The design of gospelizing the Savages of
North America
hath been esteemed of
Such im-
portance and
utility
as to engage the attention of the greatest
and
best of men for Ages past;
an
[gap: tear][guess: d]
therefore there have been
Several Societies formed and incorporated by Royal charters in this
Kingdom#,
# who have made Several laudable
attempts for this end.
But to the grief of all
who are acquainted with the Sta
[gap: stain][guess: te of
the] Indians there, and pray for their conversion to Christ, the success of their pious en-
deavours hath been very Small in proportion
to what might have been
expected. It is well know to all who are acquainted with the history of
New England what was done there among the Indians at
Martha's
Vineyard,
and pla-
ces about
Boston
and along the Sea Coast, by the great
Mr.
Eliot of
Boston
and others many years Since, and that the Gospel was received by many of the Natives
in those parts, which Still continues to bless
those tribes, and is Supported
[gap: tear] by the
Honourable Society in London. The most
also are acquain-
ted with the success the
[gap: tear]
[gap: tear] of Good Mr.
David
Brainerd ha
[gap: tear][guess: d
a‐] mong the Indians at
Crossweeksung in
New
Jersey, and Forks of
Delaware
Pennsylvania, the fruits of whose Labours remain to this day, and
those Indians
are collected, and are under the Care of the Rev.
Jonathan
Brainerd, brother to
David
in
New Jersey,
Some good also followed
the labours of the Rev.
Mr. Sergeant, and afterwards of the Rev.
Mr.
Jonathan Edwards at
Stockbridge in the
Government of Massachusets Bay; as also of the Rev.
Mr. Haley among the Indians of the
Six
nations at
Onaquaga on
Susquehanna river, these three last were Sent by the
Honourable Society in London. Yet after all the many attempts which have
proved almost
fruitless
and
the Small success of those which have been the most
encouraging Seemed
to cast a cloud over the whole design. Before I proceed it may be
natural to inquire, what were the causes of hindrance in this good work.
And 1. The Indians have imbibed very Strong
prejudices against the English,
from the repeated impositions
and frauds they have Suffered from those who have
traded with them, and
especially
those who have purchased their Lands. Hence they
are ready to
suspect
they are not Safe while they have
the English
among
them, and are ever jealous that the design is to lay Some plan to get their
Lands from them,
as is evident from many facts which can be adduced.
This jealousy Seems to have been the reason of their critical observance of the
conduct of the missionaries, which hath rendered it very difficult to be-
have So as to
avoid their suspicion of Some fraudulent design; and this is
greatly heightened by the impossibility of conversing with them but
by an Interpreter who generally being an Englishman, as well as
the missionary, they naturally suspect they are, or at least may be,
laying Schemes unknown to them, and
these
suspicions have opportunity to
Strengthen greatly, before the missionary may come to know
anything
of the matter through ignorance of their language. Hence it hath been generally
found that, although the Indians would admit the missionaries among them
and tre
[gap: tear][guess: at] them
with respect,
their way, for a while, yet they have most commonly
grown Shy and gradually declined in their attendance, by which the missionaries
have been discouraged, and after one or two attempts have declined the mission
except in a few instances. To confirm what is observed above I Shall give one
instance out of many. It once happened that three missionaries
and one Interpreter were
at one place among a party of Indians who had been
formerly instructed in Some
measure, and who owned a considerable tract of Land, where they continued about
a fortnight; Another missionary was at a place about 100 miles distant, at the
house of an Indian instructed by
Mr. Wheelock, where were a number of In-
dians very busy in talking together: the Indian who had been instructed,
being in a room adjoining, and overhearing them, informed the missionary of their
conversation, which was to this purpose, One Said "What is the reason that three
ministers are gone to
[gap: tear][guess: O]? Why does
[gap: tear][guess: not] one go to that other place?
[gap: tear]
[gap: tear] no minister
and
[gap: tear][guess: to] Such a place. I
can't See why they all go to one place.
[gap: tear][guess: ano]ther answered, Why, I'll tell you,' The Indians have but little land at
Such and Such places, and that is the reason
they do not go there; But at
O they
have a good
deal of land, and that's the reason So many are gone there; it is
to get their Land. This gave the missionary much trouble
and it was with great difficulty, he
removed their jealousies
especially as no good reason
which might be mentioned to them,
could be given for those three missionaries being at that place. This account I had
from the missionary's own mouth.
2. Another great obstacle hath been The want of their Language, which hath
made it impossible to communicate anything to them but by an interpreter.
I need Say nothing to convince the intelligent
and thinking part of mankind, that
preaching by an interpreter,
must
destroy the whole pathos and energy of delivery
and render even the most important Subjects much less
enlivening to the hearers
even where good Interpreters can be had. But there is a
great difficulty to
obtain any who can at all answer this end; and
those who can Speak the language
of the Indians are generally Such as have been
traders among them, or Some
captive who has learned their language; and both these Sorts of people are
well known to be most commonly of Such characters as to make it infinitely
unfit to trust them with affairs of Such eternal consequence. The Rev.
Mr. Wheelock, in a Narrative of
his
School
publish in
Boston in 1763. writes thus on
(3)
this head. "There are very few or
no interpreters, who are Suitable and
"well-accomplished for the business, to be had.
