Samson Occom, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1756 November 12
Author
Occom, Samson
Date12 November, 1756
ms number756612.3
abstractOccom writes to Wheelock about the concerns for his safety voiced by
the Haudenosaunees he visited the previous Fall. He also notes troubles with
the Delaware
(Lenape) Indians.
handwritingThis does not appear to be in Occom’s handwriting. The
document begins neatly and gets progressively messier and larger.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is heavily damaged,
with a large tear or cut that results in a significant loss of text.
inkBlack
noteworthyThis document is likely a contemporary copy.
Modernized Version
Deletions removed; additions added in;
modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
Bethlem
12th
November 1756 —
Rev and
Honoured Sir/
I have only a moments leisure to hint
that when I returned to my Indians last Fall in
October I was received by them with unfeigned testimonies
of their affectionate Regard and was not only useful
but comfortable among them 'til December after
when to our surprise and great unhappiness we were
much discomforted by the unexpected disaffection of
the neighbouring
Delawares below — My
Indians faith
fully laboured to reduce them to a good Temper
[gap: tear]
cause them to desist their hostilities upon the Sou
[gap: tear][guess: thern] Provinces, where in Conjunction with the Fren
[gap: tear][guess: ch]
affairs of the
Delawares was not like to be com
fortably settled and that they could not advise me
to continue with them in the present state of
Things. For if I should be captivated or killed there
it might be unhappy for them, as it for-
ever deprived them of a Father and a Friend
— If I should be
barbarously murdered among
them or fall into the Hands of my enemies
in any respect, they said that they should
never forget it —
It being only for their Sakes that
I first came into their Country and now
[gap: tear][guess: co]uld have no
other motive to continue among them
[gap: tear] — Besides they
Providence however crossing
which appears
against my returning to my People, they
having sent to me just
before I left
Lake George
desiring my return and
ad
vising me that it was their Opinion
that I might do it safely, I
[illegible]ed
upon and expected before now to be
in their Country at
least had hopes
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