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 w^ith them on the greensward under the matchlesLS Dakota skv and celebrate together with them the sweet, sacremen-tal 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.
PREFACE,
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 Charks 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 Gren-wood, 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.
AMONG THE SIOUX.
PART ONE.
SOWING AND REAPING.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
Precious Seed, Shall doubtless come again
With rejoicing.
Bringing his sheaves.
Chapter I
Now appear the /low'rets fair Beautiful beyond compare And all nature seems to say, 'Welcome, welcome, blooming May.'
It was 1834. A lovely day—the opening of the merry month of May!
The Warrior, a Mississippi steamer, glided out of P'ever River, at Galena, Illinois, and turned its prow up the Mississippi. Its destination was the mouth of the St. Peters—now Minnesota River—five hundred miles to the north—the port of entry to the then unknown land of the Upper Mississippi.
The passengers formed a motley group; officers^ soldiers, fur-traders, adventurers, and two young men from New England. These latter were two brothers, Samuel William and Gideon Hollister Pond, from Washington, Connecticut. At this time, Samuel the elder of the two, was twenty-six years of age and in form, tall and very slender as he continued through life. Gideon, the younger and more robust brother was not quite twenty-four, more than six feet in height, strong and active, a specimen of well developed manhood. With their clear blue eyes, and their tall, fully developed forms, they must have attracted marked attention even among that band of brawny frontiersmen.
In 1831 a gracious revival had occurred in their na-
tive village of Washing-ton. It was so marked in its character, and permanent in its results, that it formed an epoch in the history of that region and is still spoken of as 'the great revival''. For months, during the busiest season of the year, crowded sunrise prayer-meetings were held daily and were well attended by an agricultural population, busily engaged every day in the pressing toil of the harvest and the hayfieJds. Scores were converted and enrolled themselves as soldiers of the cross.
Among these were the two Pond brothers. This was. in reality with them, the beginning of a new life. From this point in tlieir lives, the inspiring motive, with both these brothers, was a spirit of intense loy-altv to their new Master and a burning love for the souls of their fellowmen. Picked by the Holy Spirit out of more t!lian one hundred converts for special service for th^ Lord Jesus Christ, the Pond brothers resolutelv determined to choose a field of very hard service, one to which no others desired to go. In the search for such a field, Samuel the elder brother, journeyed from New Haven to Galena, Illinois, and spent the autumn and winter of 1833-34 in his explorations. He