Mr. Occom found great
"difficulty last year in his mission on this account. And not only the cause,
"but his own reputation Suffered much by the unfaithfulness of the man
"he employed. I suppose the Interpreters now employed by the
Honourable
com-missioners are the best that are to be had at present. But how many Na-
"tions are there for whom there is no
interpreter at all, except, it may
"be, Some ignorant and perhaps vicious person who has been their cap-
"tive, and whom it is utterly unsafe to trust in matters of Such eternal con‐
sequence. And how Shall this difficulty be remedied? It Seems it must
"be one of these two ways, viz. either their Children must come to us, or
"ours go to them" To this I add, that the expense of Supporting an
Interpreter is much greater than will Support an
Indian
missionary who
is capable of Speaking their language. The
Honourable
Commissioners in Boston
could
not obtain
Mr.
Gunn whom they employed, under £50. Sterling per annum
be‐
sides the Support of the missionary; and they allowed
Mr. Occom but about
£15 Sterling per annum who taught a School, and preached to them in their own
language. It is true this allowance was far
below what was absolute‐
ly
[gap: tear][guess: nece]ssary, and not more than enough to defray the extraordinary
charges of his office
and company, without anything for the Support of himself
and
family; Yet
had they allowed him £50. £60 or £70 per. annum it would not have been more
than half as much as another mission would cost. This difficulty of obtain-
ing Suitable interpreters, and the great expense of the mission when they
could be obtained, hath been a block at the very threshold, and
discouraged
those
who, out of Love to Christ
and the Souls of men, would gladly have ventured
out among them to preach the Gospel.
3. Another difficulty that hath been and Still remains is, The wandering
and
unsettled manner of life which the Indian lead. For though they have little vil-
lages where their
huts are at no great distance from one another, yet they
are frequently obliged to wander to a great distance to procure Something,
by hunting, to live on; in which rambles they generally carry their Wives
and Children with them. This was the case with
the Oneidas when
Mr.
Occom was among them in the year
1762 They were
obliged to go to
Susquehan‐na to hunt for food; in which tour he accompanied and preached
to them. And this often hath been the case as is evident by the accounts given
by
most of the missionaries, and in particular in the Continuation of Mr.
Wheelock's Narrative printed in
Boston in 1765.
This is a difficulty not easily
remedied, and
must be born with 'til they can
be brought to till their lands and not depend So much on the uncertain means of
(4)
hunting for their Support. The most likely way to affect this will be con-
Sidered hereafter.
4. Difficult as it is for missionaries to go among the Indians with any
any tolerable hopes of success, it is Still more difficult, in Several respects,
to Set up Schools among them to any great advantage. For not only the
'fore-
mentioned
jealousies,
wan't of their Language, and
wandering, but also the
aversion the parents have to Such a discipline as is absolutely
neces‐
sary to keep them in any order and promote their learning is a
great obstruction The Children
are So used to an idle life, that they are ever ready to wander and neglect the
School, and when at School to neglect their books; and if any discipline is used,
both they and their parents resent it, and hence will not allow, or at least will
not urge the children to go to School.
Mr. Wheelock in his narrative printed
in
Boston 1763. page 19. writes thus, "There is no Such thing as
Sending
English "missionaries, or Setting up and maintaining English Schools to any good pur‐
"pose in most places among them, as their Temper, State and condition have
"been and Still are. It is possible a School may be maintained to Some
"good purpose at
Onaquaga, where there have been heretofore Several
"faithful missionaries, by the blessing of God on whose labours the In‐
"dians are in Some measure civilized, Some of them baptized, a Number
"of them, in the judgment of
Charity, real Christians — And
[gap: tear][guess: where]
the
"Honourable Scotch= Commissioners, I hear, have Sent two missionaries, and have made
"Some attempts to Set up a School. But at
Chenango, a little beyond, they
"will by no means admit an
English
missionary to reside among them.
"And though there were many of them under great awakenings and concern,
"by the blessing of God on the labours of a Christian Indian from these
"parts, yet Such was the violent opposition of Numbers of them, that
"it was thought by no means Safe, for an
Englishman to go among them,
"with a design to tarry with them #. And like to this is the case with
"parties of Indians for near an hundred miles together, on the west Side
"of
Susquehanna River. Another School or two may possibly be Set up with
# I find at the End of the Rev.
Mr. Randals Sermon preached before
the
Society in Scotland in 1763. a letter from the Rev.
Mr. Samuel Mather of
Boston, in which
he gives a very agreeable
and
just account of the
Indians at
Onaquaga which he
had from a person who had lived among them, and who he Says also informed him,
"That about 16 miles west of
Onaquaga, there are
200 Indians, who
gene-
"rally talk
English, and who have an
Indian teacher, who knows but little,
"though he Seems well disposed. These Indians Seem well prepared for an
English "missionary" — These are the Indians above mentioned at
Chenango: and the account
which
Mr. Wheelock here has published he had from this Indian preacher, who is
(5)
"with success among the
Mohawks,
" where they have got into the way of cultivating their Lands for a
living,
"and So have more ability to Support their children, and
less
occasion to ram-
"ble abroad with them. But even in these places we may find it more dif-
"ficult than we may imagine before trial be made (though I would by no means
"discourage the trial of every feasible method for the accomplishing this
"great design) but by Acquaintance with the Schools which the
Honourable
Lon- "don
Commissioners have, with pious Zeal, Set up and maintained among
"the Several tribes in these parts, I am much confirmed in these Sen-
"timents. These parties live amongst, and are encompassed by the English, have
"long had good preaching, and numbers of them appear to be truly godly.
