Letter-1830, July

George Vashon, Agent for the Shawnees writes to Rev. Greene:

Indian Agency, near Kansas, July, 1830.

   Reverend Sir:— I have the pleasure now to make the communication which I promised, when I had the happiness of conversing with you at my office, on the subject of establishing a mission for the instruction of the children of the hapless portion of the human family entrusted to my care in this part of my agency, I have been informed by the Rev. Dodge, who I had the pleasure to meet with a few days ago, at Harmony Mission, that the American Board of Foreign Missions will not have it in their power to comply with the application, which I made through him, for a missionary establishment at, or near, this place, in less time probably than two or three years, as they have a great many more applications than they can possible comply with, and he therefore requested me to solicit your earnest attention to the subject without delay. And I now have the pleasure to inform you that I have this day been requested by Fish, a Shawnee chief alias Wm. Jackson, a white man, raised with the Shawnees, to make application for the establishment of a mission among them, for the education of their children, and I most earnestly solicit your attention to the subject.

   Fish, the Shawnee chief, has a son by the name of Paskal, who was put to school when he was a boy; he can speak English very well. He is a sober, steady, moral, good man. He has an Indian family, and is industriously employed in farming, and I think he would make the most effecient male interpreter that could be procured. Captain Shane, the Shawnee interpreter, has a stepdaughter by the name of Nancy, who is a widow, with one child; she speaks English very well, and is a woman of most excellent character, and I think much disposed to be pious. She has been brought up in the habits of civilized life entirely, from her infancy, and I think better qualified for all the various duties of a female interpreter than any other that I know of, and if I am not greatly mistaken, will devoutly rejoice to have an opportunity of living once more under the influence or the gospel. Captain Shane also has a son, who has been six months at the Choctaw Academy, in Kentucky, where I expect he will be again sent.

   The vicinity of the smithshop I think would be the most judicious location that could be selected for the establishment of the missionaries. Mr. Harmon Davis, the smith for the Indians, is a man of most excellent moral character; he is a member of the church, and has a large and amiable family. His children are mostly daughters, and nearly all grown. I feel convinced that no other situation in the country possesses as many advantages. I therefore recommend it, in the strongest possible light, as the most judicious location that can be selected.

   Major Richard W. Cummings is appointed to succeed me in this agency, and it gives me pleasure to learn that he is a man of most excellent character, and a gentleman of high respectability. I hope he will endeavor to promote the success of your labors. I am only awaiting his arrival to proceed via St. Louis to my new destination, the Cherokee Agency, west of Arkansas Territory.

   Having freely and fully communicated what appeared to my mind at this time as necessary upon this very interesting subject, permit me the privilege of offering up my fervent prayers to Almighty God, for the influence and teaching of his Holy Spirit, to guide and direct the labors of all those who may be sent to enlighten this hapless portion of the human family. With sentiments of the highest respect and esteem, I remain, dear sir,

Your most humble Servant,
Geo. Vashon.

[Mary Greene, Life, Three Sermons, and Some of the Miscellaneous Writings of Rev. Jesse Greene, pp. 45, 46.] Read the book.