Eleazar Wheelock, letters, to Andrew Oliver and Gideon Hawley, 1761 June 10

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date10 June, 1761

Call Number761360.1

abstractWheelock informs Oliver that the Onaquaga chiefs are planning a visit to Boston, and encloses a letter for Gideon Hawley that encourages Hawley to make a visit to Onaquaga, and to oversee Samuel Ashpo as a missionary. He mentions that Occom and David Fowler have set out on their mission to the Six Nations.

handwritingInformal handwriting is small, crowded and occasionally difficult to decipher.

paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good condition, with light staining, creasing and wear.

inkBrown-black.

noteworthyThis document is very likely a draft.

layoutThe letter to Oliver is written on the top half of one recto. The letter to Hawley takes up the rest of the paper.

EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas

Persistent Identifier

Hon.d Sir.
The incloſed from The Indian Cheifs came to
my Hand laſt this week under cover of one from
M.r Jeſse Dean who informs me that M.r Gunn
with Several of s.d Cheifs deſign to a Viſit to Boſton
this Summer. perhaps the News of what the
Honle Com̅iſsrs have of Lately done for them may prevent
them if it reaches them ſoon enough.
The incloſed to M.r Hawlley Is [illegible][guess: incloſe] unſeald y.t y.r
Hon.r & the Reſt of the Com̅iſsrs may ſee the Contents if
Youy pleaſe after that pleaſe ſir to cover & direct it to him.
M.r Occom and David Fowler ſet out from hence this Day from
hence to y.e Six Nations. by the way of New York.
Gen.l Lyman has Recom̅ended the Deſign which David
the Com̅iſsrs ſend David upon to [illegible]Genl Johnſon
and beſpoke his Friendſhip and Aſsiſtance therein. —
What has been of late calld a cold in the Country
proves very mortal among us. 3 now lie dead in
this place and Several others Seem as tho' they wod [illegible][guess: n't]
live long. — pleaſe to accept dutiful Salutations &c
from
Your Honrs very Humble Servant
Eleazr Wheelock
Rev.d & Dear Brother
I ſhould have wrote you ſeveral
Times ſince I ſaw you if I had known were to Direct
my Lettrs to you. When I was laſt in Boſton I took
the Name of the place in writing but have loſt it again.
I have longd to ſpend an Evening with you to plead the
caſe of your old pp at Onohoquagke, in whoſe Affecnſ
you live above any Engliſh man on Earth, and where
there is ye moſt agreable openg & moſt Encouragg
proſpect of the ſuceſs of the Gospel of any place
whatſoever that I have knowledge of. and in addition to
thoſe very weighty arguments w.c ye Honle Com̅iſsrs argue. I would
give you ſome acco.t of their preſent ſtate which perhaps the
Com̅iſsrs have not yet known and in which I think there is ſuch
an Argument at leaſt for your making them a long viſit,
as you will find much Difficulty to withſtand the [illegible]force of
One Sam.l Aſhpo, a Mohegan, who [illegible]Once a poor Drunken Creature was Supposd to become
a real Chriſtian about 19 ſome Years ago, & was I admitted him
into this Ch-h he behaved very well Several Years till he
got [illegible]into the Company with of illegible ſaylors at N London, & got
Drunk, he ſoon after came to me and with Tears informd
me of his Fall and ſeemd very much afflicted and I thought
gave ſatiſfying Evidence of [illegible][guess: true] Repentance. deſired to
make a publick Confeſsion &c and I ſuppose has nevertaſted
of any ſpiritous Liquor of any Sort ſince. Some Years
ago under the Influence of ſome lay Exhortrs he was ſeducd
and at length received Ordination in their way by the Hands
of Such [illegible][guess: Creatures] Yet he has not Appeard to be one of
the moſt Bitter Bitter Conſorious, furious & uncharitable ſort.
andNor I could I never find but that his religious Principles except what
relate to his Ordination are Good. but he has very thorough
­ly imbibed ſuch independ.t and Browniſtic Principles which as
I find many good ſort of pp in your Province are zealous to defend ſadly in
and he has gone on to exerciſe the Power thus rec.d from ye
Ch-h. laſt year he went to onohoquage. iOn his return
he was lodgd at my House. & informd me of a great spl concern among
the Indians in those parts eſpecially at Jeningo which I was
the more inclind to give cred.t to bec. I had heard of it otherways.
This year he has made them another viſit. & lodgd again at
my House ion his Return this week and. informs me that there are about 20
at Jeningo which he thinks to be really converted. and a
Gen.l Concern among Others. that they are very unwillg
yt ye Engliſh ſhould get footing among them leſt by & by
they root them out as they have done in New England. that
they have had a meeting and voted to have him, for their Minier
and deſired him to make Application to the Com̅iſsrs
for his Support and for the Support of an Some Indian
Schoolmaſter. as a Schoolmaſter. as to this acco.t I
Suppose it is credible and that there has been a great and
uncommon religious Concern among them, and Some thing like
Converſion, & perhaps ſome real ones Inſtances of it. —
Aſhpo [illegible: [guess: Said he moſt]] is [illegible]determined to ſee the Commiſsrs & earneſtly deſired me to
write ym you in his Fav.r to them
Com̅iſsrs I told him I could write no more than a plain
honeſt Narrative of the Truth. [gap: blotted_out] & y.t the Com̅iſsrs were
heartily ingagd to do any thing in yr Power to further
y.e Great Deſign of Spreadg the Gospel among them Indians
but they knew what miſcheifs ſuch Principles as he held hadve
done in the Ch-h, and I was perſwaded they would take
utmoſt care y.t [illegible][guess: [a ſack] ſhould not be laid in y.e very
Bottom among the Pagans. I have taken [illegible]
ofMuch pains to convince him of his miſtake. & have told him
there is a probability y.t he might do [illegible][guess: a great deal of]
much good among them if he were delivered from those
Errors, and would take pains to furniſh himſelf with useful
 knowledge

