Qass. 
 Book. 
 
THE 
 
 MISSIONARY PIONEER, 
 
 OR 
 
 A BRIEF MEMOIR 
 
 OF TH£ 
 
 I^ZrSi X1A8OVXLS, AND BXSAXS 
 
 OF 
 
 JOHN STEWART, (MAN OF COLOUR,) 
 FOUNDER, UNDER GOD 
 
 OF 
 
 THE MISSION AMONG THE WYANDOTTS AT UPPE^ 
 SANDUSKY, OHIO. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH MITCHELL^ 
 
 ■V. ^J» 
 
 Printed by j. c* Toiyrfi^ , , ,. 
 
 JVo. 9 Bowery. ' 'Ifr^- 
 
 1827. 
 
 4r 
 
[_-- 
 
 
 Southern District of JVew.York, ss. 
 BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the 
 L twenty-first day of June, A. D. 1827, in 
 Itbe fifty-first year of the Independence of 
 the United States of America, John Co 
 Totten, of the said District, hath deposit- 
 ed in this office the title of a book, the right whereof be 
 claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit : 
 
 ^ The Missionary Pioneer, or a Brief Memoir 
 of the Life, Labours, and Death of John Stewart^ 
 (man of colour,) Founder, under God, of the 
 Mission among the Wyandotts at Upper San^ 
 dusky, Ohio. Published hy Joseph Mitchell' 
 
 In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United 
 States, entitled "An Act for the encouragement of 
 Learning, by securing the copies of Maps,^ Charts and 
 Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, 
 during the time therein mentioned." And also to an 
 Act, entitled " An Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled 
 an Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing 
 the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the authors and 
 proprietors of such copies, during the times therein men- 
 tioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the ai*ts of 
 designing, engraving, and etching hiistorical and other 
 
 ^ '" * FREDERICK I. BETTS, 
 
 Clerk oftht Southern District of J^ew-YoTh 
 
Spnngjieldy(0.) May 28, 1827, 
 Reverend Sir — 
 
 Agreeably to your request, I offer you my 
 opinion of the brief memoir of the life and 
 labours of John Stewart, which you are about 
 to publish. Having myself been the first to 
 issist Stewart in Missionary labo^jirs among 
 the Wyandotts, I became acquainted with 
 him, and with the concerns of the then infant 
 and unorganised mission, early in February, 
 1819; and my acquaintance with Stewart 
 was uninterrupted, nearly to the period of 
 his death. I have consequently had a tolera- 
 ble opportunity of being acquainted with the 
 circumstances detailed in your little work, 
 and from personal knowledge and authentic 
 information, I consider the memoir of Stew- 
 art, in all particulars, as entitled to full credit. 
 
 In my opinion it is due to the Christian 
 public, to give them some account of the life 
 and labours of this faithful Missionary Fioneei\ 
 and I am gratified to find you are about to 
 
publish something on the subject. I have 
 s^lso received letters from Messrs Isaac and 
 William Walker, expressing their entire ap- 
 probation of your undertaking, and inform- 
 ing me that the Chiefs, John Hicks and 
 Thomas Manoncue wish to be known as de- 
 cidedly approving your publication, the object 
 and contents of which were made known to 
 ihem by Mr. Walker* 
 
 I am, &C. 
 
 MOSES M. HENKLE. 
 jlET. Joseph Mitghei^l. 
 
PRXSFACIU 
 
 As the preface of a book is very seldom 
 read, especially if it be of any considerable 
 length, it shall be an object to make this as 
 brief as can be justified by the nature of the 
 incidents detailed in this narrative. 
 
 In the striking circumstances of John Stew- 
 art's missionary call, and in the success of 
 his labours, there is evident the hand of a spe- 
 cial Providence, which must be interesting to 
 the Christian commonwealth ; and those cir- 
 cumstances belong to them of right. Where- 
 ever it is known that this humble African, 
 has been, under God, the founder of what is 
 now, perhaps, the most prosperous missionary 
 establishment on this continent ; a more par- 
 ticular account of his history and labours has 
 been demanded. And since he has been 
 taken from labour to revmrd, this call has be^ 
 come more general and pressing. For seve- 
 ral years past, some of the most distinguished 
 1* 
 
Vi 
 
 Christians and Christian Ministers in the 
 United States, have earnestly requested those, 
 whose former connexion with the mission, 
 gave them the best means of information, to 
 furnish the public with the early history of 
 the Wyandott Mission, and of Stewart its 
 founder. This, for several reasons has never 
 laeen done. And one cause of its delay has 
 been an expectation, fairly authorised, that 
 such a history would, long since, have been 
 given to the public from another quarter. 
 But as reasonable expectation has been so 
 long disappointed, as the facts of this narra- 
 tive have only lived in the recollection of a 
 few individuals, thus far, and as delay must 
 soon have consigned those interesting facts 
 to oblivion, it is deemed a duty now to rescue 
 those which yet remain, from that fate, by 
 giving them to the world in a more perma- 
 nent form. The Editor has however to re- 
 gret the existence of several circumstances 
 which must prevent this work from being 
 either as full or as interesting as could be 
 wished. Among these are the following : 
 several persons from whom doubtless much 
 
VII 
 
 information might have been obtained, have 
 already exchanged this hfe for eternal reali- 
 ties, and the time allowed for collecting and 
 arranging the materials for this little work 
 has been so very limited as to render it im- 
 possible to collect all the facts and anecdotes 
 of interest, which are yet attainable, relative 
 to the subject of this brief memoir. It is 
 confidently believed, that should another edi- 
 tion of this narrative be called for, it will be 
 in the power of the Editor to render it more 
 acceptable than this, by the addition of much 
 valuable matter, which he will be enabled to 
 collect. 
 
 The incidents recorded in this memoir 
 may be relied on as substantially correct, as 
 they were collected and arranged by WilHam 
 Walker, who resided in the Wyandott Nation 
 at the time of Stewart's first visiting them, and 
 does to the present. His opportunities con- 
 sequently have been peculiarly favourable to 
 the purposes of acquiring correct informa- 
 tion, and therefore most of what he records 
 is from personal knowledge. And as his 
 character for veracity is entirely unimpeacha- 
 
VlU 
 
 ble, his narrative is entitled to the fullest credit. 
 What he has gathered from others has been 
 collected from those who were most intimate- 
 ly acquainted with Stewart, and with the con- 
 cerns of the mission in its infancy, and who 
 only detailed to him such facts as had fallen 
 under their own observation, or were certain- 
 ly known to them. 
 
 It will be readily seen by the reader, that 
 this litde memoir is not intended as the pan- 
 egyric of its pious subject ; but merely as a 
 record of interesting incidents, in which he 
 had a prominent agency. Eulogy on his vir- 
 tues is not needed ; for Heaven has awarded 
 him a more substantial and enduring inheri- 
 tance. And though on earth his lot was one 
 of poverty, persecution, and extreme adversity, 
 the patience and resignation of Christianity 
 bore him above the waves. And though un- 
 marked by a stone, his ashes obscurely re- 
 pose in the wilderness, we doubt not, his vir- 
 tues and his name stands registered in the 
 Lamb's Book of everlasting life. 
 
 JOSEPH MITCHELL. 
 
 May 28th, 1827. 
 
MaSSZOMARir rtONZSERi 
 
 The subject of the following Memoir, was 
 born and lived in Powhatan County, State of 
 Virginia, until he arrived at the age of about 
 twenty-one years. His parents were free, 
 and members of the Baptist Church ; but 
 John was a careless sinner. In this situation 
 he was, when about four years afterwards, he 
 was robbed of all his property while on his 
 way from Virginia to Marietta, in the State of 
 Ohio. This circumstance brought him to 
 reflect seriously on the state of his soul ; but 
 grief and vexation prevailed over hope and 
 patience. The loss of his property, the dis- 
 tance from his friends, the idea of poverty and 
 disgrace, together with the wretched situation 
 of his mipd on account of his souPs afiairs, 
 brought him to the shocking determination 
 that he would immediately take measures to 
 hasten his dissolution. And for this purpose 
 
10 
 
 he forthwith commenced a course of exces- 
 sive drinking at a public house, which was 
 continued until his nerves became much af- 
 fected, his hands trembling so, that it was 
 with difficulty he could feed himself. In this 
 practice and condition he remained for a con- 
 siderable length of time, still fixed in the de- 
 termination to destroy his life, and precipi- 
 tate himself into ruin. His mischievous de- 
 sign was at length frustrated by his landlord, 
 who discovered his intention and withheld 
 spirituous liquors from him. This measure 
 brought him more deliberately to reflect on 
 his miserable condition, when a view of the 
 awful state of his soul compelled him to cry 
 out, " Oh ! wretched man that 1 am, who 
 shall deliver me," &c. It was at this time 
 that he passed in his mind the inquiry, which 
 would give the least pain to his father's family, 
 to hear that without property he was honestly 
 striving to make his way through life, or that 
 by intemperance he had hurried himself to an 
 untimely grave. The result was, he resolved 
 to abandon the service of " the wicked one," 
 and cast himself upon the mercy of God, for 
 
n 
 
 support and salvation. He then "joined 
 himself to a citizen of the place," (Marietta, 
 Ohio, where he then was,) to assist in making 
 sugar, a distance from town, in the woods. 
 This situation afforded him a good opportu- 
 nity for reading, meditation, prayer, and 
 seeking the Lord in private. Soon, however, 
 he had to quit his sequestered state and re- 
 turn to town, where, contrary to the most 
 solemn vows and promises, which he had 
 previously made to forsake sin and seek the 
 Lord, he united with others in shameful acts 
 of night revellings, which instead of affording 
 relief to his " wounded spirit," only produ- 
 ced (in the moment of retirement and reflec- 
 tion) greater grief and distress. An occur- 
 rence here took place which much alarmed 
 him : an intimate companion of his, was sud- 
 denly called by death from time to eternity. 
 With this individual he had made an appoint- 
 ment to spend one more night in sin ; but 
 death interfered and disappointed them both. 
 Stewart's convictions of mind were thereupon 
 greatly increased, and he began to despair of 
 ever obtaining mercy at the hand of the Lord. 
 
One day while wandering along the batiks of 
 the Ohio, bewailing his wretched and undone 
 condition, the arch enemy of souls suggested 
 to him a remedy ; which was to terminate 
 the miseries he endured, by leaping into the 
 deep, and thereby putting an end to his ex- 
 istence. To this suggestion, he at first felt a 
 disposition to yield ; but his attention was ar- 
 rested by a voice, which as he thought, dialled 
 him by name, when on looking around he 
 could see no person, whereupon he desisted 
 from the further prosecution of the desperate 
 project. He then resolved to make another 
 effort to seek mercy and pardon at the hand 
 of God. Having hired a house for the pur- 
 pose of carrying on his trade, (the blue dying 
 business,) he had another opportunity of be- 
 ing much alone, which privilege he improved 
 in seeking the Lord " carefully with tears.'* 
 The more he exercised himself in medita- 
 tion and prayer, the more was he impressed 
 with a sense of his guilt. He now saw no 
 way for him to escape the wrath to come— 
 lie felt that he deserved to be driven from the 
 presence of the Most High into " outer daek- 
 
13 
 
 ness.'^ It was then that he was enabled to 
 cast himself at the foot of the cross, and to 
 lay hold by faith on the Saviour of sinners as 
 his last and only refuge, crying " Lord save 
 or 1 perish !" Then it was that the Lord 
 was pleased to reveal his mercy and pardon- 
 ing love to his fainting soul, causing him to 
 burst forth from his closet in raptures of un- 
 speakable joy. declaring what the Lord had 
 done for his poor soul. He now could truly say, 
 
 " Jesus all the day long^ 
 , Is my joy and my song." 
 
