l of the Academy, whose portrait has
been given an historic setting in this volume, will regard that
courteous recognition, as a special call to make the Bible your guide in
life and perform each daily duty nobly and faithfully, as though it were
your last.

A life on service bent,
A life for love laid down,
A life for others spent,
The Lord will surely crown.

Whilst other denominations have rendered conspicuous and highly
commendable service in the effort to educate and evangelize the Indians
and Freedmen, in this volume mention is made only of the work of the
Presbyterian church. This is due to the fact the Presbyterian church,
having begun missionary work among the Choctaws at a very early date, it
was left to pursue it without a rival, in the particular section of
country and early period of time included in the scope of this volume.

Such as it is, this volume is commended to him, whose blessing alone can
make it useful, and make it to fulfil its mission of comfort and
encouragement, to the children and youth of the Freedmen who are
sincerely endeavoring to solve the problem of their present and future
destiny.

Fonda, Iowa, March 15, 1914.

R. E. F.

PART I

GENERAL FACTS

RELATING TO THE INDIANS OF INDIAN TERRITORY, THE CHOCTAW FREEDMEN AND
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF MISSIONS FOR FREEDMEN.

"In history we meet the great personalities, who have crystallized in
their own lives, the hopes and fears of nations and races. We meet
the living God, as an actor, and discover in passing events, a
consistent purpose, guiding the changing world to an unchanging
end."--W. A. Brown.

"Four things a man must learn to do,
If he would make his record true;
To think without confusion, clearly;
To act from honest motives purely;
To love his fellowmen sincerely;
To trust in God and heaven securely."
--Vandyke.

"The study of history, as a means of cultivating the mind and for
its immediate practical benefit, ever since the days of Moses, who
wrote the pioneer history of Israel, and Herodotus, the father of
profane history, has formed a necessary part of a liberal and
thorough education."--History of Pocahontas County, Iowa.

I

INDIAN TERRITORY

EARLY HISTORY OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES--OPENING OF INDIAN
TERRITORY--OKLAHOMA--CLEAR CREEK, OAK HILL, VALLIANT.

"Let us develop the resources of