Samson Occom, journal, 1757 June 28 to 1761 March 31

Author Occom, Samson

Date28 June 1757 to 31 March 1761

ms number757378

abstractOccom details his travels throughout Long Island and New England, as well as his ordination and the events leading up to it. He takes his son Aaron to be raised by Wheelock.

handwritingHandwriting is clear and legible. There are several uncrossed t’s and crossed l's, which the transcriber has corrected.

paperSeveral small sheets folded into a booklet and bound with thread or twine are in good condition, with light staining and wear.

inkDark-brown.

noteworthyWhen Occom mentions an “Indian Town,” or "Indian Place," he is likely referring to Indian villages associated with each place that he visits; specifics are uncertain and so these places have been left untagged. On five verso, the Latin exegesis translates to: "Whether a heathen/pagan who never hears the gospel, may obtain eternal salvation," or, in more colloquial Calvinist terms, "If a heathen never hears the gospel, can he be saved." An editor, likely 19th-century, has overwritten the journal in spots; these overwrites have not been transcribed.

EventsOccom’s Ordination, Occom’s Mission to the Montauketts

Persistent Identifier

Samson Occom 1757 - 1760
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Tueſday June ye 28 AD: 1757

I Sot out from Montauk for N. England, in order to Paſs an Ex‐amination there &c — And wed‐neſday Morning I Sot out from Eaſthampton, with the Revd Mr Pomroy and Woodbrige and others, Down to Northweſt, & about 12 o C. we went aboard of Mr Dayton, and emediately weighted Anchor, and Spread ^Sail^ to the Winds, and ^a^way towards New-England Shores, and we got to the Mouth of Seabrook [illegible] Harber about 9 at Night, and for Fear of the Flats, we Dropt Anchor at a Diſtance from Shore and there taried all Night, and in the Morning of the 29 30 Jue we a Roſs, and weighted [illegible] Anchor, and [illegible][guess: P]at to Shore, and Mr Pomroy and the two young Women went a Shore, and I Shifted aboard of another Boat
whoſe owner was one Mr Horton who Came Down fr the River from up Country, and was removing With his Family to Stoningtown — And he Sot me a Shore at Black-Point and I went to Indian Town — and found My Friends generaly well — and taried at my Aunt Juſtice's that Night —

Fryday Morning Junely ye 30th ^1st^

I Sout out from Nahantick, for Mohegan and got there at Night to Mothers, and found all my Relitives in good Health &c — and there kept the Sabbath — and Monday July ye 4, I went from Mohegan for Lebanon [illegible] and got there to Mr Wheelock's Juſt before Sun Set, and was very kindly Receiv'd, and found them all in good Health — and after a Little Converſation,
Mr Wheelock Concluded, and appoin^ted^ the 12th Inſt to be the Day of my Examination, at his Houſe — and Emediately Sent and gave Notice, and Deſired the aſſistan^ce^ in the Examination, of 5 Neigh‐bouring Miniſters, viz, Mr Solo: Williams of Lebanon old Society and Mr Benjn Pomroy of Hebron and Mr Nathan Strong of New Coven‐try, and Mr Stephen White of Wi^n^dham, and Mr Saml Moſley of Canada

Tueſday July ye 12

Expected the Gentlemen to attend the Examination, But we were Diſapointed ^the Voice of one Crying^, — there ^was^ none Come, But the Revd Mr Pomroy, — we Judg'd the Weather Hinder'd them, it being wet Day, — and Mr Wheelock and Mr Pomroy Conſider'd the Matter, and Con‐cluded to Send [illegible] to the Miniſters that Day — to Come together on the next Day, which was the 13 of July, at the Houſe of the
the Revd Mr Williams, and accordinly they Come together about one o.C PM — and there I Paſs'd an Examination Before the Revd Me[illegible][guess: n]ſrs Solomon Williams Eleazer Wheelock Benjamin Pomroy Nathan Strong and Stephen White, — and they ^were^ ^So far^ Satiſfied, as to Conclude to pro‐ceed, to and ordination hereaf‐ter &c — And Juſt before Sun Set I went Down towards Mohe‐gan, and got So far as Norwich farms, and taried at the Houſe of one Deacon Huntington, a — Tavern keeper, —

