David Fowler, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1765 June 15

Author Fowler, David[pers0155.ocp]

15 June 1765[1765-06-15]

Call Number765365

[note (type: abstract): Fowler reports on the progress of his scholars and on the conditions in Kanawalohale.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is formal and clear.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good condition, with light staining and wear, and light-to-moderate creasing. There is some light repair work along the central crease.][note (type: ink): Black-brown ink bleeds through paper slightly.][note (type: noteworthy): The contents of this letter are similar to those of manuscript 765523.4. There are several above-line additions; it is uncertain, however, whether these additions were made by Fowler or an unknown editor. It is uncertain to whom Fowler refers when he mentions "Master," and so he has been left untagged. However, it is possibly John Lathrop[pers0320.ocp]. A note has been added in pencil after the trailer on two verso; this note has note been transcribed.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]

[Rev,d | Rev.]Rev,dRev. [& | and]&and [Hon.d | Honoured]Hon.dHonoured Sir,
This is the twelfth Day [ſince | since]ſincesince I began
to keep this School, and I have put eight of my Scholars into third
Page [above] of the [ſpelling | spelling]ſpellingspelling bookof the [ſpelling | spelling]ſpellingspelling book; [ſome | some]ſomesome [almoſt | almost]almoſtalmost got down to the Bottom of the [above] [ſame | same]ſamesame[ſame | same]ſamesame third;— I never [ſaw | saw]ſawsaw
Children exceed these in learning. The Number of [above] mymy Scholars are
twenty [ſix | six]ſixsix when they are all [above] [preſent | present]preſentpresent[preſent | present]preſentpresent [togather | together]togathertogether: but [above] it is difficultit is difficult I cant keep them
[togather | together]togathertogether: they are always [above] oftenoften roving about from Place to Place to get
[ſome thing | something]ſome thingsomething to live upon. [Proviſion | provision]Proviſionprovision is very [ſcarce | scarce]ſcarcescarce with them.—
I am [alſo | also]alſoalso teaching a [ſinging | singing]ſingingsinging School: they take great
[Pleaſure | pleasure]Pleaſurepleasure in learning to [ſing | sing]ſingsing: We can already carry three
Parts of [ſeveral | several]ſeveralseveral Tunes.
My Friends are always looking for the [Miniſters | ministers]Miniſtersministers there
is [ſcarce | scarce]ſcarcescarce a Day [paſssover | pass over]paſssoverpass over but that [ſome Body | somebody]ſome Bodysomebody will [aſk | ask]aſkask me
when [above] willwill the [Miniſters | ministers]Miniſtersministers [above] willwill come: all [above] thatthat what I can tell them, is, I
expect they will come middle of this Month. I have been
treated very kindly. [ſince | since]ſincesince [above] II came to this Place, I [beleive | believe]beleivebelieve I [ſhould | should]ſhouldshould
want for nothing if they [above] hadhad wherewith to [beſtow | bestow]beſtowbestow it.
I find it very hard to live here without the other
Rib[pers0742.ocp], for I am [oblig'd | obliged]oblig'dobliged to eat with Dogs, I [ſay | say]ſaysay, with Dogs [be‐
cauſe | be‐
cause]
be‐
cauſe
be‐
cause
they are continually [liking | licking]likinglicking Water out [off | of]offof their [Pales | pails]Palespails
and Kettles: Yea, I have often [ſeen | seen]ſeenseen Dogs eating their
Victuals when they [ſet | set]ſetset [thein | their]theintheir [above] [Diſhes | dishes]Diſhesdishes[Diſhes | dishes]Diſhesdishes down, they'll only make
a little [Noiſe | noise]Noiſenoise to [ſhow | show]ſhowshow their [Diſpleaſure | displeasure]Diſpleaſuredispleasure to Dogs and take
up the [Diſh | dish]Diſhdish. [finiſh | finish]finiſhfinish [off | off]offoff what was left. My Cooks are
[naſty | nasty]naſtynasty as Hogs: their [Cloaths | clothes]Cloathsclothes are black and [greaſy | greasy]greaſygreasy as my
