A Historical Overview of the Peter Stutzman Family - Yule Tree Farms

11) The 2nd Migration - Germany to America Page 16
Recently (May, 04) much factual information has been obtained regarding Frederick Stutzman (and family) 1794-
1843, journey from Germany to America. To quote the historians talking of the Palatinate area migrations,”
generations of oppression had dwarfed the humanity of the German peasants soul – their character crushed, oppressed,
and poverty stricken with little hope of any betterment.”
Surprisingly the family arrived thru the port of New York City, whereas most German immigrants arrived thru the
port of Philadelphia. This explains why we experienced such difficulty in finding the family’s port of entry records.
We finally had to hire a professional genealogist to assist us.
During the 1830’s two major considerations affected their travels:
1) Most immigrants from southwestern Germany (Palatinate/Saarland) headed due west overland through Paris,
to the French seaport of Le Havre, instead of taking the normal route down the Rhine River to Baltic seacoast
ports. This was because it was faster, cheaper, and safer.
2) The Erie Canal had been completed (1825) which allowed cheap, safe and comfortable water travel of
passengers and cargo from New York City to Buffalo, N.Y.
Fred Stutzman (42), his wife Louisa (38), children Frederick, Jr. (18), Louisa (15), Christian (11), Daniel (5),
Johann (3), infant Caroline (?), probably left Steinbach, Germany in June of 1837, after the birth of a daughter
Caroline (April 22, 1837). They traveled by wagon with bedding, linens, farming tools, provisions and two chests
(actually shown on the entry manifest) overland due west to Paris (Seine River) through Rouen to the French seaport
of Le Havre. There they boarded the 3 square masted vessel “Edwin” (110’ x 26’ built by John Counce at Warren,
Maine) as steerage passengers. The vessel also had cabin class passengers and was captained by Life Wilson (who
was part owner) for the voyage to America. The “Edwin” was a transient vessel picking up business whenever it
could, including the U.S. coastline. It made four voyages over the Atlantic between 1833-1839 operating on nonscheduled
basis and was not part of a larger shipping company.
The ship’s manifest showed a total of 136 passengers, including 18 families. Most stated their occupations as
farmers (13, including Frederick), but also listed were shoemakers (2), tailors (2), a mason (1), a jeweler (1), a joiner/
carpenter (1), and a watch maker (1). Three infants; Elizabeth Rosa, Abraham Edwin, and an unidentified male child
were born on the transatlantic voyage. The manifest also contains numerous French named emigrants. This was
probably because the vessel sailed from Le Havre, France, thus being easily available to French citizens. Present day
Saarland (now part of Germany) was then part of the French province of Alsace Lorraine after the end of the
Naploeonic Wars (1805) and has always been a mixed entity of both German and French citizens (still true today) that
may have travelled together.
Prior to emigration, permission had to be obtained from both civil and religious authorities, then the necessary
certificates were issued showing that the emigrant was honest and in good standing, free of debt, was leaving without
censure, and had paid all the necessary fees. With all the proper documentation in place the emigrant was free to
leave - and to show these documents to regulating authorities for passage along the way.
During the first half of the 19 th century, transatlantic passenger traffic was incidental to cargo traffic. Many ships
simply added a temporary plank deck (known as the zwischendeck) below the main deck. The Edwin had two decks,
one for steerage passengers that was removed at port of entry to make way for cargo on the return voyage. Most
steerage passengers furnished their own bedding, provisions, and traveled under crowded, poorly lighted, poorly
ventilated communal conditions and furnished and cooked all their own food. A typical list of provisions for a single
adult for the ocean voyage were: 55 lbs of hardtack (hard saltless biscuits), 10 lbs of butter, 3 bushels of potatoes, 15
lbs of flour, 8 lbs of rice, 4 lbs of barley, 20 lbs of salted beef, 6 lbs of bacon, lemons and vinegar to prevent scurvy,
tea, peas, dried beans, sugar, brandy, dried fruits, salt/pepper, cooking utensils and kettles.
During bad weather steerage passengers never saw the light of day. Medical attention was non-existent or
depended on the medical knowledge of the captain. Latrines and cooking facilities were at a minimum – some went
days without a hot meal.
The voyage across the Atlantic usually took 1 – 3 months depending on the wind. The family arrived in New York
City on August 7, 1827 (fact). From this point there is a high probability that they took a line barge pulled by a
steamer up the Hudson River, via the Hudson River navigation boat system, to Albany to the entrance of the Erie
Canal at Troy, New York, which is just north of Albany.
The Erie Canal had been in use for 12 years when the family arrived and was the cheapest, fastest, safest and most
comfortable way west to the “Northwest Frontier” which in the 1830’s included Western New York, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Michigan. In contrast overland wagon travel via dirt turnpikes
was tedious, grueling, jolting and a mud quagmire during periods of the
year. Most immigrants with cargo traveled via “line boats” for the 363-mile
journey of 6 – 7 days from Troy to Buffalo. Road improvements west of
N.L.P., 12-25-04
TITLE 11 - SECOND MIGRATION, PAGE 16
PETER STUTZMAN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW