John Brainerd, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1766 September 16
16 September 1766[1766-09-16]
ms number766516.1
[note (type: abstract): Brainerd writes about the apprehension of the murderers of two Indian women, includes letters from Francis Alison and John Ewing recommending John G. Kals as a teacher and missionary, and gives his own recommendation of Kals, with reservations.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is bold, stylized and occasionally difficult to decipher.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good-to-fair condition, with some yellowing and moderate-to-heavy creasing that leads to a minor loss of text. There is older preservation work on one verso and two recto. The outer edges appear to have been trimmed.][note (type: ink): Dark brown.][note (type: noteworthy): The text is dimmed somewhat by preservation work. An editor, likely 19th-century, had added the note "Ind Mis" to two verso; this note has not been included in the transcription.]EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
Brotherton[place0551.ocp], [16.th | 16th]16.th16th
[Sep.r | September]Sep.rSeptember 1766[1766-09-16].
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.
[& | and]&and Dear Sir,
I wrote you Some Time ago, and left it at Egg harbour[place0392.ocp] to go by the [firſt | first]firſtfirst
Connecticut[place0048.ocp]
[Veſsel | Vessel]VeſselVessel; what its fate will be I know not. I now write again, not knowing of
any direct Opportunity, but determining ^[above] to [imbrace | embrace]imbraceembrace^to [imbrace | embrace]imbraceembrace the [firſt | first]firſtfirst
[& | and]&and
[beſt | best]beſtbest that offers. I [inform'd | informed]inform'dinformed you of the Murder of two Indian Women in this Pr[gap: tear][guess (ivys): o]ovince[place0163.ocp], by a Couple of [Stragling | straggling]Straglingstraggling Stran= gers, — of ^[above] [thier | their]thiertheir^[thier | their]thiertheir
[Apprehenſion | Apprehension]ApprehenſionApprehension, and [Exeution | Execution]ExeutionExecution at Bur= lington[place0391.ocp], the
[firſt | first]firſtfirst of Aug. [ult. | ultimo]ult.ultimo[1766-08-01] This I did that it might communicated to the remote Indi= ans, who will [doubtleſs | doubtless]doubtleſsdoubtless hear of the Murder, and ought to be [enformd | informed]enformdinformed of the Murderers being brought to Justice. You will [doubtleſs | doubtless]doubtleſsdoubtless, [thro' | through]thro'through
[S.r | Sir]S.rSir
William [Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0292.ocp], or [otherwiſe | otherwise]otherwiſeotherwise have Oppor= tunity to do it.
Since my [laſt | last]laſtlast I [receiv'd | received]receiv'dreceived a Letter from the
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.
[D.r | Dr.]D.rDr.
[Aliſon | Alison]AliſonAlison[pers0945.ocp], the Contents of which I [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall give you, and they are as follows.
"[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.
[& | and]&and
[Dr | Dr.]DrDr.
[S.r | Sir]S.rSir
"I take this Opportunity to introduce to your "Acquaintance the
[Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. Mr John G. Kals[pers0950.ocp], a Minis="ter of the Dutch [reform'd | reformed]reform'dreformed Churches[org0143.ocp]. He is a Gentle="man of Piety [& | and]&and Learning, [& | and]&and zealous to promote the "Kingdom of [Chriſt | Christ]ChriſtChrist, [& | and]&and well qualified many Ways to
Serve
^[bottom] Letter from [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr.
[Jn.o | John]Jn.oJohn Brainerd[pers0004.ocp]^Letter from [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr.
[Jn.o | John]Jn.oJohn Brainerd[pers0004.ocp]
^[bottom] [Sep.t | September]Sep.tSeptember 16. 1766[1766-09-16],—[abo.t | about]abo.tabout^[Sep.t | September]Sep.tSeptember 16. 1766[1766-09-16],—[abo.t | about]abo.tabout
^[bottom] [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Kalls[pers0950.ocp] —^[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Kalls[pers0950.ocp] —
"Serve God, [& | and]&and to do Service in the Church if a Door "of [uſefulneſs | usefulness]uſefulneſsusefulness were opened. He [underſtands | understands]underſtandsunderstands Hebrew, "Chaldaic [&c | etc.]&cetc. beyond any that I know on the Continent, "and might be of great Service to
teach Candi="dates for the Ministry to read the Bible in Hebrew. "I
lament that we are [ſo | so]ſoso
[careleſs | careless]careleſscareless how we teach Divi="nity, and particularly to make our Students
migh="ty in the Scriptures, [& | and]&and I am amazed that in the "[Coleges | Colleges]ColegesColleges of Princeton[org0067.ocp]
^[above] [& | and]&and^[& | and]&and
[Philad.a | Philadelphia]Philad.aPhiladelphia[org0142.ocp] this is neglected or ra="ther [deſpiſed | despised]deſpiſeddespised for this Gentleman c[gap: tear][guess (ivys): an]an
teach it to "great Perfection, and is willing to teach it on any "terms, [ſo | so]ſoso as he can have but food [& | and]&and Raiment [& | and]&and "our neglect of what is in our Power will be [chargd | charged]chargdcharged "to our Account. He has heard of [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]'s "unwearied Endeavours to convert the Indians, [& | and]&and "would think [himſelf | himself]himſelfhimself greatly [honour'd | honoured]honour'dhonoured could he "be any Way [uſeful | useful]uſefuluseful in this great Work. I [ad="viſed | advised]ad="viſedadvised him [firſt | first]firſtfirst to [viſit | visit]viſitvisit
[& | and]&and
[converſe | converse]converſeconverse with you, [& | and]&and to "Stay Some Days [& | and]&and
[viſit | visit]viſitvisit the Indians in their [Houſes | Houses]HouſesHouses, "to See them attend [Worſhip | Worship]WorſhipWorship, and how the Children "learn: [& | and]&and
[poſsibly | possibly]poſsiblypossibly from thence he might form a bet="ter Judgement how he is
qualified to do [any thing | anything]any thinganything "in this great Work. he is poor, but very frugal; "what regard you [ſhow | show]ſhowshow to him I [ſhall | shall]ſhallshall account as "a favour done to
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir,
your [&c | etc.]&cetc." — —
At the Same Time I [receiv'd | received]receiv'dreceived the following from the [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Ewing[pers0774.ocp].
