MISSIONARY WORK AT RED WING, 1849 TO 1852.*

During the latter part of the year 1848 an invitation was sent me by a former fellow student, to join him in laboring as a missionary among the aborigines of our country. He was about to graduate from the theological seminary near Cincinnati, Ohio. I had left my studies on account of poor health five years previously, and had been residing at Saratoga Springs, N. Y. My health had so much improved, by living at the Springs several years, that I had married and was engaged in teaching school there.

After due consideration of the matter, my wife and I concluded to offer our services to the American Board of Foreign Missions, to labor among the Dakota or Sioux Indians. Our offer was accepted and a commission was sent to us from the officers of the Board.

But it was now too late in the season to undertake the journey to the Northwest Territory. Facilities for traveling, especially in that direction, were not what they are now. Such a place as Minnesota was not then known. The location assigned to us was described as follows: "An Indian village on the west bank of the upper Mississippi river, a few miles above lake Pepin."

We postponed our journey till the following spring. During the month of March in that year, a new territory, called Minnesota, was formed by act of the United States Congress. So we learned, before we left the East, that our future home would be in Minnesota Territory.

*Presented at the monthly meeting of the Executive Council, May 12, 1902. The author was born in Orford, N. H., April 4, 1816, and has lived in Red Wing since 1849.

FAREWELL TO THE OLD HOME, AND THE JOURNEY WEST.

Many friends living in the New England states seemed to claim a farewell visit from us before we could start for the west. We made therefore a tour of visiting in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, in the month of April, and we also met the officers of the mission board at Boston to receive such instruction as they would give. These visits consumed several weeks. Some time in May we returned to Saratoga Springs, packed our necessary housekeeping goods, and shipped them to a mercantile firm in Galena, Ill., as freight.

Bidding farewell to our neighbors and friends at our delightsome home in New York, we started in a stage coach for the west. At Schenectady we took cars for Buffalo, and thence came to Chicago through the great lakes by steamboat. There were no railroads from Chicago to the Mississippi at that time. Having been informed that a horse and open wagon would be needed at our destined mission station, I purchased such a conveyance while in Chicago, and with it we made our way to Galena. This was by far the most toilsome part of our journey. The highways were scarcely changed from their natural condition. The streams were without bridges, and many swampy places let our wagon wheels sink so that we were often "stuck in the mud." But we struggled on, gathering rich experience for future work in a new country, and after several days arrived safely in Galena. At that place we were detained a few days waiting for a steamer to take us to the end of our journey.

Our freight, shipped from Saratoga to this place, had not yet arrived. Being instructed by the missionary helper who was already at Red Wing, I purchased a stock of provisions and groceries, and also a good milch cow, while in Galena. With these additional equipments, we were transported on the steamer Franklin to our future home in a wigwam village.

ARRIVAL AT RED WING.

The last stage of the journey was accomplished without much labor or anxiety of mind. The natural scenery along the banks of the "Father of Waters" at that season of the year was new and enchanting. We made several acquaintances among our fellow passengers. One of them was Henry M. Rice, who

had for some years been engaged as a trader among the Indians. I shall never forget how he pointed out to me the place where I was to land. While we stood on the upper deck of the steamer, as it was plowing its way through lake Pepin, he said to me, "Look yonder," pointing up the river valley, "do you see that oval hilltop rising above the tall trees on the river's border ?” "Yes," I answered. "Well, that marks the place where we are to leave you.'

In about an hour our boat gave the signal for landing, as she turned toward the end of Barn bluff. As we slowly approached the shore, a large number of Indians from the village had collected, evidently eager to know why a steamboat should stop at their port. It was a strange sight to many of the passengers on board the boat, who were on their way to the new towns of St. Paul and Stillwater, to see such an array of painted faces gazing at them.

The Indians seemed glad to see us who landed among them. Men, women, and children, all gave us a hearty hand shake. Our belongings were soon dumped ashore, with the exception of the horse and cow. These two animals stoutly objected to being sent ashore. It was mainly by human strength that they were compelled to walk the plank. Evidently they had not been acquainted with painted faces and blankets. The thought of being now far separated from friends and excluded from the civilized portion of the world was not a pleasant one to us, but it seemed a greater grief to our horse and cow.

There were three white persons then living in the village, who soon met us with: a hearty welcome, and assisted us to establish our home in a log-house. These were Rev. John F. Aiton and wife, who had been here a few months only, and Mr. John Bush, who had married an Indian wife, and who had been sent here to assist the natives as a farmer.

EARLIER MISSIONARIES TO THE DAKOTAS.

This Red Wing band of the Dakotas had been accustomed to white missionaries some years before we came, but these missionaries had given up the work and abandoned the place. They were from Switzerland. While here they built two very comfortable log dwelling houses. A small garden fenced with rails,

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