hope of finding a resting-place, and the hope of being greatly useful, by our examples, toward civilizing that portion of our Indian brethren with whom we should have intercourse; but we are sadly disappointed in this." Cass called the attention of the government to the matter, and writing under date of 1826, December 9th, expresses the wish that Congress would act in the matter "promptly and efficaciously. Unless they do so," he adds, “vain are our efforts to improve the condition of the Indians, and false and delusive will be our hopes."

The following year must have been one of keen disappointment to the Muh-he-ka-ne-ok. For, by the treaty of Little Butte des Morts,1 the land on which they were living was sold to 1827, August 8th. To their claims and rights, as had been the case in Indiana, there was paid practically no attention by those who framed the treaty.2 How the Senate secured their rights we have already learned. This just action on the part of that body was taken, partly no doubt, in consequence of "a petition and appeal" made by the Indians interested,- - both those in the Green Bay region and their brethren in New York. In this matter, John W. Quinney seems to have represented all the "New York Indians" then living in what is now Wisconsin, and for a number of years he was the principal business agent of his people.

66

Notwithstanding the treaty of Little Butte des Morts the Stockbridges remained at Grand Kaukaulin, which sometime during the years of early occupancy came to be called Statesburg. Indian emigration from New York continued. The plan of removal was by detachments,—one to go each year until all were removed." "3 Means were provided by the sale of the reservation given them by the Oneidas,-the state of New York being the purchaser. The first sale, thus made, was of four thousand five hundred acres in 1813. Other purchases were made by the state in 1822, 1823, 1825 (when for the first time, according to Mr. Quinney, the New York legislature paid an Indian tribe full value for its land), in 1826, 1829 and 1830. Even in 1842 and 1847 agreements in regard to the transfer of land were executed by the New York land-commissioners and the Stockbridges.

6.

The Winnebago war" of June, 1827, gave the Stockbridges and Oneidas an opportunity of showing their allegiance to the United States. Sixty-two of them joined a company raised by "General" William Dickinson and "Colonel" Ebenezer Childs. The "war was scarcely more than several atrocious murders in the vicinity of Prairie du Chien. ation with "Colonel" Childs would offset perance and almost every other virtue. has accomplished no more for the Indians for them it has had to contend with the vices of civilization as well as with those of savagery.

There is reason to fear that associmuch teaching on the subject of temThose who wonder that Christianity should remember that in its work

1 See page 57. Also on page 24, an account of the massacre of Outagamies by Marin.

2 Governor Lewis Cass and Colonel Thomas L. McKinney, on the part of the United States. They treated with the Menomonees and Winnebagoes only.

3 John W. Quinney.

But the year 1827 was not, to the Muh-he-ka-ne-ok, one simply of misfortune. In July of that year Mr. Sergeant's successor at New Stockbridge, Rev. Jesse Miner came to Statesburg, under the auspices of the American Board. He was evidently considering the question of removal westward with the people whom he had been serving in New Stockbridge. He spent some weeks with the little pilgrimage church that‍ had been pastorless ever since its organization in 1818. Thus began,-if we except Williams's work, and the winter's stay (1824-1825) of Rev. Norman Nash, 1 -the first Protestant pas

torate. in what is now Wisconsin.

After his return to New York Mr. Miner made ready to remove his family, and engaged the late John Y. Smith, so well known in Wisconsin history, to come West "to erect or work upon the mission buildings." Of the two, Mr. Smith was the first to come, next spring, to Green Bay where he arrived on the 18th of May, 1828. That was Sunday, and, we may be reasonably sure that a strict Presbyterian, like Mr. Smith, would go no farther that day, if he could avoid doing so. His passage had been paid by Mr. Miner, who also furnished him with twenty dollars to buy tools. But when the young missionary-carpenter started from Utica he had only a dollar and a quarter in his pocket. No doubt he would get at work as soon as possible. In Librarian Durrie's sketch of the life of Mr. Smith2 it is said that "his first employment was on the mission-house near Green Bay, and afterwards at Kaukauna, among the Stockbridges." The reverse of this much more likely to be true. Mr. Durrie wrote merely from a somewhat indistinct recollection of what Mr. Smith told him.3 Mr. Miner was soon to bring on his family and a house would be needed for their reception. For all these reasons we may conclude that Mr. Smith's first work in unnamed Wisconsin was at Statesburg.

Nor would he build in wood alone. This reader of Milton and of Edwards strove no doubt, to please his Indian neighbors "for their good unto edification." He had been chosen because of the character that was in him as well as for the skill of his hands.

The home that he built for Mr. Miner may have been the second framed house in Wisconsin. It was a story-and-a-half structure and stood on or near the present site of the railway "round-house" at South Kaukauna. Distant three-fourths of a mile, or thereabout, stood, or was soon built, a church that was used also as a school. This was of logs, and may have been built, at Mr. Miner's suggestion, the summer before. However, it is never safe to presume of a body of Indians that they will be in haste to engage in any work of this kind or show much perseverance in finishing it. A living witness, who was brought as a child to Statesburg in 1829 seems to remember the building as standing when he came. Afterward he attended school in it. Whether built in 1827

1 See chapter on the history of Green Bay.

2 "

'Wisconsin Historical Collections," volume VII., page 452.

3 As he stated in conversation with the writer hereof.

4 George Thomas Bennett, born at Cedar Hill, Albany county, New York, 22nd of August, 1823.

or in 1828 this building was, for a time, the only house of worship in Wisconsin. For the combination church-and-school which the Roman Catholics began at Shantytown in 1823 had been burned.

