Cyrus Kingsbury (November 22, 1786 – June 27, 1870) was a Christian missionary active among the American Indians in the nineteenth century.
He first worked with the Cherokee and founded Brainerd Mission near Chickamauga, Tennessee, later he served the Choctaw of Mississippi.
It is not clear when and how she would meet Cyrus Kingsbury, but evidently the event occurred and a strong attraction ensued.
Although he wanted to return to New England for the wedding, the church would not allow him to leave his post in Mississippi for a long enough time.
Sarah made the long, arduous ocean voyage unaccompanied from her parental home, while Cyrus came from Tennessee on horseback.
After the ceremony, Cyrus and Sarah made the 200 miles (320 km) trip back to Brainerd on horseback, spending their nights camping out and cooking their food over open fires.
[1][3] In 1818, Kingsbury was sent to Mississippi by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and assigned to minister to the Choctaw Nation that lived there.
[d] Kingsbury selected a site on the Yazoo River, about 400 miles (640 km) southwest of Brainerd.
[6] In 1820, Kingsbury chose a location in the northeastern part of present-day Oktibbeha County, Mississippi that he deemed a suitable site for another mission.
In that year, the Choctaws at Mayhew Mission began their arduous trek to their new homeland in Indian Territory.
[7] [f] Cyrus Kingsbury was one of four Mayhew missionaries credited with founding the First Presbyterian Church of Columbus, Mississippi in May, 1829.
[11] As political unrest increased throughout the country, officials of the various missionary groups realized that Indian Territory could easily divide over the issue of slavery.