and would act only in his proper Sphere. I [illegible] him [illegible: [guess: ſilent]]
&, he ſeemd more inclind to hear &, I hope to ſsuſpect himſelf
than he did. This ſhort Narrative, dear ſir, gives you the moſt an
affecting View of their Case. Aſhpo's Intereſt in their Affrs
is Such as that thiere is danger of the ſaddeſt Conſeqces unleſs
y.e Affair be conducted with utmoſt Prudence, [illegible]
and Diſcretion. and by Reaſon of y.r Acquant.e with and Intereſt in them. I ſuppose no man ſo likely as you to
prevent the Miſchiefs which are threatned, and to nouriſh, Cheriſh,
and further any good Beginings there, by Reaſon of your accq­
quaintance with them and intereſt in their Affections.
by all accots they have a hearing Ear. and it looks as tho' the
Gospel might have free courſe among them, and who Reconds
what a Glorious Harveſt you may have, and what Bleſsings
of periſhg Souls come upon you.
 as I ſuppose Aſhpo will Viſit them again whether
he be encouragd by the Com̅iſsrs or not ſo perhaps it will
not be prudent or beſt he ſhould be at once thrown into Deſpair of
Fav.r & Countenance by [illegible]from them or you or the Honle Com̅iſsrs but rather
tenderly be put in your arms & held upon trial & Probation & if he will act be encouraged to act under
your Direction and Conduct. and if he ſhould be ductile
& Teachable, I dont conclude yt [illegible] he will not ſerve y.e
Cauſe. as I can but entertain in Charitable hope concerning his [illegible] & the Honeſty of his Intentions. however the caſe appears to me very Dangerous
and Difficult. and when we conſider what infinite
miſcheifs Satan has done when tranſformd into an Angil
of Light & Eſpecly at ye firſt Sitting planting the Gospel
in places and by the Inſtrumentality of good men too it may Justly awaken our Fear and I hope will [illegible][guess: perſwade]
[illegible] [illegible][guess: to accompany & introduce dear M.r Thompſon accordg to ye Comrs deſire]
[left]# and I hope y.e Conſider.n will Effectivelly perſwade you to
comply with y.e Deſ.r of y.e Hon.le Com̅rs, at leaſt ſo far as to
accompy & introduce dear M.r Thompſon, if he ſhall accept the
Miſsion.

 M.r Occom ſeems to have a good Underſtanding of [illegible][guess: Satans]
Devices of y.t ſort and has ſome thots he ſhall make [illegible][guess: them] a viſit to
Jeningo before he returns from his Miſsion. If you
ſhould chance to meet him there & [illegible] y.r [illegible] it will [illegible] it may be very happy
look like a very favourable Providence.
and pleaſe ſir to favour [illegible] [illegible][guess: with] your a [illegible][guess: viſit] whenever you have occaſion to paſs thro' Connecticut I wiſh you
Divine directive, in & Bleſsing upon all your pious Endrs to
build up the Kingdom of the Great Redeemer I am Revd & dear ſr
and with Kindeſt Salutations to you and your [illegible][guess: dear]
ſpouse
am Rev.d & dear ſir
Yours in the Deareſt Bonds
Eleaz.r Wheelock


Letters to A Oliver Esq.r
& Rev. Gid. Hawley.
abo.t Sam.l Aſhpo.
June 1761
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