Valley Towns

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THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF MISSIONS

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THE LIBRARY OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF

NORTH CAROLINA

THE COLLECTION OF
NORTH CAROLINIANA

Gp970.03

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UNIVERSITY OF N C AT CHAPEL HILL

00032197444

■■*

FOR USE ONLY IN
THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION

Form No. A-368

0 '. V

■. ORIGIN ANi> IIHSTOUT

; . OF

■ • ■ , A IlECOnD OP Tim

' VOYAGES, TRAVEILS, I^ABOKS, AND SUCCESSES

•;.,'.'■ OP THE . . ,, •

VARIOUS MISSIONARIES,

■ •' WHO HAVE BEEN SENT FORTH BY I'ROTESTANT SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES

TO EVANGELIZE THE HEATHEN;
COMPILED FROM AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS;

VOUMING A — , .

COMPLETE MISSION ASY MEPOSITOUY;

:' ,. / ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS,

■'■ . - ■ FROM

O R 1 G 1 N A L D R A W I N G S M A D i: E X P R E S S L Y F O R T II I S W O R K .

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BY THE

REV. JOHN O. CHOULES, A. M.

NEW BEDFORD, MASS.
AND THE

REV. THOMAS SMITH,

liATE MINISTER OF TRINITY CHAPEL, LONDON.

CONTINUED TO THE PRESENT TIME.

" To imbuo men thoroughly wiUi Uio Slissionary Spiril, \vc musl acquaint ihcin imimalcly willi tlio Missionary Enterprise.'

i>."

Doanc's IHissioiiafy Scnnon.

IN TWO V O L U lAI E S .

TOI^. II.

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY GOULD, KENDAUT. AND LLXCOLN,

AND

' CROCKER AND BREWSTER.
. '. 1837.

492

AMKinCAN HAI'TIST P.OAKD OK FOUFJfliN :\I1SS10AS.

of [hn IndiiUi coiinlry, exiirrsscd liis \vlUiM<;iR's.s to eii-
!;i\u;o ill tlio soi'\ico oi' llic bii:ircl, ;uul devote his life
to tlio caii'-o oC missions. The Rev. .T;iines A. Koii-
aldsoii, and llio Rev. John Young, made similaf of-
fers of service ; and after receiviii|j; the nmst ample
testimonials of tlieii' cliaracter and (jualifications, they
were cordially received by the board."

At this time, a ;;encral feeling of the importance
and benevolence of missions to the aborigines of
America agitated the Baptist denomination tliroughont
the land. Such, iiowever, was the condition of the
people ill the AV'cstcrn Slates, that the missionaries
could not, at once, enter on their appropriate work of
preaching Christ to the Indians. Much of their time
was occupied in breaking the bread of life to the des-
titute while population. Rut they also performed
journeys, and hekl conversations with the Indians,
preparatory lo the establishment of a mission and
schools among them. In this w(uk, they met with
occurrences abundantly calculated to inierest and en-
courage them. The Indians, in many cases, were so-
licitous to have preaching for themselves, and schools
for their children.

Accordingly, as soon as circumstances rendered it
possible, stations were established by the board, in
the heart of the Indian territory. On account of the
roving character of the natives, the amount of suc-
cess has not been so great as was desirable ; hut many
souls have, nevertheless, been born into the kingdom.
We present briedy the details of the several stations.

VALLEY TOWXS.

This slntion is situated on the river Iliwassee, in the
state of iVorlh Carolina, among the Cherokee Indians.

In the year ISIR, "Rev. Humphrey Posey trav-
elled tliroii'j;h the Cherokee nation, and originated
three or lour schools for the Indian children ; but, for
want of funds, or some other cause, they were relin-
quished at the end f)f the first tjiiartcr. IIis journeys
over that wild and mountainous country, were ex-
tremely fatiguing; hut the willingness of the Iiulians
to hear the gospel, and their importunity for a mis-
sion, and schools, cheered him in his wanderings.
After the suspension of his first schools, he went to
Missouri, preaching as opportunity oflercd.

