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WOULD BE MISSIONARIES -- the 1850s |
Be it Chosen One or otherwise, the day to day rigors of frontier were shared by all, as conveyed in the letters of two would be missionaries.
Dear Friend,
One soon gets sick of so much monotony and although the first few miles were pleasant enough, yet I should have rejoiced afterwards to see anything as high above the ground as a dunghill. But such rich soil it is--and so deep-- New Yorkers never dream of so much fertility...
St. Paul is a large town, when the boat arrived, there were a thousand persons collected on the shore although it was nearly 10 o'clock at night. The Catholics are very poor here--and what is worse very irreligious and indifferent--they are Half breeds, Canadians and Irish. The Yankees have all the influence, the wealth and the power, although they are not near as numerous as the others. There are three papers published weekly here---there are six churches and any number of doctors and lawyers and parsons--but there is no money--as all the wealth is controlled by a Fur Company who owns nearly all the shops and employ a great number of workmen and never circulate any money. Oh, they loan it at 60 percent!! They pay their men in provisions--but I cannot say much about the place as I have been in it only a month.
What am I doing do you think? I am teaching the catholic School- my mission is among the dirty little ragged Canadian and Irish boys. Every day, morning and afternoon, I practice patience with these wild little fellows-trying to teach them who God is, and then to instruct them in the mysteries of. I left to go among the Indians and I was hoping for strength to undergo the hardships of a savage life, or to meet a martyr's death. I felt the difficulty of the sacrifice more than anybody thought-- but the greatest trial was one that I never dreamed of--and to take the charge of these impudent and insulting children of unthankful parents was the greatest mortification I ever underwent. But it was a momentary feeling of pride which prompted these thoughts--I told the Bishop that I would undertake the school and having reflected that if this were so great a mortification it would be more acceptable to God, I went into the little low unplastered school room with so much love for my office as if I were Vicar General of New York. Whenever I get time, and my head cease to ache, I study Theology--the Bishop told me the other day that he would ordain me in September; but whether he will ordain me priest or only subdeacon I do not know...It is well for those who thought of coming here that they did not come--I think they would have been only disappointed in everything--the only thing that can sustain a New Yorker in this wild country is the hope of a speedy release form this life and a good place in the next.
Acta et Dicta, a publicationof the St. Paul Catholic Historical Society, july 1907
Bell Prairie, June 9, 1852
My dear Brother Henry,
I suppose you are interested in courtship and marriage, and anything of that nature so closely connected with your far off sister may not be uninteresting to you...Now, when the canoe came down for us a fortnight ago, Mr. Laferty, a young man who went up there as a missionary last summer accompanied the boatsman for the purpose of obtaining a wife in Bell Prairie. The missionaries there had advised him to get Miss Smith, as she had been in the territory so long, and they were acquainted with her. She also heard of him before, and to confess the truth, was desirous of obtaining his hand. When he came, he was a little disappointed in her, or rather was better pleased with the rest of us than he expected. We have all four of us been here for some weeks, and he remarked to Mrs. Ayer, the wife of the chief missionary, that she had got a fine lot of girls.
Now don't you think we were placed in a rather delicate circumstance? I don't like this way of doing up the business. He was so anxious to please the missionaries that he had not independence enough to act for himself. Why, I should judge from his appearance that he was a worthy gentleman, and would probably have made any of us a good husband. You would have thought had you been here that we had a curious time, and I assure you we did. There was enough romance acted here to write as good a story as you will find in any novel.
In one week from the time Mr. L. first arrived here they were engaged, on the next morning married and in an hour afterwards he left in the canoe with the goods, and she proceeded with he company eight days later.
Harriet married William Harriet Fletcher in 1853.
1853
Dear Brother Harry,
I am glad you are so well pleased with your new home, as I am with mine. We all form one family and get along nicely. I have quite a little family to take care of, several pigs and eighteen chickens which have got so they fly on to my shoulders almost every time I go out. And then I am kept quite busy mending husbands stockings and mittens. And I go with him sometimes to draw water from the creek. He says I must tell you to come up and see us, he don't feel like writing to strangers.
All my love,
Harriet
January 17, 1855
We have recently taken two Indian boys (one ten and the other four years of age: their names are George Jay and James Bailey.. to bring them up until they are twenty one. It is a week today since we took them and they've have done well so far. The oldest boy seems to like work and is very kind to the little one. He takes most of the care of him. Their father wants them to be brought up like white children. The youngest is partly white, has light hair and is an interesting child. Love to Nancy and the children.
Yours with much affection,
Harriet S. Fletcher
Wednesday, Jan. 31.
A little stranger arrived here last Thursday about four P.M. They all that have seen you say he resembles you. I was taken sick about five in the morning, and on the whole had a comfortable time. I was obliged however to lie ten hours afterward, before all was over. We sent for Dr. Lewis, and he succeeded well in removing the difficulty. I have been gaining rapidly ever since. We call the baby "Charles Benjamin". Our sister-in-law, Mrs. Jane Fletcher, is with me. Let us hear from you soon. The little things you sent look sweetly on the baby.
Yours
H.S.F.
October 1858
We are all well excepting Louise. She's now sick with a Fever. I think it's the Typhoid. The same that Uncle M had a few weeks ago. I think I never saw fever run so high as hers does, her face is scarlet, and her flesh is burning hot, I gave her five ice packs yesterday, and washed her about fifteen time in cold water before I could inhibit the fever heat in the least. Today she is better--her fever does not rage as it did yesterday. I bathe her once in half an hour and succeed in subduing the heat to a great extend. I think by tomorrow I will conquer it entirely, and in a few days she will be as well as ever--This was the mode of my doctoring my dear husband with the dysentery and fever. We employ no physicians. After he began to get better I was taken down quite sick with the dysentery brought upon me by being over him night and day; the day that I was taken sick one of the physicians of the place, he saw me, said I was very sick, and should probably have a long sickness; he gave me of his own free will and free of charge, some powders. The physicians do not have good success at all, their patients run along seven or eight weeks and then die. So I laid his powders on the shelf and doctored myself. By the blessing of the Lord I was able to attend the Convention in three days with my Husband, & children. We had a delightful time.
With much affection,
Harriet
Minnesota Historical Society, Henry M. Nichols and Family papers
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