Merges oT^e cross 
 
 1NEMERICA 
 
 DON O. ^HELTON .G;<S 
 
 FORWARD MIS5ION 
 G>5 TUDY COUR5E.S 3 
 
BV 2765 .S5 1904 
 Shelton, Don Odell, 1867- 
 
 1941. 
 Heroes of the cross in 
 
The Forward Mission Study Courses 
 
 *' K'Qrpfj\iQX%, provided it be forward." — David Livingstone 
 
 Prepared under the auspices of the 
 YOUNG PEOPLES MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 
 
 Editorial Committee: — S. Earl Taylor, Harry Wade 
 Hicks, John Willis Baer, John W. Wood, A. W. Halsey, 
 Don O. Shelton. 
 
 The Forward Mission Study Courses are an outgrowth of 
 a conference of leaders in Young People's Mission Work, 
 held in New York City, December, 1901. To meet the need 
 that was manifested at that conference, for Mission Study 
 Text-Books suitabltj for Young People, two of the delegates. 
 Professor Amos R. Wells, of the United Society of Chris- 
 tian Endeavor and Mr. S. Earl Taylor, Chairman of the 
 General Missionary Committee of the Epworth League, 
 projected the Forward Mission Study Courses. These 
 courses have been officially adopted by the Young People's 
 Missionary Movement and are now under the immediate 
 direction of the Executive Committee of the Movement, 
 which consists of the young people's secretaries or other 
 official representatives of fifteen of the leading Missionary 
 Boards of America. 
 
 The aim is to publish a series of text-books covering the 
 various home and foreign mission fields and written by 
 leading authorities with special reference to the needs of 
 young people. The entire series when completed will com- 
 prise perhaps as many as twenty text-books. A general 
 
account will be given of some of the smaller countries, such 
 as Japan, Korea and Turkey; but, for the larger fields, as 
 China, Africa and India, the general account will be sup- 
 plemented by a series of biographies of the principal 
 missionaries connected with the country. The various 
 home mission fields will also be treated both biographically 
 and historically. 
 
 The following text-books of the Forward Mission Study 
 Series have been published: 
 
 1. The Price of Africa. (Biographical.) By S. Earl Taylor. 
 
 2. Into All the World. A general survey of missions. By 
 Amos R. Wells. 
 
 3. Princely Men in the Heavenly Kingdom. (Biographical.) 
 By Harlan P. Beach, M.A., F.R.G.S. 
 
 4. Child Life In Mission Lands. A course of study for Junior 
 Societies. By Ralph E. Diffendorfer. 
 
 5. Sunrise in the Sunrise Kingdom. A Study of Japan. By 
 Rev. John H. DeForest, D.D. 
 
 6. Heroes of the Cross in America. Home missions. (Bio- 
 graphical.) By Don O. Shelton. 
 
 Among the writers that have been secured for other 
 text-books of the series, are Bishop J. M. Thoburn, D.D., 
 of India; Bishop J. C. Hartzell, D.D., of Africa; Harry 
 Wade Hicks; S. Earl Taylor; Robert E. Speer; William 
 Carey, of India; Rev. E. E. Strong, D.D. ; Rev. Edward 
 Judson, D.D. ; and Rev. J. M. Buckley, D.D. 
 
 These books are published by mutual arrangement 
 among the denominational publishing houses, to whom all 
 orders should be addressed. They are bound uniformly, 
 and are sold for fifty cents, in cloth, and thirty-five cents, 
 in paper. Postage seven cents extra. 
 
fC^^ — 
 
 The Forward Mission Study Courses 
 
 EDITED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF 
 THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 
 
 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 in 
 
 America 
 
 B^ 
 
 DON O. SHELTON 
 
 THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S 
 
 MISSIONARY MOVEMENT 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
Copyright, 1904 
 
 BY THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S MISSIONARY 
 
 MOVEMENT 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The purpose in these pages has been to por- 
 tray the leading characteristics and most strik- 
 ing experiences of some of the pioneer Heroes 
 of the Cross in America. These men, and the 
 great army of workers associated with them, 
 were instruments of great power, used by God 
 to make America Christian. 
 
 Each character represents a great section and 
 a special, but typical, work. Brainerd repre- 
 sents missionary heroism in colonial days in 
 New England; Peck, brave pioneer evangelism 
 in Missouri and Illinois; Whitman, dauntless 
 zeal in the service of the Master on the extreme 
 frontier, in the vast Oregon country ; Dyer, self- 
 sacrificing itinerant effort in the wild mining 
 camps of Colorado; Ward, early pastoral 
 evangelistic and educational effort in the 
 Dakotas. The aim has been to present the 
 wide scope, the immense value, and the 
 tremendous cost in self-sacrifice and hardship, 
 of the evangelization of the nation. Chapter 
 
 iii 
 
IV Preface 
 
 seven emphasizes the need of the perpetuation 
 of the spirit and zeal of American pioneer 
 missionaries in the Kves of all Christian men 
 and women. 
 
 Questions on the text for class use, follow 
 each chapter. The topics suggested for class 
 consideration and discussion relate the subject- 
 matter of each chapter to wider aspects of home 
 mission activity and to the present-day home 
 mission crusade. This method makes it possible 
 for each student to obtain a comprehensive 
 knowledge of many important modern phases 
 of the work of his own denominational Home 
 Mission Board. 
 
 Under the head of "References," following 
 each chapter, and in the Appendix, are given 
 lists of valuable books on home missions. In 
 thes€ readers will find fuller details regard- 
 ing phases of the great enterprise described 
 herein. 
 
 When the volume is used as a study class 
 text-book, it is suggested that leaders secure 
 from their Home Mission Boards the printed 
 set of special suggestions on the conduct of this 
 course. 
 
 May He who called and empowered the 
 true servants of the Cross, whose lives are 
 
Preface v 
 
 sketched here, lead each present-day disciple of 
 His to know and do His will, to the end that 
 the opportunities of this age, for home evangeli- 
 zation, may be met in the fullness of His power ! 
 
 D. O. S. 
 
 New York, 
 
 October, igo4. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 y 
 
 I. David Brainerd i 
 
 II. David Brainerd {Concluded) ... 37 
 
 III. John Mason Peck . 85 
 
 IV. Marcus Whitman 133 
 
 V. John L. Dyer 173 
 
 VI. Joseph Ward 219 
 
 VII. America's Qreatest Need .... 257 
 
 Appendix. A — Bibliography 289 
 
 B — Organization of Mission Study- 
 Classes 295 
 
 Index 299 
 
 Vll 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FACING 
 PAGE 
 
 Tomb of Brainerd, Northampton, Massachusetts 
 
 Frontispiece 
 Some of the Converted Indians Would Preach to 
 
 Others 39 
 
 John Mason Peck 85 
 
 Tomb of John Mason Peck, St. Louis, Missouri . 121 
 
 The Whitman Statue in Front of Witherspoon 
 
 Building^ Philadelphia 133 
 
 Facsimile of Mrs. Whitman's Diary . . . 143 
 
 The Home of Dr. Whitman at Waiilatpu . . 149 
 
 Map Showing the Route to Oregon and the Course 
 
 Taken by Dr. Whitman on His Famous Ride . 157 
 
 The Whitman Monument 169 
 
 The Whitman Hatchet 169 
 
 John L. Dyer i73 
 
 Father Dyer^s Cabin in the Mountains . . 201 
 
 Joseph Ward 221 
 
 A Group of Immigrant Children, Belonging to 
 Twelve Nationalities, at Ellis Island, New 
 York .257 
 
 Native Hawaiians Eating Poi 272 
 
 Vlll 
 
I cared not where or how I lived, 
 or what hardships I went 
 through, so that I could but 
 gain souls to Christ. 
 
 — David Brainkrd 
 
 DAVID BRAINERD 
 
Chronological List of Events in 
 Brainerd's Life 
 
 1718. Bom at Haddam, Connecticut, April 2a 
 
 1739. Entered Yale College. 
 
 1742. Expelled from Yale College. 
 
 1 742. Licensed a minister of the Gospel by the Ministerial 
 Association, at Danbury, Connecticut, July 29. 
 
 1742. Appointed a missionary to the Indians by the Society 
 
 in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, 
 November 25. 
 
 1743. Began his labors for the Indians at Kaunaumeek, 
 
 April I. 
 
 1744. Arrived at the Forks of the Delaware River in 
 
 Pennsylvania (near the present city of Easton), 
 May 13. 
 
 1744. Ordained by Presbytery at Newark, New Jersey, 
 
 June. 
 
 1745. Began labors among the Indians at Crossweeksung, 
 
 New Jersey (now the town of Crosswicks), June 5. 
 
 1746. With a company of Indians removed to Cranberry, 
 
 15 miles northwest of Crosswicks, May 3. 
 
 1747. Compelled to discontinue labors among the Indians 
 
 owing to ill health. 
 
 1747. Died at home of Jonathan Edwards, Northampton, 
 Massachusetts, October 9. 
 
I 
 
 DAVID BRAINERD 
 
 What is more stimulating and valuable in Introduction 
 life than the memory of the men who have 
 had a leading part in making the world what 
 it is ^ The perpetuation of the spirit and mes- 
 sage of great and noble workers, of true nation 
 builders, of world benefactors, is a task both 
 delightful and essential. Many men of highest 
 nobility of life, who bravely and unselfishly did 
 divinely appointed tasks, and who lived 
 supremely to the end that all men might come 
 to know Him who is the way, the truth, the 
 life, had a voice not only for their own age, but 
 for subsequent ages. Such a voice had David 
 Brainerd. 
 
 It will be manifest, as Carlyle remarked, 
 " that a true delineation of the smallest man, 
 is capable of interesting the greatest man ; that 
 all men are to an unspeakable degree brothers, 
 each man's life a strange emblem of every 
 man's; and that Human Portraits, faithfully 
 drawn, are of all pictures the welcomest on 
 
 3 
 
4 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 human walls." How far greater the interest 
 and the quickening that come when we consider 
 the life and work of one intrinsically great ; of 
 one, who, in all his sympathies, purposes and 
 activities was large. Such was Brainerd, the 
 brave, undaunted, self-denying pioneer of the 
 cross in America. 
 
 Parentage He had a highly respectable Puritan ancestry. 
 
 ^ary le p^-^ f^^^^ ^^g ^^^ ^£ j^-g Majesty's council 
 
 for the colony of Connecticut. His mother 
 was the daughter of the first pastor at Hing- 
 ham, England. Under persecution her father 
 came to New England, where he became pastor 
 at Hingham, Massachusetts. A great-grand- 
 father of Brainerd was also a Puritan minister, 
 who, after leaving England, came to America 
 and founded the town of Lynn, Massachusetts. 
 Of four sons David was the third. From 
 his earliest years he was physically weak, and 
 predisposed to consumption. In his boyhood 
 he was quiet, devout and thoughtful. His 
 father died when he was a child. On the death 
 of his mother, in his fourteenth year, he was 
 left in an exceedingly distressed and melancholy 
 condition. 
 Boyhood In his fifteenth year he left his early home and 
 went to East Haddam, Connecticut, where he 
 
David Brainerd 5 
 
 remained four years. " I was not much addicted 
 to the company and amusement of the young," 
 he said, referring to this period of his hfe ; " but 
 this I know, that when I did go into such com- 
 pany, 1 never returned with so good a conscience 
 as when I went It always added new guilt, 
 made me afraid to come to the throne of grace, 
 and spoiled those good frames with which I was 
 wont sometimes to please myself" But he 
 found that all his good frames were but self 
 righteousness, not founded on a desire for* the 
 glory of God. 
 
 When nineteen years of age he went to Prepares 
 Durham, to care for his farm. Having a qI^^^^^ 
 growing desire for a liberal education, he 
 took up preparatory college studies. He 
 also devoted himself anew to the duties of 
 religion. He writes : " I became very strict and 
 watchful over my thoughts, words, and actions; 
 concluded that I must be sober indeed, because 
 I designed to devote myself to the ministry and 
 imagined that I did dedicate myself to the 
 Lord." A year later he went to the home of 
 the Rev. Mr. Fiske, acting upon whose sugges- 
 tion he withdrew from the society of young 
 people and associated with reverent older people 
 at Haddam. He gave much time to prayer 
 
6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 and Bible study. In less than a year he read 
 the Bible twice through. He made it a point, 
 also, to listen attentively to sermons. 
 Interest He became so much interested in religious 
 ^° M^Tt°^^ subjects that on Sabbath evenings he met a few 
 young people for religious conversation. At the 
 close of these meetings, frequently late at night, 
 he tried to recall the sermons he had heard 
 during the day. On Monday mornings he 
 repeated the effort. He now began to think 
 seriously of uniting with the church. Though 
 regular in religious duties he became increas- 
 ingly convinced that he was building on a 
 self-righteous foundation. Step by step, how- 
 ever, he was brought to self-renunciation, and to 
 an absolute trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. 
 "In the winter of 1738," he says, "it pleased 
 God, one Sabbath morning, as I was walking 
 out for prayer, to give me on a sudden such a 
 sense of my danger, and the wrath of God, that 
 I stood amazed, and my former good frames 
 presently vanished. From the view which I 
 had of my sin and vileness, I was much dis- 
 tressed all that day, fearing that the vengeance 
 of God would soon overtake me. I was much 
 dejected; kept much alone; and sometimes 
 envied the birds and beasts their happiness, be- 
 
David Brainerd 7 
 
 cause they were not exposed to eternal misery, 
 
 as I evidendy saw that I was Hundreds 
 
 of times I renounced all pretences of any worth 
 in my duties, as I thought, even while perform- 
 ing them, and often confessed to God that I 
 deserved nothing for the very best of them, but 
 eternal condemnation ; yet still I had a secret 
 hope of recommending myself to God by my 
 religious duties." The next few months were 
 filled with heart-searching, secret prayer, con- 
 viction of sin, inward distress and perplexity, 
 and a depressing view of the corruption of his 
 nature. Finally he came to see that even in his 
 fasting and praying he did not aim to glorify 
 God and that his dominant motive was self- 
 interest. 
 
 One day he 2:ave himself up completely to ^ ^^7 ^^ 
 . . . i. J Prayer 
 
 prayer and fasting. During it he almost con- 
 tinuously asked that God would open his eyes 
 to see the evil of sin, and the way of life by 
 Jesus Christ. There resulted a clearer revela- 
 tion of his helpless condition. But he had no 
 abiding peace. Hope and fear, encouragement 
 and despair, alternated. " Once, 1 remember, a 
 terrible pang of distress seized me," he writes. 
 " The thought of renouncing myself^ and stand- 
 ing naked beford the Lord, stripped of all 
 
8 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 goodness, was so dreadful to me that I was 
 ready to say to it, as Felix to Paul, ' Go thy way 
 for this time/" He could not endure these 
 views of his own sinfulness, and his sorrow of 
 heart continued. He was perplexed, also, 
 because it seemed that God shewed less mercy 
 to him than to others. 
 Spiritual Finally, at the close of this long period of self- 
 scrutiny, selfconviction, self-condemnation and 
 utter helplessness, the will of God was revealed 
 to His servant in an unusual manner. The 
 crisis he describes graphically. He was walk- 
 ing in a solitary place. " Here, in a moumful, 
 melancholy state, I was attempting to pray; 
 but found no heart to engage in that or any 
 other duty; my former concern, exercise, and 
 religious affections were now gone. 1 thought 
 that the Spirit of God had quite left me ; but 
 still was not distressed, yet disconsolate, as if 
 nothing in heaven or earth could make me 
 happy. Having been thus endeavoring to pray 
 - — though, as 1 thought, very stupid and sense- 
 less — for nearly half an hour; then, as I was 
 walking in a dark thick grove, unspeakable 
 glory seemed to open to the view and appre- 
 hension of my soul. 1 do not mean any 
 external brightness, for I saw no such thing 
 
David Brainerd 9 
 
 nor do I intend any imagination of a body of 
 light, somewhere in the third heavens, or any- 
 thing of that nature ; but it was a new inward 
 apprehension or view that I had of God, such 
 as I never had before, nor anything which had 
 the least resemblance of it I stood still ; won- 
 dered ; and admired I I knew that I never had 
 seen anything comparable to it for excellency 
 and beauty ; it was widely different from all the 
 conceptions that ever I had of God, or things 
 divine. I had no particular apprehensions of 
 any one person in the Trinity, either the 
 Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost; but it 
 appeared to be divine glory. My soul rejoiced 
 with joy unspeakable, to see such a God, such 
 a glorious divine Being; and I was inwardly 
 satisfied that He should be God over all for 
 ever and ever. My soul was so captivated and 
 delighted with the excellency, loveliness, great- 
 ness, and other perfections of God, that I was 
 even swallowed up in Him; at least to that 
 degree, that I had no thought (as I remember) 
 at first, about my own salvation, and scarce 
 reflected that there was such a creature as 
 myself Thus God, I trust, brought me to a 
 hearty disposition to exalt Him, and set Him 
 on the throne, and principally and ultimately to 
 
lO Heroes of the Cross 
 
 aim at His honor and glory, as King of the uni- 
 verse." Thus ended in peace his long and bitter 
 conflict He came out into a life filled with 
 joy and wonder. He marvelled that all men 
 did not see that the only way of salvation is by 
 the righteousness of Christ. Often, in the toil- 
 some days that followed, he had dark visions of 
 his guilt and sin, but there are no indications 
 that he had a doubt respecting the way of 
 salvation. 
 
 A few plain paragraphs which Brainerd wrote 
 indicate his thought on what it is to be a Christian. 
 He wrote them, he said, " as he felt and experi- 
 enced, and not from any considerable degree of 
 doctrinal knowledge, or acquaintance widi the 
 sentiments of others.'* They are as folio vvs: 
 "(i) He has a true knowledge of the glory 
 and excellency of God, diat He is most worthy 
 to be loved and praised for His own divine 
 perfections, Ps. cxiv: 3. (2) God is his 
 portion, Ps, Ixxiii: 25. And God's glory his 
 great concern, Matt, vi: 22. (3) Holiness is 
 his delight; nothing he so much longs for as to 
 be holy, as God is holy, Phil, iii: g-i2, (4) 
 Sin is his greatest enemy. This he hates for 
 its own nature, for what it is in itself^ being 
 contrary to a holy God, Jer. ii^ 1. And conse- 
 
David Brainerd ii 
 
 quently he hates all sin, Rom. vii: 24; I. John 
 iii : 9. (5) The laws of God also are his delight, 
 Ps. cxix : 97 ; Rom. vii : 22. These he observes, 
 not out of constraint, from a servile fear of 
 hell; but they are his choice, Ps. cxix: 30. 
 The strict observance of them is not his bond- 
 age, but his greatest liberty, vs. 45." The story 
 of Brainerd's subsequent career will show that 
 his own thought and life accorded with these 
 great fundamental principles. 
 
 He entered Yale college in the fall of 1739. College 
 His great fear, at this time, was that he might 
 not be able to maintain a true Christian life 
 during his college course. After self-examina- 
 tion and prayer there came to him a reassur- 
 ance of the favor of God and the power of 
 His word, and his strength was renewed through- 
 out the winter. 
 
 It was In these student days that he began Beginning 
 that life of intense, believing prayerfulness, by °^ p^^ 
 which his missionary career was to be pre- 
 eminently marked. Some of these seasons of 
 prayer were unspeakably joyous and of great 
 spiritual refreshment. "Oh!" he exclaims, 
 " one hour with God infinitely exceeds all the 
 pleasures and delights of this lower world." 
 When he came from the Lord's table on one 
 
 er 
 
12 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 occasion he wondered how so many of his 
 fellow-students could live carelessly. 
 Illness He applied himself so persistently to his col- 
 lege work that in August, 1740, his health 
 failed and he was compelled to discontinue his 
 studies. Afterward he found it possible to say 
 of this period * " I looked death in the face 
 more steadfastly ; and the Lord was pleased to 
 give me renewedly a sweet sense and relish of 
 divine things." His days of rest were given 
 to self-scrutiny and prayer. Entries in his 
 journal at this time indicate the state of his 
 mind: "In the forenoon, while I was looking 
 on the sacramental elements, and thinking that 
 Jesus Christ would soon be ' set forth crucified 
 before me,' my soul was filled with light and 
 love, so tJiat I was almost in an ecstacy; my 
 body was so weak, I could scarcely stand." 
 The next day he wrote ; " I again found the 
 assistance of the Holy Spirit in secret duties, 
 both morning and evening, and life and comfort 
 in religion through the whole day." Later he 
 said : " I now so longed after God, and to be 
 freed from sin, that when I felt myself recover- 
 ing, and thought 1 must return to college again, 
 which had proved so hurtful to my spiritual 
 interest the year past, 1 could not but be grieved. 
 
David Brainerd 13 
 
 and thought I had much rather have died ; for 
 it distressed me to think of getting away from 
 God." With such thoughts and in such a spirit 
 he returned to Yale. 
 
 His chief temptation was an ambition to His 
 excel in his studies. This was at least tempo- ™ ^ ^^^ 
 rarily checked by a marked spiritual awakening 
 which came to the college. Once he laments 
 his growing coldness and dullness, owing to the 
 return of this temptation. 
 
 A vigorous religious movement, known as The 
 the Great Religious Awakening, began in 1739, ^^^Lning 
 and continued with intermittent power until 
 1745. It was a strong factor in shaping the 
 destiny of New England. George Whitefield 
 and Jonathan Edwards were two of the most 
 prominent instruments in it. But far-reaching 
 and powerful as it was in its influence, it was 
 not without regrettable features. Jonathan 
 Edwards stated that for a time the religious 
 interest was very great and general at New 
 Haven; that the college had no small share 
 in it; that some of the students became serious, 
 " many of them remarkably so, and were much 
 engaged in the concerns of their eternal salva- 
 tion. By all that I can leam concerning 
 Brainerd," he continues, "there can be no reason 
 
14 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 to doubt but that he had much of God's gracious 
 presence, and of the lively actings of true grace, 
 at that time ; yet he was afterwards abundantly 
 sensible that his religious experiences and 
 affections at that time were not free from a 
 corrupt mixture, nor his conduct to be acquitted 
 fi'om many things that were imprudent and 
 blameable; which he greatly lamented him- 
 self, and was desirous that others should not 
 make an ill use of such an example." Brainerd's 
 own account of these notable days was destroyed. 
 On his death-bed, he ordered that his journals, 
 covering this and former periods of his life, 
 should be burned. 
 A However, the main statements of fact, so far 
 Remark ^^ Brainerd's connection with the revival is 
 concerned, were preserved by Jonathan Edwards. 
 This, in substance, is the interesting story: 
 Brainerd and a few other students who had 
 been spiritually quickened, banded themselves 
 together as friends for mutual helpfulness. 
 When in the company of each other they 
 expressed their views freely and frankly. On 
 one occasion two or three of these friends had a 
 conversation in the hall where a prayer meeting 
 had just been held and in which Mr. Whittelsey, 
 a tutor, had led in prayer, " No other person," 
 
David Brainerd 15 
 
 says Jonathan Edwards, "now remained in die 
 hall but Brainerd and his companions. Mr. 
 Whittelsey having been unusually pathetic in 
 his prayer, one of Brainerd's friends on this 
 occasion asked him what he thought of Mr. 
 Whittelsey. He made answer, 'He has no 
 more grace than this chair.' One of the fresh- 
 men happening at that time to be near the 
 hall, though not in the room, overheard these 
 words." A report of this occurrence finally 
 reached the Rector of the college. He sent for Expulsion 
 
 from 
 
 the friends of Brainerd who had heard his college 
 remark and extorted from them a statement. It 
 was demanded of Brainerd that he make a 
 public confession of the remark he had made 
 in private. This he did not do. The Rector 
 forbade him from attending a certain meeting. 
 Brainerd went. He was wrongly accused of 
 speaking critically of the Rector. Because of 
 these things, while in his third year, he was 
 expelled from the college. 
 
 His subsequent conduct revealed his line 
 Christian temper. Though believing that he 
 had been too severely dealt with, and though 
 suffering keen disappointment, owing to his 
 inability to continue his studies, he uttered no 
 bitter word. Eighteen months later he wrote : 
 
i6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 "This day (September 14, 1743) I ought to 
 have taken my degree (this being Commence- 
 ment Day); but God sees lit to deny me. 
 And though I was greatly afraid of being over- 
 whelmed with perplexity and confusion, when I 
 should see my classmates take theirs; yet, at 
 the very time, God enabled me with calmness 
 and resignation to say ' the will of the Lord be 
 done.* Indeed, through divine goodness, I 
 have scarcely felt my mind so calm, sedate, and 
 comfortable, for some time. I have long feared 
 this season, and expected my humility, meek- 
 ness, patience and resignation, would be much 
 tried; but found much more pleasure and 
 divine comfort than I had expected." His 
 trial was made far severer by the fact that had it 
 not been for the action of the governors, he 
 would not only have taken part with his class- 
 mates in the public exercises, but would have 
 stood at the head of his class. Eventually he 
 was convinced that God had dealt with him in 
 an infinitely wise way in all His dispensations. 
 Preparation Early in 1742 Brainerd began special studies 
 Ministry ^^^ ^^ ministry, securing the help of the Rev. 
 Mr. Mills of Ripton, Connecticut. His diary 
 shows that he made steady progress in Christian 
 attainment. He gave himself to self-examina- 
 
David Brainerd 17 
 
 tion and to prayer, and had eager aspirations for 
 greater holiness of character. There also came 
 to him an intense longing for the conversion of 
 the heathen. " Oh, that God would bring in 
 great numbers of them to Jesus Christ ! I can- 
 not but hope that 1 shall see that glorious day." 
 In a clause of a hymn which he quotes, he 
 indicates his crowning determination: "My 
 God shall be my all." In his diary he wrote : 
 " I wanted to wear out my life in his service, 
 and for his glory." And also this : " I know 
 that I long for God, and a conformity to His 
 will, in inward purity and holiness, ten thous- 
 and times more than for anything here below." 
 Such were his aspirations as he moved speedily 
 toward his life work. 
 
 It was with a keen sense of his own weak- Examined 
 ness and of the evil of his own heart, but with 
 splendid devotion to the service of God, that he 
 met the Association at Danbury, was examined, 
 and licensed to preach the gospel. Afterward, 
 in prayer with a friend, he resolved to give 
 himself utterly to the doing of the will of God. 
 
 On November 25, 1742, he was examined 
 in New York City, by the Correspondents in 
 New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania of 
 the Society in Scotland for Propagating Chris- 
 
 as to 
 Fitness 
 
i8 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 tian Knowledge, who wished him to begin 
 missionary labors among the Indians. Brain- 
 erd felt himself wholly unfit for this service. 
 " I thought myself the worst wretch that ever 
 lived," he said. " It hurt me and pained my 
 very heart, that anybody should show me any 
 respect. Alas I methought how sadly they are 
 deceived in me ! How miserably would they 
 be disappointed if they knew my inside ! O my 
 heart! And in this depressed condition, I was 
 forced to go and preach to a considerable assem- 
 bly before some grave and learned ministers; 
 but felt such a pressure from a sense of my 
 vileness, ignorance and unfitness to appear in 
 public, that I was almost overcome with it; my 
 soul was grieved for the congregation ; that they 
 should sit there to hear such a dead dog as I 
 preach." This vivid portrayal of his thoughts 
 concerning himself indicates in a general way 
 the estimate he ever placed on his fitness for his 
 work. No self-praise, no intimation of self- 
 sufficiency, can be found in all his journals. He 
 was ever lowly in his own sight. In the might 
 of the strength secured in hours of prayer he 
 dealt giant blows at whatever form of evil 
 appeared, or seemed to appear, in his 
 heart 
 
David Brainerd 19 
 
 Though Brainerd himself was sorely distressed Appoint- 
 by a sense of his weakness and unworthiness, ^^ . ^^ ^ 
 others considered his attainments of a remark- 
 ably high order. Such was the view of the 
 Correspondents of the Society in Scotland. 
 They had intended to send him first to the 
 Indians at the Forks of the Delaware, but at a 
 subsequent conference they directed him to go 
 to the Indians at Kaunaumeek, a point in the 
 wilderness between Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 
 and Albany, New York. 
 
 It was on April 1, 1743, that he began this Begins 
 self-sacrificing ministry. He slept the first ^aunau- 
 night on a heap of straw. Cut off as he was meek 
 from friends and congenial spirits, the reason 
 that he suffered depression of mind and "-name- 
 less and inconceivable anguish," is apparent. 
 Kaunaumeek he found lonely and unpleasant. 
 "It was encompassed with mountains and woods ; 
 twenty miles distant from any English inhabi- 
 tants ; six or seven from any Dutch ; and more 
 than two from a family that came some time 
 since, from the Highlands of Scotland, and then 
 lived, as I remember, about two years in this 
 wilderness. In this family I lodged about the 
 space of three months, the master of it being 
 the only person with whom I could readily con- 
 
20 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 verse in those parts except my interpreter; 
 others understanding very little English." The 
 severity of the hardships endured by Brainerd 
 would have disheartened and overwhelmed a 
 less resolute and unselfish man. Weak in body, 
 surrounded by savages who were ignorant and 
 largely indifferent to his fervent Gospel appeals, 
 he did not shrink or falter. He sought divine 
 guidance at every step, poured out his soul in 
 intercessory prayer in behalf of the Indians and 
 persistently sowed the seed of the Kingdom. 
 Typical Picture him there in the dreary, lonely forest. 
 ^^^ Not a comfort did he have. His food, largely 
 hasty-pudding, boiled corn, bread baked in the 
 ashes, and sometimes a little meat and butter; 
 his bed, boards covered with straw and raised 
 slightly above the ground ; his home, a floorless 
 log cabin. A mile and a half away, by a rough 
 path, lived the Indians for whom he labored. 
 To them he went almost daily. Brainerd told 
 his brother that he had seen no English person 
 for a month. These, and severe physical trials, 
 moved him not. "I scarce think of them," 
 he said, "or hardly . observe that I am not 
 entertained in the most sumptuous manner." 
 The second Sunday after his arrival he 
 records this statement: "Rose early in the 
 
David Bralnerd 21 
 
 morning, and walked out and spent a con- 
 siderable time in the woods, in prayer and 
 meditation. Preached to the Indians, both 
 forenoon and afternoon. They behaved soberly 
 in general ; two or three in particular appeared 
 under some religious concern; with whom I 
 discoursed privately; and one told me, 'that 
 her heart had cried, ever since she had heard me 
 preach first.'" This is the story of another 
 typical day: "Spent the forenoon in reading 
 and prayer, and found myself engaged; but still 
 much depressed in spirit under a sense of my 
 vileness, and unfitness for any public service. 
 In the afternoon I visited my people, and prayed 
 and conversed with some about their soul's 
 concerns : and afterwards found some ardor of 
 soul in secret prayer. O that I might grow up 
 into the likeness of God ! " 
 
 While at Kaunaumeek, with his own hands Builds a 
 he built a small hut. When, after long labor, ^^^^^ 
 his little home was ready and he moved into it, 
 he gave praise to his Master for a place of 
 retirement. He found, as multitudes before and 
 since have done, that withdrawal for secret 
 prayer is absolutely essential. Did not the 
 divine Principal in the School of Prayer say to 
 all men in all ages : " When thou prayest, enter 
 
22 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy 
 door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and 
 thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense 
 thee?" In his lone cabin in the wilderness 
 Brainerd offered in secret the effectual, fervent 
 prayer that is mighty in its working. There he 
 sought and found strength sufficient to conquer 
 discouragements and temptations. The walls 
 of that little room, could they have spoken, 
 would have borne witness to the diligence with 
 which a master workman sought through prayer 
 and meditation to attain the utmost possible 
 degree of wisdom, and conformity to the will of 
 God. 
 Prayer Some of the secrets of Brainerd's prayer-life 
 are disclosed in his journal. Five days after 
 he began to occupy his humble cottage, he 
 wrote : " Was enabled to pray much the 
 whole day. It is good, I find, to persevere 
 in attempts to pray, if I cannot pray with per- 
 severance, /. ^., continue long in my addresses 
 to the divine Being. I have generally found, 
 that the more I do in secret prayer, the more I 
 have delighted to do, and have enjoyed more of 
 a spirit of prayer ; and frequently have found 
 the contrary, when with journeying or otherwise 
 I have been much deprived of retirement." 
 
David Bralnerd 23 
 
 Among his afflictions at Kaunaumeek was Severe 
 great bodily weakness. Occasionally, also, his 
 inability to obtain food caused him much dis- 
 tress. " I am forced to go or send ten or fifteen 
 miles for all the bread I eat ; and sometimes it 
 is mouldy and sour before I eat it, if I get any 
 considerable quantity. And then again I have 
 none for some days together, for want of an 
 opportunity to send for it, and cannot find my 
 horse in the woods to go myself. . . . Yet I 
 feel contented with my circumstances, and 
 sweetly resigned to God .... In prayer I 
 enjoyed great freedom; and blessed God as 
 much for my present circumstances, as if I had 
 been a King." Where is there a nobler picture 
 of a missionary hero than that contained in 
 these simple sentences'? And he went on, — 
 praying, studying, suffering; interceding, plead- 
 ing, preaching, until that Lord's day, March 1 1, 
 1744, when, dwelling on the Parable of the 
 Sower, he preached his last sermon at Kaunau- 
 meek. 
 
 He had spent a year with these Indians, but Finishes 
 as there were only a few of them they agreed ^. ^^ ^^ 
 
 J . Kaun au- 
 
 to make their future home at Stockbridge and meek 
 
 to come under the ministry of the pastor there. 
 
 Consequently Brainerd decided that his life 
 
24 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 would count for more among the Indians near 
 the Forks of the Delaware. 
 Methods Before passing on to view his new work, 
 -^ ^^ Hsten to his own description of some of his 
 methods and experiences at Kaunaumeek : "In 
 my labors with them, in order to 'turn them 
 fi*om darkness to light,' I studied what was 
 most plain and easy, and best suited to their 
 capacities; and endeavored to set before them 
 from time to time, as they were able to receive 
 them, the most important and necessary truths 
 of Christianity, such as most immediately con- 
 cerned their speedy conversion to God, and 
 such as I judged had the greatest tendency, as 
 means, to effect that glorious change in them. 
 But especially I made it the scope and drift 
 of all my labors, to lead them into a thorough 
 acquaintance with these two things: first, the 
 sinfulness and misery of the estate they were 
 naturally in ; the evil of their hearts, the pollu- 
 tion of their natures ; the heavy guilt they were 
 under, and their exposedness to everlasting 
 punishment; as also their utter inability to save 
 themselves, either from their sins, or from those 
 miseries which are the just punishment of them; 
 and their unworthiness of any mercy at the 
 hand of God, on account of anything they 
 
David Brainerd 25 
 
 themselves could do to procure His favor, and 
 consequently their extreme need of Christ to 
 save them. And, secondly, I frequently 
 endeavored to open to them the fullness, all- 
 sufliciency, and freeness of that redemption, 
 which the Son of God has wrought out by His 
 obedience and sufferings, for perishing sinners; 
 how this provision He had made, was suited to 
 all their wants; and how He called and invited 
 them to accept of everlasting life freely, not- 
 withstanding all their sinfulness, inability, un- 
 worthiness." He wrote for their use forms of 
 prayer; translated into their language some of 
 the Psalms ; and led them to join him in singing 
 hymns. 
 
 During his ministry at Kaunaumeek several 
 Indians were spiritually awakened, and came to 
 talk with him respecting their salvation. Some 
 came with tears. They asked "whether the 
 God which Christians served, would be merciful 
 to those who had frequently been drunk?" 
 Some of the Indians reformed. They gave up 
 their idolatrous practices. They stopped some 
 of their heathen dancing and hallooing. They 
 showed a deeper respect for the Sabbath. They 
 gave more attention to their children. When 
 they knew Brainerd was to leave they looked 
 
26 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 sad and urged him to remain. They said that 
 " they had now heard so much about their souls' 
 concerns, that they could never more be willing 
 to live as they had done, without a minister, and 
 further instructions in the way to heaven." 
 Attractive At this time there came to Brainerd invita- 
 
 Openings . . . . ^ 
 
 tions to important pastorates, promismg comforts 
 and congenial surroundings. They were 
 promptly declined. The remembrance of the 
 loneliness, the hardship, and the <=• jrrow in the 
 wilderness, which he had endurec nd the pros- 
 pect of similar experiences in the new Indian 
 colony toward which he had set his face did not 
 daunt him. The opportunity afforded by the 
 proffered pastorates- for nearness to his home 
 and friends, was also absolutely ineffectual in 
 its appeal. He lived to do the will of God ; and 
 the will of God, as he interpreted it, was that 
 he should preach the gospel to the heathen. 
 He had set his hand to the plow. He would 
 not look back. 
 Mission at As an arrow speeding to its mark, so 
 Delaware ^^^i^^^^d went to perform his allotted task. On 
 horseback he turned towards Crossweeksung, 
 near the Forks of the Delaware. As he rode on, 
 he prayed. The country was desolate, the 
 settlements few. One day he rode one hundred 
 
David Brainerd 27 
 
 miles. It was on June 23, 1 744, that he reached 
 the Forks of the Delaware^ By weariness, by 
 melancholy, by the strangeness of his surround- 
 ings, he was oppressed. On the Sunday follow- 
 ing, he was so weak that he could barely walk. 
 But his zeal triumphed over his feebleness. He 
 visited and instructed the Indians. 
 
 These Indians were not in a hopeful condi- Condition 
 
 tioUo Brainerd thought that to an eye of reason ^^\^^ 
 
 ^ . . ^ Indians 
 
 the prospect ^f their conversion was as dark as 
 
 midnight E: ft: he had an eye of faith. Hence 
 he hoped in God ; spent long seasons in prayer ; 
 sought to discover the workings of God m the 
 lives of Bible characters; and his faith grew 
 
 Mingled gloom and sunshine characterized ^^^^^ 
 his first Sabbath at his new home. Of that day ^^ ^^ 
 he left this account : " Rose early ; felt poorly 
 after my long journey, and after being wet and 
 fatigued. Was very melancholy ; have scarcely 
 ever seen such a gloomy morning in my life ; 
 there appeared to be no Sabbath ; the children 
 were all at play ; I a stranger in the wilderness, 
 and knew not where to go; and all circum- 
 stances seemed to conspire to render my affairs 
 dark and discouraging. Was disappointed con- 
 cerning an interpreter, and heard that the 
 Indians were much scattered .... Rode about 
 
28 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 three or four miles to the Irish People, where 1 
 found some that appeared sober and concerned 
 about religion. My heart then began to be a 
 little encouraged ; went and preached, first to 
 the Irish, and then to the Indians ; and in the 
 evening was a little comforted ; my soul seemed 
 to rest on God, and take courage." 
 Ordination One month after beginning his labors at the 
 Forks of the Delaware he met the Presbytery 
 at Newark and was there ordained. One who 
 was present sent a message to the Society by 
 whom Brainerd had been engaged. It read : 
 " He passed through his ordination trial to the 
 universal approbation of the Presbytery, and 
 appeared uncommonly qualified for the work of 
 the ministry." Just before returning to his 
 mission he was taken ill and suffered severe 
 pain. His expression of gratitude for the faith- 
 fiil care given him indicates a beautiful trait of 
 his character : " I often admired the goodness 
 of God that he did not suffer me to proceed on 
 my journey from this place where I was so ten- 
 derly used, and to be sick by the way among 
 strangers. God is very gracious to me, both in 
 health and sickness, and intermingles much 
 mercy with my afflictions and toils." On his 
 return he devoted himself to study; interceded 
 
David Brainerd 29 
 
 in prayer for the Indians ; taught them with a 
 subHme intensity of purpose ; and watched for 
 evidences of their turning from darkness to light 
 as eagerly as a mariner, having long battled 
 with opposing winds and waves, watches for the 
 appearance of a long desired port. 
 
 Severely was his faith tested. It was reported idolatry 
 to him that the Indians were to meet for idola- ^ a- 
 
 Indians 
 
 trous festivities. Then his burden seemed 
 heavier than he could endure. He resolved to 
 break up the proceedings but knew not how to 
 act. He went aside for prayer. "I was in 
 such anguish," he says, "and pleaded with so 
 much earnestness and importunity, that when I 
 rose from my knees I felt extremely weak and 
 overcome ; I could scarcely walk straight ; my 
 joints were loosed; the sweat ran down my face 
 and body; and nature seemed as if it would 
 dissolve .... Thus I spent the evening, 
 praying incessantly for divine assistance, and 
 that I might not be self-dependent, but still 
 have my whole dependence upon God. What 
 I passed through was remarkable, and indeed 
 inexpressible. All things here below vanished; 
 and there appeared to be nothing of any 
 considerable importance to me, but holiness of 
 heart and life and the conversion of the heathen 
 
30 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 to God." The next morning, with strong cries 
 to God, he started for the scene of the proposed 
 feast and dance. As he went he poured out 
 his soul in prayer. At his request, the Indians 
 discontinued their proceedings and Hstened to a 
 Gospel address. In the afternoon he again 
 preached, and his hearers were further subdued. 
 As there were no special evidences of the work- 
 ings of the Spirit of God, Brainerd was sorely 
 troubled. These suggestions came to him: 
 " There is no God, or if there be, He is not able 
 to convert the Indians, before they have more 
 knowledge." Thus he was strongly tempted to 
 cease pleading with God for the conversion of 
 the Indians. He was grievously perplexed. 
 Again faith triumphed. The temptation was 
 resisted. He would still pray for the conver- 
 sion of the Indians. Nothing else did he so 
 much desire. 
 Other Other trials, great and varied, awaited him. 
 Some of the Indians would not become Chris- 
 tians because they feared that the pow-wows 
 would enchant and poison them. These fears 
 Brainerd sought to overcome. He publicly 
 challenged the powers of darkness to do their 
 utmost on him. " I told my people," he said, 
 "that I was a Christian, and asked them why 
 
 Trials 
 
David Brainerd 31 
 
 die pow-wow did not bewitch and poison me." 
 Thus openly he bore witness to the love and 
 power of God. And there were trials from 
 within: feeble health; wandering thoughts; 
 restricted prayer; imperfections of character. 
 Then there came seasons of joy and peace. His 
 strength and hope were renewed. In this he 
 rejoiced. "My soul enjoyed a sweet season of 
 bitter repentance and sorrow, that 1 had 
 wronged the blessed God, who, I was persuad- 
 ed, was reconciled to me in his dear Son. My 
 soul was tender, devout and solemn. And I 
 was afraid of nothing but sin; and afraid of 
 that in every action and thought." 
 
 Hard toil filled the succeeding weeks. With ^°w 
 the help of others he completed a small cottage, -^^^ Trials 
 to be his home during the winter. In this little 
 house he sought strength by prayer to meet all 
 adverse conditions. This entry in his journal 
 shows how he faced his bitter trials : " Having 
 now a happy opportunity of being retired in a 
 house of my own, which I have lately procured 
 and moved into ; considering that it is now a 
 long time since I have been able, either on 
 account of bodily weakness, or for want of 
 retirement, or some other difficulty to spend any 
 time in secret fasting and prayer; considering 
 
32 
 
 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 also the greatness of my work, the extreme 
 difficulties that attend it, and that my poor 
 Indians are now worshipping devils, notwith- 
 standing all the pains I have taken with them, 
 which almost overwhelms my spirit; moreover, 
 considering my extreme barrenness, spiritual 
 deadness and dejection, of late ; as also the power 
 of some particular corruptions ; I set apart this 
 day for secret prayer and fasting, to implore the 
 blessing of God on myself, on my poor people, 
 on my friends, and on the church of God." In 
 this season of prayer, during which he was over- 
 whelmed by a sense of his insufficiency, he saw 
 that he had sinned: "Either (i) to yield an 
 unbecoming respect to some earthly objects, as if 
 happiness were to be derived from them ; or (2) 
 to be secretly froward and impatient, and 
 unsuitably desirous of death, so that I have 
 sometimes thought I could not bear to think 
 that my life must be lengthened out." Hope- 
 less as to his ability to do good, he wished 
 for death. He desired death rather than 
 uselessness. But he saw his sin in this and 
 cried out for forgiveness. He prayed long into 
 the night. So urgent was he that he forgot 
 his need of food and could scarcely stop 
 praying. 
 
David Brainerd 33 
 
 Three days later, on the Sabbath, and between Victory 
 the services, he went amone: the bushes and „ ^^^S". 
 
 ^ Prayer 
 
 asked God to forgive his deadness. He was 
 overwhelmed with sorrow because he could 
 not address the Indians more compassionately 
 and affectionately. He severely condemned 
 himself for his lack, but saw that what he 
 desired could only come from God himself 
 His prayer prevailed. In his next address, he 
 was enabled to speak fervently, affectionately, 
 tenderly, importunately. 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To get a clear idea of Brainerd's early life, his fit- 
 Qess for his work, and the leading features of his early 
 missionary endeavors among the Indians. 
 
 Early Life 
 
 1. How is Brainerd characterized in the two introductory 
 paragraphs ? 
 
 2. Who were some of his ancestors ? 
 
 3. Where did he spend his boyhood ? How ? 
 
 4. How did he begin to manifest a deep interest in relig- 
 ious matters ? When ? 
 
 5. What did he discover his real condition to be ? 
 
 6. What, in substance, does he say respecting the early 
 spiritual crisis that came ? 
 
 7. As he entered college, what did he fear ? 
 
 8. What life-long habit did he begin to cultivate in his 
 student days? 
 
34 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 9. What were some of his experiences during an illness 
 that occurred in his college days? 
 
 10. By what was Yale college visited in 1739? What 
 remark did Brainerd make and what was its result? 
 
 11. How was he affected by this experience? What did 
 he afterward write regarding it? 
 
 Qualifications for Missionary Work 
 
 12. On the basis of information contained in Chapter I., 
 make a list of Braineid's qualifications for missionary labor 
 
 13. When did he begin his preparation for the ministry? 
 What does his diary for this period show his hope and deter- 
 mination to have been? 
 