Shoes. their Hands are dirty as my Feet, but they [cleanſe | cleanse]cleanſecleanse
[above] themthem by kneading Bread: their Hands will be very clean after
they have kneaded three or four [Loves | loaves]Lovesloaves of Bread. I am [ob‐
lig'd | ob‐
liged]
ob‐
lig'd
ob‐
liged
to eat [whatſoever | whatsoever]whatſoeverwhatsoever they give me for [above] fearfear they will be [diſ‐
pleaſd | dis‐
pleased]
diſ‐
pleaſd
dis‐
pleased
with me: after this Month I [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall try to clean
[ſome | some]ſomesome of them. for I [muſt | must]muſtmust move along by Degrees,
if they once [above] getget out with me it is all over with me.
I I [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall have a [Houſe | house]Houſehouse built me next Week,
then I [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall have my Victuals cleaner.
I think 30£ [above] lawful money [above] per Annumper Annum as the [leaſt | least]leaſtleast that will be [neciſsary | necessary]neciſsarynecessarylawful money [above] per Annumper Annum as the [leaſt | least]leaſtleast that will be [neciſsary | necessary]neciſsarynecessary will not be too much for my Support
for the [above] [firſt | first]firſtfirst Year or two[firſt | first]firſtfirst Year or two three [firſt | first]firſtfirst Years: It is very [coſtly | costly]coſtlycostly to [above] livingliving live here, [left] beingbeing [be‐
cauſe | be‐
cause]
be‐
cauſe
be‐
cause
it is [ſo | so]ſoso far from an [Engliſh | English]EngliſhEnglish Settlement; and I deter
mine to live better than a Hog, for my Food is now is not
fit for any Man, that has been [uſed | used]uſedused to have his Victuals
[dreſt | dressed]dreſtdressed clean: I am almost [ſick | sick]ſicksick now for want of [ſome | some]ſomesome
[Refreſhment | refreshment]Refreſhmentrefreshment that is [nouriſhing | nourishing]nouriſhingnourishing. I [wiſh | wish]wiſhwish I had [ſome | some]ſomesome
of Mrs. Wheelock[pers0577.ocp]'s Bread [& | and]&and Milk, little [ſweet | sweet]ſweetsweet Cake and good
[boild | boiled]boildboiled Meat, I could eat those things gready as a Hog that
has been kept in a Pen two Days without it's Swill.—
[above] I now [& | and]&and then drink [ſome | some]ſomesomeI now [& | and]&and then drink [ſome | some]ſomesome My daily Meat is Tea [above] which I carried with mewhich I carried with me and [above] eateat dry Bread [above] which I boughtwhich I bought, little [Fiſh | fish]Fiſhfish
which I [cetch | catch]cetchcatch out of a [ſmall | small]ſmallsmall River and their Pottage
which is [above] made ofmade of pounded Corn.
If you [above] could obtain the Favour tocould obtain the Favour to can get me Writing that will draw
[Proviſion | provision]Proviſionprovision [above] now [& | and]&and thennow [& | and]&and then from [above] out of theout of the Kings[pers0305.ocp] Stores I [wiſh | wish]wiſhwish you would do it:
for I [above] amam obliged to go forty Miles to buy my [Proviſion | provision]Proviſionprovision.—
I heard from [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Kirtland[pers0315.ocp] [above] aa few Days ago.
he is well and teaching Children to read. "[Pleaſe | please]Pleaſeplease to
give my kind [Reſpects | respects]Reſpectsrespects to Madam[pers0577.ocp] [& | and]&and [Maſter | Master]MaſterMaster and Love
to all the [reſt | rest]reſtrest of your Family, [eſſpecially | especially]eſſpeciallyespecially to your Chil‐
dren." I [aſk | ask]aſkask the Continuance of your Prayers, that
God would give me Grace and fill my [above] HeartHeart with the Love of
God and [Compaſſion | compassion]Compaſſioncompassion to [periſhing | perishing]periſhingperishing Souls and that God
[above] wouldwould make me an [Inſtrument | instrument]Inſtrumentinstrument of [wining | winning]winingwinning many [above] SoulsSouls to [Chriſt | Christ]ChriſtChrist
before I leave this World.— [Pleaſe | Please]PleaſePlease to accept much
Love [& | and]&and [Reſpects | respects]Reſpectsrespects from,
[Closer]
your affectionate,
though unworthy Pupil,

