Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to The Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, 1765 December 16

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date16 December, 1765

Call Number765666

abstractThis fragment of a letter written by Eleazar Wheelock briefly describes Occom's skills and history as a missionary.

handwritingLetter is in Wheelock’s hand. Writing is small, slanted and crowded, with several deletions, all of which hinder legibility.

paperLarge sheet is in good condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, staining and wear.

noteworthyThe document is almost certainly a draft.C ontents are similar to those of 765617. Wheelock appears to be briefing the Society regarding Occom's possible activities in Great Britain. Notes on the bottom of one recto are possibly notes for a sermon or speech plans?. A trailer is added in another, likely 19th-century, hand.

EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain

Persistent Identifier
to take the care of a party of Indians at Muntauck on Long Iſland, who had been
through the Influence of Some wild Exhorters got into under the Inſtrictions
of the Revd M.r Horton your Miſsionery, ſent to them by your Board of
Corriſpondents in New Jerſey
. but through the Influence of wild Enthuſiaſtical
Exhorters from abroad, these Indians had got into a moſt broken Diſtracted
State, which gave mr Occom an opportunity to ſhew his Prudence and ſkill
in managing Such people, for in a little Time they were reduced to an orderly
Behaviour, and their Wild notions corrected. he laboured there as a School
Maſter with Succeſs in the capacity of School Maſter & public Teacher a
number of Years 'till he was ordained by the Preſbytery of Suffolk County,
but the Small Pittance allowed him for his Support which I ſuppose was never
more than equal to the Extraordinery Expenceof his public Charecter. by which
means his Ab he was not able to obtain a Library, nor had he Time to
have profited much by it if he had had one. and thus his Abilities have
been all along Stemed, however he has done well in Several Miſsions
and is Well [illegible][guess: calculated] qualified to Edify his own Nation, and is by
all Who are capable of Judging eſteemd an Excellent Speaker in his own
Tongue. What a figure he will make in Europe I cant in a Scene So different
from that which he has been used to I cant tell, however I hope conſiderate
Gentlemen will make proper Allowances for his Education and Buſineſs of
Life Which has been that of a Teacher of Babes, even the moſt Ignorant
part of mankind, and not used to Speak publickly in engliſh, nor to calculate
Diſcourſes for Learned Aſsemblies.— but I need not inlarge.
The Rev.d Meſsrs Whitaker &, Occom [illegible] being able to gratify give You with
a more prticular acco.t of all our Indian Affairs than is convenient to
Eaſie to Write, and if I have already exceeded proper bound, [illegible][guess: alread] your Good­
neſs will diſpose you to accept for my Excuſe, that I have if done it [illegible]
only with a view to gratify you & to Teſtify that I am with greateſt
Duty and Eſteem. Hon.d Sirs,
Your Moſt Obedient and
moſt humble Servant
Eleazar Wheelock

Lebanon In Connecticut
Dec.r 216.th AD 1765.
1. w.t Oppreſsn is[illegible]
2. y.e Evil of it.
3. The Duty of a pp [illegible] und.r it. or w.t
courſe will be Succeſs to be D[illegible][guess: dd]:
D. y.t yre is a way of D[illegible][guess: de] left for y.e poor
and needy und.r Sore oppreſsnW.h y.r Oppreſsrs
cant prevent them.
1. W.t it is. [illegible][guess: 666bbbbgggg]
2. gr.t Calamity. 610. as well as gr.t Evil [illegible]
3. yw.t y.e oppreſsed are to do for Deliv.e or
w.t y.t courſe w.c y.r Oppreſsrs cant prevent ym
[illegible]
to Socy in
Scotland

—fragment—
Dec. 1765.
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