 14. When examined as to his fitness for missionary ser- 
 vice, what were his thoughts of himself? 
 
 15. When, where, and under what circumstances did he 
 begin his ministry among the Indians? 
 
 Beginning of Missionary Labor 
 
 16. Name some of the hardships he endured. 
 
 17. What helped to promote his prayer-life? What per- 
 sonal experience does he refer to? 
 
 18. What trials came to him at Kaunaumeek? 
 
 19. What methods did he use at Kaunaumeek? What 
 were some of his teachings? What results followed? 
 
 20. As he closed his work at Kaunaumeek what open- 
 ings came to Brainerd? Why did he not accept them? 
 
 21. Where did his next labors begin? What was the 
 condition of the Indians there? Give the substance of what 
 he said about his first Sabbath there. 
 
 22. Where was he ordained? What fine trait came out 
 in a subsequent experience? 
 
 23. On his return to his Indians how was his faith tested? 
 Briefly describe his experience. 
 
 24. How did he meet and conquer his severe trials? 
 
David Brainerd 35 
 
 References 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Edited by J. M. Sherwood. 
 New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co. $1.50. 
 
 A History of Protestant Missions. By Gustav War- 
 neck. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co. $2.00. 
 
 Protestant Missions: Their Rise and Early Progress. 
 By A. C. Thompson. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons. 
 
 $1.75. 
 
 Christianity in the United States. By Daniel Dorches- 
 ter. New York: Eaton & Mains. $3.50. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Consider- 
 ation AND Discussion 
 
 1. American Indians and Protestant Missions among 
 them. 
 
 A History of Protestant Missio?is. Warneck. Pages 
 163-168. 
 
 Protestant Missions. Thompson. Pages 82-116. 
 
 Christianity in the United States. Dorchester. Pages 
 172-192. 
 
 2. Brainerd's qualifications for Missionary labor. 
 Me?noirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages 1-34. 
 
 3. Brainerd's view of what it is to be a Christian. Is it 
 .he right one? State what results would be likely to come 
 it all Christian young people lived in harmony with it. 
 
 See pages 10, 11. 
 
 4. Some Leading Characteristics of Brainerd's Mission 
 at Kaunaumeek. 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages 57-95. 
 
All my desire was the con- 
 version of the heathen. . . . 
 
 I declare, now I am dying, 
 I would not have spent my 
 life otherwise for the whole 
 world. 
 
 — David Brainerd 
 
 DAVID BRAINERD 
 
 f Concluded J 
 
For Chronological List of Events in 
 Brainerd's Life, See Page 2 
 
 38 
 
II 
 
 DAVID BRAINERD 
 
 f Concluded J 
 
 Days of gloom and unrest were followed by Prayerfully 
 
 days of joy and peace. The awakening of his Continues 
 
 interpreter and of some Indians gladdened him. Forks of the 
 
 A new hope arose in his heart. He prayed Delaware 
 
 again with freedom, even with cheerfulness. 
 
 He found it sweet to rest and hope in God, he 
 
 said. Not infrequently did he spend whole 
 
 days in fasting and prayer, in behalf of himself, 
 
 his Indians and the church of God. At times 
 
 he took such delight in prayer that he had no 
 
 wish for food. "I dreaded leaving off praying 
 
 at all lest I should lose this spirituality, this 
 
 blessed thankfulness to God which I then felt," 
 
 was the way he expressed his feeling. As a 
 
 result of his long periods of communion with 
 
 God, things that had seemed difficult appeared 
 
 easy; his gloomy seasons became less frequent; 
 
 his hope of the progress of the Kingdom 
 
 revived ; and his strength became equal to his 
 
 hardships. 
 
 39 
 
4^ Heroes of the Cross 
 
 His view f^e was deeply affected by a visit made to a 
 sick man. Early in the day the man died. 
 Brainerd made this comment: "O, how great 
 and solemn a thing it appeared to die I O, how 
 it lays the greatest honor in the dust I And O, 
 how vain and trifling did the riches, honors, and 
 pleasures of the world appear. I could not, I 
 dare not, so much as think of any of them; 
 for death, death, solemn (though not frightful) 
 death appeared at the door. O, I could see 
 myself dead, and laid out, and enclosed in my 
 coffin, and put down into the cold grave, but 
 without terror I . . . . What are friends ? What 
 are comforts? What are sorrows? What are 
 distresses? 'The time is short.' It remains, 
 that 'they which weep, be as though they wept 
 not; and they which rejoice, as though they 
 rejoiced not; for the fashion of this world 
 passeth away.' O come, Lord Jesus, come 
 quickly. AmeUo Blessed be God for the 
 comforts of the past day," Not only then, but 
 throughout the whole period of his physical 
 decline, of which at this time there were pre- 
 monitions, he had absolutely no fear of death. 
 At Cross- On June 19th, 1745, Brainerd visited a group 
 wee sung— of Indians at Crossweeksung, New Jersey, about 
 Audiences eighty miles southeast ^ from the Forks of the 
 
David Bralnerd 41 
 
 Delaware. He found only two or three fami- 
 lies. There were other settlements ten, fifteen, 
 twenty, thirty miles away. To the few women 
 and children who gathered he preached, and 
 announced that he would speak again the next 
 day. " Whereupon," he says, " they readily set 
 out and travelled ten or fifteen miles, in order 
 to give notice to some of their friends at that 
 distance. These women, like the woman of 
 Samaria, seemed desirous that others should see 
 the man, who had told them what they had 
 done in their past lives, and the misery that 
 attended their idolatrous ways." On the fol- 
 lowing day larger numbers greeted him. Again, 
 at twilight he spoke, and more still were 
 present. They were remarkably attentive and 
 well-behaved. Three days later, on the Sab- 
 bath, he preached to an increased number. 
 Their attitude enheartened him. They seemed 
 glad that he was there. " Not a word of oppo- 
 sition was heard from any of them against 
 Christianity, although in times past they had 
 been as m^uch opposed to anything of that 
 nature, as any Indians whatsoever. Some of 
 them not many months before, were enraged 
 with my interpreter, because he attempted to 
 teach them something of Christianity." The 
 
42 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Indians next day the Indians came to him of their own 
 
 eques ^^^.qj-j ^j^j asked him to preach. "To see 
 a Sermon ^ a^ 
 
 poor pagans desirous of hearing the Gospel of 
 
 Christ animated me to discourse to them; 
 although I was now very weakly and my spirit 
 much exhausted. They attended with the 
 greatest seriousness and diligence; and some 
 concern for their souls' salvation was apparent 
 among them." On succeeding days their atten- 
 tiveness and seriousness continued. Brainerd's 
 heart was revived and his soul refreshed as he 
 saw signs of a harvest from his labors. In 
 increasing numbers the Indians gathered, many 
 of them having journeyed long distances, that 
 they might hear him preach. With their 
 request that he speak twice each day he glad- 
 ly complied. He admired the goodness of 
 God, who, he believed, had led them thus to 
 inquire after the way of salvation. He rightly 
 attributed their enlarged attendance, their deep- 
 ened interest and their tearful concern to the 
 working of the Spirit of God. For this, his 
 heart was filled with thankfulness. 
 Again On the following Sabbath he found the 
 Visits Forks jj^^jj^^s Still more concerned and affectionate. 
 
 of the 
 
 Delaware He preached twice. They pleaded with him to 
 remain longer. But he had too severely taxed 
 
David Brainerd 43 
 
 his strength. " My constitution was exceed- 
 ingly worn out," he writes, "and my health 
 much impaired by my late fatigues and labors; 
 and especially by my late journey to Susque- 
 hanna in May last, in which I lodged on the 
 ground for several weeks together." Neverthe- 
 less, he did not spare himself He preached 
 twice the next day to between forty and fifty 
 Indians. He also had personal conversations 
 with them and was amazed to find how gladly 
 they had received, and how firmly retained, his 
 instructions. On July 2, 1745, he found it 
 necessary to leave them. "Was obliged to 
 leave these Indians at Crossweeksung," he wrote, 
 "thinking it my duty as soon as my health 
 would admit, again to visit those at the Forks 
 of the Delaware. When I came to take leave Encourage- 
 of them and to speak particularly to each of "^^^^ 
 them, they all earnestly inquired when I would 
 come again, and expressed a great desire of 
 being further instructed. Of their own accord 
 they agreed, that when I should come again, 
 they would all meet and live together, during 
 my continuance with them; and that they 
 would use their utmost endeavors to gather all 
 the other Indians in these parts who were yet 
 more remote. When I parted with them, one 
 
44 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 told me, with many tears, 'She wished God 
 would change her heart;' another, that 'She 
 wanted to find Christ ; ' and an old man, who had 
 been one of their chiefs, wept bitterly with con- 
 cern for his soul. This encouraging disposi- 
 tion, and readiness to receive instruction, now 
 apparent among the Indians, seem to have 
 been the happy effect of the conviction which 
 one or two of them met with, sometime since at 
 the Forks of the Delaware; who have since 
 endeavored to show their friends the evil of 
 idolatry. Though the other Indians seemed 
 but little to regard, and rather to deride, them ; 
 yet this, perhaps, has put them into a thinking 
 posture of mind, or at least, given them some 
 thoughts about Christianity, and excited in 
 some of them a curiosity to hear; and so made 
 way for the present encouraging attention. An 
 apprehension that this might be the case here, 
 has given me encouragement that God may, in 
 such a manner, bless the means which I have 
 used with the Indians in other places; where as 
 yet, there is no appearance of it. If so, may 
 His name have the glory of it; for I have 
 learnt, by experience, that He only can open 
 the ear, engage the attention, and incline the 
 hearts of poor benighted, prejudiced pagans 
 
David Brainerd 45 
 
 to receive instruction." Leaving Crossweek- 
 sung, Brainerd rode to New Brunswick, a dis- 
 tance of forty miles, praying as he went. At 
 night he cried out to God in behalf of the 
 Indians he had left behind him. After he went 
 to bed he continued in prayer for them until 
 he fell asleep. 
 
 Brainerd rested for a week. Then, weak in Notable 
 body, he went on to the Forks of the Dela- f^'^crtls-''^ 
 ware, where, on the first Sabbath after his weeksung 
 arrival, he preached two sermons to the 
 Indians. Three weeks later, in a prayerful 
 spirit, depending utterly upon God, he took up 
 his work again at Crossweeksung. So eager 
 was he for the conversion of the Indians that it 
 seemed to him that he had hardly any desire to 
 be the personal instrument in the work he 
 wished to see accomplished among them. His 
 sole wish was that the work might be done. 
 He found these Indians, among whom he had 
 labored for many months, in a serious, awak- 
 ened state. On one occasion, when he ad- 
 dressed them, they listened eagerly. " But 
 there appeared nothing very remarkable," he 
 adds, "except their attention, till near the close 
 of my discourse ; and then divine truths were 
 attended with a surprising influence, and pro- 
 
46 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 duced a great concern among them. There 
 were scarcely three in forty who could refrain 
 from tears and bitter cries. They all as one 
 seemed in an agony of soul to obtain an inter- 
 est in Christ; and the more I discoursed of the 
 love and compassion of God in sending His 
 Son to suffer for the sins of men ; and the more 
 I invited them to come and partake of His 
 love, the more their distress was aggravated; 
 because they felt themselves unable to come. 
 It was surprising to see how their hearts seemed 
 to be pierced with the tender and melting invi- 
 tations of the Gospel, when there was not a 
 word of terror spoken to them." Two days 
 later their number increased and their concern 
 for their personal welfare was evident. 
 The Work- When Brainerd spoke to many of them after 
 the Spirit ^^^ public address, " the power of God seemed 
 of God to descend upon the assembly ' like a mighty 
 rushing wind,' and with an astonishing energy 
 bore down all before it. I stood amazed at the 
 influence, which seemed to seize the audience 
 almost universally," he wrote in his journal, 
 "and could compare it to nothing more aptly, 
 than the irresistible force of a mighty torrent or 
 swelling deluge; that with its insupportable 
 weight and pressure bears down and sweeps 
 
David Brainerd 47 
 
 before it whatever comes in its way. Almost 
 
 all persons of all ages were bowed down with 
 
 concern together, and scarcely one was able to 
 
 withstand the shock of this surprising operation. 
 
 Old men and women, who had been drunken 
 
 wretches for many years, and some little children, 
 
 not more than six or seven years of age, 
 
 appeared in distress for their souls, as well as 
 
 persons of middle age." Such manifestations of 
 
 divine power Brainerd had never beheld. It 
 
 was enough, he thought, to convince even an 
 
 atheist of the truth and power of the Word of God. 
 
 Almost without exception these Indians cried Indians 
 r o 11^1 Convicted 
 
 out for mercy. Some were unable to go home ^^ g^^ 
 
 or to stand. Brainerd's account of their condi- 
 tion is of exceptional interest : " Their concern 
 was so great, each one for himself, that none 
 seemed to take any notice of those about him, 
 but each prayed freely for himself I am led to 
 think they were, to their own apprehensions, as 
 much retired as if they had been individually 
 by themselves, in the thickest desert; or I believe 
 rather that they thought nothing about any- 
 thing but themselves, and their own state, and 
 so was every one praying apart altogether. It 
 seemed to me now that there was an exact 
 fulfilment of that prophecy, Zech. xii. 10, 11, 
 
48 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 12; for there was now ' a great mourning as of 
 Hadadrimmon;' — and each seemed to 'mourn 
 apart.' Methought this had a near resemblance 
 to the day of God's power, mentioned Josh. x. 
 14; for I must say I never saw any day like it, 
 in all respects: it was a day wherein I am 
 persuaded the Lord did much to destroy the 
 kingdom of darkness among this people." Some 
 of the Indians came to see the corruption of their 
 own hearts. All feared the wrath of God. 
 White people, also, who had come to criticize, 
 were aroused and convicted of their sin. It was 
 a memorable day in the lives of the people; 
 memorable, too, in the life of Brainerd. 
 Changed Concern no less remarkable was shown on the 
 ^^^^ following days. Tears and cries indicated the 
 workings of the Spirit of God. Brainerd did 
 not terrorize his hearers. He dwelt on the mercy 
 of God, on the love and all-sufficiency of the 
 Saviour. He invited, he entreated, he comforted 
 those who truly repented. It must have been 
 very affecting, as, indeed, Brainerd says it was, 
 "to see the poor Indians, who the other day were 
 hallooing and yelling in their idolatrous feasts 
 and drunken frolics, now crying to God with 
 such importunity for an interest in His dear 
 Son ! Almost every one was praying and cry- 
 
David Brainerd 49 
 
 ing for himself, as if none had been near, 
 'Guttummauhalummeh; guttummauhalummeh,' 
 i. e., ' Have mercy upon me ; ' ' have mercy upon 
 me,' was the common cry." One woman, who 
 was in deep sorrow, explained her grief by say- 
 ing that she had been angry with her child and 
 feared that she had sinned. She was so deeply 
 grieved by the sharp temper she had shown that 
 she awoke early, began sobbing, and for hours 
 continued weeping. 
 
 Brainerd decided to visit once more the All Night 
 Indians on the Susquehanna. When he told ^ ^^^ 
 
 ^ ^ Prayer 
 
 these Indians at Crossweeksung of his purpose Meeting 
 they heartily acquiesced. He left them an hour 
 and a half before sunset. Soon after they began 
 praying and continued in prayer until early the 
 next morning. Afterward, Brainerd was told 
 that they never mistrusted, " till they went out 
 and viewed the stars, and saw the morning star 
 a considerable height, that it was later than bed 
 time. Thus eager and unwearied were they in 
 their devotions .... It was likewise remarkable, 
 that this day an old Indian, who had all his days 
 been an idolater, was brought to give up his 
 rattles, which they use for music in their 
 idolatrous feasts and dances, to the other Indians, 
 who quickly destroyed them." Brainerd saw 
 
50 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 that all this was the work of God alone and 
 rejoiced in it. With a glad heart he began his 
 journey to the Forks of the Delaware and to 
 Susquehanna. 
 An His zeal did not lessen as he went on. 
 
 Idolatrous , -p , , , , , . 
 
 Feast ^^^rly every day he preached to groups of 
 Indians. Some of his hearers wept. Some 
 were aroused to a sense of their evil state. 
 Some voiced their distress in cries. Some bit- 
 terly opposed him and scoffed at Christianity. 
 At one place he found the Indians preparing 
 for a sacrifice and dance. He was much cast 
 down by the outlook. So absorbed were the 
 Indians in their preparations for the feast that 
 Brainerd could not bring them together for a 
 meeting. His trial was made severer by the 
 fact that his own interpreter was a pagan and 
 an idolater. " I was under the greatest diffi- 
 culties imaginable," he said. "However, I 
 attempted to discourse privately with some of 
 them, but without any appearance of success; 
 notwithstanding, I still tarried with them. In 
 the evening they met together, nearly a hundred 
 of them, and danced around a large fire, having 
 prepared ten fat deer for the sacrificCo The fat 
 of the inwards they ournt in the fire while they 
 were dancing, and sometimes raised the flame 
 
David Brainerd 51 
 
 to a prodigious height; at the same time shout- 
 ing and yelling in such a manner, that they 
 might easily have been heard two miles or 
 more. They continued their sacred dance 
 nearly all night, after* which they ate the flesh 
 of the sacrifice, and so retired each one to his 
 lodging. I enjoyed little satisfaction; being 
 entirely alone on the island as to any Christian 
 company, and in the midst of this idolatrous 
 revel ; and having walked to and fro till body 
 and mind were much pained and oppressed, I 
 at length crept into a little crib made for corn, 
 and there slept on the poles." Truly one who 
 could record such hardships and self-sacrifices 
 as these, in this open, and frank, and unassum- 
 ing way, and resolutely go on doing what 
 seemed an almost hopeless task, was a genuine 
 apostle and minister of Jesus Christ. One ivho 
 could creep into a little crib made for corn, and 
 there sleep on the poles, and do it because he 
 loved his Master and those for whom He died, 
 was a hero of the cross. 
 
 The next day was the Sabbath, and Brainerd Indian 
 sought to bring the Indians together for 
 instruction. His appeals were in vain. They 
 assembled their powwows and several of them 
 began juggling, posturing and performing in a 
 
52 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 frantic and outlandish manner. They did this 
 to find out why there was so much sickness 
 among them. "In this exercise they were 
 engaged for several hours, making all the wild, 
 ridiculous and distracted motions imaginable; 
 sometimes singing, sometimes howling, some- 
 times extending their hands to the utmost 
 stretch, and spreading all their fingers, they 
 seemed to push with them as if they designed 
 to push something away, or at least keep it off 
 at arm's end; sometimes stroking their faces 
 with their hands, then spurting water as fine as 
 mist; sometimes sitting flat on the earth, then 
 bowing down their faces to the ground ; then 
 wringing their sides as if in pain and anguish, 
 twisting their faces, turning up their eyes, 
 grunting, puffing, etc. Their monstrous actions 
 tended to excite ideas of horror, and seemed to 
 have something in them, as I thought, pecul- 
 iarly suited to raise the devil, if he could be 
 raised by anything odd, ridiculous, and fright- 
 ful. Some of them, I could observe, were 
 much more fervent and devout in the business 
 than others, and seemed to chant, peep and 
 mutter with a great degree of warmth and 
 vigor, as if determined to awaken and engage 
 the powers below." Throughout this wild 
 
David Brainerd 53 
 
 scene Brainerd sat, undiscovered, about thirty 
 feet from them and viewed the entire proceed- 
 ing. They went on with their incantations for 
 over three hours, and wore themselves out by 
 their exertions. When they ended Brainerd 
 sought to teach them, but they quickly dis- 
 banded, leaving him in a very gloomy state. 
 
 He was the only Christian at this wilderness 
 settlement. Loneliness, together with the im- 
 pression produced by this heathen exercise, 
 made this a day of notable darkness in his 
 career. He writes that he was almost stripped 
 of all resolution and hope respecting further 
 attempts for propagating the Gospel and con- 
 verting the pagans, and that this was the most 
 burdensome and disagreeable Sabbath he ever 
 saw. He was especially distressed by the loss 
 of his hope respecting the conversion of these 
 Indians. "This concern appeared so great," 
 he said, " and seemed to be so much my own, 
 that I seemed to have nothing to do on earth, if 
 this failed." His hope of their conversion was 
 exceedingly precious to him. For their con- 
 version he thought, he prayed, he toiled, he 
 lived. Their deplorable moral state and their 
 steadfast resistance of his message weakened 
 and dispirited him. 
 
54 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 An Indian ^ f^^ months before Brainerd witnessed the 
 j)j.ggg most frightful and terrorizing sight he had ever 
 seen among these Indians, or elsewhere. "This 
 was the appearance of one who was a devout 
 and zealous reformer, or rather, restorer of what 
 he supposed was the ancient religion of the 
 Indians. He made his appearance in his 
 pontifical garb," Brainerd continues, "which 
 garb was a coat of boar skins, dressed with the 
 hair on, and hanging down to his toes; a pair 
 of bear skin stockings, and a great wooden face 
 painted, the one half black, the other half 
 tawny, about the color of an Indian's skin, with 
 an extravagant mouth, cut very much awry; 
 the face fastened to a bearskin cap, which was 
 drawn over his head. He advanced towards 
 me with the instrument in his hand, which he 
 used for music in his idolatrous worship; which 
 was a dry tortoise shell with some corn in it, 
 and the neck of it drawn onto a piece of wood, 
 which made a very convenient handle. As he 
 came forward, he beat his tune with the rattle, 
 and danced with all his might, but did not 
 suffer any part of his body, not so much as his 
 fingers, to be seen. No one could have imag- 
 ined from his appearance or actions, that he 
 could have been a human creature, if they had 
 
David Brainerd 55 
 
 not some intimation of it otherwise. When he 
 came near me, I could not but shrink away 
 from him although it was then noonday, and I 
 knew who it was; his appearance and gestures 
 were so prodigiously frightful. He had a house 
 consecrated to religious uses, with divers images 
 cut upon the several parts of it. I went in, 
 and found the ground beat almost as hard as a 
 rock, with their frequent dancing upon it." 
 Brainerd's effort to turn these particular Indians 
 from darkness to light seems to have been 
 futile. Some white people who lived in the 
 neighborhood gave them liquor and were an 
 evil example to them. Weak in body, and 
 much depressed in spirit, he again turned his 
 face toward the Forks of the Delaware and 
 Crossweeksung. 
 
 His first message at Crossweeksung reached Continued 
 and comforted the hearts of the Indians there, ^t^ross-^^ 
 "O what a difference is there between these, weeksung 
 and the Indians with whom I have lately 
 treated on the Susquehanna I " he exclaims. 
 " To be with those seemed like being banished 
 from God and all His people; to be with these, 
 like being admitted to His family, and to the 
 enjoyment of His divine presence!" These 
 Indians at Crossweeksung had formerly shown 
 
56 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 signs of being as obstinate and as depraved as 
 those at Juncanta Island. Through the zealous 
 teaching of the Gospel, and by the power of 
 the Holy Spirit their characters had been trans- 
 formed. The next day encouragement came. 
 With what joy Brainerd must have written 
 these words: "I scarce think I ever saw a 
 more desirable affection in any people in mj 
 life. There was scarcely a dry eye to be seen 
 among them; and yet nothing boisterous or 
 unseemly, nothing that tended to disturb the 
 public worship; but rather to encourage and 
 excite a Christian ardor and spirit of devotion." 
 In his subsequent ministry among these Indians 
 he was rejoiced by their attentiveness, their 
 constancy and their responsiveness. He had 
 baptized altogether forty-seven Indians, thirty- 
 five of whom lived at Crossweeksung and the 
 others at the Forks of the Delaware. Their lives 
 brought no reproach upon the cause of Christ. 
 Strong One valued lesson which Brainerd learned in 
 Adversaries |^-g ^^^y. trying and disheartening experiences 
 
 with the Indians at Crossweeksung, was: " It is 
 good to follow the path of duty, though in the 
 midst of darkness and discouragement." The 
 beginnings of his work were exceedingly 
 difficult, but ere long his heart was made glad 
 
David Brainerd 57 
 
 by their evident desire to be delivered from sin. 
 " They were one after another affected with a 
 solemn concern for their souls, almost as soon 
 as they came upon the spot where divine truths 
 were taught them." There were adversaries, 
 though. Enemies circulated false reports among 
 the Indians. Some of the whites tried to make 
 them believe that Brainerd deceived them, that 
 he lied to them, and that it was his design to 
 impose upon them. "When none of these, and 
 such like suggestions, would avail to their 
 purpose, they then tried another expedient, and 
 told the Indians, ' My design was to gather 
 together as large a body of them as I possibly 
 could, and then sell them to England for slaves'; 
 than which nothing could be more likely to 
 terrify the Indians, they being naturally of a 
 jealous disposition, and the most averse to a state 
 of servitude perhaps of any people living." This 
 base design failed. The Indians soon discovered 
 the real character of their deceivers. In this, 
 and numerous other ways, God worked in 
 behalf of his beloved servant. He not only 
 overruled the craft of men and qualified 
 Brainerd's interpreter for his work, but also 
 prevented prejudice against Brainerd and his 
 missionary labors. 
 
58 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Results Jn its apparent effects Brainerd's toil at 
 
 Summarized /^ ^ • 1 
 
 Crossweeksung was a strong testimony to the 
 power of his faithful, persistent and patient 
 teaching of the Word of God, and to his believ- 
 ing, continuous, intercessory prayers. The out- 
 come of his labors at Crossweeksung he 
 summarizes under live heads, which, in substance, 
 are: l. The unprecedented work among these 
 Indians began when his own hopes were at 
 their lowest ebb. He learned from this that it 
 is wise to go on in the path of duty, in spite of 
 adverse conditions. 2. In a providential, and 
 almost inexplicable manner God brought the 
 Indians together for instruction. When he 
 arrived, to begin his ministry among them, he 
 did not find a single man, but only four women 
 and a few children. After a few days the 
 Indians began to gather, some coming a distance 
 of twenty miles. A few weeks later some came 
 over forty miles to hear him. " Many came 
 without any intelligence of what was going on 
 here, and consequently without any design of 
 theirs, so much as to gratify their curiosity. 
 Thus it seemed as if God had summoned them 
 together from all quarters for nothing else but to 
 deliver His message to them." 3. These Indians 
 were kept from becoming prejudiced against 
 
David Brainerd 59 
 
 Brainerd or against the message he brought, 
 though some white people represented him as a 
 knave and a deceiver. 4* Brainerd's interpreter 
 became remarkably efficient. " He appeared to 
 have such a clear doctrinal view of God's 
 methods of dealing with souls under a prepara- 
 tory work of conviction and humiliation as he 
 never had before." 5. The entire work went 
 forward in such a way as to make it apparent 
 that the awakening was the result of divine 
 power. Repeated invitations to the unrepentant, 
 based on fundamental Scripture truths, was the 
 method used by Brainerd. He said he never 
 knew so general an awakening as took place 
 when he addressed the Indians on the parable 
 of the great supper (Luke xiv.) and set before 
 them the unsearchable riches of Gospel grace. 
 These gentler measures, which God had used in 
 arousing sinners, were the means of silencing 
 those who would have objected and criticized, 
 had the awakening been accompanied by tears, 
 by convulsions, by swoonings, or by other violent 
 demonstrations. 
 
 Brainerd was his own most exacting critic. Value of 
 
 No one so closely scrutinized the methods and J^^^^^^ ^ 
 i . . . . Testimony 
 
 characteristics of this mission to the Indians as 
 
 did he. No one was more likely to make a 
 
6o Heroes of the Cross 
 
 reasonable estimate of its value than he. His 
 own testimony, therefore, is weighty and 
 significant: "I think I may justly say that 
 here are all the symptoms and evidences of a 
 remarkable work of grace among these Indians, 
 which can reasonably be desired or expected .... 
 Their pagan notions and idolatrous practices 
 seem to be entirely abandoned in these parts. 
 .... They seem generally divorced from drunk- 
 enness, their darling vice .... A principle of 
 honesty and justice appears in many of them. 
 . . . Their manner of living is much more 
 decent and comfortable than formerly .... Love 
 seems to reign among them, especially those 
 who have given evidences of a saving change." 
 In the accomplishment of these notably gratify- 
 ing results he had ridden over three thousand 
 miles on horseback, suffered many physical 
 fatigues and endured innumerable hardships. 
 Yet he finished his labors with joy, being more 
 than compensated for all his toil and suffering 
 by large apparent fruitage. 
 A Fnil The excellent work at Crossweeksung con- 
 Year's Work ^-j^^g^^^ Throughout the winter of 1745-6 
 he frequently wrote of manifestations of the 
 power of God and of strong impressions 
 made upon many by the preaching of the 
 
David Bralnerd 6i 
 
 Gospel. At times he expressed grief because of 
 his own lukewarmness and strongly resolved to 
 redouble his efforts. His days were already so 
 filled with labor that it does not seem possible 
 that more activity could have been crowded 
 into them. He admitted that he exerted 
 himself to the utmost limit of his strength. He 
 said, however, that though he did go to the 
 extreme of his strength, so that he did all that 
 he could, he did not labor with that heavenly 
 temper, that single eye to the glory of God, that 
 he longed for. At the close of a full year spent 
 at Crossweeksung he added these words in his 
 journal: "This day makes up a complete year 
 from the first time of my preaching to those 
 Indians in New Jersey. What amazing things has 
 God wrought in this space of time, for this poor 
 people ! What a surprising change appears in 
 their tempers and behavior I How are morose 
 and savage pagans, in this short period, transform- 
 ed into agreeable, affectionate and humble Chris- 
 tians I And their drunken and pagan bowlings 
 turned into devout and fervent praises to God; 
 they who were sometimes in darkness are now 
 become light in the Lord." In his description 
 of six unusual cases of conversion he gratefully 
 acknowledged the saving power of Christ. 
 
62 Heroes of the Cross ^ 
 
 Declining Jq t-^g summer of 1746 his strength began 
 Strene-th ^^ Wane perceptibly. His difficult, exhaust- 
 ing labors had seriously impaired his physical 
 force. He found himself unfitted for a life of 
 such severe exertion and hardship. As the weeks 
 passed his vitality steadily lessened and his 
 seasons of dejection multiplied. Such entries 
 as the following appear in his journal at 
 this period : " Wanted to wear out life, and have 
 it at an end; but had some desires of living 
 to God, and wearing out life for Him." Eight 
 days later he said : " Blessed be God for 
 this freedom from dejection." His weakness 
 increased to such an extent that. on September 
 27, 1746, he closed the record of his day 
 with these words: "I had little strength to 
 pray, none to write or read, and scarce any 
 to meditate; but through divine goodness 1 
 could with great composure look death in 
 the face and frequently with sensible joy." 
 Entries in his diary now become less regu- 
 lar. Almost invariably when he does write 
 he refers to his refreshment of soul and to the 
 feebleness of his body. He was resigned to the 
 will of God and was willing to live or die, but 
 found it difficult to reconcile himself to the 
 thought of living a useless life. 
 
David Brainerd 63 
 
 Early in November, 1 746, he became ex- Leaves the 
 ceedingly weak in body, and decided to go to 
 New England to visit friends whom he had 
 not seen for a long time. Before he left he 
 visited the houses of his Indians who lived at 
 Cranberry, New Jersey, where he had been 
 laboring for a short period. " I scarcely left 
 one house but some were in tears; and many 
 were not only affected with my being about to 
 leave them, but with the solemn addresses 1 made 
 them upon divine things." It was on Friday, 
 March 7, 1747, that he left Cranberry, and 
 traveled toward Elizabethtown. There he met 
 his brother. Subsequent days were filled with 
 journeyings and seasons of devotion, and on 
 Thursday, May 28, he arrived at Northamp- 
 ton, Massachusetts. A medical examination 
 showed that he was in a consumptive state. 
 His physician gave him no encouragement. 
 This diagnosis, Jonathan Edwards said, did 
 not seem to occasion the least discomposure 
 in Brainerd, nor to make any manner of altera- 
 tion as to the cheerfulness and serenity of his 
 mind, or the freedom and pleasantness of his 
 conversation. 
 
 As the summer months passed, his physical Sunset 
 decline was rapid. When autumn came he was 
 
64 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 weaker than he had yet been. He spent the 
 autumn days reading his old private writings. 
 As he re-read the story of his missionary labors 
 he rejoiced, and thanked God for what had hap- 
 pened. On one occasion, when in great dis- 
 tress of body, he spoke to those who were 
 standing by of the only happiness in this world, 
 namely, pleasing God. The nearer death came, 
 the more he desired to die. " He several times 
 spoke of the different kinds of willingness to 
 die," said Jonathan Edwards, "and represented 
 it as an ignoble, mean kind, to be willing to 
 leave the body, only to get rid of pain; or to 
 go to heaven, only to get honor and advance- 
 ment there." In his prayers Brainerd inter- 
 ceded for his former congregation, asking that 
 the Lord would preserve it and not suffer His 
 great name to lose its glory in that work. In 
 his parting message to his brother he urged a 
 life of self-denial, of unworldliness, of devotion 
 to God, of the earnest seeking of the grace of 
 God's Spirit. One of his memorable sen- 
 tences was: "When ministers feel these 
 special gracious influences on their hearts it 
 wonderfully assists them to come at the con- 
 sciences of men, and as it were to handle them ; 
 whereas, without them, whatever reason and 
 
David Brainerd 65 
 
 oratory we make use of, we do but make use 
 of stumps instead of hands." He worked on, 
 reading and correcting his journals, and had a 
 growing consciousness that his work in the 
 world was rapidly coming to an end. 
 
 As long as he saw anything to be done for Death 
 God he found life worth living. Five days 
 before his death, as he saw the Bible in the hands 
 of one who had just come into the room, he 
 exclaimed : " O that dear book I that lovely 
 book I I shall soon see it opened I The mysteries 
 that are in it and the mysteries of God's provi- 
 dence will be all unfolded." On Friday, 
 October 9, 1747, he passed to his reward. On 
 the following Monday his funeral occurred in 
 Northampton and was attended by "eight of 
 the neighboring ministers, a large number of 
 gentlemen of liberal education and a great 
 concourse of people." The funeral sermon was 
 preached by Jonathan Edwards. The title of his 
 discourse was, " Christians, when absent from the 
 body, are present with the Lord." The text was 
 II. Corinthians 5 : 8. In it the greatest preacher 
 of New England at that time paid a remarkable 
 tribute to the memory of his beloved young 
 friend. Let this one sentence from Edwards' 
 exalted eulogy stand out for our meditation: 
 
66 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 "In Brainerd's whole course he acted as one 
 who had indeed sold all for Christ, had entirely 
 devoted himself to God, had made His glory 
 his highest end, and was fully determined to 
 spend his whole time and strength in His service/' 
 Why so What made Brainerd's life so forceful, so 
 n uen la ^^j-^-j^y^ g^ fruitful and so remarkably influential ? 
 How came it to pass that a world-wide influence 
 has been exercised by one who spent but three 
 short years in active Christian service ; who lived 
 in the solitary places of the earth, in wigwams 
 and huts of the forest; who had for his com- 
 panions rude savages; and who wrote but little 
 beside the daily journal of his meditations, his 
 prayers, his heart-searchings and his efforts to 
 reclaim the lost"? 
 Dedication In enumerating the qualities which made him 
 
 Work ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ P^^ ^^^^ ^ -^^^^ purpose^ 
 formed at the heginning of his career^ to devote 
 himsetf to the evangelization of the Indians. 
 Though urged to become a pastor in New 
 England and on Long Island, he deliberately 
 chose the harder task of ministering to savages. 
 To this mission it was his delight to dedicate 
 himself again and again. Among the saints of 
 the church there have been but few who have 
 held as closely as did he to one commanding, 
 
David Brainerd 67 
 
 exalted and eariy chosen purpose. He kept Concentra- 
 strictly to the main point, on to the end. Effort 
 
 He was zealous to a marked extent in the 
 prosecution of his vsork. In estimating his zeal 
 it must be remembered that the missionary 
 spirit in Brainerd's time was rarer than it is now. 
 Large numbers of men of his own class were not 
 giving themselves, as now, to missionary 
 enterprises. So intent was he upon fulfiling his 
 mission that he forced himself to speak to the 
 Indians even when he had no heart to speak to 
 them. He often desired death because he 
 frequently despaired of benefitting them. He 
 deliberately said that he would choose death 
 rather than a life spent for nothing. While on 
 brief holidays he could not refrain from preach- 
 ing the Gospel at every opportunity. His 
 journals are a glowing record of his acti\^ities, 
 even when he was weighed down by fatigue 
 and bodily weakness. Those who read the 
 inspiring record will doubtless agree with Alex- 
 ander V. G. Allen, who, in his Life of Jonathan 
 Edwards^ pays this tribute to Brainerd : " He 
 was an ardent, enthusiastic soul, moving with 
 great impetuosity in whatever he undertook, 
 one whose zeal for religion was even consuming 
 his life." 
 
68 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Dependence jj^ relied hnflicitly upon the guidance and 
 power of God. His experience had convinced 
 him that only God "can open the ear, and 
 engage the attention, and inchne the heart of 
 poor benighted, prejudiced pagans." His 
 difficulties were such that without this faith he 
 would have quickly given up in despair. When 
 encouragements came he gave all the praise to 
 God. Several times he refers to the workings 
 of God as being independent of means. On 
 one occasion the proof of this was so clear that 
 he said that " God's manner of working upon 
 them, seems so entirely supernatural, and above 
 means, that I could scarcely believe that he used 
 me as an instrument, or what I spake as the 
 means of carrying on His work." His faith 
 did not shrink even under the most unfavorable 
 circumstances. At times, when the Indians 
 seemed to be given over completely to the doing 
 of evil, Brainerd stood his ground and proclaimed 
 the Gospel. He believed the Gospel to be the 
 power of God unto salvation, capable of trans- 
 forming the most depraved lives. 
 Doing }^0 gave himself without reserve to the doing of 
 of God ^^^ '^^^^ ^f God. At the beginning of his 
 missionary career he vowed that he would be 
 wholly the Lord's, and thoroughly devoted to 
 
David Brainerd 69 
 
 His service. A few years later he presented his 
 soul to God again for service, making no 
 reservation whatever. He states that the 
 language of his thoughts and disposition then 
 was : " Here I am, Lord, send me ; send me to 
 the ends of the earth ; send me to the rough, 
 the savage pagans of the wilderness; send me 
 from all that is called comfort in earth, or earthly 
 comfort; send me even to death itself, if it be 
 but in Thy service, and to promote Thy 
 Kingdom." He placed all that he was at the 
 disposal of God. There is not the slightest 
 indication that from the moment he began his 
 missionary labor he ever sought his own ease, 
 or that he had any other thought, or purpose, or 
 motive in life, but the doing of the will of God. 
 
 He set a high value upon time. He recognized Valuation 
 the shortness of time, and it was his absorbing ^ ^"^® 
 ambition to fill it all up in the service of his 
 Master. He was pained when he saw time 
 slipping away without good being accomplished. 
 " Oh, that God would make me more fruitful 
 and spirituall" was his heart's prayer. When 
 he felt that he had spent time poorly or pur- 
 poselessly he expressed his grief and shame, his 
 discouragement and confusion. When the last 
 moment of his earthly life had nearly come, 
 
70 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 he uttered these sublime words: "I declare, 
 now I am dying, I would not have spent my 
 life otherwise for the whole world." 
 
 Evangelistic He had the evangelistic spirit to an intense 
 ^^" degree. He considered the Redeemer's Kingdom 
 incomparably more valuable than anything else 
 on earth, and his chief longing was that he 
 might promote it. He desired that all the 
 circumstances of his life might be such as would 
 best fit him to serve God. When important 
 life decisions were to be made his prayer was: 
 " The will of the Lord be done. It is no matter 
 for me." 
 
 Spotlessness He had a flawless longing for personal purity. 
 His great desire for conformity to the image of 
 Christ is given expression in nearly every page 
 of his memoirs. "Longed exceedingly for an 
 angelical holiness and purity, and to have all 
 my thoughts at all times, employed in divine 
 and heavenly things," is a sentence that indicates 
 his supreme prayer for himself More than his 
 necessary food did he desire a clean heart, and 
 a right spirit, and a sense of the presence of God. 
 Seldom was he afraid; when he was, this was 
 his fear : " 1 was afraid of nothing but sin, and 
 afraid of that in every action and thought." 
 Once when he was in prayer all things here 
 
David Brainerd 71 
 
 below seemed to vanish, and there appeared to 
 him to be nothing of considerable importance, 
 but hoHness of heart and hfe, and the conversion 
 of the heathen to God. " I know that I long 
 for God, and a conformity to His will, in 
 inward purity and holiness, ten thousand times 
 more than anything here below," are words that 
 he wrote not at the end, but at the beginning 
 of his career. Were they written at the 
 beginning of the Christian life of each present- 
 day disciple of Christ what might we not 
 expect in evangelistic zeal in our own time *? 
 
 Hts self-denial is apparent at every step ^Self-Denial 
 his career. There is not a single sentence in 
 his journal, there is not a comment by Jonathan 
 Edwards, or by any other contemporary of 
 Brainerd, that in the remotest way suggests that 
 he ever put self before the interests of the King- ' 
 dom of Christ. The proof that Paul gave of 
 his loyalty to Christ by the record of his suffer- 
 ings in his first Epistle to the Corinthians does 
 not greatly overmatch or surpass the evidence 
 of the self-denials of Brainerd. Both, as good 
 soldiers of Christ, endured hardness uncom- 
 plainingly. This is the thrilling story of . 
 one of Brainerd's missionary journeys : " After 
 having lodged one night in the open woods, he 
 
72 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 was overtaken by a northeasterly storm, in 
 which he was almost ready to perish. Having 
 no manner of shelter, and not being able to 
 make lire in so great a rain, he could have no 
 comfort if he stopped; therefore he determined 
 to go forward in hopes of meeting with some 
 shelter, without which he thought it impossible 
 to live the night through; but their horses — 
 happening to eat poison, for the want of other 
 food, at a place where they lodged the night 
 before — were so sick, that they could neither 
 ride nor lead them, but were obliged to drive 
 them, and travel on foot: until, through the 
 mercy of God, just at dusk, they came to a bark 
 hut where they lodged that night." On another 
 occasion, this was his experience: "We went 
 on our way into the wilderness, and found the 
 most difficult and dangerous traveling, by far, 
 any of us had seen. We had scarce anything 
 else but lofty mountains, deep valleys, and 
 hideous rocks, to make our way through .... 
 Near night my beast on which I rode, hung 
 one of her legs in the rocks, and fell down 
 under me ; but through divine goodness, I was 
 not hurt. However, she broke her leg; and 
 being in such a hideous place, and near thirty 
 miles from any house, I saw nothing that could 
 
David Brainerd 73 
 
 be done to preserve her life, and so was obliged 
 to kill her, and to prosecute my journey on 
 foot. This accident made me admire the 
 divine goodness to me, that my bones were not 
 broken, and the multitude of them filled with 
 strong pain. Just at dark, we kindled a fire, 
 cut up a few bushes, and made a shelter over 
 our heads, to save us from the frost which was 
 very hard that night; and committing our- 
 selves to God by prayer, we lay down on the 
 ground, and slept quietly." None of these 
 things, nor the multitude of other trials which 
 he endured, moved him. 
 
 H^ was wholly unselfish in all his toil and Unselfish- 
 ministry. There is not the faintest indication °^^^ 
 that he ever sought his own ease, his own com 
 fort, or his own aggrandisement. Zeal for his 
 Lord and Master animated him. It was his 
 delight to use every atom of his strength in 
 seeking to win the Indians to a new life in 
 Christ Jesus. There is not a sentence in his 
 journal, there is not a word in the writings of 
 those who knew him best, to the effect that he 
 ever failed to sacrifice himself to the utmost for 
 the sake of the Kingdom of Christ. He belongs 
 to the magnificent army of those who counted 
 not their lives dear unto themselves. He saw 
 
74 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 a vision, he heard a message. He was imbued 
 with a spirit not of this world. 
 Prayerftd- //^ the proseciition of his work Brainerd prayed 
 ^^^^ without ceasing. " I love to live alone in my 
 little cottage," said he, " where I can spend much 
 time in prayer." He relied implicitly on the 
 promises of God, and firmly held that prayer, — 
 steadfast, importunate and believing, is the chief 
 means to large usefulness. 
 
 He belonged to the noble army of God's 
 
 servants who hold the simplest view of prayer, 
 
 that God hears and answers definite prayer, that 
 
 prayer brings guidance, strength and deliverance. 
 
 He states that he saw how God called out His 
 
 servants to prayer and made them wrestle with 
 
 Him, when He designed to bestow any great 
 
 mercy on His Church. 
 
 "Prayer His journal is largely a record of the inten- 
 
 ^MisSon ^ity ^^^ perseverance of his prayer life. '' It is 
 
 Field" the only book I know," said Dr. A. J. Gordon, 
 
 "where you see the two things side by side, the 
 
 prayer closet and the mission field." Brainerd's 
 
 constant object was the turning of the Indians 
 
 from the power of Satan unto God. That it 
 
 might be achieved, he sought by all the means 
 
 , at his command to fulfil on his own part every 
 
 condition of effective service. Hence it was 
 
David Brainerd 75 
 
 that in the silence of his rude cabin; amid the 
 lonehness of the forest; and on horseback, as he 
 journeyed over rugged mountain paths to pro- 
 claim the Evangel, his voice was lifted up to 
 God in behalf of his beloved Indians. "When 
 I return home, and give myself to meditation, 
 prayer and fasting," he writes, "a new scene 
 opens to my mind, and my soul longs for 
 mortification, self-denial, humxility, and divorce- 
 ment from all the things of the world." On 
 some occasions he became so earnest in prayer 
 and meditation, that he had no desire for sleep. 
 It was his joy to pour out his heart in uninter- 
 rupted prayer. 
 
