Bringing Indians to the Book

Appendix: The Disosway and Walker Letters

APPENDIX THE DISOSWAY AND WALKER LETTERS THE FOLLOWING LETTERS BY GABRIEL DISOSWAY AND William Walker were published on the front page of The Christian Advocate andJournal for Friday, March 1,1833, and were the immediate cause of a movement to raise funds to send missionaries to the Columbia River region. They are reprinted here from that source. Disosway's letter consists of two parts, which introduce and then comment on Walker's letter. Much confusion has resulted from the fact that Disosway's references to "November last" and Walker's implied reference to recent events were both out of date at the time of publication in the Christian Advocate; Walker had visited St. Louis on his way to look at lands in western Missouri, in the fall of 1831. Perhaps Disoswaymiscopied the date of Walker's letter as 1833 instead of 1832; he could also have changed it after delaying publication in order to gather more information. The sharp split between his openingpassages (on the Wyandots) and his closingcall to action (on the Flatheads) could also indicate that he reconsidered the importance of Walker's letter once he received it. That is, he might have originally designed his letter 191 APPENDIX to the press as a report on the \Vyandots, in anticipation of receiving Walker's report on their lands. If he received or reviewed Walker's letter at a much later date, he might then have added the exhortations concerning missions farther west and so sent this somewhat disjointed, three-part article to press. THE FLATHEAD INDIANS The plans to civilize the savage tribes of our country are among the most remarkable signs of the times. To meliorate the condition of the Indians, and to preserve them from gradual decline and extinction, the government of the U. States have proposed and already commenced removingthem to the region westward of the Mississippi.-Here it is intended to establish them in a permanent residence. Some powerful nations of these aborigines, having accepted the proposal, have already emigrated to their new lands, and others are nowpreparing to follow them. Among those who still remain are the Wyandots, a tribe long distinguished as standing at the head of the great Indian family. The earliest travellers in Canada first discovered this tribe while ascending the St. Lawrence, at Montreal. They were subsequently driven by the Iroquois, in one of those fierce internal wars that characterize the Indians of North America, to the northern shores of lake Huron. From this resting place also their relentless enemy literally hunted them until the remnant of this once powerful and proud tribe found a safe abode among the Sioux, who resided west of lake Superior . When the power of the Iroquois was weakened by the French the \Vyandots returned from the Sioux country, and settled near Michilimackinac . They finally took up their abode on the plains of Sandusky, in Ohio, where they continue to this day. The \Vyandots, amounting to five hundred, are the only Indians in Ohio who have determined to remain upon their lands. The Senecas, Shawnees, and Ottawas have all sold their Ohio possessions, and have either removed, or are on their way to the west of the Mississippi. A 192 APPENDIX small band of about seventy Wyandots from the Big Spring have disposed of their reservation of r6,000 acres, but have not accepted the offered lands of the government in exchange. They will retire into Michigan, or Canada, after leaving some of their number at the main reservation of Upper Sandusky. The wonderful effects of the Gospel among the Wyandots are well known. Providence has blessed in a most remarkable manner the labors of our missionaries for their conversion. Knowledge, civilization, and social comforts have followed the introduction of Christianity into their regions. To all of the Indians residing within the jurisdiction of the states or territories the United States propose to purchase their present possessions and improvements, and in return to pay them acre for acre with lands west of the Mississippi river. Amongthe inducements to make this exchange are the following: perpetuity in their new abodes, as the faith of the government is pledged never to sanction another removal; the organization of a territorial government for their use like those in Florida, Arkansas, and Michigan, and the privilege to send delegates to congress, as is now enjoyed by the other territories. Could the remaining tribes of the original possessors...