Samson Occom, journal, 1774 July 8 to August 14

Author Occom, Samson

Date8 July to 14 August 1774

Call Number774408.2

abstractOccom documents his and David Fowler's travels from Mohegan to Indian communities in Connecticut, Western Massachusetts and New York. The death of William Johnson, and the battles between the Shawnees and the Virginians are mentioned.

handwritingOccom's hand is mostly clear and legible. Letter case is occasionally difficult to decipher.

paperSmall sheets folded in half to make a booklet are bound at the center fold by a metal pin that is still in place. The paper is in fair-to-poor condition, with moderate-to-heavy fading and wear that results in some loss of text.

inkBrown ink varies in intensity throughout.

noteworthyAlthough it is uncertain, when Occom mentions a "Mr. Johnson" on four recto, he is possibly referring to Joseph Johnson. An editor, likely 19th-century, has overwritten letters, words, and punctuation; these edits have not been transcribed. In the Rauner collection, a note from this editor accompanies the journal; this note has not been transcribed. If the name of a person or place is illegible, it has been left untagged.

Persistent Identifier

July 8: 1774:


David Fowler and I Sot out
about 3: o'c in the afternoon
from Mohegan, on a Journey
towards Onoyda to viſit our
Brethern, reachd So far as to
Colcheſter, Lodgd at Mr [illegible][guess: G[illegible]ſi]
Foot's and were very kind
ly entertaind, —

Saturday
July 9
:

very early in the
morning went on our Jour
rode about 8 or 9 miles were
kindly invited in by one
mr Luther I believe a Chrn
man and broake our fast
[gap: tear][guess: w]iſth him, after Breakfaſ[gap: tear][guess: t]
went our way, Stopt at Mr
Frothingham
s a Seperate miniſ[gap: tear]
in Midletown, and Dind with
him, after Dinner went on again
reach the Borders of Farmton
in the evening and we put
up a Tarvern, —

Sabbath July 10

got up very
early in the Morning and wen[gap: tear][guess: t]
on to Indian Town arrivd
there about 7 o,c in the morn[gap: tear]
put at Friend [illegible] Elijah Wympis
Preachd twice this Day and
in the evening, —

Monday July 11:

we were at
the Indian place all Day viſit
ed amongſt them found them
well in general and well Diſ‐
posed toward Religion —

Tueſday July 12

about 9 o,c
left the Place and went on to
New Hartford about 8 miles,
where 2 or 3 Families of Indians
Live, there preachd in the after
Noon, in the evening Lwent
to an Engliſh Houſe and Lodgd
there and was very kindly
entertaind —

Wedneſday July 13:

attended
ordination at the place calld
[gap: omitted] one Mr [gap: omitted]
ordaind, after ordination went
to the Indian Place again and
Preachd Juſt before Night, after
meeting went 2[illegible][guess: :] or 3[illegible][guess: :] miles [illegible][guess: to]
one Chaugums and Lodgd there
he is an Indian from Block‐
Island
and has a white woman
for his wife

Thirdſday July 14:

went over
the River and Breakfaſted with
Deacon [gap: omitted] after Break
fast went to New Hartford to mr
Marſh
's and [illegible] to meeting at
10 o,c, after meeting went
Back to mr Marſhs to Dine
with him after Dinner went
on to Norfolk with one [gap: omitted]
got to the Place Juſt before
Sun-Set Lodgd with the
Same gentleman that Con
ducted us here, —

Frydady July 15:

had a
meeting about 9 o:c this
morning, after meeting went
on our way to Stockbridge
reachd to the Place Some
Time before Night, we
calld on Mrs Kirkland and
found her and hers well,
good mr Sergeant Came to See
us, and in the Evening went
home with him[illegible] and Lodgd
there

Saturday July 16:

was at the
Place all Day, viſited Some
Indians, towards evening met
at Honiſes to converſe with the
Indians but with we had no
Interpreter however we had
Some Converſation about
Spirituals and Temporals —
Lodgd again at mr Sergeat