 Bodily weakness, prolonp-ed fatigue and Hindrances 
 
 K W \ a\' to Prayer 
 
 numerous benumbmg nardsnips, were not 
 sufficient to cause him to neglect communion 
 with his heavenly Father. The following entry 
 in his journal indicates his custom throughout 
 his ministry: "In the afternoon, though very 
 ill, was enabled to spend some considerable time 
 in prayer : spent indeed, most of the day in that 
 exercise : and my soul was diffident, watchful, 
 and tender, lest I should offend my blessed 
 Friend, in thought or behavior .... Rode from 
 the Indians to Brunswick, nearly forty miles, 
 and lodged there. Felt my heart drawn after 
 
76 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 God In prayer, almost all the forenoon, especially 
 in riding. In the evening, I could not help 
 crying to God for those poor Indians; and after 
 I went to bed, my heart continued to go out to 
 God for them till I dropped asleep. O, blessed 
 be God, that I may pray ! " It was thus, by 
 prayer, that he sought strength to meet his 
 hard tasks, that he obtained wisdom for his 
 work in behalf of his ignorant, degraded savages, 
 " His life," said Jonathan Edwards, " shows the 
 right way to success in the work of the 
 ministry. He sought it as the resolute soldier 
 seeks victory in a siege or battle ; or as a man 
 that runs a race for a great prize. Animated 
 with love to Christ and souls, how did he labor 
 always fervently, not only in word and doctrine, 
 in public and private, but in prayers day and 
 night, 'wrestling with God' in secret, and 
 'travailing in birth' with unutterable groans 
 and agonies ! until Christ were formed in the 
 hearts of the people to whom he was sent ! " 
 Influence on No American, of the century in which 
 Generations ^^ainerd lived, has exerted a more far-reaching 
 influence than he. The record of his unfalter- 
 ing, self-sacrificing career has moved thousands 
 of zealous servants of Christ, in many nations, 
 to holier living and nobler doing. 
 
David Brainerd 'j'] 
 
 In estimating the power exerted by Brain- Some Whom 
 erd, we must take into account his influence , 
 
 ' enced 
 
 on men who have notably served the cause of 
 Christ. By the reading of Brainerd's memoirs, 
 Henry Martyn was led to give his life to 
 missionary service in foreign lands. Martyn 
 was roused and impelled to action by Brain- 
 erd's modest recital of his trials and self-sacri- 
 ficing experiences, and by the vivid record of 
 his sublime devotion to the doing of the will 
 of his Saviour. John Wesley, too, recognized 
 the sterling quality of Brainerd's character and 
 ministry. Frederick W. Robertson was moved 
 by the story of Brainerd's Spirit-filled life, and 
 his own character was shaped thereby. "At 
 one period," says Stopford A. Brooke, " Rob- 
 ertson read daily the lives of Martyn and 
 Brainerd. These books supplied a want in 
 his mind, and gave him impulse." In his 
 own peculiarly fascinating way, Robertson 
 himself describes the impression made upon 
 him by the record of Brainerd's self-denying 
 loyalty to the cause of Christ. " I have been 
 reading lately ' Brainerd's Life '," he writes, 
 " which to my taste, stands alone as a specimen 
 of biography. ' To believe, to suffer, and to 
 love,' was his motto, like that of the early 
 
78 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Christians; but with us, if a minister gives 
 himself a Httle exertion, a hundred voices 
 flatter him with an anxiety for his life, as if a 
 fireside, plentiful table, and warm clothing 
 were compatible with the idea of suicide. 
 Brainerd did spend himself in his Master's 
 service, and his was self-denial — and a self- 
 denial which there was none to witness or 
 admire." Among many in later days upon 
 whom the career of David Brainerd exerted a 
 powerful influence, was Dr. A. J. Gordon, 
 pastor of the Clarendon Street Church, Boston. 
 In describing a visit paid to Brainerd's grave, 
 he said : " Does it savor of saint-worship or 
 superstition to be thus exploring old grave- 
 yards, wading through snow-drifts, and deci- 
 phering ancient headstones on a cold day in 
 midwinter? Perhaps so, on the face of it; 
 but let us justify our conduct. What if the 
 writer confesses that he has never received 
 such spiritual impulse from any other human 
 being as from him whose body has lain now 
 for nearly a century and a half under the 
 Northampton slab? For many years an old 
 and worn volume of his life and journals has 
 lain upon my study table, and no season has 
 passed without a renewed pondering of its 
 
David Brainerd 79 
 
 precious contents. ' If you would make men 
 think well of you, make them think well of 
 themselves,' is the maxim of Lord Chesterfield, 
 which he regarded as embodying the highest 
 worldly wisdom. On the contrary, the preacher 
 and witness for Christ who makes us think 
 meanly of ourselves, is the one who does us 
 most good and ultimately wins our hearts. 
 This is exactly the effect which the reading of 
 Brainerd's memoirs has on one. Humiliation 
 succeeds humiliation as we read on. ' How 
 litde have I prayed! how low has been my 
 standard of consecration I ' is the irresistible 
 exclamation ; and when we shut the book we 
 are not praising Brainerd, but condemning 
 ourselves, and resolving that, by the grace of 
 God, we will follow Christ more closely in the 
 future." That Brainerd's journal has made 
 impressions similar to these on many thousands 
 of lives, there is no doubt. In its pages 
 breathes the very Spirit of the Master. The 
 thoughtful and prayerful reader of it comes 
 to have an ardent longing for greater holiness 
 of character and an eager desire to redeem 
 every moment of time for the Master's service. 
 
 Brainerd has been put here first among the ^^^^l^^^^ 
 heroes of the cross in America, because of the Missionaries 
 
8o Heroes of the Cross 
 
 remarkable degree to which he was given up to 
 self-renunciation ; because of his loyalty to the 
 Son of God; and because he joyfully did hard 
 tasks for the extension of his Master's kingdom. 
 In these particulars he is distinguished as one 
 of the most heroic servants of Christ of all 
 time. 
 Repro- Those qualities of Brainerd's character that 
 Qualities ^^^ most admirable, that have made his name 
 precious, that made it possible for him to leave 
 a trail of light behind him — his habitual prayer- 
 fulness; his purpose at any cost to persevere in 
 the work to which God had called him ; his 
 searching of the Scriptures ; his constant exer- 
 cise of faith under the most adverse circum- 
 stances; his renunciation of everything that 
 interfered with the working out of what he 
 believed to be the divine plan for his life, are 
 imitable qualities and of priceless value. 
 His Spirit Brainerd stands as one of the bravest, truest, 
 Indispensa- greatest missionaries by whom the world has 
 been enriched. The longer we meditate on 
 what he was and on what he did, the more 
 reasonable the words of John Wesley appear. 
 In answer to the question, " What can be done 
 in order to revive the work of God in the 
 world ? " Wesley said : " Let every preacher 
 
David Bralnerd 8i 
 
 read carefully over the ' Life of David Brain- 
 erd/ Let us be followers of him, as he was of 
 Christ, in absolute self-devotion, in total 
 deadness to the world, and in fervent love to 
 God and man. Let us but secure this point 
 and the world will fall under our feet." At 
 another time, Wesley wrote : Find preachers of 
 David Brainerd's spirit, and nothing can stand 
 before them. 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To secure a knowledge of the conditions under 
 which Brainerd labored at the Forks of the Delaware and at 
 Crossweeksung ; to obtain a comprehensive view of the 
 qualities of Brainerd' s character, and to learn the secret of 
 his world-wide influence. 
 
 Missionary Labors at Crossweeksung 
 
 1. Why did Brainerd fear to cease praying ? 
 
 2. What was his view of death ? 
 
 3. What encouraging conditions prevailed at Crossweek- 
 sung ? What did personal conversations with the Indians 
 reveal ? 
 
 4. What had brought about this pleasing disposition on 
 the part of the Indians ? 
 
 5. On his return to Crossweeksung what occurred ? 
 What was his sole desire ? 
 
 6. What took place when Brainerd spoke to them 
 personally after one of his addresses ? 
 
 7. Give, in substance, Brainerd's account of their mani- 
 festations of concern respecting their salvation. 
 
82 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 8. When Brainerd left them, temporarily, what 
 happened ? 
 
 9. Describe the idolatrous feast witnessed by Brainerd. 
 
 10. When he tried to bring the Indians together the 
 iollowing day, what happened ? 
 
 11. What was the most shocking sight Brainerd 
 witnessed among them ? 
 
 Results of His Labors 
 
 12. What did Brainerd say further respecting the 
 awakening at Crossweeksung ? What had been the former 
 state of the Indians there ? 
 
 13. What were the chief results of his work at Cross- 
 weeksung, as summarized by himself ? 
 
 14. What statement did he make at the end of a full 
 year ? 
 
 Declining Physical Strength 
 
 15. When did his physical force begin to lessen? What 
 then became characteristic of the entries in his journal ? 
 
 16. What diagnosis did his physician give ? What 
 effect did it have on Brainerd ? 
 
 17. How did he spend the closing days of his life ? 
 
 18. Who preached his funeral sermon? The text? 
 Memorize the sentence quoted from the sermon. 
 
 Leading Characteristics 
 
 19. Among the qualities of character which made 
 Brainerd's life so largely fruitful, which is named first ? 
 
 20. What is the second characteristic named ? 
 
 21. Name the other qualities referred to. 
 
 22. Repeat, in substance, what is said regardine 
 Brainerd's prayer-life. 
 
 Influence of his Memoirs 
 
 23. Among those influenced by Brainerd's Memoirs, 
 who are named? Give, in substance, what was said by 
 Robertson and Gordon. 
 
David Brainerd 83 
 
 24. Memorize the quotations from Wesley. 
 
 25. Do you agree with Wesley ? If so, why ? 
 
 References 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Edited by J. M. Sherwood» 
 New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co. $1.50. 
 
 Publicatio7is of Home Mission Boards on Work Among 
 the Indians. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Consider- 
 ation AND Discussion 
 
 1. The Chief Features of Brainerd's Missionary 
 Experiences at Crossweeksung. 
 
 See pages 40-61. 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages 204-250. 
 
 2. Difficulties met by Brainerd in the prosecution of his 
 work. 
 
 Pages 1-8 1. 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages 153-191. 
 
 3. Doctrines on which Brainerd preached. 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages 203, 261-267. 
 
 4. Leading Traits of Brainerd's Character. How may 
 they be reproduced in our own lives ? 
 
 Pages 66-76. 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages xxiii-li., 
 
 344-354- 
 
 5. Remarkable Conversions Among the Indians. 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Sherwood. Pages 251-276. 
 
 6. Our own Denominational Work Among the Indians. 
 Publications of your De7iominational Home Mission 
 
 Board on Work Among the Indians. 
 

I have now put my hand to the 
 plow! O, Lord, may I never 
 t'arn back, never regret this 
 step. It is my desire to live, 
 to labor, to die, as A kind of 
 PIONEER in advancing the 
 Gospel. I feel a most 
 heavenly joy when my heart 
 is engaged in this work. 
 
 — John Mason Peck 
 
 JOHN MASON PECK 
 
Chronological List of Events in 
 Peck's Life 
 
 1789. Born at Litchfield South Farms, Litchfield, Conn- 
 ecticut, October 31. 
 
 181 1. Removed to Windham, Greene County, New York. 
 
 1812. Licensed to preach. 
 
 1813. Ordained at Catskill, New York. 
 
 1814-16. Pastor Baptist Church at Amenia, Duchess 
 County, New York. 
 
 1817-26. Itinerant missionary in Missouri and Illinois. 
 
 1826. Secured funds for the founding of a Theological 
 Seminary, at Rock Spring, Illinois. 
 
 1829. Began the publication of The Pioneer, the first 
 Baptist journal published in the west. 
 
 1830-31. Principal of Theological Seminary, Rock Spring, 
 Illinois. 
 
 1832. Published the Emigrant's Guide ; began the publi- 
 cation of a monthly Sunday school paper. 
 
 1835. Aided in founding Shurtleff College, at Upper Alton, 
 
 Illinois. 
 
 1836. Aided in establishing a Theological Seminary at 
 
 Covington, Kentucky. 
 
 1837. Pastor at Rock Spring, Illinois. 
 
 1843-45. Corresponding Secretary American Baptist Pub- 
 lication Society. Wrote Life of Daniel Boone. 
 Edited the Annals of the West. 
 
 1849. Organized the first German church at St. Louis. 
 
 1853, 54. Pastor at Covington, Kentucky. 
 
 1858. Died at Rock Spring, Illinois, March 15. 
 
 86 
 
Ill 
 
 JOHN MASON PECK 
 
 Few counties in America have made such rich Litchfield 
 
 contributions to the moral and rehgious life of ^^^^^y- 
 
 . Connecticut 
 
 the nation, as Litchfield County, Connecticut. 
 
 There Lyman Beecher was a pastor for sixteen 
 years. There Henry Ward Beecher, Harriet 
 Beecher Stowe and other members of the 
 Beecher family were born. There, too, was 
 the boyhood home of Horace Bushnell. In 
 that county, also, at Litchfield South Farms, 
 on October 31, 1789, in a simple, humble, 
 Puritan home, John Mason Peck was born. 
 
 There he lived for eighteen years, struggling Boyhood 
 against the limitations of poverty and having 
 meager educational opportunities. In winter 
 he attended the common school. His course 
 of study was limited to spelling, reading, writ- 
 ing and a few simple lessons in arithmetic. 
 Occasionally a geographical or historical work 
 was used as the basis of a reading lesson. 
 Geography had not yet been introduced. 
 Grammar was not taught, the scholars being 
 
 87 
 
88 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Aspirations expected to learn English by imitating their 
 teachers. 
 
 Early there came to him the impression that 
 he ought to devote his life to building up the 
 Kingdom of Christ. His outlook was unprom- 
 ising. He had but few friends. He was poor, 
 uncultivated, and the chief support of his infirm 
 parents. Young men were not aided then as 
 now, in their preparation for the ministry. As 
 he dwelt on his limitations and circumstances 
 he said : " No, no ; this can never be — I must 
 abide in the useful calling of husbandry, and 
 serve God in a private station." He held to this 
 determination a long time. Often, however, 
 he seemed to hear the message of the Master : 
 If thou lovest me, feed my sheep. 
 Earnest He was married on May 8, 1809. Two 
 Christians Y^^^^ l^ter he moved to Windham, Green 
 County, New York, where he found a cottage 
 in a deep gorge near the head of a mountain 
 stream. Soon after his arrival at Windham he 
 united with the Baptist church. Hearing that 
 meetings were being held at the Baptist church 
 at New Durham, New York, live miles from 
 his home, he decided one Sunday morning 
 to attend the service. The decision proved 
 momentous. He relates his experience in this 
 
John Mason Peck 89 
 
 delightful sketch : " My wife and I arrived at 
 the place of worship before any of the members 
 who lived near by made their appearance. As 
 they dropped in one after another, they greeted 
 us with a hearty welcome, inquiring if we were 
 Baptists. The facts being stated, the welcomes 
 became more cordial than before, and conversa- 
 tion on religious subjects occupied the time 
 until the pastor arrived, which, according to 
 usage, was rather late. The brethren introduced 
 us to the pastor before he had time to take his 
 seat by the rough pulpit behind which he stood 
 to preach the Gospel to an attentive congrega- 
 tion." They were made acquainted with nearly 
 all who were present. This mode of reception 
 was not unusual with the plain congregations 
 of that time. A few Sabbaths later Peck and 
 his wife were baptized in a quiet mountain 
 stream that threaded its way through a pictur- 
 esque dell. 
 
 These warm-hearted members of the church Callto 
 at New Durham, with their pastor, pressed him ^i^^^^try 
 to devote his life to the ministry. Only to 
 Peck himself was the fact known that from the 
 hour he became a Christian this subject had 
 been on his mind. He tried to excuse himself 
 from considering the matter, but unsuccess- 
 
90 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 fully. At a covenant meeting held in the union 
 school house at Durham, on October 12, 1811, 
 he was requested to declare his views on his 
 obligation to preach the Gospel. He briefly- 
 related his experiences and submitted the entire 
 matter to the church, asking for a prayerful 
 and impartial consideration of it. "In a few 
 minutes a brother called me in," said Peck, 
 " when I learned that the church had voted to 
 have me ' improve my gift,' as they expressed 
 it, within their limits, until they gained evidence 
 of my call to, and qualifications for, the work 
 of the Christian ministry. They also voted that 
 I conduct the meeting and speak to the con- 
 gregation in the afternoon of the next day. All 
 this, I learned afterward, was in accordance with 
 the old Baptist practice, especially in country 
 churches. I was not wholly unprepared; at 
 various times I had drawn up plans of dis- 
 courses from texts of Scripture." Christian mis- 
 sions had a pre-eminent place in his thoughts. 
 The next day, before a large congregation, 
 he made his first address on a Scripture text, 
 Mark 16: 15. At the close he thought that no 
 temptation or disappointment would ever cause 
 him to doubt that God had called him to the 
 ministry. 
 
John Mason Peck 91 
 
 In the churches of those days the Lord of ^®®^^°s 
 the harvest was often asked to thrust forth Ministry 
 laborers. Members were alert to find out 
 who were qualified and who were called. His 
 own experience, and the need of the times for 
 men able to teach the fundamental truths of the 
 Christian faith, led Peck to believe that churches 
 should seek for the ministry not only young 
 men, but men in middle life. It was also his 
 conviction that if one were really called to the 
 Christian ministry, he would not wait until the 
 church invited him, but would go into some 
 destitute field, and by his industry support him- 
 self and family while he proceeded to found a 
 church, after the custom of pioneer preachers of 
 the Gospel. 
 
 He so promptly and so earnestly stirred up At CatskiU, 
 his gift by conducting Gospel meetings in the ^®^ ^°^ 
 neighborhood that the church at New Durham 
 licensed him to preach. Then he was asked 
 to visit a small church at Catskill. There 
 he found church members neither united nor 
 aggressive, but he conducted services there 
 until the Spring of 1812. He resolved to make 
 his home at Catskill ; to preach at the Baptist 
 church when no other pastor was available ; and 
 to conduct a school as a partial means of support. 
 
92 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Spirit and Xhe meetings of the Catskill church were 
 held at the homes of members and occasionally 
 at the court house. Peck did not receive a 
 salary, but, instead, the whole of the "penny 
 collection." He actually received less than 
 four dollars a month, although he conducted 
 three or four services each week. Against this 
 meager support he offered no protest. "The 
 entries in his journal at this time," says Rufus 
 Babcock, his biographer, "breathe a pure and 
 excellent spirit. One cannot read his diary with- 
 out being deeply impressed with his fervency, 
 his devotedness to God, to his Saviour, and his 
 abiding sense of his dependence on Him." He 
 had ardent desires for entire conformity to Christ. 
 Missionary In the Summer of 1813 he received an issue 
 of ^he Baptist Missionary Magazine, It con- 
 tained an interesting article on missionary effort 
 in India. After reading it he regretted that he 
 was unqualified for work in pagan lands, but 
 was comforted by the thought that at home he 
 might find opportunity for evangelistic zeal. 
 "A large part of the American continent is also 
 enveloped in darkness," he wrote. " Yes, under 
 the immediate government of the United States 
 there is an open field for missionary labor. 
 How I should rejoice if Providence should 
 
John Mason Peck 93 
 
 open the door for my usefulness and labors In 
 this way ! . . . . O ! that I might first learn 
 to perform the duties that come within my 
 reach, and not presume to think that I should 
 be more faithful in another part of the vine- 
 yard!" Recognizing the immensity of the 
 opportunity for home evangelization and la- 
 menting his unpreparedness for the sublime 
 task to which his Master was calling him, he 
 resolved to increase his fitness. 
 
 His income at Catskill being insufficient to At Amenia, 
 meet the growing demands of his family, he ^®^^ ^^^^ 
 became pastor of the Baptist church at Amenia, 
 Duchess County, N. Y. While there he heard 
 an address by the Rev. Luther Rice, in the interest 
 of missions, which considerably strengthened his 
 desire to give his life to the mission cause. 
 
 With Mr. Rice he made a tour among Growing 
 churches in Central New York, for the purpose f^'^'^^^^^^^^^^ 
 of promoting missionary zeal, during which his 
 resolve was still further intensified. At one 
 point where Peck gave a solemn and affecting 
 address on missions, the tears, sobs and groans 
 of the audience indicated the workings of the 
 Spirit of God. "When 1 reflect," he says, 
 "that but a few years since, this country was 
 but one vast wilderness, and proper mission- 
 
94 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 ary ground, I must exclaim, ' What hath God 
 wrought ! ' " 
 
 Special He was moved, particularly, by the need of 
 evangelistic effort within the vast section in- 
 cluded in the Louisiana Purchase. He offered 
 himself* for that work, and spent several months 
 in Philadelphia, in special study, for the pur- 
 pose of better qualifying himself for a life-long 
 missionary crusade. 
 Reads At this time he began to read the Memoirs 
 
 Tour ai ^ David Brainerd. The record of Brainerd's 
 complete devotion to Christ and his unabating 
 zeal for the salvation of the Indians, fired the 
 soul of Peck with new ardor. These words he 
 placed in his journal : '' Oh I what would I 
 not be willing to do or suffer if I could live 
 as devotedly as this eminent servant of God! 
 His piety and devotedness to the cause of 
 Christ affect me so much that frequently I 
 shut up the book and indulge myself in 
 
 meditation and prayer 1 feel not merely 
 
 to submit to the hardships of a missionary life, 
 but ardently long to enter the field." 
 Crowded Nearly every Sabbath, and frequently during 
 ^^^^ the week, while he was at Philadelphia, he 
 was engaged in evangelistic work. Though 
 these activities interfered somewhat with his 
 
John Mason Peck 95 
 
 studies, they were on the whole beneficial to 
 him. He developed his gift as an extempo- 
 raneous speaker and gained a deeper knowl- 
 edge of the human heart. By the request of 
 Mr. Rice he visited churches and associations, 
 and gave addresses before missionary societies 
 at their anniversaries, for the purpose of awak- 
 ening interest in behalf of world-wide evangel- 
 ization. 
 
 He outlined a scheme for his daily guidance Methodical 
 throughout the winter. These were features of ^^^^^s 
 it: Early rising; private prayer; an hour 
 daily for Bible study; regular theological 
 studies; attendance on medical lectures; study 
 of the classics; and further study of the Bible. 
 He firmly decided that he would let nothing 
 interfere with his plan for secret prayer. In 
 addition to this full schedule, he gave on an 
 average three Gospel addresses each week; 
 visited prisons; held personal conversations 
 with the prisoners, and sought to help the poor 
 and ignorant of the city. 
 
 In May, 1817, a triennial missionary con- Epoch- 
 
 vention was held at Philadelphia. The action Making 
 
 . ^ . . Convention 
 
 of the delegates had an important bearmg on 
 
 Peck's future course. At this convention the 
 
 Board recommended a change in its constitu- 
 
g6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 tion, so that its work might include home 
 missions, and the education of missionaries. 
 Sections of America were incorporated with the 
 foreign field, and the home work was designated 
 as the " Domestic Mission." This decision 
 guaranteed the taking up of work in the west, 
 and gave Peck great joy. He was also gratified 
 by action taken, which insured the founding of 
 classical and theological seminaries for the 
 education of missionary pastors. " Never did I 
 see so heavenly a period in the cause of religion 
 as the present," he joyfully wrote. " Events of 
 the utmost importance are depending on the 
 developments of every hour. From first to 
 last the hand of God is clearly seen." Some 
 members of the convention made proposals rel- 
 ative to the domestic mission enterprise, which 
 gave him great concern. It was urged that the 
 work in America be limited to itinerant efforts 
 among weak churches, and in towns already 
 evangelized. Had this plan carried. Peck's 
 purpose would have been frustrated. He 
 did not wish to become a mere itinerant, 
 or to go out to work entirely in behalf of the 
 Indians. 
 Critical He was SO agitated by the discussion, and so 
 °^^^ concerned about the outcome of it, that he slept 
 
John Mason Peck 97 
 
 but little the night following. The next morn- 
 ing he realized that a crisis in his life had come 
 and expressed himself as follows : " This day I 
 suppose will decide my future prospects. How 
 solemn the thought that a few hours must 
 decide not only with respect to what I have 
 been pursuing for two years, but what relates to 
 my whole life in the future ! To God I will 
 commit the whole concern, believing that He 
 will order what is best for His Kingdom and 
 glory." At the close of the exciting day, he made 
 this record: "The long agony is over. The 
 Board have accepted Mr. Welsh and myself 
 as missionaries to the Missouri territory during 
 our and their pleasure. . . . From this moment 
 I consider myself most sacredly devoted to the 
 mission. O I Lord, may I live and die in the 
 cause." Like his great missionary predecessor, 
 Paul, he believed himself to be an apostle by 
 the will of God. He was ready to go forth, at 
 any cost of labor and self-sacrifice, to further the 
 cause to which he had unreservedly given 
 himself 
 
 He crowded with engagements the days that Breaking 
 preceded his journey westward. He made '^^^^ ^'^^^ 
 addresses at missionary anniversaries in Con- 
 necticut, Massachusetts and eastern New 
 
98 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 York; he formed several auxihary missionary 
 societies; he preached a sermon nearly every 
 day. Encouragements met him at every 
 step. At last the long watched for hour for 
 the momentous journey came. His parting 
 was pathetic. "Friday afternoon, July 25, 
 1817, saw a little one-horse wagon leaving the 
 door of Asa Peck, Litchfield, with its precious 
 freight. They had read the closing part of the 
 twentieth chapter of the Acts, had knelt down and 
 prayed together, and with such sad farewells as 
 were almost overwhelming, our brother with 
 his little family set forth on their journey of 
 more than twelve hundred miles, not expecting 
 
 to meet again on earth The mother said : 
 
 ' If the Lord hath need of him — only son as he 
 is, and we are growing old, let His will be 
 done. He gave, and though very precious to 
 us was this gift, yet if there is a needs be for the 
 sacrifice, God forbid that I should hinder his 
 devotedness to his Saviour and mine.' The 
 father yielded to his own overmastering sensi- 
 bilities, and as the little wagon drove from the 
 door, his loud outcries of grief were the last 
 sounds which fell on the ears of the departing 
 ones." On the following Sunday his aged 
 father and mother asked the congregation in the 
 
John Mason Peck 99 
 
 little New England church to pray for tlieir 
 beloved travelers. 
 
 Now, we go from New York to St. Louis Moving 
 in thirty hours and in great comfort. Then, estward 
 four months were required, and the trip was 
 marked by exposure, fatigue and danger. This 
 little missionary family were one month going 
 from Philadelphia through Pennsylvania and 
 over the Alleghany mountains. The journey 
 through Ohio required three weeks. During 
 the latter part of their pilgrimage they passed 
 through a wilderness one hundred and forty- 
 five miles in extent. When they reached Ken- 
 tucky and Illinois, they found many wretched 
 villages. The roads were poor. The rivers 
 had overflowed their banks, making it neces- 
 sary for the travelers to go through deep mud. 
 It was decided that Peck and his family should 
 take a small keel-boat for St. Louis, while 
 Welsh, his missionary associate, should remain 
 at Shawneetown and conduct religious meetings. 
 
 The boat in which Peck and his family em- in Peril of 
 barked was entirely inadequate. Their food Waters 
 supply was poor and insufficient. Their cook- 
 ing utensils were few. " Ours is destined to be 
 a life of privation, trial and hardship," he wrote. 
 "All this I anticipated before engaging in 
 
loo Heroes of the Cross 
 
 missionary work. I again begin to feel the 
 same devotion to the cause, and the same 
 wilhngness to be a sufferer, if that will advance 
 the cause of the Son of God, which used to 
 animate me." Their boat met adverse winds 
 and waves which threatened its destruction. 
 The captain, to secure food for his passengers, 
 went into the forest to shoot deer. For several 
 days he was lost. Meanwhile the life-boat 
 drifted away. Wind and water beat fiercely 
 against the keel-boat and the passengers feared 
 that it, also, would break away from its moor- 
 ings and be wrecked. 
 St. Louis Having conquered all opposing forces they 
 reached St. Louis. There they found nearly 
 all the houses and rooms occupied. The town 
 was without hotels and boarding-houses, except 
 a French tavern for farmers. Most of the 
 merchants lived in their stores and were their 
 own cooks. Even the largest dwelling houses 
 contained but two or three small rooms and 
 were one story high. Peck paid twelve dollars 
 monthly for one room which his family occupied. 
 A small room which Welsh secured for his 
 school, fourteen by sixteen feet, cost fourteen 
 dollars a month. Sugar sold for thirty cents a 
 pound; coffee for over sixty cents; and inferior 
 
John Mason Peck loi 
 
 flour was twelve dollars a barrel. Prices for 
 other food supplies were equally high. 
 
 Among the leading professional and business Moral 
 men, and civil and military officers, were a large Conditions 
 number, who, "for men of the world, and 
 destitute of any strong religious principles, were 
 not gross, but respectable. Some of them, in 
 1831, and at subsequent periods, made a pro- 
 fession of true religion, joined the Christian 
 church, and lived and died as Christian men 
 should do." There was another class far less 
 reputable. Peck stated that one-half, at least, 
 of the Anglo-American population were infidels 
 of a low, indecent grade, and utterly worthless. 
 Of this class he was unable to recall a single 
 person who was reclaimed from his evil life, or 
 who became a respected citizen. Foreign 
 emigration to the territory had not begun. 
 These Anglo-Americans despised and vilified 
 religion. They were vulgarly profane, even to 
 the worst forms of blasphemy. Their nightly 
 orgies were scenes of drunkenness and revelry. 
 Among the profane rites that they observed 
 were a mock celebration of the Lord's Supper 
 and the burning of the Bible. 
 
 The boast was made that the Sabbath never Sabbath 
 had crossed, and never should cross, the Desecration 
 
I02 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Mississippi. "The Sabbath was a day of 
 hilarity, as in all Roman Catholic countries. 
 Dances, billiards, cards and other sports made 
 the pastime. On the Sabbath the billiard rooms 
 were crowded with gamblers. In some of the 
 stores more trading was done than on any other 
 day of the week. Carts and wagons from the 
 country came to market and provisions were 
 sold at retail throughout the village." 
 Negroes St. Louis had a large negro population, of 
 whom but two had received religious instruc- 
 tion. On Sundays these negroes gathered in 
 an open square, danced, drank and fought. 
 One summer the Governor had to call out a 
 military company to suppress a Sunday riot. 
 Peck thought the character of the negroes "a 
 tolerably correct index to the character of the 
 white population." He found them to be imita- 
 tive of evilly disposed white people^ The im- 
 morality of the negroes led the missionaries 
 to make extraordinary efforts to reclaim them. 
 Bibles Through the exertion of a prominent layman 
 of St. Louis, a box of Bibles was obtained from 
 the Connecticut Bible society, and distributed 
 to families throughout the surrounding region. 
 Previously Bibles could not be obtained on the 
 frontier. Peck states that the only way a 
 
John Mason Peck 103 
 
 family had been able to secure a Bible was to 
 request a friend, on his way back to the eastern 
 states, to buy one and bring it with him in his 
 saddle bag. 
 
 Peck and his colleague, Welsh, rented a Evangelistic 
 school room and began teaching. On Sundays, ^gi^^^^g^ 
 they used this room for church services, and on 
 Wednesdays, for the mid-week prayer meeting. 
 In February, 1818, a small church was formed 
 and the following April several persons were 
 baptized. Three thousand dollars were secured 
 for a church building, a desirable site was 
 obtained and in June ground was broken. 
 
 To the lower grades of the day school which Public 
 they established, children were admitted regard- ^^ ^^^ ^°*^ 
 less of their ability to pay tuition. Peck 
 began a series of popular lectures on elementary ' 
 subjects which were largely attended. A Sun- 
 day school was opened for negro children and 
 nearly one hundred were enrolled. Several 
 members of the school were converted. " Most 
 of these colored people were slaves; and al- 
 though the missionaries were careful to admit 
 none without permission of their masters, yet 
 when the religious influence began to manifest 
 itself among them, the sons of Belial began to 
 sound out notes of remonstrance and alarm, 
 
I04 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 and some were withdrawn from the school." It 
 was the hope of Peck that all Protestant Chris- 
 tians might be led to unite in an effort to 
 advance the cause of Christ. To this end 
 monthly missionary concerts were regularly 
 held. In addition to conducting these, and 
 other regular services at St. Louis, the mis- 
 sionaries visited destitute settlements, both nearby 
 and remote, and filled preaching engagements. 
 First Peck's description of his first visit to Illinois 
 ^^^^°Tour contains much that is of striking interest. He 
 found that the churches there required a unani- 
 mous vote on all matters relating to fellowship. 
 " This was called ' working by oneness,' " said 
 Peck, "and one selfish or headstrong man or 
 woman could keep the church in a state of 
 turmoil for a twelvemonth — an admirable 
 method of keeping the ' unity of the spirit in 
 the bond of peace !'.... Upon the open- 
 ing of a meeting, the first question was to 
 inquire whether all were in peace. This always 
 meant, ' Now, brethren, think over your griev° 
 ances and hurts, and see if you can furnish any 
 cause for complaint against a brother or sister.' 
 It is astonishing to notice what trifling things 
 made these 'hurts' — as this was the slang term 
 to express their grievances. The most frivolous 
 
John Mason Peck 105 
 
 and insignificant charges would get into the 
 church through this back door." These quarrel- 
 some churches were short-lived, but the effect 
 of the spirit indulged was to hinder for a long 
 time the growth of Christianity. While on 
 this tour, Peck made inquiries respecting the 
 condition of the schools. He learned that 
 most of the teachers were inefficient and the 
 schools injurious. Occasionally he came upon 
 a well-conducted school, in charge of an ex- 
 perienced teacher. He also sought and visited 
 Baptist families. 
 
 One family, on whom he decided to call, A Typical 
 
 lived off the main road. He could reach their ^°°^®^ 
 
 Home 
 
 home only by going through what was called 
 a "hurricane," a tract of timber over which a 
 tornado had passed. This area extended about 
 three miles. It was with extreme difficulty that 
 he made his way across fallen trees, some of 
 them large oaks two or three feet in diameter, 
 many of them twisted from the stump and 
 splintered for fifteen or twenty feet. These lay 
 in every direction. For two hours he worked 
 his way through this trackless jungle, and 
 finally reached his destination. "The mem- 
 bers of this family," he says, " were specimens of 
 the squatter race found on the extreme frontier 
 
io6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 in early times." Peck gives this intensely inter- 
 esting description of what he found : 
 
 A single log cabin of the most primitive structure was 
 situated at some distance within the corn field. In and 
 around it were the patriarchal head and his wife, two 
 married daughters and their husbands, with three or four 
 little children, and a son and a daughter grown up to man- 
 hood and womanhood. The old man said he could read, but 
 ' mighty poorly.' The old woman said she wanted a • hyme ' 
 book, but could not read one. The rest of this romantic 
 household had no use for books or ' any such trash. ' I had 
 introduced myself as a Baptist preacher, traveling through 
 the country preaching the Gospel to the people. The old 
 man and his wife were Baptists, at least had been mem- 
 bers of some Baptist church when they lived ' in the settle- 
 ments.' The 'settlements,' with this class in those days, 
 meant the back part of Virginia and the Carolinas, and 
 in some instances the older sections of Kentucky and Ten- 
 nessee, where they had lived in their earlier days. But 
 it was a mighty poor chance for Baptist preaching where 
 they lived. The old man could tell me of a Baptist 
 meeting he had been at on the St. Francois, and could 
 direct me to Elder Farrar's residence near St. Michael. 
 The old woman and the young folks had not even seen a 
 Baptist preacher since they had lived in the territory — 
 some eight or ten years. Occasionally they had been to 
 a Methodist meeting. This was the condition of a numer- 
 ous class of people scattered over the frontier settlements 
 of Missouri. The traveling missionary was received with 
 all the hospitality the old people had the ability or knew 
 how to exercise. The younger class were shy and kept out 
 of the cabin, and could not be persuaded to come in and 
 hear the missionary read the Scriptures and offer a prayer. 
 
 There was evidence of backwardness, or some other 
 propensity, attending all the domestic arrangements. It 
 was nine o'clock when I reached the squatter's cabin, and 
 
John Mason Peck 107 
 
 yet no preparation had been made for breakfast. The 
 beds, such as they were, remained in the same condition as 
 when the lodgers first crawled from their nests in the 
 morning. The young women appeared listless. Not a 
 table, chair, or any article of furniture could be seen. 
 These deficiencies were common on the frontier; for 
 emigrations from the settlements were often made on pack- 
 horses, and no domestic conveniences could be transported, 
 except the most indispensable cooking-utensils, bedding, 
 and a change or two of clothing. . . . Our landlady having 
 nothing in the shape of a table substituted a box. On this 
 she spread a cloth that might have answered any other pur- 
 pose than a table cloth. The table furniture was various. 
 For knives, three or four hunting knives answered. The 
 plates were broken, or melted pewter ones, except a single 
 earthern one with a notch broken out, which, with a broken 
 fork, was placed for the stranger to nse. . . . The viands now 
 only need description to complete this accurate picture of 
 real squatter life. The rancid bacon when boiled could 
 have been detected by a foetid atmosphere across the yard, 
 had there been one. The snap-beans, as an accompaniment, 
 were not half boiled. The sour milk taken from the churn, 
 where the milk was kept throughout the whole season, as 
 it came from the cow, was 'no go.' The article on which 
 the traveler made a hearty breakfast, past ten o'clock in 
 the morning, was the corn, boiled in fair water. Accord- 
 ing to universal custom among the squatter race, the men 
 ate first, the women followed, and if the company were 
 numerous, the youngsters and children followed in regular 
 succession. We give this as a fair specimen of hundreds of 
 families scattered over the extreme frontier settlement in 
 1818-19. 
 
 In 1818, the missionaries at St. Louis organ- Missionaries 
 
 ized a society, embracing all denominations in Organize 
 
 Illinois and Missouri. It was the first society 
 
 for philanthropic or missionary purposes organ- 
 
io8 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 ized west of the Mississippi. Its object, in the 
 words of Peck, was to aid in spreading the 
 Gospel and in promoting common schools in 
 the western part of America, both among the 
 whites and the Indians. The prosecution of this 
 plan for three years resulted in the establishment 
 of over fifty schools in Missouri and Illinois, 
 in the place of schools conducted by drunken 
 and illiterate teachers. "Thus in educational 
 as in spiritual lines," says the Rev. Howard B. 
 Grose, " Peck proved himself a man of pro- 
 found insight into the needs of the west, if a 
 Christian citizenship and civilization of true 
 and high type were to be developed. He rec- 
 ognized the essential relation between the 
 Christian school and the home and the church, 
 and gave careful attention to all three as the 
 sources of an intelligent and vital Christianity; 
 and he realized the urgent need of an educated 
 ministry in a day when many regarded educa- 
 tion as unnecessary, if not a snare. It meant 
 much to the new section to have as leader one 
 whose vision was as broad as his spirit of initia- 
 tive was alert and powerful." 
 Toilsome The years 1817 to 1836 were crowded 
 °"^^ with long, laborious missionary expeditions. 
 In his efforts to evangelize his great parish he 
 
John Mason Peck 109 
 
 was indefatigable. Frequently these tours were 
 made extremely difficult by the untoward con- 
 dition of the roads and by overflowing creeks 
 and rivers. It being necessary for Peck to 
 cross a creek which was flooded, his host, with 
 an ox team, drew to the watercourse a large 
 trough. The missionaries and their baggage 
 were put in this improvised canoe, and their 
 horses were forced to swim across the river by 
 the side of it. 
 
 He met pastors who strongly opposed mis- Anti-mis- 
 sions. They were obstinate and did not recog- ^^^^ Pastors 
 nize individual responsibility. In consequence 
 of their views they were prayerless, objected to 
 the use of means in the conversion of men, and 
 denied the necessity of sending the Gospel 
 to the destitute. At one meeting they passed a 
 resolution debarring from a seat any one who 
 was a member of a missionary society. One of 
 their number was asked to state clearly his 
 objection to missionarieSo His reply was: "We 
 don't care any thing about them missionaries 
 that's gone amongst them heathens 'way off 
 yonder. But what do they come among us 
 for? We don't want them here in Illinois." 
 The moderator answered : " We live in a free 
 country, and Baptist churches love liberty. 
 
no Heroes of the Cross 
 
 We need not give them money unless we 
 choose, and we are not obhged to hear them 
 preach if we do not Hke them. Come, Brother 
 J n, let the church know your real objec- 
 tions." The reply was : " Well, if you must 
 know, brother moderator, you know the big 
 trees in the woods overshadow the little ones ; 
 and these missionaries will all be great and 
 learned men, and the people will all go to hear 
 them preach, and we shall all be put down. 
 That's the objection." 
 Southern Qn a visit to Southern Missouri, Peck 
 slept the first night on a buffalo skin. He said 
 that the puncheon-floor with the skin for a bed 
 and a saddle tree for a pillow, furnished no mean 
 lodging in those frontier times. Such physical 
 discomforts were of minor importance in com- 
 parison with the forces of evil against which he 
 fought. At one place he secured sixty dol- 
 lars with a promise of one hundred and fifty dol- 
 lars in addition, for the purpose of engaging a 
 pastor. Some members of the church were apa- 
 thetic and covetous, however, and the minority, 
 who had pledged the money and whose spirit 
 was excellent, were overshadowed. The majority, 
 in Peck's view, were under the influence of the 
 evil one. " These men, who were blinded, like 
 
John Mason Peck iii 
 
 the persecutors of Christ, at a meeting after my 
 
 departure voted that the subscription papers be 
 
 brought forward and burnt. I regret this," writes 
 
 Peck, " as the first overt act by the anti-mission 
 
 faction in Missouri." The older people, who 
 
 strongly opposed this unjust action, endured their 
 
 severe trial meekly and patiently. The church 
 
 decayed. 
 
 Most of the people he met were indifferent to ignorance 
 
 Christianity. Not many could read. Only a ^°^ 
 
 Aoathv 
 few had Bibles. Not a family knew the 
 
 name of a missionary. They could not under- 
 stand why ministers should leave their own pas- 
 torates to preach the Gospel in destitute sections. 
 Schools were scarce. A half-savage life appeared 
 to Peck to be the choice of the people. Not all 
 were of this class. He found some who exerted 
 themselves to improve their own condition 
 and that of their neighbors, by conducting Bible 
 classes and Sunday schools. On his return, De- 
 cember 6, 1818, he preached a missionary sermon 
 on the text, Mark 16 : 19-20, and secured a con- 
 tribution for missionary work within the territory. 
 It was the first sermon preached in St. Louis for 
 the securing of an offering for missions. 
 
 Peck strongly approved of the itinerant: circuit 
 preaching system, believing it to be economical, Pleaching 
 
112 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 sensible, and effective. Through it tlie needs 
 of the destitute were met and weak churches 
 were strengthened. He called it an apostolic 
 mode, adapted to the circumstances of new and 
 sparsely settled districts. 
 • Another pj^ next made a two months' tour on the 
 north side of the Missouri river. Members of 
 his family were ill, but he had made appoint- 
 ments and resolved to go forward. He believed 
 an itinerant missionary should take this course 
 and trust his family to the care of God. He 
 stated that he had never been disappointed when 
 he had thus exercised faith in his heavenly 
 Father. 
 Daniel On this journey he met Daniel Boone, the 
 °^^^ famous Kentucky hunter and pioneer. During 
 their conversation, Boone spoke solemnly 
 about being a creature of Providence and 
 said he believed he had been designed by 
 heaven as a pioneer in the wilderness for the 
 advancement of civilization and the extension 
 of the country. 
 
 Indian Xhe lives of the early settlers were made 
 Persecution . , , , r t t r-.i 
 
 precarious by the attacks oi Indians. Ihe 
 
 Indians stole into settlements, took away large 
 
 numbers of horses, robbed residents of other 
 
 property and frequently committed murder. 
 
John Mason Peck 113 
 
 The "Boone's Lick Country," where many of 
 their attacks were made, was not recognized as 
 a part of the territory of Missouri, therefore the 
 residents fought in their own behalf. Some of 
 the pioneer residents of Kentucky built forts for 
 the protection of the people. They were not 
 used as residences, except when there was a 
 liability of an encounter with the Indians. 
 Scouts paroled the forests and surrounding settle- 
 ments, were on the lookout for Indians and 
 strove to protect the stock of the inhabitants. 
 
 In the homes of most of the people books Books 
 were exceedingly scarce. A few families, how- 
 ever, had good libraries, but they were little 
 used. Peck's discovery of one of Goldsmith's 
 works, and other valuable books, is noted as an 
 event. Literature was unknown in many of 
 the log cabins. The settlers were so busily 
 engaged in farming, in land speculation, and in 
 other pursuits for the securing of a livelihood, 
 that they gave but little thought to the cultiva- 
 tion of their minds. 
 
 The environment of many early settlers was Destitute 
 deplorable and depressing. Peck found one Homes 
 cabin, twelve feet square, having a floor of 
 earth. In it eight persons lived. The wild deer 
 skins which clothed them were covered with 
 
114 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 grease and dirt. The prayer offered by Peck 
 was the first prayer the young people of the 
 family had heard. These children, and the 
 children of many other families, had grown into 
 manhood and womanhood without mental 
 or moral discipline. Many parents, Peck said, 
 made no effort whatever to discipline their 
 children, or to restrain their passions. 
 Mission A Strong anti-mission sentiment on the part 
 J. , °^^ of members of some of the churches, resulting 
 
 Dissolved In active hostility to missionary effort at home 
 and abroad; erroneous reports on the necessity 
 of missionary work within the bounds of the 
 Louisiana purchase ; and a wrong supposition 
 that missionaries were rapidly going to the 
 territory, led the Board of Missions in Philadel- 
 phia to close the western mission, in 1820. 
 Welch was requested to go on with his work in 
 St. Louis as a private minister. Peck was 
 asked to remove to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and 
 there join the Rev. Mr. McCoy in work among 
 the Indians. 
 
 Suffering It was a time of great sorrow and perplexity 
 to Peck. The sudden ending of his three years' 
 relation to the Missionary Board surprised and 
 shocked him. His oldest son, a boy of great 
 promise, died. Two days later his brother-ir- 
 
John Mason Peck 115 
 
 law died. Peck himself was severely ill for 
 a long period. Chastened by these great afflic- 
 tions, he took up his missionary and evangelistic 
 work with renewed zeal. 
 
