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

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date1756-02

ms 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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