Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora IndiansJohnson, Elias
History
Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora Indians
Johnson, Elias
Iroquois Indians; Tuscarora Indians
On the 7th day of March, 1852, was held a communion season, and on that
memorable day forty converts were admitted to the full communion of the
Church. Old men of seventy winters and youths of fourteen bowed down
together to receive the ordinance of baptism, of whom I was one of the
number, at the age of fifteen. It was a scene that angels might rejoice
to behold. The whole number admitted to the Church that winter were fifty
converts.
Rev. G. Rockwood finished his work among the Tuscarora Indians on the
first day of January, 1861. Thus it is claimed that Rev. G. Rockwood
spent the longest term of ministerial service at one installation in
Niagara county but one, which was Rev. W. C. Wisner of the First
Presbyterian church, Lockport, N.Y.
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, when they
withdrew Rev. Rockwood from this mission, also withdrew their supplies,
when the Tuscaroras were thrown upon their own resources. In October
following the church appointed as delegates Mr. John Mt. Pleasant, a
Sachem; Dea. Samuel Jacobs and Elias Johnson, interpreter, to attend a
meeting of the Niagara Presbytery at Yates, to make an application that
this mission might come under the care of that body, which was granted
them on October 29, 1861. The Presbytery appointed as Committee on
Supplies, Rev. Joshua Cook, of Lewiston, and H. E. Niles. In January,
1862, Rev. Charles A. Keeler was sent to take charge of the mission, who
labored among them until 1863, after which the preaching was supplied by
some of the members of the church, and more particularly by Dea. S.
Jacobs.
Rev. George Ford supplied the Church with preaching every fourth Sabbath,
and was succeeded by Rev. Wm. Hall, and he by Rev. W. P. Barker, who
began his labors among us in Oct., 1877, and was formerly a missionary in
India.
A letter by James Cusick, concerning the Baptist mission at Tuscarora, to
wit:
"In 1836, a portion of the Tuscarora Nation thought it expedient to
become Baptists, according to the dictates of their own conscience and
free enjoyment of their religion in this Republican government.
Consequently a Baptist church was built and organized among the
Tuscaroras, and they were called in council with several Baptist churches
in this county. In 1838 they were admitted into the Niagara Baptist
Association at Shalby.
"In a ministerial council June 14th, 1838, Mr. James Cusick was examined
touching his Christian experience, and called to preach the Gospel by
Providence and the council. They decided on that question, and gave him
ordination as a native preacher, deciding that he was well qualified by a
knowledge of theology; and now he has labored among several tribes of the
Six Nations."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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