 In a full statement which he made on pre- Facts 
 vailing conditions, he said that but one Baptist ^^^^^^ 
 preacher had emigrated to Missouri, since his 
 own arrival there three years before. Not more 
 than two or three had gone to Illinois. The 
 region was deplorably destitute. He spoke of 
 his own sphere as widening and said that he 
 was unable to visit even one-half of the destitute 
 churches and settlements that pleaded for the 
 Gospel. 
 
 The Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Society New 
 appointed him as their first representative in the ^®^^^^^^" 
 territory, with an allowance of five dollars a 
 week. This small compensation relieved him 
 from considerable anxiety respecting finances. 
 
 In the winter of 1823 he was distressed by Opposition 
 the opposition of many ministers to missionary 
 effort. Their attitude grieved him. Peck 
 states that a conspiracy was formed to put down 
 missionaries. The cause of it, he believed, was 
 the fear on the part of some of the ministers 
 that their influence would decrease if missionaries 
 came in. "Their influence must be small, 
 
ii6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 indeed," was his comment. He read through 
 his personal diary for 1815-16, in which he had 
 pledged himself to submit to all the hardships 
 involved in the life of a missionary, and in 
 which he also stated that, if necessary, he would 
 submit to impeachment of his motives, and 
 the casting out of his name as evil. 
 optimistic Hq rejoiced in his work, and prosecuted it 
 with satisfaction. Obstacles did not dishearten 
 him, or quench his ardor. He took, rather, 
 this sane view of his trials : " I might dwell on 
 the difficulties attendant on an itinerating life, 
 as absence from home, exposure to sickness, 
 storms, cold, mud, swimming rivers, and not 
 infrequently rough fare — but these are trifles, 
 not worthy of one moment's anxious concern. 
 To live and labor for Him who died for 
 the redemption of man, is the highest favor 
 which we need seek after in this transitory 
 life." 
 A On one of his circuits Peck found a woman, 
 merge ^^lo^ with eight members of her family, had 
 lived fourteen years in the wilderness, without 
 any religious instruction. During that time 
 she had heard only four sermons. When 
 he told her that he was a minister, she was so 
 affected that she wept and was speechless. Her 
 
John Mason Peck 117 
 
 children had grown up in ignorance of the 
 Scripture, causing her great sorrow of heart. 
 
 Bibles were scarce. Consequently he planned Bible 
 to form societies for their distribution and was °^^®^^®^ 
 appointed an agent of the American Bible 
 Society. He addressed many important meet- 
 ings, leaving at the places visited copies of the 
 Bible to be given out by local managers. He 
 led teachers to use the New Testament as a 
 text-book, and on one tour succeeded in having 
 it introduced in five public schools. He was 
 convinced that the placing of Bibles in homes 
 would overcome prejudice against missions. 
 
 There were formidable difficulties. Occa- Varied 
 sionally, through unbelief or lukewarmness, his '^^^^^^ 
 efforts to organize Bible societies were strongly 
 opposed. Then, too, after he had made appoint- 
 ments for Bible society meetings and anniver- 
 saries, and had set out on long pilgrimages over 
 bad roads, overflowing creeks and bridgeless 
 streams, he would find upon his arrival that 
 through the carelessness of officers of local soci- 
 eties, the meetings had not been arranged. But 
 indifference, false reports, antagonistic conditions, 
 did not cause him to lose heart. As he looked 
 back over his missionary life he had no regrets : 
 ** Though my lot is not what 1 expected, yet I 
 
ii8 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 have hitherto been enabled to act on the great 
 principle I adopted at first, namely, that my 
 time, property, talents, family, body, soul and 
 all that I have and am, are sacredly consecrated 
 to the missionary cause, as God's providence may 
 order and direct." 
 Vigorous On one tour, lasting forty-five days, he rode 
 on horseback eight hundred and thirty miles, 
 preached twenty-seven times, formed five Bible 
 societies, attended four Baptist associations, two 
 Methodist camp-meetings, besides making a 
 number of addresses and preparing the way for 
 other Bible societies. On another route he rode 
 over three hundred miles. "This circuit," he 
 said, " is suitable for an active missionary in this 
 country to ride over in one month, and preach 
 thirty times, besides keeping alive Bible societies 
 and Sunday schools and looking after the dis- 
 cipline of the churches." The diligence with 
 which he prosecuted his work is shown by these 
 brief summaries. Here is his resume of another 
 expedition : " I have been absent from home 
 fifty-three days; have traveled through eighteen 
 counties in Illinois, and nine in Indiana, ridden 
 nine hundred and twenty-six miles, preached 
 thirty-one times, besides delivering several 
 speeches, addresses and lectures. I have been 
 
John Mason Peck iig 
 
 enabled to revive three Bible societies ; to es- 
 tablish seven new societies ; to visit and give 
 instruction and encouragement in the manage- 
 ment of two societies formed without my aid ; 
 and to provide for the formation of four others. 
 I have aided in forming three Sabbath school 
 societies and in opening several schools where 
 no societies existed, and improved many import- 
 ant opportunities to aid the great cause in various 
 ways." 
 
 After six years of solitary work in the great An 
 
 west, he decided that it would benefit the cause ^^^^^^^ 
 
 . . . Tour 
 
 if he visited churches in New England and 
 
 New York for the purpose of reporting what 
 had been achieved and what new enterprises 
 ought to be undertaken. There is good author- 
 ity for the statement that he was the first, who, 
 from minute and thorough general knowledge, 
 appealed to the Baptist churches of the east 
 to come promptly and energetically to the help 
 of their less favored brethren of the west. 
 
 He began his difficult trip east on February Broad 
 22, 1826, traveling on horseback to Cincinnati, ^^^^^ 
 a distance of three hundred and forty-eight 
 miles. At a meeting of the Baptist Missionary 
 Society, he offered a plan for home missionary 
 work, adapted to the needs of the west. It was 
 
T20 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 adopted. He was audiorized to raise tne need- 
 ed funds to carry it out. " Let me stop," said 
 he, "to acknowledge the divine goodness in 
 disposing these excellent brethren to enter with 
 so much spirit and life into the business. O, 
 for God's blessing to follow I" In view of 
 Peck's wide experience in the great region 
 assigned him, the sketch of his plan is of deep 
 interest. He proposed: First, a system of 
 circuit preaching for the states of Missouri, 
 Illinois, and Indiana, giving to each circuit 
 preacher to be employed, an average sum of 
 $100 per annum, the remainder of his support 
 to be secured on his field. Second, an efficient 
 preacher and teacher to be secured at St. Louis 
 who would be able, it was thought, partly to 
 sustain himself by the income of a school, 
 and steadily supply the church in that import- 
 ant city. Third, the founding of a theological 
 school in Illinois for all these states, where 
 young men, approved as preachers, might have 
 intellectual training, and be aided also in pre- 
 paring themselves for the pastorate. 
 Publishes a Peck had a growing conviction that a 
 ^^^^ religious newspaper would greatly assist him. 
 He believed that such a periodical would 
 counteract the evil influence of scurrilous 
 
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 o 
 
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 o 
 
 H 
 
John Mason Peck 
 
 121 
 
 pamphlets that were circulated. On April 2 C, 
 1828, the first number, called T'he Pioneer, 
 appeared. 
 
 His heart was gladdened by revivals in many Encourage- 
 churches in the Missouri association. As a "lentsMuiti* 
 partial outcome of the revivals, several young ^^'^"^ 
 men offered themselves for the Christian 
 ministry. His appeals for Christian workers for 
 the west were heartily responded to by several 
 students from the Hamilton Theological Institu- 
 tion, New York, and they sent him letters filled 
 with sympathy and good cheer. Other eastern 
 friends began to manifest more interest than 
 before. One of these ardent sympathizers and 
 helpers was Dr. Jonathan Going, of Worcester, 
 Massachusetts. In 1 83 1 , Dr. Going spent nearly 
 three months with Peck, considering the problem, 
 "How can the great work of home evangeli- 
 zation be most efficiently promoted ? " " They 
 traveled togedier by day and night, in sunshine 
 and in storm, through Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, 
 and Kentucky. They conferred with all the 
 more intelligent ministers and laymen; attended 
 associations, churches, camp-meetings, and all 
 other gatherings of Baptists, as far as practicable; 
 inquired and consulted, wept and prayed and 
 rejoiced together; and finally, just before they 
 
122 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 parted in September following, at Shelbyville, 
 Kentucky, there occurs the following note in 
 Mr. Peck's journal : ' Here we agreed on the 
 plan of the American Baptist Home Missionary 
 Society.'" 
 Seminary Xhe fatigue and exposure of former years 
 Alton began now to affect his health. The seminary 
 which had been established at Upper Alton, 
 Illinois, was a constant care. Buildings were 
 needed. Teachers of varied capacities and 
 temperaments were to be kept harmoniously at 
 work. The reputation of the seminary was to 
 be heightened. An endowment fund of not less 
 than twenty-five thousand dollars, the trustees 
 decided, was required for the successful prosecu- 
 tion of the important enterprise. Peck was 
 appointed one of two agents to secure funds. 
 Before visiting the east for that purpose, he 
 gave a farewell address in the African Baptist 
 church in St. Louis. The members, most of 
 whom were slaves, made a free-will offering of 
 thirty dollars toward the expenses of his trip. 
 Patience On this mission he had many trying and 
 discouraging experiences. These he bore 
 patiently. A friend says that one of the felicities 
 of Peck's nature was not to be greatly elated or 
 depressed by success or failure. He learned 
 
John Mason Peck 123 
 
 that some who had visited the east in behalf of 
 the west, had ahnost exclusively confined them- 
 selves to the darker side of the moral picture. 
 "They have told of our destitution and our 
 danger," he said, " without exhibiting those facts 
 which tend to show that great good can be done 
 with comparatively small means. I have 
 endeavored to give both sides, to show our evils 
 and difficulties, and to show also the improve- 
 ments going forward by a judicious and timely 
 use of such means as are suited to the circum- 
 stances of the west." In his addresses he sought 
 to impart accurate information. 
 
 His journal of October 6, 1835, tells of one of Gifts 
 his cheering interviews : " Held a conversation 
 with Dr. ShurtlefF on the subject of the college. 
 He proposed to give ten thousand dollars on the 
 following conditions : Five thousand dollars for 
 building purposes, the college to be named 
 ShurtlefF college, and the other five thousand to 
 establish a professorship of rhetoric and elocu- 
 tion." Besides this sum. Peck and his associate 
 secured in subscriptions and collections about 
 ten thousand dollars more, four-fifths of the sum 
 deemed indispensable by the trustees. 
 
 The dark financial outlook of the country in Timely 
 1837 resulted in decreased receipts by the Bap- Given 
 
124 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 tist Home Mission Society and threatened 
 to make it impossible for the society to pay the 
 small salaries promised to the self-denying mis- 
 sionaries all through the west. As Peck was 
 personally acquainted with these excellent men, 
 and had recommended the appointment of many 
 of them, he believed "that if the society's 
 sacred engagements were now broken with 
 them, not only would their families be in 
 danger of actual starvation, but the bad faith 
 (as it would be reckoned) of the society itself 
 would bind a mill-stone around the neck of 
 evangelizing operations in all that region for 
 many years to come. Under these painfully 
 disheartening circumstances he felt himself 
 obliged to proffer such aid as he could supply 
 in acting as soliciting agent for home missions 
 until relief could be procured." He was spe- 
 cially commissioned for this work, and began 
 at once the visitation of the stronger churches 
 in Missouri and Illinois. His strong pleadings 
 brought the needed temporary relief 
 In the Early in 1838 he became pastor of the Baptist 
 church at Rock Spring and Zoar, Illinois. He 
 accepted this pastorate on condition that he de- 
 vote to the work, at once, one-fourth of his time ; 
 and later, one-half of it. In this service he was 
 
John Mason Peck 125 
 
 unusually happy and contented. He welcomed 
 the opportunity for pastoral visitation, of which 
 he had been deprived for many years, and his 
 work was abundantly rewarded. 
 
 In June, 1840, at a convention of western New 
 Baptists, a western publication and Sunday R^spon- 
 
 , , . r ^ -1 sibilities 
 
 school society was lormed, to co-operate with 
 the society in Philadelphia. Peck advocated 
 this measure, believing that the new society 
 would promote greater harmony between the 
 eastern and western organizations. Regardless 
 of his own poor health and other personal con- 
 siderations, he accepted the appointment of the 
 convention, and became the general agent 
 for the society. '' This certainly is the greatest 
 and most responsible work I have undertaken," 
 he wrote. 
 
 The last decade of Peck's life was crowded Fruitage 
 with useful activities. He made long expedi- 
 tions to the south and east in behalf of missions, 
 holding frequent conferences and addressing 
 largely attended conventions. At one of these 
 he gave a masterful review of some results of 
 his seventeen years of missionary labor. These 
 gratifying results, as he enumerated them, were : 
 1. The encouragement of missionary friends in 
 the west. 2. The leading of ministers to become 
 
126 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 less worldly, to form more correct views and 
 habits and to use their gifts more faithfully. 
 3. The forming and sustaining of innumerable 
 churches in leading towns and cities. 4. The 
 leading of church members to support their own 
 pastors. J. The raising up of ministers. 6. 
 The systematizing of the benevolences of the 
 churches. 7. The wide promotion of revivals. 
 8. The general advancement of religion, 
 morals, and educational projects. 9. The 
 revealing of the awful destitution of many 
 sections of the territory. 
 Toiling to He traveled widely in the east, inciting 
 ^ ^ the churches to greater missionary enterprise 
 After three years of zealous service as secretary 
 of the American Baptist Publication Society, 
 Philadelphia, he returned to the west, where his 
 declining years were filled with evangelistic pro- 
 jects, literary labors, and hard preaching cam- 
 paigns. The heroic spirit which had marked 
 his past career still burned within him. With 
 his general health impaired, he continued to 
 accept the multitude of opportunities for 
 Christian service that offered themselves. 
 Rest at Last In his sixty-sixth year he described himself 
 as an infirm old man, as frail and as feeble 
 as some men at eighty-six. Nearly forty 
 
John Mason Peck 127 
 
 years of exposure, of self-sacrifice, of battle 
 with stern conditions, and of ceaseless effort 
 to extend the Redeemer's Kingdom, had broken 
 down his once rugged constitution. In 1856, 
 he said to a friend : " I am literally worn outT 
 For forty years he had willingly loaded 
 himself with duties and responsibilities for the 
 sake of Him whom he loved. Having spent 
 himself with such splendid heroism in such 
 sublime service it was fitting that his funeral 
 sermon should be based on the text : " I have 
 fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
 I have kept the faith." 
 
 This is the beauty of his life: Whether he character- 
 was engaged in preaching, in writing, in con- ^^^^^^ 
 versation, or in the visitation of the humble 
 frontier homes, his dominant purpose was to show 
 the glory of God in His redemption of men. We 
 have seen him go forth at great personal cost 
 into primitive unreceptive communities. There 
 he was resolute, alert, and aggressive. He 
 searched for opportunities for Christian useful- 
 ness. He endured hardness without murmuring, 
 uncomplainingly bearing whatever of severity 
 was involved in the carrying out of his exten- 
 sive missionary program. His forethought, act- 
 ivity, and continual self-sacrifice were not lost 
 
128 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 for want of concentration or persistence. He 
 was never shaken in his purpose. He never 
 regretted the decisive step of his early manhood. 
 He retained to the end his eager desire to labor 
 and die a pioneer in advancing the Kingdom of 
 Christ. 
 Mented fjg ^^s^ indeed, an heroic preacher of the 
 Gospel, — robust, brave, unpretentious, practical, 
 independent, self-denying. Well has it been 
 said that perhaps no other pioneer did more 
 than he to guide the thoughts, mould the 
 manners, and form the institutions of the 
 west. These words by another friend may fitly 
 stand here: "All his powers, physical and 
 intellectual, were subordinated by grace to 
 the service of Christ. He was not only 
 a pioneer, but a master-spirit among the 
 pioneers." 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To secure a knowledge of some of the leading 
 characteristics of John Mason Peck and of the condition of 
 the people in the central west among whom the pioneer 
 preachers of the Gospel labored from 1800 to 1850. 
 
 Early Life. 
 
 1. Where was Peck born ? Who, among other religious 
 leaders, came from the same county ? 
 
 2. What were his early advantages ? 
 
John Mason Peck 129 
 
 3. Why did he fear that he could not devote his life to 
 the Gospel ministry ? 
 
 4. What eventful experience did he and his wife have 
 at a primitive church meeting ? 
 
 5. In what manner did his call to the ministry come ? 
 
 6. What was his view relative to the selection of pastors 
 by the churches ? 
 
 Early Ministry 
 
 7. State, in substance, what is said of his first pastorate ? 
 How was he supported? What was his spirit ? 
 
 8. What did he read in the summer of 1813? What 
 eager desire sprang up in him ? 
 
 9. By what was his missionary interest intensified ? 
 
 10. What section of country seemed to him particularly 
 destitute ? How did he seek to qualify himself for the 
 work ? 
 
 11. What book did he read ? State, in substance, what 
 he says of the impression it made on him. 
 
 12. How did he fill up his time at Philadelphia ? What 
 plan did he form for daily work ? 
 
 13. What action, which shaped his course, was taken by 
 a missionary convention ? What did he say when the 
 decision was reached ? 
 
 Beginning Missionary Labors 
 
 14. Before leaving for the west, what did he do ? 
 Describe the manner of his parting from his parents. 
 
 15. How much time was required for the journey to 
 Missouri ? State, in substance, their experiences. 
 
 16. What was the moral condition of the people in 
 Missouri in 181 8 and in 1831 ? Name two debasing acts of 
 some of the people. 
 
 1 7. What boast was made respecting the Sabbath ? 
 
 1 8. What was the condition of the negroes ? 
 
 19. What was the first step taken by Peck and his 
 dissociate ? Describe their method. 
 
130 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Missionary Tours 
 
 20. What State did Peck first visit ? What peculiar rule 
 was in force among the churches ? What special inquiry 
 did Peck make on this first tour ? 
 
 21. In what condition did he find one family whom he 
 visited ? 
 
 22. What was accomplished by the first missionary 
 society organized west of the Mississippi ? 
 
 23. What made the missionary tours of Peck especially 
 wearisome ? 
 
 24. What was the attitude toward missions of some 
 pastors whom he met ? 
 
 25. What experiences did he have in southern Missouri ? 
 
 26. What did Daniel Boone believe himself to be ? 
 
 27. By what were the lives of the settlers constantly 
 threatened ? 
 
 28. What is said regarding the use of books and litera- 
 ture by the people ? 
 
 29* In what condition did many children grow up ? 
 
 30. What led to the ending of the official relation of 
 Peck to the Board of Missions in Philadelphia ? What 
 statement did he make ? What new office did he accept ? 
 
 31. What trial did he meet in 1823 ? How did he view 
 all his trials ? 
 
 32. Owing to the scarcity of Bibles what did he do ? 
 What peculiar difficulties did he meet ? 
 
 33. On an eastern journey what plan did he present ? 
 
 34. What encouragements followed ? 
 
 35. How were his closing years occupied ? What visible 
 fruitage came from his seventeen years of toil ? 
 
 36. Review the chapter and make a list of at least five 
 of his leading characteristics 
 
 Reference 
 
 Memoir of John Mason Peck. By Rufus Babcock. 
 Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society. Out 
 of print. 
 
John Mason Peck 131 
 
 Missouri. By Lucien Carr. Boston and New York: 
 Houghton, Mifflin & Co. $1.25. 
 
 Our Country. Josiah Strong. New York: The Baker 
 & Taylor Co. Cloth, 60 cents; paper, 35 cents. 
 
 The History of the Baptists in the Western States East 
 of the Mississippi. By Justin A. Smith, D.D. Philadelphia: 
 American Baptist Publication Society. $1.25. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. By Joseph B. Clark. New- 
 York: The Baker & Taylor Co. $1.25. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Considera- 
 tion AND Discussion 
 
 1. Missouri Territory, 1813-1821. 
 Missouri Carr. Pages 11 7-138. 
 
 2. The Influence of Early Settlers. 
 Our Country. Strong. Chapter XII. 
 
 3. The Character of Peck. Review the chapter and 
 describe four or five of his leading characteristics. 
 
 4. Home Missionary Activity in Illinois and Missouri. 
 Leavening the Nation. Clark. Pages 65-72; 87-94. 
 The History of the Baptists in the Western States 
 
 East of the Mississippi Smith. 
 
 5. Three points in this chapter which have most strongly 
 impressed me. 
 
THE WHITMAN STATUE IN FRONT OF THE WITHERSPOON 
 BUILDING, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
 
My death m ay do as much 
 goo d to Oregon as my 
 life can. 
 
 — Marcus Whitman 
 
 MARCUS WHITMAN 
 
Chronological List of Events in 
 Whitman's Life 
 
 1802. Born at Rushville, Yates County, New York. Sep- 
 tember 4. 
 
 181 9. Converted during a revival at Plainfield, Massachu- 
 setts 
 
 1824. United with, the Congregational Church at Rush- 
 ville, New York. 
 
 1835. In company with the Rev. Samuel Parker, goes to 
 the distant west on a tour of exploration. 
 
 1835. Began return journey to report and secure compe- 
 
 tent co-workers, August 22. 
 
 1836. ArT^ve\-.:i±. Mrs. Whitman, the Rev. and Mrs. H. 
 
 H. Spalding, and Mr. W. H, Gray at Fort Walla 
 Walla, September i. 
 
 1836. Visited Dr. John McLoughlin, of the Hudson's Bay 
 Company, at Fort Vancouver. 
 
 1836. Began labors among Cayuse Indians at Waiilatpu, 
 December. 
 
 1838. Organized with others, the first Presbyterian Church 
 in Oregon, August 18. 
 
 1842. Took his famous ride to the East, beginning Octo- 
 
 ber 3. 
 
 1843. Interviewed President Tyler ; also Daniel Webster, 
 
 Secretary of State, at Washington. March. 
 
 1843. Returned to Oregon. May to October. 
 
 1847. Massacre of Dr. and Mrs, Whitman, and twelve 
 others, at Waiilatpu. November 29 to December 6. 
 
IV 
 
 MARCUS WHITMAN 
 
 Marcus Whitman is a name that will ever A Great 
 occupy a foremost place in American history. ^^^^ 
 In his unselfish devotion to the highest welfare 
 of his country he proved himself worthy of a 
 place beside the noblest heroes of the nation. 
 He rose superior to human greed and opposi- 
 tion, and to the barriers of nature in her fiercer 
 moods. As we think of the quick response he 
 made to the calls of duty; of the energy with 
 which he grasped his opportunities; of the 
 determination with which he did the essential 
 thing; of the willingness and fervor with which 
 he surrendered his own comfort; of the unfal- 
 tering courage he displayed in the face of dan- 
 ger; of the high principles that governed his 
 acts — as we think of these and other qualities, 
 we feel the heroism and grandeur and superi- 
 ority of his character. 
 
 " In his death he bore witness at last 
 As a martyr to truth. 
 Did his life do the same in the past 
 From the days of his youth ? " 
 
136 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 In Marcus Whitman was born in the Httle town 
 Training ^^ Rushville, Yatcs County, New York, on 
 September 4, 1802. His parents were sturdy, 
 staunch, upright New Englanders. His boy- 
 hood was such as to develop rugged quaUties 
 of character and to fit him for a brave and 
 strenuous career. In his eighth year his father 
 died. At once he began to share responsibihty 
 for the care of the family. " The early exer- 
 cise of his physical and mental powers resulted 
 not only in a strong and well-developed body," 
 says Mowry, "but in what proved to be of 
 the utmost importance in his subsequent life, 
 great self-reliance, independence, determination, 
 and a vigorous purpose to accomplish some- 
 thing worthy. He was fond of adventure and 
 exploration even in his boyhood." He was a 
 diligent reader of the Bible. His parents faith- 
 fully gave him religious instruction, and after 
 the death of his father, his paternal grandfather 
 guided his religious life. 
 Early At the age of seventeen he was converted and 
 Purposes ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ united with the church. He 
 
 joined the Congregational church in Rushville, 
 but afterwards became a member and elder of 
 the Presbyterian church, at Wheeler, N. Y. 
 The latter church dismissed him when he went 
 
Marcus Whitman 137 
 
 to Oregon. He attended the common school, 
 and studied Latin under the guidance of his 
 pastors. His original intention was to prepare 
 for the ministry, but because of physical weak- 
 ness he decided to study medicine. He gradua- 
 ted from the Berkshire Medical College at 
 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and took up the 
 practice of medicine in Canada. After four 
 years he returned to his former home to practice 
 his profession there. He gave up this plan and 
 associated himself with his brother in the lumber 
 business. But God in His love and wisdom 
 was shaping his lot in a different direction. 
 
 In the far-off Oregon country, the Nez Indians 
 Perce Indians came to have a fervent desire ^nowiedee 
 for a fuller knowledge of the Supreme Being, of of God 
 whom they had been told by visiting explorers. 
 They had learned of a Book that would instruct 
 them regarding Him. Out of this fragmentary 
 knowledge there sprang up such a longing for 
 the presence of Christian teachers, that four 
 Indians made a three thousand mile journey 
 eastward across desolate prairies and wild 
 mountain ranges, for the purpose of learning 
 more about God and His Word. At St. Louis 
 they were received by General Clark, the 
 Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the north- 
 
138 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 west, who, as a result of personal exploration 
 was acquainted with the region from which they 
 had come. He treated them courteously, 
 entertained them at the theatre, but gave them 
 no aid in their important quests Two of the 
 Indians died at St. Louis. Disappointedly the 
 other two turned their faces westwards In a 
 touching speech, made at a banquet just before 
 they left, one of them forcefully expressed his 
 sorrow of heart. His pathetic address, as 
 taken down by one of General Clark's clerks, 
 follows : 
 
 A Touching I came to you over a trail of many moons from the setting 
 Speech sun. You were the friend of my fathers, who have all gone 
 the long way. I came with one eye partly opened, for 
 more light for my people who sit in darkness. I go back 
 with both eyes close^l. How can I go back blind to my 
 blind people ? I made my way to you with strong arms, 
 through many enemies and strange lands, that I might 
 carry back much to them. I go back with both arms 
 broken and empty. The two fathers who came with me — 
 the braves of many winters and wars — we leave asleep here 
 by your great water. They were tired in many moons and 
 their moccasins wore out. My people sent me to get the 
 white man's Book of Heaven. You took me where you 
 allow your women to dance, as we do not ours, and the Book 
 was not there. You took me where they worship the Great 
 Spirit with candles, and the Book was not there. You 
 showed me the images of good spirits and pictures of the 
 good land beyond, but the Book was not among them. I 
 am going back the long, sad trail to my people of the dark 
 land. You make my feet heavy with the burdens of gifts, 
 and my moccasins will grow old in carrying them, but the 
 
Marcus Whitman 139 
 
 Book is not among them. When I tell my poor blind 
 people, after one more snow, in the big council, that I did 
 not bring the Book, no word will be spoken by our old men 
 or by our young braves. One by one they will rise up and 
 go out in silence. My people will die in darkness, and they 
 will go on the long path to the other hunting-grounds. No 
 white man will go with them and no white man's Book, to 
 make the way plain. I have no more words. 
 
 Their long pilgrimage and solemn appeal Early 
 
 1 1 T-^i i_ 1. J Missions 
 
 were not resultless. 1 here were some who had j^ Oregon 
 ears to hear their cry. In response to an earnest 
 address made before the Methodist General 
 Conference by Dn Wilbur Fiske the Oregon 
 Methodist mission was organized. The Rev. 
 Jason Lee, who had been a pupil of Dr. Fiske, 
 was chosen to direct the important work. The 
 Rev. Daniel Lee, a nephew, and Mr. Cyrus 
 Shepard, a layman, were appointed associate 
 workers. Shipping their supplies by boat 
 around Cape Horn, the three missionaries, in 
 company with Captain N. J. Wyeth, began, on 
 April 22, 1834, an overland journey to Oregon 
 by way of Fort Independence, which was near 
 the present site of Kansas City. After sleeping 
 out of doors one hundred and fifty-five nights 
 they reached Vancouver on September 15, and 
 slept again under a roof They located their 
 mission in the Willamette valley about sixty 
 miles from Vancouver. Jason Lee was courage- 
 
140 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 ous and strong physically and intellectually. 
 " No other man among the pioneers," says Oliver 
 Nixon, "can be so nearly classed with Whit- 
 man for untiring energy in courting immigra- 
 tion." To the Methodist church therefore 
 belongs the honor of first sending missionaries 
 to this important section. Subsequently another 
 Methodist station was established. In 1837 
 and in 1839 other helpers were added. In the 
 latter year there were twelve ministers, with 
 their wives and families, and also lay assistants 
 — physicians, mechanics, and farmers — at work 
 in the Willamette Valley. 
 An Invest!- In 1834, the American Board of Commis- 
 gatmg Tour g^Qj^gj-g for Foreign Missions, at that time rep- 
 resenting both Presbyterian and Congregational 
 interests, decided to send the Rev. Samuel 
 Parker and Marcus Whitman, M.D., to ex- 
 plore Oregon. After reaching St. Louis they 
 traveled together over the Rocky Mountains 
 until they arrived at the American Headquar- 
 ters on the Green River, latitude 42° 51'. 
 There they conferred with Nez Perce and 
 Flathead Indian chiefs. Mr. Parker gives 
 this account of their interview: 
 
 Indians We laid before them the object of our appointment, and 
 Speak explained to them the benevolent desires of Christians con- 
 cerning them. We then mquired if they wished to have 
 
Marcus Whitman 141 
 
 teachers come among them, and instruct them in the 
 knowledge of God, His worship, and the way to be saved ; 
 and what they would do to aid them in their labors. The 
 oldest chief arose, and said he was old and did not expect 
 to know much more; he was deaf and could not hear, but 
 his heart was made glad, very glad, to see what he had 
 never seen before, a man near to God, meaning a minister 
 of the Gospel. Next arose Insala, the most influential chief 
 in the nation, and said he had heard that a ' man near to 
 God' was coming to visit them, and he, with some of his 
 people, together with some white men, went out three days' 
 journey to meet him, but failed of finding the caravan. A 
 war party of the Crow Indians came upon them in the night, 
 and after a short battle, though no lives were lost, they 
 took some of their horses, and from him one which he 
 greatly loved, but now he forgets all, his heart is made so 
 glad to see a ' man near to God.' The first chief of the Nez 
 Perces, Tai-quin-sa-watish, arose and said that he had 
 heard from white men a little about God, which had only 
 gone into his ears ; he wished to know enough to have it go 
 down into his heart, to influence his life and to teach his 
 people. Others spoke to the same import, and they all 
 made as many promises as we could desire. 
 
 In company with a guide furnished by the Whitman 
 Nez Perce Indians, the tribe that had sent four ^^P^^^^ 
 of their number to the east for the white man's 
 Book, Mr. Parker went on, but Dr. Whitman, 
 with two Nez Perce boys, promptly returned to 
 the States to report, and to lead a few competent 
 persons to go back with him the next spring as 
 missionary co-workers. Dr. Whitman was con- 
 vinced by what he had seen of the Oregon 
 Indians at the rendezvous, that the choice 
 
142 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 opportunity for missionary zeal in their behalf 
 should be speedily seized. 
 His The fine temper of Dr. Whitman is shown 
 
 1 posi o .^ these sentences from a letter sent by him to 
 Miss Prentiss, to whom he was engaged; ''I 
 have a strong desire for that field of labor. ... I 
 feel my unfitness for the work ; but I know in 
 whom 1 have trusted, and with whom are the 
 fountains of wisdom. O, that I may always 
 look to this source for wisdom and grace. . . . 
 How can Christians ever become indifferent in 
 their Master's service? You need not be 
 anxious especially for your health or safety, but 
 for your usefulness to the cause of missions and 
 the souls of our benighted fellow men." 
 
 Marriage Early in 1836, after his return from his tour 
 of investigation, the American Board having 
 decided to found a mission in Oregon, Dr. 
 Whitman and Miss Narcissa Prentiss, of Pratts- 
 burg, Steuben County, New York, were married. 
 " Mrs. Whitman was in the prime of life, and 
 was considered a fine, noble looking woman, 
 affable and free to converse with all she met. 
 Her conversation was animated and cheerful. 
 Firmness in her was natural. She was a good 
 singer, and one of her amusements, as well as 
 that of her traveling companions, was to teach 
 

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 FACSIMILE PAGE OF MRS. WHITMAN'S DIARY 
 
Marcus Whitman 143 
 
 the doctor to sing." The marriage service, held 
 in the Httle church in AngeHca, New York, 
 was a pathetic one. \n after years some who 
 were present could not refer to the occasion 
 without shedding tears. During the service 
 preceding the marriage ceremony, the pastor 
 gave out the hymn beginning: 
 
 " ' Yes, my native land, I love thee, 
 All thy scenes I love them well." 
 
 " The whole congregation Joined heartily in the 
 singing," says Mrs. Martha J. Lamb, "but be- 
 fore the hymn was half through, one by one 
 they ceased singing, and audible sobs were heard 
 in every part of the audience. The last stanza 
 w^as sung by the sweet voice of Mrs. Whitman 
 alone, clear, musical and unwavering." The 
 words of this hymn sung on this memorable 
 occasion were extremely touching. The mere 
 reading of them now helps one to enter 
 sympathetically into the thoughts and feelings 
 of those who regretfully parted with Mr. and 
 Mrs. Whitman : 
 
 "Yes, my native land, I love thee: Parting 
 
 All thy scenes I love them well; Hymn 
 
 Friends, connections, happy country. 
 Can I bid yon all farewell ? 
 
 Can I leave you 
 Far in heathen lands to dwell ? 
 
144 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 *' Home, thy joys are passing lovely, 
 Joys no stranger heart can tell ; 
 Happy home ! 'Tis sure I love thee ! 
 
 Can I, can I say, Farewell ? 
 Can I leave thee 
 
 Far in heathen lands to dwell ? 
 
 " Yes ! in deserts let me labor, 
 On the mountains let me tell 
 
 How He died, the blessed Saviour, 
 To redeem a world from hell. 
 
 Let me hasten 
 
 Far in heathen lands to dwell." 
 
 Tour The American Board heartily approved Dr. 
 Whitman's plan for work among the Indians in 
 Oregon and commissioned Dr. Whitman and 
 the Rev. H. H. Spalding for that important 
 service. After securing an equipment that 
 would meet their needs for two years in a 
 country then considered foreign, and three 
 thousand miles from home, the two missionaries 
 began their journey westward. Their wives, 
 who accompanied them, were the first two white 
 women to cross the continent. At Liberty 
 Landing, on the Missouri River, the missionaries 
 were met by Mr. W. H. Gray, who went with 
 them in the capacity of a business manager. 
 There horses and wagons were bought, and 
 their goods packed for the long journey. The 
 horses and goods, in charge of Mr. Spalding and 
 Mr. Gray, were taken to Fort Leavenworth. 
 
Marcus Whitman 145 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spalding, 
 went by boat to Fort Leavenworth. 
 
 They had planned to accompany the Ameri- Delay 
 can Fur Company's caravan, just about to start 
 westward. The boat belonging to the Com- 
 pany, however, did not land at Fort Leaven- 
 worth, and Dr. Whitman sent on for horses, 
 * that he might catch the caravan. " They were 
 thus detained so long that the Fur Company's 
 convoy had started, and was already six days 
 out on the plains, before they arrived at Council 
 Bluffs. Nothing was left for them but to press 
 on after the caravan as rapidly as possible, and 
 they overtook it at the Pawnee village on the 
 Loup Fork. The difficulties, of such a chase 
 will be appreciated if it is borne in mind that 
 the missionary party were all strangers in the 
 country, that there was no defined road, and 
 frequently not even a trail or track except that 
 of the buffalo." An Indian artist at Pittsburg 
 had said: "You can never get the women 
 through." "They will both be kidnapped," 
 was the prophecy of old trappers. 
 
 When the party reached Fort Laramie on the The First 
 Platte River, the end of the wagon route, the ^^° 
 fur traders urged Dr. Whitman to leave his 
 wagons and to carry his goods entirely on 
 
146 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 horses and mules, in their view the only 
 practicable plan. But Dr. Whitman said he 
 could take the wagons across. He insisted on 
 taking one, at least, and was finally permitted 
 to do so. A cart belonging to the Company 
 was also taken. Dr. Whitman was made 
 responsible for both vehicles. It was responsi- 
 bility well placed. The taking of a wagon 
 through to the Columbia River proved to be 
 one of the most importantactsof Dr. Whitman's 
 life. 
 To Each There was a generous division of labor. Mr. 
 Spalding cared for the cows; Mr. Gray drove 
 ^ the pack-horses ; Dr. Whitman, among other 
 achievements, in spite of creeks, steep mountain 
 sides and frequent upsettings, made the wagon 
 go through. Members of the Fur Company's 
 caravan went out on hunting expeditions, and 
 brought in several mule loads of meat each day. 
 When the Company reached the summit of the 
 Rocky Mountains and the vast Pacific slope 
 unfolded in wild beauty before them, the five 
 loyal missionaries, with the two Nez Perce boys 
 whom Whitman was taking back to their 
 wilderness home, paused to give praise and 
 thanks to God. They put their blankets on the 
 grass, unfurled the American flag to the 
 
Marcus Whitman 147 
 
 mountain breeze, placed the Bible in the center 
 of the group and prayed. 
 
 At the Green River they were welcomed by Cordially 
 a large and miscellaneous company. Dr. Oliver ^^^^"^^ 
 W. Nixon has made the scene vivid : 
 
 There were two hundred traders and two thousand 
 Indians, representatives of tribes located many hundreds of 
 miles distant. The Cayuse and Nez Perces, who expected 
 Dr. Whitman and his delegation, were present to honor the 
 occasion, and meet the boys, John and Richard, who had 
 accompanied the Doctor from this place the year before. 
 The Indians expressed great delight over the successful 
 journey; but most of all they were delighted with the noble 
 white squaws who had come over the long trail. They were 
 demonstrative and scoured the mountains for delicacies in 
 game from the woods and brought trout from the river, and 
 seemed constantly to fear that they were neglecting some 
 courtesy expected of them. They finally got up a war 
 tournament, and six hundred armed and mounted Indians, 
 in their war paint, with savage yells bore down toward the 
 tents of the ladies, and it was almost too realistic of' savage 
 life to be enjoyed. 
 
 Fort Walla was reached on September i, continua- 
 1836. Dr. Whitman and Mr. Spalding de- tion of 
 cided to consult the officials of the Hudson's J^^^^^^ 
 Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. In boats, 
 and with Indian oarsmen, they at once continued 
 their wedding journey three hundred miles and 
 interviewed Dr. John McLoughlin, the Gov- 
 ernor of the Company. After conferring with 
 him it was decided that Dr. Whitman should 
 
148 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 establish a mission at Waiilatpu, in the Walla 
 Walla country, and that Mr. Spalding should 
 go to Lapwai, one hundred and twenty-five 
 miles beyond. Dr. Whitman and Mr. Spalding 
 returned to build houses at these points. Upon 
 the invitation of Dr. McLoughlin, Mrs. Whit- 
 man and Mrs. Spalding remained at Fort 
 Vancouver. 
 Home of the Mrs. Whitman reached her new home at 
 Waiilatpu, twenty-five miles from Fort Walla 
 Walla, on December 10, 1836. In her diary 
 she wrote : " Found a house reared and the 
 lean-to enclosed, a good chimney and lire-place, 
 and the floor laid. No windows or doors, 
 except blankets. My heart truly leaped for joy 
 as 1 lighted from my horse, entered and seated 
 myself before a pleasant fire. It is indeed a 
 lovely situation. We are on a beautiful level 
 peninsula formed by the branches of the Walla 
 Walla river, upon the base of which our house 
 stands, on the southeast corner, near the shore of 
 the main river." The place was called by the In- 
 dians " Wai-i-lat-pu," the place of the rye grass. 
 Presbyte- j^ 1838 Dr. and Mrs. Whitman and Mr. 
 Founded ^^^ ^^2- Spalding were re-inforced by the 
 arrival of additional missionaries, who had 
 come out by appointment of the American 
 
Marcus Whitman 149 
 
 Board. Dr. Whitman had aheady organized 
 a church and a temperance society. The recent 
 finding of the record of the founding of the 
 first Presbyterian church in the northwest as 
 printed in the minutes of the Synod of Wash- 
 ington for 1903, shows that the church formed 
 was Presbyterian. The first entry reads : " At 
 a meeting held at the home of Dr. Marcus 
 Whitman, Waiilatpu mission station, August 
 18, 1838, the following persons, missionaries of 
 the American Board of Commissioners for For- 
 eign Missions and members of the Columbian 
 Mission, were present, and resolved to organize 
 themselves into a church, namely. Dr. Marcus 
 Whitman, a ruling elder from the Presbyterian 
 church in Wheeler, Steuben Co., N. Y., pastor 
 Rev. James A. Hotchkin, appointed mission- 
 ary in 1835. Then follow the names of the 
 organizers and of persons immediately admitted 
 as members. H. H. Spalding was elected pas- 
 tor and Dr. Marcus Whitman, ruling elder. 
 Resolved, that this church be governed on the 
 Congregational plan, hut^ attached to the Bath 
 Presbytery, New York, and adopt its form of 
 confession of faith and covenant as ours." In 
 this way the Presbyterian Church in the terri- 
 tory of Oregon began in 1838. 
 
150 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 New Yhe new missionaries promptly decided upon 
 Opened ^^^^^ course of action. Mr. and Mrs. Smith 
 remained at Waiilatpu ; Mr. Rogers and Mr. 
 and Mrs. Gray went to Spalding's station at 
 Lapwai, on the Clearwater River. Mr. Walker 
 and Mr. and Mrs. Cushing Eells went north, to 
 locate a new mission among the Flathead 
 Indians. They selected Tshimakain, a point 
 located a short distance east of the present city 
 of Spokane. The homes and lives of all these 
 missionaries were marked by simplicity. Their 
 incomes were small. The Secretary of the 
 American Board had asked them to keep the 
 expenses of each family at three hundred dol- 
 lars a year. This they strove to do. It is 
 said that Dr. Cushing Eells brought the ex- 
 penses of his whole family within one hundred 
 dollars. 
 Oregon In 1838, Oregon included the present states 
 ixty ears ^£ Oregon, Washington and Idaho, a part of 
 western Montana, and part of southwestern 
 Wyoming, an area thirty-two times as large as 
 Massachusetts. Then there were but fifty 
 Americans in that whole region. Now it has a 
 population of at least one million people. The 
 Indian population in 1835" was probably not 
 less than one hundred thousand. Now it is 
 
Marcus Whitman 151 
 
 twenty thousand. The people Hved in adobe 
 houses or in small log cabins. The small 
 house of Dr. Eells had an earth floor and a 
 roof made of pine boughs. In place of glass 
 windows, cotton cloth was used. Myron Eells, 
 the son of Dr. Gushing Eells, says that they 
 had but " one chair during the first ten years, 
 and that four stakes driven into the ground, 
 with three boards, each three feet long, fastened 
 on top of them, made their table — these boards 
 having been brought one hundred and fifty 
 miles. All cooking was done over an open fire. 
 During the first years their principal meat was 
 horse flesh. They had no matches, but obtained 
 their fire by flint and steel." Mail arrived from 
 the eastern states about twice a year. Fre- 
 quently a letter would be twelve months on its 
 journey. 
 
 Mrs. Gushing Eells, in a letter written at Indian 
 Whitman's station, tells interestingly of the ^^^^^^ 
 Indian life about her : 
 
 The Indians say they are glad that we have come to 
 teach them ; that their mind is dark ; and that they know but 
 very little, and that their children will know more. . . . The 
 more wives they have the richer they are. The women 
 perform all the drudgery and do all the work. They are a 
 very imitative people ; what they see us do, they try to do. 
 They are very strict in their morning and evening devotions 
 and the observance of the Sabbath and the like. They do 
 
152 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 it because they have seen us do it, and not from any sense 
 of duty. They have learned of Mr. Spalding and Dr. 
 Whitman, some Scripture history and some hymns, which 
 they sing. . . . Some of the Indians are beginning to sow 
 little patches of corn, wheat, and potatoes, for themselves. 
 This the men have done and are proud of ; but if a man 
 works for us they call him a slave or a fool. Three or four 
 have given evidence of a change of heart. 
 
 Energetic j)j. Whitman was unresting in his labors. 
 Within three years he had brought over two 
 hundred and fifty acres under cultivation and 
 raised crops of wheat, Indian corn, potatoes, and 
 a great variety of vegetables. To the Indians 
 who agreed to till the soil he furnished seeds. 
 He had taken out a quart of the first seed wheat 
 used in the northwest country. In three years, 
 " without funds for such purposes, without other 
 aid than that of a fellow-missionary for short 
 intervals. Dr. Whitman fenced, plowed, built, 
 planted an orchard, and did all the other labor- 
 ious acts of opening a plantation on the face of 
 that distant wilderness." He also learned the 
 Indian language, and served professionally the 
 associate mission stations. 
 Success Work at the three mission stations went on 
 ^ fruitfully. At Waiilatpu, the Cayuse Indians 
 were reached; at Lapwai, the Nez Perces; at 
 Tshimakain, the Flatheads. "The Indians 
 showed the utmost eagerness to receive instruc- 
 
 Stations 
 
Marcus Whitman 153 
 
 tion ; and other tribes, hearing that teachers had 
 come into the country, sent pressing messages 
 requesting that one or more missionaries might 
 be sent to dwell among them. The three tribes 
 above named were anxious also to engage in 
 agriculture. Hundreds of families settled near 
 the mission stations and cultivated the ground 
 so assiduously that in a little time they had pro- 
 duced enough for their comfortable subsistence. 
 Their desire for religious instruction exceeded 
 anything ever before met with among the North 
 American Indians." The Nez Perces attended 
 the meetings of their mission in increasing 
 numbers. Two thousand of them publicly said 
 they would serve the Lord. It is stated that 
 doubtless many did this with an imperfect idea 
 of what was involved in it. A deep interest 
 was also shown by the Cayuses, among whom 
 Dr. and Mrs. Whitman labored. 
 
