The early history of Pennsylvania is sprinkled with the exploits of daring, energetic, and forceful individuals. One of the most fearless and dedicated, yet least remembered of these personalities, was Christian Frederick Post. A humble man of God, he spent over forty years among the Indians and Whites of colonial America, spreading the Gospel and working for peace. He passed some of this time traveling through or living within the present borders of Cumberland County. Though plagued with family tragedies, sickness, and personal shortcomings, Post managed to overcome his difficulties and work toward the noble goa ls that he had set for himself. By the time he died in 1785, thousands of people had been affected directly or indirectly by his tireless work.
Most historians have chosen to overlook or underestimate Post's accomplishments. Those that did write about him at all expended virtually all of their energy describing one seven month period in 1758- 1759, during which he acted as a messenger and negotiator between the provincial authorities and the warring Indian tribes of western Pennsylvania. Despite the study of this one episode, the fact remains that Post's life and importance does not consist of merely one bright moment, lasting less than a year.
Christian Post was born about 1715 in Danzig, then a part of Polish Prussia. Very little is known about his early life except that he was a joiner, or cabinetmaker. In 1741 he experienced a religious conversion, and it was at about the same time that he became associated with the Renewed Moravian Church. In the following year he traveled to America as a part of the Moravian's First Sea Congregation. He and his fellow travelers arrived at Bethlehem, the seat of Moravian activity, in the summer of 1742.
Post's church superiors assigned him to the Pilgergemeine, the group meant to spread the word of God and minister to White and Indian alike. Unfortunately, Post's first assignment, to work among the German settlers of the Goshenhoppen section of the upper Perkiomen Valley of Pennsylvania, proved unsuccessful. His temperament and educational background did not serve him well. Though he was enthusiastic, devoted and energetic in his work, his lack of sophisticated religious training made him unable to understand the subtle theological differences that existed among the diverse German religious groups.
He was also too emotional for many of the people that he visited and at times was a tactless and troublesome member of his missionary team. This last problem concerning teamwork plagued Post for the rest of his life, and he usually performed best when on his own, or at least "in-charge" of the assignment.
The Moravian authorities then decided to try Post as a "Fisher" at their Indian missions in eastern New York and western Connecticut. From the start, Post showed that he was more suited for this type of evangelical work. Not only did he prove to be one of the most promising students in learning the native's languages, but his simple ways allowed him quickly to adapt to their customs and to develop a true sympathy for their culture. Post easily joined the other missionaries in living and dressing in the Indian style and even may have worn his hair long, as some of the Moravians did. Eventually he received two Indian names which demonstrates the degree to which he fit into the natives' life style and to which he was accepted by them: Ahamawad by the Iroquois, and Wolanghuntowaakan by the Delawares. Post's attitude toward the Indians is representative of the Moravian mission movement as a whole and helps to explain their success among the tribes of colonial America.
Between 1742 and 1752 Post worked with the Indians of Connecticut, New York, and eastern Pennsylvania. In August, 1743 , he married a twenty-three-year old Wampanoag convert named Rachel. The following year they had a son who was christened Ludwig Johanan. In 1745, Post and the famous Moravian David Zeisberger, while traveling to Iroquois country to perfect their knowledge of that Indian tongue, were arrested by New York authorities as suspected Papists. The two missionaries spent six weeks imprisoned in New York City before being released. In 1747, shortly after the death of Post's infant son, Rachel also died. Two years later Post remarried. His second wife was a nineteen-year-old Delaware maiden named Agnes, with whom Post had a son, Christian Frederick, Junior. Again, his wife and child died, this time within two years. They are buried in the old Moravian cemetery in the heart of Bethlehem.
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