" During this lour, he travelled nearh' two ihousand
miles; and on his return, he formed a lilili; establish-
ment, erected suitable buildings for a mission fmiily,
a school, and a workshop. His school contained be-
tween forty and fifty chi\(lren in 1821, at which time,
llic. board sent out a laige reinforcement; consisting

of ihe Rev. Thomas ]\oherts, Mr. ]'"vaii Jones, a
teacher, and Mr. ("leaver, a blaeksiiiilh ; ail liicse
cairicd wives. Mr. Fairier, a farmer and weaver,
Miss Cleaver, Miss Jones and Mis.-, Lew is, \\'ilh se\'-
cral children, helonging to the three families. "^riiey
were set apart lo their work in ihe cil)- of Pliiladel-
])hia, and lell that place in Sc])tember, 18-21, laden
with clolhing lor their scholars, and other necessary
things, in a large missionary establishment.

"In lSx;;3, two or three of the natives heeaino se-
rious, ami it was hoped they were real Ciiiistian.s.
One of them was a lull Indian, named W'a-sa-di, a
member of ihe national council, who received the gos-
)iel through a very poor interpreter, l)eing entirely Ig-
norant of the F.nglish language. His concern for the
salvation of his jieople was so intense, that he hasten-
ed to tell them all he knew of his great Deli\crcr,
and prayed wall them, giving them the most earnest
exhortalions lo (ly lo Christ, without a moment's de-
lay. Il was, for a long time, dinicult to convince him
that ungodly while men had ever heard of the sulTer-
ings and love of the Sa\iour."

As the days of the millennium approach, Il is by
no means wonderlul that the preaching of tiie gosjiel
should be attended with success, and that all efibrts
to advance the cause of holiness should be owned of
God. Accordingly wc find the Indians one by one
gathered into the church at this as well as at the
other stations. Every year shows new triumplis of
religion. This will appear evident from a letter to
the corresponding secretary by Rev. Evan Jones,
dated Valley Towns, October 12, 1827.

" I drop you a line previous to my starling to tiie
Cherokee council, where a great number of people
will be assembled ; and wdiere I hope to have an op-
"jiortunily to proclaim the message of s;ilvaiio;i. I
also cx|)ect lo visiL_scveral Indian settlements, border-
ing on ihe line, in which a number of persons under-
stand I'aiglish, but have no opporluniiy ol hearing the
gospel. I find I shall have full employment in \i>iling
the vai'ious places, where the people express a desire,
and even an anxiety to hear the word. 1 rejoice to say
ihe gosptd is gaining more and more auention ; am!
that a few are deeply impressed wiih its sacred Ueaiis.
The congregations are generally alTected uilh the word
preached ; and not unfreqiiently dissolved in tears.
The natives used to \iew all we said as mere legen-
dary tales, in which Indians could ha\e no sort ol con-
cern ; and the apathy and ]irollii;acy of ihe whites,
residing among ihem, confirmed this opinion : some
have even lakrn the jiains to endea\ or to persuade
them that there is no Iruih in the gos|iel doclrincs.
The Indians, howcvt'r, arc now fully ]iersua»;etl iliut
these are true, and Christians their Iricnds.

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VAl.LFA' TO WAS.

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'' I hope the fci'liiig whirl) ap[io;irs lo ho excited in
several peisons will, hy ihc powerful agciic}' of ihe
IIol}' Spirit, he hrought lo a liapp)' issue.

" At Xotley, slxlecii miles from the mission-house,
the prosjieei is very pleasiiie; : four oi (i\-e ajipear lo
he imilor a work of grace, ami iwo of theui, I hope,
have found ihe Saviour precious. At the last meet-
ing, the peo|>lo in general appeared soleum and much
impressed. Some came, who IkuI not heen at meet-
ing lor two years. The earnestness of their neigh-
hors seems to have aioused ihem. () u iicn shall the
hapjty day come, in which they shall crowd to the
staudaril of Inuuauuel !"

In Ma}', IS'^S, a school was commenced at IVotley,
under encouraging circumstances, with fifteen pupils.
This place also hecame a regidar preaching-station.
It is the custom ol missionaries in the Indian coimtry,
as elsewhere, to diiruse Chi'istianity as widely as may he,
1))' preaelilngin vai'lous places near iheir head-qiu\rlers.
in a letter dated May, IS'JH, Mr. Jones says: —

'•' I have now five preaching places, at which a
niuiihcr of persons understand ICngllsh, if the, very
simplest language he used. At each of these places,
there are some favorahlc indications. Indeed, wc are
sometimes almost prompted to rejoice, as if we w'it-
ncssed the hrst droppings of a gi'acious shower, coming
on this thirsty land. This bears up our spiiits amidst
many dliricultics and trials, with which our patii is
strown."

The following extract from the rejiort of the board
for 1830 j)ossesses interest.