"Yet Such is the Savage temper of
many, their want of due esteem for
"learning, and gratitude to their benefactors, and
especially their want of Govern-
"ment, that their schoolmasters, though
skillful
and faithful men, constantly com-
"plain they can't keep the children in any measure
constant at School.
"
Mr.
Clelland the schoolmaster at
Mohegan has often told me what
unwea-
"ried pains he had taken by visiting
and
discoursing with their parents, etc. to
"remedy this evil, and after all can't accomplish it. The children are Suffered
"to n
[gap: tear][guess: eg]lect their attendance on instruction, and
waste much time, by which
"means they don't learn So much in Several years as
they might, and others
"do in one, who are taken out of the reach of their parents, and out of the way
"of Indian examples, and are kept to School under good government and con-
"Stant instruction. I the rather mention this instance, because of the well
"known Skill and fidelity of that good Gentleman, and
because that tribe are as
"much civilized, and as many of them christianized, as perhaps any party of
"them in this government. And by all I can learn,
it is no better in this respect
"with any other. They are So disaffected towards a good and
necessary government,
"that as gentle an exercise of it as may be, and
answer the design of keeping up
"order and regularity in any measure among them, will likely So disgust them as
"to render the case
worse
rather than better. Captain
Martin
Kellogg com‐
"plained of this as his great discouragement in the School at
Stockbridge, not‐
withstanding he understood, as well as any man, the dispositions of the Indians,
and
one of the
Mohegan tribe
taught and Sent by
Mr. Wheelock
and who has been often among them endeavouring to
teach them according to his
ability, with whom I am well acquainted, and who told
me that they were greatly prejudiced against the English as they removed to that
place being turned off their land elsewhere; and who went among them in 1763, and could
not preach to them as the man whom he expected to be his interpreter
was not there
and none among them could interpret for him. This account he gave me
immediately
after his return. So that there must be Some mistake in
Mr. Mathers Account
(6)
"and had the advantage of knowing
their language and
customs, having been so
"long a captive among them, and was high in their affection
and
esteem; Yet he was
"obliged to take the Children home to
Wethersfield with him, quite away from
"their parents, before he
could exercise that government which was necessary
"in order to their profiting at School — And besides all this they are so
"extremely poor, and depend so much upon hunting for a livelihood, that they are
"in
no capacity to Support their children at School, if their disposition for it
"were ever So good" i.e. in a constant
and regular way. Some light may be
thrown on this Subject by a letter from
David Fowler an Indian schoolmas‐
ter educated by
Mr. Wheelock, dated,
Oneida,
June 24. 1765. — "My
Scholars
"learn very well, I have put eleve
[gap: tear][guess: n] of them into a, b, ab. (i.e. 19 day after he
begun
the School) "I have three m
[gap: tear][guess: or]e that will advance to that place this week
"and Some have got to the Sixth page. It is a thousand pities they cannot keep
"together: they are often going about to get their provision. One of the chiefs,
"in whose
house I live, told me, he believed Some of the Indians would Starve
"to death
this Summer. Some of them have almost
consumed all their corn
"already." From hence it appears, that the gospelizing the Indians is attend-
ed with very great difficulties, and were it not absolutely
necessary, these things
would be Sufficient to discourage any attempt; But where anything is ne‐
cessary, and of infinite importance (as this certainly is, both with regard to our‐
Selves as God's covenant people, and to them as formed for immortality) the
greater the difficulties are, the
more vigourous Should be our efforts, and if
we fail in one attempt we Should try another. This is the way of men as
to things
of infinitely less importance. But alas!
the children of this world are often wi‐ser in their generation than the children of Light. Let us not then be discou‐
raged, but attend to what follows, which is humbly offered as the most likely
remedy for these evils, and which, by the blessing of God hath done more already,
than any attempt which was ever before
made.
About 27 years ago, the Rev.
Mr. Occom an Indian of the
Mohegan
tribe near
New London in
Connecticut in
New England, was converted from pagan‐
ism (as were a number besides of that tribe) 'til which time he had lived to-
tally ignorant of the christian religion; being then between 16 and 17 years of
age. After this he had a Strong desire to learn to read the Scriptures. He ap-
plied to Some
English, who lived near his tribe, to instruct him in his letters, etc.
and by his diligent application, without any School, he was able to read
brokenly
in the Bible
and Speak a little broken English when he was about 19
at which time, hearing that the Rev.
Mr. Wheelock, whom he had heard
preach among the Indians, and for whom he had a high esteem, had a number
of English youths fitting for college, he had a desire to go to him to be instructed
for a few weeks in reading — Providence opened the way by
his Mother going
to
Mr. Wheelock, who cheerfully took him, and taught him 4 years, near one
of which he was unable to Study through
indisposition of body. His
application
(7)
application to Study was So intense, that at the end of that time he hurt
his eyes so as to be unable to pursue his Studies, and
therefore went
to
Montauk on
Long Island, and taught School among the
Indians. there,
where he took the place of the Rev.
