Samson Occom, journal, 1757 June 28 to 1761 March 31
Date28 June 1757 to 31 March 1761
Call Number757378
abstractOccom details his travels throughout Long Island and New England, as well as his ordination and the events leading up to it. He takes his son Aaron to be raised by Wheelock.
handwritingHandwriting is clear and legible. There are several uncrossed t’s and crossed l's, which the transcriber has corrected.
paperSeveral small sheets folded into a booklet and bound with thread or twine are in good condition, with light staining and wear.
inkDark-brown.
noteworthyWhen Occom mentions an “Indian Town,” or "Indian Place," he is likely referring to Indian villages associated with each place that he visits; specifics are uncertain and so these places have been left untagged. On five verso, the Latin exegesis translates to: "Whether a heathen/pagan who never hears the gospel, may obtain eternal salvation," or, in more colloquial Calvinist terms, "If a heathen never hears the gospel, can he be saved." An editor, likely 19th-century, has overwritten the journal in spots; these overwrites have not been transcribed.
EventsOccom’s Ordination, Occom’s Mission to the Montauketts
Samson Occom
1757 - 1760
Blank page.
Tueſday June ye 28 AD: 1757
England, in order to Paſs an Ex‐
amination there &c — And wed‐
neſday Morning I Sot out from
Eaſthampton, with the Revd
Mr Pomroy and Woodbrige and
others, Down to Northweſt, &
about 12 o C. we went aboard of
Mr Dayton, and emediately
weighted Anchor, and Spread Sail
to the Winds, and away towards
New-England Shores, and we
got to the Mouth of Seabrook
for Fear of the Flats, we Dropt
Anchor at a Diſtance from Shore
and there taried all Night,
and in the Morning of the
we a Roſs, and weighted
Anchor, and [illegible][guess: P]at to Shore, and
Mr Pomroy and the two young
Women went a Shore, and I
Shifted aboard of another Boat
whoſe owner was one Mr Horton
who Came Down
from up Country, and was
removing With his Family
to Stoningtown — And he Sot
me a Shore at Black-Point —
and I went to Indian Town —
and found My Friends generaly
well — and taried at my Aunt
Juſtice's that Night —
Fryday
Morning Junely ye
30th
1st —
from Nahantick, for Mohegan
and got there at Night to
Mothers, and found all my
Relitives in good Health &c —
and there kept the Sabbath —
and Monday July ye 4, I went
from Mohegan for Lebanon
Juſt before Sun Set, and was
very kindly Receiv'd, and found
them all in good Health — and
after a Little Converſation,
Mr Wheelock Concluded, and appointed
the 12th Inſt to be the Day of my
Examination, at his Houſe —
and Emediately Sent and gave
Notice, and Deſired the aſſistance
in the Examination, of 5 Neigh‐
bouring Miniſters, viz, Mr Solo:
Williams of Lebanon old Society
try,
Windham, and Mr Saml Moſley
of Canada —
Tueſday July ye 12
the Examination, But we were
Diſapointed the Voice of one Crying, — there was none Come,
But the Revd Mr Pomroy, —
we Judg'd the Weather Hinder'd
them, it being wet Day, — and
Mr Wheelock and Mr Pomroy
Conſider'd the Matter, and Con‐
cluded to Send
that Day — to Come together on
the next Day, which was the 13
of July, at the Houſe of the
the Revd Mr Williams, and
accordinly they Come together
about one o.C PM — and
there I Paſs'd an Examination
Before the Revd Me[illegible][guess: n]ſrs Solomon
Williams Eleazer Wheelock
Benjamin Pomroy Nathan Strong
and Stephen White, — and they were
So far Satiſfied, as to Conclude to pro‐
ceed, to an
ter &c — And Juſt before Sun
Set I went Down towards Mohe‐
gan, and got So far as Norwich
farms, and taried at the Houſe
of one Deacon Huntington, a —
Tavern keeper, —
Thirdſday July
ye
14th
got to Mohegan about 11. o'C
AM, and found my Relitives
