Lebanon
Decem.r 18. 1762
My very dear Sir.
Yours, of July 28.
refreſhed me much I ^heartily^
regrett the loſs you have Suſtained
by
^the Death of^ your worthy godly & Skillful Paſtor. may the Lord of the Harveſt provide Guides for his people who Shall be zealous and Skillful to
promote ^and defend^ his Sinking Cause in the world.
M.r Occom returned from his Miſsion Some Time
ago, I hant had opportunity to see him Since. he was
ſoon Sent by the Preſbytery to preach to an Engliſh
Settlement on
Hudſons River about 60 or 80 miles
above
N. York where g
d has of late in a very won‐
‐derful manner received his work. he returnd from
his Miſsion
ſooner than he intended, on acco.
t of the
preſent Ruffle
^which^
y.
e
Onoydas are in, being ingaged in
a war with Some of the Nations back of them, and on
acco.
t of their extream Poverty they having nothing to
live upon but what they get by fiſhing fowling & hunting
an untimely froſt
^having^ cut of their Corn laſt year. he had no
way to come at them to preach to them but
^by^
only illegible followed them from Place to Place in their Hunts, and
by
poor living
^tho they were as kind to him as they cod be^
&
eſpecially by lying upon the wett ground his
old Rumatic
Diſorders returned &c
^#^ he deſigns (I hear)
to viſit them again in the Spring.
M.r Forbes who the
Scotiſh
Com̅iſs.rs in Boſton sent
Miſsionary to
Onoquagee, is also returnd, I hear
left
the Indians after he had gathered a Ch-h there he left
the Indians in a great Ruffle, & the children
^wc^ they had been
attempting to teach
^wre^ all diſperſed with their Pa
[gap: hole][guess: r]ents
in their
hunting Rambles. perhaps
D.r Chauncy will by little
and little receive conviction that he
is
a little too
confident of the Succeſs of his Plan, and too Sudden and
free in condemning others who have
over and over
^again and again^ made
trial of the very
^same^ Scheme, and the moſt they have got
to compenſate their Toil and Expence has been
only their
useful point of Knowledge
^viz^ that ſuch a method will not
do yet. may God
^graciouſly^ direct in the Important Affair, and Save those
who are concerned in
it from Falling into Parties and
So
obſtruct
g and hinder one another.
My School is in a flourisſhing state at preſent. my Numb.
r
^of Charity ſcholars^ is 25.
M.r Charles Jeffery Smith of
Long
Island has lately refuſed
a Class at College for the sake of keeping
this
Indian School gratis
He deſigns to Devote himſelf and a plentiful Fortune to the ſer‐
vice of his Redeemer
^as a miſsionary^ among the pagans. he has tho'ts of Taking
an Interpreter for his use from the School, &
ſupport him with
himſelf at his own Expence. I eſteem him remarkably accompliſhed
and turnd for ſuch a Service. I expect but little real good to be
done among the ſavages by Gay, and unexperienced youth, the Lord
^mercifully^ prevent the miſcheifs which Such threaten the Cauſe. I informd you
^[below]Some^
[right]# he found nothing more than this Diſcouraging
among their and had reaſon to think he ſaw
ſome good Effects of his Labours among them the Laſt year
ſome Time ago of the Tour which
Friend Aſhpo
^had^ made to
Jeningo and
of the Religious concern Among the
Indians
^there^
conſequent thereon and that
a number were hopefully ſavingly converted. There was a very fierce
per
[illegible]enting
Spirit in the other party which aroſe to ſuch a height ag.
t (as I was credibly informd
laſt week) the chriſtian Party were oblig'd
to withdraw from them and have ſettled in a Town by themſelves
about 60 miles below them on
Seſquaanaa River. there they use with
out a Bible, and without any that could read it if they had one.
I have taken
Friend Aſpho into
this School, and eſteem him a well
experienced & well Eſtabliſhed
Chriſtian, he is here by the advice of
an
^Ecleſ[illegible][guess: ea]ſtical^ Council
^we^ convened
^laſt
ſummer^ to examine &
adviſe him. I expect we ſhall
ſend him
to those Indians next Spring. And our dear
M.r Smith of
Boston has
ingaged £20 Sterlg towards the ſupport of his miſion provided
it cant be otherwiſe done. there is also
^in this ſchool^ a young mohawk, whom
we call
Joseph Brant of a family of distinction
among
^in^
that Nation who has been for ſome time under Religious impreſsions, and of
late almoſt
perſwades me to call him a real ſaint he ſeems to
breath the very ſpirit of the Gospel.
M.r Smith is unwearied in his
Endeavors to promote Religion & learning in
this ſchool. —
M.r James Leſley a Scots Gentleman with whom you have had ſome
acquaintance went out of the ſchool to make way for
M.r
ſmith to
keep it gratis and is
^now^ in y.
e
Pariſh
ſchool. I expect when
M.r
ſmith leaves it
Mr
Leſley
wil take it again.
I have
^amidſt a thouſand avocations^ prepared for the Preſs,
amidſt a thousand avocations a ſhort
Narrative of
this School, expect it
will be
[illegible][illegible][guess: b]ut in a little time
y.
[illegible][guess: ou]
& others may expect the Sight of it as ſoon as may be after
it is printed.
If there be anything in this that will gratify good
D.r Giffords or
M.r Savage
pleaſe to let them have the ſight of it. I wrote
each of them ſometime ago and hope my Letters hant
miſcarried
you & they will eaſily
ſee
^in^ what a Hurry I write
in
If
D.r
M.r Whitefield
hant yet left England ſalute him
moſt heartily in my name. I expect by his to
M.r Smith to
ſee hi
[gap: tear][guess: m]
here in a ſhort time.
I am Dear Sir, with the moſt
ſincere
Reſpect
Yours in the Deareſt Bond,
Eleazar Wheelock
P.S.
my School hues
Day by Day und.
r God only
and the charities of Gods people
without any ſettled fund for
its ſupport and God is my
only Refuge.