About a fortnight ago I returned from
Portsmouth, in my Journey and Since I have
been in a poor State of health, I found on Trial I had underta
‐ken the long Journey before I had Sufficiently recovered from
the sickness
with which I had been confined for near a month — but God
has helped me hitherto, I this Day
feel more like
Health than
I have for 3. months past —
I visited
Mr. Oliver and desired to See the Letter of that
Board to
Mr. Mauduit of
October 2. before you
sailed
he read it to me I found it So far
as I could remember
the Same in every material article as
you gave
[illegible] —
he declared there was
no expression in it unfavou
‐rable to me, or you or
Mr. Occom, or to the design
which you are upon I asked him for a Copy he consented I Should have one
if
the Board were
willing. he Said it was not drawn by
him but by a clergyman — I waited on
Mr. Pemberto[gap: worn_edge][guess: n]
he readily confessed that he drew it and Said he
designed no hurt to any man's Character, nor any
thing unfavourable to
the
design. which You are upon. I asked him if
I might have a Copy he Said he was willing but would
not
undertake to procure me one. he asked me if there
was anything in it that was not true I told him
I thought there was one or two mistakes but I
chose not
to Speak of them as material for fear it would
prevent my having a Copy —
Mr. Oliver being
now gon
[gap: worn_edge][guess: e] out of Town I left a Letter for him and
the
Board
with
Mr. Peck
desiring that favour
has
since
informed me he had delivered it to
M.r Oliver but
I
have no Copy yet —
their
solemn declaration that there was nothing it it
tending to hurt
the Character of anyone or unfriendly
to your design is very remarkable.
I wrote
Mr. Keen from
Boston
and
enclosed an abstract
of a letter I there received by
David Fowler, from
Mr. Kirt‐‐land informing me of the distress he and his Indians
were in by reason of a great scarcity
of provisions or Famine Among
them — the
[illegible][guess: two] proceeding Crops of Corn
having been cut off by the
frost
and by vermin
[illegible] — and also (which I should have added
by the Pigeons
which have been their chief Dependance at that
season of the Year
almost wholly leaving those parts.
—
last week received a Letter from
him advising that
David
Fowler had arrived
safe with the money I sent him — he also informed
me that he had lately been with
Sir William Johnson who informed him that
Mr. Forbes of
Brookfield
had
been with him in the name of
the board at Boston
desiring his assistance in Setting up a School upon
my Plan
Sir
William told him that one School was
enough
for these parts — that he perceived it
was a party design
therefore he should
show
it no countenance, nor assist him in getting
Boys from
Onaquaga as they desired —
nor would he so much as write them an answer
to their Letter.—
Mr. Kirtland proposes to Me his coming down
with two of the chiefs of that Tribe this fall
to make application
to Our
General
Assembly for their
assistance — in Setting up
husbandry among
them, by providing them Teams, Carts, plows etc. I have encou‐
raged the proposal and hope we shall find the Temper of the
Government Such that we Shall not pray in vain. So
far
as I can learn the credit of the design is yet rising in this and
the Neighbouring Colonies. I have had many testimonials of it
of late from Several leading
Gentlemen in
New York, and Several of
our assembly have told me they thought I
could obtain my favor that I could
reasonably
ask for of them— this is all the Lords doings my dear brother
frequent Reports from the Indian Country last winter
and Spring that a Number of missionaries
and
schoolmasters
were Soon Expected from home viz. in the March
April and may packet,
to Supply all the vacancies among the
6
Nations. And various Several
accounts in the public Prints to the same purpose eg. that nine
were ordained at
Chappel Royal for that purpose. together
with many insinuations that
Sir William was not cordial towards
the design of Supplying them from hence, determined me that it
was not
best
to make any addition to those
who were then in that country (viz
Mr. Kirtland
3 schoolmasters
and an Interpreter) 'til I could know further of the Truth of those
Reports etc. — About 6 weeks ago
Col. Phelps told me he sent
one of those Nine gentlemen
who were
ordained at
Chappel Royal who was
come as missionary.
