Samson Occom, Journal, 1761 May 30 to July 7

Author Occom, Samson

Date30 May to 7 August 1761

Call Number761330.1

abstractOccom records events on his journey to Oneida country.

handwritingHandwriting is clear and legible.

paperSmall sheets folded into a booklet and bound with thread or twine are in good condition, with light staining, creasing and wear. Pages 13 verso through 16 recto, 18 verso through 19 recto, and 21 verso through 22 recto are uncut at the top and thus have not been scanned.

inkBrown ink is faded in spots.

noteworthyThere are red pencil marks throughtout. On one recto, an editor, likely 19th-century, has added the note “Journey to oneida.” This note has not been included in the transcription. People and places whose names are illegible have been left untagged.

EventsOccom’s First Mission to the Oneidas

Persistent Identifier

A Journal 1761

Blank page.

Montauk May ye 30: 1761

After repeated Invitations
from the Revd David Boſtwick
of New-York, to go and make
a Viſet to the Onoyda Indians
This Day took leave of my Poor
Family, and Friends with tender
Affection, about 12, Sot out for
Eaſthampton Got there after Sun
Set, Lodg'd at the Revd Samuel
Buell
's —

Sabbath May ye 31

Spent the Day at Eaſthamton,
Mr Buell Preacht in the fore
part of the Day, In the after
Noon I Preachd, from Eph 5:20

Monday June ye 1

taried at
Mr Buell's on account of his
his only Son's Dangerous Sickneſs

Tueſday June ye 2

As the
Day Appeard, the Child
Dyed, and was Buried Wed‐
neſday
Juſt before Sun Set,

Thirdsday Morning June
11

took leave of my Good Friends
at Eaſthampton, and went
Down to Northweſt, and a
bout 12 went aboard of Mr
Dayton
at Cedar Point, we
had Favourable wind, we
Sail'd Strait to Sea Brook
Landed a Capt Harris's about
9 at Ninght and Lodg'd there,

Fryday June ye 5

Sot out
Early in the Morning for
Mohegan, Stopt at N[illegible][guess: a]h[illegible][guess: an]
about two Hours, then Sot
off again,
got to Mothers about 9 at
Night found My Relations
and Friends well in general
here I taried the Sabbath over

Monday June 8

took leave of my Relations and
Friends at Mohegan, Sot
out for Lebanon, abou 9 in
Morning, got there before
Sun Set, found them all
well as uſual at Mr Wheelock[illegible]
But it was very Sickly and
Dying Times in the Pariſh

Wedneſday June ye 10

a
bout 3 PM, Brother David
and I took Leave of Mr
Wheelock and his Family
and Sot out on our Journey
for Onoyda by way of New
York
— Reach'd Heartford
about 9 at Night, Lodgd
Capt Daniel Bulls, and were
very Kindly Treated — the Man
and Seem to be Truely Religious
keep very dgood orders in his
Houſe —

Thirdſday June ye 11

about 9
in the Morning we Sot out on
our Journey, and got about
6 Miles weſtward of N. Haven
and Lodg'd at one Woodroffs —

Fryday June ye 12:

Sot
Early in the Moring, godt to
Stanford at Night Lodgd
at a Certain Tavern — —

Saturday June ye 13

wen
on our [illegible]way, godt within
5 Miles of the City of New
York
, and turn'd to in one
Mr Goldſmith's —

Sabbath June ye 14

taried
at Goldſmiths, we did not go
to the City to Publick worſhip
for fear of the Small Pox, being
Informed, very Brief there —
But I never Saw a Sabbath
Spent So by any Criſtian
People in my Life as ſome
Spent it here, Some were
Riding in Chairs Some upon
Horſe Back orthers traveting
foot, Paſsing and Repaſsing
all Day long, and all Sorts
of Evil Noiſes Caried on by 'em
Drunkards were Realing and
Stagaring in the Streets, others
tumbling off their Horses, there
were others at work in their
farms, and ever any People,
under the Heavens Spoke Hells
Language, theſe People did, for
their Mouths were full of Curſ‐
ings, Prophaning gods Holy
Holy Name — I am greatly
Miſtake if theſe are not the Sons
and Daughters of Belial,
O thou God of Heaven, thou yt
Hast all the Hearts of the Children
of men in thine Hands, Leave me not
to Pratice the works of theſe
People, but help me, o Lord,
to take warning, and to
to take heed to my Self acord
ing to thy Ho[illegible]ly word, and
have mercy upon the Wicked
Convince and Convert them to
thy Self, for thine own glory
I have thought there was
no Heathen but the wild
Indians, but I th[illegible]ink [illegible]now there
is Some Engliſh Heathen,
where they Enjoy the Goſpel
of Jeſus Chriſt too, Yea I be‐
lieve they are worſe than ye
Savage Heathens of the wilder
wilderneſs, — I have thou[illegible]ght
that I had rather Go with the
meaneſt and moſt Diſpiſ'd Crea
ture on Earth to Heaven, than
to Go with the greateſt Monarch
Down to Hell, after a Short
Enjoyment of Sinful Pleaſures
with them in this World —
I am Glad there is one defect
in the EIndian Language and
I believe in all their Languages,
i:e they Can't Curſe or ſware
or take god's Name in vain
in their own Toungue —

Monday June ye 15

to the
City, and were Conducted to
Mr Well's at freſh waters
and were Very Kindly re
ceiv'd by him and by all
his Family, I believe the
Fear of god in their Houſe
and this was our Home as
long as we Stay'd in the pl[illegible][guess: a][illegible]
The People of the City were
Extreamly Kind to us, there
was not a Day Scarſly, but
that I was Invited to Dine
with one Gentleman or other,
The Miniſters of all Sects
and Denominations were un‐
commonly Kind to me — my
Friends Increaced Daily
while I Stayd at New York

