I have another poem for you this week. This one took a little more detective work to find the full version, though. I saw it referenced several places with a stanza or two but couldn’t find the full thing. Fortunately, master researcher Fred Eggers came to my rescue and showed me where I could find it.

As many of you know, five ships set sail carrying the Saxon immigrants but only four made it to the United States. The Amalia was lost at sea, and everyone aboard perished. Rev. Otto Hermann Walther, older brother of C. F. W., was among those waiting in New Orleans for its arrival. He wrote a stirring poem in response to the loss. Written as a dialogue with our Lord Jesus Christ, the poem gives both comfort and the Gospel message to the author and his fellow immigrants.

It is a longer read, but it is well worth it!

Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, the ship has not come,
The ship named Amalia is missing!
When wilt Thou, O pilot, convey her back home
From the storms that are howling and hissing?
Have we, Lord, been favored Thy mercies to share?
Was their ship too small for Thy kindness and care?
Lord Jesus, come, still all our yearning
And hasten Amalia’s returning!

I granted her prayer
For kindness and care.
She was not too small
For tempest and squall.
My love went with her a-sailing,
My power and presence prevailing.
My sheep, neither hopeless nor craven,
Were led to a beautiful heaven.

Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, where dost Thou abide,
And where are the people we cherish?
Oh, help us, dear Savior, in Thee to confide,
Renewing our hope lest it perish!
We thirst for our brethren, to see them we long,
And walk to the temple together in song.
Lord Jesus, come, still all our yeaning
And hasten Amalia’s returning!

Away with all fear!
Thy Lord is still near!
The lilies at morn
With dew I adorn;
I feed all the birds of creation;
My children shall see My salvation.
My sheep, neither hopeless nor craven,
Are led to a beautiful haven.

Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, oh, point out, we pray,
The course where her banners are flying!
If she has succumbed to the storms on her way,
Then help us remember her dying!
Has she been devoured by the waves of the sea
Like Pharoah’s hosts of antiquity?
Lord Jesus, come, still all our yearning
And hasten Amalia’s returning!

She was not forsaken;
Her people were taken
By Love’s own behest
From toil unto rest.
No anger has dashed her to pieces;
But homeward her voyage now ceases.
My sheep, neither hopeless nor craven,
Have entered a beautiful haven.

Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, oh, do not be grieved,
That we are still crying and weeping.
Thy Word has assured us, and we have believed,
Thy loved ones are safe in Thy keeping
For they who are steadfast in trials and shame
Shall meet there in heaven, proclaiming Thy name;
To Jesus, our Savior, returning,
His welcome shall still all our yearning.

My grace e’er shall be
Sufficient for thee,
Though darkness be here,
There all shall be clear;
And faithful My promise believing,
The crown of salvation receiving,
My sheep, neither hopeless or craven,
Shall enter the heavenly haven.

I really want to use this somewhere in the new display, I’m just not sure if I’ll have the room. According to Concordia Historical Institute’s website, they have in their collection several of his poems. I’ll have to check and see if this is one of them. I did find on their website this interesting information about the author:

Otto Hermann Walther was born on 23 September 1809 in Langenchursdorf, Saxony, where his father, Gottlob Heinrich Wilhelm Walther (1770–1841), was the pastor. O. H. Walther, who went by the name of Hermann, was the seventh child of twelve, and the third son. Since the first two sons died in infancy, Hermann was known as the elder Walther to distinguish him from his younger brother, Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (1811–1887). Hermann entered the University of Leipzig in 1828 to study theology and received his diploma on 26 March 1831. He took a position as a private tutor in Schneeberg and later in Klösterlein bei Aue. In 1834 he became a vicar to his father, passed his examination and was ordained and installed as pastor on 9 November. After years of soul searching and distress over his personal faith, his brother-in-law E. G. W. Keyl, who was a pastor in nearby Niederfrohna, and his younger brother, Ferdinand, directed Hermann to Pastor Martin Stephan in Dresden for spiritual counsel.

Hermann became an enthusiastic follower of Martin Stephan and became his right-hand man during the Saxon immigration of 1838/1839. He wrote the “Songs of the Exiles” (Exultantenlieder) for the immigrants to sing on their journey and dedicated them to Stephan, whom he accompanied on the Olbers. He was all in favor of promoting Stephan to the office of bishop and gave him absolute authority. The ship landed in New Orleans on 20 January 1839, and its passengers arrived in Saint Louis on 19 February. Hermann became the pastor of the largest group of immigrants that remained in Saint Louis when he was installed by G. H. Loeber on 9 June. When Stephan was removed from his office and the colony in Perry County, Hermann took is especially hard and sought to do nothing more than make a clear, public confession of their guilt. He was troubled by his participation in “Stephanism,” and it has been speculated that this weakened him to the point of death. He died of typhoid on 21 February 1841 at the age of 31.

Hermann married Agnes Ernestine Buenger on 15 November 1839. She was the sister of Johann Friedrich Buenger and Theodore Buenger and sister-in-law of Friedrich Lochner. Their son Johannes Walther was born on 1 October 1840. He also became a pastor and served congregations in the Missouri Synod. After Hermann died, his widow married Rev. Ottomar Fuerbringer on 18 October 1842. She bore five more children. She died in Frankenmuth in 1895, outliving her second husband by three years.

Also, Warren wrote a blog about his wedding several years ago:

The Wedding in My Pasture

I have no idea what I will be sharing next week, but I’m pretty sure I’m out of poems!

Until then! Denise Hellwege, Director