Lebanon
July. 4.th 1761.
Rev.d
& dear Sir.
I hope you have recd mine from Boſton
laſt
May, incloſing a letter of Thanks to the ^noble^
Marqueſs of Lothain
for £50 Sterling which I rec.d of M.r Smith. It came at a Time when it was much needed and I dont
know how to
expreſs my Gratitude ſuitably either to God or man. I preſume
his good Lordſhip wants nothing ^in return^ more than I can
readily give that is, the fulleſt
aſsurance that it was received thankfully, and ſhall be improved in the beſt manner I am able for the furtherance of the great Deſign of ſpreading the Gospel among the poor Indians.
M.r Occom the Indian Miniſter went from hence on a Miſ ſion to the Oneida Indians,
at the Motion & Direction of a number of Gentlemen in New York Government, on the 10th of Laſt month. David Fowler one of my Indian Schollars
accompanied him in order to obtain if he could, and bring hither to this
School
ſix Boys of the Six Nations to be :fitted
as ſoon as poſsible for Interpreters or Miſsionaries. Three of the Six are at the Expence of the Scotiſh
Com̅iſs.n
in
Boſton
; the other Three I take in addition to the Six Boys now with me, at my
own Riſque. The Journey which David is upon if
he goes to the Seenecas is about 500. miles. 1200 Miles he will ride in our Wilderneſs if he accompliſhes
what he purposed when he ſet out. The Lord mercifully pre ſerve him and make his way proſperous. I have heard nothing from them ſince they left me. But I heard a few Day ago that one of the Oneida Indians had killd a Dutchman, and that the whole Tribe were moving off under Apprehenſion that the
Engliſh will riſe and cut them off.
There is among ſeveral Tribes near Seſquaanna River. a very great concern, and Deſire to be taught the way of Salvation by
Chriſt. and ſuch a Door open to preach the Gospel among them as never was before, if we
could find any way to com̅u -nicate it to them. The London Com̅iſsrs in Boſton have ap pointed M.r Amos Thompſon
Miſsionary, &
M.r
Eliſha Gunn Interpreter to the Tribe at Onohoquagke, on S.d River, and
beſides him I know not of one ſuitable for the Buſineſs of Inter preter, nor is he a thorough Maſter of their Language.
There is a vaſt deal to be done, and at preſent it ſeems
it muſt be done by perticular
Perſons. Our Government have done nothing yet, nor do I hear of any Proposals
of a publick Nature in Favour of the Indians. The Diſpoſition
of a great number ſeems to be rather to riſe and cut them all off, than to do any thing to ſave their Souls. nothing can be done without money, and our people complain
much of the weight of
^[left]our^ charges of late years.
My School is in a growing State;
though but one of the Girls which
which I have been ſo long expecting is yet come. nor have I heard a word from M.r Brainerd
ſince
laſt Fall, when he informed me that the Girls were detained by Sickneſs, but might be expected early this Spring.
I have taken a pious youth Son to
the Rev. M.r Kirtland of Norwich
into this School as a Charity Schollar; who is fitting as faſt as he can to accompany my Indian Boys on a Miſsion to diſtant Tribes as ſoon as they are fit for it. he and they deſign to learn the Languages of the ſix
nations, of the Boys which David
is gone for if they ſhall
come.
