For twenty years it has been the writer's privilege to mingle intimately with these missionaries and with the Christian Sioux; to sit with them at their great council fires; to talk with them in their teepees; to visit them in their homes; to meet with them in their Church Courts; to inspect their schools; to worship with them in their churches; and to gather with them on the greensward under the matchless Dakota sky and celebrate together with them the sweet, sacramental service of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
He was so filled and impressed by what he there saw and heard, that he felt impelled to impart to others somewhat of the knowledge thus gained; in order that they may be stimulated to a deeper interest in, and devotion to the cause of missions on American soil.
In the compilation of this work the author has drawn freely from these publications, viz.:
- The Gospel of the Dakotas, Mary and I, By Stephen R. Riggs, D.D., LL.D.
- Two Volunteer Missionaries, By S. W. Pond, Jr.
- Indian Boyhood, By Charles Eastman
- The Past Made Present, By Rev. William Fiske Brown
- The Word Carrier, By Editor A. L. Riggs, D.D.
- The Martyrs of Walhalla, By Charlotte O. Van Cleve
- The Long Ago, By Charles H. Lee
- The Dakota Mission, By Dr. L. P. Williamson and others
- Dr. T. S. Williamson, By Rev. R. McQuesten
He makes this general acknowledgment, in lieu of repeated references, which would otherwise be necessary throughout the book. For valuable assistance in its preparation he is very grateful to many missionaries, especially to John P. Williamson, D.D., of Grenwood, South Dakota; A. L. Riggs, D.D. of Santee, Nebraska; Samuel W. Pond, Jr., of Minneapolis, and Mrs. Gideon H. Pond, of Oak Grove, Minnesota. All these were sharers in the stirring scenes recorded in these pages. The names Dakota and Sioux are used as synonyms and the English significance instead of the Indian cognomens.
May the blessing of Him who dwelt in the Burning Bush, rest upon all these toilers on the prairies of the new Northwest.
R. J. Creswell.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, January, 1906.
PART I.