in
western
part of
this Government
I have forgotten his name who assured
him he heard nothing of their
mission to the Indians, and be‐
lieved there was no truth in the Report — I therefore
thought it necessary
to Send
my Son to discourse
Sir William fully upon the head and
and know the Bottom of his Heart, and engage
and Secure his friendship
to
and patronage of of the Affair if possible and accordingly to conduct himself in collecting
and Setting up the Schools
which have been neglected the
last
season
and endeavour to penetrate further among the Savages than
any Schools have yet been Set up. Accordingly
my Son
set out yesterday
accompanied by
Augustine Hebard one of my English Pupils. and whom
I have thoughts of employing with Several Indian Youths, if Schools
Shall be opened for them the
ensuing
Winter etc. — as Soon as
may be after
my Son)
returns you will hear further of the Affair — The Report of Your
great success in
England renders it an unfavourable
Time to beg
here until it can be known what is wanted. I have heard
Nothing from
England Since
March 23rd however I expect soon
to be advised what I may Send for and then I Shall be better able to fix
upon a Plan — the Affair I think looks in
general very encouraging
— I have a prospect of obtaining the
Rev.
Ebenezer Cleveland of
Cape Ann to accompany
Mr. Brainerd to
the Ohio
next Spring
I discoursed him on that Head in my Journey he manifested great
Inclination to it, and I expect to be determined as Soon as he
Returns from the Tour which he was had thoughts of making soon to the
Indians at St. John's whereat they informed me at
Newbury, there is great
Appearance
of Religious Concern in Numbers —
Mr. Cleveland has
a Daughter lately married
to a man who
[illegible][guess: coasts] from
Cape Ann to
Philadelphia
which is a favourable, circum‐
stance in
Mr. Clevelands undertaking as it may Save much expense
in journeying
besides the comfort and
assistance he may have from such
situation of his Children so near him —
I enclose a Copy of
Mr. Olivers Letter to me,
and one of mine to that
Board which they refer to in his.
Mr. Kirtland in a Letter lately received dated at
fort Stanwix
June 17. last writes "I came here yesterday by the
desire
of the
Commander Lieutenant Aylmer who is about leaving this
post, which he informs me is to be abandoned — this Officer
has been exceeding kind to me
— as has also the Captain of the
artillery — The abandoning of this post I suspect will be of
bad consequence — the Indians will insist upon the Carrying
place, and allow no white person
[gap: stain]to reside upon the Ground. You
may easily
guess how the
[illegible][guess: sallow] men will agree with them when
there is rum plenty I dont Expect any will remove here but the
of
[illegible][guess: scouring] of
the
Oneida
Oriskany Indians — None unacquainted
with my Situation can
conceive the expense
that will be necessary
to a moderate of any ways comfortable Living here —
Seldom a wild fowl or beast is killed under 70. miles —
good
good fishing
not under 70. or 80. — Transportation of provisions from
the Settlements very changeable —. no water carriage nearer
than
20 miles unless I cross this carrying place enter
wood Creek
and then 60 or 70
miles bring me within 5 of the Indian Village. if it cost
Mr.
Moseley £100 sterling at
Onaquaga a £150. wont Support me here for the
first two or three years and adds "that he is almost worn out with
labor
and fatigue and find his constitution. demands a fuller supper
than he has had
that
the Indians are too poor to
do anything for him — and besides it would hurt the cause at present
to desire it — as they are just waking up to cultivate their Lands for
their own Support
Some of the
Neighbouring Town come to attend his preaching —etc. &c
your Son
and
Mr.Occoms with me are well, and behave to my good
satisfaction, your Families are both well as usual, your people in
ſtatuû quo
[illegible][guess: have] a thousand things to impart when
God Shall mercifully grant us the
favourable Interview, which are too long to write. the Lord be with
you my
dear
brother
and
dear
Mr. Occom. I hope you. both live upon God
and find
[illegible][guess: him]
to be
your Sweet hiding
and
resting place amidst a thousand Temptations. Miserable
indeed would my case be, if I had not such a place of Retreat. Oh!
blessed Shelter in a Stormy world,
Mr. Occoms
Father Fowler has
near lost his eyesight,
Jacob has been with him Sometime.
I
have Sent for
David to come and take care
of him, and
design
to send
Jacob up
his, or another School, as Shall appear
best
when
my son returns.
Davids wife is not well content with the
hardships of the
wilderness. it may be
David may get a School
in
Long Island while
his Father needs his care of him. You are
both always
upon my Heart, and I have peace and
quietness in
Leaving you, and
the
great Affair you are engaged in, with
the
great
governor
of all thing, who
does all things well, quite well—