None know, nor can any, without Experience, well conceive of, the
Difficulty of Educating an Indian. They would ſoon
kill themſelves with Eating and Sloth, if conſtant care weres not exerciſed for them at leaſt the firſt year — they are used to ſet upon the Ground, and it is as natural for them as a ſeat to our children — they are not wont to have any Cloaths
but what they wear, nor will they without much Pains be bro.t
to take Care of any. — They are used to a Sordid Manner of
Dreſs, and love it as well as our Children to be clean. — They are not used
to any Regular Government, the ſad
Con ſequences of Which You may a little gueſs at — they are used to live from Hand to Mouth (as we Speak) and
have no care for Futurity — they have never been used to the Furniture of
an Engliſh House, and dont know but that a wine glaſs is as Strong as an Hand Iron — our Language
[gap: tear][guess: when] they Seem to
have got it is not their Mother Tongue and they cannot receive nor communicate in
that as in their Own. — It is a long time before they will learn the
pro per Place & use of the Particles. A, an, the &c. and they are as unpoliſhed
& uncultivated within as without. however Experience has taught us that it
may be done. and they be as open to Conviction of the Truth of their State, when
proper matter of Conviction is com̅unicated to them as any, and there is as much Ground to hope for their Converſion. and I am ſtill of Opinion that the Time of Gods Mercy to them is now near at Hand.
May'n't I, my Dear Sir, look upon the generous Grant of the
Marqueſs of Lothain
as an Earniſt of further and greater Benefits to the great Deſign. You will eaſily
beleive
he weight of Change is heavy upon me. It is now almost Seven years ſince I began with two, and above four years I have had four and the moſt
of the Time five & Six, and now Eight upon my Hands ^as^
con ſtantly devoted to School as their Health will allow. and if all come which I now
expect, I ſhall have Eighteen, male, &
feemale who will live only on the Charities of Such as Deſire
the enlargement of the Redeemers Kingdom.
The Honle
London Com̅iſsrs
have made ſeveral Grants for my Help. and laſt fall ^they^ settled £20. proc. p.r annum upon this School; which with the
private Donations I have had have enabled me to Scrabble along hitherto.
The Scotiſh
Com̅iſsrs
have but little to do with at preſent;
[illegible]The firſt Laying out of that new formed Com̅iſsion is for the Support of the Three Boys before mentioned. I hope they
will ſoon
be enabled to do ſomething greater. nor was that received from the
Society but y.e
contribu.n of M.r
W.m
Hyſlop
one of y.r
membrs. they hope ſoon to be enabled by y.e Society to do something greater. I hear
I hear that a large number of Captives whom the Indians have taken at one time & place & another are lately brought into Al bany; among which there are 29. who have forgotan their Names and the Place they were taken from, and it cant as yet be known
what Family they are of. I have a mind, if it may be, to chuſe out a number of them for an Education for our Purpose in this School.
There is a religious youth of
about 14 Years old of The Tribe at Farmington,
who has learnt to read & can
ſpeak
Engliſh, who has a great Thirſt for Learning, and appears to be very Sprightly: his Mother brought him
hither while I was at Boston
laſt may, with Hopes y.t
I would take him into this School. what ſhall I do for him?
If I knew how to addreſs the Earl of Dartmouth (whoſe
Name among the Religious Part of our Country is like pre cious Oyntment) I would pray his Lordſhip to conſider, among the many objects of his Charity, the vaſt Swarms in this Land who are periſhing for Lack of knowledge and that the Expence of getting the Gospel among them muſt
needs be very great, their Different Languages being almoſ[gap: worn_edge][guess: t]
as numerous as their Tribes. and no Books to aſsiſt in learning them — and few or none ſkillful enough to be their Interpreters, eſpecially in matters of Religion. nor any except ſome low lived ignorant, & commonly vitious Persons who have been their Captives — I would also urge upon
his
Lordſhip, that divine Providence has now opened the Door wide for that
purpose. and great numbers, by the [illegible]
Ru mours they have heard, are ^now^
perſwaded there is ſomething to be known which nearly concerns them and are very deſirious
to be taught — I would also urge ^w.t
his Ldſhp has ſo often tho't of^ that the Heart of the # great Redeemer is
infinitely Set upon it, and [illegible]
^conſequently
^ an offer ing to this Purpose muſt needs be acceptable to him. and ^methinks^ I
ſhould
feal quite bold in the Cauſe, for it is none of my own, more than his. and I know if
his Lordſhip believes these things, he muſt have a Heart very Different from his Character if it be not ^disposed to^ moved with Compaſsion towards them
[illegible]. yea I am not afraid to rely upon his Lordſhips
Candour if you ſhall think fit to ſhew him what I have wrote.
