Joseph Johnson, letter, to Andrew Oliver, 1773 October 10
Date10 October, 1773
Call Number773560
abstractJohnson writes to Oliver about his service among the Farmington Indians, and requests funds to pay off his debts.
handwritingHandwriting is small, but mostly formal and clear.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in fair-to-poor condition, with moderate-to-heavy staining, creasing and wear that results in a minor loss of text.
inkDark-brown ink is faded, heavily in spots.
noteworthyAn editor, likely 19th-century, has added the note "Jos. Johnſon's letter to Commiſsrs Oct. 10. 1773. ." to two verso. This note has not been included in the transcription.
To the Honorable Andrew Oliver Eſqr.
‐empt to write to your Worthy Perſon at this time;
Hond Sir, this afternoon I came down here to this
Town to get my watch which I left here ſome
time paſt to be repaired being conſiderable da‐
‐maged. and finding an Opportunity to Send to
your Honour, I with much thankfullneſs do
Embrace it. I would enform your Honor that
the School which is under my Care at preſent is
in good Circumſtances. the Children are well;
and
Conſidering chief of them are young, 5, 7, 10, 13
years of Age. &c: alſo I would enform your Honor,
that the School has been kept very Steady, and I
have endeavoured to be faithfull to all with whom
I have to do. both Parent, & Child. alſo the Parents
have Sent very Steady, and highly Eſteem the great
Previledge which Kind Providence is at preſent
favouring them with. and we all humbly hope
that our Previledge will be graciously Continued to
us poor Unworthy, Ignorant, and Deſpiſed Indians.
we hope that Your Honour, has Remembered us, a‐
‐midſt your Croud of important Buſineſs. alſo we
hope that the Honourable Board of Commiſsionaries
has Conſidered our humble Petition, and we hope still
that an Anſwer of Joy will be ſent us in due time.
Hond Sir. We are the Same as ever we was. Objects
of Pity. the Indians are very deſireous to learn.
my Indian Epiſtle with ahumble Petition to your
Honour. Worthy Sir. be pleaſed to Conſider of me;
I have kept this School 6 Months already, and I have
made out to live hitherto, but I have been obliged to
borrow a little; altho it is not Cuſtomary to lend to
an Indian in theſe Parts, but I have behaved my
‐ſelf as well as I could and People think, that I am
no [illegible][guess: r]eſt, and have ventured to help me little. but
H
but I am obliged to Seek your Honors favour.
Hond Sir, I confeſs I am Poor Indian, a fatherleſs,
and Motherleſs, and almoſt friendleſs Lad. Yet
I want to live and I want to live honeſtly. if it
is not my Calling to teach my Poor Ignorant
Brethren the Indians whom I love, & Pity. I [illegible][guess: will]
not Croud myſelf into the buſsineſs. but if it be
my Calling, and Duty, I muſt beg to live by
it, or have Suitable help and Encouragement —
from Some where. all I want is things Conveni‐
‐ent. that I may give myſelf to the Service Chea
‐rfully. and Hond Sir, as I Said Juſt now that I
have made out to live hitherto, So now I say that
unleſs your Honor is pleaſed to Pity me, and help
me I can not live any longer in this Buſsineſs
but I must break off, and go into Some other Call‐
‐ing in order to clear my Self of little Debt, which
I have neceſsarily contracted the Seaſon paſt.
I have no pleaſure in being trusted, neither is it
honourable. So Hond Sir. my humble and Earneſt
Deſire is that your Honour would be pleaſed to Send
me half years Pay if poſsible, or if it has pleaſed the
Gentlemen to allow me any thing for Encourage‐
ment, to keep this School. Hond Sir, without doubt
that the Revd Mr Pitkin my Kind, & faithfull Overſeer
would write in my favour if he had Opportunity. I
was at his Houſe last Thursday Evening, and Enquired
of him whether he had recieved any News from your
Honour Concerning our Petition, or Concerning this
School he told me that he had not
from your honour Concerning us Indians. I acquainted him of my
Circumſtances at preſent, and he Said he would Join
and write in my favour again if there was any going
from hence to Boſton. I enquired little but heard of
no one, that was going to Boſton. So kind Sir I
hope that you will no[gap: hole][guess: t] be angry with me in Under
‐takeing to write to you of myſelf.
that I am an Indian. but having an Opportunity, I
thought it my Duty, to aſk for the thing that I
do really Stand in great need of. be pleaſed to Send
the Money for which I Earneſtly Request, by the
Boſton Poſt. with whom I ſend these few lines. but
if there is nothing allowd for my Encouragement be
so kind, an
Poſt next Saturday as I purpoſe to meet him here —
again on that Day if I am well. I am Sorry that I
have troubled you So often with my Requests, but I
hope that hereafter I Shall know what to depend upon
forgive me for what ever I have at any time wrote
un becoming to your Honour, and charge it to my
Ignorance. So I muſt End wiſhing you, and yours
Proſperity in this Life, and perfect felicity in the Man‐
‐sions of Bliſs hereafter.
Joſeph Johnſon the Mohegan In[illegible][guess: dn]