 He could then rejoice in the Lord from a 
 sense of the " love of God being shed abroad 
 in his heart by the Holy Ghost," &c. There 
 being no Baptist church near, he did not join 
 himself to any religious Society. — In his 
 youth he had imbibed strong prejudices 
 against other denominations, particularly the 
 Methodists, of whom he had a contemptible 
 opinion.- Thus, slighting and neglecting the 
 duties of the temple, it will not be surprising 
 to hear that he soon neglected those of the 
 
14. 
 
 closet also, which soon resulted in a dead 
 and barren state of souL He now began 
 again to feel the pains and miseries from 
 which the Lord had so recently delivered 
 him. Whereupon he began to doubt the 
 reality or genuineness of his conversion, and 
 this appears to have resulted from his belief 
 of a doctrine in which he had been educated, 
 namely "once in grace always in grace." 
 In this situation he remained for some 
 time, bewailing his wretched case, when, as 
 he walked out one evening he heard the 
 sound of singing and praying proceed from a 
 house at no great distance. It proved to be 
 a Methodist prayer meeting. His prejudice 
 at first forbade his going in ; but curiosity 
 prompted him to venture a litde nearer, and 
 at length he resolved to enter and make known 
 his case, which he did to the few who were 
 in attendance. Here he was encouraged to 
 seek with all his heart the last blessing. Soon 
 after this he attended a Camp-Meeting, where 
 he remained for sometime with a heavy heart, 
 and disconsolate mind. He at length resol» 
 t^ed to distinguish himself by taking a place 
 
15 
 
 among the mourners of the assembly, where 
 he lay deploring his case all night, even until 
 the break of day, at which time " the sun of 
 righteousness'' broke into his dark bewildered 
 soul. Peace, and "joy in the Holy Ghost?* 
 now succeeded, and he could shoot " glory 
 to God in the highest," with " the morning 
 stars" that witnessed his deliverance. Nat 
 until then were the deep rooted prejudices 
 against the people called Methodists removed 
 from his mind. It was then that he united him- 
 self to the people whom he had formerly held 
 in the greatest contempt — took their people 
 to be his people, and their God to be his God. 
 For the space of three months he went on 
 bis way rejoicing, prosperously labouring for 
 body and soul. About this time, being on© 
 evening at private devotion, suddenly he 
 heard a sound which much alarmed him : 
 and a voice (as he thought) said to him— 
 " Thou shah declare my counsel faithfully ;" 
 at the same time a view appeared to open to 
 him in a Northwest direction, and a strong 
 impression was made on bis mind, that he 
 must s;o out that course into the world to de»^ 
 
16 
 
 dare the counsel of God. This singular 
 event gave him much uneasiness and exer- 
 cise of mind, and having mentioned the mat- 
 ter to a friend, he received an explanation 
 which greatly increased his concern ; for it 
 was intimated that he might expect to be 
 called upon to go abroad and preach the 
 gospel which to him was an afflicting consid- 
 eration, having never before entertained a 
 thought of such an undertaking. Judging 
 himself entirely unqualified for such a work, 
 he determined to avoid it if possible, and ac- 
 cordingly made ready to follow his friends to 
 the State of Tennessee. He was, however, 
 prevented from taking this step by a severe 
 illness, in which his life was despaired of. He 
 still fancied he heard sounding in his ears the 
 voice above mentioned, and the same impres- 
 sion continued with respect to his travelling 
 to the Northwest. At length he resolved, 
 that if it should please the Lord to spare his 
 life, andf estore him to health again, he would 
 go out that course and see where he should 
 be conducted, although he feared he should 
 he killed by the first Indians he should meet 
 
11 
 
 with. He was restored to health, and a<i» 
 cording to the determination he had entered 
 into before his God, he set out without ere* 
 dentials, directions of the way, money or 
 bread, crossed the Muskingum River for the 
 first time, and travelled a northwest course, 
 " not knowing whither he went." As he 
 proceeded he was met by sundry persons, 
 who, having learned something of the nature 
 of his undertaking, strove in vain to dissuade 
 him from the pursuit. He urged on his way, 
 keeping about the same course, which he was 
 frequently informed would lead him into the 
 Indian country on the Sandusky river, some- 
 times with, and sometimes without a road, 
 without a pilot, without fireworks, sometimes 
 wading the waters and breaking the ice.— 
 Meeting with some Indians who appeared 
 friendly, he was by them conducted and in- 
 troduced to the tribe of Delawares at Pipe- 
 Town, on the Sandusky river. On entering 
 the village, he was conducted to one of the 
 Indian cabins and seated. Here he endea- 
 voured to enter into conversation, but foaodl 
 they understood but little of his language* 
 
IS 
 
 As they contemplated having a dance that 
 day, and were not to be diverted from it by 
 the arrival of the stranger, they commenced 
 their exercise by one singing and the rest 
 dancing, which actions produced some fears 
 in him that they were about to kill him. In 
 this however, his fears were groundless : they 
 soon desisted from their exercise ; he then 
 took out his hymn book and sung a hymn, 
 during which time there was a profound si- 
 lence. When he had ceased singing, one 
 spoke in English and said, '* Sing more," he 
 then sung again, and asked for an interpreter; 
 in a short time one was produced (an old 
 Delaware, named Lyons,) the Indians placed 
 themselves in a position to hear, and he de- 
 livered to them a speech. On this occasion 
 the Indians appeared attentive, and at the 
 close a kind of entertainment was provided 
 and he reposed, fully believing that he had 
 now accomplished the design of his little and 
 singular mission, intending on the next day 
 to return towards Marietta, from thence to 
 prosecute his journey after his friends to the 
 State of Tennessee. But to his great sur- 
 
19 
 
 prise, on the next morning he still felt strong 
 impressions of mind to pursue his journey to 
 the Northwest. 
 
 Under the influence of this impression he 
 prepared to depart from the village ; but was 
 requested to continue that day with them ; to 
 this he objected, saying that his business was 
 urgent and did not admit of his staying longer 
 with them, whereupon with tears he bid them 
 adieu and departed. Having found amongst 
 these people so much friendship and hospi- 
 tality, " he thanked God and took courage." 
 And having received directions concerning 
 the way, he proceeded towards Upper San- 
 dusky, where he soon arrived, and called at 
 the house of Mr. William Walker, who at 
 that time was sub- agent amongst the Indians. 
 Mr. Walker, suspecting him to be a runaway 
 slave, interrogated him closely. Stewart re- 
 lated his experience and the singular impres- 
 sions of mind under which he was conducted 
 thither. Mr. Walker being fully satisfied, 
 gave him encouragement, and directed him 
 to the house of Jonathan Pointer, a black 
 man, who in his youth had been taken pri° 
 
20 
 
 soner by the Wyandotts, and had learned to 
 speak the tongue of the nation fluently. He 
 soon arrived at Jonathan's house, and obtained 
 an interview with him. — With his company 
 and conversation, Jonathan was not very well 
 pleased, and consequently gave evasive and 
 unsatisfactory answers to the inquiries made 
 respecting the Wyandotts. Stewart asked 
 him whether it would be convenient to have 
 the Indians collected together for the purposd 
 of preaching to them. To which Jonathan 
 replied, that it would be of no use for him to 
 attempt to make Christians of them ; because 
 many great and learned men of different de- 
 nominations had attempted it in vain, and 
 that it certainly would answer no good pur- 
 pose for him to attempt any thing of the kind. 
 Our Missionary, however, was not to be di- 
 verted from his purpose without making the 
 attempt : believing as he did that the Great 
 Head of the Church had entrusted him with 
 a special message to this people. Jonathan 
 was at the same time preparing to go to a 
 feast which was to be held in the neighbour- 
 hood on that day, Stewart asked leave to 
 
21 
 
 accompany him : to this Jonathan reluctantly 
 consented. When they arrived at the place 
 appointed for the feast, they found a large 
 number of Indians collected and dancing. — 
 The feast and dance were conducted with the 
 usual mirth and hilarity. At the close of 
 the ceremonies he asked permission to make 
 a speech to them on the occasion, which was 
 granted. He then for the first time addressed 
 a Wyandott assembly, through Jonathan, who 
 officiated in the capacity of interpreter, and 
 valued himself highly on account of his elo- 
 quence in the Wyandott tongue. During the 
 time of the discourse, a profound silence pre- 
 vailed in the whole assembly. At the close, 
 Stewart told them he had one request to make 
 of them, which was, that if they entertained 
 feelings of friendship towards him, they would 
 signify it by giving him their hands. Where- 
 upon an old Chief, named Two Logs, or 
 Bloody Eyes, rose up and addressing the as- 
 sembly said, it would be perfectly correct for 
 them to manifest friendship to him, especially 
 as he was a stranger, it would but be in con- 
 formity to their established rules of hospitality. 
 
They all then gave the proposed mark of 
 friendship ; and after making an appointment 
 to preach at Jonathan's house, they dispersed. 
 Pursuant to appointment, a goodly number 
 met, and Stewart addressed them on the sub- 
 ject of striving " to flee from the wrath to 
 come." This was in the month of Novem- 
 ber, A. D. 1816. The doctrine of repent- 
 ance was not well received by Jonathan, (who 
 at this time and afterwards acted as Stewart's 
 interpreter,) and supposing as he did, that 
 the congregation would be of the same mind, 
 he would sometimes, whilst interpreting, after 
 stating the substance of Stewart's discourse, 
 add and say, " so he says, 1 do not know 
 whether it is so or not, nor do I care j all I 
 care about is to interpret faithfully what he 
 says, to you ; you must not think that I care 
 whether you believe it or not." From these 
 and such like expressions, it was ascertained 
 that Jonathan, so far from embracing the doc- 
 trines taught by Stewart, would not have the 
 Wyandotts even suspect that he took any in- 
 terest in\the matter. Notwithstanding the 
 doubtful manner in which Jonathan spake of 
 
the doctrines, the word was not without its 
 good effects amongst the Wyandotts ; for 
 many were soon convinced of their lost and 
 undone condition, and began earnestly to in- 
 quire the way of salvation, calling upon God 
 for mercy. Stewart then directed his atten- 
 tion more particularly to the situation of his 
 interpreter, (who was ignorant, wicked and 
 proud,) but without much apparent success 
 for the present. 
 
 It was not long however, before Jonathan 
 became a hopeful subject of the gracious 
 work, so that, what was at first done by him 
 partly from a principle of pride and vain 
 glory, now became a pleasant' work, from a 
 principle of love and good will towards his 
 fellow beings. 
 
 It is true, some of Jonathan's subsequent 
 conduct has been such as to cause some of 
 his acquaintances to doubt the reality of his 
 conversion ; yet perhaps it is but justly due to 
 him, to suppose that he has been at least in 
 some degree under gracious influence. It 
 was not long before some difficulties occur- 
 red ; yet no serious injury was done to the 
 
24 
 
 good work. A few white traders who had 
 been permitted by the Officers of the Indiati 
 department to settle amongst and trade with 
 the Indians, having heard Stewart preach, 
 either from a real suspicion which they enter- 
 tained that he was a runaway slave and an 
 imposter, or from malicious principles, advi- 
 sed the Indians to drive him out the country ; 
 stating that he was not a licensed preacher ; 
 but a runaway slave, a villain, &c. and that 
 he had only come among them for protection* 
 This was readily beheved by many, and pro- 
 duced some dissatisfaction amongst the Wy- 
 andotts. His usefulness amongst them was 
 now in a fair way to be much abridged ; for 
 although the advice of the traders was not 
 actually carried into effect by the Chiefs ; yet 
 their disposition towards him was visibly 
 changed. Finding himself thus situated, he 
 appeared before Mr. Walker, the sub-agent, 
 and informed him of the dissatisfaction of the 
 Indians with regard to him, occasioned by 
 the misrepresentations of those traders, and 
 that he feared the Chiefs would, under their 
 advice, drive him out of their country, Mr, 
 
•c»r» 
 
 Walker informed him, that that was his pre» 
 rogative, and that he need give himself no 
 uneasiness from that quarter ; and moreover, 
 advised him to pay no attention to what those 
 traders might say, but to go on and preach 
 the Gospel faithfully, and that if the Indians 
 should in future, manifest any dissatisfaction 
 on account of his continuance amongst them, 
 to refer them to him, and he would satisfy 
 them, and stand between him and all harm, 
 whilst he should continue to demean himself 
 in a christian-like manner. 
 
