The Journal of Johann Georg Kasebier

• The following is primarily the work of Reba Munger Kemery. Having purchased Ms. Kemery's book, Casebeer's in America, I painstakingly pecked this information into my laptop and posted it several years ago. From that time to this it has appeared on numerous sites. Our thanks to Cousin Reba for her years of research and dedicated efforts.
• 
  
• NOTE: The copy I originally transcribed is easily identifiable by the journal entry dated the 25th and 26th. In the original translation one word is illegible and is so noted in Reba's book. In my version I took the liberty of inserting the word leviathan. SC
• Shannon T, Casebeer
• 
  
• The Journal of Johann Georg Kasebier
• PROLOGUE
• Johann Georg Kasebier (1693 to 1724)
• Johann was born in 1693 to Christoph II and Margretha (Kuhn) Kasebier in Kuhnau, a village in the princedom Anhalt Dessau, which is now a suburb of the city of Dessau in the political division of sachsen-Anhalt, East Germany. Johann's father was a tailor by trade. Johann married Maria Elisabetha Mathes in 1714 or 1715, probably in Schwartzenau, Germany. Schwartzenau itself is in an isolated small quaint village, with very few (if any) historical buildings now standing. The village is situated in a grassy pastoral area on the Eder River, which is in the northeast corner of the principality of Sayn-Wittgenstein. One of Johann's brothers, Christian Andreas Kasebier, was an early outlaw of the family, and was an infamous and evidently very successful and reportedly charming thief. Andreas was also an Intelligence Operative for King Frederick II of Prussia prior to his eventual escape and disappearance.
• Sayn-Wittgenstein is located east of the Rhine Valley, and northwest of the Grand-Duchy of Hesse. Today nothing in the village appears to be more than one or two hundred years old. The old cemetery where Kasebier family members may have been buried has been removed, and now a hospital is situated on the site. The people of Schwartzenau were very religious during the 1700's, and many of the villagers – including the Kasebier family – belonged to the Church of the Brethern. Unfortunately that particular religion was not the "popular" religion during the 1700's, and the members were persecuted for their beliefs. The church's founder, Alexander Mack, gathered together his followers – including the Kasebier family – and took them to America. Permission to leave Wittgenstein was given to Johann by Count and the original document still survives. (See manumission)
• Johann, along with his wife and their sons Gottfried and Gottlieb, arrived in America at the Port of Philadelphia on October 29th, 1724. After arriving in America Johann and his family proceeded on to the Village of Roxborough, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately Johann died less than two months after his arrival. Even though Johann's death occurred so soon after his arrival in America his name would not be forgotten. Johann kept a journal of the ship's passing and sent it to the Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein. The Count placed the original in the Castle archives, and a translation by Durnbaugh follows.
• 
  
• JOURNAL
• This is a translation of Johann Kasebier's account of his voyage from Germany to Pennsylvania, in 1724,
• As presented to the Count:
• 
  
