Author
Occom, Samson
DateSeptember 20 to December 5, 1787
ms number787520.1
abstractOccom describes his activities as an intinerant preacher and community
leader in the fall and early winter of 1787.
handwritingHandwriting is largely clear and legible. There are
uncrossed t's and crossed l's that have been corrected by the transcriber.
paperSmall sheets folded together into a booklet and bound with thread
or twine are in fair-to-poor condition, with moderate-to-heavy yellowing
and wear.
The outer pages are especially worn, resulting in some loss of text. Repair
work
has been done on these outer pages.
inkBrown ink varies in intensity throughout.
noteworthyAn editor, likely 19th-century, has overwritten Occom's hand
in spots, and added the note “ Sep. 20, 1787 Thursday to Dec. 5, 1787 Weday”
to
one recto. These edits have not been transcribed.
Thirdsday
Sepr 20. 1787
Just at Night had a meeting
at
widow
Fowlers, and there
was not many People, and
I gave them a few words
of
of Exhortation, from Luke
VI. 8 and the People attended
with great
Solemnity, and
Some affection — after meeting
I went to
Brother Davids &
Lodged there — —
Fryday
Sepr 21
ing and there was Conſide
rable number of People,
and I Spoke from Mark V. 9
and there was very good
at
tention, This meeting was
Deſignd, Chiefly for the young
People,— Soon after meeting
went back to
Sir Peter's, and
took Some refreſhment, and
Soon after Sunt-Set, went
to meeting again, and there
was great Number of People
and
there was Several, that
related there
exerciſes of
min
gd; three men, three wo
men, relate their Exerciſes, a
Young man, and a maried
woman, manifested their de‐
ſire of Bening
Beptized, and
Some Children, were to be Bap
tized all alſo,—
Mr
Serjant
[gap: tear][guess: m]ade Some o
[illegible]bjection, agai
^nst^
two
[illegible] Being Baptizd, but
the Profeſsors, gave their fel
lowſhip, to their Deſire, — &
So we broke up our meeting
Some late in the Evening, I
to
Peter's and their I Lodged,
and had good reſt — —
Saturday Sepr 22
was all Day at the Placke, — —
Sabb
Sepr 23:
about 10 we
went to meeting, and there was
a large number of People,
many
of our People from
Brotherton Came alſo, and
Some
PWhite were there, and
Mr
Serjant, read a Diſcourſe
to the Indians, in their Tongu
^[gap: worn_edge][guess: e]^ and read it alſo in Engliſh,
he read his Prayer alſo in
Indian, and he prayed part
ly in Engliſh — — — —
In the after noon I tried
to Preach, I Spoke from
Acts X. 34. 35 and there was
very
great Solemnity, Some
were much affected,— and
I Baptized, at this
Time
Eight perſons two adults &
the reſt Children; The Na
^me^ of the Young is
Solomon and the woman
[gap: omitted]
Soon after meeting I went
to
Sir Peters.
— In the evening
we had another meeting, one
of the men reharſd, what
had deliver'd in the Day,
after meeting went back
with
Sir Peter and Lodged
there again — —
Tueſday
Sepr 25:
our Place to help and Some of our men Came
alſo. — —
wedneſday
I had help again till after Noon —
Thirdsday
Sepr 27
in
the Evening, had meeting
at
Widow
Fowler's, there
was but few People, and I
Spoke from
[gap: omitted] and
there was a Solemn attention
after I had done
Speaking
two of our People Spoke a
words one after another. &
when they had done a white
man got up and Spoke, and
he Spoke
with a feeling Senſe
of Divine Concerns, he gav
^e^ an account of a
remarka
Saturday Sepr 29
a Comfortable Reſt — —
Sabb
Sepr 30
got up very
Early and Prayed together
and then we Sot
of. we had
near four Miles to go and
it was extremely Bad ridin
^[below]g^ Dreadful miry,— we got
to the Place juſt as
Esqr White was about taking
Breakfaſt, and we Sot
down with them — and Soon
after Breakfaſt, we went
to meeting to another Houſe
and there was a large N
r of People, and I Spoke from
Isaia 43: 21: and
wthere was
great attention in the As
ſembly I b
^e^lieve the felt
the weight of the word,—
after meeting, I went home
with
Mr Weatmore, and
took Dinner with them,
in the after Noon meeting
was removed to this Houſe
on account of a funeral
that is to be attened in
this Houſe, for an Infant
juſt Born Dyed in this
Houſe last Monday, it
livd about two Hours after
it was Born, and they
have kept the Corps to
this Day, for they expected
me here this Day, this
is the firſt Death that
happened in this Place.
