Raynors HCA 2015-11
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Missionary Brewer Describes The Attempted Human sacrifice of a Slave by Local Indians In Oregon Territory . BREWER, Henry Bridgeman (1813-86) was a Methodist missionary born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. In October, 1839, he sailed with the Methodist Episcopal Mission around Cape Horn, arriving at Fort Vancouver the following June. He served as a farmer, teacher, and translator at the Wascopum Mission at the Dalles of the Columbia River until 1847, when the mission was transferred to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and he returned to Massachusetts. At the time of this letter the Methodist Mission in Oregon was a decade old, and leadership was passing from the mission's founder, Rev. Jason Lee. Henry Brewer's letter describes this tumultuous time in the mission's history, gives information on his own experiences with local Indians, and relates, in riveting detail, the near sacrifice of a young slave. Autograph Letter Signed, “Bridgeman”, Oregon Territory, Columbia River. Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, 1844. [4]pp. manuscript letter on a folded sheet, addressed and postmarked on a blank portion of the fourth page. Old folds. A few stains. Some small closed splits along folds, longer split along bottom fold of second leaf, with no loss of text. Overall very good. In small part, “"While we were on our visit to Wallamette a circumstance took place which shows that heathenistic practices are not all done away. It may be a good story for a Sabbath school. Sinimsh an Indian who lives not far from our house had a little boy whom he loved dearly; the father's heart was set upon him. This little boy was taken sick and died. The father had a little slave that used to wait upon his little son in his life time. The father thought for the love he had for his son he ought to sacrifice the slave at his death, accordingly the deceased child and the living slave were taken to the sepulcher of the dead. (The Indians of the Dalles bury their dead in houses made of boards on an island in the Dalles to keep them from the wolves). The slave is probably eight years old. He made no resistance. They bound him hand & foot & laid him upon the bodies of other deceased persons who had been recently placed there, with his face downward & the body of the deceased child placed upon him. Just as they were about to leave him he called to them to loose the cord that bound him but they heeded not his cries. In this awful situation he spent one long dismal night though before morning he shook the corpse off from him. He said he heard the dead singing (the Indians believe this to be really true). One of the chiefs was in at Br. Perkins & was mentioning the circumstances & said he tried to dissuade them from doing as they did. Br. P. tried to have them bring him away that night but in vain. The next day Br. Perkins ransomed him from the grave by paying three blankets & a shirt which are to be placed in the room of the slave so that the dead may not be robbed. Br. P. has named him Ransom for he was ransomed from the grave. The little slave is a bright active little fellow. The sores where he was tied have not quite healed. Br. P. has him along & will probably put him out to some good pious man at Wallamette as an apprentice." Brewer's letter also gives a great deal of information on the activities of the missionaries in Oregon, including the succession of the leadership of the mission from the founder, Jason Lee, to George Gary, and the activities of missionaries Alvin F. Waller and H.K.W. Perkins. Brewer writes: "You no doubt have been apprised that Rev. Geo. Gary has been appointed to supersede Br. Lee in the superintendency of the Oregon Mission. The board no doubt made a good selection. Br. Gary is a good Father to us all. He is now 51 years old & a man of much experience. The board authorized him to dismiss all of the secular men of the mission except myself & sell all the farms, mills &c &c of the mission except the Wascopam [sic] farm, as they know not enough about that station to determine. Br. Gary has acted accordingly. The three farms on the Willamette are sold. The Indian school is given up, the store at Willamette Falls is sold &c." Toward the end of the letter, in a passage dated October 3, Brewer announces his arrival at Wallamette Falls, relates news of the health of his wife, and describes the recent murder of a feared Indian: "Kladicula the Indian who abused us last spring was shot by a Cayuse Indian a few days before I left home. The Indians all seem to rejoice for they feared him. Thus you see vengeance belongs to God. I have felt for some time as though he would be cut off for his sins." An exceptional letter from an Oregon missionary, offering a firsthand account of attempted human sacrifice by Indians, as well as details of missionary activities.
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