pestilence, and were poisoned -by ardent spirits. The Taisca-
roras had many„years.of enjoyment: and peaceful possession on;
the Roanoke river, until the cplony was planted near;the s.etr.
tlement; something Brought up' disturbancesi and, their' right
was disputed- to ’.their territory. In -1712" the Indians Of the
Tüscaroras in North Carolina, .with their accustomed sécrecy,
formed a design of exterminating in one night, the entire
white population'; the slaughter on the Roanoke was great;
Gapt. Barnwell appointed and sent troops, who suddenly attacked
theTuscarpras; he killed 300; and took 100 prisoners;
the survivors retreated->to Tuscarora town, Within a
wooden breast-work, where at las! they sped for, peaces -
1 The Tuscaroras ''soon after abandoned their country, and
united thpmselves with the- Iro^udis^and became the S ixth
Nation.When we first came into, this’ cpdhtry, we lived
with the,Oneida nation, (riow^Onqida e,Punty;.j.)and we-ealled
the Oneidas'.the elder broker, the secondis the1 Cayugas, the
youngest hi’öMier Tuscaroras. :
When the first rmisaonary was, sepj-fó the Tüscaröra
nation, 1807, Eld. Eljcanah Holmes, from the New" York Missionary
Society, labored several years with sdcfceSs, among
them. | This Mr. Holmes belonged to_the Baptist Missionary
Society. Afterwards, when Mr. Holmes was removed^ another
missionary'wastsent to the Tuscaroras by the American Epr-
eign Mission, namely, the Rev. Mr.'GreV, who remained until
last yvan After his dismissal in, l8lf>, another missionary was-
sent by the Board ofrthe 'H'ew York Missionary Society, the
Rev. James C. Crane. I will state briefly those missionaries
who afterwards, name to the TuScaroras; Rev. B. Lane; Rev.
John, Elliot; Rev. Joel Wood, Rev. Mr. W®idihs; the last,
whoisnow missionary, .wes'-thè;Rey. -.GftneijtpRöckiv'öódf' In
1336, a portion of the Tuscarora nation thought .expedient, to
become Baptists, according to i the dictates of their own conscience;
and free enjoyinent o f ‘théir religion in. this republi-
ean. government. And consequently a Baptist church was
built and organized, among the Tuscarpras; arid they were
called in council with several Baptist churches in this county.
In 1838,dhey.were, admitted into the Niagara Baptist Asso-
ciation at Shelby, and,have now in good standing fifty mera-
bers of the church. In a ministerial council, June 14th, 1838,
Mr. James Cusiek was examined touching his Christian experience,
and called to preach the gospel by Providence and
the council; they decided oh 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 la-,
bored with several tribes among the Six Nations. Under his
instrumentality;- three Baptist churches have been formed,
numbering 200 members, and he established a temperance society
in I$30 of more than 100 members. In 1845 he established
another temperance; societyamong the Indians, numbering
50 members. Intemperance is one of the greatest and
most,destructive, .evils, pnd many more begin tp be, intemperate,
..especially among the young men. Among the females
alike Tuscarora nation there is more virtue and sobriety and
good morals’than among the males. I hope the white citizens'will
try,to assist them and promote the melioration of
the Indian condition, in order to qualify him for life, and lead
him to appredate its true end, and to encourage intermarriages
in their fqture generations* and to advance in civilization,
■ Christianity and industry.
At the Rev. Mr. Yrooman’s, in Queenston, you will find a
copy of my late brother David’s hook on the Indians.
DAVIW CUSICK’S book.
The following extracts are made from the curious publication
referred to, in the preceding letter. It appears to have
been first .printed at . Lewiston, in 1825. As the work of a
full blooded Indian, pf/the Tuscarora tribe, it is remarkable.
In making these extracts, no correction of the style, or grammar
is. made, these being deemed a part of the evidence of
the-.authenticity of the traditions recorded.