Since it has been Settled
it
has been Settling three
years, and it is now a
large Sittlement. this
after Noon I Spoke from
Isaia 38: 1 and it was
a Solemn Time indeed
many were deeply affect
ted there was a Shower
of Tears, Soon after meet
ing we Carried
the little
Corps to the grave it was
but a few Rods from
the Houſe, after Burying
returned to the Houſe,—
in the Evening went to
Mr L[illegible][guess: e]vingworth's and Spent the
evening there,— about 10
wen
^t^ back to
Mr Weatmores and
Lodged there —
Monday Octor 1
got up
early took Breakfaſt
with Family, after Break
faſt went to
Esqr Whites, and
got ready, and about 9
we Sot off for Home,
Lieut White
^&^
Mr Leavett went
to our Place,— as we pas
^t^
a long, took Notice of the
Settlement, and it is a
fine Spot of Land,
and
a very large Spot too,
and the People has made
a rapped
Progreſs in Cul
tivating the Land, if the
People were as ingagd
in Religion as they
^are.^ in
their Temporal
Concerns.
this Settlement would be
very
^much^ like the
garden of
Eden, which was the gar
den of god. the Lord be
with
them and Bleſs them
that they may indeed be
a Peculiar
People unto
god, that they may be
Lights in this Wilderneſs —
We Stopt a While at
Clenton,— and we got
Home juſt as the Sun
was Setting. — —
Thirdsday
Octr 4:
in the
Evening had a meeting in
Widow Fowlers, and there
was but few People,
and
I Spoke from
[gap: omitted] and we had a Comforta
ble Seaſon —–
Sabb
Octr 7:
and there was not many
People, and I Spoke from
[gap: omitted] and we had a
Solemn meeting; Lodg'd
at
Brother Davids —
—
Tueſday
Octr 9:
about
1 in the after noon, I Sot
of for
Clenton, got there
Some Time before Night
Stopt a little while at
Mr
GJoness to See
his
wife had been Sick Some Time
and She was very poorly,
and went
from there to
Capt Foot's and in the
Evening the People Collec
ted
together and I Spoke
to them from John XXI: 22
and there was great So
lemnity amongſt the People
I believe Some felt the weig
^ht^ of
the word,— the Begining
of last March there was
no Houſe in this Place, a
perfect wild Wilderneſs,
Now there are 20 Familie
^[below]s^ and there were
Seventy odd
Perſons in the meeting this
evening. and have made
great apperance in
their
improvements. there are
Chiefly from
New
England and youngerly People — —
Wedneſday
Octr 10
Stayd here till after Dinner, and then went to a Certain Houſe between this Place, and
Whitesbourough about half
way, the mans
Name is
Blanchet, I got there Some
Time
before Night, and had
a meeting, and there was
a Conſiderable Number
of People, and I Spoke
from Psalm CVII. 31: and
the People
attended exceed
ing well, this was all a
[illegible]wild Wilderneſs in the
beginning of laſt Spring &
now the People are Settl
eing
alalong from
Whitesbourgh to
Clenton — in few Years
this will be Settled thick
as any
part of the globe
the Land is so good, it draws
all Sorts of People and
Nations are flocking here Continually — —
Thirdsday
Octor 11
Some
Time Breakfaſt I Sot
of
for home,-– Stopt a while
at
Capt Foots in
Clenton and took Dinner there.
