Samson Occom, Journal, 1761 May 30 to July 7

Author Occom, Samson

Date30 May to 7 August 1761

ms number761330.1

abstractOccom records events on his journey to Oneida country.

handwritingHandwriting is clear and legible.

paperSmall sheets folded into a booklet and bound with thread or twine are in good condition, with light staining, creasing and wear. Pages 13 verso through 16 recto, 18 verso through 19 recto, and 21 verso through 22 recto are uncut at the top and thus have not been scanned.

inkBrown ink is faded in spots.

noteworthyThere are red pencil marks throughtout. On one recto, an editor, likely 19th-century, has added the note “Journey to oneida.” This note has not been included in the transcription. People and places whose names are illegible have been left untagged.

EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas

Persistent Identifier

A Journal 1761

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Montauk May ye 30: 1761

After repeated Invitations from the Revd David Boſtwick of New-York, to go and make a Viſet to the Onoyda Indians
This Day took leave of my Poor Family, and Friends with tender Affection, about 12, Sot out for Eaſthampton Got there after SunSet, Lodg'd at the Revd Samuel Buell's —

Sabbath May ye 31

Spent the Day at Eaſthamton, Mr Buell Preacht in the forepart of the Day, In the afterNoon I Preachd, from Eph 5:20

Monday June ye 1

taried at Mr Buell's on account of his
his only Son's Dangerous Sickneſs

Tueſday June ye 2

As the Day Appeard, the Child Dyed, and was Buried Wed‐neſday Juſt before Sun Set,

Thirdsday Morning June 11

took leave of my Good Friends at Eaſthampton, and went Down to Northweſt, and about 12 went aboard of Mr Dayton at Cedar Point, we had Favourable wind, we Sail'd Strait to Sea Brook Landed a Capt Harris's about 9 at Ninght and Lodg'd there,

Fryday June ye 5

Sot out Early in the Morning for Mohegan, Stopt at N[illegible][guess: a]h[illegible][guess: an] about two Hours, then Sot off again,
got to Mothers about 9 at Night found My Relations and Friends well in general here I taried the Sabbath over

Monday June 8

took leave of my Relations and Friends at Mohegan, Sot out for Lebanon, abou 9 in Morning, got there before Sun Set, found them all well as uſual at Mr Wheelock^[illegible]^ But it was very Sickly and Dying Times in the Pariſh

Wedneſday June ye 10

about 3 PM, Brother David and I took Leave of Mr Wheelock and his Family and Sot out on our Journey for Onoyda by way of New York — Reach'd Heartford about 9 at Night, Lodgd
Capt Daniel Bulls, and were very Kindly Treated — the Man and Seem to be Truely Religious keep very dgood orders in his Houſe —

Thirdſday June ye 11

about 9 in the Morning we Sot out on our Journey, and got about 6 Miles weſtward of N. Haven and Lodg'd at one Woodroffs —

Fryday June ye 12:

Sot Early in the Moring, godt to Stanford at Night Lodgd at a Certain Tavern — —

Saturday June ye 13

wen on our [illegible]way, godt within 5 Miles of the City of New York, and turn'd to ^in^ one Mr Goldſmith's —

Sabbath June ye 14

taried
at Goldſmiths, we did not go to the City to Publick worſhip for fear of the Small Pox, being Informed, very Brief there —
But I never Saw a Sabbath Spent So by any Criſtian People in my Life as ſome Spent it here, Some were Riding in Chairs Some uponHorſe Back orthers traveting foot, Paſsing and Repaſsing all Day long, and all Sorts of Evil Noiſes Caried on by 'em Drunkards were Realing and Stagaring in the Streets, others tumbling off their Horses, there were others at work in their farms, and ever any People, under the Heavens Spoke Hells Language, theſe People did, for their Mouths were full of Curſ‐ings, Prophaning gods Holy
Holy Name — I am greatly Miſtake if theſe are not the Sons and Daughters of Belial,
O thou God of Heaven, thou ^yt^ Hast all the Hearts of the Childre^n^ ^of men^ in thine Hands, Leave me not to Pratice the works of theſe People, but help me, o Lord, to take warning, and to to take heed to my Self acording to thy Ho[illegible]ly word, and have mercy upon the Wicked Convince and Convert them to thy Self, for thine own glory
I have thought there was no Heathen but the wild Indians, but I th[illegible]ink ^[illegible]now^ there is Some Engliſh Heathen, where they Enjoy the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt too, Yea I be‐lieve they are worſe than ye Savage Heathens of the wilder
wilderneſs, — I have thou[illegible]ght that I had rather Go with the meaneſt and moſt Diſpiſ'd Creature on Earth to Heaven, than to Go with the greateſt Monarc^h^ Down to Hell, after a Short Enjoyment of Sinful Pleaſures with them in this World — I am Glad there is one defect in the EIndian Langu^a^ge and I believe in all their Languag^es^, i:e they Can't Curſe or ſware or take god's Name in vain in their own Toungue —

Monday June ye 15

to the City, and were Conducted to Mr Well's at freſh waters and were Very Kindly receiv'd by him and by all his Family, I believe the Fear of god in their Houſe and this was our Home as long as we Stay'd in the pl[illegible][guess: a][illegible]
The People of the City were Extreamly Kind to us, there was not a Day Scarſly, but that I was Invited to Dine with one Gentleman or other, The Miniſters of all Sects and Denominations were un‐commonly Kind to me — my Friends Increaced Daily while I Stayd at New York