• Gracious Count and Lord:
• I report herewith to Your Grace that we departed from Rotterdam on August 3rd, left from Helfor Schleis to cross the sea to England on August 14th, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and arrived off Dover at about 10 or 11 o'clock on the afternoon of August 15th. Of the 170 people aboard, only a few were not violently seasick. We remained off Dover for eight days and had continuously strong winds so that many became sick from the great rocking. Two small children from the Palatine group and an unmarried man died. We stayed so long off Dover because they loaded still more provisions, and inspected the commercial goods and put them through customs, though none of the passengers had to take his goods through customs no matter how much commercial goods he might have had. This has certainly not happened before to any other ship, though there was a great deal of goods among the passengers – at least 100,000 sewing needles, not to mention other things.
• From Dover, we went back along the coast to Tihlen because of the heavy winds. The captain feared that the wind might snap the anchor rope and drive the ship up on a sandbar. It took a long time in Tihlen and no one was allowed to go ashore as had been the case in Dover because they said that the King had forbidden it. The Palatines became very indignant at the captain for this and suspected him of having contrived this in the city. They wanted to make a complaint against him, but it was not done because they could not go ashore. As he gave them very poor victuals, they suffered considerably.
• We departed from Tihlen on September 6th and had a rather favorable wind for sailing. Soon, however, it shifted so that it came directly against us, and they had to tack continually until toward the evening of the 9th when the northeast wind arose. Then we sailed very rapidly. We went past a tower, which is built in the ocean four hours from land on a small, round rock. A family lives on it who have to make a light in the evenings after sunset so that the sailors see it and do not sail into the rock
• At 5 o'clock early Sunday morning, the 10th, we left land behind us with an especially favorable wind. During the night of Sunday to Monday a young unmarried woman who had had seasickness died. She had been bled by an English doctor who opened such a large hole in her vein that it burst during the second night. She bled severely and died the following night. She was wrapped in a cloth, stones were tied to her feet, and she was cast overboard from a plank in the morning.
• On the 11th we had a good wind and on the 12th also. Toward evening we saw entire schools of large fish close to the ship. We had seen them already at Rotterdam, but not so close to the ship. When they show themselves, a strong wind is generally to be expected.
• On the 13th we had a strong wind and sailed eight English miles in one hour. Six English miles make one German mile. From coast to coast there are 1,100 or eleven hundred German hours according to the sailors' reckoning. If, however, the distance is reckoned which is traveled along the English coast and the similar distance up the river in Pennsylvania, then there are thirty-four hours in England and fifty hours in Pennsylvania, which makes eleven hundred and eighty-four hours from the first departure in England.
• My wife and Sauer were very ill, although at time worse than others. When she was unable to eat, it so happened that a bird, which was tired from flying over the ocean, landed on the ship. The Palatines chased it over the ship for a long time. It ran past me and I seized it by its long legs. In this way I got a roast fowl for my sick wife. I cannot describe how sick you get if you are sick at sea. Although I experienced it but little, it greatly weakened the constitution.
• On the 14th we had a mild southeast wind and very pleasant weather along with it. We sailed three or four English miles per hour. Toward evening, however, we got a strong south wind, which lasted all night, and we sailed eight and nine E. M. per hour. During the night two small children of the Palatines died, and were buried as described above. Toward evening of the 15th the wind shifted to the west and we got a strong contrary wind. Nevertheless, in these five days at sea, we had sailed more than two hundred hours.
• On the 16th my wife was deathly sick the whole night and thought she would die. God, however, heard the prayer and, suddenly, her illness subsided.
• On the 17th , still a strong west wind. On the 18th, still strong gales, but it seemed as if it would become better. We were driven far to the north by it. On the 19th, the contrary wind still continued with considerable waves on the ocean, until about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We met then a ship from the West Indies. It's captain spoke with our captain in English. One minute before they spoke the wind shifted to the north, and we sailed more comfortably.
• On the 20th, the same wind. Sauer and my wife were still sick. I cannot describe how difficult it is for both sick and healthy when there are contrary winds at sea. Even if there is still something to cook and great care is taken, the rocking of the ship can spill it in an instant. When the most skillful thinks that he is standing on one side of the ship, lo and behold, he fids himself on his behind on the other side of the ship. I fell myself very little, whether standing, sitting, or lying.
• The victuals on board the ship after we put to sea included meat, which had been in barrels for six or seven years and had returned from the East Indies, peas and barley cooked in putrid water, and butter and Dutch cheese, which was best.
• On the 21st, considerable wind. On the 22nd, toward evening we sailed rather fast, but we got a gale wind at midnight, which continued, on the 23rd. During the night of the 24th, an unmarried woman who had fallen into the ships hold with an iron kettle of soup about four weeks before, died. She lay sick about fourteen days, then got up again, but several days later she took to her bed once more and died. She was sent to the bottom with coal tied to her feet.
• 
  
• On the 25th, a north wind and comfortable sailing. On the 26th, in the evening when it was dark we saw a terribly large fish. As it sped through the water it looked to us as if it were a "leviathan" and it spouted water with its' nose.
• 
  