Mr. Horton who had been employed among
them by the
Honourable Scotch Commissioners in New York. At his first going to that
place he taught School about a year and half without Support from any So-
ciety; but marrying, he found
it necessary to have Some other help than
he could procure by labour in vacant hours. He
kept School both parts of
the day, and in the winter
season evenings also, attended their Sick, and funerals,
and prayed and expounded the Scriptures to them and exhorted them every Sabbath
and did all the other parts of a teacher among them, So that his time being al‐
most wholly engrossed he could do but little for his own Support. Some
friends knowing his circumstances applied to the
Honourable London Commissioners in Boston who gave him £15 Ster. per annum which they continued for most of
the 16 years he was there. But
his family increasing greatly he was
obliged to remove to his own land in
Mohegan, in order to procure Some
Support for them, and here he had for one year £22:10 Sterling from the said
Honourable
London
Commissioners; and being 100 miles distant from them, and Surround-
ed by the
Honourable
Scotch
Commissioners in Connecticut, it was thought
best he should
be under their care; and accordingly
that Board in
July 1764. profferred a
request to have him dismissed from
the Board in Boston to them, with the
continuance of his salary; which was readily done,
but they continued
the salary only for that year: so that being much in debt before, he was
now reduced
to Some Straights as the
Board in Connecticut had no
means of
relief for him, yet it pleased God to open the hearts of friends So that he did
not Suffer. But to
return.
About 8 years after
Mr.
Occom left
Mr.
Wheelock, i.e. in 1754. he
Sent to
the Rev.
Mr.
John Brainerd in
New Jersey for two boys in order to edu-
cate them. He was
encouraged to this by observing the success which Mr.
Occom had among the Indians on
long Island, who were filled with prejudices
against their minister the Rev.
Mr. Horton, and all other ministers around, by the
intemperate Zeal of Some exhorters from
New England; and who were happily
cured by his prudent management among them, so as to
attend to the Sober dic-
tates of religion, and
seeing that, his labours had been
successful
by the divine blessing for the Saving good of Some; and
that his own Na-
tion, as well as those adjacent who knew him, depended on him to con-
duct their civil,
as well as religious affairs, he concluded that teaching
the Indians
by their own Sons was the most likely way to success; and therefore
procured the two boys above mentioned. When he took these two youths, he had
no fund for their Support, nor Sufficient income for the
Support of his own
(8)
numerous family; though he had Some estate in land
And from that time 'til
I left
America, he never had anything in hand for the Support of the cause
except twice a
little more than to discharge the debts in which he had in-
volved
his own estate
; And when he first undertook this work, he
says Page 14th of his first Narrative "I did not much think of any
"thing more than only to clear myself
and family of partaking in the
"
public guilt of our land and nation in such a neglect of them."
After he had instructed
these two Youths for near two years, one of them falling into
a decline, he Sent him home, and two more of the
Delaware Tribe came in his place.
And though the war Soon commenced, and the face of Indian affairs appeared more
and more gloomy; yet Such was the good behaviour of the Boys, and their proficiency
in learning that he was encouraged to go on, and gradually increase the Number, So
that in
April
1757, he had four; and in
April 1759, five; and Seven in
November, 1760;
and eleven in
August 1761, and in
November 1762 he had no less than 25 in
his School*
*
and thus he went on to increase the
number 'til in the whole he hath had
between 40 and 50 whom he Supports.
Mr. Wheelock's principle view
had all along been, to open a way to the
Six na‐ tions, and
through them, to more remote tribes, if the affair Should Succeed: But this could
not be accomplished at first. those Nations had always been averse to parting with their
Children to go to the
English.
[illegible][guess: The]
Honourable
Cadwallader Colden Governor of
New York told me, that
he had
tried to obtain Some of their Children to
educate, and
though
personally
acquainted and intimate with many of them, could never prevail. Hence
Mr. Whee- lock was under a necessity of beginning with those Tribes who had Some acquaintance
with the English, and
with religion. besides, the War commencing, it was quite imprac-
ticable, and would have been esteemed wild and extravagant indeed, to have made an attempt
of this nature among Indians
who were often in suspense what Side to take in the war;
and his proposal to obtain them, when the war was ended, "was by many hardly to be account-
ed for but by a distempered brain." By the time the War ended, he had taken
four
of the
Delaware Nation from
New Jersey, one of whom was dead; and two from
Montauk on
Long-
Island in
New York
government
and only one from
Connecticut, viz from
Mohegan; and Since
that time hath never taken any from those Nations, excepting 2 or 3 who were designed
for trades after they had learned to read, write, and keep common accounts, and
these
are
not reckoned in the
School.
The attempt to procure youths from the
Six
Nations at first was hazardous,
and would require
considerable
expense, and had
Mr. Wheelock attempted it without
help from Some Society, and without money to Support the charge of So extraor-
dinary an enterprise, there would have been Still more danger that he
would
have been reproached as rash
and
presumptuous. Therefore in May 1761, he ap-
plied to the
Honourable
Scotch
Commissioners in Boston, who approving the design of
Sending for children of remote tribes, passed a vote on
May 7. to this purpose,
That Mr. Wheelock be desired to fit out David Fowler an Indian
youth to accom‐pany the Rev.