Thirdſday July ye 14th

I ^went^ on my Journey and got to Mohegan about 11. o'C AM, and found my Relitives well in [illegible] General,

July ye 15th

my Brother and I went Down to N. London in a Conoo, — and I taried there that Night, —

Saturday July the 16th

I went aboard of one Daviſe Williams of StoningTown
and we got to Maſons Island Some time in the after Noon, and there I Stay'd over the Sabbath, —

Monday July ye 18th

[illegible] bout 1 in the after Noon we went aboard again, and Sot Sail, for Fiſhe's Island and got there Some time after Sun Set, and Tueſday July ye 19th we Sot Sail very Early for Long Island and we tailed all the Day in the Sound, and Some time in ye Night we got Near by Gardener's Island, and there we Dropt An‐chor, and Taried all Night —

Wedneſday Morning July ye 20th

we weighed Anchor and Hoiſted Sail and Steered towards NapeegHarber, and Reachd there abou^t^ 10 in the Morning, ^there I went a Shore^ and then I went by Land to Montauk, and I got home about 2 PM, and found my Poor Family in Comfort able Circumſtances, — Praiſe be to god for his Tender Mercies to us ward —

May ye 7th AD: 1759 —

I Sot out from montauk for Eaſt‐hampton, In order to go over to New England, with Some Expectation of Paſsing an Ordernation there, and Lodg'd at Mr Hedges that Night —

Tueſday Morning May ye 8

we went Down to Northweſt, and I Taried there at the Houſe of one Mr [illegible]Ebenezer Hedges that Night and Wedneſday the May ye 9 we went aboard of mr Dayton, and Croſst the Sound, and got over a- about 9 at Night, and we Lodg'd at my Aunt Juſtice's Houſe —

Thirdſday May the [illegible] 10th

we Sot out very Early in the Morning for Mohegan, and got there before Sun Set, at my Mother's,

Fyday May the 11

I went from Mohegan for Lebanon, got there Some Time before Sun Set, found Mr Wheeloc^k^
Wheelocks Family very Poorly with the Meaſels Eſpecially our David

May the 15

the Revd Aſſociation Sot at Mr Wheelocks Houſe, & Conſulted my Caſe, and Conclude^d^, ^and^ to to Referd my ordernation to the Revd Preſpetery on Long-Island and Accordingly wrote, and Re‐fer'd [illegible] me to the Revd P[illegible]reſpetery on Long Is[illegible]land, —

Thirdſday May ye 17th

Return'd to the Island, and Stopt att Mohegan and kept the Sabath there with Indians —

Monday May ye 21

we went Down to New-London, and tari‐ed there that Night — and Tueſday May ye 22 we went a Board of Mr Gardeners Boat, of Isle of White, got [illegible] to
to the Island after Sun Set, and we Taried there Two Nights —

Thirdſday May ye 17

we went over to the Fire Place, got there about 1 o'C in the after Noon, from thence I went to Town, got there about 3 in the after Noon & I Deliver Revd Aſſociation's Letter to Mr Buell

