>From Southern Biographies and Genealogies, 1500s-1940s Our Germanna was settled under the auspices of Governor Spotswood in 1714, on a peninsula of 400 acres of land on the banks of the Rapidan. These Germans came directly from Oldensburg, or were a remnant of a settlement planted under the auspices of the Baron de Graffenried in North Carolina, many of whom were massacred by the Tuscarora Indians, as related by Governor Spotswood in a letter of October 1711, which is published in Perry's Collections from the archives of Fulham and Lambeth. Spotswood, says he had demanded the release of De Graffenried, the Chief of the Palatines and Swiss, who had been taken prisoner, and was, he feared, reserved for torture by fire. That these Germans might have been the survivors of the massacre in North Carolina is a mere conjecture, suggested by the fact that De Graffenried was the leader of both parties. I have just found in the Spotswood MSS. the following paragraph in a letter of Governor Spotswood to the Commissioners of Trade in England, dated May 1714:--"I continue to settle our tributary Indians, and in order to supply that part which was to have been covered by the Tuscarora Indians, I have placed there a number of Protestant Germans, built them a fort, furnished it with two pieces of cannon and some ammunition, which will awe the straggling parties of Northern Indians and be a good barrier to all that part of the country. These Germans were invited over some years ago by the Baron De Graffenreid, who had her Majesty's letter to the Governor to furnish them with land after their arrival. They are generally such as have been employed in their own country in mines, and say they are satisfied; there are divers kinds of minerals where they are settled, and even a good appearance of silver; but it is impossible to know whether those mines will turn to account without digging some depth--a liberty I shall not give them until I hear from your Lordships." The Germans landed at Tappahannock, and a dispute arose between them and the captain of the ship in which they sailed, about the money for their passage. The captain refused to deliver their effects until his demand was satisfied. Governor Spotswood being present, proposed that if the Germans would settle on his land and remain long enough to instruct some of his young men in mechanical trades, he would pay the bill. They consented, and hence the settlement at Germanna. In 1714 John Fontaine and John Clayton of Williamsburg visited Germanna, and described it as follows:--"We went to the German minister's house (they say), and finding nothing to eat lived upon our own provisions and lay upon straw. Our beds not being easy, we got up at break of day, and in a hard rain walked about the town, which is palisaded with stakes stuck in the ground close to each other, and of substance to resist musket-shot. There are but nine families, and nine houses in all in a line; and before every house, twenty feet distant, they have sheds for their hogs and their hens; so that hog-stys on one side and dwellings on the other make a street. The place paled in is a pentagon, regularly laid out; and in the centre is a block-house with five sides, answering to the five sides of the great enclosure. There are loop-holes in it, from which you may see all the inside of the enclosure. This is intended for a retreat in case of their not being able to defend the palisades from the Indians. They use the block-house for Divine service. They go to prayers once a day and have two services Sunday. We went to hear them perform their services, which is done in their own language, which we did not understand, but they seem very devout and sing the psalms very well. This settlement is (1714) thirty miles from any inhabitant. They live very miserably. For want of provisions we were obliged to go. We got from the minister a bit of smoked beef and cabbage, and gave him thirty shillings and took our leave. In less than three hours on our way we saw nineteen deer; and we lodged at Mr. Smith's, at the Falls of the Rap-pahannock." We must now let the Germans speak for themselves. In the archives of the English society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts is the following memorial:--"The case of thirty-two Protestant German families settled in Virginia humbly sheweth, that twelve Protestant German families, consisting of about fifty persons, arrived April 1714, in Virginia, and were there settled near Rappahannock River. That in 1717, twenty Protestant German familes, consist of about four-score persons, came and settled down near their countrymen. And many more Germans and Swiss are likely to come. For the ministries of religion there will be a necessity for a small church and for a minister, who shall catechise and perform Divine offices among them in the German tongue, which is the only language they do yet understand. That there came indeed over with the first twelve German families a minister, named Henry Haeger--a very sober, honest man, about seventy five years old; but he being likely soon to be past service, we have empowered Mr. J. C. Zollicoffer, of St. Gall, Switzerland, to go to Europe and obtain subscriptions from pious Christians towards building a church, and bringing over with him a young German minister to assist Mr. Haeger, and to succeed him when he shall die; to get him ordained in England by the Right Rev. Bishop of London, and to bring over with him the Liturgy of the Church of England, translated into High Dutch, which they are desirous to use in public worship. But this settlement consisting of only mean (poor) persons, utterly unable to build a church and support an assistant minister, they humbly implore the countenance, &c., of the Bishop of London and other Bishops, and the venerable society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts, that they would take the case under their pious consideration and grant their usual allowance for the support of a minister, and if it may be so subscribe something towards the building of their church, and they shall ever pray that the Lord may reward their beneficence here and hereafter." The above petition was sent in 1719.