• On the 27th we had an east wind, but very mild and good weather. On the 28th a north wind, but we did not sail fast. On the 29th we had clear weather and a good wind. On the 30th clear weather and an east wind. On October 1st we had clear weather with a south wind and saw a large school of fish which leaped from the water like a heard of swine. On October 2nd we had a warm day – it hardly gets this warm in your summers _ and the ocean was completely calm. On the 3rd we had directly contrary winds, but we tacked ahead. Very far away to the south we saw a ship, which was the third that we had seen so far. During the night of the 3rd to the 4th we got a strong north wind, which was rather good for us. A man from among the Palatines, who had severe nose bleeding but had not lain sick very long, died and was buried as the others had been. On the 4th the wind shifted northeast and we sailed eight E. M. in one hour. We saw fish, which flew a bit above the water like a swallow. They had four wings; the front ones were exactly like swallow wings, but the back ones were much shorter.
• On the 5th we had a strong west wind and sailed rapidly, but toward evening came a west wind. On the 6th we still had a west wind, which was almost like a storm. On the 7th it continued until toward evening, then it shifted to the southwest. On the 8th we also had a contrary wind. On the 9th and 10th, -----? before noon. In the afternoon we got a north wind and sailed eight E. M. in one hour. During the night of the 9th to the 10th, an old unmarried Swiss, who had been ill for three or four weeks, died, was placed in an old sack, and sunk.
• On the 11th the weather was fair, and we also had a favorable wind. We saw a school of medium-sized fish hopping along the water like mice because a fish of prey could be seen chasing them. On the 12th we had a south wind in the afternoon, but it developed into quite a storm. In the afternoon, it shifted suddenly to the north. We also saw a stoop and spoke with it.
• On the 13th the same wind, but more favorable. On the 14th east wind and warm weather, also on the 15th. On the 16th also warm and gentle east wind. Toward noon, however, it shifted and came from the south and continued through the night until 4 o'clock in the morning. On the 17th a storm from the north. We gathered much rainwater in our great scarcity of water, as it was a heavy rainstorm.
• On the 18th a mild west wind. On the 19th a mild southwest wind, but during the night it shifted to the east and blew so strongly that we sailed 153 E. M. in twenty-four hours on the 20th. On the 21st, 154 E. M. with the same wind. On the 22nd, still east wind, favorable for us.
• On the 23rd, a northwest wind, but not strong. On the 24th still a north wind. We saw land birds and from this we noticed that we were not far from land. Also, great flocks of wild ducks. In the evening at 7 o'clock we sounded bottom. 
• On the 25th toward evening we approached land, which is called South Island (Suder Eyhland). It was twenty-two hours to the south on our left. That same evening and night we sailed along its' coast quite a distance. On the morning of the 26th we again got a good wind which drove us ahead so strongly that by the evening at dusk we reached the mouth of the river which leads inland to Philadelphia. However, the captain sailed too far from shore, and the terribly large and heavily laden ship ran onto a sandbar. The ship took a great jolt and then another. We all thought the ship had burst open.
• This lasted for more than a quarter of an hour as if the ship were scraping over sharp rocks. The earnest prayers and cries to God in the highest, which were uttered in the open air, were indescribable. We had thought that we had evaded all danger, but God showed us that he could bring ruin to us and our property close to land as well. Yes, my legs shook so that I could hardly stand, but in my heart I heard a voice saying that there was no danger. I called upon his mercy that he might spare us, and he heard it and helped. When we had sailed away from the sandbar a distance, they cast anchor and remained there over night. If there had been a strong wind, however, the ship would have been smashed to pieces.
• On the 27th the sailors began their game, for they had a custom that whoever had not traveled on the river had to donate a quantity of brandy. All of the crew who had not yet traveled on it gave something except one Scotchman who could not pay. He was tied, hauled a good twelve feet high with a ship's pulley, and suddenly released so that he fell head over heels into the water. This was done three times, and the first time a shot was fired. When they had finished with the crew, then it was the turn of the Palatines. They all gave something. If someone refused they set about tying him until he promised to give something. About 9 o'clock we took on board two pilots, one from Loisztaun and the other from Philadelphia. They had to guide the ship in the river. It was full of sandbars, but they knew the river. On the 28th we sailed up the river and arrived at Philadelphia safely on the noon of the 29th. Twenty shots were fired. It is a beautiful town because all the streets are laid out at right angles. Many say that there are at least two thousand houses there. The ship lay for three more days in the river.