Mr. Occom on a mission to Oneida, and that Said David be Supported on said
mission a term not not exceeding 4 months, and that he endeavour, on his return, to bring down three
Boys to be put under Mr. Wheelocks care
and that £20 be put into Mr. Wheelocks hand to carry on the design; and that when
(9)
Said Sum Shall be expended, he advise the treasurer of it and Send his accounts for allowance. This was accordingly done and the three boys procured and Sent
to
Mr. Wheelock. This was the first opening among the back nations, and was
much facilitated by
Mr. Occom
and
David Fowler, (who
had
been educated in
Mr. Wheelocks
School) going up
among them and giving them
a favourable Idea of the design, and
especially by the influence
and
assistance of
Sir William
Johnson. Encouraged by this countenance from
the Board,
Mr. Wheelock applied to the
General Assembly of Massachusetts Bay the November following,
who granted him £54 Sterling on which encouragement he took Six more
Children of the
Six
Nations, trusting providence for the Supply of what that
Sum Should fall Short in their
Support. This Sum of £54 Sterling that
Honourable
Assem‐bly have granted to
Mr. Wheelock from year to year Since; and by the charities of
the pious in and about
Boston,
Portsmouth,
Connecticut,
New York
and
Phila- delphia, and Some kind, unexpected providential Supplies from friends of the
cause in
Great Britain,
the School hath been hitherto Supported; though no mo-
ney hath ever
been in hand more than Sufficient to discharge
present debts (which
sometimes have been very considerable without any human prospect of relief) and,
twice only, to keep
the School a few
weeks.
In this number of youth there was one
Mr. Kirtland the Son of a
minister in
Norwich in
New England, and Since there have been three or four more En‐
glish youth taken in to be trained up as associates with the Indians in their
missions, and Several who have had the most of their education at their own
expense are now employed as missionaries among the Indians, and Sup-
ported by this Charity.
In November. 1764,
Mr. Kirtland
and
Joseph
Woolley an Indian youth, Set out
for the
Six Nations in order to winter among them. They went to
Onaquaga where
Joseph continued with the Indians 'til the next fall teaching School
and
instructing them in the things of God and
Jesus
Christ in which he appeared
to be much engaged.
Mr. Kirtland went from thence to
Fort Johnson, and
tarried with
Sir William
Johnson learning the Mohawk language, 'til the
17th of January following, and then traveled on boat in company with two Seneca
Indians,
about 250 miles through a Snow four feet deep, 'til he came to the
Seneca Na‐
tion
, among whom he continued 'til the Spring of 1766, and
Suffered many hardships, and was often in great danger of being murdered by
Some of that Savage Nation
— But God preserved him; and by him hath opened
a hopeful prospect of carrying the blessed
gospel among that numerous and
Savage tribe.
The encouraging accounts which
Mr. Kirtland gave of the di
[gap: tear][guess: is]position
of the Indians and their earnest
desire to Send their Children to
Mr.
[gap: tear][guess: Whee-] lock
and to have teachers come among them, excited him to look out for Som
[gap: tear][guess: e]
En
gli
[gap: tear][guess: sh]
10
glish
missionaries to Send out with those Indian youth who were qualified for
instructing the heathen.
Mr. Wheelock was encouraged to Send
English
mis‐
sionaries by the confidence which he knew these Indians had in him, as Sincerely
Seeking their good, of which they were persuaded by his educating their Children: and
also by the earnest
desire they expressed of having ministers Sent
among them, of which they had been destitute for Several years. Accordingly he
called the
Honourable Board of Commissioners in Connecticut to meet on the
12th of March 1765 in order to examine Messrs.
Titus Smith
and
Theophilus Chamberlain as missionaries,
David Fowler, a
Montauk
Indian,
Hezekiah Calvin, a
Delaware,
Moses,
Johannes,
Abraham primus,
Abraham Secundus
and
Peter,
Mohawks as schoolmasters: ac-
cordingly we met; and providence So ordered it, that at the very time we were
gathering, three
Indians arrived from
Onaquaga, having traveled on foot 300
miles through the Snow; and at the Same instant
also came in
Mr.
Gunn the Interpre-
ter, who was well acquainted with those indians, by whom we were able to under-
stand them and they us. Thus these three parties met, in less than half an hour, from
places 300 miles distant, without any previous appointment or the least know-
ledge of each others design. Their errand was to ask for a minister to go and preach
Christ to them, and Said they had had no minister for a great while.
The Board examined
and approved the Candidates; and on the
24th of April following they two were or-
dained, and
commissioned by
the Board as missionaries, who went to the
Six nations in
company with the schoolmasters who were placed in Schools among them
and in the autumn following they had in their Schools about 130 children, who
made good
proficiency in reading, though they knew not a letter (most of them) when
they went among them: And by a letter from
Mr. Wheelock
Since I am informed that
he had accounts of above 100
children in only four of those
schools
last Summer.
Thus I have given as honest, plain, though imperfect, a
history of the rise
and pro-
gress of
this School as I am capable of in So
Short a compass: and I persuade
my-
self that it will easily appear, that this plan is more likely to
obviate the before-
mentioned difficulties, than any other
that hath been attempted, and is incomparably
better than to depend wholly on English
missionaries for, let it be observed
1. The Indians entertain no jealousies of their own Children as having a design of defrauding them of their Lands, their interest being one; So the grand objection is removed.
2. An Indian missionary may be Supported with
less than half the expense, that will be necessary for the Support of an English
missionary, who can't conform to their manner of living, and who can have no dependance on them for any part of it; but on the contrary,
they will be always expecting Some favours from him, which will not be the case with an Indian.