well in
July ye 15th
Saturday
July the 16th
Daviſe Williams of StoningTown
and we got to Maſons Island
Some time in the after Noon,
and there I Stay'd over the
Sabbath, —
Monday July ye 18th
went aboard again, and Sot
Sail, for Fiſhe's Island and got
there Some time after Sun Set,
and Tueſday July ye 19th we Sot
Sail very Early for Long Island
and we tailed all the Day in
the Sound, and Some time in
ye Night we got Near by Gardener's
Island, and there we Dropt An‐
chor, and Taried all Night —
Wedneſday Morning July ye 20th
weighed Anchor and Hoiſted Sail
and Steered towards Napeeg
Harber, and Reachd there about
10 in the Morning, there I went a Shore and then
I went by Land to Montauk, and
I got home about 2 PM, and
found my Poor Family in Comfort
able Circumſtances, — Praiſe be
to god for his Tender Mercies to us
ward —
May ye 7th AD: 1759 —
hampton, In order to go over to New
England, with Some Expectation of
Paſsing an Ordernation there, and
Lodg'd at Mr Hedges that Night —
Tueſday Morning May ye 8
went Down to Northweſt, and I
Taried there at the Houſe of one
Mr
and Wedneſday
went aboard of mr Dayton, and
Croſst the Sound, and got over a-
about 9 at Night, and we
Lodg'd at my Aunt Juſtice's Houſe —
Thirdſday May the [illegible] 10th
Fyday
May the 11
for Lebanon, got there Some Time
before Sun Set, found Mr Wheelock
Wheelocks Family very Poorly
with the Meaſels Eſpecially our
David —
May the 15
Sot at Mr Wheelocks Houſe, &
Conſulted my Caſe, and Concluded,
and
Revd Preſpetery on Long-Island
and Accordingly wrote, and Re‐
fer'd
on Long Is
Thirdſday May ye 17th
Monday May ye 21
Down to New-London, and tari‐
ed there that Night —
and Tueſday May ye 22 we
went a Board of Mr Gardeners
Boat, of Isle of White, got
to the Island after Sun Set, and
we Taried there Two Nights —
Thirdſday May ye 17
over to the Fire Place, got there
about 1 o'C in the after Noon,
from thence I went to Town, got
there about 3 in the after Noon
& I Deliver Revd Aſſociation's Letter to Mr Buell
Fryday May ye 18
to Montauk, Go
Noon, and found my Poor Family
w
Praiſe be to god there fore —
after this I heard the Revd
Preſpetery on long-Island Receiv'd
the Letter, — and Apointed the
29 of Auguſt 1759 for my orderna‐
tion — and they Sent a Text to
me out of 72 Pſalm the 9
8 they yt Dwell in the Wilderneſs
Shall bow before him —
and alſo an Exegeſis — in theſe
words — An Ethnicus qui Evan‐
gelium Nunquam Audiat, Eter‐
And the Apointed Time Being Come
I appear'd before the Revd Preſpetry
at Eaſthampton, and Paſs'd an
Examination —, and Thirdſday Augt
ye 30th in the after Noon the Revd
Preſpetery Procee
of my ordernation, the Revd Mr
Buell of Eaſthampton, made the
firſt Prayer, and Preach'd from
Gal. 1.16, and the Revd Mr
Brown of Bridghampton Deman-
ded my Pu
Chriſtian Doctrines and the Arti‐
cles of Faith, which I did — —
then Emediately Proceeded to ye
Impoſition of the Hands — the
Revered Mr Brown Preſided,
made the ordernation Prayer;
the Revd M.r Barker of South
Hole Gave the Right Hand
of Fellowſhip; and the Revd
Mr Prime of Huntington Gave
the Charge and made the laſt
Prayer, thus the Solemnity End‐
ed. Laus te Deum —
Montauk Ocr ye 8 AD: 1759
old Mans where the Preſbytery was
to Set and Mr Reeve
ain'd, and got So far as Sebaunuck
and Preach'd there and taried all
Night among the Indians,
Tueſday
ocr
ye 9
Journey, and got to the old mans
about O'C PM, and went Directly
to Meeting, Mr Brown of BridgHampn
P 'd from Prov. 11.30, and Taried
one Mr Miller's where the Preſbytery
Sot — Thirſday Morning the Preſbyr
brock up, the Miniſters Diſparſd a
bout 11 in the Morning, and I went
down to South, and got to Maſtick
about 4 PM found the Indians
very Sickly, Preach'd to them at
