Samson Occom, journal, 1774 July 8 to August 14

Author Occom, Samson

Date8 July to 14 August 1774

Call Number774408.2

abstractOccom documents his and David Fowler's travels from Mohegan to Indian communities in Connecticut, Western Massachusetts and New York. The death of William Johnson, and the battles between the Shawnees and the Virginians are mentioned.

handwritingOccom's hand is mostly clear and legible. Letter case is occasionally difficult to decipher.

paperSmall sheets folded in half to make a booklet are bound at the center fold by a metal pin that is still in place. The paper is in fair-to-poor condition, with moderate-to-heavy fading and wear that results in some loss of text.

inkBrown ink varies in intensity throughout.

noteworthyAlthough it is uncertain, when Occom mentions a "Mr. Johnson" on four recto, he is possibly referring to Joseph Johnson. An editor, likely 19th-century, has overwritten letters, words, and punctuation; these edits have not been transcribed. In the Rauner collection, a note from this editor accompanies the journal; this note has not been transcribed. If the name of a person or place is illegible, it has been left untagged.

Modernized Version Deletions removed; additions added in; modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.

Persistent Identifier

July 8: 1774:


David Fowler and I set out
about 3: o'clock in the afternoon
from Mohegan, on a Journey
towards Oneida to visit our
brethren, reached So far as to
Colchester, lodged at Mr. [illegible][guess: G[illegible]si]
Foot's and were very kind
ly entertained, —

Saturday
July 9
:

very early in the
morning went on our journey
rode about 8 or 9 miles were
kindly invited in by one
Mr. Luther I believe a Christian
man and broke our fast
[gap: tear][guess: w]ith him, after breakfast
went our way, stopped at Mr.
Frothingham
s a Seperate minis[gap: tear]
in Middletown, and dined with
him, after Dinner went on again
reach the Borders of Farmington
in the evening and we put
up a tavern, —

Sabbath July 10

got up very
early in the Morning and wen[gap: tear][guess: t]
on to Indian Town arrived
there about 7 o'clock in the morn[gap: tear]
put at Friend Elijah Wympy's
preached twice this Day and
in the evening, —

Monday July 11:

we were at
the Indian place all Day visit
ed amongst them found them
well in general and well dis‐
posed toward Religion —

Tuesday July 12

about 9 o'clock
left the Place and went on to
New Hartford about 8 miles,
where 2 or 3 Families of Indians
Live, there preached in the after
Noon, in the evening went
to an English House and lodged
there and was very kindly
entertained —

Wednesday July 13:

attended
ordination at the place called
[gap: omitted] one Mr. [gap: omitted]
ordained, after ordination went
to the Indian Place again and
preached just before Night, after
meeting went 2[illegible][guess: :] or 3[illegible][guess: :] miles [illegible][guess: to]
one Chaugums and lodged there
he is an Indian from Block‐
Island
and has a white woman
for his wife

Thursday July 14:

went over
the River and breakfasted with
Deacon [gap: omitted] after Break
fast went to New Hartford to Mr.
Marsh
's and [illegible] to meeting at
10 o'clock, after meeting went
Back to Mr. Marshs to Dine
with him after Dinner went
on to Norfolk with one [gap: omitted]
got to the Place just before
sunset lodged with the
Same gentleman that Con
ducted us here, —

Friday July 15:

had a
meeting about 9 o'clock this
morning, after meeting went
on our way to Stockbridge
reached to the Place Some
Time before Night, we
called on Mrs. Kirkland and
found her and hers well,
good Mr. Sergeant Came to See
us, and in the Evening went
home with him and lodged
there

Saturday July 16:

was at the
Place all Day, visited Some
Indians, towards evening met
at Honises to converse with the
Indians but we had no
Interpreter however we had
Some conversation about
Spirituals and Temporals —
Lodged again at Mr. Sergeant

Sabbath July 17:


in the morning heard Mr. Periham
Preach, — In the afternoon I preached
Twice first to the English, and
just before Night to the India[gap: tear][guess: ns]
there was a great Number of [gap: tear]
of the white People — — —
Lodged at one Capt. Joness this
Night, —

Monday July 18

met the Indi
ans in the morning at Honises
had Some conversation with
them Concerning Temporal
and Spiritual Concerns —
dined at Capt. Joness and im‐
mediately after Dinner went
our way towards Richmont
Deacon Willson and Capt. Jones
and others went with us, got
there Some Time in the afternoon
here met with my old acquain
tance from Long Island, good
Doctor Tarbell, mr Jeremiah Miller
Mr. Lewis Hedges and Mr. Reuben
Hedges
, I preached at the Place
this afternoon to a crowded
Auditory; after meeting went
[gap: tear] Dr. Tarbells and lodged there
and was very kindly entertained

Tuesday July 19:


Soon after Breakfast went on
to New Canaan preached there
this morning, as Soon as meeting
was over went with Mr. John‐
son to New Lebanon and preached
there this afternoon, Soon af
ter this meeting we had governor
Franklin
and a gentleman
from the West Indies and othe[illegible][guess: r]
and Some Ladies, Soon after
meeting we set off on our
Journey and we traveled 'til
about 10 o'clock in the Night, we
Could not find a Tavern, and was
obliged to put up at a poor
private house — —

Wednesday July 20:

got up very
early in the morning and
went on our way, got to Alb[gap: tear][guess: a]
ny
about 8 o'clock in the fore [gap: tear][guess: noon]
stopped a little while there, and
passed on to Schenectady got
there Some Time in the after
Noon, put up at Mr. Post's
our old Friends, and they were
very glad to See us and we
were glad to See them also —

