AuthorWheelock, Eleazar
Date18 December, 1762
ms number762668.1
abstractWheelock discusses, among other things, the states of various
missions, and the progress of the Indian Charity School.
handwritingInformal handwriting is small, crowded and occasionally
difficult to decipher.
paperLarge single sheet is in fair-to-poor condition, with
moderate-to-heavy staining, creasing and wear that leads to a minor loss
of
text.
inkBlack.
noteworthyGiven the informality of the hand, the number of additions
and deletions, and the lack of an address, this document is likely a draft.
EventsOccom’s Second Mission to the Oneidas
Modernized Version
Deletions removed; additions added in;
modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
Lebanon
December 18. 1762
My very dear Sir.
Yours, of July 28.
refreshed me much I heartily
regret the loss you have sustained
the Death of your worthy godly and Skillful pastor. may the Lord of the harvest provide Guides for his people who Shall be zealous and Skillful to
promote and defend his Sinking Cause in the world.
Mr. Occom returned from his mission Some Time
ago, I haven't had opportunity to see him Since. he was
soon Sent by the Presbytery to preach to an English
Settlement on
Hudsons River about 60 or 80 miles
above
New York where God has of late in a very won‐
derful manner received his work. he returned from
his mission
sooner than he intended, on account of the
present Ruffle which
the
Oneidas are in, being engaged in
a war with Some of the Nations back of them, and on
account of their extreme Poverty they having nothing to
live upon but what they get by fishing fowling and hunting
an untimely frost
having cut of their Corn last year. he had no
way to come at them to preach to them but by
followed them from Place to Place in their Hunts, and
by
poor living though they were as kind to him as they could be
and
especially by lying upon the wet ground his
old rheumatic
disorders returned etc.
# he designs (I hear)
to visit them again in the Spring.
Mr. Forbes who the
Scottish
Comissioners in Boston sent
missionary to
Onaquaga, is also returned, I hear
after he had gathered a church there he left
the Indians in a great Ruffle, and the children which they had been
attempting to teach were all dispersed with their Pa
[gap: hole][guess: r]ents
in their
hunting Rambles. perhaps
Dr. Chauncy will by little
and little receive conviction that he
is too
confident of the success of his Plan, and too Sudden and
free in condemning others who have
again and again made
trial of the very same Scheme, and the most they have got
to compensate their Toil and expense has been their
useful point of Knowledge viz that such a method will not
do yet. may God graciously direct in the Important Affair, and Save those
who are concerned in
it from Falling into Parties and
obstructing
and hinder one another.
My School is in a flourishing state at present. my number
of Charity scholars
is 25.
Mr. Charles Jeffery Smith of
Long
Island has lately refused
a Class at College for the sake of keeping
this
Indian School gratis
He designs to Devote himself and a plentiful Fortune to the ser‐
vice of his Redeemer as a missionary among the pagans. he has thoughts of Taking
an Interpreter for his use from the School, and
support him with
himself at his own expense. I esteem him remarkably accomplished
and turned for such a Service. I expect but little real good to be
done among the savages by Gay, and inexperience youth, the Lord mercifully
prevent the mischiefs which Such threaten the cause. I informed you Some
# he found nothing more than this discouraging
and had reason to think he saw
some good Effects of his Labours
among them the last year
Some Time ago of the Tour which
Friend Ashpo
had made to
Chenango and
of the Religious concern Among the
Indians
there
consequent thereon and that
a number were hopefully savingly converted. There was a very fierce
per
[illegible]enting
Spirit in the other party which arose to such a height against
(as I was credibly informed
last week) the Christian Party were obliged
to withdraw from them and have settled in a Town by themselvess
about 60 miles below them on
Susquehanna River. there they use with
out a Bible, and without any that could read it if they had one.
I have taken
Friend Ashpo into
this School, and esteem him a well
experienced and well established
Christian, he is here by the advice of
an Ecclesiastical Council we convened last
summer to examine and
advise him. I expect we shall
send him
to those Indians next Spring. And our dear
Mr. Smith of
Boston has
engaged £20 Sterling towards the support of his mission provided
it cant be otherwise done. there is also in
this school a young mohawk, whom
we call
Joseph Brant of a family of distinction
in
that Nation who has been for some time under Religious impressions, and of
late almost
persuades me to call him a real saint he seems to
breathe the very spirit of the Gospel.
Mr. Smith is unwearied in his
Endeavors to promote Religion and learning in
this school. —
Mr. James Lesley a Scots Gentleman with whom you have had some
acquaintance went out of the school to make way for
Mr.
Smith to
keep it gratis and is now in the
parish
school. I expect when
Mr.
Smith leaves it
Mr.
Lesley
will take it again.
I have amidst a thousand avocations prepared for the press, a short
Narrative of
this School, expect it
will be
[illegible][guess: b]ut in a little time
you
and others may expect the Sight of it as soon as may be after
it is printed.
If there be anything in this that will gratify good
Dr. Giffords or
Mr. Savage
please to let them have the sight of it. I wrote
each of them some ago and hope my Letters haven't
miscarried
you and they will easily
see
in what a Hurry I write
If
Dr.
Mr. Whitefield
hasn't yet left England salute him
most heartily in my name. I expect by his to
Mr. Smith to
see hi
[gap: tear][guess: m]
here in a short time.
I am Dear Sir, with the most
sincere
respect
Yours in the dearest Bond,
Eleazar Wheelock
P.S.
my School hues
Day by Day under God only
and the charities of Gods people
without any settled fund for
its support and God is my
only Refuge.