John Smith, letter, to his friend, 1764 May 18
18 May 1764[1764-05-18]
ms number764318.2
[note (type: abstract): Smith gives an account of his visit to Wheelock’s school, and to the Mohegan country, where he saw Occom.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is formal and clear.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to form four pages is followed by two single sheets. Paper is in good condition, although there appears to be some preservation work on heavier creases.][note (type: noteworthy): There are many variant spellings and abbreviations; colons are used for superscripts, not periods. The trailer appears to be in Wheelock's hand.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
In [rideing | riding]rideingriding last week to new Lon=don[place0164.ocp] I turned some miles out of my way to see [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelocks[pers0036.ocp]
Indian School[org0098.ocp]; nor do I repent my Trouble I had
heard in general that it consisted of Twenty or more Indian Boys [& | and]&and Girls of the Mohawks[org0062.ocp]
[& | and]&and other Tribes of Indians And that a number of the Mini[= | ]=[= | ]=sters of that Province had spoken well of
[M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[& | and]&and of this undertaking of his, But this I thought was seeing with the
Eyes of others [& | and]&and therefore Chose to use my own.
My first observation in [travelling | traveling]travellingtraveling through the Towns was the [Diffrent | different]Diffrentdifferent accep[= | ]=[= | ]=tation of both [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[& | and]&and his [Enter==prize | enterprise]Enter==prizeenterprise there, from what some in Boston[place0013.ocp] had
entertained.
Here because of his live[= | ]=[= | ]=ly adhering to ^[above] the^the Doctrines of Grace he was not
accepted by some; [& | and]&and when this is the Case you are sensible both [Enterprize | enterprise]Enterprizeenterprise
[& | and]&and Execution
of it are too apt to be viewed by an Eye of
[Surmize | surmise]Surmizesurmise
[& | and]&and sometimes of Carping: But in
Connecticut[place0048.ocp] I found Charity [& | and]&and Candor [& | and]&and
[every where | everywhere]every whereeverywhere in [paſsing | passing]paſsingpassing
[M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp] had the Reverence of a Man of God, [& | and]&and his School[org0098.ocp] was had in high Esteem.
I reached his House a little before the Evening [Sacrafice | sacrifice]Sacraficesacrifice
[& | and]&and was [move==ingly | movingly]move==inglymovingly Touched on [giveing | giving]giveinggiving out the Psalm to hear an Indian Youth set the Time
[& | and]&and the others following him, [& | and]&and singing the Tenor, [& | and]&and
[Base | bass]Basebass, with remarkable Gravity
[& | and]&and
[Seirousneſs | seriousness]Seirousneſsseriousness, [& | and]&and
[tho' | though]tho'though
[M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp], The [Sc==hoolmaster | schoolmaster]Sc==hoolmasterschoolmaster
[& | and]&and a minister from our Provin=ce (called as I was by Curiosity) joined in
Praise; yet they unmoved seemed to have nothing to do but to sing to the Glory
of God.
I omit [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelocks[pers0036.ocp] Pra==yer [& | and]&and
[paſs | pass]paſspass to the Indians in the morning when on Ringing the [School house | schoolhouse]School houseschoolhouse Bell
they [Aſsemble | assemble]Aſsembleassemble at [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelocks[pers0036.ocp] House about 5 [oClock | o'clock]oClocko'clock with their Master; who named the Chapter in Course for the Day [& | and]&and called upon the near Indian who read 3 or 4
[Verſes | verses]Verſesverses
[till | 'til]till'til the Master said Proximus, [& | and]&and then the next Indian read some Verses
[& | and]&and
[ſo | so]ſoso on [till | 'til]till'til all the Indians had read the whole Chapter. After this [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[Prayes | prays]Prayesprays And then they each Indian [perse | parse]perseparse a Verse or two of the Chapter they had read. After this they entered [Succeſsively | successively]Succeſsivelysuccessively on Prosodia [& | and]&and then on Disputations on some Questions propounded by themselves in
some of the Arts [& | and]&and Sciences. And it is really charming to see Indian Youths of Different
Tribes [& | and]&and Languages in pure English reading the Word of God [& | and]&and speaking with
[Exactneſs | exactness]Exactneſsexactness
[& | and]&and accuracy on points (either chosen by themselves or given out to them) in the
[Severall | several]Severallseveral arts [& | and]&and Sciences, And especially to see this done with at Least a seeming
Mixture of Obedience to God; a [fillial | filial]fillialfilial Love [& | and]&and Reverence to [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp], [& | and]&and yet with great [Ambittion | ambition]Ambittionambition to [Excell | excel]Excellexcel each other And indeed in this Morning [Exercies | exercise]Exerciesexercise I saw a Youth Degraded one lower in the [Claſs | class]Claſsclass who before the Exercises were finished not only recovered his own
place but was advanced two Higher.
I [learnt | learned ]learnt learned
[hear | here]hearhere that my [ſurprize | surprise]ſurprizesurprise was common to ministers [& | and]&and other persons of [Littterature | literature]Littteratureliterature who before me had been to visit this School[org0098.ocp] or rather [Colledge | college]Colledgecollege[org0098.ocp] for I doubt whither in [Collegddges | colleges]Collegddgescolleges in [Gene==rall | general]Gene==rallgeneral a better Education is to be expected
[& | and]&and in mentioning this to a Gentleman in this Town who had visited this
Semina==ry[org0098.ocp]. He acquainted me that
he intended at his own Charge to send his Son to obtain his Education in Mixture
with these Indians There were 4 or 5 of these Indians from 21 to 24 years of age
who did not mix with the youth in these [Exercies | exercises]Exerciesexercises — These I [learnt | learned]learntlearned
were Perfected in their Literature [& | and]&and stand ready to be sent among the Indians to keep [Scools | schools]Scoolsschools
[& | and]&and
[occasionaly | occasionally]occasionalyoccasionally to preach as doors open.