 Having received such assurances of pat" 
 i'onage and protection from a competent 
 source, he departed much encouraged, and 
 resolved through grace, to be more than ever 
 devoted to the good work, to which he had 
 been called. During this time of trial, Jona- 
 than remained faithful to his friend. A prin- 
 cipal part of those people, having been mem- 
 bers of the Roman Catholic Church, and 
 partially instructed in those doctrines, Stew- 
 art had many difticulties to encounter whilst 
 endeavouring to convince them of the impro- 
 priety of worshipping the Virgin Mary, Saints 
 3 
 
and Angels. Many being under a deep con- 
 cern on account of their souls, would come 
 to the place of worship with their long ne- 
 glected Rosaries suspended around their 
 necks, and in time of public prayer, would 
 repeat their almost forgotten Romish forms 
 with much apparent sincerity and engaged- 
 ness. They also began to re-Iearn their old 
 Romish hymns, many of which had been ne- 
 glected and forgotten. Finding that Stewart 
 taught doctrines so different from those which 
 they had learned from the Romish Priest, 
 they concluded that he did not preach from a 
 genuine Bible, or at least that there must be 
 a discrepancy between his Bible and that used 
 by the Priests, and that consequently it must 
 be wrong for them to hear or encourage him, 
 as the doctrines taught by him was heresy. — 
 These and such like notions were put into 
 circulation by those of the Wyandotts, who 
 were then regular members of the Roman 
 Catholic Church, which had considerable in- 
 fluence on the minds of many, who at this 
 time were under awakenings. A difference 
 of opinion however, prevailed amongst them : 
 
27 
 
 while some said he was a good man, others 
 said nay, he teacheth a new and false doc- 
 trine, and therefore cannot be a good man. 
 Some of the principal men went to Mr. 
 Walker, the sub-agent, for the purpose of 
 hearing his opinion concerning this man and 
 his doctrines, an^ whether his Bible was re- 
 ally the word of God. He without hesitancy 
 gave them his opinion, and endeavoured to 
 remove from their minds their groundless 
 fears. In order the more effectually to ac- 
 complish this, he appointed a day when he 
 would summon Stewart to appear before him, 
 for the purpose of examining his books in 
 their presence. Accordingly on the day ap- 
 pointed, Stewart appeared before Mr. Walker 
 and the Chiefs, bringing with him his books. 
 Many also who had embraced the new reli- 
 gion attended, feeling a deep interest in the 
 decision of the Agent. While he was exam- 
 ining Stewart's Bible and Hymn book, a 
 profound silence prevailed. The poor Chris- 
 tian prosolytes gazed with deep anxiety on 
 the examiner, to whom it was referred to de- 
 cide the important question, whilst the ene- 
 
28 
 
 mies of the cause were not less anxious. Am 
 length, Mr. Walker having closed the exam- 
 ination, called the attention of the assembly : 
 all was attention. He informed them that be 
 had carefully examined Stewart's Bible, and 
 found it to be, as he believed the word of 
 God, and that it most certainly was, the same 
 kind of those used by the Roman PriestSj 
 with only this difference,* that those were in 
 Latin, and Stewart's was English. And as 
 for Stewart's Hymn book, he said the hymns 
 and spiritual songs it mntninfid wftre certainly 
 good, that the subjects were taken from the 
 Bible and breathed the Spirit of rehgion. — 
 He therefore pronounced the Bible and Hymn 
 book to be genuine and good. A visible 
 change appeared in the very countenances of 
 the Christian part of the assembly. New 
 spirits appeared to' enliven their hearts, and 
 joy to spring up in their souls on account of 
 the decision in favour of the books. All this 
 time our sable Missionary set calm and tran- 
 quil, eyeing the assembly most affectionately. 
 The next objection raised against him, was, 
 that he had no written permission to preach^ 
 
fl9 
 
 This difficulty was obviated by Mr Walker, 
 by asking thera whether they knew of his 
 having performed the rite of matrimony or 
 baptism 5 they answered that they did not. 
 He then informed them that he thought there 
 was no violation of law ; and nntil it could 
 be proven that he had performed the mar- 
 riage ceremony, or baptized, no valid objec* 
 tion could be brought against him for endea- 
 vouring to persuade sinners to serve God and 
 save their souls ; for, said he, " any man has 
 a right to talk about religion, and try to get 
 others to embrace it." He then dismissed, 
 the assembly, and when they departed, like 
 the Jews of Rome, " they had great reason- 
 ing amongst themselves." 
 
 We shall here take occasion to notice some 
 of the dialogues which took place during the 
 first winter of this mission, as well as bring 
 into view some of the leading characters, who 
 were active, either for or against the cause ; 
 as the arguments on different subjects, used 
 on both sides of the question, will, it is be- 
 lieved, be somewhat interesting to the reader. 
 We shall, however, first state that after the 
 3^ 
 
30 
 
 decision above mentioned, nothing worthy of 
 notice took place for some time, except that 
 Stewart continued, without interruption, to 
 teach the way of eternal life, to a quite serious 
 and attentive congregation. All this time, 
 however, he had left untouched their absurd 
 notions respecting the powers of magicians, 
 witches, feasts, dances, and many other ridi- 
 culous ceremonies, which had been handed 
 down to them by their ancestors, from gene- 
 ration to generation. Many, although awaken- 
 ed to a sense of their lost estate, were so 
 attached to their old customs and modes of 
 worship, that they found it hard to renounce 
 them, although they were seriously told that 
 if they wished to become the followers of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, they must abandon them 
 all, and cast themselves on him as their only 
 and last refuge. 
 
 At a certain meeting, Stewart, in the course 
 of his sermon, made some pointed remarks 
 against their old system of heathenism, and 
 added, that instead of their mode of worship 
 being pleasing to the Lord, it was on the con- 
 tv^ij, displeasing to him, and that although 
 
^1 
 
 JB the time of their ignorance, God winked 
 at their conduct 5 yet now, the gospel having 
 reached them, and in such a manner as to be 
 understood by them, they were all required 
 to repent. At the close of this discourse, he 
 informed the congregation that if any one 
 present had any objection to his doctrines, 
 they were then at liberty to speak. Where- 
 upon, John Hicks, one of the chiefs, arose 
 and spoke as follows, "My friend, as you 
 have given liberty to any one who had objec- 
 tions to the doctrines you teach and endea- 
 vour to maintain, to speak on the subject, and 
 state their objections; I, for one, feel myself 
 called upon to rise in defence of the religion 
 of my fathers; — a system of religion the 
 Great Spirit has given his red children, as 
 their guide and the rule of their faith, and we 
 are not going to abandon it so soon as you 
 might wish ; we are contented with it, because 
 it suits our conditions and is adapted to our 
 capacities. Cast your eyes abroad over the 
 world, and see how many different systems 
 of religion there are in it — there are almost 
 as many different systems as there are nations 
 
32 
 
 «^say this is not the work of the Lord. No, my 
 friend, your declaiming so violently against 
 our modes of worshipping the Great Spirit, 
 is, in my opinion, not calculated to benefit 
 us as a nation ; we are willing to receive good 
 advice from you, but we are not willing to 
 have the customs and institutions which have 
 been kept sacred by our Fathers, thus assailed 
 and abused." 
 
 Whereupon, Manoncue, another chief, arose 
 and said, " I also have a few words to say in 
 addition to what my friend has said, who has 
 just taken his seat. I do not doubt but what 
 you state faithfully what your book says ; but 
 let me correct an error into which you appear 
 to have run, and that is, your belief that the 
 Great Spirit designed that his red children 
 should be instructed out of it. This is a 
 mistake, the Great Spirit never designed this 
 to be the case ; he never intended that they 
 should be instructed out of a book, a thing 
 which properly belongs to those who made 
 it and can understand what it says ; it is a 
 plant that cannot grow and flourish among red 
 people. Let me call your attention to another 
 
33 
 
 important fact. — ^Where did the Son of God 
 first make his appearance ? According to your 
 book he first made his appearance away in 
 the East, among the white people, and we 
 never heard of his name until white people 
 themselves told us. And what if we had 
 never seen a white man ? we never would 
 have heard of this new doctrine. The Son 
 of God came among the white people and 
 preached to them, and left his words written 
 in a book, that they when he was gone, 
 might read and learn his will concerning them; 
 but he left no book for Indians, and why should 
 he, seeing we red people know nothing about 
 books ? If it had been the will of the Great 
 Spirit that we should be instructed outof this 
 book, he would have provided some way for 
 us to understand the art of making and reading 
 the books that contain his words. Ours is a 
 religion that suits us red people, and we intend 
 to keep and preserve it sacred among us, be- 
 lieving that the Great Spirit gave it to our 
 grand-fathers in ancient days." Stewart re-» 
 phed that it was stated in this book, that the Son 
 x)f God^ before he ascended into Heaven^ 
 
34 
 
 commanded his disciples to " go into all the 
 world, and preach the gospel unto every crea- 
 ture ;" saying at the same time, that he that 
 believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and 
 he that believeth not, shall be damned." And 
 in another place it is said, ^' and this gospel 
 of the kingdom shall be preached in all the 
 world, for a witness unto all nations, and then 
 shall the end come." He added, further, that 
 this did not mean to all nations of white people 
 only, but to all nations composed of human 
 beings, including whites, Indians and Africans, 
 that all had share in the salvation which was 
 purchased by the Son of God. Addressing 
 himself particularly to the Wyandotts, he said 
 " you certainly consider yourselves a nation 
 composed of human beings ; if so, then you 
 may rest assured that this gospel will be 
 preached not only to you, but to all nations of 
 Indians ; and not only Indians, but to all na- 
 tions under the Heavens, before the end of 
 the world shall come. And now my dear 
 friends, only consider what an awful curse is 
 pronounced upon those who reject this peace- 
 ful gospel— who will not hear and believe it. 
 
3d 
 
 but coldly turn from the loving ofters of the 
 Son of God. You have heard that he has 
 said, " whosoever believeth not shall be damn- 
 ed." Awful curse ! O my friends, think well 
 before you determine to reject this gospel, for 
 if you do reject it, rest assured the curse will 
 fall upon you, especially upon you chiefs, who 
 have so great an influence over your people ; 
 lead them not to destruction, I entreat you !" 
 Having concluded his reply, the assembly 
 was dismissed. — Manoncue came to Hicks 
 privately and said, " my friend, I begin to 
 feel somewhat inclined to abandon a good 
 many of our Indian customs, but I cannot 
 agree to give up painting my face; this I 
 think would be wrong, inasmuch as ceasing 
 to paint will be jeopardizing my health." 
 (it being a received opinion among them 
 that painting the face had a magic power 
 in keeping ofFdiseases.) Hicks replied, "you 
 can do as you please, my friend, in this mat- 
 ter ; for my own part, I have strange feelings 
 about this business, 1 hardly know what to 
 do." These two chiefs were not Roman 
 Catholics, but entirely untutored Indians, and 
 
36 
 
 indeed those who were members of that 
 church were little better in point of religious 
 information. At almost every meeting there 
 was less or more disputing between Stewart 
 and some of the principal men of the nation ; 
 especially after he commenced speaking 
 against th<^ir feasts, dances, he. as being sinful 
 in the sight of God. Notwithstanding their 
 disputings, many of the awakened persons 
 still continued to walk orderly, and to seek 
 the pearl of great price. A part of those 
 awakened persons were members of the 
 Roman Catholic church, and had strong pre- 
 dilections in favour of her doctrines and ce- 
 remonies ; it is not, therefore, wonderful that 
 it was with some difficulty they were brought 
 fully to acquiesce in all the doctrines taught by 
 Stewart. While under the influence of their 
 former principles, they as often in their de- 
 votions, prayed to the Virgin Mary as to God; 
 they also used prayers for the deliverance of 
 their departed friends from purgatory, crossing 
 themselves when at prayer, keeping a multi- 
 plicity of holy days, and performing pilgrim- 
 ages once a year to St. Ann's Church, in 
 
Sandwich, in the province of Upper Cartad^l^* 
 for the purpose of obtaining from the priest 
 the pardon of their sins. These and many 
 other absurd notions which many believed in, 
 were hard to remove. On a certain occasion, 
 while preaching to them and endeavouring toi- 
 convince the Romish part-of his congregation 
 of the many errors in which they believed^ 
 he said, " as for your worshipping the Virgia 
 Mary, let me tell you that it is contrary to God's 
 commandments^ for he hath commanded his 
 people, that they should *have none other 
 gods before him ;' now all who worship the 
 Virgin Mary, saints and angels, violate thi& 
 commandment ; and there is nothing in the 
 New Testament, commanding us to worship 
 the Virgin, or any other saint or angel : the 
 Virgin ought no more to be worshipped than 
 any other good person who has found favour 
 with God, and died and gone to Heaven." 
 This was like an electric shock to many of 
 them ; they looked with amazement on each 
 other, considering the conclusion as nothing 
 less than blasphemy. After the congregation 
 was dismissed, many of them were seeis 
 4 
 
standing about in groups, talking very earnestly^ 
 while others, " gallio-like, cared for none of 
 these things;" being neither Romans nor 
 any thing else, but sons of folly and dissipa- 
 tion, and cared not whether their people wor- 
 shipped God, the Virgin, or the devil, taking 
 no further interest in the meetings than, as they 
 said, to " hear the preacher sing, and to see 
 and be seen.*' Stewart possessed a very fine 
 shrill and melodious voice for singing, and 
 delighted much in that part cf worship, and 
 Indian-j being naturally fond of music and 
 company, it will not appear strange that the 
 council-house (tho place of preaching) should 
 be filled every Sabbath day. 
 
