Yours of 8th 8th April la&slong;t last came to hand July 17th 17th and the next Day I had unexpectedly an opportunity to make an An&slong;wer answer it by Mr Mr. Blake which I hope you have or will &slong;oon soon Receive — and I also inclo&slong;ed enclosed a Narrative of the Ri&slong;e rise Progre&slong;s progress &c etc. of this School with a proposal of a Plan proposed for the more Succe&slong;sfully successfully Pro&slong;ecuting prosecuting of the I was glad grand De&slong;ign design . — I also inform'd informed you of ye the ordination & and Mi&slong;sion mission of M.r Mr. Charles Jeffery Smith, who has in­li&slong;ted enlisted in this the Warfare at his own Charges, de&slong;igning designing by divine Leave to devote him&slong;elf himself and a plentiful Fortune to the Service of the Redeemers Kingdom in that Capacity of a Mi&slong;sionary missionary — and I am now able to Inform you that he went near to the Oniyada Oneida Lake and preached in Several Places to the Indians who appeared much affected; and well di&slong;posed disposed towards him, and Sincerely very de&slong;irous desirous of his continuing Among them But the a Reports of the Approach of the Enemy viz. an Army of the Nations who are combining again&slong;t against the Engli&slong;h English , approaching near The apprehension of Danger, and the great Ruffle & and fright the Indians were put into de­ termined him it was his duty to return nor could they and they could not advi&slong;e advise him that it was Safe for him to continue with them, he left them many Some of them in Tears, earne&slong;tly earnestly de&slong;iring desiring his Return to them again as &slong;oon soon as the war is &slong;hould should be over — M.r Mr. Occom also, returned apprehending it was by in no mea&slong;ure measure Safe for him to continue with them also M.r Mr. A&slong;hpo Ashpo from this School whom I informed You had been Examined & and Approved by a Comtee committee of Mini&slong;ters ministers appointed by y.e the Convention at our Gen.l General Election in this Government, went out on his proposed Mi&slong;sion mission to Jeningo Chenango and Se&slong;quaana Susquehanna River and continued with them 10 Dayswith them, and preachd preached every Day they appeared much affected came with Eagerne&slong;s eagerness to hear him and appeared much affected and the Pro&slong;pect prospect appear­ed very Encouraging — but Such was the Ruffle, and fear they were in, apprehending their &slong;elves selves Lives in Danger both from the Nations back of them, and also from the Engli&slong;h English who would be put to it not be able to Di&slong;tingui&slong;h distinguish their Enemies from their Friends — and the more afraid as the Engli&slong;h English had then lately kill'd killed three of their people who were and have been (as they &slong;aid said ) all along fa&slong;t fast in the Engli&slong;h English Interest as they were abroad on their De&slong;ign design &slong;ome some of their Ramble — A&slong;hpo Ashpo apprehending the Danger great Left them. (as had done also the Mi&slong;srs missionaries among them from your Corri&slong;pondts Correspondents at in Bo&slong;ton Boston near two months before) — he returned about a fortnight ago, and De&slong;igns designs to go again next Spring. — The Pro&slong;pect prospect of Succe&slong;s success is at pre&slong;ent present is as incouraging encouraging in those parts as perhaps any where anywhere and in any part at all. — but by means of this Rupture every thing attempt both by Engli&slong;h English & and Indian Mi&slong;sionaries missionaries mu&slong;t must be Su&slong;pended suspended for the Pre&slong;ent present — I hope it may be tho't thought &slong;afe safe for the Indian Mi&slong;sionaries missionaries to go again next Spring. — e&slong;pecially especially if the Engli&slong;h English in the Several Governments &slong;hall shall be forehand Sutably suitably notified of it beforehand &slong;o so as not to E&slong;teem esteem them Enemies and Traytors traitors if they Should be found among tho&slong;e those who are our Enemies. I dont pretend attempt to give you acco.t account of the Ho&slong;tilites hostilities and Butcheries they have committed of Late Supposing you to have had public & and authentic accots accounts of it be thereof before now. This Rupture has occa&slong;ioned occasioned rai&slong;ed raised Such a Spirit Temper in great numbers of our people that they Seem