Thirdsday June ye 25

we left New York and went
on our Journey, Reach'd
Peekskills at Night —

Fryday June 26

Sot out
very Early in the Morning
and we made it Night, [illegible][guess: be]
[illegible][guess: tween Claverack & Kinder]
[illegible][guess: hook] at Rynbeck
Sabbath June 2

Saturday June ye 27

Sot
out very Early, and made
it Night between Claverack
and Kinderhook, —

Sabbath June ye 28

went
to Kinderhook about five
Miles, and there Stopt all
Day, — but did not go to Pub‐
lick Worſhip, Becauſe the
People were Barbarians
to us wand we to them, in our
To[illegible]nugs, they were Dutch

Monday June ye 29

left
the Place very Early, and
got to Albany about 12 O:C
and were Conducted to one
Mr Staats Vn Santvoord &
taried there, and the People
in Albany were very kind
to us, I went to wait upon
his Excellency GGen.[illegible][guess: ll] Amherſt
the [illegible]After Noon after Iwe
got to Al[illegible]bany, but he was
buſy and I Coud not See him
one of his waiters Came out
to me, and told me I Shoud
have the Generals Asſiſtance
and I Shoud make my Ap
pearance about 10 in the
Morning, Tueſday June
ye the 30
I made my Appea
rence before his Excellency
at the Time Apointed ac‐
cording to orders, his Excel
lence
wMet me at the Door
and told me he had [illegible]wrote
a Paſs for me, and he un
folded it and Read it to
me, and when he had
Read it, he Detivered
it to me, and gave me
good Advice and Counſel
and wiſh'd me Succeſs in
my undertaking & I returnd
unfeigned Thanks to him
and then took my leave
of him &c — The Paſs which
he gave me was very good one in
deed, which I will Coppy
Down here —
By his Excellency
Jeffery Amherſt & Esqr:
Major EGeneral, and Com‐
mander in Chief of all His
Majesty
's Forces in North
America
&c &c &c —
To All Whom it may
Concern
Whereas the Correſpondents
of the Society in Scotland for
for Propagating Chriſtian
Knowledge
, have Acquainted
me that the Bearer hereof, the
Revd Mr Occom, is Sent by
by them, as a Miſsionary to
Reside Amongſt the Indians
about the onoyda Lake, Theſe
are to order and direct the
officers Commanding at the
Several posts, to give him
any Aid or Aſsistance he
may Stand in need of to
forward him on his Journey
And on his Arival at ye
Onoyda Lake, the officer
Commanding there will
Grant him all the Protection
and Countenance he may
want, in the Execution
of his Duty &c
given under my Hand
& Seal at Head Quarters
in Albany, this 29th Day
of June 1761
Jeff. Amherſt
by his Excellencys
Command}
Arthur Mair

Wedneſday Junely ye 1.

left
Albaney about 10 in the
Morning; Got to Scenectady
about 3 in the after Noon
Stayed there one Night, —

Thirdsday July 2

went from
Senectady, In Company with
Colol Whiting and Dr Rod‐
man
, they Seemed to be Quite
Friendly Gentlemen to
us, we got about Seven miles
weſtward of Sir William
Johnſon
's —

Fryday July ye 3

went to
See Sir William at his
Farm Seven Miles out off the
Road, in the Wilderneſs,
Got there about 9 in the
Morning, and were very
Kindly Entertaind by his
his Honor, I Showed him
my Recommendatory Let
ters, and a Paſs from Genl
Amherſt
, he Promiſed
me his Aſsistance as Need
Shold Require, he was ex‐
ceeding free with me in Con
verſation — But we Stayd there
but about two Hours, for
he was geting in Readines
to go [illegible][guess: ing] on our way on the
Next Day towards Tetroit
with five Battows laden
with Preſents for the Indians
he Said he wou'd overtake
us on the Morrow before Night
— we took Leave of his Honor
and went our way, after we had
got to the Main Road, we
Call'd in at Certain Houſe —
and there we were Detaind
one Night, by a Storm —

Saturday July ye 4

went on our Journey and
Reach'd the German flats
at Night, and we Turn'd
in at one Mr Frank's
a Tavern Keeper —

Sabbath July ye 5

we Stayd
at Mr Franks, but did
not go to Publick worſhip
with the People, becauſe they
Spoke unknown Tonugue
to us, But it did Seem
like Sabbath by the Ap‐
pearance of the People —

July the 6

[illegible]Sir William Came to
us at Mr Frank's —

Tueſday July ye 7

Sir William
and the Chiefs of the Onoyda
Indians Met at this Place, to
make up a Breach, which [illegible][guess: ,]
one of the Indians made late
ly, by Killing a Dutch man
they talkd about an Hour at
this Time, and then Brok up
Towards Night they Met together
again, and talkd together a
bout 3 quarters of an Hour. Then
finaly Brock up, without be‐
ing fully Satiſfied on both Sides
for the Indians Inſisted upon
an d old agreement that was
Settled between them and the
Engliſh formerly, that if any
Such Acident Shou'd ever hap
pen between them in Peacea‐
ble Times, they Shou'd make
it up in an Amicable man‐
ner without Sheding of Blood
But Sir William told them
it was the Comand of general
Amherſt
, that the murderer Shod
be deliverd up to Juſtice — but
the Indians Said that murderer
was gone off nobody Knows
where &c
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