The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-10-21
A DOCUMENT OVER ONE
HUNDRED YEARS OLD
Dated at Salem, Massachusetts,,
Sept. 4, 1920. Given to Four Men
Who Came &c Mississippi a. Mis-
s%ionaries to Indians. They Settled
Near Grenada.

M. Ransom, that dear old lady VIII
is SO we'll known in Grenada, the Sen
tinel is enabled to reproduce the 70
lowing copy of a document given owe
one hundred years ago by the Amer
a Board Of Foreign Missions il
Salem, Mass, to Messrs. John Smith
Calvin Cushman, Elijah Bardwell an,
William Hooper, who were appointe,
as Missionaries to the Indians il
Mississippi. The frst-named Wal
Mrs. RanSom's maternal grandfathe.
and the instrument of writing has
been handed down by him to hel
mother and in turn to her. The -four
men left Salem in the fall Of that
year and travelled in wagons until
the high-water period when they took
to barges. They landed in Grenada
County near Holcomb at the old
Tuscahoma Landing at the settlement
which was then known as Elliott
Station, an entirely different location
from the present Elliott Station
south of Grenada.
The families Of all accompanied
them. With John Smith came his
wife, Hannah Putney Smith, his
daughters, Harriet, Marian, Cynthia
and Sophia, the first of whom was
the mother of Mrs. Ransom, and his
son, Freeman.
Harriet Smith married James
Sims who lived in Grenada and who
owned about half of what is now
West Ward, which he purchased from
an Indian girl, Peggy Trahan. Mrs.
Ransom states that her father, Mr..
Sims, gave to the Methodist church
in Grenada the block It now owns.
The document itself is we'll pre-
served and the writing is clear and
distinct except in places on the edge
of the paper and in the creases where
it has been folded. The punctuation
is given as it appeared. The copy
follows:
Salem, Mass, Sep. 4, 1920.
To Messrs. John Smith, Calvin Cush-
man, Elijah Bardwell and William
Hooper:
Beloved in the Lord
AS you have willingly offered your
selves and been duly appointed to
take a part in the interesting, ardu-
Gus and holy work of improving the
minds and manners, habits and con-
dition of the Aborigines of our coun-
try by instructing them in the doc
trines and duties of Christianity and
the useful arts of civilized life under
the patronage and direction of the
A. B. o. F. M.:-the Prudential Com
mittee of the Board have seen fit to
give you this present as a letter Of
credence and general instructions.
Agreeably to directions which you
have before received, you will repair
with all good diligence and economy
to the place assigned for your lab
ours; -there to assist with devoted
hearts and consecrated hands in such
plans and operations for promoting
the great design of the establishment
rs shall be judged expedient and be
duly authorized. Especially will you
make it your business and care by
domestick and school education, by
exercises of h~usbandry and various
useful arts, and by all suitable meth
and means, to instruct the Native
youth and children in the m~eliorating ,
and christianized life. =
The work is in a high degree benev- ,
olent and sacred, arduous and mo- :,
nentous:-for the faithful and sue g.,
cessful performance Of it, great self
denial, humility. diligence, wisdom, g.,
'ortitude, patience and resolution :
will be requisite;-and a careful OBJ ;,
.'ervance Of the following general
directions will be of especial import .
lnce. y
/. Having r~eligiously committed F
yourselves and your all to God, you r
will ever make it your care, by, a
1utiful walk before Him according Y
o His Word and in humble depend h
nee upon His allsufficient grace to 2,
,eep yourselves continually in His
lOly fear and live under His merciful
guidance and blessing.
2. You will regard with heedful
ttention such laws and regulations
# the Mission, as are already estab-
shed, or as shall from time to time :
e established by the Board or the
rud. Com, or agreeable to instruc- +,
ions given by hem:-remembering
lost sacredly that cheerful subordi-
alton to rightful direction is a NJ,
and vital nrinciplo 49,