and Soon after Dinner
went
on again, got to
my Daughters — and in
the evening we
had a mee
^t^ing
Siſter
E[illegible]ſther, and
was not many People,
and I Spoke from Psal
CVII. 31 and there was an
uncommon attention, many
were deeply
affected. —
Fryday
Octor 12
Some
Time in the morning I
Sot
of for
N. Stockbridge and had a meeting there
in the Evening, and I Spoke
from
[gap: omitted] and there wa
^s^ good atention, Lodgd at
Sir Peters — — —
Saturday Octor 13:
About
2 in the after noon I went
to
Deanville,
^got^ to the Place
about Sun Set
^Peter went^
^[below]with me^ found
Mrs Dean exceedingly diſtreſt
with uncommon Difficulties
in her Pregnancy, and
Peter and I went to
mr
Jonat Deans and Lodged there,
and 2. o. c. in the Night
I was Calld up, to the other
Houſe, and Bleed
Mrs Dean and I went directly, and
found her much diſtreſt
and took Blood from her
foot, and Bled exceeding
well,— and
her diſtreſes
begun to mitigate direct
ly, and I Stayd the reſt
of the Night and She was
Some what Comfortable —
I was Calld up again be‐
fore Day to write
^to Docr^ for
them, for they were Sending
to
Albany for one, and were
Sending for
Mr Dean too
for he had been gone Some
Time to
Spencertown — —
Sabb
Octor 14:
about 10 the People got together, and there was a large number of People,
many white
People from other Places
and many Indians from
Both our Towns, I Spoke
from Matt V. 20: & 5 and
there was a Solemn attention
all Day. Soon after meet
ing
Peter and I went to
Clenton got there a little after Sun
Set, we put up at
Capt Foots
and the People Collected
directly and there was
quite
a large number, and I Spoke
from
[gap: omitted] we lodgd
at the Same,
MondayHouſe
&
had Comfortable reſt —
Monday Octor 15:
Soon after Breakfaſt went to milel, and was there Some Time, before we
we Coud get grinding —
we got to our Place abou
^t^ 1: and
Sir Peter
paſt on
to his Place —
Thirdsday
Octor 18:
had a meeting at Widow
Fowlers Went to
Stockbridge to a
wedding Juſt before Sun
Set, attended upon Marriage
the young man was, one
the Sachem's Son and
the
young woman was of noted
Family, and there was
a vast Concourſe of People
of many Nations, it was
Said, there were ten differen
^t^ Languages among the people
and the People behaved de
cently, but
the Onoydas be
gan to behave unſeamly,
and in the Night the had
a t
[illegible][guess: err]ble
froleck even all
Night — — —
Fryday
was all Da
dy
at the Place,— in the e
vening we
Collected together
at
Capt
Hindrecks I Spoke
from Matt 6: 22:23 and there
was a Solemn attention, after
I had done
Capt
Hindreck
rehe
^a^rſed the Same, Lodgd
at the Same Houſe — —
Sabb. Octor 21:
about 10 the People got together & was a large Number of People Some white People and I Spoke from
John XIII ^17^
[gap: omitted] and the People were very Solemn and many were affected,
Lodged at the Same Houſe — —
Monday Octor 22,
in the
evening had a meeting in
Siſter Fowlers, and there
was not many People and
I Spoke from
[gap: omitted] and the People attended well
Lodgd at the Same Houſe
Tueſday
Octor 23.