Mr. Miner arrived at his new home (probably) on the 20th of June, 1828. Strengthened by the work of the summer before, his people had proved faithful. "During the preceding winter, when no missionary or teacher was among them, they kept up religious worship on the Sabbath, the monthly concert for prayer, Sabbath school, weekly conference, female prayer meeting, and meeting of young people for reading the Scriptures.” 1 There are some churches that do no better than this even when they do have a pastor.

2

There probably never was a genuine Puritan church without a school close at hand. One was established at Statesburg, in 1828. It was taught by Miss Electa Quinney who had spent six years in the famous foreign-mission school at Cornwall, Connecticut, and had been a teacher among her own people in New York. Thus Statesburg has the honor of establishing what was practically the first of American free public schools in the region between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi; and Miss Quinney herself, with one possible exception, 3 was our first schoolmistress, the first teacher, indeed, of a free school.

An assistant missionary, Augustus T. Ambler, who is called a physician in the "Missionary Herald" for January, 1829, arrived at Statesburg, 1828, November 4th. It may be that he came to do school work, but if so, the state of his health forbade it. A change of field did not long preserve his life. Going southward he died in 1831 at one of the missions among the Choctaws.

The winter of 1828-29 was one of special interest in the re-organized mission. A letter from Mr. Miner published, without date, in the "Missionary Herald" of June, 1829, gives the subjoined narrative: "The good work of God is still going on in this place, and I hope with increasing power. Eight of the natives were added to the church the first Sabbath in this month; 4 also two of my sons, and one mechanic laboring at this station, making the whole number added since my arrival twenty-five. About fifteen others are indulging hopes, some of them, I believe, on good grounds. Meetings are solemn, still, refreshing. Most of the youth are seriously concerned, or hoping. Meetings are full on the Sabbath." This was doubtless the first religious revival in Wisconsin.

66

But the hand that sent the glad tidings was even then forever still. His pastorate had ended with his life on the 22nd of the preceding March. Near where he labored in life his people made his grave. "I am sorry," writes Mr. Miner's daughter, 5 that I can tell you so little of my father. An old Indian woman whom I met six years ago, who had belonged to his church, said that he was like a father to the Indians and they loved him much. They gave him an 'Missionary Herald," January, 1829.

2 Indian name: "Wuh-weh-wee-nee-meew;" or, " Woh-weh-wee-nee-meew."

3 "In 1828 the five American families at Shanty Town, now a part of Green Bay, erected

a log school house and imported a young lady teacher from the East- Miss Caroline Russell." REUBEN GOLD THWAITES, in "History of Education in Wisconsin."

4 February, perhaps. But the winter mails of that time were few and irregular.

5 Mrs. M. A. Whitney, Grand Crossing, Illinois, 26th of May, 1891.

Indian name, Wah-nuh-wah-meet, which means 'very true man.'1 He died at the age of forty-seven. The Indians had these words placed on his tombstone : 'He shall gather the outcasts of Israel together.' He had translated many of our hymns into their language, forming quite a hymn-book, from which they sang at his funeral. My father lies buried in the cemetery at Kaukauna, to which he was removed from the old mission burying-ground. 2 Metoxen was loved of my father and revered of my elder brothers."

In the spring of 1829, Mr. Quinney, who had been in New York and Washington to protest against the ratification of the treaty of Little Butte des Morts, "collected the poor of the Stockbridge nation, who were unable to remove themselves, to the number of thirty souls, and returned home with them." This was virtually the end of the tribal emigration, though our warrior-friend, Captain Hendrick (Aupaumut) did not leave New York until the following September.

On the 24th of the same month Cutting Marsh, a missionary for the Stockbridge tribe, was ordained in the famous Park-street church of Boston. 3

*

The early closing of navigation that year prevented Mr. Marsh from reaching his field of service until spring. He spent the winter,-profitably as he thought,—with friends at an Indian mission station, Maumee, Ohio. "Thursday, April 9th," he writes in his diary, "took my leave of the mission friends at Maumee. The Sabbath following, was at Monroe [Michigan], and preached. * The next Sabbath was at Detroit, and Tuesday following, April 20th, set sail for the Bay; passed four days at Mackinaw very pleasantly, and arrived at the Bay, April 30th. May 1st, Saturday, went on board a boat at the Bay, for Statesburgh, and arrived about half past ten that evening, in safety, though much fatigued. May 2nd, Sabbath, preached for the first time to an Indian congregation. Was struck with the order which prevailed in the house of God, the attention with which they listened, and their apparent solemnity."

*

*

*

Good order has always been noted as a characteristic of the religious meetings of these people. Of this fact and others, we have an interesting witness in Mr. Colton, who reported for us his recollection of the speeches made by

1 Without doubt Mrs. Whitney is in error. It is probable that what she sought to transliterate is the Muh-he-ka-ne-ew term "Wah-weh-nuh-maht," "This true man." Literally it may be "This true one," for the word for "man" is "mon-naow."

2.This was done chiefly by the reverent thoughtfulness of Herbert Battles Tanner, M. D., of South Kaukauna.

The stone now at the grave bears the inscription (with errors):

IN MEMORY OF
JESSE MINER,

BORN SEPT. 26, 1781.

COMMENCED THE MOHEAKUMUK MISSION

AT THIS PLACE, JUNE 20, 1828.

DIED MARCH 22, 1829.
AGED 49.

3. The occasion must have been one of peculiar interest. Fifteen others were ordained at the same time, one other for service among Indians, two for work in foreign lands, three to become agents for benevolent institutions, and nine to be home missionaries. The services were under the direction of the presbytery of Newburyport.