Jacob Johnson, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1768 October 17
Date17 October, 1768
Call Number768567
abstractJohnson writes with news about the Congress at Fort Stanwix.
handwritingHandwriting is informal yet mostly legible. Johnson frequently neglects to pick up his pen between words. The trailer that is cut off by a tear in the paper is in Wheelock's hand; the other is in an unknown hand.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good-to-fair condition, with light-to-moderate staining, creasing and wear. There is preservation work done on particularly worn areas.
inkBrown ink is faded in spots.
noteworthyManuscript 768576.1 appears to be an addition to this document.
Revd & Hond ſir
to hear from the Congreſs — I have ſir Done every
thing I could both by Prayer Conſultation & applica‐
tion — I have conſulted Coll Buttler. —& others — I have
laid the Cauſe before ſir Wm Johnson perſonally and
by an addreſs in writeing ſubſcribd by Meſrs David
Avery & my ſelfe (For Dn Tho.s went Home not well)
A copy of which I encloſe which you will pleaſe to
preſerve (for I have no other copy, & the original
is in ſir W.ms poſseſion) I have oppertunity to con‐
verſe with the chief Gentn here as Governer Frank‐
lin of the Jerſie Govenr Penn Mr Peters of Philidelpa
& others many others — I coud be heartily glad you ſir
was here you woud be receivd moſt Honbly & affectionate
I can aſſure you your name is often mentiond with
a great deal of Reſpect by ſr Wm Johnſon Gov.r Frankd
& others — Govenr Penn is gone Home but before
He went I took an oppertunity to confer with Him
about ſetting up an Indn College on the ſuſquahanna
or ſome where there about He told me He had ſeen
Dr Whittaker & his Requeſt of a conſiderable Tract of Land
& that the affair was ſent Home to the Proprietors I aſk'd
Him if he tho't the Propoſals woud be granted He ſd He
tho't not — I aſkd Him if the Proprieters woud not
part with a tract of Land for that purpoſe He ſd He beliv'd
not as requeſted — will they ſd I upon any Terms He
ſd yes as they ſold it to others upon no other terms
reply'd I He anſwerd no He beliv'd not or to that
purpoſe — I aſk'd Him if the Proprieters woud
on the ſuſquahanna He ſd yes as they would with any other
Purchacers and upon no other Terms ſd I He anſwrd
no — . I confer'd with Mr Peters of Philadelpa
upon the ſubject — He thot great care ſhoud be taken to
chooſe ſuch a place to ſet up an Ind.n Academie as
might not intefere with any other public School or
occaſion diſcontent or envy or the Like leſt it Shoudnt
anſwer the deſign —and beſides He tho't few of the Indns
woud ever do for Miſsionaries that in genll it waſ not
worth while to do more for them than to learn them
to read & write & be induſtrious &c I confer'd ſir
william upon the ſame ſubject what His opinion was
about it— He tho't it a Laudable & very good deſign — I
aſkd Him where He tho't beſt to ſet up the School
His Excellency ſd He ſuppoſd that affair was ſent Home already
& determind — I infirm'd his Excellency It was now in agi‐
tation & preperation to be ſent — But I ſuppoſd not yet
gone — I aſkd Him where He tho't the moſt proper
place to ſet it — He reply'd he ſuppoſd in or near Alba‐
ny — I mentiond Penſylvania He ſd He ſuppoſd the
Proprieters woudn't part with their Lands for that pu[gap: tear][guess: rpose]
upon any other Terms than they woud to others
— I mentiond Kohoſs —He tho't that too much a one
ſide — I mention'd Pittfield — His Excelleny aſk'd if
they had any conſiderable of Lands &c for that pur‐
poſe — I told his Excelleny they woud ſubſcribe in
Lands & money a Thouſand pounds & more He ſmild &
made no reply onely that Coll Williams was propriet'r
there &&— upon laying the encloſd addreſs before
Him when He had read it he aſk'd me where I
woud have the Bounds of the Provines Reſtricted I told
election whether they woud part with their Lands or no
At preſent He coudn't tell no more than I coud where
the Diviſion Lines woud run when all the chiefs were
come together He ſhoud know & not before — and
that He ſhoud be as tender of the Ind.ns Intreſt as I
or any other friend coud be to 'em — that twas eaſie for
deſigning men to get away their Land by inſinuateing
themſelves into their faver together with a few Gifts good
words &c that many too many had done it For the Indns
in genll valu'd not their Lands — & much were
paſsd betwixt Him & me alone — (which I have not time or
room to write for Paper is here ſo ſcarce that 12 ſheets
has Coſt me as much as 2 quire in New Engd & with great
difficulty I have got ſo much & uſd Halfe of it already)—
But ſd He viz ſir Wm upon the Concluſion he ſhoud
make open proclamation of the Doings of the Congreſs that
all might
might have further opportunity to confer upon
theſe things — And ſir I muſt confeſs that ſir wm has
& does treat me & mankind in the moſt Handſome &
genteel manner Imaginable which has endeard Him to
me very much tho' He has no Grace yet has no ſmall
Share of lovely Humanity — But ſir on the whole
the ſituation of the Ind.ns with reſpect to there' Lands
is very tickliſh & doubtful — no leſs than 15 thou‐
ſand Pounds worth of goods & a vaſt deal of Proviſien
with 7 cheeſts of Gold & ſilver weighing not leſs than
a Barrel weight of Cyder or Peck each is ſent as a
Temptation with Rum wine & high Spirits propertionale
if not to Exceed &
beyond— And beſides tis tho't the King has a deſign to
make a large purchace of the natives for ſome pious
uſe — But this is kept as a ſecret which has not yet
tranſpird & known onely to a very few — I muſt leave you
as I am to gueſs in this matter what it portends but we
may be pretty ſure ſome thing to the ch-h of Engd or ſome
Dignatary — you will likely ſr have a more full
acct. & view of theſe things at the Cloſe of the Congreſs wch
I am apt to think will be about the Latter end of
next week it may be not before the week after
Jacob ws Johnson
the Encloſed—