Cherokee Phoenix

From the Cross

Published May, 4, 1833

Page 2 Column 2a

From the Cross.

LETTER OF MR. Mc.COY

The letter from which extracts are given below, was addressed to Mr. J. R. John, of Troy, Miami County, Ohio. It contains some facts which we presume will be new and interesting to our readers. Mr. French, if we mistake not, was from Miami county.- The letter having been forwarded to our disposal, we publish the following extracts. It is dated.

SHAWANEE (sic) JACKSON

CO. MO. DEC, 1832

My Dear Friends;_ Your favor by Daniel French was received by my family in my absence to Arkansas.- We were all happy to hear from you.***

I am located about a mile within the State of Missouri. How I know long this will be my place of residence not.

You are aware, that, in the last five years, I have roamed over a good deal of country. My business has extended from Boston and Washington to the western limits of our Indian Territory. I have encountered much hardship, but the Lord has been my helper.

It has been the pleasure of my heavenly Father, to afflict us in regard to our children. Seven have been taken away, and the last four--all sons-- were taken in less than two years' time. Still the Lord is kind as well as just. Josephus and Rice both gave evidence of the conversion of their souls. The other two sons were small.

My family are now all about home, and in health, and, in all respects except religion my living children are a great comfort to us.

The work of colonizing our Indians is still going forward, though slowly. In the course of five years, I have performed a good deal of exploring, surveying, mapping, reporting, writing, 'c. At this time the government is about forming a code of laws for the government for the Indian Territory.

Mr. French is associated with a Mr. Evans at a mission of which Mr. Lykias has the superintendence, among the Shawanees(sic), about five miles from where I write. We have great hope that he will be extensively useful. We meet there now in the capacity of a church. Our mission among the Shawanees is but just going into operation. I think the prospect of good being done is encouraging. I have been twice to Arkansas since the beginning of fall. I assisted in constituting a church there among the Creeks. We have now a Mr. Lewis, late of New York, and a Mr. Davis, a Creek Indian, preaching among the Creeks. While I was in that country, on one Sunday, two Indians were baptized; a month afterwards thirty-seven were baptized, and on the monthly meeting, Sunday, ten more were baptized; a majority of them were negroes,-slaves to the Indians; the residue were Indians, excepting one white woman. A Sunday School has been instituted among the Creeks.

Among the Cherokees of Arkansas, a brother O'Bryant resides with a little church which emigrated to that country with him last spring. A brother Wilson of Philadelphia is now here, and will proceed in a few days to the Choctaws of Arkansas and Red River. I have also received a letter from a brother Burch, a Choctaw Baptist minister, and hope we shall soon be able to place him with Wilson among his people. Burch has baptized 23 among the Choctaws east of Mississippi.

In this upper part of the Territory, we have a knowledge of six openings for mission stations that we hardly know from which the call for help is most pressing. More than a dozen missionaries would be set to work at once under auspices circumstances.- Do try to find some, and send them without delay.

Most affectionately your brother,

and obedient servant.

ISSAC McCOY.