 One thing is here worthy of remark, and 
 that is, that not a single instance occurred 
 during the time Stewart laboured amongthem, 
 of their treating his peron with any indignity 
 or violence. Notwithstanding his doctrine 
 was so offensive to many of them, yet in his 
 intercourse with them, he was always treated 
 in a friendly and decorous manner. He was 
 hospitably entertained among them, until he 
 returned to Marietta. No such scenes of 
 
39 
 
 abuse, persecution, cruelty and barbarity 
 were witnessed, as took place at the time of 
 the rise of Methodism in England, it being a 
 maxim among the Indians, never, to treat a 
 stranger who comes among them with disre- 
 spect or indignity. Truly, a good maxim ! 
 
 As yet there did not appear to be any who 
 evidenced a genuine conversion, though many 
 appeared to be really hopeful penitents, and 
 mourning for "errors past." There being 
 no preacher among them, who was authorised 
 to form them into Society, and thereby, in 
 some degree, cause them to " com© out 
 from among the wicked," it will not be sur- 
 prising to the reader, when he is informed 
 that many grew weary in well doing, fainted 
 by the way, and relapsed into a cold, careless, 
 and indifferent state of mind. 
 
 At a meeting which took place, it is be- 
 lieved, on the third Wednesday in February, 
 1817, he preached a sermon, in the concluding 
 part of which he entered into a description of 
 the day of Judgment, and in a most alarming 
 manner warned them that they as well as all 
 the rest of mankind, must be assembled before 
 
40 
 
 the Great Judge, to give an account of their 
 •conduct. " And there, my friends," said he, 
 ^' I shall meet you, and will have to answer for 
 my manner of preaching to you, &c." The 
 whole assembly appeared to be absorbed in se- 
 rious thought. Alarm appeared evidently to 
 be depicted in every countenance. Another 
 meeting was appointed to be held at the same 
 place, at early candle-light, and the congrega- 
 tion was then dismissed. Accordingly at the 
 appointed hour, Stewart came and found a 
 few assembled. He then began to sing, and 
 in a short time the people began to assemble, 
 and in a few minutes the house was pretty 
 well filled; he then rose up and began to 
 exhort, and in the most pathetic manner, en- 
 treated them to seek the Lord Jesus as the 
 Saviour of sinners, and escape the impending 
 wrath of an offended God; that now was the 
 day of salvation, and not to neglect the present 
 opportunity. When he concluded, he in- 
 formed them that it was his intention to en- 
 ideavour to hold a prayer-meeting, and 
 exhorted those who had resolved to forsake 
 their sins, to come forward and take an active 
 
4i 
 
 part in calling upon God for the forgiveness 
 of their sins. A few came forward, princi- 
 pally women, and the exercise commenced ; 
 it was not long before some of the idle spec- 
 tators were struck to the ground, to all ap- 
 pearance dead, and in a few minutes there 
 were many slain, som.e lay crying for mercy, 
 while others appeared to have no life in them. 
 This extraordinary occurrence spread a gen- 
 eral alarm in the congregation : some said he 
 used some pov/erful medicine, which, when 
 inhaled, would take the senses away, others 
 said, not so; some ran after water for the 
 purpose of resuscitating the apparently dead 
 people; some cried out to Jonathan, the 
 interpreter, to desist from singing those new 
 songs, and to sing the Roman Catholic hymns, 
 or they would all die. Thereupon, an old 
 woman (aged about sixty years,) sprang up, 
 having found the pearl of great price, began 
 to clap her hands and rejoice with great joy, 
 and went through all the crowd, proclaiming 
 that God, for Jesus' sake, had forgiven all 
 her sins, and added, that what the preacher 
 said, was all true. Seeing her act and hear- 
 4* 
 
ing her talk in a manner she never before had 
 been known to do, they concluded, she un- 
 <IoubtedIy was in a state of mental derange- 
 ment. Stewart perceiving the consternation 
 of the people, advised them to give themselves 
 no uneasiness about the lives of those persons 
 who were, as they supposed, dying or insane ; 
 he added, further, " they are not dying, 
 neither are they insane, as you suppose; 
 though some of them, I trust, are dying to sin 
 and struggling into a hfe of righteousness, 
 peace and joy in the Holy Ghost ;" and ad- 
 ded, yet further, that he would be accountable 
 for all the lives that should be lost, or any 
 harm done to their persons. None, however, 
 were converted at this meeting, except the 
 old w^oman above-mentioned, who is yet a 
 living witness of the power of God to save 
 from sin ; but many went away under a deep 
 concern of soul. Although this meeting was 
 continued until nearly midnight, John Hicks 
 and Manoncue sat all the time as silent spec- 
 tators, looking on with amazement, not utter- 
 ing a word for or against this apparently dis- 
 prdBrly meeting. In a few days a great dance 
 
was to be held at the council-house, for the 
 purpose, as they said, of shewing the preacher 
 the way and manner they worshipped the 
 Great Spirit : — time rolled on, and the day 
 arrived when the great festival was to take 
 place ; during this time the young men had 
 been out hunting for deer, bear, Sec. to be 
 served up at the grand entertainment ; they 
 returned with horse-loads of venison and 
 bear-meat. Suitable persons were appointed 
 to manage the preparations, he. On the day 
 appointed a large number of people, young 
 and old, male and female, were assembled ; 
 a formal invitation was sent to Stewart, re- 
 quiring his presence on the occasion. He 
 came, accompanied by Jonathan, his constant 
 interpreter ; a chief then arose and informed 
 the assembly of the manner and order in 
 which the feast and dance were to be con- 
 ducted. Stewart sat witnessing this singular 
 worship or thanksgiving ; the preparatory 
 ceremonies being finished, the music was 
 struck up, and the person appointed to lead 
 the dance proceeded to the ring formed in 
 the great council-house, and raised three tre- 
 
44 
 
 iiiendous yells, (which at first startled Stewart) 
 and commenced dancing ; then another arose 
 and joined in, then another, until quite a 
 lengthy column was formed, they kept mov- 
 ing around following the ring; in a few minutes 
 the women began to file in, old and young ; 
 but what was Stewart's astonishment, when 
 he beheld some mingling in the dance, who, 
 as he supposed, were true mourners in Zion, 
 who had renounced the vanities of the world ; 
 alas! thought he, unpromising converts indeed. 
 Although thus joining in the dance, did not 
 seem to comport with the profession of reli- 
 gion, yet, in the mind of one acquainted with 
 those people, it would not militate so much 
 against their sincerity, knowing how difficult 
 it was to convince them that there was evil io 
 the customs, which amongst them had from 
 time out of mind been held sacred. While 
 this dance was going on, many of the young 
 men, as they were passing around opposite 
 where Stewart sat, would endeavour to display 
 their superior activity and agility in dancing, 
 cutting the most ludicrous figures imaginable; 
 sometimes with the head thrown on one 
 
45 
 
 shoulder and the eyes shut — sometimes thh 
 head thrown back so that there appeared to 
 be some danger of a dislocation of the neck 
 bone ; all this time the feet were in motion, 
 keeping time with the music. Sometimes 
 they would bend so far forward that the fore- 
 head would almost touch the ground, with the 
 hands placed on the hips, the arms a-kimbo, 
 and the body in a perfect shiver, and all this 
 accompanied with the most horrid yells imag- 
 inable. In short, of all the twistings, writhings 
 and contortions, of which a human body is 
 capable, none were left untried ; so antic were 
 their motions and gesticulations, that they 
 were enough, in despite of gravity, to draw 
 forth a burst of laughter from the spectator. 
 At three o'clock, p. m. the dancing ceased ; 
 the next was a distribution of the food pre- 
 pared for the occasion : persons had been 
 previously appointed to attend to this business, 
 so that it was not long before each person had 
 as much food placed before him as he could 
 well dispose of. The repast went on with 
 much mirth and good feeling, and in a short 
 time the chiefs dismissed the assembly, and 
 
45 
 
 they parted much gratified with the pleasure 
 they had experienced on that occasion. Not- 
 withstanding the wilHngness which Manoncue 
 had sometime before expressed, to forsake 
 and abandon all his Indian customs except 
 that of painting his face, yet he could not 
 tefrain from joining in the dance ; it was too 
 fascinating for so great a lover of pleasure to 
 resist. 
 
 No certain information can now be obtained 
 respecting what was said or done on the next 
 Sabbath day, except that Stewart preached 
 to them as usual. The next thing worthy of 
 remark is, his taking leave of them ; it appears 
 he had not given up his intention of following 
 his connexions to the state of Tennessee ; he 
 accordingly prepared to return to Marietta, 
 from thence intending to proceed as above. 
 On Sabbath day he delivered his farewell 
 discourse, it is beheved, from Acts, xx ch. 
 and 32 verse ; a large and serious congrega- 
 tion was assembled. In the course of his 
 sermon, he began again to enforce the neces- 
 sity of a total abandonment of their heathenish 
 customs and notions, as destructive to the spirit 
 
47 
 
 of that religion which could qualify them for 
 a happy life and triumphant death. " For" 
 said he, " I have faithfully warned you that 
 your feasts, dances, sacrifices, he. will never 
 save you from your sins, and if you are never 
 saved from your sins, where Grod is, you never 
 can come; your mode of worship is not 
 pleasing to God, but displeasing, especially 
 since you have become better informed; God 
 will never hear your petitions while you har- 
 bour an attachment to thrrse customs ; for it 
 is said m the word of God, ^If i legard 
 iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear 
 me.' My friends, I have spent nearly three 
 months with endeavouring, in my feeble and 
 imperfect manner, to teach you the way of 
 eternal life — I have been instant, in season 
 and out of season — I have prayed and wept 
 for you — have preached and exhorted you to 
 escape from the dreadful tempest that is 
 coming, when the wrath and indignation of 
 the Majesty of Heaven, will be revealed in 
 the punishment and destruction of all who 
 will not obey the gospel ; ajid O my God ! is 
 this all to be in vain ? Must I depart and le&ie 
 
48 
 
 you as I found yoiij careless, wicked and un- 
 godly f God forbid it ! Ye know, from the 
 first day I came into Sandusky, after what 
 manner I have been with you in all seasons, 
 serving the Lord with all humility of mind, 
 with many tears and temptations which befel 
 me ; and howl kept back nothing that was pro- 
 fitable unto you, but have shewed you and have 
 taught you publicly, and from house to house, 
 testifying both to you Wyandotts and also to 
 the whites, repentance towards God and faith 
 in the Lord Jesus Christ. — Wherefore I take 
 you to record this day, that I am pure from 
 your blood ; I feel now that 1 have discharged 
 my duty to you ; God sent me here to warn 
 you to flee the wrath to come, and I have 
 done so ; but. Lord, who hath believed the 
 report ? He then directed his discourse to 
 the believing part of the congregation, and in a 
 feeling and pathetic manner exhorted them to 
 faithfulness. In conclusion, he said, " now 
 my friends, I expect you will see my face no 
 more, for I must go ; I shall meet you all at 
 the flaming bar of God ; and my friends, for 
 your kindness to me since I came among you, 
 
49 
 
 I take this opportunity of expressing my grat^ 
 itiide to you ; God will reward you ; for he 
 hath said, " whosoever shall give to drink unto 
 one of these little ones, a cup of cold water in the 
 name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward." 
 He then addressed himself to the chiefs and 
 principal men of the nation in a few words, 
 and concluded. During the sermon, a dead 
 silence reigned, except the weeping and sob- 
 bing which was heard in all directions of the 
 house. He then began to sing, — 
 
 " Farewell, dear friends, I must be gone, 
 " I have no home, or stay with you ;" 
 
 And as he sung, proceeded around among the 
 people, taking each by the hand ; many un« 
 derstanding some English, it had so great an 
 effect upon them, that fortitude completely 
 forsook them : even his most violent opposers 
 were constrained to drop a tear, on his bidding 
 them adieu ; it was a sore trial to Stewart 
 himself. Having gone through the congrega- 
 tion and come to the door, he stopped, paused,^ 
 and cast an affectionate and compassionate look 
 upon them and v^ .jnt out. Some followed him 
 and requested that he would stay until the 
 
60 
 
 liext day, as they wished to have an interview 
 with him before he departed ; to this he con- 
 sented. The people dispersed, and at the 
 proposed interview, some, indeed all his 
 friends insisted upon his abandoning the idea 
 of going away, but to remain among them. 
 He informed them that he was under the ne- 
 cessity of going, if he had to return again ; 
 they then insisted on his returning; to this he 
 at length agreed, but said he was poor and 
 would be obliged to stop at the first town he 
 should come to, and work for some money 
 to bear his expenses to Marietta, and of course 
 he could not promise to return sooner than 
 the last week in June or the first of July. — 
 With this promise they were satisfied. At 
 the suggestion of Mrs. Warpole, (of whom 
 we shall have occasion to speak hereafter,) 
 a collection was made in the village amount- 
 ing to ten dollars, for the purpose of bearing 
 his expenses and hastening his return : he 
 then departed. The Indians all made prepa- 
 rations and went to their sugar camps, as the 
 sugar making season had come on. Situated 
 as they were, it was difficult to determine who 
 
51 
 
 were Christians and who were not, for ttie 
 righteous and unrighteous were all mixed 
 together. Deprived as they were of the or- 
 dinances of God's house, such as baptism, 
 the Lord's supper, marriage, &c. and not 
 having the advantages of class-meetings, disci- 
 pline, &c. were causes of the work not appear- 
 ing so flattering as it otherwise might. Many, 
 no doubt, were under deep convictions, and 
 groaning for deliverance from their burden 
 of guilt, who, for the want of proper care and 
 nursing in the bosom of the church, afterwards 
 became discouraged, grew cold, and finally 
 gave it up. 
 
