A few days after the Date of
John Shattocks Letter to me, (on this Sheet, the Other Side,) I re
ceivd it; with a Postſcript, earnestly requesting me to
Send
you a
Copy corrected,
with to the Rev
d
Doct
r
Wheelock, with a view
that, if it came in the Doctors
way, he might communicat
[illegible]e an Acc.
t of
Johns
Death
to
Mr
Mebury in
Edingborouh
& to
Mr
Cummin in
London. — Accordingly, to Oblige my Friend
^[left]x [illegible][guess: Mr
ſhattok]/^
John
^x^, I have transcribd his Letter, Verbatim, except
ing a very few
words, to help y.
e
Senſe a little. —
This young Man whoſe death we Speak of, was a ve
ry Serious, honest, faithfull man, as I have reaſon to think.
I employd him 4 months a Schoolmaster to y.
e Indian
Children at
Stonington,
in the
Honle
Commiſsiones Ser
vice: and he greatly recommended himſelf, as a
master, to me & the Indians. But he began to lan
guiſh, with the Conſumption, (of which he died,) before
he left us. — As to his religious
Sentiments, touch
ing the
[illegible][guess: outwd] Form of worſhip, I suppoſe they were
Something of the
Separate way: but his
life was very
Short, after his publick, profeſsion — He might have
seen Cauſe to correct Somethings, had he livd: but as
above, I verily believe him to be Sincere & honest hearted.
His [illegible]Dying Exhortation to his
Father,"To be faithfull to "Souls," may need Explanation; in that, by it, Strangers might
think his Father a minister of ye Gospel, or, at leaſt, a public Teacher: whereas he is only one that takes Liberty, in the
Indian way, to exhort frequently, & has sometimes gone out to hold meetings &c: when it might be much better, & more proper, for him & many others, if they were more Swift to hear & Slow to Speak.
But My Dear Sir,
Which way shall theſe Lines reach
you? Where will they find you? How is it with you &
your Dear wife
& Children, in your new world? Can I hope
ever to See you again, while travelling
thro' this weary
land? I ardently long for an Interview.
[illegible] Pray write me,
if tis but Six Lines — Twill be
as
good news from a far
Country. — I have neither Time nor room now to Say
more, than that my only Child,
Daugh.r Noyes
& her 3 Sons
all she has living, are with us This Wenter — In a meaſure of Health—
My Dear Love to you & your Dear Ones— Sincerely yours
Joseph
Fish
I now acquaint you, that on y.
e
21.st Instant,
my Son
John departed this Life, about 4 o'Clock in y.
e morning.— A heavy Stroke from y.
e Divine hand! how
ever, I have Conſolation mingled with my Sorrow,— I'm
not left to mourn as one that mourns
without hope.
[illegible] He departed in the Triumphs of faith. So that I
have
no reaſon but to think, that my Loſs is his gain. —
He was buried decently on
y.e
22.d —
His last words were as follows — After enquiring the time of Night, he Said, "I have but a few minutes "to Stay with
you. Death has loſt its Sting, & the Grave "its Victory — Father, hold out to the end — Be faithfull "to Souls — be faithfull unto Death." — His Speech by this time faild, So that I underſtood no more he Said. —
In his Sickneſs he often expreſsd great kindneſs for
his Instructors, and held himſelf under the Strongest Obli
gations of Gratitude, to
the Divine hand, as the efficient
cauſe, and to the Rev
d
Doct
r
Wheelock, as the
prin
cipal Instrument of his acquaintance with Gods
word
and was very deſirous to See him, in the time of his Ill
neſs, and I should have sent for the Doctor, had not the
Distance been too
great.—
God has bleſs'd me with Twelve Children, and has calld
Nine of them out of the world. I have no reaſon to
think but they are all at reſt,— Six of them dying in
their Infancy.— My son
Peter was 25 years old, — a Pro
feſsor, and, in a judgement of Charity,
[gap: hole][guess: a real] Saint.
Tobias was 26 years of age,
when he departed this Life. He
was educated at Doctor
Wheelocks
School, and was a
man
remarkable for piety.—
John, whom we
have
just parted with, was in his 24.
th year. —
A few days ago I rec.
d a Letter from the Rev.
d
M.
r
Fish of
Stoningtown dated
Jan.y 30. 1771. inform.
g me of the Death
of
John Shattock
the Indian who was sick & was doubtleſs saving
ly converted to Christ at your house. But by what
means
M.r Fish'es Letter was so long delay'd I cant tell. I han't time to
give you the full Acco.
t he appear'd to be a real &
^a^ growing Saint
I have often heard him speak of your kindneſs with a Grati
tude remarkable for one of that Nation,
before I removed
here into this wilderneſs which is about 200 miles from the Indian town
where he died. And as
M.r Fish informs me his father expressed a
desire that I should
send you the Acco.
t of his Son's Death, I will
trans
mitcribe the Letter in which he
gives the Acco.
t of it, to the
Rev
d
M.r Fish. — see the Letter on foregoing page —
//
The foregoing is a true Copy, excepting
M.r Fish says
he alter'd a few words only to mend the Grammer. The expreſsion
to his father,
be faithful to Souls, may need
explanation. viz.
t his
father is not a minister as a stranger may naturally think from
that expreſsion, but a zealous Christain who is forward to labor
[gap: tear] the good of Souls in a more private way. I esteem the loſs to
[gap: tear] tribe to be very great, & it seems to spread a malancholy
gloom upon the general design that so man
[gap: hole][guess: y] of the most
likely & promising which I have educated are
[gap: tear][guess: re]moved. But
God's way is in the Sea. I order'd a narrative to be inclosed
to you some months ago but fearing it has failed I have
order'd the bearer of this to inclose another at
Hartford in
Connecticut
& direct them to the care of
M.r
Jon.o Mason of
Boston.
to
whose care you may also direct yours to me. I am here in
the wilderneſs continually crouded with busineſs. my proſpects
are very encouraging. God has been with us of a truth. And
has caused
much of his Goodneſs to paſs before us. I have
a sweet nest of Christains I trust in this nursary, which is
& has been the soveran solace God has afforded to balance
the malancholy things you will read in my narrative.
I write now in utmost haste, have detain'd the Bearer
while I do it.
please accept sincerest
Reſpects to your=self &
Lady from Dear ſir,
Your unknown but aſsured
Friend & humble Serv.t
Eleazar Wheelock
From Rev.
d
Jos.
Fiſh
Jany 30. 1771.
Rec.
d
Octr 8. 1771.