as to an Incorporation for this Purpose when I went to Bos ton I had in view ſomething Relative thereto. but found there that a number of the Principle men in
Boſton
viz. The Leiu.t
Gov.r a number of his Majeſty's
Councel, all the aſsociated
Miniſters
& Others, had been upon the like Deſign, but were then ſtoped by Reaſson of ſome
differing Sentiments &c when they came to underſtand my ^Deſign
^
Buſineſs
Several who were principle movers in the affair earneſtly
deſired
we would not proceed without them. and you will likely hear more about it
before long.
We had an acco.t of your Death in the publick Prints. I ſupposed you had ſeen the End of your Faith. and had arived to full viſion of thoſe
Glories of the Mediator, which all your Eloquence had but imperfectly
repreſented to your attentive admirers, and that you were now
ſwollowed up in and feaſted to ye full with, that Goodneſs which Eye hath not ſeen nor Ear heard &c. and y.t I muſt think no more of an Interview with you 'till I come to the world of Spirits. but now ^my dear Sir^ I
will hope a little to
to ſee you again in New England.
M.r Pomeroy was well the laſt time I heard from him but from Home and full of Buſineſs. Indeed Sir, I do love to pray for you. and truſt I have, and ſhall
feal the Benefit of Your Prayers for, My Dear Sir,
Yours in the Deareſt Bonds
Eleazar Wheelock
P.S. July. 9. my letter wait.g for opportunity for conveyance gives me opportunity to add. y.t the night before laſt I received yours of Feby
[illegible]. and yesterday I received one from M.r Occom Dated New York
June 24. where^in^ he informs me yt
y.e
Sabath Evening before there was a Collection at M.r
Boſtwicks
^meeting House^ for him of £60:15:7. and the Evening
following at the Baptiſt meeting House of £13. & that he and David
deſind to purſue
[illegible] their Journey to Oneida the next morning: & by another Hand I am informd
that previous
^antecedent^ to ſd Collection he
^Mr
Occom^
preachd to the moſt numerous
aſsembly that was ever known in those parts:
and this [illegible] day I ^have^ received a Letter from M.r Brainerd which Informed me that one of the Girls who were to
come hither laſt fall was ſtill
ſick and not like to recover. but that he ſhould
ſend me two by the firſt
veſsel. ſo that now I expect my number very ſoon.
and illegible
^by^ another at the Same Time from dear M.r Amos
Thompſon
^I'm^ informedng
me that he was on his way from the
Jerſies
to Boſton
to [gap: tear][guess: conclude] on
the Buſineſs of his
Miſsion
& was taken ſick, his Physican
ſays going into a Conſumption
ſo that there is no hope of his ſerving
in that Capacity. Gods Judgments are a great Deepe
^Rev.d
^
M.r Finley is chosen Preſid.t of y.e
College of New Jerſie
in the Room of the much lamented M.r Davies.†
# and would not his Lordſhip think whether, or no, an offering for this Purpose at leaſt of ſome
^Small^ part of that which the Lord of all Lords has honourd him to be the ſteward of in this Life, would not be acceptable to him, whoſe Heart is ſo
much ſet upon the ſucceſs
&
Progreſs of this work.
yours &
Eleazar Wheelock
†Joseph Woolley
complains that diſuſe of their pen thro'
ſo
cloſe
an application to the[illegible] Languages and:
Hez. Calvin. will now read Tulley, Virgil & the Greek Teſtament very Handſomly.
David Fowler who is gone into the Mohawke Country is a very Promiſing youth indeed.
Isaiah Uncas is Eldeſt
ſon and Heir apparent to the
Sachem of Mohegan. he but little more than knew his
Litters when he came to me laſt fall. aged about 10 years. he begins to read in the Bible. Copy of
Letter to M.r
Whitefield.
July 1761