 They were a very intemperate people, so 
 much so, that on actual investigation, not 
 twenty really sober men could be found in 
 the whole nation, which consisted of about 
 seven hundred, young and old. Stewart's f 
 preaching produced a reformation in regard f 
 to this particular vice ; drunkenness seemed f 
 to have flown from their borders, and many f 
 other vicious practices were abandoned i in 1 
 short, a degree of amendment was visible in \ 
 the whole neighbourhood— their feasts, dances^ / 
 
sacrifices, &c. they could not yet consent to 
 abandon, so completely were they established 
 in the belief that they were instituted by their 
 Creator as their mode of worship ; (this was 
 not, however, the case with all Wyandotts, 
 some did not believe so, having been better 
 informed from infancy.) Nothing worthy of 
 remark took place, until their return from 
 iheir sugar camps to the village ; some wicked 
 and designing white men informed some of 
 them that Stewart's master had come out from 
 the state of Virginia to Ohio in pursuit of him, 
 had found and taken him, and carried him 
 back to Virginia in irons. This piece of 
 information was credited by some and by 
 others it was not ; however, it created con- 
 siderable uneasiness among his friends. — 
 Nothing was heard from him until about the 
 second week in June, when a letter was re- 
 ceived from him by Mr. Walker, enclosing a 
 written sermon or address, which he request- 
 ed Mr. Walker should cause to be read to the 
 Wyandotts on a Sabbath day in their own 
 tongue. This was done on the Sabbath fol- 
 lowing, to a large congregation, many of whom 
 
53 
 
 were truly glad to hear from him, and partic- 
 ularly to learn that the above report was false. 
 The letter to Mr. Walker above-mentioned, 
 was in the words following, to wit : 
 
 ''Marietta, (O.) May 25th, 1817. 
 William Walker, Esq. 
 
 Sir, I have taken the liberty of enclosing to 
 your care the within written address, directed 
 to the Wyandott nation, for their information 
 and edification, hoping that it will (through 
 the blessing of God,) impress on their minds, 
 religious and moral sentiments. I have taken 
 the liberty to address it to you, hoping that 
 you will have the goodness to read it, or 
 cause it to be read in their hearing, and in 
 their own language, that they may understand 
 its true meaning; and moreover, that you 
 will try to impress on their minds the neces^ 
 sity of adhering strictly to the laws of God — 
 that their hearts should be constantly set upon 
 the Supreme Being who created them ; and 
 that it is their duty to raise their voices in 
 praising, adoring, and loving that Jesus, who 
 has suffered and died for them, as well as for 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 ihose who are more enlightened. Inform 
 them that aUhough their brother is far from 
 them in body, yet his anxiety for their safety 
 and future happiness is very great ; in doing 
 this you will confer a favour upon me which I 
 shall ever remember with gratitude. My en- 
 gagements you no doubt recollect, were, that 
 I should return about the last week in June, 
 but owing to misfortunes and disappointments 
 to which we are all liable, together with a 
 wound I accidentally received on my leg, will 
 prevent my having the pleasure of seeing or 
 being with you until the middle of July ; at 
 which time 1 hope, by the grace of God, to 
 have the pleasure of seeing you and the Wy- 
 andott people generally. At that time I shall 
 not fail to ofFer verbally, my gratitude to you 
 and your dear family, for the services yon and 
 they have rendered me. 
 
 May I ask you to have the goodness to 
 write to me ? and please inform me of the 
 general state of those persons that have re- 
 formed since I first went among them, and 
 how many have evidenced a change since I 
 came away, and whether they continue to 
 
55 
 
 conduct themselves with that sincerity of hearty 
 that»would be acceptable in the eyes of God; 
 finally, whether they appear as anxious for my 
 return, as they appeared to be for ray stay when 
 I was coming away. In attending to these 
 requests of mine, you will confer an obligation 
 which will be ever remembered, with every 
 mark of gratitude and respect. 
 
 I remain your humble servant, and in every 
 instance sincerely hope, not only to meet 
 with your approbation, but that also of my 
 God. 
 
 John Stewart." 
 
 TBE ADD1LE8S. 
 
 " My dear and beloved Friends : 
 I, your brother traveller to eternity, by 
 the grace and mercy of God, am blessed with 
 this opportunity of writing to you ; although 
 1 be far distant from you in body, yet my 
 mind is oft times upon you. I pray you to 
 be watchful that the enemy of souls do not 
 ensnare you ; pray to the Lord both day and 
 night with a sincere heart, and he will uphold 
 
you in all your trials and troubles. The words 
 that T shall take as a standard to try to encou- 
 rage you from, may be found in the 5tli 
 chapter of Matthew, 6tli verse, * Blessed are 
 they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, 
 for they shall be filled.' These words were 
 spoken by our Saviour Jesus Christ, and they 
 are firm and sure ; for his words are more 
 firm than the heavens or the earth. Likewise 
 the promise appears to be permanent; it does 
 not say it may be, or perhaps, so as to leave 
 it doubtful ; but, 'they shall be filled.' This 
 man, Jesus Christ, spake like one who pos- 
 sessed power to fill and satisfy the hungering 
 soul, and we have no reason to dispute his 
 ability to do so ; knowing that he made all 
 things that are made, and made man for his 
 service, then we are bound to believe that he 
 is a Being of all power, able to fulfil all his 
 promises to all mankind. Though he made 
 us for his service we have all gone astray into 
 the forbidden paths of sin and folly ; therefore 
 the promise appears to be held out to a par- 
 ticular class of people, who, happy are they, 
 if they find themselves in this hungering and 
 
57 
 
 thirsting after the righteousness of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. In the first place, my friends, 
 I shall endeavour to shew you who it is that 
 this gracious promise is made to, or how it is 
 that we have a right to this promise ; accord- 
 ing to the light the Lord has given me, it is 
 not him that is living in open rebellion against 
 God, and going contrary to his commands-^ 
 that closes his eyes against the light — that is 
 barring the door of his heart against the striv- 
 ings of the blessed Spirit, that is continually 
 admonishing him to forsake the ways of sin, 
 and turn and seek the salvation of his soul ; 
 it is that man or woman who has called upon 
 that God that hears sinners pray, and who 
 will have mercy upon such as will call upon him 
 with sincerity of heart, really desiring to re- 
 ceive and believing that he is able to give you. 
 The Lord by his goodness will begin to take 
 off the veil that the enemy has veiled you 
 with, then you begin to see how thou hast 
 strayed from the right way, this causes the 
 sinner to be more and more engaged : this 
 good and great Saviour, who sees and knows 
 the secrets of every heart, seeing the poor 
 
58 
 
 soul willing to forsake the service of the devil, 
 moves nearer and nearer to the sinner, his 
 glorious light shines into his heart, he gives 
 him to see the pool of crime that he has com- 
 mitted against the Blessed Saviour who hung 
 on the tree for the sins of the world ; this 
 makes him mourn and grieve over his sins, 
 and calling on the mighty Saviour, as his last, 
 his best refuge, for help ; finding that there 
 is no help in and of himself, seeing that all 
 he has done is nothing, this causes the soul 
 to try to make his last prayer, crying * Lord 
 save, or I perish;' thou wouldst be just in 
 sending me to destruction, but Lord save, for 
 Christ's sake ; Lord, I have done all I can 
 do, take me, do thy will with me, for thou 
 knowest better what to do with me than I can 
 desire. This blessed Saviour shews his face 
 with ten thousand smiles — lays his hand to 
 the work — breaks the snares of sin — unlooses 
 him from the fetters and chains of unbelief- 
 sets the soul at liberty — puts a new song in 
 his mouth — makes the soul rejoice with joy 
 unspeakable and full of glory ; it is then he 
 desires to go to his friend who has done so 
 
tHuch for him, and leave this troublesome 
 world ; but the soul has to stay until it has 
 done its duty on earth, which will not be long. 
 After a few more rolling suns of this life, the 
 tempter begins to tempt him ; the world, the 
 flesh and the devil all unite, the poor soul 
 begins to mourn and grieve, because he can- 
 not do as he would wish ; when he would do 
 good, evil is present ; then it is the soul begins 
 to hunger and thirst after righteousness. My 
 friends, be glad and rejoice in the Lord, for 
 this promise is to you and to all mankind ; 
 yes, they shall be filled with water issuing 
 from the throne of God. O, my friends, pray 
 to God to give you a hungering and thirsting 
 after righteousness ! seek for it and you shall 
 find it, for you shall reap in due season if you 
 faint not. If you persevere in the way of 
 well doing, you will find in your path clusters 
 of sweet fruits, that will satisfy your hunger- 
 ing souls, and being faithful to your Lord's 
 commands, when you have made your way 
 through much tribulation, and lie down on 
 your dying bed, you will be filled with the 
 glorious prospect of the reward that awaits 
 
60 
 
 you y guardian angels wait around your bed, 
 to bear your soul away to those bright worlds 
 of everlasting day, where the friend of poor 
 sinners reigns. This fills the soul with the 
 sweets of love divine, this methinks, will make 
 the dying bed of the man or woman, ' soft 
 as downy pillows are." Therefore, my 
 friends, if you hold out faithful, you will have 
 part in the first resurrection ; then it will be 
 that you will see your Lord and master face 
 to face ; then it will be that you will hear that 
 blessed sentence 'Come ye blessed of my 
 Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 from the foundation of the world.' Then 
 shall you sit down with the people of God in 
 that kingdom, where your Saviour with his 
 soft hand will wipe all tears from your eyes. 
 There you shall see and be with him, and 
 praise him to all eternity. Having, after a 
 broken and imperfect manner, my friends, 
 shewn you the characters of those who hunger 
 and thirst after righteousness,! shall endeavour 
 to ssy a fevv words to that class of people, who 
 I, in the foregomg part of my discourse saiJ, 
 Iiad no part in the promise. A few words of 
 
consolation to tbe sinner ; that is, ibe Lord is 
 willing to save all who will call upon him 
 with a sincere heart, at the same time having 
 determined to forsake all sin, and to seek the 
 salvation of their souls. Now, my friends^ 
 you who have been at war against this great 
 friend of sinners, now turn, for behold now is 
 the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. 
 Take into consideration, realize how long the 
 Lord has spared your lives, and all this time 
 you have been resisting his holy and blessed 
 Spirit — this Spirit the Lord has sent to warn 
 you, and entreat you to turn to the Lord ; 
 But oh !. my friends, how often have you 
 thrusted that good spirit away, and forced it 
 to depart from you ! Let me inform you, i^ 
 you continue to resist this good spirit, it will 
 after awhile leave you, never more to return; 
 for God hath said, * my spirit shall not always 
 strive with man.' Therefore, my friends, 
 though you have caused the spirit to go away- 
 grieved, now begin to encourage and attend 
 to its admonitions; he that receives it and 
 obeys its directions, receives Christ, and at 
 the same time receives God the Father- M7 
 G 
 