Evening, they Seem'd to give very
good atention —
Fryday Ocr ye 12
Sot out from Maſtick very Early in
the Mo
far as Mr Browns at BridgHampn
and Tarried there all Night, — and
Saturday Ocr ye 13 about 9 I Sot out
from thence, onward and got Home
little after Sun Set, and found
my Poor Family in Health
Praiſe be to God —
April ye 1 1760
Preſbytery was to Set, and
got So far as Connoo Place
that Night, and Tueſday
April the 2 Sot out early
in the Mornig, and got to
Smith Town about 4 O.C
P M. and Wedneſday the Pres
Sot at Esqr Philip's, and
Thurſday about 3 O.C in the
the Preſbytery Broke up
and I imedately Sot out
from thence to Mr Reeve's
at South and got there Juſt
about Day light in, and
was Kindly Receiv'd by
Mr Reeve, and Fryday
April the 4 I away from
thence homeward and got
So far as Mr Brown's at
Night and there I met with
Mr Horton and we taryed
there all Night
and Saturday April the
5 about 9 o. c in the morng
we took Leave of one another
and I Home about Son Set
and all well at Home —
April ye 26 AD: 1760
Montauk in our Whale Boat
for New England, and got
over to N London about 3 PM
and Stopt there till Juſt
before Son Set and then
we Sot out from thence
for Mohegan and got there
about 9 at Night fou‐
nd my Relatives all well
Sabath April ye 27
Sabbath at Mohegan with
the Indians I Preach'd Both
Parts of the Day found nothing
Special among them —
Monday April ye 28
and Father Fowler and I
and my Little Son Aar
went to Lebanon to
Mr Wheelock, and we got
there before Night found all
well, and Deliver up my
Lettle Son Aaron to the Revd
Mr Eleazer Wheelock to be
Brought
Tueſday Aprill ye 29
Wedneſday April ye 30
Sot out from thence towards
home and got So far as N
London and there Stay'd at
Cap:t Shaw's yt Night
Thurſday
AprilMay ye 1
Sot away from N London
for Home and get no further
than Harbers Mouth and
Stay'd all Night at one Mr
Harris's Coopper Houſe,
Fryday May ye 2
Sail very Early in the morng
from thence and got upon
Montauk Shore about 10
in the Morning and found
all well &c —
June the 25
may ye 18 AD: 1760
at Eaſthampton, —
Saturday May ye 24
Montauk for Weſtward, and got So far
as Mr Brown's and there kept the
Sabbath, with Mr Brown and re‐
ceived the Sacred Supper of the Lord with
the People of Bridgehampton —
w Monday may ye
25
I went together weſtward, and we
we got to Quaugg and Lodg'd
Mr Howell's that Night, and Tueſday
May ye 26 we Sot out from thence
on ward and got to Smithtown at
Night and Lodg'd with one Juſtice
Phillips over the River, Wedneſday
may ye 27 we Sot away from thence
about 9 in the Morning, and got
to Huntington about 1 in the after
Noon, and the People had gone to
meeting, and we went directly to meeting
and heard Mr Reeve of South, — after
meeting we Return'd to Mr Pri[illegible][guess: m]e's where
the Preſbytery Sat, and Examin'd two
young Men in order to ordination —
Nex day finiſh'd the examinations
with them, and then emediately went
to the Houſe of god and Proceeded to in
the Prelimminaries of the ordernation,
Mr Brown Preach'd the ordernation
Sermon, Mr Prime made the ordirna‐
t[illegible][guess: e]on Prayer Dureing the impoſſion
of hands upon Mr Barrat. and
Mr Brown made the Prayer dure‐
ing the Impoſiſtion of Hands upon
Mr Smith, and Mr Prime gave ye
Right hand of Fellowſihp and ye
ca[illegible][guess: r]ge, and Mr Occom made
the Concluding Prayer
Fryday may ye 30 the Preſby‐
tery Brok up about 10 in the morn
and the Miniſters Diſperſd emme‐
diately, I Preach'd at Huntington
in the after Noon, and towards
Night I went to oiſter Bay, —
Widow Wicks, and Saturday
may the 31 I Preach'd at oiſter-
Bay, from 16. 13.
Sabbath June ye 1
there again all Day from Eph 5.14
and Can.t 5.16.
