Solomon Williams, letter, to Rev. Samuel Wood, 1761 November 12
Date12 November, 1761
Call Number761662.1
abstractWilliams writes a lengthy letter regarding news of his sister-in-law, events in Great Britain and in the colonies, and the desire of various tribes to receive missionaries. Mention is made of Samson Occom.
handwritingHandwriting is very informal and extremely difficult to decipher. There is shorthand sprinkled throughout.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is heavily reinforced, which renders it difficult to discern the condition of the paper. It appears to be in good condition, however, with light creasing, staining and wear. The preservation work is beginning to wear around the edges.
inkDark-brown ink is somewhat dimmed by reinforcement.
noteworthyAs noted in the trailer, this document is a copy. Due to the extreme difficulty of discerning Williams’ hand, the transcribers have used their discretion with regard to letter case, shorthand, and abbreviations.
signatureThe signature is abbreviated.
EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas
Modernized Version Deletions removed; additions added in; modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
Honoured and very dear Sir
sure and thankfulness in September I am the more obliged for your goodness
in it as It came [illegible] from your friendship without any Motive of
My repeated letters to you which as you dont mention I conclude
you have not received. I Return My warmest thanks for your kind and most desira
ble friendship and but blush to See what Great Notice
you take of My respect and affection for my Dear sister; the
best and one of the most deserving of women for whom If I had any Senti
ments of Piety virtue, or Even humanity, I could Not but have
the most tender respect for the Sincerity, Integrity, tenderness of her heart, the
distinguishing accomplishments of mind God has blessed her with, her
undissembled piety, constant, friendship and undeserved affection and also
knowing that Tender Love she expressed for my dear brother (Now no More)
which induced her leave her Native Land her Dear and most deserving
Friends and come into a far distant Country among persons Unknown to
her. Alas what have I done for her? how little could I do but wish
It had been in My Power to Render her as happy as she could wish
to be. long before this Reaches you you will know that she has
changed her condition and Situation and Married Mr. William Smith of New York
a very worthy Gentleman and of high Character Among all virtues
People there and In this Colony to whom he is known; a Gentleman
of ample Fortune and one of his Majesty's Council there. there
are some circumstances connected I was afraid would not be agreeable to her
his Large Family, and the Place. however I confess upon the whole
I thought it advisable for her to comply with the
proposal, as Providence seemed Evidently to Point out and lead the
way and to open a prospect for her more extensive usefulness, and
hoping also it would be a means to dissipate the Gloom and melancholy which is too apt to Cloud her mind. that the Troubles [illegible][guess: must attend] her Situation had not [illegible] the
the uncomfortable solitude of her widowhood. Yet I own in giving
advising her to a compliance with the [illegible][guess: proposal] I was obliged to go Counter to My own most Strong de
sires [illegible][guess: knowing that [illegible][guess: by] [illegible][guess: Remove] I must be] Deprived My of some of the dearest Comfort and society
of my life. Parting with her was a Painful and bitter thing one of
the hardest Partings of my Friends I have Ever Experienced. for though there
is no Sea between us yet I have Never had the Small Pox
and the fear of [illegible]g the Infection at New York which is Seldom
Clear of it bars me from the hope of Seeing her. but the
prospect of her Comfort and usefulness teaches Me that tis my duty to bear Patiently
the loss or want of that pleasure I should [illegible] have enjoyed [illegible] life been spending in seeing
her frequently at her own house and sometimes at Mine. May Every
blessing of Life and godliness Attend her.
It is a sensible Grief Dear Sir that your bodily Infirmities
should Prevent the execution of any of the wise and Pious Plans
for usefulness to mankind you are [illegible][guess: framing] from time to time
and among the rest hinder me from receiving your Kind and Edifying Letters
I doubt Not Sir but a wise and Good God Makes this one Means
of [illegible][guess: rendering] you more Active and serviceable to the Kingdom of the Great
Redeemer. to this End you ask My Poor Prayers and [illegible] a most
forcible and delightful argument the interest I have in yours.
I most heartily thank you Sir for kind and daily Remembrance of
Unworthy Me I beg Your Continuance of that most desirable
favour for her
I can with Equal Sincerity, and honesty assure you that no day breaks
in which I do Not Remember my dear and Good Friend Dr. wood
and Recommend him, and his deepest interests his Precious Life
and usefulness to the Father of Mercies — Dear sir may our Holy Father
help us to Continue this Friendly Christian intercourse and correspondence
by the way of Heaven daily meeting there so long as we are on
this Side of it. this favour this blessing of your Kind, and [illegible]
[illegible] Remembrance of Me I Rank Among many others owing to
that wise and Good Providence which brought my dear sister from
her Native Land to this Country. and while She thinks her Life is
almost useless and Spent in vain I [illegible][guess: Such] Great May [illegible][guess: bring] kind and merciful [illegible][guess: Events]
of Providence issuing from it in a very Extensive Manner, and may God Ren
der her More and More useful in proportion to the [illegible][guess: truest] and [illegible][guess: enlarged]
desires of his heart. I was sensibly touched with the Intima
tion you gave of an uneasiness and Clamour existing in the Nation
by the Tax or Additional Duty on beer or ale, I have not heard
how the issue of it was or what Influence it had on the Election
of Members of Parliament but hope the best and that the Kind Pro
vidence which has for Such a time past overruled the public
Affairs in such a wise, Steady, and kind manner has Given you a
wise and Good Parliament. we In these distant Regions of the British Empire
Share the general [illegible] in the Happy occasion of So Good a King so
excellent and amiable a Man to the [illegible] of his [illegible] we feel the pleasure of the Delight
ful prospect of his Long and happy Reign and daily Send up our
ardent vows to heaven for the best blessings upon him the Queen
[gap: tear][guess: his Amiable] Consort and that the Nation and all its [illegible][guess: dependences]
may in him and his Royal house Enjoy the most distinguishing pros
perity and future [illegible][guess: Ages] Call him blessed. God has Truly done Great
Things for the Nation and for us in America, things which though we
long and ardently wished yet Scarce dare we hope to see. The [illegible][guess: redemption]
of Canada deliverance from the most false Cruel Perfidious Enemies
that Ever were let loose upon Mankind. how wonderful a mercy if
God Please to Incline the heart of the King and his ministers to keep
North America and never let His acquisitions here
Return to such bloody and deceitful Men as have been the Scourge of
this Country in all past times and [illegible][guess: as soon] as it is in their Power
will Extirpate and Ruin the English here. The Lord has done Great
Things for us whereof we are Glad. I wish I could say for which
we are thankful; and that the goodness of God had led us to Repentance.
