My dear and Hond Sir
Lebanon
26th
Sept.r 1764.
Yours by
M.r Occom came while I was on a Journey.
And I now take the earlieſt Opportunity to acknowledge the Favour,
and inform you that when I heard
that
Genl Johnson was returned,
I was ſorry that
M.r Occom
&
David were ſet out on their Journey,
as the principal Ends of their Journey could not
likely be accompliſhed,
viz
t their ſeeing Parties from remote Tribes together, in Order to
recommend the Deſign, & prepare the Way for ſchool
Maſters
&
Miſsiona
ries among them, and alſo procure a Number of likely youth
from diſtant Parts for
this ſchool, which the
Commiſsioners appre-
hended he might have a more favorable
Opportunity for by such
a Meeting with the
General than we have Reaſon
otherwiſe
to expect ſoon. Nor can I in Conſcience
ſay it was an imprudent
ſcheme
till I have ſome other Reaſon than I have heard or thought
of to convince me of it. It is true we were
misinformed of the
Time of
Genl Johnson’s Return from
Niagara, but I don’t know
that we were to blame for that
Misinformation.
The
Commiſsioners in Boſton had a principal View to
Nehantic (tho’
Mohegan
waſ mentioned) in
Mr Occom’s Appointment, but as
he was not a Proprietor at
Nehantic, he was obliged to build
&
ſettle at
Mohegan, which interferes with
M.r Jewett’s appoint-
ment; and a Controverſy was commenced and began to riſe high
&
threatned much Miſchief.
M.r Oliver (tho’ he did not fully
know how bad the Caſe was) expreſsed his Concern about it to me
at
Concord, which tho' not agreeable to write was a Conſideration
of Weight in my Mind in taking him out of the Hands of thoſe
Commiſsioners
& employing him in the Miſsion he was deſigned for.
I mentioned to the
Commiſsioners when they were together their
writing to you on the Affair of ſupporting
Mr Occom’s Miſsion;
but a Lecture appointed by our Praeſes obliged uſ to diſpatch the
Buſineſs with ſuch Precipitancy that it was not conſidered as it
should have been. But there was nothing ſaid, nor do I ſuſpect there
was a Thought among them, of your having taken
M.r Occom under
your Patronage, or that you looked upon him under
more Obligations
to you as his Patron than
^any^ other Man for
whom you have done
a Kindneſs, or that you had any more Reaſon to expect to be
conſulted in that Affair than in any other Affair of equal Importance,
^[below]in^
in which you have ſhewn your Friendſhip
& Concern. Nor did I
ever underſtand the Caſe
till this very Day, or what you meant
by ill Treatment by our taking
M.r Occom into our Hands with-
out conſulting you therein. Had I underſtood the Caſe as I now do
I ſhould by no Means have moved or conſented therein —
The
Commiſsioners (as I underſtand them) were of Opinion that
his Circumſtances which were publickly known, viz, his being ſo much
in Debt, & nothing like to be done, (that they knew of) to free him,
His Expence in
moving, &
Loſs of Goods &
Proviſions in his Paſsage, and
nothing done to repair his Loſs, or to aſsiſt him in ſupporting his
Family, or provide a Houſe for them, he not having received a Farthing
from the
Commiſsioners
^ at Boſton^ and they at ſuch a Diſtance from him, and ſo out
of the Way of Accquaintance with his Circumſtances
&c, were ſufficient
to juſtify his Deſire to be under our Care, & us in receiving him.
Had
the Commiſsioners viewed the Caſe in the Light which you did, or had
they only had the leaſt Intimations, which they could rely upon, that you
deſigned to help him under his Neceſsities, tho’ they might likely
have repreſented to you the Greatneſs of them, it would have
been the fartheſt from their thoughts to take him out of your Hands.
Mr Occom tells me, “He told me ſomething of it before.” But I
never underſtood it. It was my Compaſsion to him, not knowing
what
^else^ to do with him that
moved me to act at all in the Affair.
I intirely agree with you, that we muſt be agreed in the Plan, & that it is reaſonable
&
neceſsary, that you ſhould approve of it, as we expect the Benefit of your Friendship & Influence.
And what we have propoſed is, to ſend among godly well
accomplished youth, in the Capacity of Miniſters
& School Maſters
to the ſeveral Tribes as we can obtain & find means to ſupport. I have
now 10 Indians in
this ſchool well accompliſhed for ſchool
Maſters,
excepting that ſome of them want Age. I have alſo 4 English youth
who are very promiſing
& would do well to go with the Miſsionaries
to learn the Indian Languages, and while they are doing that, may,
under the Conduct of the Miſsionaries, be uſeful as ſchool
Maſters, and
after that return with ſuch likely Boys as they can find to finiſh
their Learning here.
Pleaſe
ſir to write me on what I have written, & make
what Propoſals you pleaſe, and I will endeavour to have a
Meeting of the
Commiſsioners, & lay what you ſhall write before
them as ſoon as may be. The Conſequence of which you ſhall hear
by the Poſt. I hope you will have Goodneſs enough to overlook
a thouſand Blunders, & Patience enough to correct ſuch as
you ſhall think material.
I am now ſick with a Dyſsentery, have wrote in
great Pain &
Confuſion interrupted often by my Diſtemper
Things are in great Confuſion at
Mohegan. I wiſh
M.r Occom could be quite unconcerned in them, The Caſe is
too long to write. They have had ſeveral Meetings to give
in their Reaſons why they reject
Mr Clelland as their ſchool
Maſter, and are this Day to meet to give their Reaſons
why they will not hear
M.r Jewett preach &c
Pleaſe to direct yours to the Care of
Mr Graves of
N London. I have put Money in his Hands to
pay the poſtage of my Letters — My dear Brother,
pray for a poor Creature, who is
with much
Affection,
Ps. The
Com̅iſsrs in Boſton will allow
M.r Occom
y.
e £30 w.
c they voted
for y.
e Curr
[illegible]ent Year. but ſeem not Senſible
y
t his Neceſsities are in any
meaſure
ſo great as they are.
I went to
Norwich
myſelf and with
M.r Whitakers aſsiſtance
procured 40 Days Labour gratis towards his House. but expence for
materials and for what he has, and will have, occaſion to Hire
I underſtand will be conſiderable and much beyond what I expec
ted.
pleaſe to write whether it will, or not, be expedient that
M.r Occom ſh
[stain: oul]d be Enoculated, in order to his going with you to
England and whether you would take either of the Boys of this ſchool with
you — If you ſhould think of taking one of the
Mohocks, it may be beſt
he ſhould make a visit to his Friends this fall. —
Salutation: I am
yours &c
EW