Jacob Johnson, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1768 October 10
Date10 October, 1768
ms number768560.2
abstractJohnson writes that a number of wealthy men have come to the congress and are enticing the Indians into selling their lands. Johnson has been going among the Indians trying to keep them from selling.
handwritingInformal handwriting is occasionally difficult to decipher.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good-to-fair condition, with moderate creasing, staining and wear.
inkBrown-black.
signatureThe signature is abbreviated.
Persistent Identifier
I have been at Onoida
Caſtle—nowhere— —Have waited on ſr w.m
& other gentlemen— —of which I cannot now write— But onely
aſſure you that things are in a moſt critical
Scituation yea wear a very threatning
aſpect However Speciouſly
coverd
&
conceald— the Sum of the matter is—"that antecedent to aſcer‐ taining the Boundaries & Lines betwix the Indn
& British claims a number of Great & wealthy
Genteelmen from New York
Penſylvania
Jerſey
&
Virginea Have brought a Great sum of Gold &
ſilver with numbers of Bat[illegible][guess: eaus][illegible][guess: oas] of Blankets & other goods in order to decoy & prevail with the
Onoida
& other Indns to ſell their Lands from
Fort ſtanwix to the Lakes Ontairo
&c thence in a Line down to the alleganey Ohio
ſo down to [illegible] or near to Fort Pitt
&c the which if they
accompliſh as you sir muſt know the Principal
deſign or deſigns of this Project ſo
muſt know what will be the event as to your Schools &
^deſigns of^
prope‐ gation of the Gospel among the Ind^ns^— Being
Senſible of this (tho' kept as a profound Secret by the Projectors & managers of it) we have more privately conſulted the Two Caſtles of the onoidas
in order to aprize them of this deſign
& if poſsible to fix them in an unchangible
reſolution
& determina‐ tion upon no conſideration to part with their Lands but Hold them as their Birth Rights the great
Parent of all things has given them with all
ſhewing them the moſt dangerous conſequences
& with many arguments from fact as well as Reaſon —But y[illegible]et after all we are not
without a great deal of fear the Ind.ns will be overcome
& made a ſacrifice to the ambition & avarice of
theſe great Head plotters & Heart Haters of the Spread of the pure Gospel of Jeſus
chriſt—upon
the a whole view of the Caſe
&
ſtate of things here (a contract Specimen of which I have given) we
tho't
beſt to ſend an expreſs to you ſr that you may know what is doing & politically moveing to be done that you may [illegible][guess: kn] lay it before the great Counſeller as we have done in the beſt manner we could & daily do— As alſo in ſuch a a weighty &
moſt concerning affair that you woud if you think expedient Send your beſt
adviſe and that the Revd
Mr kirtland would come up if his health will
admit & you think adviſable—all which may poſsibly be done before the concluſion of the Congreſs which will not likely be deſolvd in 3 or 4 weeks from the date herof—
I am ſr yrs in all things for Chriſts
ſake this Cauſe
J.
Johnſon—
P. S. Joſeph may ſtay with you (if you think fit) till further adviſe
we
we may herafter give you an acc't of the whole series of things but now onely hint at them as they are as it were in Embroyo—
I Shall continue to wait on the Congreſs
& if oppertunity
preſents send you further
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