Thursday July 21:


in the morning preached at
this place in Mr. Millers meeting
house, dined at Mr. Millers
Lodgings, Soon after meeting
left the place and proceeded
on our Journey, arrived to
Col. guy Johnson's just be‐
fore sunset, sat a little
while with him, found
him very Solitary on the
[gap: tear][guess: ac]count of the Death of
Sir William Johnson — last
Friday was the first our
hearing of his Death which
Dampt our Spirits much
about sunset we left Col.
Guy Johnson
and we went
on and traveled 5 or 6 miles
and put up at one Mr. [illegible]s

Friday July 22:


went off very early in the
Morning towards night
reached the upper Mohawk
Castle
called Fort Hendrick
put up at Joseph Brant's
but he was not at Home [illegible]
but few of the Indians

Saturday July 23:

left the
place early in the morn
and went on our way, Still
went no further than one
Mr. Thomson's

Sabbath July the 24:


we thought it best to travel
being a fine Clear Day —
arrived at old Oneida about
4 o'clock in the afternoon,
found our Friends well in
general, and they were
very glad to See us and
we were as Glad. stopped
about an Hour an half and
So pushed on to Kanawalo
hale
, got there just in dusk of
the evening, a great Number
of them issued out of their houses
and were overjoyed to us, and
we were very glad to See them,
after Salutations went to Mr.
Kirkland
s, and he was sur
prised to See us and we embraced
each other for Joy, and a
Number of the Indians Came
in and they Sang Psalms sweet
ly before they went out —
The good Lord be praised
that he has Safely brought
to the place of our desire and
and that we have found our
poor Brethren So well —
about 10 took rest for the
Night — — —
Spent the week with agreeable
view of the situation and
hopeful prospect of the Indians
future happiness — great alte
ration has been made a
mong these Indian both as
to their Temporal and Spiri
tual Concerns Since I was here 12 years ago, the Lord bless
them more abundantly —
Yet I find the Devil is very
is very busy at this time to
obstruct the pure Doctrines
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
the Le[illegible][guess: aven] of the Pope, which
has been planted among th[gap: tear][guess: ese]
poor Indians long Since [illegible][gap: tear]
Now ferments among them [gap: tear]
and the leaven of the apostiti[illegible]d,
Protestant Christans which is worse
than the Heathens, with the Heathen
superstions are all fermenting
together at this Time to oppose the
True Religion of Jesus Christ
which consists in the Power, as
well as in form, and it produces
love to god and Man and Holiness
of Life —

July 31:

Mr. Kirkland preached
in the morning, and I in the
afternoon,— these Indians have
got a good large Meeting house
almost completed outside, with
a neat belfry to it —
This week on wednesday had
a conference with Indians Concern
ing the True Doctrines of J[illegible][guess: c] be‐
ing all ways Offensive to a
Carnal — —

[gap: tear][guess: Sa]turday August 6 [illegible]:


[gap: tear] able to ride to Fort
Stani[illegible][guess: x] with Mr. Kirkland
expecting to meet a great number
of Indians there as they were
all going to Salmon fishing
but we did not with So many
as we Expected, though there a
considerable Number of them

Sabbath August 7: 1774


I preached all Day to the
whites, in the evening a number
of the Indians Came in to Mr.
Roof
s to Sing, and and a number
of the whites Came to hear —
last night Night and this morn
a fresh man a Roman Catholic
and an English woman pressed
us very hard to Baptize their
Children, but understanding
their Immorality we declined to
Baptize them, —

Monday August 8:

was n[gap: tear][guess: ot]
well enough to Proceed t[gap: tear][guess: o]
fishing Place, and So I returned
to Kanawalohale with Mr. Kirkland
got to the place before Night
Spent the week peaceable I
went a fishing almost every
Day and we had Small fish enough
every Day — —

Sabbath August 14:

Mr. Kirkland
preached, and toward evening
I put a question to them, which
was this, what is it that makes
a Christian or who is a Christian
a Number of them answered, and
they answered well, — — —
This week and last week we
have heard very Bad News
the Shawnees have had a Sp[illegible]art
engagements with the Virginians
and many were Slain on both
Sides and Shawn[illegible][guess: ies] have Sent
[gap: tear][guess: be]lts of wampum all round
[gap: tear] [illegible]ng the Tribes of Indians
for assistance, but we cant [gap: tear]
how Tribes have joined th[gap: tear][guess: em]
about a week ago [gap: tear]
Chief warriors Came to o[gap: tear]
from Shawn[illegible][guess: ies] Country, with
Ten Belts of wampum and
three Scalps, two Indian and
English Scalp, they with a Cry
to the five Nations for help —
the 2 Indian Scalps Signify
that the English were too many for [gap: tear]
and killed of them, the one Scalp
that Indians have killed but few
English, — the Six Nations
have been Call to assemble at
onondaga, there the grand coun
cil was to Sit, but most of the
Six Nations are at This Time
disposed every where for pro
visions, and nothing is done
yet, they are about to [gap: tear]
the Runners the Second T[gap: tear]
[gap: tear] supposed the Six Nations
[gap: tear]et Join the Shawnees
[gap: tear]termine to abide by their
[gap: tear]ment and Covenant with
[gap: tear] [illegible]English entered at the End [gap: tear][guess: of]
the last wars with French —
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