Samson Occom, letter, to a Minister of Albany, 1791 December 26 Occom, Samson 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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791676 10.1349/ddlp.1101

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Letter Occom writes that he cannot attend an ordination due to ill health, that he has moved to Munhegunnack (or New Stockbridge), and that many Indians are coming to New Stockbridge to hear preaching. USA New Hampshire Hanover Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College. DC History MSS Samson Occom, letter, to a Minister of Albany, 1791 December 26 Occom, Samson

Handwriting is small, but mostly clear and legible. The letter “a” is frequently unclosed at the top, which causes it to look like the letter “u.” Single large sheet is in poor condition, with heavy creasing, staining and wear that results in some loss of text. Repairs have been made on particularly heavy creases. Brown ink is faded. The identity of the minister to whom Occom writes is unknown.

791676 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 26 December 1791 English To be added. To be added. 21 February 2013 Hazel-Dawn Dumpert 23 September 2013 Hazel-Dawn Dumpert Hannie Wei Pre-publication TEI review 3 January 2014 Hazel-Dawn Dumpert filled in header, applied markup Maninder Rakhra Pre-publication TEI review Hazel-Dawn Dumpert reviewed and adjusted prior to pubication New Stockbridge Decr December 26: 1791 Revd Rev. and much e&slong;teemed esteemed Sir,

I dont think I Can be at the ordination, in Balls­Town Ballston , it is a long way, and I am old, and Lame, and I mu&slong;t must be at the Pre&slong;bytery Presbytery next March at Albany if live, and Shall be well; I want to be at the ordernation; and one or two of our men with me but it Cant be so now — I am now moving my Family to Munhegunnack or New-Stockbridge, I told you it was Calld called Tu&slong; Tus ­carora, but that is not the Proper name of it, — Capt Capt. Hindrick Hendrick who will deliver this to You, is one of our Church; he is ju&slong;t just Come from the we&slong;tward westward , among&slong;t amongst the Indians, and he has a large Tract of land offerd offered him if he and his people would move there — I think it woud would be a fine opening for the Go&slong;pel Gospel , — Our Church have willingly and Cheerfully adopted the Confe&slong;sion confession of Faith of the Pre&slong;byterian Presbyterian Church of the United States in America. They Joy­fully put them&slong;elves themselves under the Care and in&slong;pection inspection of Albany Pre&slong;bytery Presbytery — And thankfully receive the Go&slong;pel Gospel Fellow&slong;hip fellowship open'd opened for them — And from This Time, we Shall look upon our­Selves one of the lea&slong;t least Branches of the Religious Family of the Pre&slong;byterians Presbyterians in America — — We are trying to in&slong;truct instruct our Children in Letters, but we are very weak, we want a little help — one Jo– Joseph Quinney keeps the School, without any Pro&slong;pect prospect of Reward, and he is our Singing Ma&slong;ter master too, and he is In&slong;tructing instructing the People in Singing Con&slong;ta consta ntly, two or three Evenings every week and he demands no pay — and he and his Family, are very de&slong;titute destitute of Cloathing clothing , — Our Profi&slong;sers professors keep on Steady in Religion, and our Church and Society rather increa&slong;es increases , — our Singers are in want of Psalm Books — what harm woud would it be, if You wou'd would try to beg a few, among&slong;t amongst Your Friends and Neighbours in Albany, we u&slong;e use Dr Dr. Watts's Psalms altogether — I have no more to Say at this Time, — Pray for us — This with much Esteem is from your most unworthy fellow Labourer in the Go&slong;pel Gospel of Je&slong;us Jesus — Samson Occom

PS. Capt Capt. Hindrick Hendrick is our Elder, and Jo&slong;eph Joseph Qunney Quinney is our Deacon; We have but very little Bu&slong;ine&slong;s business Elder and Deacon, and think, one of each is enough for the Janr January 8 Sir The fore going foregoing was Sent by Capt Capt. Hindreck Hendrick , but was oblidged obliged , to return back, and forgot to give it, to Samuel Littleman, who, I Conclude Call'd called upon You, in his way to New- Jer&slong;ey Jersey — There Seems to be a Strange inclination among the Indians, to hear the word of God preach'd preached , the they Come to our meets from Tu&slong;carora Tuscarora , most all of them, which they never did before, and Mr Mr. Kirklands People come very thick too and they de&slong;ire desire , that I might Spend Some Sabbaths, — great many Come to our meeting to Day today , tho though Mr Mr. Kirkland went there this morning, and they know of his Coming, — Mr Mr. Kirkland is going away again, and I Shall go to his People next Sabbath — Several of them, have a great De&slong;ire desire to Join us in full — and Some of Mr Mr. Sargeant Sergeant 's people are Coming to us al&slong;o also , and they will Join us in full, — I have an Evening School for the young People, and a Number comes, I am In&slong;tructing instructing to read & and to Speak Engli&slong;h English proper, and Come on well —

I am &c etc. — Sam&slong;on Samson Occom