"There were indications, in the early part of 1829,
of more than ordinary attention to religion among the
Indians. June llth, Mr. Jones wiites : ' Two Chcro-
kces, Kanceda and his wife, neither of whom has any
knowledge of the English language, ga\e us an ac-
count of a work of grace on their minds, and the
happy change it had produced, which caused a thrill
of wonder and joy to pass through the amliencc. A
great number of peojilc were present. Two white
females also professed faith In the Redeemer. . They
were all baptized, and afterward sat down to com-
memorate the death of Christ. It was the most in-
teresting day we have ever witnessed at this place.'
" In January of the jiresent year, he adds: ' Every
meeting, some new cases of anxious in(purers occur.
Our brother Kanecda, whom we now call .John Wick-
hfre,was licensed last church meeting; and he intends
to devote himself to the «oik of proclaiming Jesus to
dying sinners, all the time ho can spare from the la-
b(jr necessary to suj>porl his family. lie is a man of
gooil uii(ler>tandiug, ardent piety, ami pf)ssesses, in a
In-h degree, the confidence of the peopl(^ lie has
luiiehased an improvement two miles from the station,

ami rcmo\i'd to it for the express jiurpose of getting
more instruction in ihe docliines of the gospel."

The revival jusi mentioned continued through iho
year. And while the temporal circumstances of tiie
Chcrokees were growing dar]<er and darker, in coiise-
(pienci: of the negotialions for their removal hom the
land of their fathers, the light of heaven was spif.'ad-
ing rapidly on every side. During the year, forty-
eight persons were baptized on a profe'ssion of iheir
faith ; and many of them becanu! active in advancin-'
the cause of Christ among tlnnr eountrymen.

On the (ilh of June, ly;32, lie v. Mr. Jones writes ; —
" I hiul the unspeakable pleasure last sabbath lo
bnry in baplism llilrly-slx full Chertikees, Iwtnly-fcnir
males ami twelve females. Among them was a man
apparently tibout seventy years old, accomiiani(;d hy
two sons, a daui;hter and hi;r husband, and three
grandsons. Another man, about sixty, publicly re-
nounced rendering homage to fire and imaginary be-
ings, and his practice of conjui ing, and professed jiim-
self a follower of the supreme God, through the medi-
ation of his Son Jesus Christ. Two females were quite
aged, and nine men and their wives were in the prime
of life. All these joyfully followed the steps of iiic
Saviour. The congregation on the sabbath was large
and serious; and, on invitation, about fifty came for-
ward to express their desire to forsake sin and seek
salvation." At subsequent periorls, thirteen more
were added lo the chuiidi by baptism, and three by
letter, making the entire number of members one
hundred and sixty-five, — of whom one is black, fif-
teen (including the missionaries) arc white, and one
liundred and forty-nine are Cherokees.

l>y later information, as recent as July, JS3-!, we
learn that the gospel is still advancing. Twcnly more
have been baplizetl, making the [iresent number of
the church one hundred and eighty-five.

There are two native preachers and Civc exhorlcrs,
who are very useful in their respective neighborhoods,
and the former often travel to distant places. The
pious character of the converts generally is fully sus-
tained. Says Mr. Jones, " In all the settlements
where the members reside [being remote from the
station], they meet on sabbath days to sing and I'ray.
They have also regular prayer-meetings in the week.
All the heads of families have morning and evening
woishlp in their houses, and man)-, who arc not heads
of families, use their innuencc for that purpose."

There has sprung up in the nation, about seventy-
five mil(;swest of the Valley Towns, a second church,
the history of which is worthy of record. Three
years ago, Mr. Jesse IJushyliead, a Cherokee, became
convinced, b\ Ino study of the l)ible alone, of the
iluty and proju'lety of believers' baptism; and though

491

AMKIUCAN I^Ai'TIST nOAKl) OF FOllEICX MISSIO.XS.

at ilic lime iinacqiiiiintctl wiili any Baplisis, lie took
a journey of lucnty miles to aiicml one of their mcet-
ini;s, and make an open profession of liis faiili. On
this occasion, there was a minister, ]irRscnt from Ten-
nessee, who soon after visited the nci^lihorhood of
Mr. IJushyliead, and commenced |)reacliin;j; once a
month. His labors were blessed, and in a little lime
a church was gathered, which nou- consisis of sevcnt}'-
tluce members ; ihirly-five of whom were bnpii/.ed in
the nation, and tlic others from the vicinity, or were
received by letter. To this church Mr. Hushyhcad
belongs, and by tliein he has been licensed to i)rcach.
lie reads English with ease, and is ca|)alile of acquir-
ing knowledge from any books published in tlic
language, and consequently of prcjiaring himself for
much usefulness. It is proposed by the board to take
bin) into tlicir service so soon as negotiations for the
purpose can bo completed.

