Author
Cleveland, Ebenezer
Date18 October, 1768
ms number768568.1
abstractCleveland reports on the Indian Congress at Fort Stanwix.
handwritingThe document is written in Wheelock’s hand; it is informal,
small and cramped. The signature appears to be in Cleveland's hand.
paperLarge single sheet is in poor condition, with heavy staining,
creasing and wear that results in some loss of text. There is also damage
from
remnants of tape along both sides and the bottom. There is some tape remaining
on
the central horizontal crease.
inkBlack ink is faded in spots.
noteworthyThis document is possibly a copy or draft.
Modernized Version
Deletions removed; additions added in;
modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
Lebanon
October 18. 1768
In pursuance of a Commission
and orders received
from the Rev.
Dr. Wheelock I set out with Mr.
Allyn Mather on a
Tour to wait upon the
honorable
Sir William Johnson Baronet Superintendent of
Indian affairs in
North America, and their Excellencies the governors of the
Several Provinces concerned in the business of the congress of the Several Tribes
here
Convened by
Sir
Williams Order at
Fort Stanwix,
with a Memorial to the
said Governors from
Dr. Wheelock in favour of the design of Introdu‐
‐cing missionaries
and Schoolmasters among their Remote Tribes. etc.
We arrived at
Fort Stanwix
October 25. and found the
Six Nations; Some
Delawares,
Shawnees, and Some from
Kahnawake
and others to the Number of
3120. Condolation of their loss of a Number of their Chief men,
and mutual Speeches and Belts of Peace to Strengthen and brighten the chain of friendship,
which was the business of two Days, being past. I Soon found the Attention of the
chiefs to the business of the congress, was Such, as forbid any treaty with them publicly on matters of Religion,
'til
that was finished. I continued eleven days and conversed with Numbers and
made Several observations on the great difficulties and
embarrassments in the
way to the
Christianizing them. 1. Such a long custom
in their Savage
practices — as
has made them even a second Nature and Such attachment to them as nothing but
the Power of Divine Grace can alter. — 2. their Manner of living being Such as
Naturally creates and promotes in them an insatiable
thirst for Strong Drink. So that
the Nearer they live to
their almost Heathen European
neighbors
and the more
their Traders deal among them the worse and more Wretched they are made
and unless this evil can be remedied they must continue to waste away as the
Dew before the rising Sun.
3. The Generality of Their nearest
European
neighbors appearing to be far from any desire to promote
true Religion
or So much as civilization among them, their Traders continually
preying upon
them, and some Gentlemen of Character who treat with them upon important Secular
affairs, and whose Examples are most likely to influence them, being Irreligious
etc.
etc. gives them
a bad Idea of the people who profess the knowledge of the True God, and naturally
Settles them in a better opinion of their paganism which has not So much Debauchery
in it — and in an abhorrence of the christian Religion.
4. The Tribes who live nearest
and
most
exposed to Europeans being , much the
most corrupted thereby
greatly
increases the Prejudices of remoter
Tribes
who have not
understanding enough and scarcely opportunity
if they had. to distinguish between those who are truly religious and Such
as may hardly deserve
the christian Name.—
Sir William Johnson told me that
Some of the chiefs with Whom he conversed
on the Head objected
that the
Mohawks
who are Surrounded by Such white people who have had the Gospel preached to them more than Others were made
worse by it, and that they themselves were waiting to See a better Effect before
they would
receive the Gospel.
But on the Other hand there were Some things
which appeared not a little
encouraging. 1. that the
Oneidas to Whom the Gospel has been successfully
preached
encamped by themselves and looked behaved and
talked like Christians, excepting a few of them
their air, and Temper was modest, kind, humble etc.
insomuch that Strangers took notice
of it, a Number of them appeared much grieved and their Souls vexed
on account of the
wickedness
that was committed round about them. I discoursed with a Number of them
of the things of Religion, and they seemed glad of the Opportunity, and appeared to be
truly and genuinely Affected with the Same. Which
I thought abundantly
com‐
pensated all
the labor
and
expense
we thereto
bestowed for them.—
2. By private conversation with the chiefs of Several Tribes they appeared willing to
have missionaries
and
schoolmasters come among them. And chose that they
Should come upon their Ground in order
to Settle the Affair of their Receiving them, as the
business of the
congress would not allow them to consult
and deliberat
[gap: tear][guess: e]
[gap: tear] it at that Time. Towards the close of the
congress
Mr. Kir[gap: tear][guess: tland]
[gap: tear][guess: Chr]istian Indians received him with all possible
expressions of Joy. his
[gap: tear]
The
Seneca General who had behaved himself well in the congress, seemed much animated by
his coming and Solicited him, as did others of
the Senecas to visit that Tribe again. —
I also Saw one from
[illegible][guess: Kahnawake] near
Montreal,
who desired to know if he could
get his Son into
Dr. Wheelocks School, and manifested a great desire to Send him
I told him there was talk of
the
School's going to
Coos. he Said if it should
be fixed there he believed that many of that Tribe would Send their children to it.
— while the business of The congress
lasted Rum was withheld, and moderation
harmony and decency was maintained through the whole. The whole was conducted
with great Deliberation and great care taken
that all parties should be mutually understood
when the business of the congress was Ended before the
Rum was given out to them
Sir William Johnson
and his Family removed in the Night and advised that it was
safest for all the
English to remove as Soon as they could which they accordingly
did. I tarried 'til about 10' o'clock in the morning it being Sabbath Day when the Rum had been
delivered out
not more than two hours, in consequence of which I beheld a Scene too
awful
and horrid to describe. the Whole street
and place of Parade was filled with
drunkenness nothing to be heard or Seen but hollering Yelling and fighting as though
hell itself had broke loose, in which we heard that four were killed before we came
away and in this
the Mohawks were not behind any of their Brethren — here the behavior of the few Sober and godly persons among them did
in the strangest Light exemplify those metaphors used for Such a purpose viz. as the Apple Tree among the
Trees of the wood etc.: as the lily among Thorns — as Sheep Among Wolves. etc.
and they Separated themselves from among them as fast as they could. — this Scene as it
was no more than
is common upon Such occasions. led me to the pleasing
con‐
sideration
3. that they had in this congress alienated Such a large Body of their Lands that
they would not likely have
the like occasion
for a congress for many Years to come, and
the
Mohawks who were the worst of the Tribes, will likely never have another occasion
as
all the Lands they can Spare are now gone. The Lands they Sold (as I was informed) was about
800 miles in Length and 100 in breadth.
The Religious Indians of
Kanawalohale
seemed much afraid that great mischief
would be done to them by the Tribes who were to
return through that Town.—
Upon the whole it fully
appeared that Whoever engages in the Work of Christ‐
ianizing them have to encounter not only
perils from the heathen but perils
from false Brethren, and Such obstinate prejudices, and mountainous Difficulties
as that the Remnant that are Saved will commonly appear to be
Brands plucked
out of the Burning.
Sir
William
Johnson renewed
his
testimonials of
friendship to the design
and his promise to countenance and Suitably encourage all Such missionaries and
schoolmasters as
Dr. Wheelock Shall See fit to Send among them.
The foregoing is a faithful
representation of matters there Related, according
to My understanding and apprehension of the Same in testimony Whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand this 21 Day of November 1768.