Sabbath July 17:


in the morning heard Mr Periham
Preach, — In the after Noon I Preachd
Twice firſt to the Engliſh, and
Juſt before Night to the India[gap: tear][guess: ns]
there was a great Number of [gap: tear]
of the white People — — —
Lodgd at one Capt Joness this
Night, —

Monday July 18

met the Indi
ans in the morning at Honiſes
had Some Converſation with
them Concerning Temporal[illegible]
and Spiritual Concerns —
Dind at Capt Joness and em‐
mediately after Dinner went
our way towards Richmont
Deacn Willſon and Capt Jones
and others went with us, got
there Some Time in the after none
here met with my old acquain
tance from Long Island, good
Doctor Tarbell, mr Jeremiah Miller
Mr Lewis Hedges and Mr Reuben
Hedges
, I Preachd [illegible] at the Place
this after Noon to a Crouded
Auditory; after meeting went
[gap: tear] Docr Tarbells and Lodgd there
and was very kindly entertaind

Tuſeday July 19:


Soon after Breakfast went on
to New Canaan Preachd there
this morning, as Soon as meetig
was over went with Mr John‐
ſon to New Lebanon and Preachd
there this after Noon, Soon af
ter this meeting we had governor
Franklin
and a gentleman
from the Weſt Indies and othe[illegible][guess: r]
and Some Ladies, Soon after
meeting we Sot off on our
Journey and we Trav[illegible][guess: i]ld till
about 10 o,c in the Night, we
Could not find a Tavern, and was
oblidgd to put up at a poor
privet Houſe — —

Wedneſday July 20:

got up very
early in the morning and
went on our way, got to Alb[gap: tear][guess: a]
ny
about 8 o:c in the fore [gap: tear][guess: noon]
Stopt a little while there, and
paſsd on to Schenectady got
there Some Time in the after
Noon, put up at mr Poſt's
our old Friends, and they were
very glad to See us and we
were glad to See them alſo —

Thirdsay July 21:


in the morning Preachd at
this place in mr Millers meetg
Houſe, Dind at Mr Millers
Lodgings, Soon after meeting
left the place and proceeded
on our Journey, arrivd to
Colo. guy Johnſon's Juſt be‐
fore Sun Set, Sot a little
while with him, found
him very Solitary on the
[gap: tear][guess: ac]count of the Death of
Sir William Jonſon — last
Fryday was the firſt our
hearing of his Death which
Dampt our Spirits much
about Sun Set we left Colo
Guy Johnſon
and we went
on and traveld 5 or 6 miles
and put up at one mr [illegible]s

Fryday July 22:


went off very early in the
Morning towards night
reachd the upper Mohawk
Castle
Calld Fort Hindreck
put up at Joſeph Brant's
but he was not at Home [illegible]
but few of the Indians

Saturday July 23:

left the
place early in the morn
and went on our way, Still
went no further than one
mr Thomſon's

Sabbath July the 24:


we thought it beſt to travil
being a fine Clear Day —
arriv'd at old onoyda about
4 o,c in the after noon,
found our Friends well in
general, and they were
very glad to See us and
we were as Glad. Stopt
about an Hour an half and
So puſht on to Cannoharoha
re
, got there juſt in Duſk of
the evening, a great Number
of them Eſsued out of their Houſes
and were overjoyd to us, and
we were very glad to See them,
after Salutations went to Mr
Kirkland
s, and he was Sur
prizd to See us and we embracd
each other for Joy, and a
Number of the Indians Came
in and they Sang Psalms Sweat
[gap: tear][guess: ly] before they went out —
The good Lord be Praiſed
that he has Safely brought
to the place of our Deſire &
and that we have found our
poor Brethren So well —
about 10 took reſt for the
Night — — —
Spent the week with agreable
veew of the Setuation and
hopeful Proſpect of the Indeans
future Happineſs — great alte
ration has been made a
mong theſe Indian both as
to their Temporal and Spiri
tual Concerns Since I was here 12 years ago, the Lord bleſs
them more abundenly —
Yet I find the Devil is very
is very buſy at this time to
obſtruct the pure Doctrines
of the Gospel of Jeſus Chriſt
the Le[illegible][guess: aven] of the Pope, which
has been planted among th[gap: tear][guess: eſe]
poor Indians long Since [illegible][gap: tear]
Now ferments among them [gap: tear]
and the leaven of the apoſtiti[illegible]d,
Protestant Chriſtans which is worſe
than the Heathens, with the Heathen
Superſtions are all fermenting
together at this Time to oppoſe the
True Religion of Jeſus Chriſt
which Conſiſts in the Power, as
well as in form, and it produces
love to god and Man and Holineſs
of Life —