 Dr. Whitman made his famous eastern ride Reasons for 
 in the winter of 1842-3. There has been much ^^^^ 
 controversy respecting the reason of his journey. 
 In the aggregate, many volumes have been 
 written regarding it. Here, we cannot enter in- 
 to the discussion. The consensus of opinion 
 among those who, out of fullness of knowledge, 
 seem best qualified to determine Whitman's real 
 
154 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 motive and purpose, is that his object was two- 
 fold: (i) To confer with the American Board 
 about various matters relating to the Oregon 
 mission. There was a diversity of opinion 
 among the missionaries as to many matters of 
 policy, which made such a conference desirable. 
 (2) To save Oregon to the United States. 
 The Hud- "fhe course pursued by the Hudson's Bay 
 Conf an^ Company alarmed Dr. Whitman. The Com- 
 pany had a dominant and damaging influence 
 in Oregon. Of its workings Sir Edward Fitz- 
 gerald said : "The Hudson's Bay Company has 
 entailed misery and destruction upon thousands 
 throughout the country, which is withering under 
 its curse. ... It has stopped the extension of' 
 civilization, and has excluded the light of religi- 
 ous truth. ... It has shut off the earth from the 
 knowledge of man, and man from the knowledge 
 of God." In the days of Dr. Whitman it per- 
 sistently sought to prove that land in Oregon 
 was useless. Agents of the company also 
 widely proclaimed that people from the east 
 could not reach Oregon, as the mountains were 
 impassable, the rivers bridgeless, the great deserts 
 foodless, the fierce storms resistless, the deep 
 snows of winter insurmountable, and the savages 
 of the wilderness dangerous and murderous. 
 
Marcus Whitman 155 
 
 Their gruesome and exaggerated word-pictures 
 had the desired effect on many who had ex- 
 pected to emigrate. Some who ventured to go, 
 upon arriving at the stations of the company, 
 were persuaded to return home. 
 
 That it was the aim of this company to bring Dr. Whit- 
 Oregon under the permanent control of Great ^^^ 
 
 -r» • • 1 • • 1 -1 x^ Aroused 
 
 Britam became mcreasmgly evident to Dr. 
 Whitman. While making a professional visit 
 to Fort Walla Walla, he heard news which 
 stirred his soul. There were present at a dinner, 
 officers of the fort, employes of the company, 
 and a few Jesuit priests. During the dinner a 
 messenger came, saying that immigrants from the 
 Red River country had crossed the mountains 
 and had reached Fort Colville, on the Columbia. 
 Nearly all present received this news enthusias- 
 tically. One priest rose to his feet and shouted : 
 " Hurrah for Oregon ! America is too late ! We 
 have got the country!" In the judgment of 
 Dr. Whitman, the hour for action had arrived. 
 
 At about the time this incident occurred in Decisive- 
 the fall of 1842, he met his fellow-missionaries, 
 and said to them : " I am going to cross the 
 Rocky Mountains and reach Washington this 
 winter, God carrying me through, and bring 
 out an emigration over the mountains next sea- 
 
 ness 
 
156 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 son, or this country is lost." Two of his associ- 
 ates strongly opposed the venture. They said, 
 in substance : " Brother Whitman, we think 
 you had better attend to your missionary duties 
 and let politics alone." Rising from his seat. Dr. 
 Whitman replied : " I was a man before I be- 
 came a missionary, and when I became a mis- 
 sionary I did not expatriate myself. I shall go 
 to the States if I have to sever my connection 
 with the mission." Dr. Whitman's decision to 
 make the journey was irrevocable. " Finding 
 him so determined," said Dr. Eells, " we had to 
 yield." It would be a perilous, mid-winter ride, 
 over twenty-five hundred miles long. But in 
 spite of the probable dangers, toils and suffer- 
 ings. Dr. Whitman resolved to go. 
 Promptness j^is actions were as prompt as his decisions. 
 The very next morning, October 3, he started 
 with Amos Lawrence Lovejoy, a young man 
 who had come west the summer before. At 
 Dr. Whitman's house there gathered a sad- 
 hearted little company to bid him good-bye. 
 There were Indian neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gray, and Mrs. Whitman, with about forty 
 school children around her. 
 
 Having decided that the thing ought to be 
 done, Dr. Whitman exerted all his force and 
 

 ; o 
 
 w 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 H 
 
 W 
 
 H 
 
 O 
 
Marcus Whitman 157 
 
 did it. He was willing to risk his reputation, 
 his position, his life. Self-interest was not in 
 his vocabulary. 
 
 "The little Road said Go, 
 
 The little House said Stay ; 
 And O, it's bonny here at home. 
 But I must go away. 
 •' And go I must, my dears, 
 And journey while I may, 
 Though heart be sore for the little House 
 That had no word but Stay." 
 
 His route was extremely difficult. It was Route 
 winding, cheerless, pathless, over snow-covered 
 mountains, through steep rocky gorges, across 
 icy creeks and rivers. By Fort Hall, Taos 
 and Santa Fe, he went, and from there to 
 Bent's Fort on the Arkansas River. 
 
 *• On, on and on, past Idaho, Perils 
 
 On past the mighty saline sea, 
 His covering at night the snow, 
 
 His only sentinel a tree. 
 On, past Portneuf s basaltic heights, 
 
 On, where San Juan mountains lay, 
 Through sunless days and starless nights, 
 
 Toward Taos and Far Santa Fe. 
 Now kneeling in the starlit snow. 
 
 Now warmed by lone Fort Uintah, 
 Now scanning in horizons low 
 
 The fortress of Uncompahgre, 
 O'er tablelands of sleet and hail, 
 
 Through pine-roofed gorges, canons cold 
 Now fording streams encased in mail 
 
 Of ice, like Alpine knights of old. 
 
158 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 ♦ The open Bible 'neath the flag 
 I planted on the mountain crag, 
 While wheeled the eagle in the sun 
 And I'll defend what I have won,' 
 He said, and spurred his thin steed on. 
 Till far behind him lay Walla Walla 
 And far the fields of Oregon. 
 ***** 
 
 • I must go on, I must go on, 
 Whatever lot may fall to me; 
 On! 'tis for others' sake I ride, 
 
 For others I may never see, 
 And dare the clouds, O great Divide, 
 , Not for myself, O Walla Walla, 
 
 Not for myself, O Washington ; 
 But for thy future, Oregon ! ' " 
 
 Reaches Mr. Lovejoy, worn out by hardship and 
 °^^^ suffering, could not go on, and remained at 
 Bent's Fort. Dr. Whitman, with a small sup- 
 ply of food, pressed forward through snow and 
 biting winter weather, by the way of St. Louis, 
 and on March 3, five months after he began his 
 unexampled journey, arrived at Washington. 
 
 Dr. Whitman, a man of acts rather than of 
 speech, did not write an account of his momen- 
 tous ride. Some of his experiences, which he 
 and Mr. Lovejoy related to the Rev. H. H. 
 Spalding, have been preserved. This is the 
 thrilling story of one day : 
 
 Lost On that terrible 13th of January, 1843, when so many in 
 all parts of our country froze to death, the Doctor, against 
 the advice of his Mexican guide, left his camp in a deep 
 
Marcus Whitman 159 
 
 gorge of the mountains of New Mexico, in the morning, to 
 pursue his journey. But on reaching the divide, the cold 
 becoming so intense, and the animals becoming actually 
 maddened by the driving snows, the Doctor saw his peril, 
 and attempted to retrace his steps, and, if possible, to find 
 his camp, as the only hope of saving their lives. But the 
 driftmg snow had totally obliterated every trace, and the 
 air becoming almost as dark as night by the maddening 
 storm, the Doctor saw that it would be impossible for any 
 human being to find camp, and commending himself and 
 his distant wife to his covenant keeping God, he gave him- 
 self, his faithful guide, and animals, up to their snowy 
 grave, which was fast closing about them. Suddenly the 
 guide, observing the ears of one of the mules intently bent 
 forward, sprang upon him, giving him the reins, exclaim- 
 ing, ' This mule will find the camp if he can live to reach it. ' 
 The Doctor mounted another, and followed. The faithful 
 animal kept down the divide a short distance, and then 
 turned square down the steep mountain. Through deep 
 snowdrifts, over frightful precipices, down, down, he 
 pushed, unguided and unurged, as if he knew that the lives 
 of the two men and the fate of the great expedition de- 
 pended upon his endurance and his faithfulness. Entering 
 the thick timber he stopped suddenly over a bare spot, and 
 as the Doctor dismounted — the Mexican was too far gone — 
 he beheld the very fireplace of their morning camp ! Two 
 brands of fire were yet alive and smoking, and plenty of 
 timber in reach. The Buffalo hides had done much to pro- 
 tect the Doctor, and providentially he could move about 
 and collect dry limbs, and soon had a rousing fire. The 
 guide revived, but both he and the Doctor were badly fro- 
 zen. They remained in this secluded hole in the mountains 
 several days, till the cold and storm abated. 
 
 Their severe sufferings on the way from Fort 
 Hall to Fort Bent are graphically referred to 
 by Mr. Lovejoy, as follows : 
 
i6o Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Dangers From Fort Hall to Fort Uintali we met with terribly 
 severe weather. The deep snows caused us to lose much 
 time. Here we took a new guide for Fort Uncompahgre, 
 on Grand River, in Spanish country. Passing over high 
 mountains, we encountered a terrible snow-storm, that com- 
 pelled us to seek shelter in a dark defile, and although we 
 made several attempts, we were detained some ten days. 
 When we got upon the mountains we wandered for days, 
 until the guide declared he was lost, and would take us no 
 further. This was a terrible blow to the Doctor, but he 
 determined not to give up, and went back to the Fort for 
 another guide, I remaining with the horses, feeding them 
 on cotton-wood bark. The seventh day he returned. We 
 reached, as our guide informed us. Grand River, 600 yards 
 wide, which was frozen on either side about one-third. The 
 guide regarded it too dangerous to cross ; but the Doctor, 
 nothing daunted, was the first to take the water. He 
 mounted his horse, and the guide and I pushed them off the 
 ice, into the boiling, foaming stream. Away they went, 
 completely under the water, horse and all, but directly came 
 up, and after buffeting the waves and a foaming current, 
 made for the ice on the opposite side, a long way down the 
 stream. The Doctor leaped upon the ice and soon had his 
 noble animal by his side. The guide and I forced the pack 
 animals, and followed the Doctor's example, and were soon 
 drying our frozen clothes by a comfortable fire. 
 
 At Wash- On his arrival at Washington, Dr. Whitman, 
 mgton (^j-gssed in buffalo and buckskin, and bearing 
 on his face the marks of his severe sufferings^ 
 interviewed President Tyler, Daniel Webster, 
 then Secretary of State, and other Government 
 officials, in behalf of the retention of the Ore- 
 gon country. Mowry sums up this interview 
 as follows : 
 
Marcus Whitman i6i 
 
 Dr. Whitman tried to convince Mr, Webster that he was Interviews 
 the victim of false representations with regard to the char- the Presi- 
 acter of the region, and told him that he intended to take dent 
 over a train of emigrants to Oregon the coming summer. 
 After a protracted interview with Mr. Webster, Dr. Whit- 
 man took leave thoroughly disheartened. He found that 
 the President entertained precisely the same views of the 
 uselessness of Oregon to the United States that he had just 
 heard from Mr. Webster. He told the President that he 
 had been over the mountains himself four times, once in 
 the dead of winter; that he had taken a wagon over 
 seven years before, and that it was his intention to carry 
 over a large delegation to Oregon from the frontier that 
 spring. Dr. Whitman urged his case, not only before the 
 President, but before senators and representatives, endea- 
 voring to impress upon them all the value of the country, 
 its excellent soil, healthful climate, and its importance to 
 this nation in the future. He pressed upon them the fact 
 that a large emigration would go across the mountains dur- 
 ing the next season, and that they, being American citizens, 
 would claim protection from the national government. 
 
 President Tyler approved the plan of Dr. The 
 
 Whitman for opening; a wae;on route and for ^^^sident 
 r ' 1 approves 
 
 the takmg of emigrants through to Oregon. 
 Dr. Whitman believed that if a wagon road 
 could be made over the mountains to the Col- 
 umbia River, Oregon could be retained and 
 Protestant missions advanced. 
 
 From Washington Dr. Whitman went to Dr. Whit- 
 Boston to report to the American Board of^^^^^ 
 
 r^ •• r T^ • Tv/r-- r^\ Boston 
 
 Commissioners tor i^oreign Missions. The 
 officers of the Board, not having his advanta- 
 geous point of sight, thought he was giving too 
 
i62 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 much attention to political affairs and therefore 
 did not fully approve his course. He was 
 more discerning and statesmanlike than they, 
 however, and subsequent events justified his 
 acts. 
 Dr. Whit- After visiting his mother and his early home, 
 man returns iq^ Whitman went back to Missouri to accom- 
 
 West 
 
 pany a large party of emigrants to Oregon. 
 "It is requisite that more good, pious men and 
 ministers go to Oregon without delay, as citi- 
 zens, or our hope there is greatly clouded, if 
 not destroyed." Thus he had written. In a 
 pamphlet he had described the soil, the climate 
 and the vegetation of Oregon, and had shown 
 the possibility of making the journey in 
 safety. 
 Eight He was deeply concerned for the welfare of 
 the expedition. At the Platte River he joined 
 the main party and gave the full strength of his 
 wisdom and energy to the formidable task of 
 carrying it safely through. Eight hundred peo- 
 ple, fifteen hundred cattle and about two hun- 
 dred wagons, were to be piloted. Their route 
 was through Kansas and Nebraska; from the 
 northeast corner of Colorado, northwest across 
 the north fork of the Platte River ; along the 
 Sweetwater River, through the South Pass to 
 
 Hundred 
 Emigrants 
 
Marcus Whitman 163 
 
 Fort Hall. Dr. Whitman's aid was invaluable. 
 At the North Fork of the Platte River, where 
 they were to cross the fording, the quicksand 
 bottom seemed to form an insurmountable 
 barrier. The drivers would not attempt to 
 cross. Then Dr. Whitman's sense and courage 
 prevailed. Dr. Atkinson tells how he acted : 
 " Those who heard Dr= Whitman at the North 
 Platte River bid the emigrants throw away 
 their skin boats prepared for crossing and saw 
 him for three days crossing and re-crossing that 
 wide stream, swimming his horse to find the 
 best ford, and at last heard him order the teams 
 and wagons to be chained together and driven 
 in one long Kne across the ford for two miles 
 (that river swollen by spring floods), cheering 
 the drivers, permitting not a moment's halt, lest 
 they should sink in the quicksands, will never 
 forget the man and the deed." 
 
 From Fort Hall to the Grande Ronde Dr. Home 
 Whitman guided^ the entire party. At the 
 Grande Ronde he placed the company in charge 
 of Stikas, an Indian pilot, trustworthy and 
 efficient, and hurried on to repair his gristmill 
 by the time the expedition reached his home. 
 Finding that his mill had been burned in his 
 absence, he promptly began repairing the 
 
man s 
 Generosity 
 
 164 ' Heroes of the Cross 
 
 machine ^}^ It was ready for the grinding of 
 corn and wheat when Dr. Whitman welcomed 
 the large company of immigrants on October 
 16, 1843. 
 
 Dr. Whit- For five months they had wearily traveled 
 through the roadless and almost impassable 
 forest. Dr. Whitman supplied them with 
 provisions at a low cost and otherwise assisted 
 them to reach their destination, which, for the 
 larger number of them, was in the valley of the 
 Willamette. High praise is due Dr. Whitman 
 for his vigor and skill in bringing this gigantic 
 enterprise to a successful issue. He had led 
 this great company over two ranges of moun- 
 tains, through a wild, dangerous, unexplored 
 country. 
 
 Mutterings "fhe disaffection among the Indians during 
 Dr. Whitman's absence, which had resulted in 
 the burning of his mill, was continued after his 
 return to Waiilatpu. The hostile influence of 
 Jesuit priests and of the Hudson's Bay people 
 incited the Indians to open opposition. Then, 
 too, the Indians said that Dr. Whitman, who 
 ministered to them in their illness, was poisoning 
 them. Affected with contagious diseases and 
 being naturally superstitious, they made up and 
 circulated damaging stories. In the fall of 1847 
 
Marcus Whitman 165 
 
 came the awful outbreak. A vivid description 
 
 of the pathetic event is given by Mowry : 
 
 I 
 
 Dr. Whitman was thoroughly convinced that a plot for Shadows 
 the murder of the missionaries was nearly complete. Day Gathering 
 after day he reported appearances to his wife and friends, 
 and walked softly and prayerfully, knowing that he might 
 be called at any moment to yield up his life. When visiting 
 the sick in the Indian camp on the Umatilla River, he called 
 on Bishop Blanchette and the vicar-general Brouillett, who 
 had just arrived at the place, and had an interview with 
 them. He then rode out to where Rev. Mr. Spalding was 
 encamped, reaching there about sunset. This last inter- 
 view with his brother missionary was short, for, though he 
 was worn down with increasing labors and cares, severe 
 sickness at his own home would not suffer him to stop for 
 the night's rest. . It was late when he left his friends and 
 started upon his lone night journey to that once happy home. 
 The long ride of forty miles consumed the remainder of one 
 night, and in the early dawn he alighted at his own house. 
 A hurried interview with his beloved wife, at which they 
 were seen in tears, greatly agitated, was cut short by calls 
 for him to see the sick. On November 29, 1847, immediate- 
 ly after dinner, perhaps about half -past one, the carnage 
 was begun and continued for eight days. 
 
 The first to die was Dr. Whitman. Of the Massacred 
 seventy-two persons at his station, fourteen were 
 massacred. Almost all of the others were im- 
 prisoned by the Indians. " Nearly fifty persons, 
 mostly women and children, were taken prison- 
 ers by them, the women being subjected to 
 horrible abuse. The remaining few succeeded 
 in escaping." With this awful event Protestant 
 
i66 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 missionary efforts in upper Oregon tempo- 
 rarily ended, but Oregon was saved. Other 
 immigrant parties arrived. Congress brought 
 about a territorial organization and the 
 extensive and beautiful region entered slowly 
 upon a long era of prosperity and develop- 
 ment. 
 Memorials ^po perpetuate the memory of Dr. Whitman's 
 sterling worth, Whitman College was founded 
 at Walla Walla. In recent years its financial 
 resources have been increased until it is now 
 worth $300,000. Recently eighteen acres of 
 additional campus in the heart of the city of 
 Walla Walla have been bought. Dr. Oliver 
 Nixon, author of How M^'^hitman Saved Oregon^ 
 in a recent personal letter says: "We have 
 erected three splendid buildings at a cost of 
 $130,000, and built a splendid monument at his 
 wholly before neglected grave, and a neat 
 memorial church at the scene of the massacre. 
 We are not stopping. We expect to make 
 Whitman College the Yale of the far northwest. 
 I am profoundly thankful that the memory of 
 our noble heroes has been rescued from oblivion 
 when so many were yet living to attest to their 
 worth. When 1 take my pen and write ' Whit- 
 man,' it runs away." 
 
Marcus Whitman 167 
 
 One of the most dehghtful sketches of the 
 personal character of Dr. Whitman is that given 
 by Mrs. Martha Wisewell Barrett, in a letter 
 written December 15, 1902, and published in 
 T'he Sunday School T^imes of January 10, 1903. 
 Mrs. Barrett tells of Dr. Whitman's arrival in 
 the east in 1843, ^^^ of his visit to the home of 
 her mother, who was his sister. When he 
 arrived at their home he said that the object of 
 his return to the east was solely to save Oregon 
 to the United States. He remained only a few 
 days. These are Mrs. Barrett's words : 
 
 Our house was the gathering place for the neighbors and Dr. Whit- 
 friends, who listened to his narration of his life and work, nian in 1843 
 I well remember that one day he dressed up in his buckskin 
 suit, that they might see his appearance as he journeyed. I 
 remember standing opposite him in the room when he had 
 a lassoo in his hand. This he threw over my head and 
 drew me up to him, to show the manner of catching animals 
 in the west. And I have not forgotten how this frightened 
 me. Dr. Whitman possessed a singularly pleasant and 
 winning manner. Child as I was I shall never forget his 
 Christian bearing and conversation. Never solemn nor 
 morose, he was always jovial, light-hearted and happy. 
 This was very hard for me to understand, for from the 
 friends at home I had heard only of the hardships and pri- 
 vations of the life he had lived. They held prayer meetings 
 in the evenings, and on each morning of his stay with us 
 he led in family worship. He talked constantly to our 
 family of his work of soul saving. My father said to him 
 one day, "The Indians are so treacherous, I am afraid they 
 will kill you, Mark," to which he replied that the Lord 
 would take care of him — his life was in the Lord's hands. 
 
i68 • Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Character- The beauty of Dr. Whitman's character 
 stands out clearly. His sincerity, his kindness, 
 his generosity, his integrity, his bravery, his 
 heroism, his purity of motive, and his unstinted 
 missionary labors, are a rich legacy to the 
 American people. 
 
 A Servant J)y. Whitman had the precise qualities of 
 character demanded by that strategic time. 
 He was gifted both in capacity and in energy. 
 Into all his unselfish tasks he put his whole 
 strength. " I count him a great man," said 
 Emerson, "who inhabits a higher sphere of 
 thought, into which other men rise with labor 
 and difficulty; he has but to open his eyes to 
 see things in a true light, and in large relations." 
 And He who is above all said : " Whosoever will 
 be chief among you let him be your servant." 
 Dr. Whitman was the high-minded, keen-sighted 
 servant, not only of his own generation, but of 
 the generations that have followed. He was a 
 true servant, because he served solely in the 
 name and for the glory of Him whose highest 
 joy it was to say : " I am in the midst of you 
 as he that serveth " 
 
THE WHITMAN MONUMENT 
 
 THE WHITMAN HATCHET 
 
Marcus Whitman 169 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To secure a knowledge of the character of Dr. 
 Marcus Whitman and of his zeal in behalf of missions and 
 the acquisition of Oregon. 
 
 Early Life 
 
 1. When was Whitman born ? Where ? What was the 
 character of his parents ? 
 
 2. What early responsibility came to him ? How did it 
 affect his physical and mental powers t 
 
 3. What kind of training did his parents give him ? 
 When was he converted? 
 
 4. What were his early plans for his life ? How did these 
 plans change ? 
 
 Indians in Oregon 
 
 5. Who, in Oregon, earnestly desired a knowledge of 
 God ? How did they prove their eagerness ? In what 
 pathetic way did their quest end ? 
 
 6. What resulted from the appeal of these Indians ? 
 Who established a mission in their behalf? In 1839, ^ow 
 many missionaries were at work ? 
 
 Missions in Oregon 
 
 7. Who, in 1834, decided to found another mission in 
 Oregon ? What preliminary steps did they take ? 
 
 8. What did the Indians say to their representatives ? 
 What course did the latter pursue ? 
 
 9. To whom was Dr. Whitman married ? What were 
 some of her characteristics ? What touching scene occurred 
 at the marriage service ? 
 
 10. What did Dr. Whitman's report lead the American 
 Board to do ? 
 
 Dr. Whitman in Oregon 
 
 11. Who were commissioned for the new work ? 
 
 12. Describe some of the experiences with which their 
 westward journey began ? 
 
170 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 13. On the summit of the Rockies what did the mission- 
 aries and their associates do ? 
 
 14. In what manner were they welcomed at the Green 
 River ? 
 
 15. Give the substance of Mrs. Whitman's description of 
 her home at Waiilatpu ? 
 
 16. When was the first Presbyterian church m Oregor 
 organized ? 
 
 17. What was the extent of Oregon in 1838? What was 
 its white population then ? Now ? 
 
 18. What were some of the furnishings in the home of 
 Dr. Eells, as described by his son ? 
 
 16. Give the substance of Mrs. Eells' description of the 
 Indians at the Whitman station V 
 
 20. In three years what did Dr. Whitman accomplish ? 
 
 21. What interest was shown by the Indians at the 
 mission stations ? 
 
 Dr. Whitman's Eastern Ride 
 
 22. Why did Dr. Whitman take his famous eastern ride ? 
 
 23. What was the purpose of the Hudson's Bay Company } 
 
 24. What statement aroused Dr. Whitman ? Why did 
 his missionary associates oppose his journey ? 
 
 25. What was his route ? How many months did his 
 journey require ? 
 
 26. Give the substance of his experiences, as related in 
 the chapter ? 
 
 27. How was he received at Washington ? 
 
 28. Of what great enterprise was he one of the chief 
 leaders in the summer of 1843? In what particulars were 
 his services of value to this expedition ? 
 
 29. When did the company arrive at Dr. Whitman's 
 home ? In what ways did he show a generous spirit ? 
 
 Gathering Shadows and the Massacre 
 
 30. In what attitude did he find some of the Indians ? 
 What, probably, was the cause of their alienation ? 
 
Marcus Whitman 171 
 
 31. When did the massacre begin ? How many were 
 killed ? Imprisoned ? How did this awful event affect 
 missionary interests in upper Oregon ? 
 
 32. What memorials help to perpetuate Dr. Whitman's 
 memory ? Where are they located ? 
 
 33. Make a list of the traits of Dr. Whitman, as given by 
 Mrs. Barrett, in her brief sketch of him as he appeared in 
 1843. 
 
 34. What were some of his other leading characteristics ? 
 
 35. What important lessons does this chapter teach ? 
 
 References 
 
 How Marcus Whitman Saved Oregon. By Oliver W. 
 Nixon, M.D., LL.D. Chicago : Star Publishing Co. $1.50. 
 
 Marcus Whitman and the Early Days of Oregon. By 
 William A. Mowry, Ph.D. New York : Silver, Burdett & 
 Co. $1.50. 
 
 Oregon. By William Barrows. Boston : Houghton,' 
 Mifflin & Co. $1.25. 
 
 McLoughlin and Old Oregon. By Eva Emery Dye. 
 Chicago : A. C. McClurg & Co. $1.25. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. By Joseph B. Clark. New 
 York : The Baker & Taylor Co. $1.25. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Consider- 
 ation AND Discussion 
 
 I. Oregon in 1838-45. 
 
 Marcus Whitman. Mowry. Pages 98-103. 
 2b Early Missions in Oregon. 
 
 How Marcus Whitman Saved Oregon. Nixon. Pages 
 50-62. 
 
 Marcus Whitman. Mowry. Pages 35-49- 
 
 3. The Journey of Dr. and Mrs. Whitman to Oregon. 
 Oregon. Barrows. Pages 1 21-146. 
 
 4. Dr. Whitman's Ride. Its Peril and Result. 
 Oregon. Barrows. Pages 160-178. 
 
172 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Marcus Whitman. Mowry. Pages 1 31-201. 
 
 5. The Massacre of Dr. and Mrs. Whitman. 
 Oregon. Barrows. Pages 320-329. 
 Marcus Whititian. Mowry. Pages 217-231. 
 McLoughlin and Old Oregon. By Eva Emery Dye. 
 
 Pages 334-349- 
 
 6. Present day Home Mission Opportunities in Oregon 
 and Washington. 
 
 Oregon. Barrows. Pages 330-348. 
 Leavening the Nation. Clark. Pages 207-212. 
 Publications of your Denominational Ho7ne Mission 
 Board on present work in Oregon and Washington. 
 7. Lessons from the Life of Whitman. 
 Review the Chapter. 
 
JOHN L. DYER 
 
It was my c ustom to visit every 
 fa mily within two or three 
 mile s of my appointm ents, 
 and, as all were strangers to 
 me, my constant prayer was 
 that God would make me 
 useful at every house. 
 
 — John L. Dyer 
 
 JOHN L. DYER 
 
 (Familiarly Known as Father Dyer, the Snow-Shoe 
 
 Itinerant) 
 
Chronological List of Events in 
 Dyer's Life 
 
 iai2. Born in Columbus, Ohio, March i6, 
 
 I830- United with the Methodist Church. 
 
 1847. Became a local preacher. 
 
 1 85 1. Admitted to the Wisconsin Conference. 
 
 1851-61. Itinerant preacher in Wisconsin and Minnesota. 
 
 1861. Removed to Colorado. 
 
 1861-68. Snow-shoe itinerant preacher in Colorado. 
 
 1863. Carried the mail over the mountains and preached 
 the Gospel. 
 
 1868-69. Itinerant preacher in New Mexico. 
 
 1870-79. Itinerant preacher in Colorado. 
 
 1886. Elected Chaplain of the Colorado State Senate. 
 
 1901. Died at University Park, Colorado. 
 
 174 
 
V 
 
 JOHN L. DYER 
 
 Our fore-fathers, who opened up to Christian Militant 
 civilization the great west, were a mihtant force. Pioneers 
 Their warfare was not only against the untamed 
 forces of nature, but also against the unchecked 
 and undisciplined passions of men. They 
 walked their rough pathway with a firm step 
 that indicated a strong faith and a lofty object- 
 ive. Their spirit was heroic. Ease and earthly 
 reward they sought not. It being true, as 
 Horace Bushnell said, that "great trials make 
 great saints, and deserts and stone-pillows pre- 
 pare for an open heaven and an angel crowded 
 ladder," these sturdy pioneer preachers were the 
 noblest saints of their time. 
 
 John L, Dyer was a typical itinerant preacher, a Typical 
 Most of his laborious days were spent in wild Itinerant 
 mining towns and camps. For the love of Him 
 whom he served, he welcomed rough tasks and 
 in His name cheerfully went into dark and 
 dangerous places. He belongs to the noble 
 army of pioneer preachers, who, as President 
 
 175 
 
176 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Roosevelt has pointed out, "had the strong^ 
 mihtant virtues which go to the accomphsh- 
 ment of great deeds. . . . They were men who 
 suffered and overcame every hardship in com- 
 mon with their flock, and who, in addition 
 tamed the wild and fierce spirits of their fellow- 
 pioneers. It was not a task that could have 
 been accomplished by men desirous to live in 
 the soft places of the earth and to walk easily 
 on life's journey. They had to possess the 
 spirit of the martyrs, but not of martyrs who 
 would merely suffer, not of martyrs who would 
 oppose only passive endurance to wrong. The 
 pioneer preachers warred against the forces of 
 spiritual evil with the same fiery zeal and energy 
 that they and their fellows showed in the con- 
 quest of a rugged continent. They had in 
 them the heroic spirit, the spirit that scorns ease 
 if it must be purchased by failure to do duty, 
 the spirit that courts risk and a life of hard 
 endeavor if the goal to be reached is really 
 worth attaining. Great is our debt to these men 
 and scant the patience we need show toward 
 their critics." In the moral development of the 
 great region in which he toiled, John L. Dyer 
 had a conspicuous and influential part. He was 
 one of the first Gospel heralds in each of 
 
John L. Dyer 177 
 
 several large regions lying west of the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 He was born on March 16, 1812, in Ohio. Boyhood 
 He could trace his ancestry in the Methodist Experiences 
 ministry back to his great-grandfather. Of this 
 Methodist lineage he was proud. His father 
 was a justice of the peace. Among those who 
 visited his crude court-room, was a man who 
 was usually intoxicated and who persisted in 
 shaking hands with young Dyer, then a boy 
 four years old. Once, when he saw this man 
 coming he hid behind his mother, who was 
 spinning flax, and cried out : " He is drunk, 
 and I will not shake hands." When the boy 
 drew back, the man said : " What is the matter 
 with the child ? " His mother told him. This 
 made him angry. "That child will make a 
 drunkard as sure as he lives," he said. " I have 
 never seen a child who hated a drunken man, 
 but would surely be a drunkard." This remark 
 frightened Dyer, and he remembered the 
 prophecy. In later life, he stated that he was 
 bom with a love of whiskey. He could not 
 remember when he did not desire it. When- 
 ever he tasted it, the thought of this drunken 
 man terrified him. A temperance lecture 
 which he heard led him to sign the pledge, 
 
17^ Heroes of the Cross 
 
 and he became an earnest advocate of tem- 
 perance. 
 Camp j^^ camp meetings which he attended in his 
 
 Meeting's . , 
 
 boyhood, he received abiding impressions. At 
 one of these there were present converted 
 Indians. Eight of them came out clothed as 
 white men, their long black hair, combed, falling 
 to their shoulders. Taking their seats, without 
 books or notes, they sang in their own tongue : 
 
 O, how happy are they, who their Savior obey, 
 And have laid up their treasure above ' 
 
 In September, 1830, he attended a camp meet- 
 ing in Madison County, Ohio, and decided 
 to unite with the church. He was afraid to 
 attend the class meeting. The leader, who was 
 tactful, gave him needed encouragement and 
 helped to assure him of the reality of his con- 
 version. From that time Dyer believed the 
 class meeting to be one of the greatest means of 
 grace in the economy of the Methodist church. 
 " When the camp meeting was held again on 
 our circuit, thanks be to God through Christ," 
 he wrote, "I was made a new creature; my 
 burden was rolled off, and I rested sweetly in 
 my Saviour." 
 Compromise Qne night, riding in the woods, he was 
 strongly tempted to lessen his devotion. The 
 
John L. Dyer 179 
 
 suggestion came to him in this form : " If you 
 deny and separate yourself from all amusements 
 you will be a castaway from young society and 
 the subject of reproach." He decided to set his 
 standard lower. He would follow a middle 
 course. "Just then," he said, "the Spirit 
 left me as plainly as He came when I promised 
 to forsake all sin and live for God and His 
 grace. My hair seemed to rise, and I felt to see 
 if my hat was not going off my head. Dark- 
 ness pervaded my mind and I repented of my 
 wickedness and struggled back into the light. 
 That settled the question of worldly amuse- 
 ments for all time." In his twentieth year he 
 went with his parents to Illinois. 
 
 In 1837 a severe temptation came to him. Fears 
 While reading the book of Job he thought that 
 his own trials would doubtless be similar to 
 those of the patriarch. He was greatly distressed. 
 He feared he would be unable to endure the 
 anticipated test, and the thought came to him : 
 " O, I am fully prepared, it would be better to 
 die now, and go to the land of the blessed and 
 sing the songs of heaven forever." He offered 
 this prayer : " O, God, if consistent with Thy 
 will, take me speedily to Thyself, while I feel 
 that Thou art mine and I Thine." In his 
 
to Serve 
 
 i8o Heroes of the Cross 
 
 prayers for death he entreated and agonized. 
 But such petitions were not long continued. 
 As he prayed in the forest he seemed to hear a 
 voice behind him, saying ; " Your work is not 
 done; go ye into all the world and preach the 
 Gospel." He never afterward sought to hasten 
 his own death. 
 Invited Soon after this experience, his pastor urged 
 him to take charge of a class meeting. Dyer 
 felt that the scant educational advantages he 
 had enjoyed unfitted him for such a serious 
 task. " I would rather be nothing," he said, 
 "than a poor Methodist preacher." But he 
 took the class. Soon after, Peter Cartwright, 
 one of the most ardent and faithful of home 
 missionary pioneers, licensed Dyer as an ex- 
 horter. He also became a circuit steward. 
 Aids Pastors received a meager support. Dyer 
 tried to lead the people to give more liberally. 
 For a long period the presiding elder, and the 
 pastors in the conference, had received only 
 about one-half of the amount due them. Not 
 one preacher had been paid all of his insuffici- 
 ent allowance. At the quarterly conference. 
 Dyer, himself a class-leader, moved a resolution 
 that a bill be made out against each class, 
 according to their numbers and ability, and 
 
 Pastors 
 
John L. Dyer i8i 
 
 that each leader collect it or pay it. "We 
 had a mighty stir," he writes, "but all except 
 one leader agreed to try it. On the fourth 
 quarter we met the claims. I had to put up 
 ten dollars out of my own cash." 
 
 In 1844 he went with his family to Wiscon- First 
 sin. There he began to preach the Gospel. ^^^"^0^1 
 He was appointed to speak once a month in 
 one of the churches and in the presence of the 
 presiding elder. His first attempt was memor- 
 able. He could not find a subject. Finally 
 the hour for him to speak arrived. He was 
 forced to begin. Describing his experience, he 
 writes: "After the preliminaries I announced 
 the text. Suddenly, I became so blind that I 
 could scarcely see nor could I utter a word. 
 After trying for some minutes, I said: ' Brother 
 Snow, you must preach.' But he said : ' Go 
 on,' and I tried again; but soon said: 'I will 
 quit,' and sat down. As I retired, I saw that 
 everybody's eyes were straining at me. You 
 may believe that the preacher felt as if he 
 could have crawled in an auger hole if there 
 had been any. As the people left, it was dis- 
 covered that three or four penitents were weep- 
 ing and not willing to go without prayers. We 
 continued with them until they were all con- 
 
i82 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 verted. The preacher in charge said he had 
 been blessed and was looking for a revival. 
 The Sunday school superintendent said that 
 he had been praying and that his prayers had 
 been answered." This experience was a great 
 trial to Dyer. On the following Sunday night 
 over three hundred people crowded the meet- 
 ing house. Dyer arose and said : " I suppose 
 you all remember last Sunday night's failure ; 
 but I am not yet convinced that there is no 
 preach in me." This bit of pleasantry relieved 
 his embarrassment and he was able to conduct 
 the meeting throughout. 
 A Clear Before this, Dyer had been asked by the 
 presiding elder to act as a supply on a preach- 
 ing circuit. He declined to serve. Instead, 
 with his brother Thomas, he visited the mines 
 which they owned. Their horse became fright- 
 ened, tore the wagon to pieces, and they nar- 
 rowly escaped death. The next day, working 
 in the mine. Dyer went down into the shaft 
 about thirty feet. He became so depressed that 
 he was unable to continue working. Finally, 
 he sat down in the shaft and said : "Oh ! Lord, 
 what ails me ? " Then he recalled promises he 
 had made to the effect that as the way opened 
 he would preach the Gospel. The way had 
 
 Call 
 
John L. Dyer 183 
 
 opened, but he had refused. He put his pick 
 and shovel into the tub, stepped into it him- 
 self, and called out to the man above, " Hoist," 
 and was drawn up out of the pit. The man 
 asked him what he meant by coming up. 
 Dyer told him that he was going to quit 
 work for a while. When he met his brother 
 Robert at the cabin, he said to him : " I am 
 going to try and preach the Gospel." The 
 presiding elder immediately gave him an 
 assignment and he began work. His ministry 
 then, and throughout his active life, was in 
 newly settled regions and largely among rough 
 miners. 
 
 At one meeting, in a series that he con- Dealing 
 ducted, a younsf man came in and took a !!^^^ ^ . 
 
 ^ . , . Hypocrite 
 
 chair. A rough fellow said to him: "What 
 are you going to do with your chair"?" He 
 replied : " I am going to the mourners' bench." 
 He answered : " I bet you a quarter." As the 
 meeting went on they completed their betting 
 arrangements. When Dyer invited those to 
 come forward who wished to make a public 
 confession of their faith, the young man went 
 up with the others. "The next day," says 
 Dyer, "the saloon-keepers had their fun. A 
 friend told me of the situation. We had an- 
 
184 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 other appointment given out for the evening. 
 When the time came to call seekers, I spoke 
 of the meanness of any man that would come 
 on the bet of a quarter; such a creature 
 would sell his soul for a sixpence, spend the 
 sixpence for whiskey and go to the devil at 
 last. But several came, and the same fellow 
 came again, of course, for he had money at 
 stake. I said: 'Sing a verse.' At the close 
 the preacher stepped up to Jim, slipped his 
 hand in his collar, and said: 'You came here 
 last night on the bet of a quarter.' He replied : 
 ' But I did not spend it for whiskey.' ' Well,' 
 said the preacher, 'I believe that it was your 
 business,' and pulled him up and said: 'You 
 put for the door, or I will put you out at the 
 window.' The fellow said: "You asked me 
 here for prayers, and I want you to pray for 
 me.' The preacher said : ' You must pray for 
 yourself ' I can't pray.' ' But you must ; I 
 will teach you; say, God have mercy on me, 
 a sinner.' By a little squeezing of his neck he 
 was induced to say the prayer, but spoke very 
 low. He was asked to pray louder. He then 
 said his prayer so that all in the house could 
 hear. He did not cease praying till we closed. 
 The house was crowded; but while the above 
 
John L. Dyer 185 
 
 scene was passing, you might have heard a pin 
 drop. That fellow never touched us again. 
 A talk was given on the principle of such a 
 course. The man who bet with him, came 
 and apologized to the preacher. I was never 
 again intruded upon by rowdies." 
 
 In 1851, at Waukesha, Wisconsin, Dyer was Admitted to 
 admitted to conference, the first in a class of ^°°^^^®^^® 
 twenty-three. He preached on a two weeks 
 circuit and had eight appointments, three on 
 each Sunday. During the year there were 
 encouraging revivals. His work was difficult, 
 his salary wholly inadequate. His annual 
 expenses were three hundred dollars in excess 
 of the amount he received. 
 
 He was next appointed to the Richland Richland 
 
 Mission, Fillmore County, Minnesota. Tak- ^^ssion. 
 
 ^ 1 • . Minnesota 
 
 mg a mule and a buggy, he began his journey 
 
 with his oldest son and visited preaching 
 
 stations on the way. At Brownsville was 
 
 the only school-house in the territory of which 
 
 he knew, and also a Methodist class-meeting 
 
 attended by about twenty members. At the 
 
 next town, he found two Christian families. 
 
 One gave him a cordial welcome. Dyer was 
 
 told that it was the custom to have family 
 
 prayers daily, morning and evening, and on 
 
i86 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Thursday evening, a prayer meeting. It was 
 the first prayer meeting of the kind he had ever 
 found. 
 Decreased Throughout the winter of 1855-6, he held 
 
 Revenue ^• ^- ^' 1 • • -^ 
 
 evangelistic meetings on his circuit, a region 
 that was rapidly filling up with new settlers. It 
 was the coldest winter he had ever known. In 
 1857 came a financial crash, resulting in much 
 distress. In his characteristic way Dyer said: 
 " Nothing was at par except the salvation of 
 our souls. Thanks be to God, no drouth, flood, 
 nor financial depression, can stop the constant 
 fullness of the grace that comes from above, but 
 it may retard the building of churches and break 
 many a good man financially." 
 Isolation Dyer, with his fifteen year old daughter and 
 his twelve year old son, lived in a cabin on a 
 farm. Their nearest neighbors were a mile 
 away. As his wife had died, it was necessary 
 to leave the children alone while he was on his 
 long tours. At night his daughter cried with 
 fear. He committed his children to God and 
 went on with his work, saying, "Our God, 
 seldom, if ever, permits evil to befall us or our 
 families, if we keep on preaching the Gospel." 
 This Dyer did. He gave generously of his own 
 money toward the support of the church during 
 
John L. Dyer 187 
 
 the panic of 1857. ^^ contributed forty acres 
 of land, a large part of his possessions. Help- 
 ing others who were in greater distress than 
 himself, he became impoverished. That he 
 might pay his debts, he sold his mule and walk- 
 ed to his far distant appointments. He visited 
 every house on his circuit, and talked to the 
 people respecting their salvation. " I spent my 
 time thus, until nearly December," he said, 
 "when I undertook to hold a protracted meet- 
 ing, at what was called the red school-house. 
 There I visited twenty-seven families, about all 
 in the school district, and found but one old lady 
 that gave me any evidence of saving grace. I 
 saw all except one family. On my way to 
 their home, I met a boy and asked him about 
 them, and he said they had gone away. ' They 
 expected you would be there', he went on, ' and 
 give them the devil.'" 
 
 At another place he held meetings in a private A Firm 
 house. There were nearly twenty-five converts. Convert 
 Ten professed conversion at one watch-night 
 meeting. It had been announced that a ball 
 would be held at the same hour, but the man 
 who was to furnish the music for it attended 
 Father Dyer's meeting and decided to live a 
 Christian life. The people who had arranged 
 
i88 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 the ball said that five dollars would buy this 
 man off. The man remained firm ; he did not 
 attend the ball and it was a failure. Several 
 others were reclaimed, and some converted. A 
 class of sixteen was formed. 
 Brave Christian women in these new communities 
 ^^^^ had many bitter experiences. The wild life of 
 their husbands caused not only poverty, but also 
 deep mental distress. There is pathos in Dyer's 
 description of their experiences : " One of the 
 hard cases was a man of family. He loved his 
 company and spent his money. His wife 
 grieved, as he was wasting his living. She went 
 to a neighbor whose husband was in the same 
 row, and they agreed to take axes and knock 
 in the door and windows on the west side of the 
 house, as the wind was blowing from that way. 
 The courage of one failed her ; but the other, 
 firm in her determination, knocked the window 
 in the first lick, and struck down the door next. 
 The wind blew the lights out and everything 
 off the, table. The whole crew thought it a 
 mob, and jumped out of the window on the 
 other side, and ran away. At another time a 
 saloon-keeper bought six barrels of whiskey and 
 laid them on their sides, with the ends against 
 the weather boarding. Somebody, so the same 
 
John L. Dyer 189 
 
 lady told me, bored holes through the boards 
 and into the heads of the barrels at the lower 
 edge, so that there was but very little whiskey 
 left: in any of them." 
 
 On his journeys Dyer frequently fell into the Circuit 
 water in his efforts to cross streams and sloughs. ^°^^ 
 Once his horse fell into a broad slough and 
 went down to his body in the mud. "I got 
 off," he says, "and took the bridle reins and 
 pulled and the horse made a lunge right toward 
 me. I made for the shore, and the horse after 
 me, and by the time I got to terra-firma, was 
 covered with black mud. I pulled the dry 
 grass and wiped my clothes as well as I could 
 and also the bridle and the saddle and the horse. 
 While I was in this predicament, I thought 
 this was too much for anybody except a 
 Methodist preacher, who had made his vows to 
 take things as they come." He said nothing 
 could compensate him for this trial but a good 
 revival. 
 
