Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Moses Peck, 1766 November 5

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date5 November, 1766

ms number766605.3

abstractWheelock writes, for possible publication, to correct assertions made by the New England Company about its relationship to, and support of, Occom.

handwritingHandwriting is not Wheelock's. It is small, somewhat scrawling and frequently difficult to decipher. The trailer is in a different, unknown hand.

paperLarge single sheet is in fair-to-poor condition, with moderate-to-heavy staining, creasing and wear that results in some loss of text.

inkDark-brown ink bleeds through paper, but is washed out in spots.

noteworthyAs is marked on one verso, this document is a copy. The contents are nearly identical to those of manuscript 766605.2

EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas, Occom leaves his studies, Occom’s Mission to the Montauketts, Occom’s Ordination, Fundraising Tour of Great Britain

Persistent Identifier
Sir.
I am favouered with a Copy of Mr Whitakers Letter to you. and by that I have an acco.t of Mr Olivers Letter to Gov.r Mouduit. and it Seems a Little Strange that the Honle Board in whose name he wrote So long accounted Mr Occum to be in their pay, and yet after all Should make So many miſtakes in their Hyſtory of him, and that too when it is the Reſult of a meeting, and deſianed as their Teſtimony of Facts, Sent to the Honle Society in London to certify them So circumſtantially, as that they might not be imposed upon by Deceivers. Som defects in their Narrative may be Seen by compairing the following par==ticulars with what they Aſsert —
  • 1.Mr Occum (as well as many Other of that Tribe) was undoubtedly a pagan 'till he was about Sixteen years old. and had never So much as heard that there was Such a parson as Jesus Christ.
  • 2.none ever Said any thing to me about taking M.r Occum under my Inſtruction, or was ever any way moving in that matter. that I ever knew of. but his Mother, before he Came to live with me upon Trial.
  • 3.Mr Pomeroy never had any Concern, but onely as a friend when my Fam=ily ware unable to bare the Bu[gap: tear][guess: rden] of the School, by Reason of Sickneſs, he did at my deſire take the School, with my son in Law (M.r Moltby) the maſter of it to his Houſe, where it Continued, as I Remember the biggger part of a year, but he Depended upon me to Support Mr Occum, and it was at my Riſque as much as ever. —
  • 4.Mr Occum had been long confind by Sore Sickneſs before he Came to me, and was then, and all the time he was with me a low State of health, tho' in in the Main mending, till he went from me, to Serve them as School Maſter & publick Teatcher at Montauck, on Long Iſland, and he was in as Good State of Health when he went away as I ever knew [illegible][guess: him] to be. and it was by the Importunity of Mr Horton Miſsy of the Honle Society in Scotland, that I was parſwaded to let Mr Occom go to his place there.
  • 5.Mr Occum after he had Some time officiated as a Preacher there, was Ordained By the Preſbytery of Suffolk County on S.d Island, and Still continues to be a mem==ber of the Same.
  • 6.The Miniſters of this Government had no hand in Sending Mr Occum on his first Miſsion to the Six Nations. See the acco.t of that in Mr Boſtwicks Letter to the Precſes of Derectory &c printed at the End of M.r Randals Sarmon before the Society in Scotland Jan.y 3. 1763.—
  • 7.Mr Occum was as much in the pay of the Boſton Com̅iſsrs before the New York Com̅iſsrs Sent Him on there Miſsion as he was after words So far I ever knew and his Circumſtances was as needy 'till he was Relieved by that publick Contribution at New York as ever I know them to be, nor did I ever underſtand that the New York Com̅iſsrs ever asked the conſent of the Boſton Board to Send him.
  • 8.the Boſton Comm̅iſsrs paid onely part of his debts when Application was made to them after his Return from that Miſsion. —
  • 9.He Could not have Continud in their Service nor in any other, if he had Receivd no Other Support but that which he had from them.
  • 10.As to the Report that he was a Mohook &c and that large Contributions were Made Me on y.t Acc.t I have never Yet heard that their [illegible][guess: has] been Such A Report in this Country, but Onely what has Come from the Aforeſ.d Com̅iſsrs and how a report that he was a Mohock &c Came to be publiſhd in England and Tranſmited here In the public prints, I Can Only gueſs—
as to their Reſigning him to Me and puti[gap: hole][guess: ng] him out of there Hands, When they had him in their Service as well as pay, Only on My lelling th[gap: hole][guess: em] I Could imploy him better Abund==antly evidences their high Esteem of My Goo[gap: tear][guess: d] Judgment and fidelity, at least before I So unhapiely crackd my Credit, by Declaring publickly in the moſt populous Towns in that and the neighbouring Governments that he was a Mohock lately Emergent out of Groſs Paganiſm &c in Order to git large Contr=butions for this School.  These
These Hints So far as I know are true. and I th'ot proper you Should have them, and make Such Improvement of them as Your Prudence Shall direct. and if you think it neceſsary you may pudbliſh them or any part of them, though I Confeſs the entring into publick Quarrel with those Gentlemen is So unnnatural and incongrous to the Deſign of building up and Inlarging the peecible Kingdom of Christ which we all profeſs to have in view, that I Exceedingly Dread it, if the Glory of God and the Intereſts of the Redeemers Cause Dont evidently require it —
a Copy.
Mr Pecks Coppy of mr Wheelocks Letter in anſwer to my Coppy of [gap: stain][guess: mr ] olliver 's letter
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