Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/431



CORRESPONDENCE 403

Rock Island, 111., April llth, 1845. Dear Br. Hill:

Yours of March 29th came to hand the last mail. I had made arrangements with Br. E. F. Calkins to advance the funds on the drafts and consequently we were almost ready for our long and laborious journey. Our clothing and pro- visions are all loaded and we expect to cross the river early in the morning. I am almost worn down by the fatigues of preparation, but trust with common blessings to improve when once on our journey. We hope to be able to reach Independence before the last company leaves for Oregon. 81

I will make the report up to the present from March the 14th in brief. I have preached eleven sermons. Spent most of my time in preparation for my journey. Delivered one public address at the request of the citizens of Davenport on the subject "Agricultural and Commercial and Moral Pros- pects of Oregon." Attended six prayer and two conference meetings. Visited six families. Attended Sabbath school twice and addressed the school once. Received three dollars towards my salary. All the remaining ... I am pained to say my press of business obliges me to leave unattended to. I regret exceedingly that I should have been the cause of the slightest disquietude, either to yourself or the Board. I trust I have the soul of a Christian and would not willingly wound the feelings of an enemy, much less those of the guardians of the cause of American Baptist missions. If I know my own heart, I have only sought explanations, and the farthest possible would I be from censuring either you or the Board. You say we do not find any memorandum of a letter of the 4th of Nov. I have a letter now in my hand dated the 4th of Nov., 1844, and in the one under date of Nov. 29 you state : "I wrote you on the 2d instant etc." Now I think you may find your memorandum by referring to the 2nd of Nov. instead of the 4th. After leaving Syracuse, where I last parted with you personally, I did not

8 1 See mote 78.