 In 1858 floods and poor crops caused wide- in Tatters 
 spread suffering. The total compensation re- 
 ceived by Dyer that year was fifty dollars in 
 money and clothing. Poverty and suffering did 
 not check his zeal. Occasionally, though, his 
 lack of money was a means of temptation. At 
 
190 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 one time his coat was so badly worn that there 
 was not much left: of it beside the lining from 
 the elbow to the wrist on the under side. " Now 
 you are going to the town," he thought, " and 
 your coat sleeves are thread-worn to the lin- 
 ing ! " " But I went," he says, " and had a good 
 old Protestant Methodist preach for me and I 
 exhorted. I thought I would tell on the devil 
 the first thing and try to stop him. So I told 
 how it was. I raised my arm up and said, ' I 
 am ready to shake the last rag over you.' " The 
 next day, sympathetic members of the church 
 gave him a new coat. He said that he never for- 
 got this kindness and that he didn't know how he 
 could have endured his trials that year had not 
 God revived the work all around the circuit. 
 
 Churchless His visits disclosed deplorable conditions, 
 egions jj^ g^ logging camp he found thirty-five men, 
 who gave close attention to his sermons. One 
 man, who formerly lived in New York, and 
 who stood in his cabin door and listened, said 
 that sermon was the only one he had heard for 
 twenty-two years. In that entire neighborhood 
 there had never been a school or preaching. 
 
 Pike's Peak For the purpose of seeing Pike's Peak in 
 
 ^°^^^'^; Colorado, he left Minnesota, March Q, 1861. 
 ward ' ^ ' :?' 
 
 Before leaving, he reflected on some of the 
 
John L. Dyer 191 
 
 results of his six years' ministry. He knew of 
 over five hundred persons who had been led 
 into the Christian Hfe. At a large number of 
 places visited, he was the first to preach the 
 Gospel and estabhsh a church. He had used 
 up all his personal property and was in debt. 
 His decision to promptly pay all he owed was 
 faithfully carried out. 
 
 On his way westward he met with h heavy A Long 
 loss. A landlord over-fed his horse, which had ^ ^ 
 cost him one hundred and fifty dollars. He led 
 him a few miles and sold him for a gun, an 
 old watch and fifteen dollars, about what the 
 bridle and saddle were worth. He then walked 
 the remainder of the distance — nearly six hun- 
 dred miles — making Gospel addresses on the 
 way. On June 20, 1861, he reached Colo- 
 rado, and on July 9, arrived at Buckskin Joe, 
 a mining camp. On inquiry, he found that 
 a funeral sermon, preached near the camp the 
 previous year, was the first sermon preached in 
 all that region. 
 
 The Sunday after his arrival he held an in New 
 open-air meeting. Logs were used for seats. Settlements 
 On week nights he spoke in the streets. Four 
 Sundays later, he went eight miles to conduct 
 an evangelistic meeting. All the people, with 
 
192 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 the exception of one man, were out staking off 
 claims. This man invited Dyer to dinner. 
 They sat down on the ground to eat. There 
 was not a house, table, or stool, in the place. 
 " From there I made my way up to Quartz 
 Hill," Dyer writes. "There I preached to 
 about thirty attentive hearers and felt that the 
 Lord was with us indeed ; walked back sixteen 
 miles, and held two services. The last Sab- 
 bath visited Fair Play, and conducted the first 
 preaching service held there. I also tried to 
 preach the first sermon in Mosquito by a camp 
 fire, as there was no house at the time in the 
 place." For nine weeks he lived in a house 
 made of poles and pine boughs. To secure a 
 livelihood, he worked through the week by 
 the day. 
 Preaching A few days later he arrived at Minerva, on 
 Amid Washington Gulch. As he entered the town 
 
 Distractions ^ 
 
 on Sunday, he found one man "cuttmg and 
 selling beef; others rolling logs down the hill ; 
 others covering their cabins; others building a 
 chimney ; and still others selling provisions and 
 whiskey in a tent." He announced that he 
 would speak. Forty men, with their mules and 
 ponies, assembled. He did not know that even 
 one person was in sympathy with him. " 1 got 
 
John L. Dyer 193 
 
 in front of the tent," he says, " under the shade 
 of a large pine tree, and led the hymn, begin- 
 ning, 'Alas and did my Saviour bleed,' and as I 
 tried in the old way to sing it, a number joined 
 and helped ; but some were selling, others buy- 
 ing and some packing their beasts. After this 
 the poor preacher began to feel better and the 
 people kept coming in until there were over 
 one hundred. As 1 proceeded, I felt that God 
 had revived his promise, ' Lo, 1 am with you 
 alway, even unto the end of the world ' ! I was 
 in the last camp east of California and had the 
 evidence that God was in the wilderness, as well 
 as in the city. . . . When I was about half 
 through, three men got on their ponies in the 
 outskirts of the congregation, and one of them 
 waved his hat, and said, 'Farewell.' The 
 speaker responded for the audience, and also 
 said: 'God have mercy on your soul' and 
 they passed away. Soon after a mule reached 
 his head into the tent and took out a loaf of 
 bread and started off with it; but was soon 
 caught, tied up, and the bread taken away, so 
 that we were getting rid of the stock. Not- 
 withstanding these interruptions, most of the 
 hearers listened with great attention. At the 
 close, 1 gave out that I would have a camp- 
 
194 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 meeting at night, as there were tents enough, 
 
 and plenty of pine knots for light." Fires were 
 
 built and one hundred and fifty frontiersmen 
 
 came to hear the sermon. At these services the 
 
 roughest men behaved respectfully. 
 
 ^^^ On his way back to Buckskin Toe he was 
 Blizzard , -^ tt- i 
 
 met by a severe snowstorm. riis matches 
 
 would not burn. " The prospect was frightful. 
 
 I prayed, and dedicated myself to God, and 
 
 thought that by His grace I would try to pull 
 
 through. For five or six hours I waded the 
 
 snow waist deep, until, almost exhausted, I 
 
 leaned up against a tree to rest. I never saw 
 
 death and eternity so near as then. My life 
 
 seemed to be at an end; but I resolved to keep 
 
 moving and when I could go no more, would 
 
 hang up my carpet sack and write on a smooth 
 
 pine tree, my own epitaph : ' Look for me in 
 
 heaven'. Through the goodness of God, I 
 
 reached the toll-gate about one hour after dark; 
 
 and I shall never forget the kindness of the 
 
 Swede who took me in and cared for me." 
 
 At Buckskin Joe, he continued services for two 
 
 weeks. Opposing forces were numerous. Two 
 
 dances were held weekly. Two men were 
 
 killed. In spite of these distractions the church 
 
 was revived and backsliders reclaimed. In four 
 
John L. Dyer 195 
 
 months he walked live hundred miles carrying 
 his pack over Indian trails, across logs. He 
 preached three times a week. He received forty- 
 three dollars in collections. To meet his ex- 
 penses, he spent in addition to this sum, about 
 fifty dollars of his own money. He had worked 
 by the day through the week. His clothes 
 were worn out. His hat was patched with 
 dressed antelope skin. His boots were half- 
 soled with rawhide. 
 
 Early in 1862, he visited Denver. He At Denver 
 attended church, taking a seat in the back of 
 the room. To his surprise, he found that the 
 minister in charge was his friend. Colonel 
 Chivington. He wore a military suit, a belt, 
 and carried a bowie knife and revolver. He 
 invited Dyer to preach the sermon. In a sketch 
 of early times in Colorado, Colonel Chivington 
 gives a highly pleasing picture of Dyer : " The 
 first time I met him," he writes, " was at Buck- 
 skin Joe, at a quarterly meeting. If I have 
 ever known a man anywhere who enjoyed 
 preaching more than does Mr. Dyer, I am at a 
 loss to name him. This is as it should be. 
 Paul gloried in it, and why not all his succes- 
 sors^ Mr. Dyer did not wait to rest from his 
 long journey, nor to replenish his depleted empty 
 
196 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 purse, nor to take his bearings, that he might 
 find out which way the popular breeze was 
 blowing; but at once drew the Gospel bow at 
 a venture, and let the arrows fly thick and fast. 
 He never so much as said, ' Sinners, if you do 
 not want to get wounded, look a little out,' 
 but drew the sword of the Spirit, throwing the 
 scabbard away ; and it has been flashing in the 
 sunlight of peak, valley and plain ever since. 
 As I write, I hear him shouting as he goes on 
 his snow-shoes : 
 
 See on the mountain top 
 
 The standard of your God ; 
 
 In Jesus name 'tis lifted up, 
 
 All stained with hallowed blood. 
 
 Happy if, with my latest breath, 
 
 I may but gasp His name ; 
 Preach Him to all, and cry m death, 
 ♦ Behold, behold the Lamb!' " 
 
 Blue River Dyer was next invited to take charge of the 
 Blue River mission in Summit County, Colo- 
 rado. He left Denver at once to begin work. 
 At Georgia Gulch he found nearly one hun- 
 dred and fifty people, among whom were a few 
 church members. He announced meetings for 
 the next Sunday morning and at a nearby town 
 for the afternoon. At both places he was 
 greeted by large congregations. At Georgia 
 
John L. Dyer 197 
 
 Gulch, a Jew suggested that a contribution be 
 taken. Twenty-two dollars and fifty cents, in 
 gold dust, the only currency then in use, were 
 collected. This donation was a great help to 
 Dyer, as he had but ten cents when he reached 
 the camp. On this circuit he visited five 
 places every two weeks. 
 
 The cost of living was so great that he His 
 decided to buy a cabin at French Gulch and ^^^ 
 have a home of his own. His bedstead was 
 made of pine poles, including the springs ; his 
 bed was made of hay. "My furniture," he 
 writes, "was primitive and limited; a table 
 and a couple of boards against the side of the 
 wall for a cupboard, six tin plates, half a set of 
 knives and forks and a few other indispensa- 
 bles." His library consisted of a Bible, a 
 hymn book, the Methodist Discipline, two 
 denominational papers and one daily paper. 
 
 His circuit not being large, he preached Method of 
 
 ^ 1 ^ ^ Invitation 
 
 seven times each two weeks, i^requent re- 
 movals of the people made his work difficult. 
 He gave this explanation of his plan: "1 
 concluded to get everybody out, and then 
 preach the truth burning hot, whether my 
 hearers were in the house, around the camp- . 
 fire, or under the shade of a pine tree. We 
 
198 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 generally had good congregations, and the way 
 we got them out was to go along the gulches 
 and tell the people, in their cabins and saloons, 
 where the preaching would be at night, and 
 then, just before the time, stop at the door, 
 where they were at cards, and say : 'My 
 friends, can't you close your game in ten 
 minutes and come and hear preaching?' I 
 tried to adapt myself to the situation, neither 
 showing that I felt above any one, nor ever 
 compromising with sin or with transgessions, 
 and being always ready to speak for the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. I tried to make my cabin useful. 
 It was about eighteen feet square and was the 
 best place in which to hold meetings. The 
 floor was hard ground. I got sacks and made 
 carpet, and covered the table with two copies 
 of The Northwestern Christian Advocate. Thus 
 I preached to the people in my own house, 
 not in a hired house, as the apostle Paul did." 
 Dyer frequently conducted Gospel meetings in 
 small camps where dances, a dancing school, 
 and a theatre, were counter attractions. He 
 referred to the dancing school as the first insti- 
 tution of learning in the mountains. 
 
 A Drunken At most of the dances in mining camps 
 
 Audience ^1 j • 1 • j j 1 
 
 there was drmkmg and some drunkenness. 
 
John L. Dyer 199 
 
 At a hotel near his home, a Christmas dinner 
 was given, followed at night by a dance. He 
 attended the dinner and was asked to remain 
 for the dance. He declined the invitation and 
 went to his cabin for the night. Several men 
 who remained at the dance became intoxicated 
 and decided that every man in the town must 
 get up, and that the minister should either 
 treat the company at the bar, or make a tem- 
 perance speech. They passed Dyer's cabin 
 and told him if he did not open the door they 
 would break it in. He opened it, and they 
 said: "We have come to take you up to 
 Walker's, and you can either treat or make a 
 temperance speech." He went with them, lead- 
 ing the company. " Soon there were over forty 
 men," says Dyer, "and they called a chairman 
 or moderator; but they were too drunk to be 
 moderated. I got upon a box and stated my 
 arrest and proposed to make the speech. They 
 said : ' Go on.' .... I wound up and was about 
 to take leave, but the judge said : ' I move that 
 we vote that everything that Mr. Dyer has said 
 is true,' and they gave a rousing vote. He 
 said ' the ayes have it,' but that I must not go 
 yet; and made and put a motion that they all 
 give Mr. Dyer a dollar apiece; and that was 
 
2CX5 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 also carried." They took a hat and collected 
 twenty dollars. Dyer thanked them, and went 
 home to breakfast. 
 
 South Park He was not only hindered in his work by 
 the influence of the saloon but also by 
 disreputable theatres. One summer several 
 theatrical troupes visited the county in which 
 he labored, and played at the camps on Sun- 
 days, as well as on week days. " I thought the 
 devil was traveling the circuit as well as my- 
 self," said Dyer. 
 
 Appointed Up to 1863, he had labored as a supply. In 
 
 ^ r ^ that year he received a regular appointment 
 Conference -' o rr ^ 
 
 from the Kansas conference. It was a surprise 
 to him, for he had not decided to remain in the 
 mountains. He resolved to stay, stand the 
 storms, do the best he could to build up the 
 church, and leave events with God. 
 Unarmed Many desperadoes were within Dyer's new 
 district. His friends urged him to arm him- 
 self He told them that he would try to make 
 his trips when the murderers were not watching, 
 and that if he were killed, the murderers would 
 find no pistol to add to their supplies. He gave 
 two other reasons : first, he did not have sufficient 
 money to buy a pistol ; second, for two years he 
 had safely passed all sorts of men and had often 
 
John L. Dyer 201 
 
 slept alone under the shade of pine trees, when 
 he had reason to believe the Rocky mountain 
 lion and bears were his nearest neighbors. He 
 felt that he was still in the hands of God, whom 
 he was trying to serve : and that He who had 
 kept him from being a prey of wild beasts, 
 would keep him from these unknown mur- 
 derers. 
 
 In 1863, the Rocky Mountain conference, Rocky 
 
 now the Colorado conference, was organized. J^^^^^^i^ 
 
 ^ . . Conference 
 
 Dyer was appointed to the district which in- 
 cluded Park and Lake counties. Within it 
 were but twelve members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. That he might attend the 
 conference he walked two hundred miles. A 
 friend gave him a cabin, which he made his 
 home. The principal occupation of the people 
 was gulch-mining, as the water failed in many 
 places. When news came of mining opportu- 
 nities in Idaho and Montana, one-third of the 
 population left. The people who remained 
 were too poor to leave. This, Dyer says, was 
 his own state. Winter was approaching. With 
 what he had, and with the little that could be 
 expected from collections, he would not have 
 more than half enough to carry him through. 
 He bought three sacks of flour at fifteen 
 
202 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 dollars a sack and "trusted to Providence for 
 most of the rest. About mid-winter, I found 
 myself without means, and so sought work, but 
 could get none, unless I worked on Sundays, 
 which was out of the question, except to pre- 
 vent actual starvation." In mid-winter the mail 
 carrier who took the mail from Buckskin Joe to 
 Cache Creek, a distance of thirty-seven miles, 
 offered Dyer eighteen dollars a week to carry 
 the mail on this route on snow shoes. As Sun<- 
 day work was not required, and as he could 
 preach nearly as often as he had been doing, he 
 made the contract 
 Mail-carrier Each week he preached three times and car- 
 
 Evaneelist ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ across the Mosquito range. He 
 also carried express matter, by which he increased 
 his income three-fold. The mail weighed about 
 twenty-five pounds and the express matter nearly 
 seven pounds. He walked on snow-shoes, 
 drawing the sled thirty-seven miles each way, 
 over a mountainous Indian trail covered with 
 snow, from three to twenty feet in depth. He 
 encountered terrific snow-storms and several 
 times narrowly escaped death. The year was 
 filled with hard toil and with excitement, both 
 spiritual and physical. Out of many perils God 
 in His mercy delivered him. 
 
John L. Dyer 20^ 
 
 3 
 
 At the opening of the next conference year Counting not 
 he was sent out without any missionary help. ^^® ^^^^ 
 He thought it was not just. Before he left, 
 Bishop Ames, who was his friend, said : " Brother 
 Dyer, I hope you will do well in the mountains. 
 I am told you are highly esteemed out there ; 
 and it is well for you to know that you are 
 appreciated. It may do you good." Though 
 the outlook was dismal. Dyer went forward. " 1 
 resolved to go and do what I could," he bravely 
 said, "survive or perish." He believed it was 
 his duty to preach the Gospel whether he was 
 adequately supported or not. He received only 
 forty dollars for missionary work during the year, 
 but toiled none the less cheerily and heartily. 
 
 The following year his pathway was darkened South Park 
 by sorrows and trials. His younger son was 
 injured in the army; his older son was killed. 
 Gardens and crops were destroyed by a grass- 
 hopper plague. Money was scarce. The people 
 in his district could barely make a living. "Many 
 of them were so poor," he wrote, "that the 
 preacher ought to have had something to give 
 them." Sympathizing with others in their 
 troubles, and patient in his own bereavement, 
 he pressed on, making opportunities for the 
 preaching of the Gospel. At most of the places 
 
204 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 he visited, people said : "This is the first preach- 
 ing we have heard in this county." "Others 
 said : " It is the first preaching we have heard 
 for several years." Visiting an old acquaintance 
 in the mountains he was invited to tarry for 
 dinner. " After the blessing was asked, a half- 
 grown son nudged his father in the side, inquir- 
 ing, ' Dad, who was he talking to ? ' " 
 Renewings Several camp meetings, attended by many 
 itinerant preachers, refreshed the lonely and 
 isolated workers. Out of the fullness of his 
 heart, Dyer wrote: "Few know how we 
 appreciated those seasons, after our long exile 
 with people taken up with sin of every grade, 
 none even to sympathize with us and cheer us 
 on our way." He said he loved to think of the 
 few with whom he had shared privation, 
 danger, and religious joys in the Rocky Mount- 
 ains. In 1866 he preached at least four times 
 through the week, and when possible, three times 
 , on Sunday. Often he spoke in the morning and 
 traveled twenty miles to conduct an afternoon 
 service. Some of his experiences he portrays 
 in the following narrative : 
 
 Vicissitudes I started from the south bank of the Platte, at Fair Play, 
 on my shoes, supposing that I could stand walking, as in 
 the past; but having ridden on horseback all summer, I 
 soon felt the effects of the change. At six I reached Platte 
 
John L. Dyer 205 
 
 crossing, and expected to find a foot log, but it had been 
 washed away. There were two crossings, ten rods apart. 
 I started down the creek. The snow had covered every- 
 thing ; and as I passed over some willows, I broke one of 
 my shoes ; but got to the ford and saw that there was no 
 way to cross but by wading. It was after dark. 1 sat 
 down on the snow and took off my boots and socks. The 
 stream was running full knee-deep of slush, and was about 
 sixteen feet wide. I waded across, wiped my feet as dry as 
 I could with my handkerchief, got my boots on, and made 
 four miles through the snow to Garro's Ranch. I was tired 
 out, and so hungry that I could have eaten anything. My 
 condition was anything but enviable. But it was to go or 
 perish. The snow was a little packed by the wind, which 
 was on my back, and helped me a little. I could only 
 make about one hundred feet before having to rest. I was 
 warm, except my feet. I had one snow-shoe and could 
 scrape the snow off the ground to make a place to stamp 
 my feet so that they should not freeze. I got within a 
 mile; stopped to rest. I dug a trench in the snow long 
 enough to lie in. The wind blew the snow and the scales 
 I had knocked off, over me, and it seemed like being buried 
 alive, the clods being shoveled in on the coffin. I soon got 
 out of that hole, and at last, near eleven o'clock, steadied 
 myself by the door-knob with one hand and rapped with 
 the other. Mr. Garro jumped out of bed with his revolver 
 in hand, ran upstairs, hoisted the window, and cried out: 
 ♦Who's there?' The reply was, * It is Dyer.' He was 
 astounded, and hurried downstairs without shopting, 
 brought me in, and set me a supper, with hospitality so 
 royal a king might envy. I remember yet how thankful I 
 was to the good Lord, that I got in ; and how good that hay 
 bed felt, and how greatly refreshed I was the next morn- 
 ing. Nothing but the grace of God, and what little grit I 
 had in me, ever got me through. 
 
 Dyer was alert to find suitable buildings for Building a 
 church use. At Fair Play he found a two-story. 
 
2o6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 hewed log building that had formerly been a 
 hotel. Two men, who owned ox teams, 
 promised that if he would remodel it they would 
 draw it to the lot. Dyer furnished the purchase 
 money and employed a man to help him take 
 the building down. The teamsters who had 
 promised to help, after making one trip, gave 
 no further assistance. There was but one church 
 member in the town and he was a day laborer. 
 A man said he would draw the building for one 
 hundred dollars. Dyer himself contributed the 
 money, and with another pioneer preacher, began 
 the work of reconstruction. Within a month 
 they had the building ready for meetings, and 
 dedicated it without debt. It was large enough 
 to hold all the residents of the town. 
 A Timely Up to this time Dyer had preached mostly 
 iscove y .^ private houses and stores. At one of the 
 latter, seats had been placed and people gathered. 
 The proprietor arranged for Dyer to stand at 
 the end of the counter. After he had taken his 
 place, he looked up, and directly over him saw 
 a sign bearing the words, " Good Whiskey." " 1 
 never can preach under such a sign as that," he 
 said. The proprietor cheerfully took the sign 
 down and Dyer preached to a congregation of 
 thirty people. 
 
John L. Dyer 207 
 
 During that year, one Sabbath afternoon, Wittiness 
 weary and dusty from a walk of over one 
 hundred miles. Dyer met with a Sunday 
 school. The pastor announced his presence 
 as follows : " Children, old Father Dyer is in 
 the audience, and after singing this hymn he 
 will make a short talk." The hymn was sung 
 and the pastor invited " Old Father Dyer " 
 forward to the altar to address the school. 
 ''This reference," writes a friend acquainted 
 with the incident, "quickened the pulse of 
 Dyer, as he walked upon the platform with 
 a firm and elastic step. With a peculiar 
 twinkle in one corner of his eye, in a drawl- 
 ing tone of voice, he began with : ' O-l-d 
 F-a-t-h-e-r D-y-e-r; yes, children, O-l-d 
 F-a-t-h-e-r D-y-e-r. I may be old; but I am 
 not barefoot on the top of my head; neither 
 do I wear store teeth tied into my mouth with 
 a string.' The point of the joke will readily 
 be seen, when we bear in mind that though their 
 pastor was about twenty-two years younger than 
 he, yet the top of his head was 'above timber 
 line,' and he wore false teeth." When, in ignor- 
 ance, the faithful itinerant preachers were 
 derisively called " circuit riders," Dyer said : " I 
 never rode a circuit ; I always rode a horse I " 
 
2o8 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 New Mexico Jn 1868, Dyer was appointed to New 
 Mexico. He protested against the assign- 
 ment and urged the Bishop to send some one 
 better quaUfied. The Bishop repHed: "You 
 preach to all the Americans; do what you can 
 and see where and how the Mexicans can be 
 improved." Describing his new district, Dyer 
 said: "That year I took in Trinidad, being 
 the first Protestant who ever tried to preach 
 there. This appointment was not taken with- 
 out at least some knowledge of the labor, pri- 
 vations and dangers attending a Protestant 
 preacher in that field. I already found that it 
 was not Mexico, but New Mexico, the out- 
 side or fag ends of an old Latinized nation, 
 that had been ridden over by Romish priests. 
 Being the first discoverers of our American 
 continent, their church, 1 supposed, had lost 
 almost all but form and ceremony, and had 
 been backsliding ever since. And 1 was 
 
 going into the most illiterate part 1 have 
 
 seen men by the dozen go to church in the 
 morning and by eleven o'clock the same men 
 carrying their chickens to a pit to have a cock 
 fight in plain view of the priest's house. They 
 were communicants, and yet I never knew one 
 of them to be brought to account for violating 
 
John L. Dyer 209 
 
 the Sabbath. My prayer is that God will con- Results 
 vert and reform that whole country. Indeed, it 
 is rapidly becoming enlightened and improved 
 in every way." Dyer selected a place for a 
 high grade school, and secured the Rev. 
 Thomas Harwood and his wife to direct it. 
 Mr. Harwood, who began his labor in 1869, 
 was the first Methodist preacher Dyer had 
 seen in New Mexico. " He took my place," 
 he said, "and I have reason to thank God that 
 the result has been so good." The following 
 year Dyer traveled throughout New Mexico, 
 making his home at Santa Fe. His work was 
 not without danger and temptations. "The 
 Apache Indians were frequently on the scout. 
 If sighted by them, it was necessary to outrun 
 them, kill them, or get scalped." The out- 
 come of his work in New Mexico was exceed- 
 ingly encouraging. During his life-time over 
 eight hundred converts to Christianity united 
 with the Methodist church in that country, and 
 twenty native Protestant preachers were raised up. 
 
 In 1870 he was appointed to what was called "The 
 the Divide Circuit, lying south and east of ^.^^^^V®„ 
 Denver. Four weeks were required for the 
 visitation of all the places in this district. The 
 settlers were largely ranchmen. Dyer said the 
 
210 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 loss of a cow was more seriously felt than that 
 of a human being. The killing of a man was 
 overlooked and little effort was made to find the 
 murderer, but when cattle were stolen and the 
 thief was found, he was usually hung. 
 Checks On this circuit distractions and impediments 
 
 Evang-elism abounded. Dances, however, were among the 
 most serious hindrances to his work. " If we 
 are trying to promote a revival, the dance is the 
 best means to dissipate all serious reflection. I 
 tried to do all I could to stop vice, and faithfully 
 preached the Word wherever a few could be got 
 together. Yet one decade without the Gospel 
 or religious example or associations has a wonder- 
 ful effect on people, even on those who have 
 been trained well. It seems almost impossible 
 to turn them again to righteousness, while the 
 children lose all interest in anything that is moral, 
 and have an utter disrelish of religion." He 
 gave two years to work on this circuit, preach- 
 ing and exhorting on an average four times a 
 week. His rides were hard and long. He ex- 
 pended two hundred and forty dollars more than 
 he received. Two class meetings were formed, 
 and there were conversions. 
 A Meeting On the third night of a series of evangelistic 
 
 in t e Snow jj^^etings, about the time for the meeting to begin. 
 
John L. Dyer 211 
 
 "a blizzard, heavy wind and line snow, came up, 
 too severe to be encountered. But a dozen of 
 us got to the school-house and I tried to talk a 
 little, and proposed to have two or three prayers 
 and quit. But a young lady came and kneeled 
 at the altar and although the wind blew in the 
 snow until it was two inches deep on the floor 
 and we were all white with it, she never stopped 
 praying or rose from her knees until the blessing 
 came." It was in indications of repentance, such 
 as this, that Dyer found his abundant reward. 
 
 Many living in Dyer's district were reckless Outrages in 
 and godless. Among the evil characteristics Lake County 
 which he enumerates, were lying, stealing, 
 covetousness, tale-bearing, and murdering. 
 With scant cause troublesome dissensions arose. 
 The older settlers frequently attempted to 
 dominate the newcomers; many of the latter 
 were quarrelsome. Conflicts were numerous 
 and ominous. A slight offence would some- 
 times lead to murder. Mobs were formed, 
 people were driven out of villages and many 
 were killed. Dyer's own son, a judge, was 
 shot at the close of a trial at which he presided. 
 His murderers were never brought to justice. 
 
 Dyer was appointed to the most difficult Unequalled 
 district in Colorado, a district for which no ^^ ^ ^^^ 
 
212 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 missionary appropriation had been made. " To 
 be sent to the hardest circuit at my time of hfe, 
 and not on equal footing with other preachers 
 of the conference, was rough on me and un- 
 feehng in those who sent me, but my old time 
 loyalty stood me in hand, and I concluded to 
 go and do the best I could for a year." The 
 county in which he labored began forty-five 
 miles west of Denver, extended to Utah, and 
 north to Wyoming. Seven counties were 
 ultimately made out of it. As late as 1889 
 there were but few preachers of the Gospel 
 within this large territory. The unsettled condi- 
 tion of mining camps was unfavorable to the 
 keeping up of religious societies. 
 Dancing At a Settlement where he preached twice each 
 and the g^r^^^^y there were nine saloons, all suppHed 
 
 Church -' ^ ^ 
 
 Organ with card tables. At the frequent dances the 
 church organ had been used. "About dark, 
 one night," writes the aged and sorely troubled 
 pioneer, " 1 heard something in the church and 
 ran out. A wagon was backed up to the door 
 and the organ was almost loaded. 1 objected, 
 and was told that they had leave from the officers 
 of the church. But 1 was firm and they left 
 without it. 1 speak of these things to show 
 how little regard people had for sacred things, 
 
John L. Dyer 213 
 
 and what a preacher had to contend with and 
 what material he had to work on. Some would 
 say that such should not have the Gospel 
 preached to them. But I think they ought to 
 have both love and Gospel. O, may God send 
 men after His own heart, who can thunder His 
 wrath, as well as display the glories of His 
 salvation I " He closed his last two-year period 
 on this circuit in his seventy-sixth year. He 
 had preached on an average oftener than three 
 times each week. The tax on him had been 
 exceedingly heavy. " For an old man who has 
 always kept going, to stop is distressing," he 
 said. "The time hangs heavy on his mind. 
 Only the grace of God and the prospect of an 
 eternal home, can keep him in a cheerful mood." 
 Father Dyer, as he was familiarly known, 
 preached in more obscure and in more new 
 towns in Colorado than any other man during 
 his lifetime. One who knew him well gives 
 him deserved praise by saying that he never 
 knew discouragement, failure or defeat, preach- 
 ing everywhere, whether audiences were large 
 or small. His sole ambition was to preach the 
 Gospel in such a way that men would be con- 
 verted. "He was never particular where he 
 preached, whether in the street, saloon, cabin, 
 
214 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 school-room, church, or mountain, valley or 
 plain, so he delivered the message of salvation 
 to dying men. In his preaching he never once 
 considered ease, popularity or salary. When 
 taking a collection, he was always glad to get 
 his hat back, if perchance there should be 
 nothing of value in it, for he had spoken the 
 truth to sinful men. The one burning desire 
 was that he might not build upon another 
 man's foundation. His sermons always had 
 the true gospel ring. Everywhere he pro- 
 claimed a free salvation; yet in his denuncia- 
 tions of wrong he spared neither friend nor foe. 
 His ready wit and religious enthusiasm carried 
 him through, winning the respect of saint and 
 sinner." 
 
 Father Dyer was a noble type of the hardy 
 pioneer preacher. He bore without complaint 
 the hardships that come from contact with 
 na ure in the rough — wild beasts, desolate 
 mountains, merciless blizzards. Neither did he 
 shrink from personal association with men who 
 had been hardened by years of reckless, sinful 
 living. Through faith he escaped dangers, 
 wrought righteousness, from weakness was made 
 strong. He was conscientious, untiring, fear- 
 less. He was a radical in all good things, it 
 
John L. Dyer 215 
 
 was said. Evil he stingingly rebuked. Yet he 
 was sympathetic, and in all his arraignments of 
 men, because of their wickedness, he tenderly 
 sought their salvation. His parting address 
 at one of the Colorado conferences has been 
 described as a tender testimony to God's good- 
 ness and to love for the brethren. Viewing 
 him in the large, these strong words, applied 
 to him, seem not too strong: " He was a grad- 
 uate of God's school for heroes." 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To secure a knowledge of the character and work 
 of Dyer and of the condition of the early settlers in Col- 
 orado. 
 
 The Pioneers 
 
 1. What were some of the characteristics of the pio- 
 neers ? Memorize the quotation from Horace Bushnell. 
 
 2. According to President Roosevelt, what were the 
 virtues of the pioneer preachers ? 
 
 Boyhood of Dyer 
 
 3. When was he born ? What is said of his ancestry ? 
 
 4. What experience helped him to become strictly tem- 
 perate ? 
 
 5. How was he influenced by camp-meetings which he 
 attended ? 
 
 6. What two strong temptations came to him in his 
 early Christian life ? 
 
 7. In what capacity did he begin active Christian ser- 
 vice ? What did he suggest for the benefit of pastors 
 whose salaries were unpaid ? 
 
 8. What occurred when he first attempted to preach ? 
 
2i6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 9. In what manner did the distinct call to preach come 
 to him ? 
 
 10. How did he deal with a hypocritical "mourner"? 
 
 11. When was he admitted to conference ? Where ? 
 
 An Itinerant Preacher 
 
 12. What particular trials did his children endure ? 
 Describing the panic of 1857, what did Dyer say ? How 
 did he use his own money ? 
 
 13. What peculiar trials were endured by many Chris- 
 tian women in the mining camps ? How did two of them 
 endeavor to save their husbands ? 
 
 14. In what way did Dyer conquer a temptation which 
 came through his poverty? 
 
 15. In what, partly, did the first six years of his minis- 
 try result ? 
 
 16. Give the main features of his journey westward 
 and of the beginnings of his ministry in Colorado. Accord- 
 ing to Colonel Chivington, what were some of his char- 
 acteristics ? 
 
 17. Describe his home and his method of inviting 
 people to the meetings he conducted. 
 
 18. Though vicious characters were on his circuit, why 
 did he not arm himself ? 
 
 19. What were some of his experiences as an itinerant 
 in Park and Lake counties, Colorado ? 
 
 20. Tell of his trials, and of some of the conditions in 
 the South Park District. 
 
 21. What did he do to secure a church for the people at 
 Fair Play ? 
 
 22. State, in substance, some of his experiences in New 
 Mexico. What, in part, resulted from his labors? 
 
 23. What was the character of many people on the 
 ••Divide Circuit"? Tell of the evangelistic meeting in the 
 snow. 
 
 24. What conditions did he meet in Lake county ? 
 
 25. To what kind of a district was Dyer sent in 1879 ? 
 Relate some of his experiences. 
 
John L. Dyer 217 
 
 References 
 
 The Snow- Shoe Itinerant. An Autobiography of the 
 Rev. John L. Dyer. Cincinuati : Published for the 
 Author by Cranston & Stowe. Difficult to obtain. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. By J. B. Clark. New York : 
 The Baker & Taylor Co. $1.25. 
 
 Christianity in the United States. By Daniel Dor- 
 chester. New York: Eaton & Mains. $3.50. 
 
 The Minute Man on the Frontier. By W. G. Pudde- 
 foot. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. $1.25. 
 
 Publications of Home Mission Boards on Work in 
 Mining Regions. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Consider- 
 ation AND Discussion 
 
 1. The Character of Dyer. Review the chapter and 
 describe four or five of his leading characteristics. 
 
 2. Trials of Home Missionaries. Give a summarized 
 statement of the trials of Dyer. The trials of other early 
 itinerant preachers. Trials of home missionaries now at 
 work. 
 
 Christianity in the United States. Dorchester. Pages 
 
 388-394. 
 
 The Minute Man on the Frontier. Puddefoot. Pages 
 2-47. 
 Home Missionary Magazines. Current issues. 
 
 3. Home Missionary Activity in Colorado, Past and 
 Present. Give latest information relative to the work of 
 your Denominational Home Mission Board. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. Clark. Pages 153-165. 
 Literature, or statements from the Secretaries of your 
 Denominational Home Mission Board. 
 
 4. Home Missionary Work in Mining Sections. The 
 present work of your Denominational Home Mission Board. 
 The need of extension. 
 
2i8 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 The Minute Man on the Frontier. Puddefoot. Pages 
 197-210. 
 
 Publications of your Denominational Home Mission 
 Board on work in mining regions. Where these are not 
 available the Secretaries will gladly furnish special infor- 
 mation. 
 
Now let the church set the battle 
 in array all along the line, 
 and call for a captain in e very- 
 rank both front and rear. 
 Every man must be a leader. 
 Not to do the same work, but 
 to be fitted for detail to spe- 
 cial service anywhere, at any 
 time. This will call for in- 
 cessant drill. There must 
 be instruction camps every- 
 where, not only in the meet- 
 ing house, but in the school 
 
 house. 
 
 — Joseph Ward 
 
 JOSEPH WARD 
 
Chronological List of Events in 
 Ward's Life 
 
 1838. Born at Perry Center, Wyoming County, New York, 
 May 5. 
 
 1865. Graduated from Brown University, June. 
 
 1868. Graduated from Andover Theological Seminary, 
 May. 
 
 1868. Became Pastor of the Congregational Church, Yank- 
 ton, South Dakota, November i. 
 
 1870. New Congregational church dedicated at Yankton, 
 July 17- 
 
 1872. Congregational church at Yankton reaches self-sup- 
 port, April. 
 
 iSSr. Founded Yankton College, Yankton. 
 
 i33i. Became President of Yankton College. 
 
 1883. Resigns Pastorate of Congregational church, Yank- 
 ton. 
 
 1889. Died at Yankton, South Dakota, December n. 
 
 220 
 
VI 
 
 JOSEPH WARD 
 
 Joseph Ward was the child of Christian Early Home 
 nurture. His mother was a woman of sterling 
 character. His father was a young Christian 
 physician who had moved from Berkshire 
 county in Massachusetts, to the Genesee 
 country in New York State, then a frontier 
 section. In the new home New England 
 customs were introduced and maintained. On 
 Saturday night their Sabbaths began. Every 
 night the curfew bell sounded. The ending of 
 a human life within the parish was always 
 announced by the measured tolling of the 
 church bell. The standards of life in his home 
 and in the community were high, and were a 
 rich legacy to the young boy. 
 
 Not being strong in body. Ward was kept Early 
 out in the open. As his strength permitted he ®^ ^^^ 
 attended the district school and later the local 
 academy. Before his eighth year he had read 
 Josephus' History, Milton's Paradise Lost, and 
 Rollin's Histories. When he finished a book, 
 
 221 
 
222 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 he knew it. To a remarkable degree he had 
 the abihty to appropriate and retain what he 
 read. 
 
 His Mother's When he was five years old his father died, 
 leaving to the care of his wife four young chil- 
 dren. Joseph's mother, who was an invalid, was 
 a woman of rare wisdom and tact ; she was wise, 
 patient, and careful, in her efforts to train her 
 son. In her room plans for study and play were 
 considered, and there Joseph did much of his 
 reading. " Tender thoughtfulness and sympathy 
 for others, which were his marked characteristics 
 as a man," his sister writes, "were nurtured, not 
 to say begotten, by those years of loving 
 ministry. His strong faith in the eternal veri- 
 ties, faith which made him rest with sure con- 
 fidence on God's promises, this it was which he 
 knew to have been his mother's support and in 
 this she triumphed." Thus, from the outset of 
 his life, the young soldier of the cross was being 
 trained to put on the whole armor of God. 
 
 A Teacher's Even at this early period those who knew 
 
 Tribute i . . i • i^ i • t 
 
 him were impressed with his strong personality. 
 " Considered altogether," said one of his early 
 teachers, "his intellectual make-up, his tone and 
 elevation of character, his breadth and his 
 soundness of judgment, he was the strongest 
 
Joseph Ward 223 
 
 and most promising young man I ever met. In 
 the long stretch of years since then, among all 
 the young men I have observed in colleges and 
 elsewhere, reckoning him on the broadest and 
 clearest lines that point to high usefulness and 
 value as a man, I certainly have known very 
 few who would rank with him." He was led, 
 through the influence of this gifted teacher, to 
 have an eager desire for a college education. 
 
 His preparatory school life was marked by Preparatory 
 unselfishness, by comradeship and by freedom college 
 from cant. He was active in base ball and foot 
 ball, and was often chosen umpire. The joys 
 and trials of his fellows he usually shared. 
 Even in those boyhood days he encouraged 
 those who had a mind to revolt at hard tasks. 
 Boys who were sorely tempted found in him an 
 effective helper and counsellor. In the class 
 prayer meetings he was a leader. Professor 
 Churchill gives a graphic description of him as 
 he then appeared : " The eye was first attracted 
 by his unusual height, by the maturity of his 
 appearance, the modesty and manliness of his 
 bearing, and the kindliness of his expression; 
 the ear was charmed by his gentle tones as he 
 reverently read the Scriptures, and led us in 
 prayer with the intimate cadence of one accus- 
 
224 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 tomed to communion with his Father; when 
 he spoke to us of his personal experience, and 
 his knowledge of the religious needs of school 
 life, there was a blending of diffidence and self- 
 possession that won the listener's sympathy and 
 confidence. He spoke briefly to the point, in 
 an unpretentious way, but yet with such a quiet 
 strength and authority that 1 felt he was not 
 only the leader of the prayer-meeting, but also 
 one of the leaders of the school. And so indeed 
 he was." In September, 1861, he entered the 
 freshman class of Brown University. 
 In the A few months later an urgent call for volun- 
 ^^^ teers led him to join Company D, and go to 
 the front. He became ill, and in the following 
 September was brought home in a delirious 
 condition, suffering from a severe fever. Soon 
 after his recovery his intense desire to serve his 
 country led him, as an agent of the Christian 
 Commission, to minister on the fields to those 
 in need. 
 Love of One who was with him at Brown relates a 
 
 T^r* 11 f Vi 
 
 characteristic incident. Edward Everett Hale 
 had just written his unique book, "A Man 
 Without a Country," and Ward read it. " He 
 burned with indignation against our govern- 
 ment for so abusing a man, even though the 
 
Joseph Ward 225 
 
 man was a criminal. At first he could not be 
 convinced that the story was fictitious, but when 
 Mr. Hale declared it a pure invention, Ward 
 turned his indignation, but little modified, 
 against Mr. Hale, for having trified with the 
 feelings of patriotic people by such an inven- 
 tion. The faith in the truth of that which on 
 the surface appeared true, the indignation 
 against the government for which he imperiled 
 his life, the condemnation of a lie told for any 
 purpose, these reveal the man, uncritical, but a 
 lover of truth and a passionate, energetic devo- 
 tee of what seemed to him right, a modified 
 Puritan of a later age." 
 
 Having completed his work at Brown Uni- Theological 
 versity in the class of 1865, he began his studies ^^^^^^y 
 for the ministry at Andover Theological Semi- 
 nary. This famous institution was in a pros- 
 perous condition. Many of the professors, be- 
 cause of their scholarship and ability, were 
 widely known. The missionary spirit was vig- 
 orous. "The whole institution felt the stir and 
 the aspiration of the new era, the quickened 
 pulse of the new life, as the nation, once more 
 united, at peace, and free, entered upon its mar- 
 velous career of sudden growth and unprece- 
 dented prosperity." When Ward began his 
 
226 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 work at Andover he found himself amid familiar 
 and congenial scenes. As a student at the 
 Academy for three years he made many friends, 
 to whom he returned with delight. 
 
 Efficiency He quickly won the reputation of being a 
 doer. His efficiency brought to him many 
 outside tasks. When the library, consisting of 
 thirty thousand volumes, was to be removed to 
 the new Brechin Hall, he was appointed to 
 direct the transfer and to classify the books. 
 He formed a new plan for boarding the stu- 
 dents, and in its execution showed unusual 
 business ability. These side-lights on his char- 
 acter reveal him as one who was no idler, who 
 had already become a leader, and who was be- 
 ing trained for tasks still harder. 
 
 Character- His leading characteristics stand out clearly 
 istics .^^ descriptions of him by his fellow-students : 
 candor of judgment; frankness and openness of 
 expression; quickness of sympathy; abounding 
 good humor; fertility of resources; a turn for 
 practical business; integrity and solidity of 
 character ; and robust but gracious piety. 
 Activity His development was not one-sided. He 
 was an all-round student, giving himself without 
 reserve to preparation for his life work. He 
 affiliated himself with the work of near-by mis- 
 
Joseph Ward 227 
 
 sion Sunday schools ; he attended neighborhood 
 prayer-meetings; and he made house to house 
 visitations. He took an unusual interest in 
 missions and was elected to office in the Society 
 of Inquiry, a missionary organization of the 
 Seminary students. He kept in close touch 
 with the Christian boys in the Andover Acad- 
 emy, and used his rare gifts of sympathy and 
 tact in encouraging young disciples and influ- 
 encing the wayward and the thoughtless to 
 choose right paths. He readily accepted 
 opportunities for the building up of the King- 
 dom. Hence his vacations were given to 
 earnest Christian work. In the mountains of 
 Vermont he spent his first spring vacation, 
 as a representative of the Congregational 
 Home Missionary Society. The large area 
 of his country parish made necessary long 
 and wearisome walks, often in snow and 
 slush. 
 
 In the middle of his last year in the Seminary invitations 
 Ward was invited to become the pastor of the 
 Congregational church at Yankton, Dakota. 
 At about the same time he was requested by 
 the American Board to go to Turkey. As he 
 wished to complete his Seminary work, he de- 
 clined both calls. 
 
228 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 At Yankton ^^ ^-^^ close of his Seminary year he accepted 
 an invitation to become pastor of a church on 
 the Pacific Coast. He had packed his books, 
 with the intention of making the journey by 
 way of Cape Horn, as the Union Pacific rail- 
 way had not yet been completed. Just as he 
 was ready to leave, the way became blocked. 
 Again the opportunity at Yankton was presented. 
 He accepted it. This decisive step he never 
 regretted. " I shall always esteem it a happy 
 providence," he said, when the sunset hours of 
 his life drew near, " that ordered my life so that 
 I could begin and for so long continue my 
 manhood's work in Yankton." 
 Early The Indian name, "Yankton," meaning "lost 
 ^^^^^^^ village," or "dwellers at the end," had been 
 rightly bestowed. Yankton was sixty-three 
 miles from a railroad, in a newly settled region. 
 It had a population of less than three hundred 
 souls, among whom were Indian traders and 
 government officials. Most of the buildings 
 were new and small. The postmaster carried 
 letters in his hat, and gave them out as he met 
 those to whom they were addressed. 
 Mr. and xhe arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Ward at Yank- 
 Welcomed ^^" ^^^ ^^^^ graphically described by one who 
 gave them a cordial welcome : " It was in the 
 
Joseph Ward 229 
 
 late sixties. On a certain evening in Novem- 
 ber, just as one of those gorgeous sunsets, fa- 
 mous in this latitude, was fading into dusk, and 
 lights were beginning to twinkle from the win- 
 dows of every little cabin in the settlement, 
 there rattled into Yankton a lumbering old 
 stage-coach, bringing among other passengers, 
 the new missionary minister and his wife from 
 the east. They were Congregationalists as to 
 church polity, and, together with the handful 
 of Christian workers already on the ground, 
 were some of those 'pilgrims of a latter day.'" 
 As the stage rumbled into town a fellow-passen- 
 ger, waving his hand, asked, " Do you know 
 that there is not a single white man between us 
 and the British possessions?" 
 