62 
 
 friendsj if you will not adhere to the Lord'ss 
 Spirit, neither to the entreaties of your friend, 
 the time draws on when you will wish you 
 had spent this glorious opportunity the Lord 
 has given you, in preparing to meet Him who 
 is to judge the world. Then it will be you 
 \vill have to hear and abide by that dreadful 
 sentence * Depart ye cursed — ye workers of 
 iniquity, for I never knew you.' Oh ! my 
 friends, consider you must go into fire pre- 
 pared for the devil and his angels, where the 
 worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. 
 Some of you may put off this and think it is 
 a long time yet before it comes to pass ; but 
 consider, if the Lord does not call you by 
 judgment, death is always near, and he taking 
 oiF our friends both on our right and on our 
 left hands. Ah ! we must all, sooner or later, 
 be called to lie on a sick bed, when no phy- 
 sician can effect a cure, when death — cold 
 and dreary death will lay hold on us ; then 
 will we have a view of awful eternity, and if 
 unprepared, horror will seize upon the soul, 
 while our friends wait around our bed, to see 
 lis bid the world adieu. Oh I what anguish 
 
63 
 
 will tear the soul of the sinner ! What bitter 
 lamentations will then be made for mis-spent 
 opportunities, slighted mercies 1 O ! that I 
 had spent my time more to the Lord ! Then 
 you will say, farewell my friends, I have got 
 to go, for devils are waiting round my bed, to 
 drag my soul away to hell. Then will you 
 remember how often you grieved the good 
 Spirit of the Lord, how often you drove it 
 from you, but too late, you must go to endure 
 the horrors of everlasting burnings. Then, 
 my friends, accept of my feeble advice ; bear 
 constantly in mind the necessity of obtaining 
 this blessed promise, and ever let your hearts 
 and conduct be guided by the directions of 
 that blessed Saviour who died for you, that 
 you might live. You who have set out in the 
 way of well doing, be faithful unto death, and 
 you will be conveyed by angels to Abraham's 
 bosom, and there meet the sweet salutation^ 
 of *well done good and faithful servant, enter 
 thou into the joy of thy Lord.' And may 
 God bless you and keep you in the path of 
 righteousness, until he shall see fit to close your 
 eyes in death. Now may the blessing, &c= 
 John Stewart," 
 
Q4 
 
 At the time set by him for his return, he 
 arrived at Sandusky. On his arrival, he 
 learned with much sorrow and regret, that a 
 young man of an amiable disposition, whom 
 he sincerely loved, and who once bid fair to 
 become a pious and useful man, (for when 
 Stewart left Sandusky, he appeared to be 
 much engaged in seeking the salvation of his 
 soul) had been murdered in a drunken frolic. 
 Poor young man, lost all his good desires and 
 fell into the snare of the devil. Stewart now 
 without delay, went about seeking those he 
 left in the service of the Lord. Some had 
 turned back to the beggarly elements of the 
 world — some remained faithful. He imme- 
 diately commenced preaching as he had for- 
 merly done. He now found many Wyan- 
 dotts whom he had not seen when he was first 
 among them, (they having been out hunting,) 
 and of course his preaching was a new thing 
 to them. It was not long before a violent 
 opposition was raised by some of the princi- 
 pal men of the nation against the progress of 
 this new religion. Many arguments were 
 wsed by those in the opposition, to prevent 
 
G5 
 
 the success of Stewart's ministry. The prin- 
 cipal leaders of this opposition were Manon- 
 cue, and Two Logs, or Bloody Eyes, both 
 Chiefs in the nation. They represented in 
 glowing colours, the great and many evils and 
 calamities that would befal them as a people 
 or nation, if they abandoned the sacred insti- 
 tutions which the God of the red people had 
 given them as their mode of worshipping^him : 
 institutions also designed for their amuse- 
 ment — that they would justly incur the dis- 
 pleasure of the great Spirit by such a step — 
 that the great Spirit designed those institu- 
 tions to be held sacred among them and kept 
 up forever. They exhorted the people never 
 to entertain the idea of abandoning them, as- 
 suring them that while they continued to ad- 
 here to the religion of their fathers, they would 
 be on the safe side. 
 
 Summer was with them, a season of amuse- 
 ment and great happiness. Feasts, dances, 
 ball-plays, foot-races, horse-races, &c. were 
 their chief delight, and it will not be wondered 
 at, that they should with great reluctance give 
 up the things which afforded them so much 
 6* 
 
60 
 
 pleasure. Through the course of the sum 
 mer, dance succeeded dance, and feast suc- 
 ceeded feast, until Autumn admonished them 
 to resume the chase. 
 
 Sometime in the month of August, a large 
 number of Wyandotts were collected at a 
 liouse-raising, and Stewart being present, 
 Two Logs began in a very violent and bois'^ 
 terous manner to declaim against Stewart and 
 his doctrine ; a friend of Stewart's replied in 
 a very spirited manner. This brought on a 
 considerable controversy, in which several 
 took part. Two Logs objected particularly 
 to his preaching against their dancing, feast- 
 ing, &c. At length Stewart was called upon 
 to defend his doctrines against the formidable 
 attack made by Two Logs. Stewart in a 
 mild and plain manner endeavoured to con- 
 vince him of the evil tendency of the practi- 
 ces he so warmly advocated, and among other 
 things he stated that a poet had represented 
 t\ie jjancing and frolicking part of the damned, 
 as crying out in their distress and agony, and 
 avin^, 
 
67 
 
 '^' Now Hail ! all hail ! ye frightful ghost?, 
 
 With whom I once did dweU, 
 And spent ray days in frantic mirth, 
 
 And danced my soul to hell." 
 
 At this Two Logs raised a great hoarse laugh, 
 and inquired whether the persons who made 
 those bitter fomentations were Indians, and 
 added, "I do not believe the Great Spirit 
 will punish his red children for dancing, 
 feasting, &:c. Yet I cannot say that he will 
 not punish white people for doing these 
 things ; for to me it looks quite probable the 
 Great Spirit has forbidden these things among 
 the whites, because they are naturally wicked, 
 quarrelsome and contentious ; for it is a truth 
 they cannot deny, that they cannot have a 
 dance, a feast, or any public amusement, but 
 some will get drunk, quarrel, fight, or do 
 something wrong. Now, my friend, you 
 have been present at several of our dances 
 and feasts, and did you see any of these bad 
 things going on f* No, we have our public 
 amusements in peace and good will to each 
 other, and part in the same manner. Now, 
 
08 
 
 where is the great evil you see ?*' It is not 
 known what Stewart's reply was. 
 
 Two Logs would sometimes tell the people, 
 it was really derogatory to their character, to 
 have it said, that they had a Negro for their 
 preacher^ as that race of people was always con- 
 sidered inferior to Indians. " The Great Spi- 
 rit," said he, " never created Negroes, they 
 were created by the Evil Spirit." When as- 
 sembled at the place " where prayer was wont 
 to be made" and a sermon preached, either 
 Mononcue or Two Logs were sure to rise 
 up, and refute (as they thought) the sermon* 
 A great stir took place in consequence of 
 some person, who, it is said, had seen a vis- 
 ion. This person related it to several of the 
 principal men. It was as follows : On a cer- 
 tain day while Stewart was preaching in the 
 Council-House, she rose up, went out and 
 proceeded to a vacant house a short distance 
 off, and when she came near, she found a 
 man standing by the corner of the house, 
 looking-towards the Council House. He 
 spoke to her and requested her to stop, which 
 ghe did. He then informed her that he was 
 
6d 
 
 the God of the red people ; that he had come 
 to warn his people personally against embra- 
 cing the religion of the white people, >?vhich, 
 if they did receive, would bring on them and 
 their children dreadful calamities : it would 
 be the means of destroying them as a nation. 
 That man (meaning Stewart) though here 
 under the specious pretence of trying to make 
 the red people religious, according to the 
 white man's religion, is here in reality for 
 the purpose of doing you a great injury, 
 which you cannot and will not see, until the 
 evil itself comes upon you ; and added that 
 the only way to avoid the impending destruc- 
 tion was, not to listen to his preaching ; but 
 to go on and live as they had lived ; and then 
 vanished. It appears this Deity did not see 
 proper to inform her what the evil was which 
 Stewart really intended to bring upon the na- 
 tion. This report soon noised abroad : some 
 believed ; but many did not. Stewart being 
 informed of it, he immediately went to visit 
 this woman, for the express purpose of hear- 
 ing her relate her vision. She very readily 
 complied, and stated what she had seen and 
 heard. He informed her that he did not be- 
 
70 
 
 lieve her, as there was no such being as a 
 distinct God for Indians — that there was but 
 one God, and he created White, Red and 
 Black people. He then made some inquiry 
 concerning the woman's character for truth 
 and veracity, and found that it was not very 
 good. Notwithstanding her character for 
 truth was doubtful, yet those persons who 
 were opposed to Stewart's preaching made 
 use of her vision to further their purposes. 
 
 Many were the visions, revelations, prophe- 
 cies, &c. which were sounded about the 
 whole neighbourhood : all appearing to aim at 
 the destruction of Stewart's preaching. A 
 report was raised by some of the opposition, 
 and industriously circulated among the people, 
 that many years before the white people disco- 
 vered this continent, one of the old Wyan^ 
 dott Prophets prophesied that it would come 
 to pass, when an entire new race of people 
 should come across the great water and over- 
 spread the whole continent, the red people 
 should not be able to oppose them— that by 
 degrees the Indians would disappear, their 
 territorial bounds become verv much circuni- 
 
n 
 
 scjfibed — each nation would be confined to 
 small spots of land ; but this would not be the 
 end ; the next thing would be, a man of a 
 black skin would come among them, who, 
 though under the semblance of friendship, 
 would effect, ultimately, their entire over- 
 throw and destruction ; and that the only way 
 for them to escape was, not to countenance 
 him or give him any encouragement, nor 
 listen to any thing he might say, &c. Jona- 
 than's influence in the nation was but little, in 
 consequence of his former bad character ; for 
 all knew him to have been too much given to 
 telling of falsehoods ; this circumstance placed 
 Stewart in an unpleasant situation, and was 
 much against his success in his work. Some 
 said that Jonathan while interpreting would 
 say more than Stewart said) and would narrow 
 down his discourses to suit his own views and 
 feelings. 
 
 Nothing remarkable transpired during this 
 summer. Stewart continued preaching. — 
 Those who professed to believe in the Chris- 
 tain religion still appeared to manifest gooij 
 desires, but took no active part either way. 
 
72 
 
 in the month of August, A. D. 181t, a 
 treaty was called by the Commissioners on 
 part of the general Government, to be held at 
 Fort Meigs with the Wyandotts and other 
 nations of Indians, for the purpose of purcha- 
 sing their lands. A general attendance was 
 requested. While preparations were making 
 to attend the treaty, Stewart deemed it advi- 
 sable to return to Marietta, and remain there 
 until winter. Nearly the whole nation went, 
 leaving but a few individuals to take charge of 
 their houses, cornfields, &ic. As the most 
 of the facts related in this little work have 
 been hastily collected from the recollection 
 of individuals, it has so happened that no 
 information has been furnished relative to 
 Stewart, or his labours among the Wyandotts, 
 from the time of his leaving the nation to go 
 to Marietta, as above stated, until the latter 
 part of the year 1818. At that time he 
 had to encounter difficulties, which, although 
 they were not altogether of a new character, 
 yet as they proceeded from a new and unex- 
 pected source, they were of a truly disagree- 
 able and painful nature. Certain Missions* 
 
13 
 
 lies in travelling to the North called with the 
 Wyandotts, amongjwhom Stewart was labour- 
 ing, and spent a short time in preaching to 
 them. On ascertaining how remarkably use- 
 ful Stewart's labours had been in bringing 
 the Indians to t^^p 'knowledge of the truth, and 
 how highly he was esteemed by most of them,- 
 they proposed to him to receive him as a 
 member of their church, and to employ him 
 as one of their Missionaries on that station, at 
 a very comfortable salary; but as from a 
 difference in religious opinions from them, he 
 could not accept their offer, he refused; 
 whereupon they demanded the authority by 
 which he was acting as a gospel minister and 
 as a Methodist Missionary. As he possessed 
 no regular authority of this kind, he confessed 
 to them the fact. Through their means, this 
 became known; and was employed by the 
 white traders and the opposing Indians as cer- 
 tain evidence that he was an impostor. This 
 circumstance operated, for awhile, considera- 
 bly to his disadvantage. He thereupon com- 
 municated a knowledge of his truly disagreea- 
 ble situation to the Quarterlv-Meetin* Con= 
 