Fryday May ye 18

I went home to Montauk, Go[illegible]t there about Noon, and found my Poor Family wiell, and Moſt of Neighbours Praiſe be to god there fore — after this I heard the Revd Preſpetery on long-Island Receiv'd the Letter, — and Apointed the 29 of Auguſt 1759 for my orderna‐tion — and they Sent a Text to me out of 72 Pſalm the 9 wverſe
^8^ they yt Dwell in the Wilderneſs Shall bow before him — and alſo an Exegeſis — in theſe words — An Ethnicus qui Evan‐gelium Nunquam Audiat, Eter‐[illegible]nem Salutem otinere Poſit And the Apointed Time Being Come I appear'd before the Revd Preſpetry at Eaſthampton, and Paſs'd an Examination —, and Thirdſday Augt ye 30th in the after Noon the Revd Preſpetery Procee[illegible]ded in Solemnity of my ordernation, the Revd Mr Buell of Eaſthampton, made the firſt Prayer, and Preach'd from Gal. 1.16, and the Revd Mr Brown of Bridghampton Deman-ded my Pu[illegible]plick Aſſent to the Chriſtian Doctrines and the Arti‐cles of Faith, which I did — —
then Emediately Proceeded to ye Impoſition of the Hands — the Revered Mr Brown Preſided, made the ordernation Prayer; the Revd M.r Barker of South Hole Gave the Right Hand of Fellowſhip; and the Revd Mr Prime of Huntington Gave the Charge and made the laſt Prayer, thus the Solemnity End‐ed. Laus te Deum

Montauk Ocr ye 8 AD: 1759

I Sot out from Montauk for the old Mans where the Preſbytery was to Set and Mr Reeves was to be ordain'd, and got So far as Sebaunuck and Preach'd there and taried all Night among the Indians,

Tueſday ocr ye 9

I Sot out very Early on my Journey, and got to the old mans about O'C PM, and went Directly
to Meeting, Mr Brown of BridgHamp^n^ P 'd from Prov. 11.30, and Taried one Mr Miller's where the Preſbytery Sot — Thirſday Morning the Preſbyr brock up, the Miniſters Diſparſd about 11 in the Morning, and I went down to South, and got to Maſtick about 4 PM found the Indians very Sickly, Preach'd to them at Evening, they Seem'd to give very good atention —

Fryday Ocr ye 12

I Sot out from Maſtick very Early in the Mo[illegible]rning, homeward, and got ſo far as Mr Browns at BridgHamp^n^ and Tarried there all Night, — and Saturday Ocr ye 13 about 9 I Sot out from thence, onward and got Home little after Sun Set, and found my Poor Family in Health[illegible] Praiſe be to God —

April ye 1 1760

went to Smith town where the Preſbytery was to Set, and got So far as Connoo Place
that Night, and Tueſday April the 2 Sot out early in the Mornig, and got to Smith Town about 4 O.C P M. and Wedneſday the Pre^s^ Sot at Esqr Philip's, and Thurſday about 3 O.C in the the Preſbytery Broke up and I imedately Sot out from thence to Mr Reeve's at South and got there Juſt about Day light in, and was Kindly Receiv'd by Mr Reeve, and Fryday April the 4 I away from thence homeward and got So far as Mr Brown's at Night and there I met with Mr Horton and we taryed there all Night
and Saturday April the 5 about 9 o. c in the morng we took Leave of one anothe^r^ and I Home about Son Set and all well at Home —

April ye 26 AD: 1760

a Number of us went from Montauk in our Whale Boat for New England, and got over to N London about ^3^ PM and Stopt there till Juſt before Son Set and then we Sot out from thence for Mohegan and got there about 9 at Night fou‐nd my Relatives all well

Sabath April ye 27

kept the Sabbath at Mohegan with the Indians I Preach'd Both Parts of the Day found nothing Special among them —

Monday April ye 28

my Wife and Father Fowler and I and my Little Son Aar[illegible]on went to Lebanon to MSee Mr Wheelock, and we got there before Night found all well, and Deliver up my Lettle Son Aaron to the Revd Mr Eleazer Wheelock to be Brought [illegible]up by him —

Tueſday Aprill ye 29

we Returnd to Mohegan again and got there before Night and Stay'd at Mothers yt Night

Wedneſday April ye 30

about 9 in the Morning we Sot out from thence towar^ds^ home and got So far as N London and there Stay'd at Cap:t Shaw's yt Night