 There was much in the life of the little town Degeneracy 
 that was deplorable. Some called it the wor^t 
 of the river towns. Within it were many bad 
 characters. There were occasional murders. 
 Lynchings were not unknown. Many citizens 
 were notorious for their wildness and wicked- 
 ness. 
 
 The Indians frequented Yankton in great Indians 
 numbers. They stealthily walked into houses 
 without knocking, and would often look 
 through the windows at any hour of the day. 
 
230 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 They could be seen in large numbers on the 
 main street, and the store platforms "were gay 
 with the bright blankets of the squaws who sat 
 about them, while the Indian men stood on the 
 streets in silent knots and groups." Indian 
 tepees were numerous on the present site of 
 Yankton college. Indian women were the chief 
 helpers in the homes, and it was stated that if 
 any one wanted wood split, Indian women only 
 could be hired for the purpose. 
 Leaven But there were many residents whose attain- 
 ments were high, and whose characters were 
 noble. Yankton was the capital of the territory. 
 Several United States officials, with their 
 families, resided there. The presence of many 
 noble women was particularly beneficial. " Even 
 when I first knew the place, with less than four 
 hundred inhabitants," said Ward, "there was a 
 circle of women here the like of whom could 
 not have been found in many eastern towns of 
 ten times the population. . . . Brave and efficient 
 for the duties of the hour, no one ever heard 
 them complain of the discomforts of a new 
 western town, but how many times have they 
 taken up the work of removing those discom- 
 forts; and creating almost out of nothing, all 
 those institutions that were lacking in the place I" 
 
Joseph Ward 231 
 
 Ward first met his congregations in the Beginnings 
 capitol and later at a hall. Some of the 
 women's prayer-meetings were held in an upper 
 room, "where the walls sloped from the center 
 of the ceiling to the eaves, and the women 
 sat about on trunks, boxes and benches." 
 The inconvenient accommodations did not 
 quench their joy or lessen their faith in the 
 promise of the Master to two or three gathered 
 in His name. 
 
 There were delightful social features, also. Sociability 
 which aided in the growth of the church. In 
 the beginning these gatherings were held in 
 the little homes of the members. Meager 
 accommodations did not prevent a warm- 
 hearted hospitality, and perplexing situations 
 were met good humoredly. At one social 
 gathering, at which there was present the wife 
 of the Governor, who had just come from the 
 east, it was necessary to take down a bed to 
 make room for a table, and the guests had to go 
 in and out through open windows. Sometimes, 
 when the supply of chairs was insufficient, the 
 guests sat on tlie floor. 
 
 While meetings were being held at the The First 
 capitol a river steamboat burned. A bell was 
 an important part of the wreckage, and it was 
 
232 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 given to the church. It was mounted on the 
 capitol, and was the first church bell heard in 
 Yankton. 
 A. Christmas The faithful efforts of Dr. Ward, together 
 
 Gift 
 
 with union of prayer and zeal on the part of 
 the few but ardent members of the church, soon 
 began to tell. The number of church attend- 
 ants increased; the prayer-meetings grew; and 
 the claims of out-lying districts began to be 
 recognized. At a Christmas festival, held the 
 year following Dr. Ward's arrival, there was a 
 gratifying surprise. On the highest bough of 
 the Christmas tree there was a little card, the 
 inscription on which proved to be the choicest 
 gift of the evening. The card bore this sentence : 
 " Good for two lots on which to build a church. 
 I. B. S. Todd." This gift greatly cheered 
 the workers, and plans were at once made 
 for the building of a church. Dr. Ward went 
 about with the subscription paper, and many 
 made prompt and generous responses. Some said : 
 " We don't believe you will succeed. We will 
 wait and see If you are really going to put up 
 the building." But the pastor was a man of 
 faith. The members of the church were willing 
 to make sacrifices and saved money by self- 
 denial. " This was a difficult process on the 
 
^ Joseph Ward 233 
 
 frontier," one of them afterward said, "where 
 there is always a need of bettering one's con- 
 dition. But some put off the building of ad- 
 ditions to their small houses, needed to suit the 
 requirements of their growing families, that 
 they might not fail to give liberally for the 
 building of God's house." With such a spirit 
 dominant, how could the work but prosper"? 
 
 In 1870, a new church was dedicated free A New 
 from debt. Later an increased membership 
 made its enlargement necessary. Dr. Ward 
 looked into the distant future and considered 
 what the town was likely to develop into. 
 " We are not building for ourselves, nor for to- 
 day," he said. "We are building for all the 
 state and for generations to come. Let us be 
 equal to the occasion, make much of our situa- 
 tion and rise to the height of our possibilities." 
 
 In his choice of methods Dr. Ward was wise Methods 
 and progressive. He was earnest in prayer; he 
 expected the hearty aid of his fellow-workers ; 
 he was zealous in pastoral visitation; and he 
 constantly sought to attain his Master's outlook 
 on life. He took a deep, personal interest in 
 the members of his church and congregation. 
 He aimed to acquaint himself with their trials, 
 perplexities and characteristics, and also to come 
 
234 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 into such an intelligent relation with each, that 
 he might give needed personal advice and sug- 
 gestion. "As the families increased, he took 
 the same personal interest in all the children, 
 and watched over their growth and develop- 
 ment as he did that of his own children. He 
 seemed to feel a personal responsibility for the 
 children he baptized. When they were old 
 enough to read, he presented each with a Bible, 
 and in many ways led them to trust him im- 
 plicitly. In time of peculiar trial or perplexity 
 both old and young went to him with the 
 utmost freedom and confidence, being sure of 
 the sympathy of his great loving heart and any 
 assistance he could render them." Dr. Ward 
 remarked that his pulpit work lost half its effi- 
 ciency unless supplemented by the work in the 
 parish. 
 Breadth J)]-, Ward was broad in his outlook and sym- 
 pathies. He sought to lead those under his 
 influence into a sympathetic and practical rela- 
 tion with the world-wide scope of the Kingdom 
 of Christ. Within a month after his arrival he 
 had taken an offering for foreign missions. He 
 taught the members of his church that a healthy 
 growth would be impossible unless they took a 
 real interest in home and foreign missions and 
 
Joseph Ward 235 
 
 in approved benevolent enterprises. A mem- 
 ber of the church, referring to his teachings 
 on missionary obhgation, said that " the grum- 
 blers grumbled louder than ever; they said it 
 was preposterous to give to outside enterprises 
 while we were so poor ourselves." 
 
 One of the chief purposes for which Dr. Ward Founding 
 lived was to persuade the church at Yankton to churches 
 found churches in new fields, and to continue 
 the work after it began. He rightly looked on 
 Dakota as his parish. One of his intimate 
 friends said he thought nothing gave Dr. Ward 
 more joy than to hear that a new church had 
 begun in a destitute place, unless it was to learn 
 that a new soul had been born into the Kingdom. 
 Even before the work at Yankton became 
 strong, he and his associates began helping 
 other needy sections of the territory. 
 
 He rejoiced because of these opportunities for Helping 
 the proclamation of the Gospel, and took advan- 
 tage of them. The simplicity and genuineness 
 of his nature and his unaffected joy over signs- 
 of a fruitful harvest, are revealed in his descrip- 
 tions of this out-reaching work. Late in 1869, 
 he wrote : " We have made a beginning. Last 
 summer our Sabbath school helped one just 
 across the river with books and papers. This 
 
2^6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 J 
 
 winter I go over there in the afternoon and 
 preach in a private house, to which thirty or 
 more attentive hearers come over twenty-five 
 miles. Two weeks ago one woman and two 
 little children, with a grandfather seventy years 
 old, walked almost two miles in the face of a 
 bitter cold wind." He went to another point 
 twenty-two miles distant, spent tw^o Sabbaths 
 there and held services in a log cabin. Within 
 a circuit of three and one-half miles there were 
 twenty-seven families. He found a boy at this 
 place who had been converted at Yankton while 
 attending school the previous winter. The boy 
 went back to his home, started a Sabbath school, 
 and secured twenty-six subscribers for religious 
 papers. On the third visit to this place. Dr. 
 Ward returned in a driving snow-storm, that he 
 might preach at Yankton in the evening, hav- 
 ing ridden forty-four miles, and preached two 
 sermons in one day. 
 Enlarging j^ April, 1870, he passed over a prairie eight 
 nities ^^^^ i^ extent, and there was but one house ; 
 three months later, going over the same road, 
 he counted twenty-six houses. The two mis- 
 sionaries assigned to this great field were mind- 
 ful of their inability to meet thoroughly the 
 needs of the rapidly growing territory. Great 
 
Joseph Ward 237 
 
 regions of the state were speedily being opened 
 and the spiritual needs of tlie people gave 
 Dr. Ward deep concern. He was impressed 
 by the report of the few people who left: 
 Yankton to survey tracts in the valley of 
 the Red River. They reported a country of 
 greater richness and beauty than any of the 
 previously surveyed parts of the territory. 
 "The whole valley is filling up with immi- 
 grants," Dr. Ward wrote. "They are laying 
 the foundation for a commonwealth larger than 
 England, Scotland and Wales, and leaving out 
 God. Dare we let them go on without the 
 Bible and the spelling book *? If we are to be 
 in time to help them in laying the foundation, 
 we must move at once ; for, taking the lowest 
 estimates, there will be 15,000 people in that 
 valley before the close of 1871." 
 
 His letters to the Home Missionary Society Reinforce- 
 contained earnest appeals for increased help. S^^^^j 
 He said " it made him almost sick to see so 
 much that ought to be done at once, and he not 
 able to do one-tenth of it, and no certain pros- 
 pect of immediate aid." He referred to a 
 recent exploring trip. He found that immi- 
 grants by the score were coming into some of 
 the towns. At one point fifty arrived during 
 
238 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 his visit. In the evening after his arrival at 
 this place, seventy-five persons gathered in a 
 room formerly used as a barrack for the soldiers, 
 and listened to his sermon. Here he found a 
 fine opportunity for the establishment of a 
 church. Business men and others promised 
 aid. One resident offered one hundred dollars 
 toward a new church. The material for the 
 building was offered gratuitously. So ardent 
 was his desire that the work go forward that 
 within three days he sent another letter, in 
 which he referred to other exceptionally fine 
 opportunities for church extension. He spoke 
 of the wonderful valley of the Red River 
 on the north, already receiving its sprinkling 
 of settlers. " You see," he said, " we must 
 step lively to keep in time with this march of 
 events." He wished Andover Seminary were 
 in session so that he might go there and blow 
 the trumpet for Dakota. " If I ever get back 
 east," he wrote, " 1 will give them one blast there 
 that will make them wake up, or make them 
 think I am crazy." He desired only the help 
 of men who had utterly dedicated themselves 
 to the cause of Christ. His message to men 
 who proposed to give some of their time to 
 money-making, was : '' Before you do that. 
 
Joseph Ward 239 
 
 leave the ministry. The minister can be no 
 more successful than the layman in serving God 
 and mammon at the same time." He appealed 
 to the older communities of the east to be 
 liberal towards the new northwest, and to spare 
 some of their master workmen to help him and 
 his co-laborers in building up a mighty empire 
 for Christ. 
 
 While repairs were being made on his own Work-bench 
 church, in the summer of 1870, he visited near- ^^^ ^ ^^^P^^ 
 by towns. At one place there was but one 
 house and that had been closed the day previous. 
 It was without doors and windows. Dr. Ward's 
 pulpit was a carpenter's work-bench. His 
 audience sat on benches, on shingles, on piles 
 of sash and on rough boards. Fifty persons 
 were present. Where they came from was a 
 puzzle to Dr. Ward, as there was but one house 
 on the prairie in sight. One family that had 
 come four miles, had not attended a church 
 service for over ten years. Some of their chil- 
 dren had never heard a sermon until that day. * 
 In the audience were several Christian people 
 who desired regular church services. As the 
 meeting closed, the universal inquiry was, 
 — " When will you come again ? " — " Come in 
 two weeks if you can." At another new village 
 
^ 240 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 some of the people wished to celebrate the 
 opening of the town by having a dance, but 
 Dr. Ward said the matter was compromised, as 
 they called it, by having a sermon. 
 Greatness Y)y. Ward quickly saw that he labored in a 
 o es era g^j-^^-^gj^, period. He believed that southern 
 nities Dakota was in the hands of the church at Yank- 
 ton to do what they chose with it. As late as 
 1875 the Yankton Congregational church was 
 the only self-supporting church in the territory. 
 To the Home Missionary Society he sent this 
 pressing message : " As the Lord gives us this 
 land, should we not accept and hold it'? We 
 can make another New England of Dakota, if 
 you will help us now, when one thousand dol- 
 lars will do more than ten times that sum in ten 
 years hence. Besides your general missionary, 
 whose entire time and more, too, is needed for 
 opening up new fields for others, I do sorely 
 need several men of the very best kind for this 
 sort of work ; earnest, self-denying, Godly men, 
 full of love for Christ and souls." 
 Increase of As the years passed, the influx of new 
 Population p^^p^^ increased. In 1883 it was stated 
 that nothing in the marvelous history ot 
 immigration in America could compare with 
 the emigration to the Dakotas. While the 
 
Joseph Ward 241 
 
 population of America, from i860 to 1880, 
 increased about sixty per cent., the increase 
 in Dakota was nearly three thousand per 
 cent. The increase in 1883 was nearly thirty- 
 three per cent, greater than ever before. From 
 March to October, in that year, competent 
 judges stated that the average number of persons 
 entering the territory, daily, was not less than 
 three thousand. 
 
 Dr. Ward coveted on the part of the Protest- statesman- 
 ant churches the same statesman-like grasp of *^^^P . , 
 
 . , o i Required 
 
 the needs and possibilities of the Dakotas as 
 was shown by the Roman Catholic church. In 
 the Vatican at Rome, it was said, a map of the 
 country was kept. Strategic points in rapidly 
 developing regions of the west were known to 
 the eye of the responsible agent of the Roman 
 Catholic church. On one of the best sites in 
 one of the new Dakota towns, '' a hill plateau 
 looking down on terraced bluffs of the majestic 
 stream coursing in full view tor miles through 
 the valley, and on the rapidly growing city 
 beside the river," a large tract of land was 
 purchased for the building of a Roman 
 Catholic cathedral. It was publicly announced 
 that a bishop would make the cathedral his 
 headquarters, though there " were not enough 
 
242 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 communicants in his church to form a congre- 
 gation. 
 More Men y>y. Ward was aroused, concerned, soHcitous. 
 He sent appeal after appeal to the Home Mis- 
 sion secretaries. " I urge you again to be sure 
 to let us have some help at once," he wrote. 
 " Perhaps we are too urgent, but I must plead 
 thus earnestly, or else shut my eyes and harden 
 my heart and say nothing. Hereafter I shall 
 cry louder or not at all. If I had only known 
 when in the Seminary what I know now, 1 
 think there would have been more men going 
 west from our class." 
 
 Ward's con- From the beginning ot his ministry, Dr. 
 
 His Mission Ward sought to lead the church at Yankton to 
 become self-sustaining. When the church was 
 equal to self-support he greatly rejoiced. On 
 January 22, 1872, he joyfully sent the following 
 note to the secretaries of the Congregational 
 Home Missionary Society : " Our people have 
 voted to assume the whole of my support from 
 the first of April. They thought it a hard load 
 to carry, but I told them I would remit a part 
 of my salary, put myself in their hands, and be 
 content with what they could get for me. I 
 think it will result in their raising the whole 
 more easily than they have before raised a part." 
 
Joseph Ward 243 
 
 It was in achievements such as this that Dr. 
 Ward's straightforwardness and unselfishness 
 came out conspicuously. 
 
 Dr. Ward believed that an essential part of ^^^^^^^ 
 his life-work was to be the promotion of Chris- 
 tian education. When, in 1881, it was decided 
 to found Yankton college, Dr. Ward was recog- 
 nized as the fit man for the presidency. The 
 college opened in one room of the church at 
 Yankton, with one teacher. 
 
 In no sense was the ofRce which Dr. The Presi- 
 Ward assumed a sinecure. He was compelled 
 to build from the foundation. A curriculum 
 was to be outlined ; competent teachers secured ; 
 students gathered, and money obtained. Be- 
 lieving it to be the will of God that this work 
 be done, he did not falter. He and Mrs. 
 Ward, at the beginning of their missionary 
 career, had decided to put into the work all 
 that they had, and at this point in the working 
 out of what they believed to be the purpose of 
 God their faith triumphed. 
 
 What had been Dr. Ward's preparation for ^^' Ward's 
 this great work ? He had spent fourteen years 
 on the frontier. He had received his early 
 training in two of the leading educational insti- 
 tutions of the east. He had enjoyed a wide 
 
244 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 experience in his fruitful ministry as pastor of 
 the strongest church in South Dakota He 
 was acquainted with the needs of the young peo- 
 ple of the west. He knew more thoroughly than 
 any other man in the territory, the religious and 
 educational requirements of Dakota. He was 
 acquainted with more people living outside of 
 Dakota who were able to give financial help to 
 the college than any other man. He possessed 
 high educational ideals. He outlined for the 
 new college a curriculum which included the 
 classics, and prolonged the period of study be- 
 yond that of the average western college. He 
 clearly saw the importance of the time element 
 in securing an education. In his inaugural ad- 
 dress, he said : "In the name of simple honesty, 
 if for no other reason, we should not only pro- 
 test against the greed of men trying to get 
 something for nothing, but should show that 
 we are ready and willing to pay in every way a 
 full equivalent for what we get. By doing it 
 in the matter of education, we go a long way 
 in casting out the worldly, material, commercial 
 spirit that is paralyzing all that is honorable and 
 aspiring in humanity." He di'd not model 
 Yankton on any other college. His pur- 
 pose, as he defined it, was to build with what 
 
Joseph Ward 245 
 
 he had, fearlessly, welcoming light from any 
 quarter. 
 
 The college was without endowment, build- ^^mg 
 
 1-1 • T-L 'l^^^^^ Forward 
 
 mgs, libraries or apparatus. Ihe responsibility 
 
 for securing an equipment fell solely upon him. 
 This was the way he set himself to his task : 
 " There was no faltering. Land was secured, 
 a building erected, instructors called as if the 
 college had all the means necessary for com- 
 plete college work. President Ward believed 
 that the college was founded to do a work of 
 God, and that the part of those who had it in 
 charge was to go forward doing their utmost 
 and leaving the rest with God. If ever an 
 enterprise was undertaken and carried on in 
 faith, Yankton College, under the administra- 
 tion of President Ward has been so carried on." 
 Writing from the east. Dr. Ward asked : " Does 
 God require a college to be founded by begging 
 from door to door ? I am finding good places 
 to work on the old plan, but we must have 
 something more. This is good, but we have 
 outgrown it. Our necessity proves that we 
 shall have more ; not in time to save us from 
 distress perhaps, but soon enough to save the 
 college from suffering." A week later, as his 
 path darkened, he said : " Indeed I do not see 
 
Service 
 
 246 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 how our extremity can go much farther. God's 
 opportunity must be close at hand. It was 
 never so hard to get money as now. What is 
 coming? Not failure, for we must succeed 
 and shall prevail." 
 Heroic Dr. Ward gave all his powers to his immense 
 task. Difficulties were made to yield by the 
 exercise of faith in God, by earnest, believing 
 prayer, and by persistent, arduous striving. The 
 Rev. Dr. Dan F. Bradley, who succeeded Dr. 
 Ward in the pastorate at Yankton, tells how 
 Dr. Ward won success. "Yankton college," 
 he says, " was built by Dr. Ward as though he 
 himself had quarried the stone, hewed it into 
 shape, carried it to its place, mixed its mortar 
 with his blood and sweat, fashioned its fair pro- 
 portions, covered it with its roof, warmed it 
 with his own zeal." 
 Relation Dr. Ward entered into a friendly relation with 
 the students and sought to develop in them a 
 sense of personal responsibility for the building 
 up of the college. His attitude toward the 
 faculty was also cordial and sympathetic. " I 
 trust that you feel that you have just as much 
 of a divine call to help found Yankton college, 
 as I have," he said, in a letter to one of his asso- 
 ciates. " There is no rank in that part of the 
 
 to Associates 
 
Joseph Ward 247 
 
 work. You are not below me and I am not 
 above you. If we were to change places to- 
 morrow you would have no more responsibility 
 and I no less. May God guide and strengthen 
 us both." 
 
 The teachings of Dr. Ward while he was Spirit 
 President of Yankton college reveal his temper 
 and aim. In his inaugural address he said: 
 
 All this knowledge, all this development of power, all 
 this finding and enlarging of self, is that we may have the 
 more to bring into Christ's service. He is the one moving 
 the world along so fast. It is He who is building these 
 new States, who is pushing the empire of civilization to the 
 westward. 
 
 The gains that a man lays by in his character by any 
 piece of work honestly done, are the sure pledges of victory 
 m every subsequent struggle. 
 
 In the days soon to come, the world is to be governed by 
 Christian principles administered by Christian men ; but at 
 the same time there is no magic in these principles that 
 will preclude the need of brains. But will brains then, any 
 more than now, be of any avail unless they are developed ? 
 As the Christian statesman stands on a platform wider than 
 any other, so he must be a wider, stronger, and better 
 trained man than any other. 
 
 His faith, his industry, his unswerving loyalty 
 to high educational standards, enabled him 
 steadily to achieve his ends. Within his period 
 of services the property secured by Yankton 
 college, including endowment and scholarship 
 funds, was valued at over $100,000. 
 
248 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 As a Dr. Ward took a deep, practical interest in 
 a esman ^.^|^ affairs and was a strong factor in the direct- 
 ing of movements for the welfare of the State. 
 " That South Dakota is today a state and has a 
 star upon the flag of this mighty union of States," 
 said a Dakota judge, "is due to the influence 
 and character of Dr. Ward." 
 Labors He labored to introduce into the Dakotas 
 ^^ of st^te ^^^ most admirable qualities of New England 
 institutions and government. Dakota politics 
 were alarmingly corrupt. It was then that he 
 and other able men associated themselves 
 together in the interest of what they believed to 
 be honest and economical government. They 
 worked for the division of the Dakotas and 
 their labors culminated in a great convention 
 held at Huron, in 1883. "i^eople and press 
 • responded by acclamation. South Dakota was 
 moved as never before or since in her history. 
 The convention was held at Huron, on June 
 19, 1883. It was the largest and most repre- 
 sentative gathering of the people which the 
 territory had ever witnessed. It decisively con- 
 solidated and welded the Division sentiment in- 
 to a solid mass, which no subsequent defeats 
 or discouragements were able to break." The 
 county of Yankton placed Dr. Ward at the 
 
Joseph Ward 249 
 
 head of its delegation. His personality and 
 character had a strong influence, and the con- 
 stitution for which he and his associates stood 
 was adopted by an overwhelming majority. 
 One who shared with him the hardships of the 
 struggle says that had he been willing, the 
 popular sentiment would have chosen him as 
 one of South Dakota's first United States 
 Senators ; but that he had no selfish ambitions ; 
 that his sphere of duties commanded him in an 
 opposite direction, to the sacrifice of ease, 
 wealth, and finally life, and that he peremptorily 
 and absolutely declined to allow his name to be 
 urged for election. 
 
 Dr. Ward had a wider acquaintance than any Wide 
 other man in the commonwealth, and the Acquaint^ 
 weight of his personal character and influence 
 was said to be colossal. In a conversation 
 with an officer of a missionary society, the 
 Governor of the state said : " Dr. Ward has 
 more influence than any other man in this 
 territory. He can do just what he pleases with 
 its people. They call me Governor, but I have 
 not a tithe of his power here." 
 
 He was a man of strong faith. "To decide ^aith 
 that a thing ought to be done insured an at- 
 tempt, and the attempt insured success of the 
 
250 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 undertaking," said one who knew him well. 
 " Somehow he never seemed to count difficul- 
 ties as anything worth considering," said another. 
 " The question with him was, 'Is it needed? 
 Does God wish it done ? ' When after earnest 
 prayer he became assured that it was God's 
 will, then he had faith to believe that the work 
 would be done, and he set about to do it. This 
 was a marked characteristic of Dr. Ward. He 
 believed God. If he thought the Lord wanted 
 any object accomplished, he was ready to go at 
 it even if there was not a dollar at hand to pay 
 the expenses, or a man at hand to help. But 
 with all this faith he had practical common 
 sense." 
 Apprecia- He was appreciative. He believed that some 
 of the best people west of the Mississippi were 
 in his church, and he took delight in saying so. 
 He said that he would not exchange them for 
 any parish east of that river. 
 Whole- He was unafraid to meet the cost of carrying 
 out what he believed to be the will of God. 
 Near the end of his life he wrote : " I think it 
 was a loving Providence that honored us (him- 
 self and Mrs. Ward) with the choice of stand- 
 ing in the front. ... I do not think we were 
 presumptuous in taking the position we did, 
 
Joseph Ward 251 
 
 namely : We will put in ourselves and all we 
 have, until in other ways God carries on the 
 work. I think so much was needed from some 
 one, for an institution that is to live must have 
 life — literally life put into it." 
 
 He was a friend to man. Like Bunyan's Friendliness 
 noble pilgrim, Help, he was ever ready to put 
 forth his hand to lift his young friends from 
 whatever slough they had gotten into. "He 
 stood before men, in the pulpit, and out 
 of it, as a great brother," said one of his 
 friends. 
 
 He stood firmly for strict integrity in busi- ^i^ic 
 ness affairs. Double-dealing he publicly de- 
 nounced. When the city neglected to pay for 
 certain railroad bonds Dr. Ward plainly told 
 the citizens that their attempt to evade pay- 
 ment was indefensible. "It is not even good 
 policy and it is unmistakably dishonest," said 
 he. " Let us discard every course but the hon- 
 est one. Let us pay our debts like men, and 
 give no heed to any man who counsels any 
 further dodging." 
 
 Of his strength as a preacher of the Gospel a P^ip^t 
 prominent citizen and state official of Dakota 
 writes appreciatively. " His sermons were reve- 
 lations," he says. " They had a newness and 
 
252 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 freshness of meaning, and insight, that I never 
 heard surpassed and rarely equalled. He made 
 you feel that he cared personally for you. In- 
 stead of looking to see where men were not 
 doing right, he seemed to be looking to see 
 where they were doing so. In all things, moral 
 and spiritual, he had the vision and insight of 
 one of the old Hebrew prophets or seers, 
 more than any one I have ever heard in the 
 pulpit." 
 A Faithful By his zeal for the salvation of individuals ; 
 by his efforts to strengthen the weak, to cheer 
 the disheartened, to uplift the fallen; by his 
 patience in the midst of trials and detrac- 
 tions; by his unstinted willingness to help 
 those in want and distress; and by his quick 
 response to opportunities for building up 
 the Church of Christ at home and abroad, 
 he met the Master's standard of true great- 
 ness : " The Son of man came not to be min- 
 istered unto, but to minister, and to give 
 his life a ransom for many." And so it came 
 to pass that citizens of Yankton, who had 
 stood by his side through all the busy, self- 
 sacrificing, heroic years, could say : " The 
 people of Yankton, without distinction or ex- 
 ception, deplore the loss to our city and com- 
 
Joseph Ward 253 
 
 monwealth of our greatest and most distin- 
 guished citizen, and more, of our universally 
 beloved and tried and trusted neighbor and 
 friend. We are thankful for the gift of his life, 
 character and companionship in our midst, for 
 so long a period. We recognize in him, now 
 more than ever, one of the most noble, pure, 
 unselfish and lovable characters, as well as one 
 of the greatest minds, and most powerful, indus- 
 trious and beneficent influences, ever known in 
 Dakota. We appreciate the faithful, self-sacri- 
 ficing work of his life, and especially the heroic 
 founding by him of Yankton college, into which 
 he poured out like water, all his strength, en- 
 ergy, affection, mercy and life itself, in order to 
 supply, what seemed to his large inspired vision, 
 an imperative and immediate necessity, to the 
 laying aright of the foundation of our young 
 commonwealth." 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To secure a knowledge of the character and work 
 of Dr. Ward and of conditions in the Dakotas in pioneer 
 days. 
 
 Boyhood 
 
 1. What was the character of Ward's early home? 
 
 2. Name several of his boyhood traits. 
 
 3. What is said of his mother's character and influence ? 
 
254 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 School and College Days 
 
 4. What were some of his chief characteristics in his 
 preparatory school and college days ? 
 
 5, What incident illustrates his love of the truth ? 
 
 6- Give in substance what is said about the main feat- 
 ures of his career at Andover Theological Seminary. 
 
 7. What invitations came to him at the close of his 
 Seminary course ? What characteristic is indicated by the 
 statement that "he chose to go to Yankton because it was 
 the opening that called for the hardest work."" 
 
 Home Missionary Labors 
 
 8. What is the meaning of the Indian name " Yankton "? 
 Where is Yankton located ? How large was it when Dr. 
 Ward began laboring there ? 
 
 g. What kind of a town was Yankton at that time ? 
 Who made up the leavening force ? 
 
 10. Where did Dr. Ward first meet his congregations ? 
 Name some of the features of the life of the church. 
 
 11. What were some of the early results of Dr. Ward's 
 ministry ? 
 
 12. What gift gladdened the hearts of the workers ? 
 How did the members of the church show their devotion ? 
 
 13. Name some of the methods used by Dr. Ward in his 
 pastoral work. 
 
 14. How did he show his interest in missions ? 
 
 15. What chief purpose of his is named ? 
 
 16. What did he do to evangelize the state ? State two 
 or three of his experiences. What were some of his reasons 
 for calling for re-inforcements ? What was his belief re- 
 specting southern Dakota ? 
 
 17. How rapidly did the population of the Dakotas 
 increase between i860- 1880 ? 
 
 18. From the beginning of his home-missionary work, 
 what had been Dr. Ward's aim for the church at Yankton ? 
 
Joseph Ward 255 
 
 Founder and President of Yankton College 
 
 19. What made his work as President of Yankton college 
 especially arduous ? 
 
 20. What were some of his qualifications for this new 
 service ? 
 
 21. When perplexed by financial difficulties, what 
 message did he send from the east ? 
 
 22. What characterized his relation to the faculty and 
 students ? 
 
 23. What three points are emphasized in the quotation 
 from his inaugural address ? 
 
 24. What part did he take in political affairs ? What 
 did the Governor of the state say of him ? 
 
 25. What were the leading qualities of his character ? 
 In the tribute of the citizens of Yankton, what qualities are 
 emphasized ? 
 
 References 
 
 Leavening the Nation. By J. B. Clark. New York: 
 The Baker & Taylor Co. $1.25. 
 
 Our Country. By Josiah Strong. New York; The 
 Baker & Taylor Co. Cloth, 60 cents; paper, 35 cents. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Consider- 
 ation AND Discussion 
 
 1. The Character of Joseph Ward. Review the chapter 
 and describe four or five of his leading characteristics. 
 
 2. Home Missionary Activity in the Dakotas, Past and 
 Present. Give latest information relative to the work of 
 four Denominational Home Mission Boards. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. Clark. Pages 128-137. 
 Literature, or statemejtts from the Secretaries of four 
 Denominational Home Mission Boards. 
 
 3. The relation of Home Missions to Christian Educa- 
 tion. 
 
256 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Leavening the Nation. Clark. Pages 337-341- 
 Publications of the Education Society of your Denomi- 
 national Board. 
 
 4. The Importance of Home Mission Effort m the West. 
 Our Country. Strong. Pages 29-43. 
 
 5. Three points in this chapter which have most strongly- 
 impressed me. 
 
The church that most intently 
 obeys Christ's command to 
 declare the Gospel to all men 
 will be most forceful and ef- 
 fectual in its home work. The 
 best evidence of a church's 
 vitality is the effort i^ makes 
 to extend widely and effec- 
 tively the Kingdom of Christ. 
 
 AMERICA'S GREATEST NEED 
 
VII 
 AMERICA'S GREATEST NEED 
 
 A NATION does not achieve greatness at a The Nation's 
 bound. Neither can the loftiest standards of ^^^^^^^^ 
 national life be maintained apart from frequent 
 renewlngs of strength at the true source of pu- 
 rity and power. "National greatness," as Presi- 
 dent Roosevelt asserts, " cannot be forced and 
 yet be stable and enduring; for It Is based funda- 
 mentally upon national character, and national 
 character Is stamped deep In a people by the 
 lives of many generations." Hence effort for 
 the regeneration of the Individual Is of supreme 
 importance. 
 
 Among the true builders of our nation a fore- True 
 
 , - . Ill Builders of 
 
 most place must be given to the noble company ^^^ Nation 
 
 of pioneer home missionaries and their no less 
 noble successors. They tolled for the regenera- 
 tion of the Individual citizen. They sought 
 with their whole strength, as the tide of human- 
 ity moved westward, to lift men steadily up- 
 ward in moral and spiritual aspiration and 
 achievement. They labored, with scant praise 
 
 259 
 
26o Heroes of the Cross 
 
 of men, to the end that moral and spiritual 
 progress might keep pace with material ad- 
 vancement. 
 
 Their Spirit They set forth the loftiest ideals for char- 
 1 E ' ^^^^^ building and the profoundest principles 
 ample for the guidance of men in their relation to 
 each other and to their divine Master. Their 
 teaching was enforced by their personal ad- 
 herence to the highest moral standards, — by 
 their zeal, their self-sacrifice, and their devo- 
 tion to the will of God. They had that love of 
 God, that love of their fellows, and that love 
 of the word of God, which enabled them to 
 build wisely and masterfully. They served 
 their age with an abandonment, a heroism, and 
 a purpose, worthy of the utmost meed of praise 
 and thanksgiving. 
 
 The Present As America goes forward Into this new cen- 
 America ^^^Y what Is Its greatest need ? Is It not a 
 largely increased number of Christian men and 
 women, who possess, as their commanding pur- 
 pose, the purpose that controlled the noble 
 company of pioneer heroes of the cross, namely, 
 the implicit doing of the will of Jesus Christ? 
 What could be more desirable than freedom 
 from feebler motives and lesser purposes? 
 Response Self-testing Is the part of wisdom. Times of 
 
America's Greatest Need 261 
 
 testing reveal the strength or weakness of faith; 
 the trueness or falseness of outward profession; 
 the sand-likeness or rock-likeness of the founda- 
 tion on which character is being built. /The 
 world's Master-teacher soon brought the first 
 group in His world-wide university to the point 
 of decisive utterance: "Who do men say that 
 I, the Son of man, am? " He asked, in that no- 
 table conversation at Caesarea Phillipi. " And 
 they said, some say John the Baptist; some, 
 Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the 
 prophets." The Jews who were outside the 
 apostolic group, whose minds were clouded by 
 ignorance or sin, gave a verdict that was radi- 
 cally wrong. Turning to the twelve, Jesus in- 
 quired: " But who say ye that I am? and Si- 
 mon Peter answered and said. Thou art the 
 Christ, the Son of the living God." This sub- 
 lime confession was followed by an emphatic 
 testimony of deeds. They sealed their confes- 
 sion by action, by sacrifice, by the endurance of 
 grim hardship, by driving on in obedience to 
 their Master's will. They left home and ease; 
 they suffered buffetings and malignings; they 
 withstood threats and intimidations. In spite 
 of all hindering influences they pressed forward 
 with passionate enthusiasm and force, that the 
 
262 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 truth of Christ might be made available to the 
 world. 
 
 The magnificent reality of their testimony is 
 vividly portrayed on every page of the thrilling 
 story of their acts. By deed, as well as by word, 
 they said: 
 
 " Reality, reality. 
 Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art to me ! 
 Thy name is sweeter than songs of old, 
 Thy words are better than ' most fine gold,' 
 Thy deeds are greater than hero-glory. 
 Thy life is grander than poet-story ; 
 But Thou, Thyself, for aye the same 
 Art more than words or life or name : 
 Thyself Thou hast revealed to me 
 
 In glorious reality." 
 
 / The commands of Christ are so plain. His 
 teaching is so clear, that it is always possible for 
 one to test the thoroughness of his devotion. 
 Even by two statements of our Lord, the degree 
 of reality there is in an individual Christian 
 life may be determined. On one occasion, Jesus 
 said : " As my Father hath sent me into the 
 world, even so send I you into the world." 
 Later He said: " The son of man is come to 
 seek and save that which is lost." The measure 
 
America's Greatest Need 263 
 
 of one's response to this call is the measure 
 of his devotion to the Lord Jesus. 
 
 Strong are the incentives for living and work- Incentives 
 ing for the salvation of men through Christ. 
 He alone can meet the world's need. \ Unless 
 men everywhere come into a right relation to 
 Him, they cannot realize their highest possibili- 
 ties. Rightly, He demands a place at the heart 
 of every man's life. All things, as Paul so dis- 
 tinctly points out, are to be summed up in Him 
 as head. His truth, His will, recognized and 
 obeyed, unshackle men from the bondage and 
 depression of sin. His Spirit leads them forth 
 into lives of highest joy and usefulness. 
 
 A deep, thorough conviction of the essential- Conviction 
 ness of Christ to every man, will impel us to ^^ ^ 
 be continually aggressive in our effort to Chris- 
 tianize America. But much more than mere as- 
 sent to this proposition is required. Evangel- 
 ism, wise, constant, prayerful, is necessary. 
 
 We assert that Christ only can adequately Proving 
 meet the needs of men. But is our faith in- ^^^^ ^ 
 tense? Does it lead us to walk by the Spirit? 
 Does it impel us to say: " I am ready to do 
 my utmost to give all men in America an op- 
 portunity to hear the Gospel? I am ready, by 
 my life and voice, to do this in the community 
 
264 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 where I am providentially placed; and by faith- 
 ful use of the money I possess I will enable 
 others to preach and teach the Gospel where in 
 person I cannot go? " 
 The Spirit That the truest and most effective builders 
 of the ^£ America were thus impelled, our study of 
 the lives of the pioneer home missionary heroes 
 has unmistakably revealed. David Brainerd, 
 in his heroic ministry among the crude savages 
 of the lonely wilderness, was upheld by his sense 
 of the priceless value of the Gospel to the hu- 
 man soul. John Mason Peck had the zeal of 
 the early disciples, and regardless of the cost 
 to himself, went everywhere, in his large 
 frontier parish, preaching the Gospel of the 
 Kingdom. Marcus Whitman endured the se- 
 verity and isolation of his life in Oregon and 
 wearisome transcontinental journeys, fraught 
 with constant hardship and peril, that the In- 
 dians might have the Gospel message and that 
 a Protestant Christian commonwealth might 
 emerge. Father Dyer, in his ceaseless activity 
 for the salvation of souls, cheerfully made in- 
 numerable self-sacrifices and fearlessly faced 
 unnumbered dangers. Joseph Ward conducted 
 the home-mission crusade in Dakota in the spirit 
 of this declaration: " We will put in ourselves 
 
America's Greatest Need 265 
 
 and all we have, until, In other ways, God car- 
 ries on the work." The lives of these and of 
 an unnumbered host besides, were dedicated to 
 the sublime task of making America Christian. 
 They laid unmovable foundations. 
 
 Many of the resident home-mission pastors. Home 
 In their efforts to meet their widening oppor- p^^^^^^" 
 tunltles, traveled from thirty to forty miles on 
 the Sabbath and ministered regularly to three 
 congregations. Notable self-sacrifice marked 
 their work. In a happy, hopeful, enthusiastic 
 spirit they tolled. They fought fierce battles 
 within and without. They met and conquered 
 the temptations that come from obscurity, from 
 Isolation, and from trials incident to the day of 
 small things. Many of them scarcely saw the 
 beginning of the harvest that sprang from the 
 seed they sowed. But their Master made them 
 equal to their hard day. In spite of all adverse 
 conditions they steadily scattered the seed of the 
 Kingdom of Christ, and from It has sprung the 
 Christian civilization of America. 
 
 What did the Protestant evangelical churches Home 
 In America do in the past century, through their ^^^^\ 
 representatives on the battle-line, to make ef- 
 fective the Gospel of Christ? They contributed 
 not less than $350,000,000 for home evangell- 
 
266 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 zatlon. By the use of this vast sum many perils 
 Incident to the rapid growth of a new nation 
 were averted. Christian civiHzation was firmly 
 established. " Twenty-nine great common- 
 wealths were organized and equipped with all 
 the appliances and institutions of civilized so- 
 ciety," says Dr. Josiah Strong, " each of these 
 commonwealths being on the average consider- 
 ably larger than England and Wales. Into 
 these vast regions poured great numbers, and 
 among these many millions of foreigners, all 
 intent, not on founding churches, but on estab- 
 lishing homes. The agricultural populations 
 were scattered; and isolation is the mother of 
 barbarism. In mining regions rough men were 
 gathered, separated from their homes and the 
 refining influences of pure women; and subject 
 to all the temptations involved in a scramble 
 for riches in the midst of a gambling atmos- 
 phere which always pervades a mining camp." 
 Our national home missionaries labored with 
 sublime devotion to meet the moral and spirit- 
 ual needs of these various classes. They had 
 a firm conviction that the Gospel is the power 
 of God unto salvation to every one that be- 
 lieveth. They held that godliness is profitable 
 for this life as well as for the hfe beyond. They 
 
America's Greatest Need 267 
 
 did not drift with the tide. They stood out 
 against every form of evil. They lived near 
 to God. They persistently preached the Gos- 
 pel. They put into the cause of Christ them- 
 selves, their families, their possessions, to the 
 end that the Spirit of Christ might rule in the 
 hearts of all to whom they ministered. 
 
 Within one hundred years, through their Results 
 labors, millions of members were added to the 
 churches. Throughout this eventful and fruit- 
 ful period, at tens of thousands of points, moral 
 and spiritual results were conserved by the es- 
 tablishment of churches in charge of ordained 
 ministers. Thus there came permanency and 
 efficiency. In his estimate of the outcome of 
 home mission endeavor in the past century. Dr. 
 J. B. Clark, in " Leavening the Nation," gives 
 this cheering resume: " To the credit of home 
 missions should stand the undoubted truth that 
 an overwhelming majority of evangelical 
 churches owe their being to its nurture and 
 care. And what does such a fact mean in the 
 religious development of the country? Figures 
 here are eloquent; they palpitate with life. Be- 
 tween 1800 and 1890 the population of the 
 United States increased nearly twelve fold. In 
 the same period evangelical communicants in- 
 
268 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 creased thirty-eight fold. From 1850 to 1890, 
 the population increased 170 per cent., while 
 evangelical communicants increased 291 per 
 cent." One hundred years ago, one in fourteen 
 of the inhabitants of America were members of 
 Protestant Christian churches; now, one in four 
 are such. Vast also has been the incidental 
 fruitage: the promotion of Christian educa- 
 tion; the founding of colleges; the stimulation 
 of zealous and intelligent patriotism. 
 The Call To the church of this generation, as to these 
 ^ ^^ heroes of an earlier day, the urgent call of 
 Christ comes. It is distinct. It is forceful. It 
 is importunate. Vast opportunities for exten- 
 sion are beckoning. Before all our home mis- 
 sionary societies are new and splendid openings. 
 An eminent authority on religious statistics es- 
 timates that out of 82,000,000 of people in 
 the United States in 1903 only 20,000,000 were 
 members of Protestant evangelical churches. 
 There are probably 25,000,000 people in 
 America now absolutely churchless! 
 Cuba Though work in Cuba has been organized at 
 about one hundred points, the need for exten- 
 sion is insistent. Every city and town Is open 
 for the Gospel. The conditions for aggressive 
 and permanent Christian work are becoming In- 
 
America's Greatest Need 269 
 
 creaslngly favorable. In 1899, 552,928 Cuban 
 children were of school age, but less than 50,- 
 000 were attending school. Two-thirds of the 
 Cuban people are Illiterate. A superb public 
 school system In charge of skilled teachers has 
 been Installed, and a common school education 
 Is within reach of this vast army of children. 
 The present opportunity requires home mission 
 activity that shall be patient, tactful, persistent. 
 Nothing but the Gospel and the Spirit of the 
 Master can penetrate the dark and unwhole- 
 some crannies of Cuban hfe and bring In an 
 era of physical and moral purity and health. 
 
 The 7,000,000 people In the Philippine The 
 Islands afford American Christians an oppor- PV^^^ 
 tunity that is both formidable and unprece- 
 dented. Though these Islands have become, 
 by political acquirement, a part of the United 
 States, they are still, by occupation and by 
 reason of their close relation to other foreign 
 mission work, a foreign mission field, and mis- 
 sionary activity in them is directed by foreign 
 mission boards. One acquainted with the pres- 
 ent needs of the Philippines sends forth these 
 strong words to the American Churches: " The 
 possession of the Philippines has signaled the 
 hour for a new alignment of the Christian forces 
 
270 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 of the country. The character of its churches 
 and other Christian organizations is being tested 
 as never before. It is a wise church which knows 
 the time. Any Christian hfe in high or humble 
 place will now be endowed with telling power, 
 * age on ages telling,' which shall be quick to 
 fall into line with the Divine timeliness as to 
 the next things to be done. The churches of 
 America are either decadent and dying aliairs, 
 or else, morally speaking, they are clearing 
 their decks for action, determined that the shift- 
 less and treacherous policy of everlasting re- 
 trenchment along our missionary lines shall be 
 ended. The issues of war have opened a new 
 field for missions and Christian education of 
 the most inspiring opportunity." The judiciary 
 of the Philippines is now honest and competent. 
 Educationally, the conditions are far better than 
 heretofore. More than eight hundred Ameri- 
 can teachers, aided by over three thousand 
 Filipinos, are providing educational privi- 
 leges of a high order for the 240,000 native 
 children and young people. The seven Protes- 
 tant churches are reinforced in their work by 
 two Bible societies and by an Army and Navy 
 Young Men's Christian Association. A resi- 
 dent representative of one of the principal mis- 
 
America's Greatest Need 271 
 
 slons believes that such ripeness for evangelism 
 was never before seen in any Roman Catholic 
 field. 
 
