Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to John Wentworth, 1769 December 5 Wheelock, Eleazar 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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769655 10.1349/ddlp.470

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Letter Wheelock writes that part of the Narragansett Tribe would like to move to a new settlement; he suggests that they might be given a township on the Connecticut River. USA New Hampshire Hanover Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College. DC History MSS Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to John Wentworth, 1769 December 5 Wheelock, Eleazar

The clear, careful handwriting in the body of the letter is not Wheelock's, although the trailers are in Wheelock's hand. Single sheet is in good condition, with light staining and wear. This document is likely a copy kept by Wheelock for his records. Wheelock also mentions the desire of some Charlestown Narragansetts to resettle in a letter to Occom -- manuscript number 769125. An editor, likely 19th-century, has added the note "respecting Indians" beneath the trailer. This note has not been transcribed. Abbreviated signature is not Wheelock's.

769655 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 Classification (LCC) Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) Occom Circle Project keywords and controlled vocabulary 5 December 1769 English June 2011 Hazel-Dawn Dumpert Maninder Rakhra Pre-publication TEI review Hannie Wei Hannie Wei Penniphurr Stevenson Added DOI Hazel-Dawn Dumpert Lebanon Dece.r December 5.th 5th 1769 — &slong;ir. Sir.

May it please Your Excellency.

Jn.o John Shattock, an Indian Youth of y.e the Narragansett Tribe in Roh Rhodisland Rhode Island , who, after he had for some time been a member of my School went with his Brother to England, as agent for yir their Tribe, & and is now one of y.e the Council of y.t that Tribe, & and I e&slong;teem esteem him to be a man of good Sence sense , & and Integrity, came to me, last week, at y.e the Desire of y.e the civilized & and christani=zed Christianized part of y.t that Tribe, privately to enquire inquire of me, whether I could by any means direct them where ya they might purcha&slong;e purchase a Township of good lands, on wh which y.a they might settle by themselves, & and live by Husbandry, & and enjoy all y.e the Liberties & and Priviliges of English Inhabitants — I mentioned to him y.e the Lands yet uncharted (as I supposed) in y.r your Province, above y.e the new Settle=ments on Connecticut River, as being very good, & and told him. y.o you had given y.e the fullest demonstration of y.r your friendship to y.e the Indians both in Europe & and America; And y.t that I doubted not y.r your Excellency would be ready to shew show them any reasonable Favour within y.r your Power, & and be glad of an opportunity for it — The Young man seem'd seemed — much animated wth with y.e the prospect; & and immediately Advised his Constituents of it by a line, & and concluded to continue for a while wth with me & and persue pursue his Studies — On his mentioning their desire to me, so many circum=stances appeared, at first view, so inviting y.t that I could but think y.e the Matter worthy of consideration, viz, whether such a Town of Civilized Indians in y.t that Town place will not be a Barrier & and safeguaard safeguard to y.e the new Settle­=ments, if Canada should ever be given back to y.e the French, & and y.e the Savages, again moved to invade our Frontiers. — And Whether y.e the Example of such a Town of christianized Indians, might not likely have a happy Influence to credit our Design of Civilizing y.e the Tribes back? — And whether such a town may not be a most proper place for some of yir their savage Children to get Instruction in Husbandry, & and y.e the other Arts of civilized Life, as well as of y.e the first principles of christanity Christianity ? — And as to yir their manner of living be a proper Medium between y.e the Savages & and y.e the English, & and so obviate an Objection w.h which y.a they have made sometimes made against comming coming into y.e the English manner of living "y.t y.e "that the first step was too high for them." and whether, in a word, y.u you might not do much to Credit, incourage encourage & and facilitate, y.e the general Design in view & and be well approved, & and applauded Abroad? they dont mean nor desigre to have y.e the Township given them; but to have it upon the same terms & and hold it by y.e the same Tenure, as if y.a they were English Inhabitants; & and perhaps any any proposal more favourable, would occasion Jealousies in some who have been wont to be imposd imposed upon. y.t yre that there was some secret snare laid for them — I tho't thought proper to Advise y.r your Excellency of y.e the matter, & and if y.o you should think favourably of it, & and find y.t y.a that they may be Accomodated accommodated agreable agreeable to yir their mind, wth with good Lands, near some fishing place, please to let me know y.r your Excellencys Excellency's pleasure therein by a Line; & and y.t that w.thout without y.e the publication of it, as y.a they apprehend yir their way will likely be embarra&slong;s=ed embarrassed if it should be known before y.e the &slong;e&slong;sions sessions of y.e the General A&slong;semb=ly Assembly of y.t that Coloney Colony in Febry February next; to which y.a they design to petition for Liberty to Sell yir their Lands — I &slong;ubmitt submit the whole to y.r your Excellencys superior wisdom, & and will rely upon y.r your — pardon if I have been too officious, Since I can a&slong;sure assure y.r your Excellency, with how much Affection and Esteem.

I am Your Excellency's most Obedient, and most Humble &slong;ervant servant Eleaz.r Eleazar Wheelock Lettr Letter to Gov.r Governor Wentworth Dec.r December 5. 1769.

John Wentworth Esq.r Esq. Gov.r Gov. of New Ham&slong;hire Hampshire