Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to George Whitefield, 1764 September 26
26 September 1764[1764-09-24]
ms number764526.2
[note (type: abstract): Wheelock addresses the various conflicts regarding Occom and his employers, would-be and otherwise.][note (type: handwriting): The majority of the document appears to be in a hand other than Wheelock's. It is relatively clear, with few additions and deletions. The postcript added to the bottom of two recto is clearly in Wheelock's hand.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to form four pages is in fair condition, with moderate staining and wear. There is a significant separation caused by wear on the lower crease.][note (type: ink): Ink on most of the document is medium brown; the postscript is in black ink.][note (type: noteworthy): The letter is likely in response to Whitefield's letter of September 5, 1764; this document is likely a draft or copy.][note (type: signature): The full signature is possibly not that of Wheelock; the postscript is signed with initials, and those are Wheelock's.]EventsJewett Controversy, Building of Occom’s house, Occom returns to Mohegan, Fundraising Tour of Great Britain, Occom’s inoculation
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
Yours by [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] came while I was on a Journey. And I now take the [earlieſt | earliest]earlieſtearliest Opportunity to acknowledge the Favour, and inform you that when I heard
that [Genl | Gen.]GenlGen. Johnson[pers0292.ocp] was returned, I was [ſorry | sorry]ſorrysorry that [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp]
[& | and]&and
David[pers0155.ocp] were [ſet | set]ſetset out on their Journey, as the principal Ends of their Journey could not
likely be [accompliſhed | accomplished]accompliſhedaccomplished,
[vizt | viz.]viztviz. their [ſeeing | seeing]ſeeingseeing Parties from remote Tribes together, in Order to recommend the [Deſign | design]Deſigndesign, [& | and]&and prepare the Way for [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool
[Maſters | masters]Maſtersmasters
[ & | and] &and
[ Miſsionaries | missionaries] Miſsionariesmissionaries among them, and [alſo | also]alſoalso procure a Number of likely youth from [diſtant | distant]diſtantdistant Parts for this [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool[org0098.ocp], which the [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners[org0034.ocp] appre- hended he might have a more favorable
Opportunity for by such a Meeting with the General[pers0292.ocp] than we have [Reaſon | reason]Reaſonreason
[otherwiſe | otherwise]otherwiſeotherwise to expect [ſoon | soon]ſoonsoon. Nor can I in [Conſcience | conscience]Conſcienceconscience
[ſay | say]ſaysay it was an imprudent
[ſcheme | scheme]ſchemescheme
[till | 'til]till'til I have [ſome | some]ſomesome other [Reaſon | reason]Reaſonreason than I have heard or thought of to convince me of it. It is true we were
misinformed of the Time of [Genl | Gen.]GenlGen. Johnson[pers0292.ocp]’s Return from Niagara[place0167.ocp], but I don’t know that we were to blame for that
Misinformation.
The [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners in [Boſton | Boston]BoſtonBoston[org0095.ocp] had a principal View to [Nehantic | Niantic]NehanticNiantic[place0168.ocp] ([tho’ | though]tho’though
Mohegan[place0143.ocp]
[ waſ | was] waſwas mentioned) in [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp]’s Appointment, but as he was not a Proprietor at
[Nehantic | Niantic]NehanticNiantic[place0168.ocp], he was obliged to build
[& | and]&and
[ ſettle | settle] ſettlesettle at Mohegan[place0143.ocp], which interferes with
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Jewett[pers0023.ocp]’s appoint- ment; and a [Controverſy | controversy]Controverſycontroversy was commenced and began to [riſe | rise]riſerise high
[& | and]&and
[threatned | threatened]threatnedthreatened much [Miſchief | mischief]Miſchiefmischief. [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Oliver[pers0031.ocp] ([tho’ | though]tho’though he did not fully know how bad the [Caſe | case]Caſecase was) [expreſsed | expressed]expreſsedexpressed his Concern about it to me at Concord[place0047.ocp], which [tho' | though]tho'though not agreeable to write was a [Conſideration | consideration]Conſiderationconsideration of Weight in my Mind in taking him out of the Hands of [thoſe | those]thoſethose
[Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners[org0095.ocp]
[ & | and] &and employing him in the [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission he was [deſigned | designed]deſigneddesigned for. I mentioned to the [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners[org0034.ocp] when they were together their writing to you on the Affair of [ſupporting | supporting]ſupportingsupporting
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp]’s [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission; but a Lecture appointed by our [Praeſes | praeses]Praeſespraeses obliged [uſ | us]uſus to [diſpatch | dispatch]diſpatchdispatch the
[Buſineſs | business]Buſineſsbusiness with [ſuch | such]ſuchsuch Precipitancy that it was not [conſidered | considered]conſideredconsidered as it should have been. But there was nothing [ſaid | said]ſaidsaid, nor do I [ſuſpect | suspect]ſuſpectsuspect there was a Thought among them, of your having taken [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] under your Patronage, or that you looked upon him under
more Obligations to you as his Patron than ^[above] any^any other Man for
whom you have done a [Kindneſs | kindness]Kindneſskindness, or that you had any more [Reaſon | reason]Reaſonreason to expect to be
[conſulted | consulted]conſultedconsulted in that Affair than in any other Affair of equal Importance, ^[below] in^in
in which you have [ſhewn | shown]ſhewnshown your [Friendſhip | friendship]Friendſhipfriendship
[ & | and] &and Concern. Nor did I ever [underſtand | understand]underſtandunderstand the [Caſe | case]Caſecase
[till | 'til]till'til this very Day, or what you meant by ill Treatment by our taking [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] into our Hands with- out [conſulting | consulting]conſultingconsulting you therein. Had I [underſtood | understood]underſtoodunderstood the [Caſe | case]Caſecase as I now do I [ſhould | should]ſhouldshould by no Means have moved or [conſented | consented]conſentedconsented therein —
The [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners[org0034.ocp] (as I [underſtand | understand]underſtandunderstand them) were of Opinion that his [Circumſtances | circumstances]Circumſtancescircumstances which were [publickly | publicly]publicklypublicly known, viz, his being [ſo | so]ſoso much in Debt, [& | and]&and nothing like to be done, (that they knew of) to free him, His Expence in
moving, [& | and]&and
[ Loſs | loss] Loſsloss of Goods [& | and]&and
[ Proviſions | provisions] Proviſionsprovisions in his [Paſsage | passage]Paſsagepassage, and nothing done to repair his [Loſs | loss]Loſsloss, or to [aſsiſt | assist]aſsiſtassist him in [ſupporting | supporting]ſupportingsupporting his Family, or provide a [Houſe | house]Houſehouse for them, he not having received a Farthing from the [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners
^[above] at [Boſton | Boston]BoſtonBoston^ at [Boſton | Boston]BoſtonBoston[org0095.ocp] and they at [ſuch | such]ſuchsuch a [Diſtance | distance]Diſtancedistance from him, and [ſo | so]ſoso out of the Way of [Accquaintance | acquaintance]Accquaintanceacquaintance with his [Circumſtances | circumstances]Circumſtancescircumstances
[&c | etc.]&cetc., were [ſufficient | sufficient]ſufficientsufficient to [juſtify | justify]juſtifyjustify his [Deſire | desire]Deſiredesire to be under our Care, [& | and]&and us in receiving him. Had the [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners[org0034.ocp] viewed the [Caſe | case]Caſecase in the Light which you did, or had they only had the [leaſt | least]leaſtleast Intimations, which they could rely upon, that you
[deſigned | designed]deſigneddesigned to help him under his [Neceſsities | necessities]Neceſsitiesnecessities, [tho’ | though]tho’though they might likely have [repreſented | represented]repreſentedrepresented to you the [Greatneſs | greatness]Greatneſsgreatness of them, it would have been the [fartheſt | farthest]fartheſtfarthest from their thoughts to take him out of your Hands.
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] tells me, “He told me [ſomething | something]ſomethingsomething of it before.” But I never [underſtood | understood]underſtoodunderstood it. It was my [Compaſsion | compassion]Compaſsioncompassion to him, not knowing what ^[above] else^else to do with him that
moved me to act at all in the Affair.