People
from
Stockbridge Came to
help me. the were 5 of them
and the
workd two Days
Thirdsday
Octor 24:
we
were Calld
Suddently to
appear before the Chiefs
of
the onoyd, that had Juſt
Come to our Place, — and
we eat our Breakfaſt in
hast, and went directly to
widow Fowlers, and there
the Chiefes meet with us,
and it was about our Lands
But there was Such Confu
ſion, I would not Say a
word about it, it was a
party Scheam, Contrivd by
a few of our People, they
been agreeing with the
the onoydas for a Piece
of Land; without the know
ledge of the
Headmen
of the Place, Some of the
Contrivers of this miſchief
were much intoxicated
and they drove on the
Buſineſs with all fury in
no order, it was like
Whirlwind, Some Time
towards Night we brok
up and every one
^went^ his
way: in great Confuſion
of mind,— I went to
Br Davids and there Lodgd
with a Sorrowful mind. — —
Fryday
Octor 25
was at our Places all Day
Sabbturday Octor 27
Octor 26
Sabb
Octor 27
about
half after 10 we began
the exerciſe, and there was
a large Number of People
Some from other Places, &
Several
Stockbridgers were
with us, and there was very
great
attention, both be‐
fore noon and after noon
I Spoke from John,
I kno
^w^ you that the Love of god is
not in you, in the
after
noon from Mark VIII. 36.37
as Soon as the meeting was
done, I went
[illegible]
of to
Brotherton,
the Stockbridgers went
with me, we got there a
bout Sun Set, we eat a
few mouthfulls and went
to meeting. at
Siſter
eaſters
and there was not much
moving there Seemed to
be
Some party Spirit in
the meeting.—
Sabb
Novr 4
and there was very Seriouſs attention all Day
Sabb
Novr 11:
Preachd
at
Brotherton once more
and Baptized
Brother David Fowler's Children
Six of them, and we had
a
Solemn Day of it, in
the evening we had a
nother meeting, and it
was a
Comfortable meet
ing — —
Monday Novr6 12
this
Day intended to Set out
for home but it began
in the morning, and So
Stopt for the Day —
Wedneſday
Novr 14
got up
very early and went on
Stopt a little while at
Esqr Franks, and So paſt
on, and Stopt at
Andrews Field and there we
took
Dinner, and paſt on, and
we got to
Mr Thomas Creppin^s^
Juſt before Sun Sit and we
Lodged there, and we had
a meeting this evening, and
there
was a Conſideral
N
r of People,— and it was a
refreſhing Time I Spoke
from theſe words, Love is
the fulfilling of the Law,—
Thirds Day
Novr 15:
we
were at the Place all
Day we went to See Some
Frieds — Lodeged at
Mr waulrods — —
Fryday
Novr 16:
Some
Time in the afternoon
had a meeting in
Mr Pickar^d^s
and there was a large N
r of People, and I Spoke from
Matt,
[gap: omitted] he doeth the will
of my Father the Same is
my
Brother &c: and the
People attended well. — —
Saturday Novr 17:
was
at the Place, Towards night
went to
Brother
Nicholas Pickards, and in the even
ing a few People Came
to
gether to sing, and we
Lodged there. — —
Sabb. Novr 18
had a
meeting at
Mr Dyks and
there were So many People
we were obliged to
meet out
in the Field, and it very
warm, I Spoke from Psalm
cxix. o how
Love I thy Law &c
and it was a Solemn meet
ing, — towards Night I marri
ed a Copple, and it was a
Solemn weding, Cunducted
very agreeable, Supped
with them — and Soon after
Supper,
we went to old
Mr
Stanſels, and there we
had a meeting, and there
was a large
Collection of
People, and I Spoke from
[gap: omitted] and the attended
well we Lodgd at the Same
Houſe — — —
Monday Novr 19:
took
leave of Some of my Friends
and So went out of the
Place, the girls
rode along
with me a little ways &
took leave of them, They
went on with Tears, and
I went on my way Stopt
at
Brother Swans and
took Breakfaſt with
them, and Soon after
eating I went on. and
was going on, but
was oblig
^d^ to wait Some Time for a girl
that was going with me, but
they Coud not find the Horſe
that She was to ride, and so
I took her behind me, and
went a