what can I Say here? but take up your Lamentation [illegible][guess: our] [illegible][guess: Brittons]
Still we are a very wicked People vice abounds the Power of Godliness
is much lost from Among us. we Sadly feel one of the dismal con
sequences of war the Corruption of our Morals.
increasing of
Extravagance, Luxury, and love of Show, vanity and sensual pleasure
and much profaneness. [illegible][guess: Sad] Returns these to the divine and Glori‐
ous [illegible][guess: Author] of the distinguishing favours poured upon us. I must
entreat your Fervent Prayers for us and those of All your Praying
Friends. there Seem to appear Some hopeful glimmerings among
the Indians in several distant Parts. The Commissioners at New York
last [illegible][guess: Summer] upon a motion made to y[illegible] sent up one Mr. Samson
Occom a Mohegan Indian Educated [illegible][guess: here] chiefly under the instruction
of the Rev. Mr. Wheelock one of the ministers in this Town) and was ordained
by a Presbytery on Long Island. a Pious Man and zealous to serve his Country
men and promote the knowledge of Christianity among them. he has been here since
his Return; and Informs me that he has been among the Oneida Indians
and Tuscaroras who border upon them and are much intermixed with
them. was very kindly received by them and he thinks first and last he
had above 500 [illegible][guess: hearers] and there are Many who appear very desi
rous to be Acquainted with the Christian religion and have Sent by him
to desire the Commissioners to Send Among them a missionary
who can Inform them what the [illegible][guess: bible] [illegible][guess: is] and the [illegible] [illegible][guess: the Great Saviour]
. they desire him to tell the Commissioners
that they have turned their backs upon their former Idolatry and
and Never Intend to look that way again but their Faces are
now turned towards Christ the Saviour and they are looking for him and Greatly desire to
find him . we are also informed that there
are some of the Susquehannock Indians who are disposed to [illegible][guess: live]
[illegible] to the Gospel. May God open a Great door and Effectual to let in the
knowledge of his son Jesus Christ into the hearts of the Poor [illegible][guess: bereft]
[illegible][guess: Savages]. and oh that our abuse of the Gospel May not pro‐
voke him to lure us to a Dull formality nor to a depar
ture from the doctrines of Grace or the Main Principals of
Calvinism for [illegible] [illegible] that in Proportion to
such a departure we sink, and are gone. I [illegible][guess: join] My earnest prayers
that God May Return to you [illegible] [illegible][guess: deepening] Religion in the
Congregations of the [illegible][guess: Dissenters] Multiply the [illegible][guess: Seed Sown] and increase
all [illegible][guess: hints] of righteousness among you.
our hearts Since I began the [illegible][guess: writing of yours] have Made [illegible][guess: Sad] by the News brought by the Packet
boat last week to New York that the Great Mr. Pitt has resigned his offices
New England, and America will be filled with Trembling on this
Important Event fearing the French will again Gain the possession
of that Country and be in A Capacity to be the Scourge and Plague
of the British settlements here. May that divinely wise and
all Powerful being who Rules the world Guide, and direct the
King, and Government and preserve the Nation from being again the
dupes of French Craft, and Perfidy, and [illegible][guess: losing] the blood, and treasure
Spent to humble that [illegible][guess: Haughty] and Ambitious Nation o
you Cant Conceive the
distress that Such [illegible] would bring upon Poor New England.
but if God So order we must Say the Lord is Right[gap: tear][guess: e]
ous our Sins and Ingratitude deserve it. ‡ ‡ if after all our raised hopes God pleases to [illegible][guess: let us] sink again under the dark prospects of [illegible] of trouble like the former [illegible] [illegible][guess: dismal]
I beg your Prayers that God would to [illegible] our posterity with him and be content that he should [illegible] as he [gap: hole] and [illegible][guess: taken in] to himself [illegible][guess: from]
the [illegible] to Come Never
the Dark
[illegible][guess: former]
and
the divine Spirit [illegible] [illegible][guess: me to] [illegible] together with you in My Prayers
that we may be daily [illegible] to Go to Jesus and the Spirit of the flesh
made perfect and meet together in the Joy and Peace of heaven. My
wife and children join in Most Respectful Salutations to you and
dear Mrs. wood, and your dear dr and her Rev. Consort whose Name
you dont mention.
Rev. Honoured dear Sir I am Your Most Affectionate Friend Brother and
humble Servant
Solomon Williams.