urged to accept Christ and
become members of this church, they replied that the church was made up
of squaws. Did the missionaries suppose the braves would follow the
lead of squaws? Ugh! Ugh!!

For the first seven years, at Lac-qui-Parle, mission work was
prosecuted, with marked success in spite of many grave hindrances. But
for the four years following--1842-46--the work was seriously retarded.
The crops failed and the savages charged their misfortunes to the
missionaries. They became very ugly, and began a series of petty yet
bitter persecutions against the Christian Indians and the missionaries.
The children were forbidden to attend school; the women who favored the
church had their blankets cut to pieces and were shut away from contact
with the mission. The cattle and horses of the mission were killed, and
for a season the Lord's work was stayed at Lac-qui-Parle. Discouraged,
but not dismayed His servants were watchful for other opportunities of
helpful service.

In 1846, the site of the present, prosperous city of St. Paul, was
occupied by a few shanties, owned by "certain lewd fellows of the baser
sort," sellers of rum to the soldiers and the Indians. Nearby,
scattered over the bluffs, were the teepees of Little Crow's band,
forming the Sioux village of Kaposia. In 1846, Little Crow, their
belligerent chieftain, was shot by his own brother, in a drunken revel.
He survived the wound, but apparently alarmed at the influence of these
modern harpies over himself and his people, he visited Fort Snelling
and begged a missionary for his village. The United States agent
stationed there forwarded this petition to Lac-qui-Parle with the
suggestion that Dr. Williamson be transferred to Kaposia. The
invitation was accepted by the doctor, so in November, 1846, he became
a resident of Kaposia (now South St. Paul). To this new station, he
carried the same energy, hopefulness and devotion, he had shown at the
beginning. Here he remained six years, serving not only the Indians of
Little Crow's band, but also doing great good to the white settlers,
who were then gathering around the future Capital City of Minnesota.
Here in 1848, he organized an Indian church of eight members. It
increased to fifteen members, in 1851, when the Indians were removed.

Then followed the treaty of 1851, which was of great import, both to
the white man and to the red man. By this treaty, the fertile valley of
the Minnesota was thrown open for settl