Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Colonel Henchman and The Boston Commissioners, February 1756

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date1756-02

Call Number756190

abstractWheelock describes Occom's duties, notes that Occom is in debt, and proposes that he be given aid.

handwritingSome deletions and additions; note added in different handwriting/ink.

noteworthyLetter is on the same paper as 756900.1, 756900.2 and 756520. It is clearly a draft.

layoutIf the paper containing all four letters were to be read as a book, this letter would be the top half of page one.

Persistent Identifier

Hon.d Gentlemen
M.r Occom is now with MeUS and has made a repreſented
his circumſtances as bieng Difficult. and wanting Releif. he Seems to be
almoſt worn out with Labour. he keeps the School and Supplys
them as a Publick Teacher upon ye Sab. is obligd to imploy all
his vacant hours in Labour for the Support of his family. he tells MeUS
y.t he Kept y.e School Steadily Supplyd y.e Place of a Pub. Teacher
and Raiſd four acres of corn the Laſt Summer. ſays that ye Indians
are So poor and So much in Debt y.t he can Expect little or nothing from them.
has Occaſion to do conſiderable at Boarding & Teaching
Some that live at a Diſtance, and that notwithstanding all the
Prudence and frugality he can use is now about £50 N. York Curcy
in Debt. that he has no Expositor of the Bible nor many other
that he can have no Creature Pasture but what he pays Deer for. is
obligd to [illegible] pay for his wood, can keep no Sheep, & is obligd to
buy all his Cloathg. and Says that notwithſtanding all the ye. care and
Frugality he can use he is now about £50 N. York Curcy in Debt. &
knows not how to purſue the Buiſineſs he is in and pay it
unleſs further Aſsiſted he also Says that [illegible] his abilites are
ſtarved ,
for want of a Library y.t he has no Expositor of the Bible nor
Scarſe any other Books. he Seems to be well diſposed, and we
cant but think he has been very useful to his Nation not only on
ye Island but on the Main. we believe he ha has been the
greateſt Inſtrument under God of Diſcrediting a false Religion and rectifying
their miſtaken notions, &c. he Seems to be growing much in the Eſteem
of his Nation and his Influence increaſing which we cant but think
he improves to good purpose. And we would humbly propose whether
it will not be beſt he ſhould be ordaind not only with a Special view
to ye Indians at Muntauck but also to the Towns and parties of
his Nation Round about as he ſhall So Occaſion & a Door open to
ſerve them.

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