David Fowler, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1766 January 21 Fowler, David Text Markup Unit, Dartmouth College Library Conversion to TEI P5 encoding Occom Circle Project Transcribed from the original manuscript Dartmouth College National Endowment for the Humanities Schweitzer, Ivy. Dartmouth College Department of English and Women's Studies The Occom Circle A digital edition Trustees of Dartmouth College
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766121.2 10.1349/ddlp.848

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Letter David Fowler writes of the progress of his Indian school, the present religious state of the Indians and their want of a minister, news of Kirtland, and personal matters. USA New Hampshire Hanover Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College. DC History MSS David Fowler, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1766 January 21 Fowler, David

Handwriting is clear and legible, though letter case is occasionally difficult to decipher. Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good-to-fair condition, with moderate creasing, staining and wear. The central vertical and horizontal folds are silked. There are significant remnants of the seal. Black-brown. The identity of "Joseph" (identified simply as "Joseph") is uncertain; it is likely either Joseph Johnson or Joseph Brant. The letter mentions Joseph Woolley (identified simply as "Woolley"); however, at this time, apparently unknown to Fowler, Woolley is dead. On one recto, in the second paragraph, the identity of the Indians to whom Fowler refers is uncertain; Fowler's mission was in an Onedia town, but Chamberlain's mission was in a Mohawk town. In the last paragraph on two recto, it is uncertain to whom "Master" refers, and so he has been left untagged. Some contents of the letter are similar to those of 765365. There are two trailers; one is in Wheelock's hand, the other uncertain, although it could be Wheelock's. There are sums on two verso in an unknown hand; these have not been transcribed.

766121.2 Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.

The Occom Circle Project is a digital edition of letters from and to Samson Occom (1727-1792), with other of his works. The documents in question are all housed in Dartmouth College's Rauner Special Collections Library. Occom was a Mohegan Indian, intertribal leader, public intellectual, and the most important Indian writer in North America in the 18th century.

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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) Occom Circle Project keywords and controlled vocabulary 21 January 1766 English To be added. To be added. January 2012 Emma Vance 2 March 2012 Hazel-Dawn Dumpert Maninder Rakhra Pre-publication TEI review 24 January 2014 Hazel-Dawn Dumpert Hazel-Dawn Dumpert reviewed and adjusted markup prior to publication Canawarohare Kanawalohale Janry January 21 1766 Rev.d Rev. and Hon.d Honoured Sir