Little way, and a
young man overtook us
and I deſired him to take
her behind him, and he
readily
took her and we
went on, and Soon got to
Bowmans Creek, where I
was to preach, and
the People
had been waiting Some Time
and So I began the worſhip
of god directly, and there
was but few People, I Spoke
from
[gap: omitted] I Lodged
at
Mr Whites, — —
Tueſday
Novr 20:
got me
up early, and went to
Esqr
Kimbels and there took
[illegible]
Breakfaſt,— Towards Night
I went to
Esqr Younglove's
and juſt in the evening
People began to Come in
and there was a large N
r
Collected, and I Spoke to
them
from, Matt 6: 33:
and there was a Solemn at
tention. I Lodgd at the Same
Houſe but lay uncomforta
ble all Night. — —
Wedneſday
Novr 21:
got up
very early, and had my
Horſe brought, and I went
to
Cherry
Valley, and it was
rainey, and I
won faſt
and Soon got to the Place
Calld on
Colo
Cambel, &
there took Breakfaſt, and
about 10 went to meeting
at
[illegible]one
Mr Rechee's and
there was a Conſiderable
of People, and I Spoke
from Psalm CVII and the
People attended well, and
Soon
after meeting went
to
Colo
Cambels again
and there Dined; and was
detained by a Black Smith
he was Shewing my Horſe,
and I Coud not get a way
till the Sun was going down
and then I went to
Bowman^s^ Creek got there Some Time
in
the evening, it was very
bad riding, and Some few
People got together, at
Mr Whites. and I Baptized a
Child for one
Mr
Griſwool by the Name of
Joenna,
and Lodge at the Same
Houſe and reſt well.—
Thirdsday
Novr 22
got up
early, and went over to
to
Eqr
Kimbel, and took
Breakfaſt, and Soon after
eating, went of and, got
to
Mr Romines Some Time
in the afternoon, and Stop
^t^ there a while and took Some
Victuals, and Soon after went
on again, got to one M
r
[gap: omitted] and Lodged there
here I met with a woman
that was much
in exerciſe
of mind and had Some Con
verſation with her, and
found under great Concern
of Soul, and I gave her
advice and Councel — —
Fryday
^Novr^ 23:
got up early
in the morning, and wen
^t^ on, got to
Capt
Grigss
about Breakfaſt Time
and took Breakfaſt with
him, and Soon after went
on again, and got to
Mr Vedders before 10: and wen
^t^ over
the River, and Stopt
at
Mr Bartlet's and there took
Dinner and Soon after got
up my Horſe. and went to
Yangey Hill, and Lodged
at
Mr Mudges the People
got together directly, and
I obligd to preach to them
before I went to Bed, and it
was a Solemn Time, the
Chriſtians got quite warm
Some Spoke. — —
Saturday Novr 24:
Roſe very
early, and I went to
Esqr Harper's
Mr Mudge went
with me, Soon got there and
found them all well, there
took
Breakfast, and Stayd
till after Dinner, and then
went back to
Mr Mudges and
was there but few minutes &
I paſt by and went to M
r
[gap: omitted] and juſt in the evening
People began to come in &
the Houſe Soon filld, and
I was obligd to preach to
them, I Spok from the
words Set thiy
Houſe
&c.
and there was great Solemni
ty, and affection amongſt
the People, I Lodgd at the
Same Houſe, and reſted
Comfortably. — —
Sabb
Novr 25
about 9
to the Place of meeting &
there was a prodigious N
r of People and I Spoke fr
Job: XXIII. 8: 1 Joh 1: 6: and there
was great Solemnity amongſt
Soon after meeting I took D
r with
Mr Frank, and then wen
^t^ to
Mr Bartlet's by
the River,
and
had another meeting there. and
there was a large Number of
People. and
attend well, but
juſt as the last Singing was
began,
Mr Bartlets Daughter fainted, and we diſſiſted
Sing
g and I Lodged
^not^ at the Same
Houſe, but I went over to
Mr Vedder's eaſt Side of the
River, and reſted well.— —
Monday Novr 26:
got up
early, and after Break
faſt, went over the other Side
of
the
River, and Juſt
Calld
at
Mr Bartlets and got my
up and took leave of them
Calld on
Mr Keenys a few
Minutes, and paſt on, — in
the evening had a meeting
at
Mr Andrew Eliots and
was great many People.