I [intirely | entirely]intirelyentirely agree with you, that we [muſt | must]muſtmust be agreed in the Plan, [& | and]&and that it is [reaſonable | reasonable]reaſonablereasonable
[& | and]&and
[neceſsary | necessary]neceſsarynecessary, that you [ſhould | should]ſhouldshould approve of it, as we expect the Benefit of your Friendship [& | and]&and Influence.
And what we have [propoſed | proposed]propoſedproposed is, to [ſend | send]ſendsend among godly well accomplished youth, in the Capacity of [Miniſters | ministers]Miniſtersministers
[& | and]&and School [Maſters | masters]Maſtersmasters to the [ſeveral | several]ſeveralseveral Tribes as we can obtain [& | and]&and find means to [ſupport | support]ſupportsupport. I have now 10 Indians in this [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool[org0098.ocp] well [accompliſhed | accomplished]accompliſhedaccomplished for [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool
[Maſters | masters]Maſtersmasters, excepting that [ſome | some]ſomesome of them want Age. I have [alſo | also]alſoalso 4 English youth who are very [promiſing | promising]promiſingpromising
[ & | and] &and would do well to go with the [Miſsionaries | missionaries]Miſsionariesmissionaries to learn the Indian Languages, and while they are doing that, may,
under the Conduct of the [Miſsionaries | missionaries]Miſsionariesmissionaries, be [uſeful | useful]uſefuluseful as [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool
[Maſters | masters]Maſtersmasters, and after that return with [ſuch | such]ſuchsuch likely Boys as they can find to [finiſh | finish]finiſhfinish their Learning here.
[Pleaſe | Please]PleaſePlease
[ſir | Sir]ſirSir to write me on what I have written, [& | and]&and make what [Propoſals | proposals]Propoſalsproposals you [pleaſe | please]pleaſeplease, and I will endeavour to have a Meeting of the [Commiſsioners | commissioners]Commiſsionerscommissioners[org0034.ocp], [& | and]&and lay what you [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall write before them as [ſoon | soon]ſoonsoon as may be. The [Conſequence | consequence]Conſequenceconsequence of which you [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall hear by the [Poſt | post]Poſtpost. I hope you will have [Goodneſs | goodness]Goodneſsgoodness enough to overlook
a [thouſand | thousand]thouſandthousand Blunders, [& | and]&and Patience enough to correct [ſuch | such]ſuchsuch as you [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall think material.
I am now [ſick | sick]ſicksick with a [Dyſsentery | dysentery]Dyſsenterydysentery, have wrote in great Pain [& | and]&and
[Confuſion | confusion]Confuſionconfusion interrupted often by my [Diſtemper | distemper]Diſtemperdistemper Things are in great [Confuſion | confusion]Confuſionconfusion at Mohegan[place0143.ocp]. I [wiſh | wish]wiſhwish
[ M.r | Mr.] M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] could be quite unconcerned in them, The [Caſe | case]Caſecase is too long to write. They have had [ſeveral | several]ſeveralseveral Meetings to give in their [Reaſons | reasons]Reaſonsreasons why they reject [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Clelland[pers0011.ocp] as their [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool
[Maſter | master]Maſtermaster, and are this Day to meet to give their [Reaſons | reasons]Reaſonsreasons why they will not hear [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Jewett[pers0023.ocp] preach [&c | etc.]&cetc.
[Pleaſe | Please]PleaſePlease to direct yours to the Care of [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Graves[pers0228.ocp] of [N London | New London]N LondonNew London[place0164.ocp]. I have put Money in his Hands to pay the [poſtage | postage]poſtagepostage of my Letters — My dear Brother, pray for a poor Creature, who is
with much Affection,
[Closer]
yours in the dear [Jeſus | Jesus]JeſusJesus
Eleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[Postscript]
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.
