While preparing to teach third grade classes about the Oregon Trail, I kept coming across brief references to Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, who were among the very first to take the trail west in order to build a mission and spread the gospel to the Cayuse tribe in Oregon territory. I had heard of these missionaries before, but the details were sketchy in my mind and I felt compelled to find out more about them - particularly Narcissa. I wanted to know this courageous woman who set out on the perilous journey that no other white woman had ever taken before.
As I researched her story and read her many letters, I was overwhelmed with emotion! There are so many sad parts to her story, yet I can see God's tender hand of grace working through all the events that happened in her life. And even now, so many years after she has gone on to heaven, we can read her letters and be inspired by the life she lived. I feel like I have met a new friend, although she lived 200 years ago! But I like to think of her as a kindred spirit and I really do look forward to meeting her in heaven someday! I think we will be friends.
She was born the oldest daughter in a large Presbyterian family and enjoyed a good upbringing. At age 11, she gave her heart to Jesus and at age 16 she first felt committed to give her life to missions work. She trained to be a teacher and taught Kindergarten for a while. She accepted the young Dr. Marcus Whitman's proposal to marriage, although she didn't know him very well. But they both had the same love for the Lord and the same calling to reach the Indians. The very next day after they were married, Narcissa said sad good-byes to her family and began her journey west on what would become known as the Oregon Trail. They traveled with the Spaldings, another couple who were going as missionaries to the native tribes. Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding were the first white women to go west to Oregon. Because they were able to make the trip, many other families soon followed the trail west.
It was a difficult 2,000 mile trip but they arrived safe and sound among the Cayuse tribe who gave them land to build a mission along the Walla Walla River. Their friends, the Spaldings traveled north to work among the Nez Perce tribe. It was a very busy time for them, building a home and mission, making friends with the native people and preparing for the birth of their first and only child, Alice Clarissa who was born on Narcissa's birthday just a few months after their arrival.
Alice was the joy of Narcissa's life. I could tell from her letters that Narcissa was a very loving and devoted mother to Alice who stayed by her side always. Alice slept with her mother every night as a baby and toddler and the two were very attached. As a two year old, little Alice was very advanced for her age, often singing hymns and reciting prayers and proclaiming her love for Jesus.
Because they lived so close to the Walla Walla River, Narcissa and Marcus often instructed Alice to never, never go by the river. They were terrified that Alice would wander close to it's banks and made sure that she never did. One day, after watching several of the native mothers and children down by the river, Alice ventured down to it's banks. Narcissa was horrified and immediately snatched Alice away and sternly gave her another lecture to never do that again! Little Alice was very repentent and seemed to understand the dangers so no further discipline was administered.
But apparantly, the temptation was too great. On a busy Sunday afternoon, while Narcissa was in the kitchen, Alice slipped out and took 2 cups down to the river to fill. She was asked to put water in the cups. Alice decided she would instead get the water from the river as she had observed the Indian mothers and children doing. A short time later, two cups were found floating in the river and Alice had drowned. She was 2 years old.
It is hard to even imagine the grief of losing a child. I read the letters she wrote her mother about that awful day. So heart-breaking. After a time of deep depression and darkness, God enabled Narcissa to open her heart to other children who needed a home. Since they were located near the end of the trail, there were several orphaned children who ended up at the Whitman's mission in need of parents. Narcissa became a mother to many such children, as well as the children of Indians and fur traders.
Marcus was busy trying to evangelize the Cayuse people as well as taking care of their medical needs. Narcissa gave herself to caring for the children and also teaching classes for the women and children to teach them to read. They lived exhausted busy years giving themselves fully to the mission that God had given them. But they saw little fruit for their hard work. There were so many cultural clashes and misunderstandings between the missionaries and the Indians. It was hard to connect.
And then the measles outbreak came. The measles spread among those at the mission as well as the Cayuse tribe. Dr. Marcus was very busy tending the sick and administering medicine. Unexplainable was the fact that the white children who took the medicine got better, but the Indians were dying - even with the medicine. They didn't have the immunity to the Measles, having never been exposed to it before. Up to half of the tribe died! The Cayuse didn't understand why it was just the Indians who were dying. Mistrust grew in their hearts and then anger and bitterness. They began to think that perhaps the Whitmans were poisoning them!
In their culture, if a medicine man could not heal and a sick person died, that death would have to be avenged. The medicine man must die as well.
It was decided that the Whitmans and all adults at the mission should be killed. What followed was a horrible massacre. Marcus and Narcissa were killed along with several others, including some teenage children in their care. The other children were taken as hostages and some died during that time before they could be found and rescued.
How could God allow that to happen? He is sovereign and His ways are not our ways. After the killings, the Cayuse tribe was dispersed. But the Nez Perce tribe the Spaldings ministered to experienced a spiritual awakening and many became Christians. And as the news of this spread, all of Narcissa's letters eventually would become published and have inspired many to go into Christian ministry. Their legacy lives on.
Sadly, they are often mischaracterized in the retelling of their story. Secular historians love to insinuate that they had no business trying to evangelize the Indians - they should have left them alone. Sometimes if they are mentioned at all in the history books, it is only a brief note about Narcissa and Mrs. Spalding being the first white women on the trail.
Reading about the Whitmans and mostly reading Narcissa's letters have taught me so much about self-sacrifice and service and faith and suffering. Their story is one that I want to share with my children and hopefully they will be remembered for many, many years to come. To read her letters go to http://www.1st-hand-history.org/Whitman/letters.htm
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