Memoir of Abraham, an Enslaved Moravian in North Carolina, c.1770s

This memoir of Abraham tells the story of an African man from the Mandingo nation who was captured in war, sold into slavery, and brought to the West Indies before arriving in Virginia. Purchased by the Moravian community in Salem in 1770, he struggled with language barriers and spiritual challenges but eventually embraced Christianity. Baptized in 1780, Abraham became a devoted member of the church, known for his deep faith, prayers, and commitment to sharing the gospel with other enslaved people.

Our Dear Brother Abraham, otherwise called Sambo, a Negro from the Mandingo Nation on the coast of African Guinea, was born about the year 1730. It appears that his father was a respected man among his countrymen. Through diligent praying he established a religious way of thinking himself, though this was mixed with heathen superstition. When he grew up and was already father of several children, he went to war like others in the frequent hostilities with the neighboring tribes. In one of those wars he was wounded severely in head and face and was taken prisoner, and then sent back to his father with mutilated ears. He, the father, became so angry about this that he stirred the inhabitants of the community to another war to get his revenge. They started at once, and Sambo, wounded though he was, did not let them keep him from following them. Now he was taken prisoner for the second time and sold to European slave traders, who brought him to the West Indies and sold him on a French island. He was there for several years. Later he was brought to Virginia. In August of 1770 his master (H. Lyon) intended to sell him again and brought him with two other Negroes to Brother Herbst (tanner here. For several days they stayed under his supervision. One of them was sold to Hope not far from here, was baptized and called Paul. In the beginning Brother Herbst was not willing to keep one of them, because at that time already there were important reasons for not keeping any Negroes in the Salem Community. However, his attention was called mainly to Sambo, who seemed to be of good humor, and who perhaps could be won for the Lord, and he could not get rid of this thought. Therefore he decided to pay the price for him and to keep him here for a time on approval. At that time Sambo suffered severely from the Guinea worm on his big toe, which had to be taken off. For quite a while he stayed in his former heathen ways and mores. We could not give him the right instruction because he understood only his native language and a little French. After he had been here for three years, he ran away from his master quite unexpectedly, but was, however, returned to Salem, after he had suffered much from hunger, and of his own free will he admitted that he ought to be punished. Since that time he started to think about the status of his soul, attended diligently the Congregation meetings, and was eager to learn German and verses. He asked the Brethren how one can become happy eternally, and his attention was called to the Gospel, that a poor and oppressed sinner through faith in Jesus Christ can be relieved from the burden of sins and sinning. Still some time passed until he learned to see himself as the poorest sinner and to realize this evil. Finally, however, he came to the thorough perception of his lost condition, and admitted openheartedly and repentantly to a Brother what a slave of sin he had been up to now and how much he would like to be saved and become happy. It was a comforting word for him that Jesus Christ had come into this world to make sinners happy. He prayed to the Lord for mercy and pardon. We took special care of him, and he paid attention to the exhortations of the Brethren. Since we noted distinctly that his heart had truly changed and that he was longing for the washing of his sins with the blood of Christ, he received holy baptism through our dear Brother Graff on December 26, 1780, and afterwards we saw with joy that he had not received the mercy of God in vain. In June of 1787 he received the Holy Communion, and he received it in the perception of Jesus Christ and himself. Simple like a child, he kept to the Lord and he testified daily that he would always ask that the Lord would cleanse him now with his blood. He had some weaknesses in his character, which required the patience of his master and all those who were around him. On the whole he was loved by the congregation and recognized as a special example of the mercy of Jesus Christ. He enjoyed the news from our missions in the West Indies very much, thought of it daily in his prayer, and also contributed his part.

On July 30, 1785, he married Sarah, at present his widow, about whose soul he was very troubled, and he often mentioned his concern about her unhappy state of heart. Though he could hardly express himself in matters concerning his soul, he used opportunities to announce to other Negroes the truths of the Gospel.

On March 27 he became sick and showed at once that at this time he would go to the Lord, to which he was looking forward. It was really edifying to see him with his pains which he felt mainly in his abdomen, so quiet, patient, and free from all fright of death, yea, the calmness and the wellbeing of his soul sparkled in his countenance. When he was asked what would be mainly comforting to him, he prayed like a child the verse: The blood and righteousness of Christ are my adornment and dress of honor. He asked to be blessed before his death, which happened on April 6, 1797, and on the 7th he passed away calmly, at the age of about 60 years.