Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-22
RARE MAN USCR|PT
Sent the Archbishop of Can
terbury by Mohawk Indians.
IN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Wanted Missionaries Sent to Their
Tribes in ITO.
SIGNERS TAKEN TO ENGLAND
Were Received as Princes of Highest
Rank by the oueen-Wanted
Canada Subjugated.
SIGNERS TAKEN TO ENGLAND
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
When DR.. Davidson, tho Archbishop of
Canterbury was in this country in Sep
TENDER, 1904. TO attend the general con-
ference of the Episcopal Church at Bos-
ton. nc spent few days in Washington,
where he received distinguished attention.
President Roosevelt reminded him that
they had met in Egypt twenty years be-
fore. and as other public men had been
fortunate enough to have known him in
London, his grace found himself among
friends
Late ono Saturday afternoon Gen. Gill
lespie of the army escorted the archbishop
to the Library of Congress, in which the
latter was especially interested. because
he is a trustee of the Royal Library in
London He made many inquiries con-
corning the details of management, the
carG-catalogue system and the apparatus
for conveying books from the stacks to
tho reading room. He also studied the
means of preserving books and the con-
struction of the cases for the protection
of manuscripts. which he considered SUI
perior to any he had ever seen.
Mohawks Ask for Missionaries.
While Mr.. Bernard r. Green was show
ing him the manuscript room, Gen. Gill
lespie left the group and walked over
to one of the west windows to watch the
sunset While there his eyes fell upon
manuscript bearing photograph sigma
lures of Indians. with which he is ia
miliar from long experience on the from
tier. and, turning to examine them
little closer he discovered that they were
the autographs of four Mohawk sachems
attached to letter addressed to the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
The coincidence was so surprising that
Gen. Gillespie called the rest Of the party
and pointed out to them the Indian let
ter. The archbishop was, naturally, as
tonished to see his title at the top of
a manuscript in that place, but the room
was too dark to read the text, and only
a few minutes remained before an i'm
portant engagement. This was Saturday.
Early Monday morning Gen. Gillespie
sent his secretary to the library to make
a copy of the letter. He afterward OBJ
tanned photograph and sent it to the
bishop.
The manuscript turned out to be a let
ter from the four Mohawk chiefs-Hen-
drick, John. Brandt and Nicholas-tO the
Archbishop of Canterbury. asking that
: missionaries be sent to their tribe. 1t
was written from Boston, July u, ITO.
Immediately after the return of those
chiefs from visit to England. The
manuscript was a part of a collection
made by Peter Force. famous Washing
ton journalist, which was purchased by
fury ago and deposited with the Library
of Congress. But how Mr.. Force OBJ
tanned it will probably never be known.
The archbishop searched the files of Lam
beth Palace and found no traces of such
communication, nor has any other
clue been discovered.
Mr. D. v. r. Johnston Of the State
. Library, Albany, who Is himself a de-
. SCandant RenS-
selaer, made an investigation and wrote
Gen. Gillespie as follows:
Three of the four sachems were Chris
tians-to what extent 1 leave you to
guess: and while in London they petit
toned the queen for missionaries to be
sent to the Mohawks. An account Of this
is given by David Humphreys in his
History Of the Incorporated Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts published in London, 173O. The
queen, through her minister. sent the
matter to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He, having the govt, called a council
at Lambeth, and thus turned the whole
affair over to that society. The colonial
history of the state of New York refers
to another petition which Chief Hendrick
gave to the governor of that state for
transmission to the archbishop. Maybe
this Is the one which you have in Wash
ington city, but 1 doubt it. No copy
Is in our own state archives. So you
see there were two and very likely three
petitions of similar tenor.
Gospel Society Sent Minister.
~ find. too, in An Abstract of the Pro-
ceedings of the Society for the Propaga-
ton of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, from
February IS. iii. to February, 1872
that the society sent an able minister
in answer to the expectations of the In
dian sachems, and in the Historical No
tees of the Missions of the Church of
Hawkins, you will find an account of
the futile efforts of the able minister,
who was the Rev. William Andrews.
In letter dated May I. Ill., the Gov
ernor of New York reminded the society
that The Indian nations were solicitous
for the missionaries, and Rev White
Kennel, DID, in a sermon preached be-
fore the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel. etc, in London. 17l2, said:
His grace the President wrote a proper
answer to letter with the names and
marks of the Indian chiefs or princes,
which, upon their first arrival in the
continent Of America, they had dated
from Boston. in New England, July u,
ITO
Text Of the Mohawks' Letter.
The original of that letter in the Con-
gressional Library reads as follows:
May 1t please your Grace:
I'VE being God be thanked) safely
arrive upon our native continent, Can
not forget your Grace, the Society's
favor and kindness to us when in Brit
tain. and your kind promises Of provid-
Ing us with some Missionaries to be
settled at our fort with q ChappelI and
house for them. which may your grace
and the Society not to be forgettfull Of
dsx Colt Nicholson and We RIrSt HIsees
may send this letter able We societv.s mo.t
10 your grace. humble servants
Boston, July 81 11I0.
Henrik Sign Of Tryenr,boo.,or
and the Fox CeneIi,onors,
John.
Branf Sign Of Lagragongusrughts
Sign Of Etwacoume.
Nicholas the Turtle
Sent Indians to England.
Schuyler's Colonial New Yorks,,
says: After the war between England
and France the Indians were so disturb
ed and doubtful in their allegiance II
was decided 10 initiate the French. who
on several occasions, had sent prominent
Indian chiefs to France to become sc
qusinted with her glory and power they
conceived II to be prudent and wise
to take over a delegation of Indian
sachemS in order to show them some
thing of the strength and wealth of Eng