Aa After much Warry worry and Fatigue about my Hou&slong;e house and Journeys after al&slong;o also hungry Belly I began to keep my School &slong;teadily steadily &slong;ometime sometime in November. My Scholars learn very well: I find it is impo&slong;&slong;ible impossible to keep the Children &slong;teadily steadily to School. Men labour and work as Engli&slong;h English do: They are lazy and inhu- man pack of Creatures as I ever &slong;aw saw . in the World; They have &slong;een seen me working and tuging tugging Day after Day and never offerd offered to help me in the lea&slong;t least thing I had to do in my Hou&slong;e house only fini&slong;hd finished covering it and left me. I was oblig'd obliged to eat with Dogs near two Months & I &slong;ay say with Dogs because they are allways always licking Water out off of the Pails and Kettles we u&slong;e use : Now I live like a Gentleman, I have a planly plenty of Corn, Flour, Meat, and rotten Fi&slong;h fish .— I applied to Sir William for Provi&slong;ion provision ; accordingly, he order the Commading commanding Officer at the Royal Block Hou&slong;e House to give me out Privi&slong;ion provision as long as I &slong;hould should want. I am exceeding &slong;orry sorry as well as my poor Friends that Mr Mr. Chamberlain does not return to us this Winter.— The In- dians cannot conceive what care can be the Rea&slong;on reason why he don't return. But I told them three Rea&slong;on reason , why he dont, return: and af-ter they heard them they were ea&slong;y easy . I never &slong;aw saw &slong;uch such general Dispo&slong;ition disposition of hearing the Word of God among&slong;t amongst these poor People as I do now: mo&slong;t most every one of the Adults of this Place, have openly renouc'd renounced their Liquor, and &slong;aid said that they will devote them&slong;elves themselves in hearing the Word of God. Now is the Time for Mini&slong;ters ministers to come up whil&slong;t whilst they are in &slong;uch such Di&slong;po&slong;ition disposition .— O for a Mini &slong;ter minister who&slong;e whose Heart is full of Love to God and Compa&slong;&slong;ion compassion to poor Sinners, one who is meak meek and lowly and crafty in wining winning Souls to Chri&slong;t Christ . who has a real Sence sense and worth of Immortal Souls would greatly weaken the &slong;trong strong Holds of Satan in this Place. — Dear Sir, do all that is in your Power to get up a Mini&slong;ter minister early in the Spring. for the poor Creatures are rearly rarely de&slong;irous desirous to hear the Word of God, we have no Mini &slong;ter minister and yet we have a full A&slong;&slong;embly assembly every Sabbath. I have nothing New to acquaint you; I enjoyy enjoy a good &slong;tate state of Health and am contented. I cant come down till 'til &slong;ome some of ye the Scholars come up and take my School. If Jacob is to come up; do let him take a School near me &slong;o so that I may take care of him. — I want all my Cloaths clothes in readine&slong;s readiness , for I &slong;hall shall be in a very great Ha&slong;t haste when I do come. I determine to &slong;ee see my poor Parents before I re turn; for I &slong;erv'd served them ba&slong;ely basely la&slong;t last Fall. If they &slong;uffer suffer I cant tell how I can come up. Joseph dertermines determines to come down and pay you Vi&slong;it visit al&slong;o also Thomas who has done me more Service than all the Town. He tells me; that he de&slong;igns designs to go down with me and &slong;et set my Rib on his Hor&slong;e horse and he will come up with own his Hor&slong;es horses or Legs, that, is if I &slong;hall shall find one. I rejoic rejoice greatly because I could not no get one la&slong;t last Year. e&slong;picially especially for Wooley Woolley . I hear he has no Hou&slong;e house . I Ju&slong;t just now heard of Mr Mr. Kirtland Kirkland he is poor forg&slong;aken forsaken Man. The Indians have drove him out off of their Hou&slong;es houses and now he lives in a poor House in the Woods my Friends cant conceive what he keeps them for: the Indians dont want him there; for they all hat hate him. It &slong;eems seems to me by what Mr Mr. Gray has wrote to him that he is unea&slong;y uneasy . fo Capt Buller Butler cre- ceivd ceived a Letter from him whil&slong;t whilst I was at his Hou&slong;e house . and immediatly immediately ask'd asked me how many Letters I brought for Mr Mr. Kirtland Kirkland I told him one. &c etc. Tell y.r your olde&slong;t oldest Boy who went down the la&slong;t last that went down both his Parents left off geting getting driunk. I forgot to tell you what &slong;ort sort of Cloth I would have for my Cloaths clothes . I want blue Broad Cloth and that which is good. Give my kind Regards to Madam, al&slong;o also to Sir Wheelock, and Ma&slong;ter Master . and Love to the re&slong;t rest of the Family al&slong;o also to all the Scholars. — That the Lord would prolong your worthy Live life , and make you a rich Ble&slong;sing blessing in the World, al&slong;o also an In&slong;trument instrument of &slong;preading spreading the Gospel among&slong;t amongst the poor Heathen in this Continent and after well &slong;pent spent Livfe here receive your you in the Man&slong;ions mansions Joy and there to &slong;hine shine as the Stars in the Firmament forever and ever is the De&slong;ire desire and Prayer.

Revd Rev. Sir, Of your affecionte affectionate and obedient Servant David Fowler

P.S. I hope you will you will overlook all my imper fections in This Letter for I wrote the bige&slong;t biggest Part of it in Darkne&slong;s darkness .

Lettr Letter from D. David Fowler Jan.y January 1766. — Receeved Received March 26. 1766.

To — The Rev.d Rev. M.r Mr. Eleazar Wheelock in Connecticut