Journal-1840, June-September

Between June 27 and September 7, 1840 Thomas Johnson wrote a series of almost daily notes for a “Journal” (which may have mirrored a personal diary) for the November 26, 1840 Christian Advocate and Journal. In it he details his work and personal feels, such as the loss of two of his children and how he coped with the tragedy.

   June 27th.— Reached home from General Conference, and found my dear companion pressed down with many sorrows; two of our children having been taken from us by the cold hand of death during my absence. One, an interesting little boy, nine and a half months old, the other an affectionate daughter, nearly six years. The providence of God is indeed a great deep which we cannot fathom. O for grace to be resigned. It was a great relief to me when I learned that the mind of my wife had been astonishingly sustained by the grace of God in the midst of the almost unparalled affliction through which she had been called to pass while I was from home. She was surrounded by the best of Christian friends, who gladly afforded her all the relief that human or Christian sympathy could devise. It would have afforded me much pleasure to have seen my four little children again whom I had left when I started from home; but God has taken two of them to himself, where, I have no doubt, they are better off than they would be in this world of trouble. So I submit, and will not sorrow as those who have no hope; for I believe they sleep in Jesus, and that he will bring them with him when he shall come to collect his jewels together.

   June 28th.— Attended worship with my family at the I. M. L. School; but my spirits were so broken down that I could neither preach nor meet the class, but found much relief in attending the house of God, and meditating on his promises.

   June 29^th.— Went to the river with some wagons to haul out some goods purchased for our school and mission.”

   [June] 30th, and July 1st & 2d.— I spent in examining into the state of things at the school. We are in the midst of wheat harvest here, and have a crowd of business on hand. Brother Browning has as much as he can possibly do in procuring materials, superintending the building department, purchasing supplies for the institution, &c.; while brother Kline, the farmer, has ninety acres of wheat to cut, and take care of one hundred acres of timothy and one hundred and twenty-five acres of oats. Our wheat and oats are first rate; and if we can save them will vary much lessen the current expenses of the institution.”

   [July] 3d.— Went to the Delaware Mission to commence a four days’ meeting, which I had promised the Delawares previous to setting out for the east, upon the condition they would build a meeting house. The missionary and the Christian Indians had gone to work some two or three weeks previous, and with their own hands hewed logs, split the boards, coupled the rafters, and had a house raised, and under roof, 22 by 27 feet in size; and this was the first effort they had ever made of the kind; and many of those at it had only been a few months converted from heathenism. I think they have done well, and have set an example worthy to be followed by many of our frontier neighbors among the whites, who have no houses in which to worship God, unless it is some smoky cabin, not large enough to hold more than half the people who attend. On Sabbath we took up a collection to aid the Delaware society in finishing the house. I preached the dedication sermon of Friday, the 3d, and was followed by the second chief of the nation. He is a christian, and made a very feeling and appropriate address to his people. A considerable number of Christian Shawnees attended this meeting, as well as Delawares. We continued the meeting until Monday the 6th, and, notwithstanding it rained frequently during the meeting, I think, upon the whole, we had a profitable time. Eighteen Delawares and one Shawnee joined the society on probation.

   [July] 6th.— I returned home; and as brother Kline had as much as he could manage in hauling and stacking the wheat, I thought it would be best for me to collect a company of hands, and try to save the hay; consequently I spent the remaining part of this week superintending the cutting and putting up the timothy.”