3. Hereby the great expense of an Interpreter will be Saved, as the Indians will
Speak to them in their
own language and So be able to address them with more pathos
[gap: tear][guess: and] energy; and be in a capacity more readily to prevent any rising
jealousies
and difficulties
[gap: tear][guess: whi]ch may be breeding among them, and which could not be easily
discovered by one who
[gap: tear][guess: is ig]norant of their language.
[gap: tear][guess: 4.] Indian missionaries may be supposed better to understand the tempers and
customs
[gap: tear][guess: of the] Indians, and more readily conform to them in a thousand things than the English
(11)
can, and in things wherein their nonconformity may cause
disgust, and by them be
construed as the fruit of pride, or it may be, Something worse.
5.The Influence of their own Sons among them will likely be much greater
than of any
Englishman whatever. They will look upon Such as one of them;
their interest the Same with theirs: and will naturally esteem him as the hon–
of their Nation, and be more ready to be advised
and Submit to his reproofs, than
to any
English
missionary; and
especially will they, more patiently, endure the
discipline
necessary in a School from one of their own nation than from
the
English. This is abundantly evident in the case of
Mr. Occom, who taught
School a long time among the
Indians at
Montauk, where, he Says, he could,
without offence, use any necessary Severity with the Children and reprove the
Parents for any fault: and even among
his own tribe his influence is
much
greater than any other man's in that whole government, as well as among
all
the tribes in that vicinity
6.The great difference between the English manner of living, and that of the Indians causes them to despair of imitating them; but when they See their own Sons capable of husbandry
and a decent life, this hath already, and will pro-bably continue more and more to animate them to industry
and
husbandry, that they also may partake of the Sweets of life, and not be so frequently reduced to a
starving condition, which a dependence on hunting disposes them to. And this is the most likely means of preventing their rambling, and collecting them to‐gether in compact bodies, and fixing them in settled habitations; which will effec- tually prevent their going to war
with us, as then their property will be fixed, and not easily removed, and
therefore
exposed to be destroyed, and they ruined in case of a war, and will also incline them to use their Influence with the more defiant nations to keep them in peace; and to defend us when there Shall be war, as they will be our frontier, and
most liable to Suffer. This also will bring them under better advantages for
instruction, as they will not need to ramble for their food. Let me add here
also, that this will be of inconceivable advantage to the trade of this Nation,
as every civilized Indian will take a considerable quantity of British ma- nufactories yearly. Besides, this will enable them to procure a living from the one fiftieth
part of the land which is now necessary for them to hunt on, and the residue may be improved by the English, without any injury to the Indians when once they learn husbandry, and hereby the british Colonies can be extended, and the people there be under no necessity of going into ma- nufactories; which they never will, while they
have Sufficient land to improve.
7. The friendship and acquaintance which the
Indian boys, from distinct
Tribes and places, will contract and cultivate, while together, at School, may be
(12)
improved much for the
advantage and furtherance of their mission
8. In this School, children of different nations may, and
easily will, learn one ano- thers language, and
English youth may learn of them; and thereby Save the vast
expense of Interpreters, and their ministry be much more acceptable, and edify‐ ing to the Indians.
9. Indian missionaries will readily own English ones, who Shall be associated with them (where the English can be introduced) as elder brethren, especially while they are So much dependant on the English for a Support — and they will mutually help each other to recommend the design to the favourable reception of the pagans, remove their prejudices,
conciliate their friendship, and
induce them to repose due confidence in the English.
10. The Indians being acquainted with the English language, will thereby be naturally bound to them, (for all know how Strong
the tie of language is) and will of course be naturally disposed to trade with the people they can under- Stand; and will also have the advantage of knowing what deeds
and other writings they Sign, by which they will be guarded from those
impositions, which have been the ground of their jealousies, and
cost the English So much blood and
treasure
11. Indians brought up for missionaries in this School,
are not likely to forsake the business of their mission, as they
will not
probably
be invited to churches among the English; and as they will have the induce-
ment to continue among the
Indians which no English man can have, viz.
that they will necessarily be esteemed, honoured and advanced among them on
account of their Superior knowledge. This has been
the case
most evidently
with
Mr. Occom who hath more influence and honour among his own Nation
and all the Tribes around them, than any sachem of the back nations hath
whereas there are very few instances of
English
missionaries who have had a delicate education, but have Soon preferred
the pleasures of Society and a field of more extensive
usefulness, of which they
have had a fairer prospect
among the English, to the regions of Igno-
rance, and
hardships of life in a dreary wilderness, where their improvements
in learning and Science are hid, and they Seem almost
lost to themselves
and the world.
If the above observations are just, it is easy for the attentive mind to See that the
School before described is exactly calculated to answer all the difficulties which
have hitherto obstructed this glorious work beyond anything which hath yet
been attempted. And if the Indians can be brought to agriculture and live decently,
it will tend to cure them of the vice of drinking to excess, which hath ever
been a great obstruction to the progress of the Gospel among them, and rendered
it dangerous for missionaries to be among them. The instance of
Mr. Occoms
nation is a full proof of this. Formerly they were,
like other Indians, addicted
to drinking to excess, but now they cultivate their lands and have the comforts
(13)
of life they are as free from that
vice as perhaps any So large a num-
ber of people together among the English.
I do not pretend that this plan is So perfect as to be incapable of
improve- ment; but am sensible it is yet necessarily deficient in many respects
and time, with experience, may discover many more defects, than do now occur. Give me
leave to hint one or two things which
belong to the plan, and which can't at
present be accomplished for want of Supplies.