and I Spoke from
[gap: omitted]
Viſited a Young woman
that was very Sick, pray
with her,. — —
—
Tueſday
Novr 27:
got up early and to Viſt the youn^[below]g^ woman again, and She was
Some what better, and then took leave of them and other Families, and
to one
Mr
[gap: omitted] and there was many People, and Lodged there —
—
wedneſday
Novr 28:
towards
Night went over
the River
to one
Mr Groot and Preachd
there in the Evening, and
there was great many Peop
and Lodged there, —
Thirdsday
Novr 29:
went bac
^k^ to weſt Side of
the River, and
got up my Horſe at
Mr Mertin Vanolendas; and
took leave of them, and Juſ
^t^ as I got on my Horſe, I
^heard^ Some
one hallow and I looked to
the River, and behold I Saw
my Saw my Son
Anthony and his Family, and the
^[below]y^ went Down
the
River they
a Connoo. and I went on
to
Sckenactada, I got there
Some Time in the after Noo
^n^ and put up at
Mr John Poſts
Juſt before night
Anthony got there alſo: I Viſited Some
few Friends, Lodged at
old
Mr
Poſt's my good old
Friend. — — —
Fryday
Novr 30
got up
early and
Mr John Poſts
and got up my Horſe
&
went down
the river a
little
and went over. and so on
Downwards, to a Place Calld
put at M
r
[gap: omitted] here Lives
Mr
Joh^n^ Mudge a Baptiſt Preacher, in the
after Noon
Preachd, and
there was great many Peop
Spoke from what is thy Name
in the evening had another
meeting there was a large N
r again. Lodge at the Houſe where
the meeting was, — — —
Saturday Decr 1:
after Break
faſt, went on towas
Neſquan Church, got to
Mr
Fiſhers early
in the Day. and took Dinner
there, after Dinner
went to See
Mr Peters in the evening wen
^t^ back to
Mr
Fiſhers and Lodged
there and went to bed Soon — —
Sabb: Decr 2:
after Break
faſt, went with the Family
in a large Connoo to Church
over to
Neſquana. and there
was large gathering of P
and I Spoke to them from
[gap: omitted]
and as Soon as the meeting
was
over, I went back to
Mr
Fiſhers and took Dinner with
them, and Soon after, went to
back
in the woods, and Preahd
Twice, and Lodgd at the las
^t^
Houſe I Preachd in — —
Monday Decr 3
went to
new Town and Preahd at M
r
[gap: omitted]
Spok from
[gap: omitted] and Soon after meeting went
to the
Southward, and
[illegible]Stopt
at
Mr Conell, and took Dinner
[illegible] there, and then went to
another Houſe and Preachd
there, and Soon after meeting
went back to
Mr Conells and
Lodged there — — —
Tueſday
Decr 4:
got up
early and went to on
le old
School‐Maſters and there took
Breakfaſt, and Soon aft
[gap: tear][guess: er] went to
half Moon Church,
[gap: tear]
Stopt at one
Mr
Clules a
[gap: tear][guess: nd] from thence to Colo
[gap: omitted] and to
Capt
Compſtocks
[gap: tear]
[gap: tear][guess: w]as there a while, and
[gap: tear][guess: J]uſt as I was going a way
Brother Peter Pokquanuppeet Came to me, and was glad
to See him, and then Came
alſo
Mr John Venderwarker and we
n went with him to
his Houſe, and Lodged there
Wedneſday, ^Dec r 5^
in the after noon
went to the Church and Preah
[gap: tear][guess: d] there, but there was not man
[gap: tear][guess: y] People, I Spoke from
[gap: omitted] Soon
after meeting went ba
[gap: tear][guess: ck]
with
Mr Venderwarker a
[gap: tear][guess: nd] Lodged there —
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