   [July] 12th.— Sunday, Preached in the forenoon to a congregation of Shawnees about ten miles from home. I found them very much engaged not only for their own salvation but also for the pagan part of the nation. As it was the first time I had visited the society since my return home, they had three very important questions which they had mutually agreed to refer to me for my opinion, all of which were proposed in due form by the class leader. 1st. There were three young men in the society who had recently felt a deep impression in their minds that they ought to exhort their friends, and try to persuade them to become Christians; was it right for them to do so? I answered that it would be well for them to assist in holding prayer meetings and to speak to the people when an opportunity would serve. 2d. They had succeeded in persuading all in their neighborhood to take the Christian way excepting one man, and they had tried him frequently, but he would not listen; what had they better do next? I told them to hold on to all they had gained, and extend their prayer meetings into the adjoining neighborhoods, wherever they would open the doors, and never stop until the whole nation was brought under the influence of the Christian religion. This they resolved to do, by the help of God. 3d. They had recently very strange feelings while engaged in worshiping; sometimes while standing up to sing their hearts were so melted down, and they became so weak, that they were compelled to sit down to keep from falling, and could do nothing but cry all the time. They said they had felt a little this way before, but nothing to compare with what they had recently felt at their prayer and class meetings. Now they wanted to know if I thought it was the power of the great Spirit made them feel that way? I told them that these feelings were certainly the work of the good Spirit; for they were happy feelings, which they had never had while they followed their old ways, before they commenced worshiping God in the way the Bible teaches. This answer appeared quite satisfactory to them. We had a good meeting this day; three joined on probation. In the afternoon we went to Mr. Joseph Barnet’s, where I tried to preach again. Mr. Barnet lives about half way between the two societies, in the Shawnee nation. He had recently opened his door for preaching; and we commenced with a very good congregation to-day; and I expect to keep it up regularly every sabbath afternoon throughout the summer.”

   [July] 13^th.— Resumed the business of hay-making.

   [July] 14^th.— Moved to the boarding-house, so that my wife could afford some assistance, when necessary, in conducting the domestic part of the institution.

   [July] 15th.— Spent the day in writing and arranging my accounts with the school, it being the first opportunity since my return home.

   [July] 16th.— Closed my accounts, and went to purchase some articles preparatory to my leaving home to visit the Peori and Pottawatmnie missions.

   [July] 17th.— Rode forty miles through the prairies having no timber to shield me from the sun, which was very oppressive, and the flies unusually bad.

   [July] 18th.— Spent the day at the Peori mission, with brother Talbott and his wife.

   [July] 19th.— Went to Pottawatomie mission, and preached to a small congregation of Pottawatomies. They listened with very strict attention, and appeared anxious to understand the truth. After I had preached, brother Boucheman gave an exortation with his usual warmth and zeal; and I hope the seed sown was cast on good ground and that it will bring forth much fruit to the glory of God.”

   [July] 20th.— Spent the forenoon in reading Finley’s ‘History of the Wyandott Mission.’ This is, upon the whole, an interesting work, containing much useful information; though a few things which I noticed concerning the customs of Pagan Indians in general are doubtful in character, and especially that part which represents the wild Indians as cutting notches on trees to show how many miles distant their camps are. Uncivilized Indians know nothing about miles. They generally measure by day’s travel, &c. In the afternoon I visited Guaquater, one of the Pottawatomie chiefs, but found him shaking with the ague, consequently said but little to him, though promised to return to-morrow morning.

   [July] 21st.— Went to Guaquater’s camp, according to promise. Found him clear of the ague, and ready for conversation. I gave him an explanation of our views in preparing the I. M. L, School, and our plans for educating the Indians generally, as well as our missionary operations, and especially of the reasons that had influenced the management of the mission among his people, change of men, &c. He professed to be much gratified that we explained these things to him, and he promised to co-operate with us in our operations and efforts to improve the condition of the Indians, and wished to know how many Pottawatomie children we would be able to take care of next fall. I told him we would take ten. He said “We have some ready to go, when you can take them”

   Sept. 7. Dear Brother,— Since I returned from Baltimore I have been much crowded with business and have been part of the time sick, and have not found it convenient to write to you until the present hour; and now I can only transcribe a sheet from my daily journals.

Yours most affectionately
T. Johnson

[Christian Advocate and Journal, Nov. 26, 1840. Files at  Baker University.]