Thurſday AprilMay ye 1

we Sot away from N London for Home and get no further than Harbers Mouth and Stay'd all Night at one Mr Harris's Coopper Houſe, and

Fryday May ye 2

we Sot Sail very Early in the morng from thence and got upon Montauk Shore about 10 in the Morning and found all well &c —

June the 25 ^may ye 18^ AD: 1760

I Preach'd at Eaſthampton, —

Saturday May ye 24

I went from Montauk for Weſtward, and got So far as Mr Brown's and there kept the Sabbath, with Mr Brown and re‐ceived the Sacred Supper of the Lord with the People of Bridgehampton

w Monday may ye 25

Mr Brown & I went together weſtward, and we
we got to Quaugg and Lodg'd [illegible]at one Mr Howell's that Night, and Tueſday May ye 26 we Sot out from thence on ward and got to Smithtown at Night and Lodg'd with one Juſtice Phillips over the River, Wedneſday may ye 27 we Sot away from thenc^e^ about 9 in the Morning, and got to Huntington about 1 in the after Noon, and the People had gone to meeting, and we went directly to meeting and heard Mr Reeve of South, — after meeting we Return'd to Mr Pri[illegible][guess: m]e's wher^e^ the Preſbytery Sat, and Examin'd two young Men in order to ordination — Nex day finiſh'd the examinations with them, and then emediately went to the Houſe of god and Proceeded to in the Prelimminaries of ^the^ ordernation, Mr Brown Preach'd the ordernation Sermon, Mr Prime made the ordirna‐t[illegible][guess: e]on Prayer Dureing the impoſſion of hands upon Mr Barrat. and Mr Brown made the Prayer dure‐ing the Impoſiſtion of Hands upon Mr Smith, and Mr Prime gave ye Right hand of Fellowſihp and ye ca[illegible][guess: r]ge, and Mr Occom made
the Concluding Prayer Fryday may ye 30 the Preſby‐tery Brok up about ^10^ in the morn and the Miniſters Diſperſd emme‐diately, I Preach'd at Huntington in the after Noon, and towards Night I went to oiſter Bay, — Saturday may and Taried at Widow Wicks, and Saturday may the 31 I Preach'd at oiſter-Bay, from 16. 13.

Sabbath June ye 1

I Preach'd there there again all Day from Eph 5.14 and Can.t 5.16.

Monday ye 2

I return'd from oiſter Bay, got to Huntington about 11 AM. and about 1 in the after N I Sot out from thence Homeward got to Smithtown Juſt before Sun Sot and Taried at Juſtice Philli^ps^ Wm Phillips's that Night, and Tueſday June ye 3 Preach'd at Smithtown began about 10 AM from Rev. 22.12 and after meet‐ting I went Down to Seetauket and Preach'd there that after Noon from Matt. 22.42 Taried at Mr Tallmadge's that Night

M Wedneſday June ye 4.

So[illegible]tt out from Mr Tallmadges about 9 AM. and went Down to South, and got to Mr Hedges's about 12 o.c. and Ta[illegible]ried there about one Hour and-half, and then Sot away from thence Eaſtward and got the Indian Place Juſt before Sun Set, and had a Short Diſcourſe with them in the Evening,

Thurſday June ye 5

I gave a word of exhortation to the Indians, very Early in the morning and then took Leave of them, and Journied Eaſtward and got So far as South Hampton, and there Taried all Night with one Mr Steph[illegible]en Foſter, and was very kindly Entertaind, —

Fryday Morning June 6.

was very Stormy Weather and [illegible]it was[illegible] Faſt Day with the Southhamptoners, and I went to meeting with the [illegible]People in the fore Noon, and heard Mr White
Preach from Levit 26. 40.41.42 In the after Noon ithe Storm mode‐rated, and went on my Journey homeward, went ^to^ See [illegible] Mr Pane and Mr Brown by the way, and So Paſs on and I got to Eaſthampton Juſt be‐fore Sun Set met with Mr Buell who had Juſt got home from the Main, Brought a Tragical News Concerning a [illegible]Young Woman — I Lodg'd at Mr Buell's,