 The island of Porto Rico lies in the Carib- Porto 
 bean Sea. It is 1,400 miles from New York, 
 and 1,000 miles from Key West, Florida. The 
 island is about one-half the size of the State 
 of New Jersey. It contains 3,600 square miles. 
 The population of 1,000,000 crowds it. " The 
 density of population emphasizes the impor- 
 tance of Porto Rico as a missionary field," says 
 the Rev. Dr. Charles J. Ryder, in a pointed 
 leaflet on the conditions and needs of the people. 
 "In the United States," he continues, "the popu- 
 lation averages 20 persons to the square mile. 
 In the Philippine Islands the average is 60, 
 while in Porto Rico there are 270 to the square 
 mile. The people consist of three classes : Span- 
 iards, 100,000; of African admixture, 400,000; 
 Porto Ricans proper, about 500,000. These 
 latter were originally of Spanish and Carib In- 
 dian admixture. Of these three classes the 
 Spaniards and negroes live mostly on the level 
 plain surrounding the island along the seaboard. 
 The Porto Ricans live in the heart of the is- 
 land, occupying the lofty plateaus and mountain 
 ranges and holding the large coffee plantations. 
 
272 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 It Is estimated that not more than twenty out 
 of every hundred can read and write In any 
 language. The United States Government has 
 provided 1,100 schools for the education of 
 70,000 children. The total number of chil- 
 dren of school age In the Island Is 350,000. A 
 Roman Catholic bishopric was established In 
 the Island In 15 12. This was soon followed by 
 an Inquisition In 15 13. Under the old form of 
 religion, Illiteracy, poverty and Immorality 
 seem to have gone unchecked. In occupying 
 the Island with modern missionary efforts great 
 pains were taken that no conflict should ever be 
 possible among evangelical churches." A great 
 faith will Insure that the great needs of Porto 
 Rico shall be promptly met. 
 Hawaii The census of 1896 showed the population 
 of the Hawaiian Islands to be as follows: 
 Hawaiian and part Hawaiian, 39,504; Japa- 
 nese, 24,407; Chinese, 21,616; Portuguese, 16,- 
 191 ; other nationalities, 7,302; a total of 109,- 
 020. Since this census the number of Japanese 
 residents has increased to 62,000, and the Chi- 
 nese to 26,000. People of twenty-three nation- 
 alities occupy the islands. Of the present popu- 
 lation 24,000 are members of Protestant 
 churches; 25,000 are Roman Catholics; 5,000 
 
America's Greatest Need 273 
 
 are Mormons. Dr. Doremus Scudder, Mis- 
 sionary Superintendent of the work among the 
 Japanese In Hawaii and statistical secretary of 
 the Hawaiian Evangelical Association, writes 
 these stirring sentences: "Everywhere signs 
 of promise beckon us to greater exertions. 
 ... It Is a golden day for work. If we move 
 at once we shall gain years." 
 
 The South offers an unsurpassed opportunity The 
 to the Christian church for the Investment of 
 time, of character and of money. To the moun- 
 taineers, the church and the school must be 
 made accessible. By the preaching of the Gos- 
 pel, by affording opportunities for Christian 
 education, this numerous and important class 
 are to be uplifted and redeemed. Wherever 
 churches and schools have gone, wherever there 
 have been the ministrations of Spirit-filled Chris- 
 tian men and women, notable fruitage in Chris- 
 tian character has followed. Throughout these 
 southern mountain regions the people are alive 
 to the need of Christian education for them- 
 selves and their families. In many of the 
 schools of our home missionary societies pupils 
 are turned away for lack of room. These 
 schools have already opened a life-work to 
 many missionaries, lawyers, pastors, bankers, 
 
274 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 physicians, mechanics, and engineers. Strong 
 reinforcements for this service are required. 
 The There comes also a forceful appeal in behalf 
 ^^° of the negro. Who but the disciples of Jesus 
 Christ can help and guide him in his pathetic 
 struggle for a higher type of manhood? More 
 Christian leaders are required. These, pro- 
 vided Christian people furnish adequate finan- 
 cial supplies, the Home Missionary Societies 
 can furnish. No country outside of Africa has 
 such a large negro population as the United 
 States. In 1900, there were in the United 
 States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Porto 
 Rico, 9,204,531 negroes. On the American 
 continent itself, excepting Alaska, there were 
 in 1900, 8,833,994 negroes, nine-tenths of 
 whom lived in the Southern States, and of the 
 whole number three-tenths, or over two and 
 one-half millions, lived in Georgia, Mississippi, 
 and Alabama. " All except about half a mil- 
 lion of the negro population of the South was 
 in the eleven States of the old Southern Confed- 
 eracy. In these States the negroes numbered 
 7,186,619 to 11,776,292 whites. In Missis- 
 sippi and South Carolina they exceeded the 
 whites in number; in Georgia and Louisiana 
 the two races were nearly equal, but in Texas 
 
America's Greatest Need 275 
 
 negroes made up only a little over one-quarter 
 of the population; in North Carolina about one- 
 half, and in Virginia more than a half." The 
 negro problem, which is one of the gravest with 
 which the American people have to deal, must 
 be worked out by those who have the Spirit 
 of Christ and who believe in the power of the 
 Gospel to uplift and transform even whole 
 races. 
 
 Enlargement of effort must also be made in The 
 
 1 • r L T T -^ J Southwest 
 
 the great southwest region ot the United 
 
 States. The rapid industrial and commercial 
 development of this section is one of the most 
 sicrnificant features of modern American life. 
 Within a few days towns are built, municipal 
 governments established and commercial rela- 
 tions organized. One of the youngest cities 
 in America is Chickasha, Indian Territory. 
 When the twentieth century dawned it did not 
 exist. In less than four years it grew from a 
 hamlet to a city of ten thousand population. 
 The valuation of its buildings is over $2,000,- 
 000. From it flour goes to many parts of the 
 world. A single mill ships eight hundred bar- 
 rels of flour a day. In one year it exported 
 forty thousand bales, or $4,000,000 worth of 
 cotton. Eighteen hundred children are in the 
 
2/6 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 public schools. Some of the churches are over- 
 crowded. The necessity of multiplying the 
 strength of the churches is made apparent by 
 these sentences from an alert home mission pas- 
 tor: " Oh, for a church building! Our Sunday- 
 school has now one hundred enrolled members, 
 and if we had a better building we could easily 
 secure twice the number. There is absolutely 
 no building we can use in this rapidly growing 
 part of the town. We are absolutely eight 
 blocks away from any other church. What 
 ideals shall rule this great southwest? The 
 Christian ideals or those of selfishness and 
 greed? Shall the men whom the southwest of 
 the future send out to fight the world's battles 
 be Puritans or men of the world? The spirit of 
 the land is intensely free and democratic, and 
 they demand a religion real and practical. They 
 want Christ, prayer, righteous living, and spir- 
 itual ideals. It is evident to us here that we 
 must have the help from the older churches in 
 these infant days. Who ever heard of an in- 
 fant getting up and walking off without help? 
 He would bump his head, probably, get bow- 
 legged, and possibly break his neck. Come 
 over into Indian Territory and help us. If you 
 cannot come, send. Send your best men and 
 
America's Greatest Need 277 
 
 women. Do not withhold the money that we 
 need to build up our churches, and above all, 
 send your prayers to God in our behalf." The 
 needs of Chickasha are typical of the needs of 
 hundreds of communities and towns through- 
 out the mighty empire of the southwest. 
 
 The work in the western mining camps and Miners 
 mining towns needs a more liberal support. 
 The letter-head of the most notorious gam- 
 bling palace at an important mining town in 
 Arizona bears the motto " We never sleep." 
 The men in this camp work seven days in the 
 week and comparatively few know when Sun- 
 day comes. Many of the young men who go 
 there are from excellent eastern homes and are 
 graduates of high schools, colleges and universi- 
 ties. Places of iniquity, alluring, fascinating, 
 damning, are numerous and assertive. The 
 proprietors of one resort stated that it was their 
 purpose to make it the most attractive gambling 
 palace in the State. The pastor of the home 
 mission church was called to bury a young man 
 whose father was a godly man and whose 
 mother was a devoted Christian. " Some years 
 ago he left home, drifted out into Montana and 
 thence down through the Rocky Mountain 
 towns, learning the art of gambling as he 
 
278 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 drifted, until he reached Jerome. Here he 
 was one of the professional gamblers. He fills 
 a gambler's grave. At his funeral six profes- 
 sional gamblers were pall-bearers." To check 
 the influence of this and many other corrupt- 
 ing resorts the aggressive pastor and the loyal 
 members of the church have opened an attrac- 
 tive club and reading-room where young men 
 can spend harmless social hours, find facilities 
 for writing and reading, and make the acquaint- 
 ance of warm-hearted Christian people. 
 Mormonism Mormonism, with a half million adherents, 
 is still a blight to our civilization. Two 
 thousand Mormon missionaries are at work 
 in the United States. On excellent author- 
 ity it is stated that the Mormons gather 
 more converts than does the Roman Catho- 
 lic Church. In every State and Territory, 
 except Alaska, their churches and congre- 
 gations may be found. The States have 
 been districted and in each State a missionary 
 bishop has been placed. Within the church 
 over 60,000 persons bear what is known as the 
 priesthood of God. Mormon missionaries still 
 spread the propaganda of polygamy. Leaders 
 are reported as saying: "The law of plural 
 marriage is God-given, and no Mormon need 
 
America's Greatest Need 279 
 
 fear man-made laws." The present policy of 
 the Mormon church has been stated thus: " To 
 maintain the dictatorial power of the priesthood 
 over the present church membership, to extend 
 that membership over the adjoining States so 
 as to acquire In the latter, first a balance of 
 power, and later, complete political control; to 
 continue the work of proselyting throughout 
 the United States and In foreign lands, with a 
 view to Increasing the strength of the church 
 at home by the Immigration to Utah of the 
 converts." 
 
 The work In Alaska, where there are at least Alaska 
 one hundred thousand whites, should be pressed 
 with far greater activity. Whole districts are 
 without a single missionary. Some settlements, 
 with a population of two hundred people, have 
 never had a mission or church. Additional men 
 need to be sent to evangelize towns, villages and 
 mining camps, now open, but unoccupied by 
 any missionary society. 
 
 There are other Inviting opportunities de- Foreign 
 
 , . . J J Population 
 
 mandmg a constant home mission crusade, ana 
 
 requiring on the part of Christian workers an 
 
 utter dedication of life to the cause of Christ. 
 
 The multitude of foreigners In America afford 
 
 one of these unsurpassed opportunities for 
 
28o Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Christian faith and zeal. In Maine, New 
 Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode 
 Island and Connecticut, people of foreign 
 parentage make up 47.9 per cent, of the 
 total population. In these States, for the 
 ten years ending with 1900, the foreign popu- 
 lation increased 6.1 per cent. In the States 
 of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecti- 
 cut 61.3 per cent, of the population are of for- 
 eign parentage. '* As a people we touch Africa 
 on our Atlantic seaboard and throughout the 
 vast southern domain," said John Henry Bar- 
 rows. " We touch Asia on our Pacific coast, 
 the great Spanish population on our Mexican 
 border, and the representatives of all mankind 
 in the streets of every great, flourishing city, 
 from Boston to Omaha, from Denver to San 
 Francisco, from Duluth to St. Antonio. Like 
 the lordly city of Bombay — but much more 
 strategically and amply — America has become 
 the meeting place of all nations, a miniature of 
 the globe." In view of the decidedly favorable 
 results that have come from home mission en- 
 deavor among foreigners who have settled in 
 various States of the Union, the outlook for the 
 evangelization and Christianization of the 
 
America's Greatest Need 281 
 
 millions who have arrived in this country during 
 recent years is hopeful. Other evangelistic op- 
 portunities, of great magnitude, are offered by 
 our great cities; and also by country districts in 
 New England, in which churches are decadent 
 and large numbers unreached. 
 
 The resources of the church are entirely ade- Resources 
 quate. In the one hundred and ten years be- 
 tween 1790 and 1900, the exports of America 
 over imports amounted to $2,046,588,012; for 
 ten years, 1890 to 1900, the excess of exports 
 over imports amounted to $2,615,343,320. It 
 will be observed that the foreign commerce of 
 the country was greater during the ten-year 
 period ending with 1900 than during the 
 previous one hundred and ten years. The 
 wealth of America grew at the rate of $2,900,- 
 000,000 annually from 1890 to 1900. In 
 the latter year the total estimated wealth of 
 America was $93,000,000,000. Of this enor- 
 mous sum $23,000,000,000 were in the hands 
 of Protestant Christian people. The church 
 of Christ in America does not lack financial 
 ability. 
 
 With joy and gratitude let us welcome these 
 capacities and opportunities for the more thor- 
 
Trust 
 
 282 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 ough Christlanlzation of America. " And well 
 may we be admonished," as Dr. A. J. Gordon 
 so wisely suggested, " that opportunity is but 
 another name for importunity, as though God 
 were beseeching us by every door to open our 
 hearts and to open our hands and to open our 
 purses, that we may worthily meet the crisis of 
 missions which is upon us." 
 A Great The Christian young people of the American 
 churches have had deposited with them a great 
 trust. " Who say ye that I am? " the Master 
 seems ever to be asking all His twentieth cen- 
 tury disciples. By holding His exalted ideas 
 fixedly before us; by generous gifts for the 
 widening of His Kingdom; by devotedness to 
 present duty as He reveals it to us, we shall 
 answer this supreme question so clearly that all 
 about us may hear. If by our conduct we make 
 winsome the Gospel and the life of the Son of 
 God; if we conscientiously use our means as 
 Christian stewards, giving with a clear con- 
 science up to the limit of our ability, then we 
 shall with cheer and courage hasten the coming 
 of the Master's Kingdom in America, that 
 America, Christianized, may use to the utmost 
 her unequalled opportunity for the evangeliza- 
 tion of the world. 
 
America's Greatest Need 283 
 
 " You who inherit the wealth, the stored-up blessings 
 
 of ages, 
 Gathered by saints and apostles, by heroes who 
 
 suffered and labored, 
 Won for us freedom and light, the soul-gladdening 
 
 light of the Gospel, 
 What is the issue to be ? What legacy, say, to 
 
 your children 
 Will you bequeath ? What increment added ? 
 
 What further example 
 Yet of noble deeds, what self-crucifixion in laying 
 All that you have, that you are, at the feet of a 
 
 crucified Saviour ? " 
 
 Questions for Study 
 
 Aim. — To gain a view of some of the impeaative moral 
 and spiritual needs of America and to determine how these 
 needs may be met. 
 
 1 . Why were the pioneer home missionaries true nation 
 builders ? 
 
 2. By what was their teaching enforced? 
 
 3. What seems to be the present greatest need of 
 America ? 
 
 4. What is the value of self-testing? How did Jesus 
 test His disciples? By what did the disciples prove the 
 reality of their confession? 
 
 5. Memorize the verse beginning, " Reality, reahty." 
 
 6. What will be the chief aim of a true follower of 
 Christ? 
 
 7. How, only, can men realize their highest possi- 
 bilities ? 
 
 8. By what were the pioneer preachers impelled? 
 
284 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 9. What has been some of the fruitage of home mis- 
 sion activity during the past century? 
 
 10. What call comes to-day? Why is it importunate? 
 
 1 1 . What are the present conditions in Cuba ? 
 
 12. What, in substance, is said of the opportunity in 
 the Philippines? 
 
 13. What are the present conditions in Porto Rico? 
 In Hawaii? 
 
 14. Summarize what is said respecting opportunities 
 in the South. 
 
 15. Why is more aggressive and extensive work re- 
 quired in the southwest ? What typical need is cited ? 
 
 16. What are the conditions among the miners? 
 
 17. What shows the strength of Mormonism? What 
 is the policy of the Mormon church? 
 
 18. What, in substance, is said of our foreign popula- 
 tion ? Why is the outlook for fruitful w^ork among them 
 hopeful ? 
 
 19. What are the financial resources of the Christian 
 church ? 
 
 20. What did Dr. Gordon say of opportunity? 
 
 2 1 . What has been deposited with the Christian young 
 people of America? 
 
 22. How may each hasten the coming of the Master's 
 Kingdom ? 
 
 23. Memorize the verse at the close of the chapter. 
 
 24. Put in writing the two points in this chapter that 
 have impressed you most deeply. 
 
 References 
 
 Leavening the Nation. By J. B. Clark. New York : 
 The Baker & Taylor Co. $1.25. 
 
 Our Country. By Josiah Strong. New York : The 
 ; Baker & Taylor Co. Cloth, 60 cents; Paper, 30 cents. 
 
 The Tr ansf or 7naiio7t of Hawaii. By Belle M. Brain. 
 New York : Fleming H. Revell Co. New edition, 1904. 
 7S cents. • 
 
America's Greatest Need 285 
 
 The Missionary Review of the World. Numbers for 
 February, igo2, and July, 1903. New York : The Funk & 
 Wagnalls Co. 25 cents each. 
 
 Ptiblications of Hofne Mission Boards on topics treated 
 in the Chapter. 
 
 Topics for Papers and for Class Consider- 
 ation AND Discussion 
 
 1. The purpose and zeal of the early home missionaries 
 and the need of the perpetuation thereof. 
 
 See pages 224-228. 
 
 2. Some of the Results of American Home Missions, 
 See pages 229-232. 
 
 Leaveiiing the Nation. Clark. Pages 330-352. 
 Publications of your Denominational Home Mission 
 Board on home mission achievements. 
 
 3. Foreigners in America. Responsibility of Christian 
 people for their Welfare. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. Clark. Pages 262-282. 
 Our Country. Strong. Pages 44-61. 
 Publications of your Denow,inational Home Mission 
 Board on work among foreigners in America. 
 
 4. Present Home Mission Opportunities in Cuba, Hawaii, 
 Porto Rico and the Philippines. 
 
 See pages 232-237. 
 
 Transformation of Hawaii. Brain. 
 
 The Missio7iary Review of the World. Numbers for 
 February, 1902, and July, 1903. 
 
 Publications of your Denominational Home Mission 
 Board on work in Cuba, Hawaii, Porto Rico and the 
 Philippines. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
APPENDIX A. 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 It is desirable that the class buy the volumes 
 mentioned in the following list. When the 
 purchase of all the books is impracticable, it is 
 suggested that the first ten be bought and that 
 the last three be secured from the public library 
 or from the library of the pastor or some other 
 friend. Most of these volumes can be bought 
 for less than the regular publishers' prices. 
 
 Memoirs of Brainerd. Edited by J. M. Sherwood. New 
 York : The Funk & Wagnalls Co. $1.50. 
 
 The. Standard work on Brainerd. 
 
 Leavening the Nation. By J. B. Clark. New York : 
 The Baker & Taylor Co. $1.25. 
 
 An unsectarian and undenominational work. 
 The author follows the historical method and 
 traces the history of home missions along the 
 path of the western movement in the settlement 
 of the country. Because of its historical out- 
 look and vivid portrayal of home mission 
 achievement, this volume is of great value. 
 
 28g 
 
290 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Missouri. By Lucien Carr. Boston : Houghton, Mifflin 
 Co. $1.25. 
 
 "Taken as a whole, the book, with its 
 sustained interest, high average Hterary merit, 
 and thorough treatment of the voluminous facts, 
 fullyjustifies its place in the American Common- 
 wealth Series." 
 
 Our Country. By Josiah Strong. New York : The 
 Baker & Taylor Co. Cloth, 60 cents; Paper, 30 cents. 
 
 Though some of the issues so ably discussed 
 in this volume have changed in their aspect 
 since its first publication, the book deserves a 
 place in every home missionary library. Among 
 the chapters that may profitably be consulted by 
 each new generation of Christian students are 
 those entitled : " National Resources ; " " West- 
 ern Supremacy ; " " Perils. — Immigration ; " 
 "Perils. — The City;" " The Influence of Early 
 Settlers ; " " The Anglo-Saxon and the World's 
 Future ; " " Money and the Kingdom." 
 
 Oregon. By William Barrows. Boston: Houghton, 
 Mifflin & Co. $1.25. 
 
 " The long and interesting story of the struggle 
 of five nations for the possession of Oregon is 
 told in this graphic and reliable narrative. A 
 more fascinating record has seldom been written. 
 
Appendix ^9^ 
 
 Careful research and pictorial skill of narrative 
 commend this book of antecedent history to all 
 interested in the rapid march and wonderful 
 development of our American civilization upon 
 the Pacific coast." 
 
 Marcus Whitman. By William A. Mowry. New York: 
 Silver, Burdett & Co. $1.50. 
 
 This is the most complete and authentic biog- 
 raphy of Whitman and should be placed in 
 every home mission library. 
 
 The Story of Marcus Whitman. By the Rev. J. G. 
 Craighead, D.D. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board 
 of Publication. 75 cents. 
 
 This volume contains material of great value 
 to all students of the life and times of Dr. Whit- 
 man. The contents of the book accord with 
 the high purpose of the author, which was : 
 " To vindicate the characters and the work of 
 the early Protestant missionaries in Oregon from 
 aspersions which have been cast upon them ; to 
 show the importance of their labors in the 
 development and settlement of the country ; and 
 to prove that it was through their public-spirited 
 and patriotic services that a large part of the 
 northwest territory was secured to the United 
 States." 
 
292 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 How Marcus Whitman Saved Oregon. By Oliver W. 
 Nixon, M.D., LL.D. Chicago: The Star Publishing 
 Co. $1.50. 
 
 An interesting series of splendid happenings 
 has united the ages of history in heroic deeds, 
 and this volume is a fitting testimonial of the 
 immense significance of one heroic deed in one 
 heroic life. — Dr. K M-^. Gunsaulus, 
 
 Christianity in the United States, from the First 
 Settlement Down to the Present Time. By Daniel 
 Dorchester. New York : Hunt & Eaton. $3.50. 
 
 This volume is an encyclopedia on the reli- 
 gious history of America. The beginning of 
 each of the Protestant churches, "the organic 
 changes, schisms, and reunions, and the great 
 benevolent, illuminating, and evangelizing 
 agencies employed by them," are sketched. 
 Numerous diagrams and statistical tables enrich 
 the volume. 
 
 The Minute Man on the Frontier. By W. G. Pudde- 
 fooi. New York : Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. $1.25. 
 
 This intensely interesting volume, containing 
 vivid sketches of frontier missionary life, occu- 
 pies a unique and important place in home 
 mission literature. In no other known volume 
 can so much material, drawn from personal 
 experience, be found. 
 
Appendix 293 
 
 The Transformation of Hawaii. By Belle M. Brain, 
 New York : Fleming H. Revell Co. $i.oo. 
 
 The young people of the country are greatly 
 indebted to Miss Brain for her zealous efforts 
 in behalf of an intelligent missionary interest. 
 In this volume she gives a graphic account of 
 mission triumphs in Hawaii, where, through the 
 faithful preaching of the Gospel, savages were 
 regenerated. 
 
 Protestant Missions : Their Rise and Early Progress. 
 
 By A. C. Thompson. New York ; Charles Scribner's 
 
 Sons. $1.75- 
 
 An introduction to the history of modern 
 Protestant missions, containing valuable chapters 
 on missionary endeavors in colonial times. 
 
 A History of Protestant Missions. By Gustav War^ 
 neck. New York : Fleming H. Revell Co. $2.00. 
 
 An unsurpassed condensed history of mis- 
 sionary achievement. 
 Publications of Denominational Home Mission Boards. 
 
 It is earnestly recommended that individuals 
 and classes make ample use of the publications 
 of the Denominational Home Mission Boards, in 
 connection with the reading and study of Heroes 
 of the Cross. This valuable literature can be 
 secured at slight cost by addressing the Secretary 
 of your Denominational Home Mission Board 
 
APPENDIX B. 
 
 THE ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP OP 
 MISSION STUDY CLASSES 
 
 The Organization of Mission Study Classes 
 
 The following paragraphs are from an excellent manual, 
 entitled, " Plans for Organization and Conduct of Mission 
 Study Classes, "published by the Young People's Missionary 
 Movement, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York. Every leader of 
 a mission study class should carefully read the entire book- 
 let. It contains valuable suggestions and can be had from 
 your Denominational Home Mission Board, or from the 
 Young People's Missionary Movement, for ten cents. 
 Overcoming Difficulties 
 
 In organizing a mission study class difficulties will be 
 encountered, and it will cost something in money, time and 
 effort. Experienced leaders may not be available. Some 
 may not be willing to study, and others may not be able to 
 purchase the text-books. The circumstances for class or- 
 ganization may not be ideal, and in some cases the outlook 
 at the beginning of the class may be discouraging. 
 
 If, however, the work of the class proceeds faithfully and 
 persistently success will be attained. When the leader has 
 become more efficient and the members more interested 
 they will be surprised at the real pleasure gained from the 
 study. The interest aroused will be intelligent and per- 
 manent. Prayer and missionary service will be stimulated. 
 Many will be filled with a new spirit toward missions, and 
 young men and women may be led to the service of Christ 
 in mission fields. All will look upon the course of study as 
 the beginning of a new and larger life. 
 
296 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Organization. — Preliminary Work 
 
 The responsibility for organizing a mission study class 
 rests with the Missionary Committee. The committee 
 should begin in the fall to outline plans for the class and to 
 construct a program for a public meeting, the purpose of 
 which will be to arouse interest in mission study. The pro- 
 gram might well consist of several short talks on such sub- 
 jects as "Why Study Missions," "Plans for the Class," 
 ' ' The Profit and Pleasure of Mission Study. " It would also 
 be very helpful to have testimonies from members of former 
 classes. If no class has been held in the society such testi- 
 monies may be gleaned from the files of the missionary 
 magazines and other sources. 
 
 It is deemed best to hold this meeting at the time of the 
 regular devotional service, devoting a full hour to the con- 
 sideration of mission study. 
 
 Before the public meeting an effort should be made to 
 enroll in advance as many influential members as possible. 
 They will be of great aid at the public meeting, for the fact 
 that they have enrolled will influence others. At the meet- 
 ing an opportunity should be given to join the class. This 
 should be followed by a personal canvass by the Committee 
 in order to secure the enrollment of as many members as 
 possible. 
 
 Size of Class 
 
 Classes need not be large in order to be'successful. Those 
 who will not attend regularly or do the assigned work are 
 a detriment to the class and should not be urged to join. 
 Excellent work has been done by classes of only four or five 
 members. Classes which begin with large numbers, but 
 which have fewer in attendance at each succeeding session, 
 will soon lose interest. If more than twelve or fifteen wish 
 to take the study it may be better to organize two classes. 
 
 Courses of Study 
 
 It is important to select the courses at an early date, 
 in order that the text-books may be ordered as early as pos- 
 
Appendix 297 
 
 sible. It will be a great advantage for each member to have 
 a copy of the text-book. 
 
 Time and Place of Meeting 
 
 Experience shows that the study class is more successfu 
 when a separate session is devoted to it. Combination with 
 other meetings is usually disastrous. Weekly sessions are 
 more desirable than semi-monthly or monthly sessions. No 
 more time is consumed by eight meetings on consecutive 
 weeks than on consecutive months. The ordinary class is 
 unable to sustain the interest of a session over an interval of 
 two, three, or four weeks. Select a certain evening for the 
 study class and hold the session on that evening, unless a 
 postponement is absolutely necessary. It is advisable that 
 a permanent meeting place be selected for the class. Many 
 classes have found it best to meet in a private home. 
 
 Officers and Their Duties 
 
 The Leader. — To prepare the general plan of the les- 
 sons, to assign the work, and to preside at each session of 
 the class. 
 
 The Secretary. — To keep a record of all programs, tc 
 notify or remind members of time and place of meeting, to 
 be a general assistant to the leader, and to make such reports 
 as are required from time to time. 
 
 The Class Artist. — To supervise the preparation of 
 maps, charts, mottoes, etc. 
 
 The Librarian. — To collect, classify, keep in order, and 
 distribute missionary pamphlets and leaflets; to keep on 
 file papers and magazines; to have charge of the missionary 
 library and to deliver such books as will be found helpful to 
 those who have special assignments ; to preserve papers, 
 maps, charts, etc., prepared by members of the class; and 
 to make a classified scrap-book for reference purposes. 
 
 The Statistician. — To be on the lookout for special sta- 
 tistics relating to missionary work in the country to be 
 studied. These statistics to be used in charts and also in 
 
298 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 connection with public presentation. Materials for charts 
 to be marked out in the rough by the statistician and fur- 
 nished the class artist for final preparation. 
 
 The Committee on Illustrations. — To provide curios, 
 special illustrations, and decorations, and any other acces- 
 sory material not provided by the class artist. 
 
 The Committee on Blackboard Outlines. — To work 
 out in advance and place upon the blackboard (after consul- 
 tation with the leader) a condensed outline of the lesson 
 for use during the class hour and for convenience in note 
 taking. 
 
 Leaders of Home Mission Study Classes should apply 
 to their Denominational Horns Mission Boards for a copy 
 of ''Hints to Leaders of Classes Studying * Heroes of the 
 Cross in America."* '* 
 
 ;1' 
 
INDEX 
 
 African Baptist Church, St. 
 
 Louis, 122 
 
 Allen, Alexander V. G., 67 
 America, its greatest need, 
 259-283; its gifts of Prot- 
 estant churches for home 
 missions, 265; results of 
 evangelizing effort, 266 ; 
 present call for the church- 
 less in the United States, 
 268; for Cuba, 268, 269; 
 for the Philippines, 269- 
 -271 ; for Porto Rico, 271, 
 272; for Hawaii, 272; for 
 the South and the Negro, 
 273-275; for the South- 
 west, 275-277: for miners, 
 
 277, 278 ; for the Mormons, 
 
 278, 279; for Alaska, 279; 
 for the foreign population, 
 279-281; resources, 281, 
 282; responsibility, 282, 
 283 
 
 American Baptist Home 
 Mission Society, 122-124 
 
 American Baptist Publica- 
 tion Society, 86, 126 
 
 American Board of Commis- 
 sioners for Foreign Mis- 
 sions, 140, 142, 148-161 
 
 American Fur Company 
 
 145, 146 
 American Headquarters, 
 
 140 
 
 Ames, Bishop, 203 
 
 Andover Theological Semi- 
 nary, 220, 225-228, 238 
 
 Annals of the West, 86 
 Anti- mission spirit, 109-116 
 Apache Indians, 209 
 Army, experiences in, 224 
 Atkinson, Dr., 163 
 
 Babcock, Rufus, 92 
 
 Baptisms, 56, 89 
 
 Baptist Churches, 88-126 
 
 Baptist Missionary Maga- 
 ziiie, 92 
 
 Barrett, Mrs. Martha Wise- 
 well, 167 
 
 Barrows, Dr. John Henry, 
 280 
 
 Beecher, Henry Ward, 87 
 
 Berkshire Medical College, 
 
 137 
 Bible, 47. 58, 65, 101-103, 
 
 in, 137-139. -47. 179. 197, 
 223, 237 
 Bible Societies, 102-119, 270 
 Bible study, 6, 80, 95. 136 
 Blanchette, Bishop, 165 
 Boone, Daniel, 112 
 Bradley, Dr. D. F., 246 
 Brown University, 220, 224, 
 
 225 
 Brainerd, David, 94, 264; 
 ancestry,4; appointedmis- 
 sionary to Indians, 2, 19; 
 Bible study, 6, 80; boy- 
 hood, 4, 5 ; character, 66- 
 81 ; date of birth, 2 ; death, 
 2, 65; education, 2, 5, 11- 
 16; influence, 66, 76-79; 
 licensed as a minister, 2, 
 
 299 
 
300 
 
 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 17; mission labors at Kau- 
 naiameek, 2, 19-26; at Forks 
 of Delaware, 2, 26-55; at 
 Crossweeksung, 2, 40-61 ; 
 on theSusquehanna, 43-55 ; 
 ordained, 2, 28; prayers, 
 5-8, II, 12, 20-33, 74-76; 
 religious life, 5-18, 68, 70; 
 trials, 16, 19, 20, 23, 29-32, 
 
 51 
 Buckskin Joe, Col. , 191-202 
 Bushnell, Horace, 87 
 
 Cabin, of missionary, 201 
 Cartwright, Peter, 180 
 Cayuse Indians, 134, 152, 
 
 153 
 Carlyle, 3 
 
 Character, purity of, 70; 
 strength of, 135; leader- 
 ship in, 226 
 Chickasha, Ind. T., 275-277 
 Chinese, in Hawaii, 272 
 Christian, Brainerd's sum- 
 mary, 10, II 
 Christian Commission, 224 
 Churchill, Professor, 223 
 Clark, Dr. J. B., 267 
 Clark, General, 137, 138 
 Colorado, 162, 174, 190-212 
 Columbia River, 146, 155 
 Columbian Mission, 149 
 Communicants, number and 
 increase of, in America, 
 267, 268 
 Congregational Churches, 
 134, 136, 140, 220, 231-243. 
 Congregational Home Mis- 
 sionary Society, 227, 237, 
 240-242 
 Congress, 166 
 
 Contributions for Home Mis- 
 sions, 265 
 Conversions, 8, 9, 45, 53, 61, 
 71, 103, 134, 178 181, 187, 
 209 
 
 Cranberry, N. J., 63 
 Crossweeksung, 2, 26, 40 
 
 43, 45. 55, 56-60 
 Crosswicks, N. J,, 2 
 Cuba, 268, 269 
 
 Dakotas, 240-253 
 
 Dances, as obstacles to home 
 mission work, 49, 50, 102, 
 187, 194, 198, 210-213 
 
 Denver, 195, 196, 209 
 
 Dyer, John L., 264; admit- 
 ted to Conference, 185 ; an- 
 cestry, 177; beginning of 
 public work, 180; birth, 
 177; cabin in the moun- 
 tains, 197-201 ; conversion, 
 178; experience as a 
 preacher and missionary, 
 first sermon, 181, 182; his 
 call, 182, 183; mail-carrier 
 with snow-shoes, 202 ; tem- 
 perance interest, 177, 178, 
 199; work in Wisconsin, 
 185; in Minnesota, 185- 
 190; in Colorado, 191-207, 
 209-215; in New Mexico, 
 208, 209 
 
 Edwards, Jonathan, 2, 13-15, 
 
 63> 65, 67, 71 
 Eelis, Dr. Cushing, 150-156 
 Eells, Mrs. Cushing, 150 
 Eells, Myron, 151 
 Emerson, 16S 
 Emigrants, large party of, 
 
 162-164; great numbers 
 
 into the Dakotas, 240, 241 
 Emigranfs Guidgy 86 
 Evangelistic spirit and work, 
 
 70, 74, 115, 196, 235, 265 
 
 Fasting, 7, 31, 39 
 Fiske, Dr. Wilbur, 139 
 Fitzgerald. Sir Edward, 154 
 Flag, the American, 146 
 
Index 
 
 301 
 
 Flathead Indians, 137, 140, 
 
 152 
 
 Foreign population, 279, 280 
 Forks of the Delaware, 19, 
 
 24, 27, 45. 50. 56 
 Fort Bent, 15 7-159 
 FortColville, 155 
 Fort Hall, 157-163 
 Fort Independence, 139 
 Fort Laramie, 145 
 Fort Leavenworth, 144, 145 
 Fort Vancouver, 134, 147. 
 
 148 
 Fort Walla Walla, 134, i47 
 
 Gambling, 102, 212, 277 
 Going, Dr. Jonathan, 121 
 Grande Ronde, 163 
 Gray, W. H., 134, 144. 146, 
 
 156 
 Gray, Mrs. W. H., 150. 156 
 Great Religious Awakening, 
 
 13 
 Green River, 140, 147 
 Grose, Rev. Howard B. , tri- 
 bute to Peck, 108 
 
 Hale, Dr. Edward Everett, 
 
 224 
 Hamilton Theological Insti- 
 tution, New York, 121 
 Harwood, Rev. Thomas, 209 
 Hawaiian Islands, 272, 273 
 Heathen practices, 25, 29, 
 
 50-55 
 
 Hicgham, Mass., 4 
 
 Holy Spirit's working, 42, 
 46, 48. 179, 263 
 
 Home Missions, 96, 107, 108, 
 119-126, 151-153. 195-203, 
 235-243. 259-283 
 
 How Whitman Saved Ore- 
 gon^ 166 
 
 Hudson's Bay Company, 134, 
 147-164 
 
 Idaho, 150 
 
 Idolatry, 29, 44, 49 
 
 Illinois, as a mission field, 
 104-118 
 
 Indiana, mission work in, 
 118, 121 
 
 Indians, 18-61, 137-167; ap- 
 pearance at Yankton, 229, 
 230; attacks of, 112, 113; 
 change in, 61; danger 
 from, 209; massacre by, 
 165; numbers in north- 
 west, 150, 151; singing of, 
 178 
 
 Intemperance, 55, 60, igi, 
 177, 188, 189, 199, 206 
 
 Infidels, loi 
 
 Influence, 76-79. ii9» 128, 
 163, 167, 199, 200, 223, 249, 
 265-267 
 
 Japanese, in Hawaii, 272, 
 
 273 
 Jesuit priests, 155, 164, 208 
 Journals, burned, 14; -ead 
 
 and corrected, 64, 65; 
 
 power of, 78, 79 ; show the 
 
 spirit of writer, 92 
 
 Kansas, 162 
 Kaunaumeek, 19, 21, 23, 24, 
 
 25 
 Kentucky, visited, 121 
 
 Lapwai, 148-152 
 Leavening the Nation^ 267 
 Lee, Rev. Daniel, 139 
 Lee, Rev. Jason, 139 
 Liberty Landing, 144 
 Life of Daniel Boone, 86 
 Life of Jonathan Edwards^ 
 
 67 
 Long Island, 66 
 Louisiana Purchase, 94, 114 
 Lovejoy, Amos Lawrence, 
 
 156-159 
 
302 
 
 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Man Without a Country, 
 A, 224 
 
 Marcus Whitman, by W. 
 A. Mowry, 161, 165 
 
 Massachusetts Baptist Mis- 
 sionary Society, 115 
 
 Massacre, at Waiilatpu, 134, 
 
 165 
 
 McLoughlin, Dr. John, 134, 
 147, 148 
 
 Memoirs of David Brain- 
 erd, 94 
 
 Methodist Churches, 140, 174, 
 178-209 
 
 Methodist camp meetings, 
 118, 178, 204 
 
 Methodist General Confer- 
 ence, 139 
 
 Mills, Rev. Mr., 16 
 
 Ministry, call to, 88-90, 182, 
 
 183 
 Miners, work for, 277, 278 
 Minnesota, 174, 185 
 Missionary spirit, 67-69, 92- 
 
 95, 168, 214, 240 
 Missouri, mission work in, 
 
 110-112, Whitman's route, 
 
 162 
 Missouri River, 144 
 Montana, 150 
 
 Mormonism, 272, 273, 278, 279 
 Mowry, W. A., 136, 160, 165 
 
 Negroes, efforts for, 102, 
 
 274, 275 
 Newark, N. J., 2, 28 
 New England, 13, 66, 136, 
 
 221, 240. 280, 281 
 New Durham, N. Y., 88, 91 
 New Haven, 13 
 New Mexico, 159, 208, 209 
 New York City, 17 
 Nez Perce Indians, 137, 140, 
 
 141, 146, 153 
 Nixon, Dr. Oliver W., 140, 
 
 147, i66 
 
 Oregon, 137, 139-167; first 
 Presbyterian Church in, 
 149 
 
 Oregon Methodist Mission, 
 
 139 
 
 Parker, Rev. Samuel Parker, 
 
 134, 140, 141 
 Peck, John Mason, 264; Bap- 
 tist home missionary plans 
 offered, 119, 122; Bible 
 Society work, 117-119; 
 birth, 87; boyhood and 
 school, 87 ; call to the min- 
 istry, 88-91 ; character, 127, 
 128; death, 86; home mis- 
 sion work begun, 97 ; mar- 
 riage, 88; ordained, 86; 
 pastoral service, at Cats- 
 kill, 91, 92 ; at Amenia, 93 ; 
 at Rock Spring and Zoar, 
 124, 125; results of his 
 work, 125, 126; work at 
 St. Louis, 99-104; in Illi- 
 nois, 104-110, 118, 121, 122; 
 in Indiana, 118; in Mis- 
 souri, 110-113; as financial 
 agent, 1 19-124; for Christ- 
 ian press, 86, 120, 121, 125, 
 126; for religious educa- 
 tion, 86, 103, 108, 120, 122, 
 123 
 Philadelphia, 94, 95, 114 
 Philippine Islands, 269-271 
 Pike's Peak, 190 
 Pioneer, The, 86, 121 
 Platte River, 145, 162, 163 
 Population, increase of, in 
 United States, 267, 268; 
 present need, 268 ; in the 
 Philippines, 269, in Porto 
 Rico, 271; in Hawaiian 
 Islands, 272 ; negroes, 274 . 
 foreign people. 280 
 Porto Rico. 271, 272 
 Portuguese, m Hawaii, 272 
 
Index 
 
 303 
 
 Prayer, 7, 22, 32, 39, 58, 74, 
 
 76, 95. 233 
 Prentiss, Miss Narcissa, 142 
 Presbyterian Churches, 134, 
 
 136, 140, 149 
 Presbytery, 2, 28, 149 
 Puritan, 4, 87 
 
 Red River, 237, 238 
 Rice, Rev. Luther, 93 
 Ride of Whitman, 134, 153, 
 
 160 
 Rock Spring, 111., 86 
 Rocky Mountains, 140, 146, 
 
 155, 196-204, 277 
 Rogers, Mr., 150 
 Roman Catholic Church, 241, 
 
 242, 272 
 Roosevelt, President, 175, 
 
 176, 259 
 Ryder, Dr. Charles J., 271 
 
 Santa Fe, 157, 209 
 Sabbath, 27, 53, 88, loi, 102 
 St. Louis, Mo., 86, 100-107, 
 
 137, 138, 158 
 
 School work, 100, 103, 105, 
 108, 223 ; in Cuba, 269 ; in 
 the Philippines, 270; in 
 Porto Rico, 272; in the 
 South, 273, 274 
 
 Scudder, Dr. Doremus, 273 
 
 Self-sacrifices and trials, 19, 
 20, 51, 71, 73, 99, 114, 119, 
 126, 127, 151, 160, 186, 232, 
 233, 236, 243, 264, 265 
 
 Shepard, Cyrus, 139 
 
 Shurtleff College, III, 86, 
 123 
 
 Smith, Mr. and Mrs., 150 
 
 Society in Scotland for Pro- 
 pagating Christian Know- 
 ledge, 17, 19 
 
 South, The, 273, 274 
 
 South Dakota, 220, 240-249 
 
 South Pass, 162 
 
 Southwest, The, 275-277 
 Spalding, Mrs. H. H., 134, 
 
 144-148 
 Spalding, Rev. H. H., 134, 
 
 144-158 
 Strong, Dr. Josiah, 266 
 Sunday School Th?ies, The, 
 
 167 
 Sunday schools, 103, 118, 
 
 119, 125, 207, 235, 236, 276 
 Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 87 
 Susquehanna, 43, 49 
 Sweetwater River, 162 
 
 Taos, 157 
 
 Temperance, 178; society, 
 149 ; lecture, 177, 199 
 
 Theatres, as counter forces, 
 198, 200 
 
 Theological Seminaries, Bap- 
 tist, 86, 120-122 
 
 Time, value of, 69 
 
 Tshimakain, 150 
 
 Tyler, President, 134, 160, 
 161 
 
 United States, 154, 167; cost 
 of evangelizing, 265 ; popu- 
 lation and church mem- 
 bers, 267, 268; wealth, 2S1 
 
 Upper Alton, 111., 86, 122 
 
 Vancouver, 139 
 Vermont, 227 
 
 Wagon, first one taken to 
 Oregon, 145, 146 
 
 Wagon road, 161 
 
 Walker, Mr. 150 
 
 Ward, Joseph, 264; birth, 
 220; character, 252, 253; 
 early home influences, 221, 
 222; education, 223-227; 
 experience and work at 
 Yankton, arrival 228, 229; 
 
304 
 
 Heroes of the Cross 
 
 Indians, 229, 230; noble 
 women, 230; first public 
 and social service, 231; 
 church built, 232, 233; 
 spirit and influence, 233- 
 235; missionary activity, 
 235-242; makes his church 
 self-supporting, 242 ; his 
 Christian educational 
 work, 243-247 ; public lead- 
 ership, 248-251 
 Ward, Mrs. Joseph, 228, 243, 
 
 250 
 Walla Walla, 148, 166 
 Waiilatpu, 134, 148-152 
 Washington, (city), 155-161 
 Washington, (state), 150 
 Waukesha, Wis., 185 
 Webster, Daniel, 134, 160, 
 
 161 
 Welch, Mr., 97, 103, 114 
 Wesley, John, view of 
 
 Brainerd, 80, 81 
 Whitefield, George, 13 
 Whitman, Marcus 140, 264; 
 birth, 136; character, 167, 
 168; conversion, 134, 136; 
 death by massacre, 134, 
 165 ; first journey to Ore- 
 
 gon, 140-142; marriage, 
 142, 143 ; mission to Ore- 
 gon, 144 ; journey, 144-147 ; 
 at Waiilatpu, 148-149; 
 work with Indians, 151- 
 153; famous eastern ride, 
 153-160; efforts in the 
 East, 160-162; return ex- 
 pedition, 162-164; the mas- 
 sacre, 165; Oregon saved, 
 166; his memorial, 166 
 
 Whitman, Mrs. Marcus, 134, 
 142-165 
 
 Whitman College, 166 
 
 Willamette Valley, 140, 164 
 
 Wisconsin, 174, 181 
 
 Wisconsin Conference, 174 
 
 Women, bitter experiences, 
 188; noble influence of, 
 230 
 
 Wyeth, Captain N. J., 139 
 
 Wyoming, 150 
 
 Yale College, 2, 11-16 
 Yankton, 220, 227-253 
 Yankton College, 220, 243- 
 
 247 
 Young Men's Christian Asso- 
 ciation, 270 
 
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries 
 
 I 
 
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