[G. | George]G.George Whitefield[pers0038.ocp]
Ps. The [Com̅iſsrs | Commissioners]Com̅iſsrsCommissioners in [Boſton | Boston]BoſtonBoston[org0095.ocp] will allow [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp]
[ y.e | the] y.ethe £30 [w.c | which]w.cwhich they voted for [y.e | the]y.ethe Curr[illegible]ent Year. but [ſeem | seem]ſeemseem not [Senſible | sensible]Senſiblesensible
[ yt | that] ytthat his [Neceſsities | necessities]Neceſsitiesnecessities are in any
[meaſure | measure]meaſuremeasure
[ſo | so]ſoso great as they are.
I went to Norwich[place0174.ocp]
[myſelf | myself]myſelfmyself and with [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Whitaker[pers0037.ocp]s [aſsiſtance | assistance]aſsiſtanceassistance procured 40 Days Labour gratis towards his House. but expence for
materials and for what he has, and will have, [occaſion | occasion]occaſionoccasion to Hire I [underſtand | understand]underſtandunderstand will be [conſiderable | considerable]conſiderableconsiderable and much beyond what I expected.
[pleaſe | please]pleaſeplease to write whether it will, or not, be expedient that [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] ſh[stain: oul]d be [Enoculated | inoculated]Enoculatedinoculated, in order to his going with you to England[place0068.ocp] and whether you would take either of the Boys of this [ſchool | school]ſchoolschool with you — If you [ſhould | should]ſhouldshould think of taking one of the [Mohocks | Mohawks]MohocksMohawks[org0062.ocp], it may be [beſt | best]beſtbest he [ſhould | should]ſhouldshould make a visit to his Friends this fall. — Salutation: I am
yours [&c | etc.]&cetc.
EW[pers0036.ocp]
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0030.ocp | M. r Mr. Occom | mentioned | Occom, Samson |
pers0292.ocp | Gen l Gen. Johnson | mentioned | Johnson, William |
pers0155.ocp | David | mentioned | Fowler, David |
pers0292.ocp | General | mentioned | Johnson, William |
pers0030.ocp | M r Mr. Occom | mentioned | Occom, Samson |
pers0023.ocp | M. r Mr. Jewett | mentioned | Jewett, David |
pers0031.ocp | M. r Mr. Oliver | mentioned | Oliver, Andrew |
pers0030.ocp | M. r Mr. Occom | mentioned | Occom, Samson |
pers0011.ocp | M r Mr. Clelland | mentioned | Clelland, Robert |
pers0228.ocp | M r Mr. Graves | mentioned | Graves, Matthew |
pers0036.ocp | Eleazar Wheelock | writer | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0038.ocp | Rev d Rev. G. George Whitefield | recipient | Whitefield, George |
pers0037.ocp | M. r Mr. Whitaker | mentioned | Whitaker, Nathaniel |
pers0036.ocp | EW | writer | Wheelock, Eleazar |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0122.ocp | Lebanon | Lebanon |
place0167.ocp | Niagara | Niagara |
place0168.ocp | Nehantic Niantic | Niantic |
place0143.ocp | Mohegan | Mohegan |
place0047.ocp | Concord | Concord |
place0164.ocp | N London New London | New London |
place0174.ocp | Norwich | Norwich |
place0068.ocp | England | England |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0098.ocp | this ſchoolschool | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
org0034.ocp | Commiſsionerscommissioners | Connecticut Board of Correspondents of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge |
org0095.ocp | Commiſsionerscommissioners in BoſtonBoston | The Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America |
org0095.ocp | Commiſsionerscommissioners at BoſtonBoston | The Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America |
org0034.ocp | the Commiſsionerscommissioners | Connecticut Board of Correspondents of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge |
org0095.ocp | Com̅iſsrsCommissioners in BoſtonBoston | The Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America |
org0062.ocp | MohocksMohawks | Mohawk Nation |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1764-09-26 | 26th26th Sept.rSeptember 1764 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
modernization | 26th | 26th |
modernization | M.r | Mr. |
modernization | earlieſt | earliest |
modernization | Genl | Gen. |
modernization | ſorry | sorry |
modernization | ſet | set |
modernization | accompliſhed | accomplished |
modernization | vizt | viz. |
modernization | ſeeing | seeing |
modernization | Deſign | design |
modernization | ſchool | school |
modernization | Maſters | masters |
modernization | Miſsionaries | missionaries |
modernization | alſo | also |
modernization | diſtant | distant |
