Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Samuel Mather, 1761 February 3

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date3 February, 1761

Call Number761153

abstractWheelock writes to clarify that he will be educating Indian youths for the purpose of sending them on missions. He mentions Occom’s plan for a mission to the Oneidas.

paperPaper is in good condition, and reinforced along central crease.

EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas

Persistent Identifier

Rev.d Sir.
Yours of Dec.r 15. in the Name and Behalf of the
Comiſsrs from the Hon.le Society in Scotland, has given
me much Satiſfaction; and opens the moſt encouraging Proſ­
­pect, that ſomething will now be done more effectually than
ever to carry the Gospel among the periſhing Pagans of our
American Wilderneſs.
I cant but rejoyce greatly that, that Honour.le Society
Whose pious Zeal to inlarge and Advance the Kingdom of the
Redeemer, at Home and Abroad, has been ſo remarkably ownd &
bleſsed of God in your paſt do now lay to Heart the piteous
State of the vaſt swarms in this Land who are periſhing for lack
of viſion, I think that, this, together with many other favourable
Occurrances of divine Providence of Late give much reaſon to
hope that the Day of Gods great Mercy towards those wretched
Creatures, is now near at Hand, and Should encourage us to
pray & Endeavor more Abundantly for it.
You ſay in Yours ‟The Com̅iſs.rs approve of the Deſign of inſtructg
y.e Youth of the Weſtern Nation of Indians.” &c from which Expreſ
­ſion I ſuſpect the Hon.le Com̅iſs.rs have ſomewhat miſtaken our
view, in taking Several of the Near Tribes into this ſchool. and
therefore would Inform them, that we have taken none into this School
but with a view to a Diſtant Miſsion. excepting Woyboy (now in
The Com̅iſs.rs pay in y.e ſchool at ſtonington, and the Sachems Son of
whom I wrote to them. and we have that, that, conſidering the little
Difficulty in their Learning one anothers Languages — the Opportunity illegible
they will have for that in the School — the great advantage we
are under to choſe those that are promiſing among these beyond what
we are or can be at preſent among those who are remote from us —
— the Tendency of it, and the ſpecial advantages we may have by it,
to remove the Prejudices from the minds of the ſavages which they have
imbibed againſt the Engliſh through Jeſuitical Influence &c I may do
very well, at leaſt in the Infancy of the affair, to have ſome from among
these Tribes.
I expected that the Rev.d Meſsrs Pomeroy & Brainerd with the aſ­
­siſtance of ſome other Gentlemen, when they were Chaptains together
the year before laſt, would have procured two Mohawke Boys
for this purpose but by means of several Diſapointments, #
[left]Their miſsing an opportunity with Gen.l Johnſon
was the Principle.

Sickneſs, and the Failure of a Letter they faild of it.
The Rev. M.r Oglevie of Albany laſt year (at M.r Pomeroys
Deſire) promiſed me his Aſiſstance for this Purpose. And he is
doubtleſs under good Advantage to aſsiſt therein by Reaſon of
his Miſsion Among them. But he is now at Mont­Real.
I have also diſcourſed Cap.t Lanſon of Albany who is
now in Connecticut and he will cheirfully undertake to conſult
Sir Will.m Johnſon and by his Advice and Help procure
two as likely Boys as he can and Send them to me. But
a fairer Door for the Purpose, as I apprehend is, than
either of these is now within a few Days, opened.
M.r Occom as I am informed by a Letter from him and
another from M.r Buell, is going early next ſpring, on
a Miſsion to the Oneida Indians, in complyance with
the Deſire and by Appointment of a Number of Miniſters
at the westward. (I Suppose the corriſpondent Com̅rs [below] becauſe
becauſe M.r Boſtwick's Name is mentioned as one
of the Miniſters who write to him. and who is their
Preſid.t) M.r Occom earneſtly deſires that David
Fowler
one of my Indian Schollars, & who is Brother
in Law to him, and a very promiſing youth Indeed,
may Accompany him 4. or 5. months in that Buſineſs —
but I am not yet determined what will be beſt. he
is now 20 years old and I am loth he ſhould be ſolong
diverted from his Studies. And yet there are conſidera­
tions on the Other hand, which I don't know but may be
Eſteemed more weighty. however by him (or them if
David goes) we may likely be Served in this Matter
as well as we can expect to be at preſent. Indeed there
Seems now to be scarce anything wanting to the
greateſt humane Probability of the Swift Progreſs
of this great Deſign, but the money to Support it.
I hope the Example of the Hon.le Commiſs.rs will have
the happy Influence upon Multitudes to move
them to Liberality upon this moſt inviting occaſion
I am with Sincere Reſpect Rev.d ſir. Your unworthy Brother
 and Humble Servt
 Eleazr Wheelock
Letter to The Revd
M.r Sam.l Mather
Feby. 3. 1761.
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