CAREY.

In 1820, Rev. Isaac McCoy commenced a mission-
ary station at Fort Wayne, Indiana ; which was a
central point for jMiamies, Ottawas, Puttawatloniies,
and Shawnces. He was aided by several assistants,
till IVovember, 1322 ; when the mission family, con-
sisting of fifty persons, removed to a place on the
river St. Josephs, one hundred miles north-west of
Fort Wayne, which they called Carey. During liis
stay at Fort Wayne, Mr. McCoy baptized several
Indians, had a flourisliing school, and constituted a
small church. Fort Wayne is no longer a missionary
station.

Additions, from time to time, were made to tlie mis-
sionary family at Carey, and the gosjiel was, to a con-
siderable extent, received with joy. In a letter dated
March, 1825, Mr. McCoy says : —

" JS'otwithsianding there luul, at dilTerent times,
been baptized, at our establishment, four while per-
sons, and three Indian wojncn, yet we had all along
supposed our labors were bestowed upon a sterile soil.
The Lord allowed us to labor under numerous dis-
appointments and discouragements, until we, anil all
who thought our labors worth their notice, had seen
tliat facts, as here exhibited, truly said, that the work
of saving sinners was his : then he spake, and the
' savage heard ; he smiled, and the forest echoed with
praise.

" About the 1st of October, our hopes were raised
by appearances of a religious excitement, in the re-
sult of which, the expectations which were then in-
spired, have been more than realized. The first fruit

was among our hired whiio men, next our In.;i:in pu-
pils, and thence the work extended to adult Indians,
unconnected with our school. Ei-lit of the first, eleven
of the second, and one of the last mentioned, have
i)een buried with Christ in bajitlsm since the 7th of
iNovendjer last, and there is now one candidate for
baptism."

The rovii}g habits of the Indians arc a poworfid
barrier, in the way of missionary success. Ao sooner
have ihcy become a lillle acquainted vviih ihe man-
ners and forms of our missionaries, and gained a sli''lit
-knowledge of ilie things of religion, than they arc
hurried away to the cliasc. They forget God and
heaven ; and all that they have heard bounds olT
from their minds like the deer which they piwsiii;
among the foresls, leaving scarcely any moie traces
of its existence, than their own arrows in the open
heaven. J3ut Christians are to wait wiih |/alience fi<r
the precious fruits of their labors ; knowing that he
is faithful who hath promised.

" In September, 1828, the conimissloncrs of gov-
ernment negoliaicd a treaty with the Putlawattoniir-,
by which all the surrounding country, with the exci'ji-
lion of ten miles square, was ceded to the United
Slates. Within the reserve was the sile of the mis-
sion, concerning which a provisionary ai tide was in-
corporated in the treaty, providing an indemniiy,
when the station should be given up. In the mean-
time, this tribe were to be principally shut u-p on ll.eir
small reserve. If any advantage could be looked for
from such a posture of their affairs, it must arise from
their proximity to the missionaries, within whose in-
fluence they would be more directly ]ilaced.

"The number of children in the school was, at that
time, about seventy. Four of the men on the farm had
also been lately brought to the knowledge of the iruiii."

" An interesting account," says the report for June,
1829, " has also been received by the board, within llic
year, of the dealh of Anthony Hollo, at the siniioii.
Ho was a half-breed Pullawaltomie, whose mind his
father had deeply imbued with the Catholic supersti-
tions; nor was he willing that his son should be pluri il
witliin the religious induence of the missionaries. .Af-
ter the demise of his father, a train of incidents coii-
spireil to bring Anthony to the school, thougii i:ii-
bittered in his prejudices, and fully fortified in li;s
resolutions against Protestant Christianity, .\fier re-
siding here for a time, a revi\al commenced ir. ilie
establishment, which tcrndnated favorably for him.
lie earlv became a subject of conviction ; but Ins lor-
mer views greatly obstructed his coming to Clwisl. till
at length he saw there was no other reluge. 'Ti;e
Gib of January, 1825,' says Mr. IMrCoy, 'was ,i d.iy
long to be remembered. It was on the evening ol ilns

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