessary to worry about eating and drinking because our dear Lord has supplied us most bountifully with food and drink. Notwithstanding that two young children, namely my little son Johan Henrich and another small child were buried in New York, no voyage went off so well as ours, for 105 persons embarked on our ship and 107 people disembarked. In respect to ourselves my wife was laid up with seasickness for 8 or 9 days. My sister and Caspar Diederich were as healthy and well as fish in water. We did suffer some dangerous storms but when the danger was at its height then the grace of God was most poerful. As to the characteristics and resources of this country it is certainly a good country and as a matter of fact we have found it so. A workman such as you have or a servant would receive wages of 100 reichsthaler, as is the case here. The farmers live like gentlemen, and better than they do with you. N. B. I received 35 reichsthaler for the cot which I brought over and 10 reichsthaler for the bed covering. If anyone should want to bring clothing I suggest they bring small doublets and also find kneebreeches but they should hide them in their sea chests as they will otherwise have to pay duty in England. Regarding the citizens here, they all have plenty of butter, sugar, flour, buckwheat, corn, milk! Yes, you cannot realize how rich they are in cattle, and of vegetables they have a surplus, apples, peaches, cabbage, lettuce, and nuts. They have really everything they might wish. Taxes are next to nothing, they only pay 12 or 13 pennies a year which amounts to one poll tax in your country. Sugar costs as much as 2 stueber. Fresh meat one can buy plenty of for very little money. In fact you can buy a quarter of mutton for 6 or 7 pennies. One can live here more luxuriously than with you. Yes, the people do not know how rich they are and when the butcher slaughters an ox or a cow he throws the legs away. Indeed one can buy a lot of meat for 2 stueber. As to freedom the peasants can have their fresh roast every day, they are allowed to shoot all the game they want. We had on our ship a lot of young people, but they all traveled away from here in order to earn their passage-money of 7 pistollen in 2 or 3 years. They are given their clothes as good as new and also excellent food in addition to their wages. Weaving here is a necessary occupation, a journeyman who does good work can earn a day's wages whether he weaves fine or coarse. The tailor trade is regarded as one of the best that applies also to most artisans. Indeed one cannot adequately describe the excellence and properity of this country. My sister Anna Catrina can earh her passage money in a year in addition to her food and clothing. Believe me, my friends, the work is not so hard as with you. If it were ordained by God that you should come here, bring with you sundry things, such as flintlocks with which you could earn your passage money, because for one flintlock you can get 15, 16 or 17 reichsthaler, while it costs you only 5 reichsthaler. The dear Lord would give you much happiness and his blessing if you should decided to come here. He would lead you in the manner He led the children of Israil, He would send His angel in advance, in order to prepare the way. May you keep well. N.B. Our journey from Holland to England took 14 days, and from England it took 10 weeks, during which we saw nothing but sky and water. Johan Diederich Farnstuck New York, 15 October (1726) |
| (Written to the Wirth family) The 25 of October anno 1728 Dearly beloved friends and relatives and all godd acquaintances in Christ Jesus. I am now writing to you to let you know that I have safely arrived in this country America and I cannot thank the almighty omniscient God enough, that He brought us over the wide, stormy, trackless ocean. I would have you know that I received the letters and also the shingles. It pleased me to receive them as boards are very dear here, 18 stueber per one hundred. I wish to thank you for having sent them to me. I have learned through your letters that you also wish to come here during the year 1729 and my wife Anna Margretha was very happy when she heard this. We are all in good health and the good Lord gave us a young son 3 days ago. Casper Dierich is always happy and healthy. I hope it has been the same with you. I have not yet bought any land, because land is becoming dearer here every year and I have not had the money to buy it. Now I have rented a small property for 5 years and I have 2 cows and a calf which cost me 25 reichsthaler. I have so much land that I need 3 horses and I can keep as many cows as I wish. I must pay 12 reichsthaler a year for rent. I have 2 little pigs which I am fattening. Everyone who owns land here must have horses. The people here have many horses. They do not go on foot but ride horseback instead or go in wagons. If they want to go to church they ride thither and to any other place they wish. |