74 
 
 ference of Mad river circuit, who advised him 
 by letter to continue his labours until mea- 
 sures could be taken to procure for him a 
 regular license as a Preacher of the Gospel, 
 and at the same time gave him assurances of 
 their decided approbation of the course he 
 had pursued. Until now it was unknown in 
 the white settlements that any religious excite- 
 ment existed among the Indians, or that Stew- 
 art was among them, or even that such a man 
 existed. The Quarterly Conference thought 
 it advisable that some person should visit the 
 Indians, to aid the good work which had so 
 prosperously commenced among them ; ac- 
 cordingly Moses M. Henkle, a young man Oi 
 Mad river circuit, who had just entered the 
 ministry, volunteered in this novel and impor- 
 tant work. Early in the month of February, 
 A. D, 1819, he set out on this missionary tour, 
 and spent some length of time in labouring 
 among the Wyandotts. At this time there 
 was a mighty out-pouring of the good spirit 
 among them. Many professed to have found 
 the pearl of great price, and many others were 
 inquiring the way to Zion, deeply mourning 
 
Iheir past sins. In short it was believed that 
 the labours of this young man at this time 
 were of great and signal benefit ; as his preach- 
 ing served completely to confirm what Stew- 
 art had before taught. Having during the 
 time of his stay at Sandusky had a good op- 
 portunity of witnessing Stewart's deportment, 
 and being fully satisfied of his piety and use- 
 fulness, brought away with him a certificate of 
 membership which Stewart had obtained at 
 Marietta, a certificate of his having been there 
 recommended by his class for license to ex- 
 hort, and also certificates of his character and 
 usefulness, from the time of his first appear- 
 ing at Sandusky, from several of the chiefs, 
 Mr. Walker, the sub-agent, and from several 
 other persons, at the same time directing 
 Stewart to attend the next Quarterly meeting 
 for Mad river circuit, to be held at Urbana, in 
 the month of March, 1819. At which time 
 and place Stewart attended. He was intro- 
 duced to the Quarterly Conference, and the 
 papers above mentioned being submitted and 
 examined in open Conference, by Bishop 
 George and the Presiding Elder, Moses 
 
Crume ; and the case being fully understood 
 hy the Conference, he was regularly licensed 
 to preach the Gospel. The information given 
 by Stewart and M. M. Henkle to this Con- 
 ference, induced a full conviction in their 
 minds, that the condition of the WyandottS 
 loudly called for aid. But as it was near six 
 months until the sitting of the Annual Confer- 
 ence, the question was, what could be done 
 (in addition to Stewart's regular labours) to 
 supply them until the time of Conference ? 
 Finally, volunteers were called for. Where- 
 upon, Moses Henkle, senior, Joseph Mitchell, 
 Robert Miller, Samuel Hitt, James Mont- 
 gomery and SaCil Henkle, Local Preacher: 
 of Mad river circuit, agreed to supply them 
 "with preaching once a month during the 
 time aforesaid; which was done; although 
 one or two of those men could not make it 
 convenient within the time to take their turn. 
 Stewart still continued his regular labours, 
 and was much esteemed, not only by those 
 of the nation to whom he had been peculiar- 
 ly useful, but by those brethren above named, 
 who visited Sandusky and were witnesses of 
 
77 
 
 his work of faith and labour of love. It is 
 said, however, that he effected more real 
 good among those people, by visiting from 
 house to house and holding private conferen- 
 ces with them on the subject of religion, than 
 by his more public labours. The difficulties ? 
 which he had to encounter, while striving to | 
 build up the walls of Zion in this once howl- j 
 ing wilderness, being almost innumerable,* 
 required much Christian fortitude and pa- 
 tience. Under all his trials he gave satisfac- 
 tory evidence that he had, in a good degree, 
 learned of Jesm to be meek and lowly in 
 heart. Scarcely a week at a time passed, but 
 some report or other calculated and intended 
 to injure his usefulness among those people 
 was put in circulation, and principally by 
 wicked and designing white men. Notwith- 
 standing all these things, he still retained his 
 deserved share of the confidence and esteem 
 of many of the Wyandotts. As a proof of 
 this, sometime after the Treaty at Fort Meigs, 
 a number of the Wyandott people made ap- 
 phcation to the chiefs, for liberty to settle 
 Stewart permanently on the section of land, 
 7* 
 
hi ilie centre of their reservation, ^bich wais, 
 by the provisions of the treaty, set apart for 
 the support of a Missionary. To this the 
 chiefs did not feel themselves at liberty to 
 consent ; but said they were willing he should 
 5tay on it until the Missionary provided for in 
 the treaty should come and enter upon his 
 duties, and thereupon adopted him into the 
 nation, and divided with him their annuities. 
 About the time, or soon after the visit of 
 young M. Henkle, an aged woman and one 
 of Stewart's constant hearers, died a witness 
 of the reality of the religion which he was 
 constantly striving to promote among them. 
 She was of a family of Wyandotts who were 
 very much attached to their heathenish cus- 
 toms, and violently opposed to the " white 
 man's religion," as they called it. She atten- 
 tively listened to Stewart's preaching, and 
 for some time was in great doubts how to 
 decide or what step to take. Being an 
 earnest inquirer after truth, she for some 
 time "halted between two opinions." At 
 length, having consulted some of the Christian 
 Wyandotts, who gave her great encouragment^ 
 
^9 
 
 she openly renounced all her heathenish cus- 
 toms, and sought diligently the pearl of great 
 price. Her younger brother, Frost, who 
 pretended to be a necromancer, was greatly 
 enraged when he learned that his sister had 
 embraced the religion taught by the "Hesent 
 see"* preacher, and in a most furious manner, 
 threatened to take the preacher's life by means 
 of the supernatural power which he possessed. 
 He used many means to prevail on her to 
 abjure Christianity, but all in vain ; he pur^- 
 sued her with his arguments and his threats, 
 but she was inflexible; she defended her reli- 
 gion by solid arguments which he was unable 
 to answer ; he then left her house, declaring 
 that he would never again enter it. It is be- 
 lieved he kept his word, for sometime after- 
 wards, while out on a hunting tour, he was 
 killed in a drunken frolic by one of his own 
 party. This woman continued faithful to 
 the good cause of religion until she was called 
 home to her reward. 
 Since we have given place to biography, 
 
 *The Wyandott word for Negro, 
 
80 
 
 nve cannot forbear giving a sketch of one who 
 was the first fruits of Stewart's ministry, to 
 wit : Catharine Warpole, the woman who 
 proposed making a collection for Stewart, 
 mentioned in the former part of this work. — 
 She was the wife of Warpole^ a war Chief of 
 the nation, who was much given to habits of 
 intemperance. When Stewart first came to 
 Sandusky, he was out hunting, and did not 
 return until the next summer. During his 
 absence Mrs. Warpole attended Stewart's 
 preaching, and in a short time was deeply 
 convinced of sin, (although she had been all 
 her Hfe, a remarkably exemplary and moral 
 woman,) began to inquire what she should do 
 to be saved, and determined to forsake every 
 thing sinful and seek the salvation of her 
 soul, let the present consequences be what 
 they might. When her husband came home, 
 he soon learned what had been going on in 
 his absence, and among other things, that his 
 wife had embraced this new religion. He 
 immediately gave her to understand that he 
 was not pleased with the step she had taken, 
 and that he would never give his consent to 
 
Si 
 
 fwving any new system of religion introdu- 
 ced into his house. She endeavoured in vain 
 to convince him of his error. He commen- 
 ced a course of persecution and cruelty to- 
 wards her. She hoped that after a season 
 he would relax his severity and they would 
 live more agreeably ; but in this she was dis- 
 appointed. She continued to seek the Lord, 
 and to call upon him for strength to support 
 her in her trying hours. After a considera- 
 ble length of time had elapsed, and there ap- 
 pearing to be no prospect of peace and tran- 
 quility being restored unless she would re- 
 nounce and abandon her religious pursuits : 
 with the advice of some friends, she con- 
 cluded to leave all and make her way to 
 Canada, where she had some connexions. — 
 Accordingly she took an opportunity and 
 started. She had not been long gone, before 
 Warpole suspecting the step she had taken, 
 pursued and overtook her at a Wyandott set- 
 tlement, called the Big Springs. As soon as 
 he came into the house at which she had 
 stopped, he immediately began beating her 
 with his tomahawk handle, in a most furious 
 
82 
 
 and violent manner. She submitted patiently 
 to these insults and returned with him. He 
 blamed Stewart with being the cause of her 
 becoming deranged in mind, and was much 
 opposed to his preaching to the Wyandotts 
 at all. So she remained until Mr. Henkle 
 came and entered upon his missionary la- 
 bours, still receiving insults and abuses at 
 his hands until her situation became quite 
 intolerable. In this situation, through Stew- 
 art, she made application to Mr. Henkle for 
 liberty to take refuge from those excessive 
 abuses, at his house, to which he consented, 
 and thereupon by a friend, she was in the 
 night season, conveyed some miles distant from 
 the village, and then she proceeded to the 
 house of Mr. Henkle, a distance from San- 
 dusky of seventy-five or eighty miles, where, 
 and at Mr. Armstrong's at the head of Mad 
 river, she remained for several months, and 
 then returned to Sandusky. Some time after 
 this, her husband professing an anxiety to 
 have her return to and live with him ; pro- 
 mising most solemnly that in future he would 
 iLreat her in a better manner : she havinsr 
 
83 
 
 strong doubts whether it were her duty to do 
 so or not, sought for counsel and aid from 
 others, in regard to this important affair. In 
 order to this, she pursued the following 
 method, to wit : to have the case laid before 
 the preachers and some of the principal 
 members of the Church at a camp-meeting 
 which was to be held on Mad river circuit. 
 This was attended to, her husband himself 
 attending, gave assurances to the meeting that 
 he was sensible of his former wrong in this 
 behalf, and that in future he would amend. 
 It was judged best that she should once more 
 make an attempt to live with hira, and accord- 
 ingly she was so advised. She made the at- 
 tempt, and although he kept good his vows 
 for a short time, he soon began again to treat 
 her cruelly, and then left her and took another 
 woman. She has since been married to 
 John Hicks, a respectable Christian Chief of 
 the nation, and is to the present day, as is 
 believed by her acquaintances, walking and 
 living as a follower of Christ. 
 
 About this time another formidable oppo 
 ser of religion arose, threatening its total anni 
 
 ■( 
 
84 
 
 hilation among the Wyandotts. This was 
 the head Chief of the nation Duon-Quot ; a 
 man warmly attached to their heathenish cus- 
 toms, and violently opposed to the introduc- 
 tion of the Gospel among his people ; espe- 
 cially, as he discovered that a reception of 
 the Gospel as taught by Stewart, would ne- 
 cessarily result in the entire overthrow of the 
 customs and religion of their ancestors. He 
 soon found a number of adherents who were 
 glad of the opportunity of arraying them- 
 selves- under so powerful a leader. These 
 things did not damp the ardour of the zeal of 
 those who had embraced the " glad tidings 
 of great joy." Duon-Quot used every in- 
 trigue and artifice he could invent, to over- 
 throw the faith of Christian professors. In 
 this conduct of this Chief, there appeared a 
 strange inconsistency, he having lately con- 
 sented to the article in the Treaty, which 
 made provision for the settlement of a Mis- 
 sionary and establishment of a school among 
 the Wyandotts. In a subsequent revival of 
 the work of religion, when a large number of 
 bis adherents withdrew from his party, and 
 
86 
 
 became professors of religion, he was heard 
 to say, " Well, the white man's religion may 
 go on from house to house, until the whole 
 nation embraces it, but when it comes to my 
 house, it must there stop." Unhappy man ! 
 little did he think when he uttered these words, 
 so fraught with hostility to the best of causes, 
 that in a few days his soul would be required 
 of him ; for in a short time he was most vio- 
 lently attacked with the billious fever, and 
 death seemed to be his inevitable fate ; but 
 the merciful Lorjjfegainst whom he had rais- 
 ed the puny arm of rebellion, who delighteth 
 not in the death of a sinner, as if willing to 
 give him another of fleeing for refuge, &c. 
 rebuked his disease and restored him to a . 
 good degree of health. But alas ! no sign of 
 reformation — his returning strength was again 
 employed in the destruction of his own soul, 
 oy resisting the work of the Lord. He was 
 again thrown upon a sick bed, and his disease 
 raged violently ; he sent for one of the conju- | 
 rers or necromancers, hoping that he could \ 
 remove the disease. The conjurer pow, \ 
 wowed over him, but could effect no cure*— \ 
 
S6 
 
 He then sent for James B. Finley, (who 
 at this time was missionary at Sandusky,) 
 wishing to try the efficacy of the white man's 
 medicine 5 Mr. Finley went and administered 
 such medicines to him as he judged most 
 suitable, but all in vain ; the iron hand of 
 death — stern death had laid hold of him, he 
 must submit to the inflexible decree. During 
 this time Stewart visited him, but it is not 
 now known what conversation he had with 
 him. He was surrounded by a large concourse 
 of his friends and adherents during his illness, 
 whom he amused occasionally with his sallies 
 of wit and obscene jests 5 thus he continued 
 to manifest a perfect indifference with regard 
 to the affairs of his soul which was then hov- 
 ering about the shores of eternity. Once, 
 sometime before he expired, when in great 
 agony, he was heard to say " If I should be 
 permitted to hve a little longer, I would go 
 to meeting." No further signs of repentance 
 appeared; the closing scene came on, "death 
 with all the sad variety of pain,*' extinguish- 
 ed the vital spark, and he died, it is believed 
 without once calling on the name of Jesus for 
 mercv. 
 