David Fowler[pers0155.ocp]
[note (type: editorial): Blank page.]
[Trailer]
David Fowler[pers0155.ocp]'s
Letters from Oneida[place0179.ocp]
June [15th | 15th]15th15th[1765-06-15] [& | and]&and [24th | 24th]24th24th
1765[1765-06-24]

which he brought with him
Document Summary

People identified in this document:

id Text in document Role in header Authorized Name
pers0742.ocp Rib mentioned Fowler, Hannah (née Garrett)
pers0577.ocp Mrs. Wheelock mentioned Wheelock, Mary (née Brinsmead)
pers0305.ocp Kings mentioned Frederick, George William
pers0315.ocp M. r Mr. Kirtland mentioned Kirkland, Samuel
pers0577.ocp Madam mentioned Wheelock, Mary (née Brinsmead)
pers0155.ocp David Fowler writer Fowler, David
pers0155.ocp David Fowler writer Fowler, David

Places identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
place0114.ocp Conawarohare Kanawalohale Kanawalohale
place0179.ocp Oneida Oneida

This document does not contain any tagged organizations.

Dates identified in this document:

Standard Form Text
1765-06-15 June 15th15th 1765
1765-06-15 June 15th15th
1765-06-24 24th24th 1765

Regularized text:

Type Original Regularized
variation Conawarohare Kanawalohale
variation 15th 15th
modernization Rev,d Rev.
modernization ſince since
modernization ſpelling spelling
modernization ſome some
modernization almoſt almost
modernization ſame same
modernization ſaw saw
modernization ſix six
modernization preſent present
variation togather together
variation ſome thing something
modernization Proviſion provision
modernization ſcarce scarce
modernization alſo also
modernization ſinging singing
modernization Pleaſure pleasure
modernization ſing sing
modernization ſeveral several
modernization Miniſters ministers
variation paſssover pass over
variation ſome Body somebody
modernization aſk ask
variation beleive believe
modernization ſhould should
modernization beſtow bestow
modernization ſay say
modernization be‐
cauſe
be‐
cause
variation liking licking
variation off of
variation Pales pails
modernization ſeen seen
modernization ſet set
modernization Diſhes dishes
modernization Noiſe noise
modernization ſhow show
modernization Diſpleaſure displeasure
modernization Diſh dish
modernization finiſh finish
variation off off
modernization naſty nasty
variation Cloaths clothes
modernization greaſy greasy
modernization cleanſe cleanse
variation Loves loaves
modernization whatſoever whatsoever
variation diſ‐
pleaſd
dis‐
pleased
modernization ſhall shall
modernization muſt must
modernization Houſe house
modernization leaſt least
variation neciſsary necessary
modernization firſt first
modernization coſtly costly
modernization ſo so
modernization Engliſh English
modernization uſed used
variation dreſt dressed
modernization ſick sick
modernization Refreſhment refreshment
modernization nouriſhing nourishing
modernization wiſh wish
modernization ſweet sweet
variation boild boiled
modernization Fiſh fish
variation cetch catch
modernization ſmall small
modernization M.r Mr.
modernization Pleaſe please
modernization Reſpects respects
modernization Maſter Master
modernization reſt rest
variation eſſpecially especially
modernization Compaſſion compassion
modernization periſhing perishing
modernization Inſtrument instrument
variation wining winning
modernization Chriſt Christ
modernization Pleaſe Please
modernization 24th 24th

Expanded abbreviations:

Abbreviation Expansion
& and
Hon.d Honoured
oblig'd obliged
ob‐
lig'd
ob‐
liged

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 17)
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: 0 (out of 10)
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