This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: farwellwalter Surnames: Hoecken, Alcott, Greenwood, Batchika, Murphy Classification: lookup Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.iowa.counties.fremont/7408/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hoecken made five missionary trips to The Council Bluffs from April 1842 through May - June 1846. This post concerns only the third one, made in September - October 1843. The NEW HAVEN(whose destination was the "Yellowstone") and the PRAIRIE BIRD (whose destination was "Upper Missouri") are known to have passed along the banks of the Missouri in Fremont county about this time. Too, it is known that the annuities for the Pottawatomies were brought to The Council Bluffs aboard a steamboat during the fall of 1843. Regardless of which boat Hoecken took passage on, it appears that he landed at the steamboat landing southwest of present Bartlett,Iowa. This we know because he undoubtedly started his baptizing at the Alcott place north of Bartlett. September 10, 1843: FIRST DAY OF BAPTISMS; Hoecken's baptismal records for September 10, 1843 reveal that his baptisms took place during a "family reunion" which the St. Mary Registers show was a routine practice amongst mixed blood Potawatomie living in the Half Breed Farm neighborhood. The following is a list of parents whose children were presented for baptism at Alcott's: CHARLES CHAP de LAIN and his wife _____ Mann. (Maylor Derocher and Josette Wilmet were sponsors....N.B.: Was the mother absent?-- W.F.)) J.P. DEROCHER and wife Josette Wilmet.(Pierre Harnois and Sophie Wilmet were sponsors.) MAYLOR DEROCHER and wife Marie Anna Mehitamgakwe. (Charles Chapdelaine and S. Holcomb were sponsors.) PETER HARNOIS and wife Sally Holcomb. (J. B. Deroscher and Mary Ann Mekitamigokwe were sponsors.) JOSEPH LaFROMBOIS and wife Lucinda. ("Iaco" was sponsor. -- I think this was a person from the Vieux family.--W.F.) PASCAL MILLER and wife Theresa Mamanski.("Iaco" was sponsor.....Pascal Miller is known to have been a member of Waubonsie's band of Indians.) GEORGE MULLINS and his 'sauvagasse'. ("Iaco" was sponsor.) THOMAS WATKINS and wife Therese LaFrombois. ("Iaco" was sponsor.) PARENTS OF THOSE BAPTIZED on September 11,12,13,14, 1843: Sept. 11, 1843: (1) de la Motte and a 'sauvagasse'. (2) Francis Ponsee and a 'sauvagasse'. Sept. 12, 1843: (1) Petra and deceased wife. (2) Edward Loise and Marie. (3) Michael Robidoux and 'sauvagasse". Sept. 13, 1843: (1) Antoine Bruno and a 'sauvagasse'. (2) Alexis Peltier and Josette la French. Sept. 14, 1843: (1) Sidney Smith and Zoe Tremble. (2) Caleb Greenwood and a 'sauvagasse". (3) Attent and Achkum. N.B.: For every baptism on September 11 - 14, J. B. Deroscher and wife Mary Ann Mehitamgokwe acted as sponsors! On September 15, Hoecken was at Fleury's who lived at The Narrows, and again the Derochers were sponsors. In fact, they were Hoecken's traveling companions for his entire return trip down to Kansas. The routine of having a reunion at baptisms was practiced only on September 10; after that date, Hoecken appears to have been going from house to house. This suggests a different custom was in use in the homes of those visited the remaining time of his work -- and why I think these remaining inhabitants of this part of the Half Breed Farms DID NOT SHARE in that routine. Alcott lived just north of Bartlett, so did the other group live around present day Thurman? (I'm betting that those wives 'widowed' by the Mormon Battalion lived at Thurman in the cabins of this group.) Regarding Caleb Greenwood: Kelly and Morgan in their biography of Old Greenwood, page 101, say that they did not know the circumstances of his joining the 1844 Stephens - Townsend - Murphy wagon to California. WELL, since we know that the Murphys lived at Irish Grove, just down the road from The Narrows; and since we know that Hoecken was a strong influence on the Murphy's decision to go to California; and since we know that Hoecken was at Caleb Greenwood's on the 14th of September 1843, we can use presuppositional reasoning to tell ourselves the rest of the story. The records of this wagon train affords us a clue as to the origin of the mother of Caleb's children who were baptized by Hoecken. Caleb told the train that he could act as their guide only to the Rocky Mountains. "Beyond the Rocky Mountains Caleb did not pretend to know anything" (page 102 of the biography). . Batchika, Caleb's wife, must have been from a tribe who lived east of those mountains. -- W.F. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.