On my return [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp] accompanied me a few miles [& | and]&and on [paſsing | passing]paſsingpassing by one [Houſe | house]Houſehouse he said here lives one of my Indian Girls who was I hope Converted
last week; [& | and]&and calling to the Farmer he [un==perceiv'd | unperceived]un==perceiv'dunperceived to her brought the Young Girl into our Sight [& | and]&and the pleasure was exqui=site to see the [Savageneſs | savageness]Savageneſssavageness of an Indian
[moulded | molded]mouldedmolded into the [Sweetneſs | sweetness]Sweetneſssweetness of a follower of the Lamb.
In [paſsing | passing]paſsingpassing some Days after this through the Mohegan
Country[place0143.ocp] I saw an Indian Man on Horseback whom I challenged as
[M:r | Mr.]M:rMr.
[Occum | Occom]OccumOccom[pers0030.ocp]
[& | and]&and found it so. There was something in his [mein | mien]meinmien
[& | and]&and Deportment both amiable [& | and]&and venerable
[& | and]&and though I had never before seen him
I must have been sure it was he. — He certainly does Honour to [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Wheelocks[pers0036.ocp] inde==fatigable, judicious, pious
Intentions to send the Gospel among the Indians. I heard [M:r | Mr.]M:rMr. Ashpo[pers0002.ocp] was then among them but at a Distance [& | and]&and I being hurried [& | and]&and tired Lost the opportunity of seing [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp] in him [& | and]&and more especially of seeing Christs Image in this [Tawney | tawny]Tawneytawny Man but I wont tire you
[Closer]
[& | and]&and am [y:r | your]y:ryour most
[Hum:e
| humble]Hum:e
humble
[Serv:t | servant]Serv:tservant
John Smith[pers0497.ocp].
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0036.ocp | M: r Mr. Wheelocks | mentioned | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0036.ocp | M: r Mr. Wheelock | mentioned | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0030.ocp | M: r Mr. Occum Occom | mentioned | Occom, Samson |
pers0002.ocp | M: r Mr. Ashpo | mentioned | Ashpo, Samuel |
pers0036.ocp | M r Mr. Wheelock | mentioned | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0497.ocp | John Smith | writer | Smith, John |
pers0497.ocp | M r Mr. John Smiths | writer | Smith, John |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0013.ocp | Boston | Boston |
place0164.ocp | new Lon= don | New London |
place0048.ocp | Connecticut | Connecticut |
place0143.ocp | Mohegan Country | Mohegan |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0098.ocp | Indian School | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
org0062.ocp | Mohawks | Mohawk Nation |
org0098.ocp | School | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
org0098.ocp | Colledgecollege | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
org0098.ocp | Semina==ry | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1764-05-18 | May 18th18th 1764 |
1764-05-18 | May 18. 1764 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
modernization | 18th | 18th |
variation | rideing | riding |
modernization | M:r | Mr. |
modernization | = | |
variation | travelling | traveling |
variation | Diffrent | different |
variation | Enter==prize | enterprise |
variation | Enterprize | enterprise |
variation | Surmize | surmise |
variation | every where | everywhere |
modernization | paſsing | passing |
variation | Sacrafice | sacrifice |
variation | move==ingly | movingly |
variation | giveing | giving |
variation | Base | bass |
variation | Seirousneſs | seriousness |
variation | Sc==hoolmaster | schoolmaster |
modernization | paſs | pass |
variation | School house | schoolhouse |
modernization | Aſsemble | assemble |
variation | oClock | o'clock |
modernization | Verſes | verses |
variation | till | 'til |
modernization | ſo | so |
variation | Prayes | prays |
variation | perse | parse |
modernization | Succeſsively | successively |
modernization | Exactneſs | exactness |
variation | Severall | several |
variation | fillial | filial |
variation | Ambittion | ambition |
variation | Excell | excel |
variation | Exercies | exercise |
modernization | Claſs | class |
variation | learnt | learned |
variation | ſurprize | surprise |
variation | Littterature | literature |
variation | Colledge | college |
variation | Collegddges | colleges |
variation | Gene==rall | general |
variation | Exercies | exercises |
variation | learnt | learned |
variation | Scools | schools |
variation | occasionaly | occasionally |
modernization | Houſe | house |
modernization | Savageneſs | savageness |
variation | moulded | molded |
modernization | Sweetneſs | sweetness |
variation | Occum | Occom |
variation | mein | mien |
modernization | Mr | Mr. |
variation | Tawney | tawny |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
& | and |
tho' | though |
un==perceiv'd | unperceived |
y:r | your |
Hum:e | humble |
Serv:t | servant |
This document's header does not contain any mixed case attribute values.
Summary of errors found in this document:
Number of dates with invalid 'when' attributes: | 0 |
Number of nested "hi" tags: (consider merging the @rend attributes, or using other tags) | 0 |
Number of tags with invalid 'rend' attributes: | 0 (out of 30) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 27) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 1) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 115) |