John Thornton, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1772 May 12
Date12 May, 1772
Call Number772312.1
abstractThornton sends a copy of a letter from the Trustees in England to Occom (dated May 5, 1772), granting him 50 pounds, then 25 pounds a year to Christianize Indians. Thornton also exhorts Wheelock to be more charitable in his judgment towards Kirkland and Occom, both of whom he admires.
handwritingDocument is written in two different hands, both clear and legible.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is heavily silked, which results in a significant dimming of text.
inkThere are two different inks used on this document, a medium brown and a dark brown.
noteworthyOne recto and the first half of one verso is a copy of a letter from the Trustees to Occom. It appears that Thornton has also included a copy of a letter to Thornton from Occom, though this copy does not remain.
signatureThere are several signatures, including copies of the signatures of several members of the Trust in England.
layoutOne recto and verso are in portrait orientation (aside from a note written in landscape orientation); but two recto and verso are in landscape orientation.
Stipend out of the monies intrusted with us for christianizing the Indians
& as we [gap: tear][guess: do] think it will be a means of enabling you to employ yourself still
more fully in that arduous work you are engaged in & we have had Experience
of your desire to promote the glory of God we very chearfully acquiesce
therein.
sent us from Norwich we trust we have no just ground to fear any abuse of
our Confidence & we expect you will not only attend duty to the five places
of Indians you now preach at but also continue to go to Long Island & get
even among the Onondagos if your health permits it.
& the heavy charge of your family that we come to a resolution to allow you
Fifty Pounds immediately which you may give a Bill on the Treasurer
for, & you have our permiſsion further to draw every Six Months for Twenty
five Pounds if you hear nothing from us to the contrary.
be a means of strengthening your heart & hands to go on chearfully preaching
the Gospel of Jesus Christ & adorning it in Life & Conversation.
therefore rely on your improving these advantages which will be ever a
very great satisfaction to
Your aſsured Fr[gap: tear][guess: ie]nds &c
Signed — Dartmouth
S.S. Smythe
John Thornton
Cha.s Hardy
Dan: West
Saml Savage
Rob.t Keene
I redd from Mr Occom as thereby
you may see his present skill
& manner of writing wch has
always been such as I can’t
but approve & what I now
send is the answer to it
the Trust to the Revd Mr Occom as also Copy of
what I wrote him therewith & I must freely tell
you I think you have bore hard on him through
the influence of that Mischief maker Dr Whitaker
& some others who I can not think so well of
I do of this poor Man; your Eyes are now opened
respecting dear Mr Kirkland who was Also traduced
[bottom]To The Rev.d M.r Samson Occom at Mohegan.
Mr Kirkland of Mr Occom & let me pray you to put to my
account every offence of his, I will willingly bear it for him
he is deserving of your tender Compaſsion, he is worthy of
your utmost kindneſs & love, put yourself in his case but for
a minute & you can’t surely but see he has been severely tried
& yet he complained of no particular person that I have heard
of, but bore all with more resignation & patience then most
would have done, he was deceitfully used & manifestly misrepre
sented by Dr Whitaker, unassisted by all; (very near if not
quite) excepting myself; distreſsed in his Family; by disuse
while labouring for the publick rendered incapable of the Labour
his situation required — his poor situation rendered more
penurious by means of Indian Visitors; his eldest Son like yours
hurt by not being under proper controul with this difference
that he did not save appearances — & what is the worst of
all the Enemy was permitted to fall upon him & lead him into
the horrid [gap: tear] drunkenness & this twice & pray is it not a sa[gap: tear][guess: d]
sorry to be in the Case of these sorry Whisperers & Backbiters, may
it be returned to them in this World that they perish not everlastingly
I am convinced Mr Occom never received a penny from the
Money collected in Scotland as those would make you believe
spurn such venomous Tongues from you & let your heart &
hand be with such as Mr Kirkland & Mr Occom who are
Israelites indeed in whom you’l find no guile & if they are
clouded for a Season they will rise bright at the last.
Nothing but the glorious cause we are engaged in, wou’d have
led me to add in any measure to your Grief, but I do hope
to know neither Father Son Wife nor any one where the
Lord my God is concerned, let not then my dear Sir your
Sons false Friends delude you as they have done, by misrepre
sentation; & be ready to believe good but not evil of any.
May every Covenant bleſsing attend you & yours is the sincere
& fervent prayer of