• We disembarked on November 2nd, but did not receive our things until November 3rd. On the 4th, one of the Brethern of the congregation (Tauffer Gemeinde) Gumrie by name took us into his home in heartfelt love and evidenced brotherly love to us with plenty to eat and drink, and also a place to sleep to this hour. He wants to shelter us until we find a place somewhere else. John Henry Traut from Germantown, another of the Brethern, hauled our things a distance of four hours to this place without taking pay. (This is written about me and Nicholas for Sauer lives in Germantown.)
• As far as this country is concerned, it is a precious land with the finest wheat, as well as unusual corn, fine broom corn, maize, and white beets of such a quality as I never saw in Germany, not to speak of that which I have not yet seen. There are apples in great quantities from trees which grow wild without being grafted, so delicate to look at that I have not seen the like in Germany. I saw in Germantown so many spoiled apples in various piles in a garden that a wagon loaded with them could not be budged by four horses. Many trees are full of hanging apples, which are frozen, because there is a shortage of workers.
• A reaper earns a florin a day in the summer plus "wedding meals" along with it, and the work is not nearly so hard as in Germany. A day laborer earns ordinarily a half florin in the winter, and twenty alben in the summer. Food is cheap compared to Germany. The freedom of the inhabitants is indescribable. They let their sows, cows, and horses run without a keeper.
• The man in our house came to this country in 1719 and did not bring much with him. Now he has property worth at least one thousand florins, three horses, cows and sheep, hens and sows. (He slaughtered three of the last today, which were as big as donkeys.) There are more people like him who came here in 1719 and now have properties worth two to three thousand florins, and livestock in quantity.
• The trees, which grow in the forest, are cedar, two kinds of nut trees, chestnut, and many young oaks. They are, however, so easily cleared that it is hard to believe. Deer, rabbits
• (But not so many of these two as the others), pheasants, wild partridge, and pigeons are plentiful, and all can be shot without limit.
• One can, to be sure, obtain land in the city, which is more expensive. Ten or twelve hours distant from the city it is much cheaper. Whoever is willing to work can become rich in a short time through God's blessing. Goods, however, which can be brought from Germany, are expensive. For example, gunpowder, for one pound, one florin; a thousand sewing needles, nine, ten, or eleven kopfstuck. Silk and lace are four times as expensive, also shoe nails and other nails.
• Tailors, smiths, and shoemakers, also weavers, are the best-paid artisans. It costs ten florins in the city for a dress; in the country, six florins and twenty alben. A pair of men's shoes costs seven kopfstuck. It is possible, though, to earn enough, if one just has a will to work. A day laborer does not like to take on two days' work, but rather for a quarter of a year or half a year. I now close, and commend Your Grace, the Count, to the protection of the Most High, and remain, Your Grace, with warm greetings for all the servants, your dear friend, Johann Georg Kasebier
• I ask Your Grace, the Count, to deal paternally in your country, so that God may deal paternally with you.
• Ps, I would like to remind Your Grace if someone wishes to come and appeals for a travel subsidy in order to come to this country that you would "open your hand" and share with him according to your ability. People who are willing to work can thus be helped in truth. God is indeed a rewarder of all goodness.
• Something else remarkable has come to my mind, that the day in summer here is two hours shorter, and in winter two hours longer, and also that it is so safe from thieves here it is not necessary to lock the door at night. My host told me that they often all went away from the house and had often left it unlocked.
• There are horses here in great numbers. Some have one hundred, some have sixty, some have thirty. They are all English riding horses. The women here ride sidesaddle, unlike a man, and also small boys.
• There is so much that could be written that it is impossible to write everything. Today we saw more than ten wild partridges in the field of our host, but we could not get to them to shoot because they were wary from much shooting.
• Closing note from Maria Elisabetha Kasebier
• After this letter was written my dear husband became ill. He still went threshing for a day with Nicholas despite it. The illness grew worse so that he could not do it the next day. He had chills and fever, and this lasted at least eight days. After this the fever prevailed, and my dear husband became delirious. He kept on working until the illness became so bad that he could not walk anymore. He lay in bed for five weeks, having to be lifted and carried, and died on December 19th, 1724.
• Children of Johann & Maria (Mathes) Kasebier include
• Gottfried Christian Kasebier
• Gottlieb Christian Kasebier
• Gottfried Kasebier, a.k.a. Godfrey was born around 1718 probably in Wittgenstein, Germany. Godfrey left Germany via Rotterdam on August 3rd, 1724, with his parents and his brother Gottlieb, and arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 29th, 1724.
• Godfrey would have been no more than five or six years old when he and his younger brother accompanied their family to America. Within two months of their arrival Godfrey's father fell ill and passed away. Finding herself hard pressed to provide for herself and her two young sons, Maria Kasebier married Andreas Bossart, and this union produced three additional children.
• 
  
• Parents:
• Spouse:
• Maria Elisabeth Mathes
• Children:

1. Christian Gottfried Casebeer (1718 - 1774)