Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Dennys DeBerdt, 1762 December 18
ms-number762668.1
abstractWheelock discusses, among other things, the states of various missions, and the progress of the Indian Charity School.
handwritingInformal handwriting is small, crowded and occasionally difficult to decipher.
paperLarge single sheet is in fair-to-poor condition, with moderate-to-heavy staining, creasing and wear that leads to a minor loss of text.
inkBlack.
noteworthyGiven the informality of the hand, the number of additions and deletions, and the lack of an address, this document is likely a draft.
EventsOccom’s Second Mission to the Oneidas
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 gd 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
obſtructg 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.
M.r Dennys DeBerdt
^[left]Letter to M.r DeBerdt.^
^[left]Dec.r 18. 1762.^
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