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."
The first Baptist Church at Tuscarora was broken up in the spring of 1846, on account of an emigration to the Indian Territory, under the influence of Rev. James Cusick, the party being composed mostly of the members of that Church, which caused its overthrow. The next year, after about one-third of the emigration party had died in the Indian Territory, the remainder came home among the Tuscaroras, but Rev. Mr. Cusick removed into Canada and labored among the Six Nations at Grand river.
In the year 1860 Rev. James Cusick began his labors again among the
Tuscaroras, in the town of Lewiston, having been invited here by James
Johnson, with the view of reorganizing the former Baptist Church.
On the fifteenth day of February, 1860, there was held a deliberative meeting at the house of James Johnson, Rev. James Cusick acting as moderator. There were present, William Green, of Grand River; James Johnson, Isaac N. Jack, Isaac Patterson, Joseph Williams, Adam Williams, Sr.