modernization | Commiſsioners | commissioners |
modernization | Reaſon | reason |
modernization | otherwiſe | otherwise |
modernization | ſoon | soon |
modernization | Conſcience | conscience |
modernization | ſay | say |
modernization | ſcheme | scheme |
variation | till | 'til |
modernization | ſome | some |
modernization | Boſton | Boston |
variation | Nehantic | Niantic |
modernization | waſ | was |
modernization | Mr | Mr. |
modernization | ſettle | settle |
modernization | Controverſy | controversy |
modernization | riſe | rise |
variation | threatned | threatened |
modernization | Miſchief | mischief |
modernization | Caſe | case |
modernization | expreſsed | expressed |
modernization | Conſideration | consideration |
modernization | thoſe | those |
modernization | Miſsion | mission |
modernization | deſigned | designed |
modernization | ſupporting | supporting |
modernization | Praeſes | praeses |
modernization | uſ | us |
modernization | diſpatch | dispatch |
modernization | Buſineſs | business |
modernization | ſuch | such |
modernization | conſidered | considered |
modernization | ſaid | said |
modernization | ſuſpect | suspect |
modernization | Kindneſs | kindness |
modernization | conſulted | consulted |
modernization | ſhewn | shown |
modernization | Friendſhip | friendship |
modernization | underſtand | understand |
modernization | conſulting | consulting |
modernization | underſtood | understood |
modernization | ſhould | should |
modernization | conſented | consented |
modernization | Circumſtances | circumstances |
variation | publickly | publicly |
modernization | ſo | so |
modernization | Loſs | loss |
modernization | Proviſions | provisions |
modernization | Paſsage | passage |
modernization | Loſs | loss |
modernization | aſsiſt | assist |
modernization | Houſe | house |
modernization | Diſtance | distance |
variation | Accquaintance | acquaintance |
modernization | &c | etc. |
modernization | ſufficient | sufficient |
modernization | juſtify | justify |
modernization | Deſire | desire |
modernization | leaſt | least |
modernization | Neceſsities | necessities |
modernization | repreſented | represented |
modernization | Greatneſs | greatness |
modernization | fartheſt | farthest |
modernization | ſomething | something |
modernization | Compaſsion | compassion |
variation | intirely | entirely |
modernization | muſt | must |
modernization | reaſonable | reasonable |
modernization | neceſsary | necessary |
modernization | propoſed | proposed |
modernization | ſend | send |
modernization | Miniſters | ministers |
modernization | ſeveral | several |
modernization | ſupport | support |
modernization | promiſing | promising |
modernization | Miſsionaries | missionaries |
modernization | uſeful | useful |
modernization | finiſh | finish |
modernization | Pleaſe | Please |
modernization | ſir | Sir |
modernization | Propoſals | proposals |
modernization | pleaſe | please |
modernization | ſhall | shall |
modernization | Conſequence | consequence |
modernization | Poſt | post |
modernization | Goodneſs | goodness |
modernization | thouſand | thousand |
modernization | ſick | sick |
modernization | Dyſsentery | dysentery |
modernization | Confuſion | confusion |
modernization | Diſtemper | distemper |
modernization | wiſh | wish |
modernization | M.r | Mr. |
modernization | Reaſons | reasons |
modernization | Maſter | master |
modernization | poſtage | postage |
modernization | Jeſus | Jesus |
modernization | Revd | Rev. |
modernization | Com̅iſsrs | Commissioners |
modernization | y.e | the |
modernization | y.e | the |
modernization | ſeem | seem |
modernization | Senſible | sensible |
modernization | yt | that |
modernization | meaſure | measure |
modernization | myſelf | myself |
modernization | aſsiſtance | assistance |
modernization | occaſion | occasion |
modernization | conſiderable | considerable |
variation | Enoculated | inoculated |
variation | Mohocks | Mohawks |
modernization | beſt | best |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Hond | Honoured |
Sept.r | September |
& | and |
& | and |
tho’ | though |
tho' | though |
N London | New London |
G. | George |
w.c | which |
This document's header does not contain any mixed case attribute values.
Summary of errors found in this document:
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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 40) |
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