Di&slong;posed disposed to contribute nothing but Powder & and Ball to them and there for therefore it is tho't thought prudent that the Brief I Obtained of this Gov.t Government in Fav.r favour of this School Should be &slong;u&slong;pended suspended for the present till 'til the minds of people &slong;hall shall be more Calm and better Di&slong;posed disposed towards them. Fearing my Letter reffer'd referred to will fail I &slong;hall shall also here add the Nomina ­tion of Gentlemen recommended I &slong;end send You to be Commi&slong;sioned commissioned for Indian Affairs if the Honle Honourable Society which you inform me the Honle Honourable Society were &slong;o so Good as to grant, but the Completion of it prevented by M.r Mr. Ro&slong;s Ross 's Death and the Lo&slong;s loss of the Papers &c etc. which Nomination was as I here give it only with this addition of the Revd Rev. David Jewett of New London in the Room of Comfort Starr E&slong;qr Esq. Decea&slong;ed deceased , I Should be glad of a Return as &slong;oon soon as may be, and cant but think the cause may be really Served by it viz. Jonathan Huntington Esq.r Esq. of Windham Eli&slong;ha Elisha Sheldon Esq.r Esq. of Litchfield Sam.l Samuel Huntington Attorney at Law of Norwich The Revd Rev. Me&slong;srs Messsrs. Solomon Williams of Lebanon Joseph Fi&slong;h Fish of Stonington William Gaylord of Norwalk Sam.l Samuel Mosely Moseley of Windham Eleazar wheelock of Lebanon Benjamin Pomeroy of Hebron David Jewett of New London Richard Saltar of Man&slong;field Mansfield Nathl Nathaniel Whitaker of Norwich all within the Coloney Colony of Connecticut I Should be glad of a Return as Soon as may be and can't but think the general De&slong;ign design in view may be much promoted by &slong;uch such a Commi&slong;sion. commission Those Good Gentlemen you mention M.r Mr. Pre&slong;idt President Clap and M.r Mr. Bellamy are &slong;o so remote that they cant with any convenience be Joyned joined attend if they Should Be Joyned joined . M.r Mr. Bellamy lives in a remote Corner of the Government towards 100 miles from hence upon no direct Road from hence, and where I have very Seldom an opportunity to &slong;ee see either of them Since I wrote you or to know their minds but presume they would not freely consent think proper to be joyned joined as their Di&slong;tance distance woud would forbid a freq.t frequent attendance as their being Joyned joined would not likely be of much Service. and and their being Joyned joined would make the Body more unweildy unwieldy. . † Plea&slong;e Please to Direct Yours to me to M.r Mr. John Smith Merchant or M.r Mr. Moses Peck watchmaker in Bo&slong;ton Boston and they will likely be well taken Care of. be&slong;ides Besides the Donations to this School mentioned in my la&slong;t last , M.r Mr. James Le&slong;ley Lesley a Scot Gentleman graduated at New Jer&slong;ie Jersey College has made a Donation to this School of all his indefatigable Labours for the&slong;e these Indian Youth in the capacity of a School ma&slong;ter schoolmaster the La&slong;t last year. So that the In&slong;truction instruction of this School has been given by M.r Mr. Smith & and M.r Mr. Le&slong;ley Lesley for near 14 months la&slong;t pa&slong;t. last past. but the pre&slong;ent present Rupture will likely at pre&slong;ent present prevent Such an Increa&slong;e increase of My Number this Fall from Remote Tribes as I de&slong;igned designed & and hoped for by the a&slong;si&slong;tance assistance of the Mi&slong;sionaries missionaries before mentioned. but the whole of which you will likely have opportunity to &slong;ee see before long publi&slong;hed published as a continuation of my Narrative. † plea&slong;e please to direct (vid. &slong;upra supra ) The Pre&slong;ent present Rupture looks so much like a De&slong;perate desperate Effort & and dying Struggle of the Grand adversary, that I am not at all di&slong;­­couraged dis­couraged on acco.t account of it, tho' though the Progre&slong;s progress of the De&slong;ign design may be for a while retarded by it. I doubt not but God has great and glorious things yet to accompli&slong;h accomplish in This Land & and the pre&slong;ent present # # of his work in this amg among many other places at pre&slong;ent present dos does not a little incourage encourage Hope † plea&slong;e please to Direct &c etc.

Rev. Jn.o John Erskine Lettr Letter to Rev.d Rev. John Erskine 21. Sept.r September 1763.