The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-05-25
BLUEJACKETS CHANGE.
The Story of a Shawnee Brave Who was
Made a White Man.

a number Of Indian tribes We're living
on diminished" reserves along the east
ern border Of the territory 1t was hi,
fortune to know several distinguished
men among these tribes. Some o.
them would have passed for men o.
worth anywhere. They were braves II
the true sense of the word. But Char.
ley Blueiacket, of the Shawnees, was
an all-around man, noble specimen o,
regenerated manhood. BY nature he
was Shawnee brave; by the grace Of
God he was a Christian gentleman
To use his own words, he was first borr
among the wild men of the woods and
born again among the children Of God
have heard him tell the story of his
conversion more than once. 1t was in
substance as follows:
IN the fall Of - the Methodist min
lister was holding camp-meeting in the
woods near the cid council house and
quite number Of my braves were
forsaklng me and going over to the
white mans religion. 1, with some
other band chiefs concluded to muster
our men for a hunt and fight with any
unfriendly tribes We might find on the
plains But we had some trouble to get
our men into camp. Many Of them
were washing the war paint off their
faces and throwing aside their blankets
and feathers for the white mans coat
and hat So / concluded to put some
new paint ON my face don blue blan-
ket, the biggest feathers | had, and
with gun in hand go to the camp meet
ing and rally my men. / thought my
presence would draw them away from
the missionary. I didn't know what
was holding the men. When / reached
the ground Charley Bowles was preach
ing, and | went around the people who
were sitting, on the ground before him,
and seated myself on stump near the
preacher. I took this position hoping
to embarrass him and attract the at
tention of his hearers. I wanted to i'm
press my men with the thought that I
was every inch a brave and chief Of the
| Rabbit band.
| After awhile a strange feeling came
over me, and / felt the tears running
down my face. I wondered If anybody
saw them, and said to myself, I'm no
squaw.' I stood up and drew my blan-
ket closely around me and thought I
| would go away, but the tears came
faster and were washing burrows
through the paint on my face. So
changed my mind and went over near
the squaws and sat down on the
ground. l took up corner of my blan-
ket and tried to wipe the tears from my
face and spoiled the war paint. In a
little while the people stood up and
sang: noe l-e
Ma pc a che mi ce ia ha
Che ha mo 81 ii we
Ma eli Ike ma mis- wa la ii
Mi ii ma ia pc nj"
alas and did my Savior bleed?"
etc.)
While they sang a number went for
ward to the mourners' bench; but sat
on the ground and cried. The missiona-
ry came and talked to me, but I dis
dained him and made no reply Then a
converted brave came and tried to per-
suade me to go to the mourners bench
I bluntly told him was not going to be
a white man 4 left the ground in a
sullen mood and promised myself never
to return. But had nowhere to go,
for I was ashamed to go to the village.
So went into the woods, where | could
be alone. New and strange thoughts
came to me- + asked myself a great
many questions, and made no effort to
answer them. O. how I wished some
enemy might fall on and kill me! I
thought of going over to the Black
Bobs, where the missionary man would |
not trouble me. | lay down on the
ground under some bushes, wishing to
die. When it grew dark l could see the |
torchlights at the camp ground, and |
hear the singing, and almost against my |
will started to go back On the way I |
came to big log and sat down for |
awhile, but eventually knelt by 1t and
tried to pray like the preacher.
stayed by the log until the preaching
ceased and the singing was renewed.
then ventured night sat down on the
ground, and wondered If the missiona
~ would come and talk to me. He
came in a short time, took me by the
arm, and led me to the mourners' bench.
The converted Shawnees gathered about
ne and sang and prayed and shouted
or hours. / ceased to cry and pray, fell
Town on my face in the straw, and
wished to die.
"But somewhere between midnight
md day, after the torches had gone out,
and everybody had left me except i
Brother Bowles, I said in my heart,
Lord, make me a white man.. Then
strange feeling came over me, and an
peace filled my soul. |
lidn't know what to do with myself. l
fitted my face out Of the straw and
laid to Brother Bowles, Maybe Jesus {
las come He said, Why, yes, he has
,een here all the time. In little ]
while everybody on the ground was
wake, and we had great time sing
ng and shouting till day. Somehow | J
lad lost all desire to so hunting. l
lad left my gun in the woods. / S
Washed the paint off my face, pulled all {
he feathers out of my scalp lock, and |
S soon as possible laid aside my new
lanket and put on the white mans c
oat. I know I was saved, for I have c
ever wanted to take an enemy's scalp 6
ince that day; I have no enemies any
lore. 7 love all Indians and white men, l
)o But l love Jesus best of all, for he t
lade me new man.
He was given the name Charley, at S
is own request. when baptized, that be- I
e the Christian name of the missiona- j
Y who baptized him. After his CONVEX s
on he attended the Shawnees manual il
ibor school and an academy in Mis- S
,,I,,i yt-bora Ia 1oorpo5 q hits Of indus C