Monday ye 2
Bay, got to Huntington about 11
AM. and about 1 in the after N
I Sot out from thence Homeward
got to Smithtown Juſt before Sun
Sot and Taried at Juſtice
Wm Phillips's that Night, and
Tueſday June ye 3 Preach'd at
Smithtown began about 10 AM
from Rev. 22.12 and after meet‐
ting I went Down to Seetauket
and Preach'd there that after Noon
from Matt. 22.42 Taried at
Mr Tallmadge's that Night
M
Wedneſday June ye 4.
from Mr Tallmadges about 9 AM.
and went Down to South, and got
to Mr Hedges's about 12 o.c. and
Ta
half, and then Sot away from thence
Eaſtward and got the Indian Place
Juſt before Sun Set, and had a
Short Diſcourſe with them in the
Evening,
Thurſday June ye 5
gave a word of exhortation to the
Indians, very Early in the morning
and then took Leave of them, and
Journied Eaſtward and got So
far as South Hampton, and there
Taried all Night with one Mr
Steph
ly Entertaind, —
Fryday Morning
June 6.
and [illegible]it was
the Southhamptoners, and I went
to meeting with the
fore Noon, and heard Mr White
Preach from Levit 26. 40.41.42
In the after Noon ithe Storm mode‐
rated, and went on my Journey home
ward, went to See
Brown by the way, and So Paſs on
and I got to Eaſthampton Juſt be‐
fore Sun Set met with Mr Buell
who had Juſt got home from the
Main, Brought a Tragical News
Concerning a
I Lodg'd at Mr Buell's,
Satur‐
day June ye 7
Eaſthampton for home, and got
to Montauk about 3.o.c in the
After Noon, and found all well at
Home, &c —
Monday Sepr ye 1 1760
out from Montauk with John
Harris of N: London, for New-
England, and we got a Shore at
N. London Harbers Mouth Tueſday
morn
by Land for mohegan
Juſt after Sun Set, and found all
all my Relations well in general
at mohegan, and Stayed there two
Days,
Fryday Sepr ye [illegible]5
out from Mohegan for Lebanon
got there Juſt before Sun Set,
found all well as Common at Mr
W
ye 6 David Fowler
me to Farming Town, and we got
there about Juſt after Sun Set
and there we found our Friends
Some from Mohegan Some from
Nahantick and Some from Groton.
and we held a Meeting at one Solo‐
mon's Houſe, I Deliverd a Short diſ‐
cource to them,
Sabath Day Sepr
ye 7
the Same Houſe, I Preachd to them
again,
we Sot out from thence Ho
ward, and I got to Mr Pomroy's
at Night and I Taried there
but David went to Mr Wheelocks
Tueſday Sepr ye 9
roy's
and went to Mr Wheelocks, and about
10 o.C. the Indian Scholars and I went
Down to mohegan, and got there at Night
whedneſday Sepr ye 10th
Thurſday we went to New London, and
Fryday we Stay'd at N. London. Satur
day we went to Nahantick and Stayday
there the Sabbath over, and Monday Sepr
ye 15 we Spent the Day there Tueſday we
Sot out for Mohegan again, and got
there about 2 in the after Noon, and
wedneſday and Thurſday we Spent at
Mohegan, and Fryday Sepr ye 19
about 10 o.c we went a Board of Mr
Culver, and Sail'd Down to N. London
and a Number of us Lodg'd at Cap
Shaw's, and many that Come with us
were Bewitch'd with Strong Drink,
Saturday Sepr ye 20
over to Nahantick again, and got
there about Noon, to the Surprize
of my Friends, being unexpected there
found them all well — &c
Sabbath Day Sepr 21 we kept
the Sabbath there Mon
Back to New London got the there
about 8 in the morning and Spent
the Day there, and Saw the exerſ[illegible][guess: ie]s
of Joy in New London on acount
of the Victory gain'd in Canada over
the French, Taried at Capt Shaw's
that Night again,
Tueſday Sepr ye 23
from NL for Long-Island and Saild
Towards morning we got to oiſter
Po
and Saild for Shelter Island
being Wind Bound we Saild in
to Shiller Island Harber,
at Night went to Houſe found
nothing but negroes and Indians
In it but they were
to
hearing I was on the Island,
a number Cam to gether to
hear the word of god, I gave
a Short Diſcourſe —
Thirdſday September ye 25
the Morning, and a Board
and Sot Saile for Montau
Arriv'd there Sometime in ye
Night, found all our Friends
well, — 17:3 [illegible][guess: 1/3]
Henry Quaquaquid
Simon Chaujoy — — 3
John Tantuckquecheen 4
Samſon Occom — — 5
Moſes Mazzen — 6