1. It is proposed to obtain a large tract of land nearer the back Indians
in order to erect
the School, and
employ a great Number of Indian Youth
of different nations in husbandry as well as So much learning as Shall
be necessary for common business; and to train up a number of Girls to
all the business of housewifery
and Such trades as Shall render them useful
in their families; and
also to teach the Indians lads Such trades as will en-
able them to
promote husbandry
etc. among their own Nations. This was
the plan proposed by the Rev.
Mr.
Seargent of
Stockbridge,
and
Mr. David Bainard, and was generally approved.
2. It is proposed that the Indian youths, who have been taught to read and write well, and Some of whom are of other nations and languages, Should go accompanied by
Such English youth as are designed for a mission, to Some nation where they are likely to be employed in order to Set up Schools to teach the chil- dren English, while they perfect themselves in their own or a Strange lan- guage — This indeed is now pursued with respect to a number, but need's larger Supplies to carry it into thorough execution.
This whole scheme Seems to bid So far for success; and the effects of it have already been So remarkable, that I freely own, That
after my intimate ac- quaintance with it for Several years I am not able
to form an objection of any weight against it: And yet I have heard of three objections which have been improved to its disadvantage, which I beg leave now to obviate.
1. The great expense of taking Indian youth from their parents and educat- ing them among the English is objected to this plan.
What I have Said already
would be
[illegible][guess: a]
Sufficient answer to this objection were it not
for an Extract from
Dr Chauncy's Sermon preach in
Boston at the ordination
of
Mr. Bowman on
August 31. 1762, which I find published here at the end of
the Rev.
Mr. Randals Sermon, preach before
the
Society in Edinburgh, for pro- moting christian knowledge; His words are "We have have not encouraged the
"Sending these Boys; and, as we imagine, for very good reasons. The charge of bring-
"ing them from their own homes, and educating them among us, would be very
"great. We have felt the truth of
this, as we lately found ourselves obliged to
"pay nearly £60. Sterling in less than one year for three Boys only."
These boys were under
Mr. Wheelocks care; and I freely own that this expense is
very great. As it is natural for everyone to understand by this account that, three Boys
(14)
only would ordinarily cost near £60 Sterling in less than one year, per-
haps in eight or nine months. But
the Dr. was unhappily mistaken as to the
fact, which was this.
David
Fowler was on a mission near four months in which
he Spent (including the expense of fitting him out) near £15. Sterling He procured
and Sent down three Mohawk Lads, they each brought a horse which
Mr. Wheelock was obliged to keep in a time of great drought; they
all came little better than
naked, except one
who had Some clothes; He clothed them all — In about three
months, one being in a decline when he came
was obliged to return, and another
to accompany him,
one Soon died, the other married and did not return. The third accompanied
Mr. Kirtland about 200 miles to procure two more to Supply their
place, which
journey was expensive; the two they obtained were to be clothed
which added
to the expense; So that instead of
"three Boys only" there was the
clothing and
furnishing
David Fowler
with horse
and money for his long journey
of Several months; the expense of the Boys journey home above 200 miles;
the expense of
Kirtlands Journey (excepting his horse) to bring down the
other two; the pasturing their horses in a dry and difficult season; the cloth-
ing
all five
and repairing their clothing while they tarried; their Boarding
Schooling, washing, lodging, firewood, Candles, books, paper, etc. the amount
of all which. for near twelve months was, errors excepted, just £58.17.
.7 ¼
Sterling: Hence it appears that the
Dr. was grossly
mistaken, when he Says "for
three boys only" It is a pity he had not examined the case more thoroughly
before he published concerning it, which he had the fairest
opportunity for
as he was Chairman of
the Committee when the
account was carried in: and it
is a debt he owes to the
world and to truth to own his mistake
and Set this
affair in a true light, as it respects a matter of fact.. But this whole
affair is Set in a more full light in
Mr. Wheelocks Narrative printed
in
Boston Page. 39-45. which has never be replied to by the
Dr.
II. The Second objection is, That the most of the Indian youth which Mr.
Wheelock hath had in
his School are taken from the civilized and
christianized
Indians in
Connecticut.
This is also a gross
mistake: for So intimately as I am acquainted with
the School, I know of but two Indians that ever were in it, which belonged
to
connecticut, and one of those, as I remember, was designed for a trade and the other
for a farmer.
Mr. Occom indeed is another exception; but he had left
Mr. Wheelock 8 or 9 years before he had the thoughts of a School, and never was reckoned as one of it.
III. It is also objected, that it would be a much better and cheaper way to learn the Indians to read in their own language than to
teach them English. In an‐swer to this I would observe
1. There are no books in the language of any of the back nations, except the
Psalms
and a few other passages of Scripture in the Mohawk language; and it is
next to impossible to find any man to whom it would be Safe to trust the
(15)
work of translating the Scriptures into that or any other back Indian
language.
2. If the Bible and Some other good books were translated into any one
language which is known in
America, it would be of use to but a compa‐
ratively Small number, as the language differs generally every hundred or 2
miles, not only in its Idiom, but in the very words as much as
the Welsh
differs from the English; So that there would require many translations,
which, as
it would be exceeding difficult to procure them,
if not impossible, So the impres‐
sions of them must be very expensive.
