By the invitation of the Church at Rock Island, Ill., and by the advice of all the brethren in this vicinity, I have consented to take charge of that church and a small church in Henry County, 12 miles S. East from that place, the coming year. These churches will be able to give us about two-thirds of a support, and, by the advice of the members of the Board of the Iowa Baptist Gen. Association and Br. Powell, we shall apply to your Board for a reappointment when my present appointment expires.
In view of all the circumstances, should your Board censure the course which we have pursued respecting the Oregon mission, you will have the faithfulness to administer affectionate reproof as becomes the responsible station you occupy. The church in Rock Island formed themselves into a Sabbath School society, on the 5th of March, and resolved to make application to the American Sunday School Union for an appropriation of S. S. books from the special appropriation made for destitute Sunday Schools in the Valley of the Mississippi. . . .
All of which is respectfully submitted,
N. B.—Br. Brown will probably move to Parkhurst in a few days. Br. Seley has gone to Ohio and Kentucky on a meeting house begging for Bloomington. Br. Carpenter leaves Dubuke for Vt. in a few days Burlington, Bloomington, Davenport and Dubuke are each in great want of a Baptist minister and I suppose Galena[1] will be on the same list in a few months.
O! I wish our wise men, and especially our Baptist ministers who talk of sacrificing for Christ could survey the almost unbroken destitution on the Mississippi from Quincy to St. Anthonys Falls[2] on both sides of the river, with all our
- ↑ Galena was an important center in the lead-mining district. It was laid out in 1827 and incorporated in 1839. By the census of 1850 it had a population of 6,004, but has since declined. Am. Encyc., VII: 563.
- ↑ St. Anthony's Falls are, of course, the water power which gave rise to Minneapolis. There was but the barest beginning of a settlement at this time in the vicinity of the present Minneapolis and St. Paul.
