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Hemans, Daniel W. (fl. 1872-1881) Letters with wife Nancy, to Rev. & Mrs Shiras [decimalized]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02429 Author/Creator: Hemans, Daniel W. (fl. 1872-1881) Place Written: [Dakota Territory; Nebraska] Type: Header Record Date: 1871-1894 Pagination: 50 items Order a Copy

Letters by missionaries from north of the Missouri River, 38 miles north of Santee Mission in South Dakota, describing teaching English, arithmetic, and bible to Yankton Sioux Indians. The collection was written to Rev. and Mrs. Alexander Shiras of the Bureau of Education in Washington, D.C., mostly by either Daniel Hemans or his wife, Nancy Hemans, with the greatest concentration of letters in the early 1870s and early 1880s. Both Nancy and Daniel were Santee Sioux Indians. Daniel joined the mission to the Yankton Sioux as an interpreter and a teacher, and eventually became a preacher. The collection provides a remarkably detailed first person account of the lives of these two Christian Indians, their work, their family, and their faith. Letters include references to supply problems, the Sioux-Dakota language, teaching and preaching efforts, the Santee Agency. There is also a description of a wedding with Indian and white guests, as well as references to farming, deprivations, child-rearing, illness, and death on the reservation. The final two letters are by two of Daniel and Nancy's full grown children. Includes two hand-drawn maps of the Dakota mission area and a four-page history of the Yankton-Sioux Indian Church by Joseph Cook. Also includes 14 envelopes, many with clipped stamps. Many letters docketed by recipient.

Quotes:

February 23, 1871: "Rev. Mrs. Cook & I we are nearly working to death in this mission, we have four services on every Sunday & twice in the week, I teaching to sing with music twice a week, & our school is large, & now the Yanktons more than 30 persons were baptized. We teach all to read their own language first, in order that they may be able to read the Bible for themselves…then we begin with the English… our provisions are nearly all brought from Sioux City, over 100 miles away…there are but few white men out here, & one sees but little company…"

April 17, 1871: "Nancy is an Indian girl, I think she is a good Christian girl, she speaks English as well as I do…she lives with Rev. John P. Williamson…Her parents both were killed by lightning about 2 or 3 years ago at Santee…Mr Cook wants me to stay here one year more, because he can do nothing without me in this mission…"

May 16, 1871: "…I will be ordained next Sunday at Santee. Also our Convocation will help on Sunday, Monday & Tuesday at Santee…I will tell you about our wedding. I married in the ch. On Tuesday evening 2d day of May at 7 oclock…More than 150 persons were present both white men & Indians. Some chiefs from above were present also & good many Santees came to our wedding."

May 25, 1871: "…tell you… about what we are doing in our these missions…confirmed 29 Yanktons…baptized 72 childre…32 Santee were confirmed…The church was very full every service…Mr Cook cannot speak Indian & he can do nothing without me in this Mission."

May 27, 1871:
"The wedding was at half past seven…all who were present here invited to the dining room to partake of the refreshments. It has a strange looking company - whites, Indians and half breds. Some in clothes and some in blankets, and with the ever present pipe…
…the Indians are very subject to consumption"

June 8, 1871: "Some of the Yanktons going up to H. Sully, this week, they are expecting to have a great counsil with the Wild Indians."

December 8, 1871: "I am very sorry to tell you that our brother Rev. Philip Johnson, deacon was frozen to death on 21 Nov. He was hunting deer on that day and he was lost it more than a week…One the chiefs came to baptized now his name was White Snow…"

January 13, 1872: "I lived with white folks before I did any Dakota women sewing so that is the reason I couldn't make such things I was fourteen years old when first I begin lived with white folks
We had a girl in our house she is about eleven year old she is halfbreed she never talk Indian to me so she and I talk English to each other. I use to talk English to Dan but he never talk English to me. So I did stop.
…I like to help my poor Indian manner…
…[signed] Nancy A. Hemans"

February 24, 1872: "In a short time ago, this tribe, they don't know anything about our Saviour, & they lived in heathenism. Now they are a great change, they are became Christians, & civilizations, & their war hoops change to praising God, & came to a better life. I hope in short-time this tribe all come to our Saviour…If God spare my life, I will trying to do something more for my Saviour among these my poor countrymen…
[signed] Daniel Hemans"

June 9, 1872: "…we went to see a sun-dance. Eight men and a couple of women dance too. You ask me what is the Indian word for mother. They said Ina. It is very easier to say. I talk English to the baby all the time…"

July 21, 1872 "Yesterday two chiefs & some of our Christian Indians came to me, & they told me, there [sic] are very sad because I will leave them…David Mad Bull said to me, we have you two Holy men here, but you are going to leave us now, so we are just like a man has only one leg & could not walk…"

April 27, 1875: "my dearest baby was received by death…oh! I shall miss my baby very much…I lost two babys now…"

April 3, 1878: "Daniel Hemans gone to his home above now."

April 21, 1881: "This is the hardest winter we ever know since we came in this country…My dear Daniel…I shall never never forget him in my life for he is my first-husband. He is so good. I never go without thinking of him. I am going to be married…this is the last time my name Hemans will be appeared in this letter. my dearest name. I can not part with my name. but I can not help it…"

March 12, 1893: "I am in the school and I can speak english and write, so I am very thankful…I am twenty-one years old now…We never forget you and mother always talked about you…"

Hemans, Daniel W., fl. 1871-1881
Hemans, Nancy A., 1843-?

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