Samuel and Mary Moravian Missionaries

Samuel and Mary were American Indian converts to Christ and the Moravian Church. They too were passengers, on "Little Strength" in 1744. They set sail from New York with the expectation of arriving at Amsterdam. They were destined to never reach that port.

"About 10 o'clock in the morning of May 1st," writes Mate John Cook,13, in his narrative of her capture by Spanish pirates, "when in the chops of the English Channel, we sighted a vessel under full sail bearing down on us. Suspecting her of being a privateer, Bishop Nitschmann ordered Captain Garrison to crowd on all sail, but she gained on us so rapidly, that by three o'clock she was only a mile astern. She then fired a shot and hoisted English colors, whereupon we lowered our flag in token of submission and resigned ourselves to our fate. 

When she came up with us, she hauled down the English and hoisted the Spanish flag. She then sent on board of us a prize crew of nineteen seamen, armed with pistols and cutlasses. On board they stripped us of our cloths, and gave us the rags on their backs in exchange. The chests on deck were then rifled. The pirates, having thus disposed of us … sailed away.

"Early on the morning of the 7th we signaled for a pilot, after which the captain entered the cabin, demanded the keys of our chests, money and watches, and told us that we could only take with us what clothing we wore. At 3 o'clock we anchored off St. Sebastian, and later the brethren were confined in the prison (a stinking place), but Bro. Garrison secured lodgings for the sisters in the town. The following day we were examined by the naval officer and set at liberty." The Little Strength proved a total loss to the Moravian Church.