Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Robert Keen, 1766 December 4
Date4 December, 1766
Call Number766654.1
abstractWheelock writes to Keen about money matters, selecting a potential site for the School, and the controversy regarding the letter sent to England by the New England Company. He also introduces William Samuel Johnson, newly appointed as Special agent for the Colony of Connecticut.
handwritingThe letter appears to be written in two different hands, one Wheelock's, the other unknown. It is alternately formal and clear, and informal and less clearly legible.
paperLarge single sheet is in fair condition, with moderate staining, creasing and wear. There is preservation work done on particularly heavy creases.
inkDark brown.
noteworthyIn the deleted section on one verso, the identity of "Mr. P. . . . . . .n" is uncertain, and so he has been left untagged. However, he is likely Ebenezer Pemberton. This document is very likely a draft. A note, possibly 19th-century, has been added in pencil after the trailer. This note has not been included in the transcription.
EventsOccom’s Ordination, Fundraising Tour of Great Britain
Diſadvantages of Body & Mind, & upon Recollection find I
gave but a very imperfect Anſwer to your Letter, I men‐
tioned a Bill drawn in favr of Mr Breed for £160 I should
have said £180 And with reſpect to Bills to be drawn for
the future, as Mr Moſes Peck watch Maker is my factor in Boſton, it may be neceſsa‐
‐ry that he should sometimes draw in my Stead wch Bills I woud
pray you to honour as if signed by myſelf, and no others unleſs
further adviſed, As to large sums for building that muſt re‐
‐main in suſpence till I have further Advice from you, or till
God in his Providence shall point out the moſt convenient place
to fixe the School, wch I wait to have determined by its friends
on your side the Water, & yt for this reaſon, bec.s so large numbers
have intereſted ymſelves in yt Matter & each party ſo engagd
to have it in ye place ya have reſpectively fixed upon, and
many viewing ye advantages & Conveniencies of each place in so par‐
‐tial a manner that great numbers muſt neceſsarily be diſobliged
let it be fixed where it will, and perhaps some diſagreeable reflec‐
tions & cenſures be incurrd if it should be determined by myſelf
wch may be of real & laſting diſservice to the Cauſ,
it has therefore been my declared purpoſe to refer ye Determination of ys matter to
its moſt important friends
there may be
proſpects as
from Mr Brainerd relative thereto, I wonder to hear nothing more fm
Gen.l Lyman, you kindly propoſed the sending me a liſt of the moſt
important Subſcribers to this Deſign, wch I apprehend may be of real
Service, & accordingly Shall hope to be favourd with it in your Next X
Majeſty woud likely accept something of that Nature, & if any Pleaſe to inform me of their titles & any thing as to manner of Addreſs
wch you may think neceſsary for one in so obſcure a Corner)
I expect from the Wilderneſs are not yet returned and am at a loſs for the
reaſon of their tarrying so much beyond the time appointed what new
intelligence
as alſo an Acc.t of a remarkable occurance among the Indians weſtward
of Philadelphia as soon as I can obtain a circumſtantial Acct of it —
Mr Whitaker informs of the Difficulties he encounters from a Letter wrote by
Mr Oliver Letter in ye Name of the Board of London Com̅iſsrs in Boſton
Letter eſpecially that I reported y.t Mr Occom was a mohawk lately emerged from groſs paganiſm &c be effectually contradicted — Upon wch I woud
only obſerve
so publickly known to gentlemen in all our Governments, as to
impertinent to take pains to contradict a report of his being a Mohawk lately
emerged &c as of his being an engliſh Man if such a r[gap: tear][guess: ep]ort had ever been propagated
Commiſsioners, you may see by Mr Buells Sermon at ye Ordination of Mr
Occum in ye hands of Mr De Berdt wch has been made public in o.r Colonies
& alſo by Mr Boſtwicks Letter at ye end of Mr Randals Sermon preach'd before
ye Society in Edinburgh 1763, that Mr Occum has not been hid in such a
corner, as that
concerning him if he had
ever So great a thirſt to get money
& eſpecially conſidering that y.e tribe he belongs to is quite immaterial but
emerging out of paganiſm is ye only thing affecting in the Acc.t and
concerning him, I have seen ye Acc.t wch Mr Whitaker gives Mr Peck &c [illegible]
of y.t Letter & it seems strange y.t gentlemen w.o
of acquaintance w.t
of him to ye honble Society as
‐taken in almoſt every particular they relate of him as you may See by camparing What they have
Wrote with the incloſed Copy of Mine To Meſsrs Peck Maſon & Auſtin.
to Which M.r Peck informs me by a Letter of 20 Laſt this Day received. that M.r Oliver had
hond my order for the £10..0.. upon firſt Sight. but Says they think beſt not to
deliver my Other Lettr deſiring the Copy of his to M.r Maudit but wait a while
and See how they will clear themſelves. — and by another of 29th ult Says. Says
that M.r Maſon this Day told me he would Shew M.r Whitefields Lettr to Mr Oliver, &
Deſire
hear that M.r P. . . . . . .n declares there is not a Word in it to M.r Occoms Prejudice
his Own Defence, and declares his Deſire that their Letter may be publiſhed." and
If
I drew an Order upon the Board in Boſton in favour of M.r Peck about a month ago for £10. of their Annual Allowance
to this School, which,
firſt Sight. Which is the third Remittance he has made without the leaſt Objection,
S
as the Grant made by them was only during their Pleaſure.
that Letter, and you will likely hear further of it.
as Aſsociating with you for the Furtherance of this Grand Deſign, to Whom
you will likely communicate what I have Wrote.
Agent for the Coloney of Connecticut, I give myſelf the Pleaſure to intro‐
duce him to Your & their Acquaintance as a Gentleman of Worth and
Character in his Profeſsion, Who I make no doubt will deſerve your & their
Eſteem & Friendſhip,
I hope you will be able to pick out my meaning. and beleive
that I am my dear M.r Keen, with much Affection & Eſteem