Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Dennys DeBerdt, 1761 September 22

Author Wheelock, Eleazar

Date22 September, 1761

Call Number761522

abstractWheelock describes the progress of Occom's mission to the Oneidas, mentions a land dispute in Pennsylvania, and reports on the progress of his school. Mention is made of Kirtland's missionary training.

handwritingHandwriting is tightly spaced and informal and there are several deletions and additions, all of which suggests that the doucment is a draft. Letter case is frequently difficult to decipher.

paperSlightly worn at edges, though overall in good condition. The central crease is reinforced.

inkDark and heavy, the ink bleeds through to opposite sides. There are some blotches.

noteworthyLetter is marked as a copy. For Occom's account of the events mentioned in this letter, see 761330.1.

EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas

Modernized Version Deletions removed; additions added in; modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.

Persistent Identifier
My dear and honoured Friend,
I received Two from You last Spring the
Receipt of which I acknowledged in one from Boston
last May which I hope has Reached you before now. Another
I wrote Since which miscarried through carelessness,
Mr. Occom set out on his Long Journey to the Six Nations on
The 10 of June. last Accompanied by David Fowler one of my Indian scholars,
by the way of New York. where he tarried Several Days. and
preached in Mr. Bostwick's Meeting House to an assembly
vastly numerous, at which was Collected for his uses £70.
and the Evening following at the Baptists Meeting House
£13. (their currency) and received ample Recommendation
from the principle Gentlemen in the City. I have since received
a Letter from him Dated German Flats July 7. in which he
Informs he had met with uncommon kindness and respect in
all his Travel and that Gen. Amherst had given him a pass
and Recommendation to all his Officers
and that Gen. Johnson had received him with great
respect and promised him all the assistance he could, in
the business he is upon, and designed the Next Day to Intro­
­duce him to the Oneida Nation, the Affair of his mission looked then
with a very favourable aspect.
I have also another Letter of the Same Date and from
the Same Place, from Gen. Johnson by the Hand of Two
Mohawk Lads, who are Recommended and Sent by the
Gen.
to this School, to be fitted for Interpreters, or missionaries
in compliance with my desire by Letter to him to send me
Six. Three to be Supported by the Honourable Scottish Commissioners
in Boston
, the other Three I ventured to Send for, to be,
in Addition to the Six I had with me before, the Objects of
Such Charity as God Shall dispose his people to show upon
this occasion. Those Two boys were joined by a Third
after they Left the General and who came without his Knowledge
or Recommendation and is here at school, they all behave
well and are Sufficiently Studious and industrious in the business. The Gen. writes me
that he hopes as he passes through the Other Nation on his way
to the Detroit (whither he was going with presents to the
Indians) he shall be able to send me 3 or 4 more to com
plete the Number which I wrote for.
One Samuel Kirkland a pious and promising Youth whom I've
taken in to the School as a Charity scholar, to be fitted for
a mission, is now learning the Mohawk Language of
these Boys as fast as he can under the disadvantage of ha­
­ving no Book nor Intepreter to assist him and so
are also several of my Indian Boys. —
The generous bequest of that Noble Lord the Marquess of

of Lothian of £50. Sterling, The Grants of the Honourable
Commissioners
and a number of Private Donations have
Enabled me to Scrabble along hitherto.
The Governor of Pennsylvania is doubtless doing all
in his Power to prevent our People setting on the Land
they have purchased there, The Indians have lately drove
off those who Settled on Delaware, and we hear the English have Killed two Indians The proprietors of those
Tracts have united and Chosen Col. Eliphalet Dyar of Windham
to be their Agent at the Court of Great Britain by him
they design to make Application for an Incorporation.
They designed he should have set out on his voyage this
month, but have lately concluded he shall stay till Early
next Spring. he is a very fit Gentleman to be employed
in the Affairs of this School, and I hope we shall be able
to prepare matters So as to employ him there in, and he
will make no Small account of your friendship and assistance
.
Not having an Opportunity to speak with Mr. Peters I wrote
him Your Errand. my Son informed me that he said he had agreed
with a man last fall to pay the money to Mr. Hazzar[gap: stain][guess: d] of New York
but the man had deceived and disappointed him. but Said he would
take Speedy Care that it should be done. He is Settled in Hebron
and none thought but the Society had Sent him there
'till lately an Report is Spread that he had Orders for Taunton
in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay. I wish I could you would
favour me with one of the Societies Returns. his assembly is
very Small indeed. what their means are I am not able to Say.
Miss. Williams of Wethersfield was married last Spring to
the Honourable William [illegible][guess: Smith]] Esq. of New York and is gone thither to Live.
one Samuel Ashpo, a Christian Indian of the Tribe at Mohegan
lodged at my House Last Summer on his Return from Susquehanna
about 300. miles from hence, and informed me there was a very
great Concern among the Indians in Several Places near said River
and a great desire to be taught the way of Life. he told
me there was a Number he thought not less than 20. which
he [illegible][guess: verily] thought were Savingly converted at a Place called Chenango near said River.
The enclosed was published amidst a crowd of business I doub[gap: worn_edge][guess: t]
not Your friendship will excuse all Defects. My dear sir.
continue writing to. and praying for, him who is with the
most Sincere respect.
Yours in the dearest Bonds,
Eleazar Wheelock
A Copy of a Letter to
Mr. DeBerdt. London
 September 1761
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