Henry Bridgman Brewer letter : Oregon, to Mrs. H.B. Brewer, Springfield, Mass., circa 1845 Sept.

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

Henry Bridgman Brewer letter : Oregon, to Mrs. H.B. Brewer, Springfield, Mass., circa 1845 Sept.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/773117690

Unsigned handwritten letter (4 p.) by a Methodist Episcopal missionary to Oregon (Wascopam Mission) written over a period of time around Sept. 2, 1845 but not mailed to his wife until 1847. Titled "Sciats", the letter is an account of his experience over a period of time with an Indian chief named Sciats. Brewer gives details of numerous incidents, some difficult, and the effort to convert and subdue the Indian population in general which often included punishment by whipping. Sciats himself was chosen and "appointed master whipper of this office...." When Brewer refuses to pay Sciat for damage to his nearly ripe crops caused by Brewer's cattle, Sciat gets very angry, and a series of threatening events happen until Sciat apologizes for his behavior. The second page of the letter has a small piece of paper attached to it with thread containing an additional story about Sciats. In it, Brewer writes that after Sciats was whipped for another transgression he returned later demanding to be shown the Bible passage where Paul was whipped. After being shown the passage, Sciats appears pleased and declares, "Paul was whipped. Paul was a good man. Sciats was whipped. Sciats is a good man." Also includes an 1847 paper membership card for the Methodist Episcopal Church made out to spouse, Laura L. Brewer, signed by two ministers, J.H. Wilbur and A.F. Wallis, and a typescript transcription of the letter.

4 p.

UC Berkeley Libraries

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8191201

UC Berkeley Libraries

Related Entities

There are 6 Entities related to this resource.

Wascopam Mission

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65r20vx (corporateBody)

Wilbur, J. H.,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fk02cg (person)

Methodist Episcopal Church. Missionary Society. Oregon Mission

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sv3sww (corporateBody)

Brewer, Henry Bridgman, 1813-1886

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67m16hs (person)

The Oregon Mission (1834-1846) began as an effort by the Methodist Episcopal Church to convert the native Indians of the far west to Christianity. From the description of Henry Bridgman Brewer letter : Oregon, to Mrs. H.B. Brewer, Springfield, Mass., circa 1845 Sept. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 773117690 Henry Bridgman Brewer was born July 7, 1813 in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. In response to Rev. Jason Lee's appeal for missionaries to Oregon, Bre...

Wallis, A. F.,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rz6xpq (person)

Methodist Episcopal Church

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j13tzr (corporateBody)

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the U.S. in 1784. The first general conference was held in 1792 and the constitution was adopted in 1900. In 1939 the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church united to form the Methodist Church (U.S.). From the description of Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1791-1945. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122455885 From the guide to the Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1791-1945, (The New ...