Report from Baltimore Committee

Organization Information

To the Committee of New York Yearly Meeting charged with
Indian Concerns.Dear Friends,

We were directed by our last
Yearly Meeting to open a Correspondence with you, as also
with similar Committees of other Yearly Meetings, with a view
to promote as way might open for it, & as suggested in your
Epistle of last year, a more united Action on the part of the Society
generally for the Civilization & Christian instruction of the Aborigines
of this country. In compliance with these instructions we now
address you: More than 40 years have now elapsed
since the subject was first introduced into Yearly Meeting

our ,
& during this period a number of different tribes of Indians
have been visited & assisted by the Committee having charge of
the Concern; as early as the year 1797 a deputation visited
the Indian settlement as far westward as the Sandusky
river, & returned by the head waters of the Muskingam. We
addressed a communication to the Wyandots on the Great
Miami, & the Delawares on the Sandusky, Subsequently
furnished the Delawares with some Tools, & implements
of husbandry. The Pottawattamie & Miami Nations
were visited in 1804, & an establishment formed on the
Wabash River 32 miles south west of Fort Wayne, where
the Indians were instucted in Agriculture by Members
of our Society employed by the Committee to reside among
them for that purpose. This Establishment continued to
flourish until 1812 when it was entirely broken up by War
& the Village burnt. In the year 1809. The Shawanese Tribe
at Waughpakonatta applied for assistance, they were
aided in building a Grist Mill in 1811 & in 1819, an establishment
was formed amongst them for the purpose of instructing them
further in the arts of cicilization & for the education of their children.
Two years afterwards friends purchased a farm adjoining
the Indian Settlement to which the Establishment was
removed, & the school continued under the care
of our Superintendant & his family with some interruption
beyond our Control until the Year 1832; In the school
the indian Children of bothe sexes were taught the Elementary
branches of a Common Education; The boys were instructed in