Author
Smith, John
Date18 May, 1764
ms number764318.2
abstractSmith gives an account of his visit to Wheelock’s school, and to the
Mohegan country, where he saw Occom.
handwritingHandwriting is formal and clear.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to form four pages is followed by two
single sheets. Paper is in good condition, although there appears to be some
preservation work on heavier creases.
noteworthyThere are many variant spellings and abbreviations; colons
are used for superscripts, not periods. The trailer appears to be in Wheelock's
hand.
Modernized Version
Deletions removed; additions added in;
modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
In riding last week to
new Lon=don I turned some miles out of my way to
see
Mr. Wheelocks
Indian School; nor do I
repent my Trouble I had
heard in general
that it consisted of Twenty or more Indian
Boys and Girls of the
Mohawks
and other Tribes
of Indians And that a number of the Mini
sters of that Province had spoken well of
Mr. Wheelock
and of this undertaking of his,
But this I thought was seeing with the
Eyes of others and therefore Chose to use my
own.
My first observation in traveling
through the Towns was the different accep
tation of both
Mr. Wheelock
and his enter
prise there, from what some in
Boston had
entertained.
Here because of his lively adhering to the Doctrines of Grace he was not
accepted by some; and when this is the Case you are sensible both enterprise
and Execution
of it are too apt to be viewed by an Eye of
surmise
and sometimes of Carping: But in
Connecticut I found Charity and Candor and
everywhere in passing
Mr. Wheelock had
the Reverence of a Man of God, and his
School was had in high Esteem.
I reached his House a little
before the Evening sacrifice
and was mov
ingly Touched on giving out the Psalm
to hear an Indian Youth set the Time
and the others following him, and singing the
Tenor, and
bass, with remarkable Gravity
and
seriousness, and
though
Mr. Wheelock, The sc
hoolmaster
and a minister from our Provin
=ce (called as I was by Curiosity) joined in
Praise; yet they unmoved seemed to
have nothing to do but to sing to the
Glory
of God.
I omit
Mr. Wheelocks Pra=
=yer and
pass to the Indians in the morning
when on Ringing the schoolhouse Bell
they assemble at
Mr. Wheelocks House about
5 o'clock with their Master; who named
the Chapter in Course for the Day and called
upon the near Indian who read 3 or 4
verses
'til the Master said
Proximus, and
then the next Indian read some Verses
and
so on 'til all the Indians had read the
whole Chapter. After this
Mr. Wheelock
prays And then they each Indian parse
a Verse or two of the Chapter they had
read. After this they entered successively
on Prosodia and then on Disputations on
some Questions propounded by themselves
in
some of the Arts and Sciences. And it is
really charming to see Indian Youths of
Different
Tribes and Languages in pure English
reading the Word of God and speaking with
exactness
and accuracy on points (either chosen
by themselves or given out to them) in the
several arts and Sciences, And especially to
see this done with at Least a seeming
Mixture of Obedience to God; a filial
Love and Reverence to
Mr. Wheelock, and yet
with great ambition to excel each other
And indeed in this Morning exercise I saw
a Youth Degraded one lower in the class who
before the Exercises were finished not only
recovered his own
place but was advanced
two Higher.
I learned
here that my surprise
was common to ministers and other persons
of literature who before me had been
to visit this
School or rather
college for I doubt whither in colleges in gene
ral a better Education is to be expected
and in mentioning this to a Gentleman
in this Town who had visited this
Semina==ry. He acquainted me that
he intended
at his own Charge to send his Son to obtain
his Education in Mixture
with these Indians
There were 4 or 5 of these Indians from
21 to 24 years of age
who did not mix with
the youth in these exercises — These I learned
were Perfected in their Literature and stand ready to be sent among the Indians to keep schools
and
occasionally to preach as doors open.
On my return
Mr. Wheelock accompanied me a few miles and on passing
by one house he said here lives one of my
Indian Girls who was I hope Converted
last week; and calling to the Farmer he un
perceived to her brought the Young Girl
into our Sight and the pleasure was exqui
=site to see the savageness of an Indian
molded into the sweetness of a follower
of the Lamb.
In passing some Days after
this through the
Mohegan
Country I
saw an Indian Man on Horseback whom
I challenged as
Mr.
Occom
and found it
so. There was something in his mien
and Deportment both amiable and venerable
and though I had never before seen him
I must have been sure it was he. — He
certainly does Honour to
Mr. Wheelocks inde=
=fatigable, judicious, pious
Intentions to
send the Gospel among the Indians. I
heard
Mr. Ashpo was then among them
but at a Distance and I being hurried and
tired Lost the opportunity of seing
Mr. Wheelock in him and more especially of
seeing Christs Image in this tawny
Man but I wont tire you
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