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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 111
Mr. Wesley afterward said that the example of these Moravians
exerted so powerful an influence upon him as to make him doubt if he
were really converted before he met them.*
At last, however, on February 4, 1736, the voyagers reached Tybee
Island. On going ashore, Oglethorpe was disappointed to find what lit
tle progress had been made in building the light-house, whose beams
the founder had expected to light his entry back into Georgia's-home
waters. Work had commenced more than eighteen months before, but
only the foundations had been laid. As an explanation for this state
of affairs, it was found that cheap rum had been conveyed across the
estuary from South Carolina, in consequence of which the workmen were
'' frequently drunk, idle and disobedient.''
On arrival in Savannah, Oglethorpe was greeted by all the free
holders under arms and was given a salute of twenty-one guns from
a battery of cannon. The new emigrants were delighted -with the
settlement and glad to partake once more of fresh meat. It was Ogle
thorpe 's intention to locate all the new settlers, brought over at this
time, on the trust's account, at Frederica, where he planned with the
co-operative help of many hands to build a town and a fort on St.
Simon's Island. But the Moravians were not fighters. Religiously
opposed to warfare they did not wish to live in a military town on the
exposed borders, where they might come to blows at any time with the
Spaniards. Consequently they prevailed upon Oglethorpe to send them
to Irene, where a Moravian colony had already been planted. For like
reasons, the Lutherans wished to settle at Ebenezer and they were not
opposed in this desire; but Captain Hermsdorf, a soldier, volunteered
with a small company to go to Frederica and "to serve with the
English to the last."
Before establishing his military stronghold at Frederica, however,
Oglethorpe went first to Ebenezer where he found these German settlers
clamorous for removal to a new site nearer the Savannah River; but we
have already anticipated this change in a former discussion of the
Salzburger settlement in Georgia. Oglethorpe was at first opposed to
removal but finally consented. Nor did he ever regret having done so.
It marked a new era in the lives of these frugal and industrious people
who worked all the harder to conquer success from a savage wilderness.
It was estimated by Benjamin Martyn, secretary of the trustees, that
up to 1741 there were not less than 1,200 German Protestants in the
province, settled at the following places: New Ebenezer, Bethany,
Savannah, Frederica and Goshen; nor did the colony boast better
inhabitants.
Without stopping to discuss matters which cannot be included in a
general survey of conditions or which do not bear directly upon the
main current of events, we must hasten on to note important de
velopments.
In 1736 a garrison was stationed some distance up the Savannah
River at a point which Oglethorpe, during the year previous, had se
lected for a fort to guard the extreme northern frontier. On the oppo
site side of the river was a settlement, the origin of which dated back
* Lawton B. Evans, in "School History of Georgia."