Satur‐day June ye 7

Sot away from Eaſthampton for home, and got to Montauk about 3.o.c in the After Noon, and found all well at Home, &c —

Monday Sepr ye 1 1760

I Sot out from Montauk with John Harris of N: London, for New- England, and we got a Shore at N. London Harbers Mouth Tueſday mor^n^cing — and from thence I Sot awa^y^ by Land for mohegan [illegible] and got there Juſt after Sun Set, and found all
all my Relations well in general at mohegan, and Stayed there two Days,

Fryday Sepr ye [illegible]5

Sot out from Moh^e^gan for Lebanon got there Juſt before Sun Set, found all well as Common at Mr W[illegible]heelock's, And Saturday Sepr. ye 6 David Fowler an accompand. me to Farming Town, and we got there about Juſt after Sun Set and there we found our Friends Some from Mohegan Some from Nahantick and Some from Groton. and we held a Meeting at one Solo‐mon's Houſe, I Deliverd a Short diſ‐cource to them,

Sabath Day Sepr ye 7

we Met g together again at the Same Houſe, I Preachd to them again, [illegible]Monday Sepr ye 8 we Sot out from thence Hoſme‐ward, and I got to Mr Pomroy's at Night and I Taried there but David went to Mr Wheelocks

Tueſday Sepr ye 9

I left Mr Pom‐roy's
[bottom]New London Sepr ye 2 I went to See the Red Mr Graves, and he gave me 9 Books and one Dollar
and went to Mr Wheelocks, and about 10 o.C. the Indian Scholars and I went Down to mohegan, and got there at Nigh^t^

whedneſday Sepr ye 10th

we Taried at Mohegan Thurſday we went to New London, and Fryday we Stay'd at N. London. Saturday we went to Nahantick and Stayday there the Sabbath over, and Monday Sepr ye 15 we Spent the Day there Tueſday we Sot out for Mohegan again, and got there about 2 in the after Noon, and wedneſday and Thurſday we Spent at Mohegan, and Fryday Sepr ye 19 about 10 o.c we went a Board of Mr Culver, and Sail'd Down to N. London and a Number of us Lodg'd at Cap Shaw's, and many that Come with us were Bewitch'd with Strong Drink,

Saturday Sepr ye 20

a few of us went over to Nahantick again, and got there about Noon, to the Surprize of my Friends, being unexpected there found them all well — &c Sabbath Day Sepr 21 we kept the Sabbath there MonlDay we wen^t^ Ba^c^k to New London got the there about 8 in the morning and Spent the Day there, and Saw the exerſ[illegible][guess: ie]s
of Joy in New London on acount of the Victory gain'd in Canada over the French, Taried at Capt Shaw's that Night again,

Tueſday Sepr ye 23

we Sot out from NL for Long-Island and Saild [illegible]moſt all that NDay and Night Towards morning we got to oiſter Po[illegible]nd, and Some of us went a Shore about went a Board again and Saild for Shelter Island b^e^ing Wind Bound we Saild in to Shiller Island Harber, at Night went to Houſe found nothing but negroes and Indians In it but they were [illegible]Very kind to I [illegible] us. the Indians in ye hearing I was on the Island, a number Cam to gether to hear the word of god, I gav^e^ a Short Diſcourſe —

Thirdſday September ye 25

we got up every Early in the Morning, and a Board and Sot Saile for Montautk, Arriv'd there Some^time in ye^ time befor^e^ Night, found all our Friends well, — 17:3 [illegible][guess: 1/3]
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March ye 31 1761

Recd of Mr. Sam.l Powers for Jonathan Hedges 2.4-0 S 6.. : Payd to Mr Powers out of it
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