July 31:

Mr Kirkland preachd
in the morning, and I in the
after Noon,— theſe Indians have
got a good large Meeting Houſe
almoſt Compleated outſide, with
a neat Bell-fray to it —
This week on wedneſday had
a Confrence with Indians Concern
ing the True Doctrines of J[illegible][guess: c] be‐
ing all ways Offensive to a
Carnal — —

[gap: tear][guess: Sa]turday Augut 16 [illegible]:


[gap: tear] able to ride to Fort
Stani[illegible][guess: x] with Mr Kirkland
expecting to meet a great Numr
of Indians there as they were
all going to Salmon fiſhing
but we did not with So many
as we Expected, tho there a
Conſiderable Number of 'em

Sabbath Augt 7: 1774


I preachd all Day to the
whites, in the evening a Numr
of the Indians Came in to mr
Roof
s to Sing, and and a Numr
of the whites Came to hear —
last night Night and this morn
a Freſh man a Roman Cath
and an Engliſh woman Pr[illegible][guess: eſt]
us very hard to Baptize their
Children, but underſtanding
their Immorality we Declind to
Baptize them, —

Monday Augt 8:

was n[gap: tear][guess: ot]
well enough to Proceed t[gap: tear][guess: o]
Fiſhing Place, and So I returnd
to Co[illegible][guess: u]noharohary with Mr Kirkd
got to the place before Night
Spent the week peaceable I
went a Fiſhing almoſt every
Day and we had Small fiſh enough
every Day — —

Sabbath Agt 14:

Mr Kirkland
preachd, and toward evening
I put a Queſtn to them, which
was this, what is it that makes
a Christian or who is a Christian
a Number of 'em Anſwerd, &
they anſwerd well, — — —
This week and last week we
have heard very Bad News
the Shawaneſes have had a Sp[illegible]art
engagements with the Virginians
and many were Slain on both
Sides and Shawan[illegible][guess: ies] have Sent
[gap: tear][guess: be]lts of wampum all round
[gap: tear] [illegible]ng the Tribes of Indians
for aſsiſtance, but we cant [gap: tear]
how Tribes have Joind th[gap: tear][guess: em]
about a week ago [gap: tear]
Chief wariors Came to o[gap: tear]
from Shawan[illegible][guess: ies] Country, with
Ten Belts of wampum and
three Scalps, two Indian and
Engliſh Scalp, they with a Cry
to the five Nations for help —
the 2 Indian Scalps Signify
that the Engliſh were too many for [gap: tear]
and killd of 'em, the one Scalp
that Indians have killd but few
Engliſh, — the Six Nations
have been Call to aſsemble at
onondaga, there the grand Coun
cel was to Sit, but most of the
Six Nations are at This Time
Diſpoſ'd every where for Pro
viſsians, and nothing is done
yet, they have this week are about to [gap: tear]
the Runners the Second T[gap: tear]
[gap: tear] Suppoſd the Six Nations
[gap: tear]et Join the Shawanies
[gap: tear]termine to abide by their
[gap: tear]ment and Covenant with
[gap: tear] [illegible]Engliſh enterd at the End [gap: tear][guess: of]
the last wars with French —
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