I have now only to add a few motives which tend to influence the pious and be- nevolent to exert themselves for the Support of this School and of the missionaries
and
schoolmaster who are and may be Sent from it into the wilderness to instruct the perishing pagans in reading, writing, religion and the civil arts.
1. The consideration of the low and wretched condition in which they live, Should ex- cite us to
this. Their habitations are usually made of the Bark of trees, and are insuffi‐cient to defend them from the rain and
cold
their lodging the cold earth or the bark of a tree, and at best the Skin of a bear or some other beast — their food, the flesh of wild beasts they take in hunting which they commonly eat without Salt, and frequent- ly without bread, as they are unacquainted with husbandry, and
raise no bread corn, except maize or Indian corn, of which they
seldom have a Sufficiency. And they, depending on hunting, are often Starved through want. Now, if we are required to
deal our bread to the hungry, where can we find more proper
objects? especially as there are So many thousands
and millions of these unhappy wretches, and a small matter comparatively, will be Sufficient to bring them to be able to
Support themselves.
2. They have Souls as well as we, and are capable of the Same happiness or mi-
sery
and therefore love to their immortal part Should excite us to endeavour to
Spread the Gospel among them, without which they cannot be Saved in God's ordinary way. And
can we pretend to be the followers of Christ
and partakers of his Spirit, and yet be in- different to the happiness or misery of their precious Souls!
3. God hath evidently intimated his displeasure at our neglect, in Suffering
the Indians to be Such a Sore scourge to the British Colonies, in barbarously butch-
ering and murdering the inhabitants, captivating their Sons, dashing their little
ones against the Stones, and burning and laying waste the country, for near a hundred
miles together as they did the last war: all which might have been prevented, had
there been Suitable pains
taken in time to Send pious, zealous missionaries among
them, especially of their own Sons, who being trained up with the English would
naturally have an attachment to them, and by various means might have prevented
their engaging in a war. "There is
good reason to think, that if one half which has
been laid out in building forts, manning
and Supporting them, and in presents to buy the
friendship of the Indians, had been prudently laid out in Supporting faithful missionaries
and
schoolmasters among them, that the more instructed, and civilized party would have
been a better defence, than all the expensive
fortresses
and prevented the laying waste So
many towns and villages: witness the consequence of Sending
Mr. Sergeant to
Stock-
bridge, which was in the very road by which they most
usually came upon our
people, and by which there hath never been one attack made upon us, since his going there"
Sir William
Johnson in a letter to
Mr. Occom, Say "Every Indian in the near
Oneida
Castle,
the Onaquagas,
Mohawks,
Schoharies, and
Candia Indians are determined to live and
die with the English; owing in a great measure to the little knowledge they have of
our religion, which I heartily wish was more known to them and the rest."
4. The great obligations which lie on us as God's Covent people, who have
all we enjoy more than they in a covent way, and So are bound to devote all to the Glory
of our liberal benefactor, Should be a motive to excite us to liberality in this work.
5. The conversion of the heathen is that on which the heart of the great Redeemer is greatly
set — for he shall be Satisfied
when he Sees of the travil of his Soul. And can we be in[gap: tear][guess: dif-] ferent in that in which he is So engaged! did he become poor, that we might be rich; and Shall we grudge a little of our Substance
and pains for to Save those Souls for which he died! Surely if the love of Christ dwells in us we Shall think nothing too much or too hard that is in our
power in order to Set Christ on his throne among the heathen
6. The Spreading knowledge and Civility among the Indians will greatly increase the trade and wealth of this nation, as they will then wear the british manufacturies, which article alone would every year far more than compensate the annual expense of instructing them
7. There are many promises of God that Christ's Kingdom Shall come among the hea‐ then; and therefore we have good reason to believe our endeavours will not be fruitless
8 The design is carried far already by that eminent, faithful Servant of God Mr.
Wheelock, who with infinite pains and labour and to
[illegible][guess: the]
hazard of his own estate, hath trained up a number who are
now employed in teaching the heathen; and if he can't be encouraged to go on, who will
ever attempt the like again
9. Many are willing to go out and Suffer the hardships of a wilderness life,
and
forsake every comfort that results from Society and plenty, and go through dangers and
fatigues. too many and great to be here described; And this they have done hitherto without any other encouragement but that
which hath arose from the hope of Spreading the Gospel among their perishing fellow men, and from the promises of a future reward in Glory; and can any who bear the name of Christians be backward to give of their substance to feed
and
clothe them, while they bear the burden and heat of the day — Surely we Should bear one anothers burdens and So fulfill the Law of Christ.
10. And not to add. The gracious encouragement given by God himself, and his many promises that he will reward, even in this life, with temporal blessings
and in the life to come with eternal advantage, whatever is given for the
advance- ment of his cause here Should awaken us to Such acts of charity and piety. Many are the promises to this purpose —Cast thy bread on the Waters, and thou Shall find it after many days. The liberal Soul deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things Shall he Stand
blessed is the man that considereth the poor, the Lord Shall be with him in time of trouble, etc.
etc.
etc. And this is one yea the principle thing
which Christ will at last acknowledge as the mark of his disciples, and will reward with eternal Joy: He Shall then Say to them on his right hand,
Come ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdom — for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat, I was athirst, and ye gave me drink — — Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it to me —
May we be of this happy number, Amen and amen —