Thirdsday June ye 25

we left New York and wen^t^ on our Journey, Reach'd Peekskills at Night —

Fryday June 26

Sot out very Early in the Morning and we made it Night, [illegible][guess: be] [illegible][guess: tween Claverack & Kinder] [illegible][guess: hook] at Rynbeck Sabbath June 2

Saturday June ye 27

Sot out very Early, and made it Night between Claverack and Kinderhook, —

Sabbath June ye 28

went to Kinderhook about five Miles, and there Stopt all Day, — but did not go to Pub‐lick Worſhip, Becauſe the People were Barbarians to us wand we to them, in our To[illegible]nugs, they were Dutch

Monday June ye 29

left the Place very Early, and got to Albany about 12 O:C and were Conducted to one Mr Staats Vn Santvoord & taried there, and the People in Albany were very kind to us, I went to wait upon his Excellency GGen.[illegible][guess: ll] Amherſt
the [illegible]After Noon after Iwe got to Al[illegible]bany, but he was buſy and I Coud not See him one of his waiters Came out to me, and told me I Shoud have the Generals Asſiſtan^ce^ and I Shoud make my Appearance about 10 in the Morning, Tueſday June ye the 30 I made my Appearence before his Excellency at the Time Apointed ac‐cording to orders, his Excellence wMet me at the Door and told me he had [illegible]wrote a Paſs for me, and he unfolded it and Read it to me, and when he had Read it, he Detivered it to me, and gave me good Advice and Counſel and wiſh'd me Succeſs in my undertaking & I return^d^
unfeigned Thanks to him and then took my leave of him &c — The Paſs which he gave ^me^ was very good ^one^ indeed, which I will Coppy Down here —
By his Excellency Jeffery Amherſt & Esqr: Major EGeneral, and Com‐mander in Chief of all His Majesty's Forces in North America &c &c &c —
To All Whom it may Concern Whereas the Correſpondents of the Society in Scotland for for Propagating Chriſtian Knowledge, have Acquainted me that the Bearer hereof, the Revd Mr Occom, is Sent by
by them, as a Miſsionary to Reside Amongſt the Indians about the onoyda Lake, Theſe are to order and direct the officers Commanding at the Several posts, to give him any Aid or Aſsistance he may Stand in need of to forward him on his Journey And on his Arival at ye Onoyda Lake, the officer Commanding there will Grant him all the Protection and Countenance he may want, in the Execution of his Duty &c
given under my Hand & Seal at Head Quarters in Albany, this 29th Day of June 1761 Jeff. Amherſt by his Excellencys Command} Arthur Mair

Wedneſday Junely ye 1.

left Albaney about 10 in the Morning; Got to Scenectady about 3 in the after Noon Stayed there one Night, —

Thirdsday July 2

went from Senectady, In Company with Colol Whiting and Dr Rod‐man, ^they^ Seeme^d^ to be Quite Friendly Gentlemen to us, we got about Seven ^miles^ weſtward of Sir William Johnſon's —

Fryday July ye 3

went to See Sir William at his ^Farm^ Seven Miles out off the Road, in the Wilderneſs, Got there about 9 in the Morning, and were very Kindly Entertaind by his
his Honor, I Showed him my Recommendatory Letters, and a Paſs from Genl Amherſt, he Promiſed me his Aſsistance as Need Sh^o^ld Require, he was ex‐ceeding free with me in Converſation — But we S^t^ayd ^there^ but about two Hours, for he was geting in Readines to go [illegible][guess: ing] on our way on the Next Day towards Tetroit with five Battows laden with Preſents for the Indians he Said he wou'd overtake ^us^ on the Morrow before Night — we took Leave of his Hon^or^ and ^went^ our way, after we had got to the Main Road, we Call'd in at Certain Houſe — and there we were Detaind one Night, by a Storm —

Saturday July ye 4

went on our Journey and Reach'd the German flats at Night, and we Turn'd in at one Mr Frank's a Tavern Keeper —

Sabbath July ye 5

we Stayd at Mr Franks, but did not go to Publick worſhip with the People, becauſe they Spoke unknown Tonugue to us, But it did Seem like Sabbath by the Ap‐pearance of the People —

July the 6

[illegible]Sir William ^Came^ to us at Mr Frank's —

Tueſday July ye 7

Sir William and the Chiefs of the Onoyda Indians Met at this Place, to make up a Breach, which [illegible][guess: ,] one of the Indians made lately, by Killing a Dutch man they talkd about an Hour at this Time, and then Brok up
Towards Night they Met together again, and talkd together about 3 quarters of an Hour. Then finaly Brock up, without be‐ing fully Satiſfied on both Sides for the Indians Inſisted upon an d old agreement that was Settled between them and the Engliſh formerly, that if any Such Acident Shou'd ever happen between them in Peacea‐ble Times, they Shou'd make it up in an Amicable man‐ner without Sheding of Blood But Sir William told them it was the Comand of general Amherſt, that the murderer Shod be deliverd up to Juſtice — but the Indians Said that murderer was gone off nobody Knows where &c
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