ST 
 
 About the time Duon-quot rose up in op« 
 position to the progress of religion, an influ- 
 ential person arose in defence of it ; this was 
 Between-the-Logs, one of the principal coun- 
 sellors of the nation, a man well known as an 
 orator and a man of brilliant talents ; he had 
 heretofore remained neutral, although an 
 attentive hearer of Stewart's. By his activity, 
 he succeeded in a great degree in counteract- 
 ing the hostile and mischievous plans of Duon- 
 quot. It should here be understood, that a 
 Wyandott Chief by the nanje of Matthew^ 
 Peacock, was the first Chief that was added 
 as a seal to Stewart's ministry. Jt was in the 
 latter part of the year 1819, that Moses Hen- 
 kle. Sen. having been appointed missionary 
 to aid the work among the Wyandotts, by 
 visiting them once a month, and preach to 
 and otherwise advise them in matters of interest 
 to them, as well for the present life as that 
 which is to come. His missionary labours 
 continued for two years to the great satisfac- 
 tion of the Christian part of the Wyandott 
 people, during which time much good appear- 
 ed to be done. Although the principal charge 
 
S8 
 
 and care of this flock was now committed to 
 Mr. Henkle, he appeared to consider himself 
 only in the light of an assistant to that good 
 man who under God, had commenced this 
 good work. After Mr. Henkle began to 
 labour in concert with Stewart, Between- 
 the-Logs, Peacock f John Hicks and Manon- 
 cue, that once violent enemy and opposer of 
 religion, united themselves with those who 
 were striving to serve the Lord and save their 
 souls. Two-Logs, during the life-time of 
 Duon-quot, continued hostile to the good 
 cause ; he was much exasperated on hearing 
 that his yqunger brother, Between-the-Logs, 
 had embraced religion 5 he proceeded imme- 
 diately to his house and made a most violent 
 attack upon, abusing him for abandoning the 
 religion and customs of their forefathers. 
 
 It is perhaps worthy of remark, that some- 
 time during the mission of Mr. Henkle, a 
 certain woman who was inimical to Stewart 
 and his doctrines, and a relation to the chief 
 Duon-quot, (who was then yet living) was ac- 
 cused of the crime of witchcraft; this occasion- 
 ed considerable excitement among the people. 
 
69 
 
 Mr. Henkie and Stewart laboured to convince 
 thfiQ of the absurdity of their suspicions, this, 
 however, was not easily accomplished, those 
 suspicions became stronger and stronger, 
 notwithstanding singular plans appear to have 
 been resorted to by the accused to divert the 
 public attention from the subject, which it is 
 not deemed important to lay before the readero 
 Some of the Chiefs, and especially her rela- 
 tive Duon-quot, and Warpole, became fully 
 satisfied of her guilt, and determined that she 
 ought to die. When Stewart was informed 
 of this, although he knew her to be his enemy, 
 he lost no time, but hastened to place himself 
 before those Chiefs to plead for her life. — 
 However, at a time when no other Chiefs 
 were present, Duon-quot ordered two young 
 men to execute .her, which was promptly 
 attended to. From that time to the present, 
 there have been no disturbances among them 
 of the same nature. 
 
 In the fall of the year 1821, the Ohio Aa-^ 
 
 nual Conference appointed James B. Finley, 
 
 missionary, to proceed to Upper Sandusky> 
 
 with liis family, work-hands, &C, to ei:pct 
 
 8* 
 
m 
 
 suitable buildings for the school, &;c. Pur- 
 suant to his appointment, he without delay 
 repaired to the place assigned him, and enter- 
 ed upon the discharge of his duties. Here, 
 Stewart's labours appear, after this arrange- 
 ment, to be less conspicuous ; he continued 
 to labour, inviting^ sinners to the Gospel feast. 
 Mr. Finley had not many difficulties to en- 
 counter in his labours among the Wyandotts; 
 the great stone of opposition to religion was 
 less formidable ; much good seed had been 
 sown by the preaching of Stewart, and by the 
 labours of several of the local preachers that 
 visited them before the mission was establish- 
 ed; at this time much of the seed began 
 to discover signs of successful vegetation.— 
 All that was now wanting was the doors of 
 the visible church to be thrown open, and the 
 invitation given ; a large number was ready 
 and willing to come in, some sound converts 
 ready to come and shout glory to God in the 
 highest, and some true penitents ready to come 
 in and fall at the altar and cry, " God be merci- 
 ful to me a sinner." From this time, the work 
 went on in a most prosperous manner; classes 
 
91 
 
 were formed in diffirent directions, composed 
 entirely of Wyandott converts. In the fall of 
 1823, Stewart enjoyed but poor health; not- 
 withstanding this he ceased not to labour for 
 the salvation of his poor fellow men, " in sea- 
 son and out of season." It was in the month 
 of August that his indisposition commenced, 
 but had some intermissions, so that he was 
 enabled occasionally to preach. In Septem- 
 ber his disease grew worse ; he suffered much, 
 but not a murmur or complaint escaped him. 
 His complaint continued but with little inter- 
 mission, until the second Sabbath in Decem- 
 ber, when he began to suspect his time of 
 sojourning below was but short. A day or 
 two previous, Mr. Finley, Manoncue and 
 Jonathan, (the latter for Interpreter,) set out 
 to visit a Wyandott settlement in the province 
 of Upper Canada ; Manoncue and Jonathan 
 called to see him before they set out on their 
 journey, suspecting they should see his face 
 no more in this world ; after some conversa- 
 tion, Manoncue proposed prayer, which was 
 readily agreed to; Manoncue then kneeled 
 down by the bed-side, and poured out his 
 
9^ 
 
 soul to God on behalf of his afflicted friend. 
 After some further conversation, they took an 
 afiectionate farewell of him, when he said to 
 Jonathan, "tell Mr. Finley for me, to be 
 faithful and meet me in glory." On the 14th 
 he found a great change in his complaint. — 
 On Monday the 15th, he was perfectly speech- 
 less, and remained in that condition until 
 Tuesday. All this time his soul appeared 
 to be engaged with God. On Tuesday morn- 
 ing he informed his wife that the time of his 
 departure was at hand ; he rose up in his bed 
 and informed those present that he was going 
 to die, and exhorted them to seek the Lord 
 for mercy and salvation ; he told them that 
 his peace was made, and he was going to 
 enjoy that rest which remaineth for the people 
 of God. Through the day he was as before, 
 speechless ; that night he was quite restless, 
 and seemed to suffer much with pains in his 
 back. Wednesday morning he was in the 
 same situation, still unable to speak. While 
 his wife was busied in attending on him, he 
 appeared to manifest a wish to speak to her, 
 she asked him what he wanted to say ? He 
 
93 
 
 then took her by the hand and faintly articii= 
 lated, ^^ivife, he faithful"^'' these were his 
 last words ; he died at twelve o'clock on that 
 day, being in the thirty-seventh year of his 
 age, and the seventh year of his ministry. 
 
 It is to be observed, that although Stewart's 
 wife, when he married her in the winter of 
 1818, was quite an intelligent young woman, 
 yet she was not religious ; through the instru- 
 mentality, however, of her pious husband, it 
 is believed she became a subject of saving 
 grace. 
 
 It may here be noticed, as it has not been 
 done sooner, that Two-Logs, a Chief men- 
 tioned in the former part of this narrative, as 
 being a great opposer, in the midst of his 
 opposition was arrested by the hand of afflic- 
 tion, and brought to languish on a sick bed ; 
 this brought him to serious reflection; he 
 found that his fathers' religion would not sus- 
 tain him in a dying hour ; he then resolved 
 that if the Lord would spare his life, he would 
 turn and seek salvation. He was restored to 
 health, and became an humble, docile, and 
 devout Christian, and died in peace. 
 
u 
 
 Rise, ye heralds of salvation, 
 
 Blow the Gospel-trumpet, blow ; 
 Go to ev'ry tribe and nation, 
 
 Hear ! your Master bids you go. 
 Hark ! his word, his Spirit urges, 
 
 Count no enterprise too hard, 
 Dauntless cross the mountain surges, 
 
 Christ himself will be your gaurd. 
 God protects, what pow'r can harm you ? 
 
 Winds and seas obe}"- his power ; 
 What threatening evil shall alarm you, 
 
 Or what furious foe devour ? 
 Quit no duty, fear no danger. 
 
 Go to all the fallen race, 
 Say to every outcast stranger. 
 
 Ye may now be saved by grace. 
 Go, with heav'nly ardour burning, 
 
 Bright with Christ's transmitted rays, 
 Comfort those in darkness mourning, 
 
 Turn their sighs to songs of praise. 
 Bear his cross, which is your glory, 
 
 Spread your Master's glorious fame ; 
 Tell his crucifixion story. 
 
 Tell the world his wond'rous name. 
 Idols then shall fall like Dagon, 
 
 Heathen darkness flee away ; 
 Every poor benighted pagan. 
 
 See the light of glorious day. 
 Deserts shall rejoice with singing, 
 
 Lonely wastes shall lift their voiqe* 
 
95 
 
 JSarren wilds with verdure springing, 
 
 Bloom a fruitful paradise. 
 Sing, ye saints, a day of gladness 
 
 Dawns already from on high, 
 Put on joy for sable sadness, 
 
 Wipe the tear, repress the sigh. 
 Soon will Zion's King descending, 
 
 Cloth'd in regal robes appear, 
 Earth shall, to his sceptre bending, 
 
 Hail the great millenial year. 
 
 ON ETBR»rXTV. 
 
 Mourning and drooping here I lie. 
 
 Upon this earthly clod ; 
 While heavenly things invite my eyes^ 
 
 And bring me to my God. 
 Transported with a joyful view. 
 
 Of God's eternal love, 
 Unto this world I bid adieu, 
 
 And long to be above. 
 AVhere all the saints in harmony, 
 
 Their Saviour's praise declare, 
 In that bright realm of endless day. 
 
 There's not one mourner there. 
 When they've been there ten thousand years. 
 
 Bright shining as the sun, 
 There's no less days to sing God's praise. 
 
 Than when they first begun. 
 And then as many years should pass^ 
 
 As sands upon the shore, 
 
96 
 
 The saints above would have no fear. 
 That the blest space is o'er. 
 
 If all the drops in ocean's wide. 
 
 Were to be numbered o'er, 
 And then by millions multiplied, 
 
 And twice as many more. 
 And then as many years should pass, 
 
 As water drops in all, 
 Or grains of sand, or spires of grass, 
 
 Upon this earthly ball. 
 And then as many millions more, 
 
 As stars that fill the sky ; 
 Then all that number doubled o'er. 
 
 Can't meet ETERNITY. 
 
 Eternity will still remain, 
 
 'Twill be Eternity ; 
 The song to Christ, who once was slain, 
 
 Will last eternally. 
 Amen ! they cry, Amen, Amen, 
 
 Thy ways, O God ! are true ; 
 Honour and power and glory then, 
 
 Thanksgiving is thy due. 
 
 Honour and power and endless might, 
 
 Be given to the Lord ; 
 In this sweet song they'll all unite, 
 
 And sing with one accord. 
 Who can describe that blessedness, 
 
 Of pleasures ever new ; 
 I long that glory to possess, 
 
 And bid all sin adieiu 
 
e''i 
 
 
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