"As [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Kalls[pers0950.ocp] Showed me the [in=cloſd | en‐closed]in=cloſden‐closed
" Letter from [Dr | Dr.]DrDr.
[Aliſon | Alison]AliſonAlison[pers0945.ocp] before the Sealing of it, "I can say from my own Knowledge
that what he relates "of that Gentleman I can heartily [Subſcribe | Subscribe]SubſcribeSubscribe. I would only "add that Such was his Zeal to Spread the Gospel a="mong the benighted Heathen that he voluntarily under="took
a Voyage to Surinam[place0465.ocp] with proper [Teſtimontials | testimontials]Teſtimontialstestimontials "from the Synod of Holland[org0145.ocp]
[& | and]&and
[Claſsis | Classis]ClaſsisClassis of [Amſterdam | Amsterdam]AmſterdamAmsterdam[org0144.ocp]. But left "it, when he found that there was no effectual Door [open'd | opened]open'dopened for "him in that Place. His heart is [illegible][guess (ivys): So much]So much Set upon this "Work that he has wrote a
large Quarto [Vol. | Volume]Vol.Volume upon the Sub="ject in Low Dutch as a [Teſtimony | Testimony]TeſtimonyTestimony to the World of his "[Deſire | Desire]DeſireDesire to contribute to So good a [Cauſe | Cause]CauſeCause, in hopes that Some "might be excited thereby to engage in the arduous [& | and]&and
[Selfde="nying | self-denying]Selfde="nyingself-denying Work. If you have need of Such [Aſsiſtance | assistance]Aſsiſtanceassistance as he can "give, I doubt not but he would be very glad of an
"Opportunity of being [employd | employed]employdemployed in any Way that you may "think will have the [beſt | best]beſtbest
[Tendancy | tendency]Tendancytendency to promote your truly "benevolent [Deſigns | designs]Deſignsdesigns both to the Indians [& | and]&and white People "in your wide, extended [Dioſecſe | diocese]Dioſecſediocese.
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir,
your [&c | etc.]&cetc." —
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Kals[pers0950.ocp] accordingly [tarrid | tarried]tarridtarried here near a Week, preachd twice attended the School [ſome | some]ſomesome
[& | and]&and
[viſitd | visited]viſitdvisited at
[ſome | some]ſomesome of the Indian [Houſes | Houses]HouſesHouses.. He is a Man of about 65 Years of Age, a great [Linguiſt | Linguist]LinguiſtLinguist
[gap: worn_edge][guess (ivys): and]and a [gap: worn_edge][guess (ivys): c]close Student. He tells
me he can make [uſe | use]uſeuse of 16 Languages viz Latin, Greek Hebrew, Chaldea, Syriac, Arabic
Ethiopi[gap: worn_edge]
[Parſie | Parsi]ParſieParsi, German, Low Dutch, French, [Spaniſh | Spanish]SpaniſhSpanish, Italian
[Turkiſh | Turkish]TurkiſhTurkish, [Ruſsian | Russian]RuſsianRussian
[& | and]&and
[Engliſh | English]EngliſhEnglish. The [laſt | last]laſtlast of [theſe | these]theſethese he Seems to be well acquainted with, but does not Speak plain, which
renders it [Somwhat | somewhat]Somwhatsomewhat laborious to [con=verſe | converse]con=verſeconverse with him. This I apperehend to be the great=
[eſt | est]eſtest
[eſt | est]eſtest Difficulty in his Way of [Inſtructing | Instructing]InſtructingInstructing, [eſpe=cially | especially]eſpe=ciallyespecially in [ſuch | such]ſuchsuch
a School as yours[org0098.ocp]. I have a good deal of [Reaſon | Reason]ReaſonReason to think him well capable of [Inſtructing | Instructing]InſtructingInstructing in other Branches of Learning [beſides | besides]beſidesbesides the Languages, [illegible][eſpecially | especially]eſpeciallyespecially Di= vinity, [& | and]&and that he would be very [acurate | accurate]acurateaccurate there= in, but his want of Speaking the [Engliſh | English]EngliſhEnglish well is a great Difficulty. I thought it my Duty to write, as I know
him to be in many [Re=ſpect | respect]Re=ſpectrespect[gap: worn_edge][guess (ivys): s]s Qualified to do
Service in the teaching Way; yet I am not without Some Secret Fears he [wont | won't]wontwon't Suit you, as it is [ſomewhat | somewhat]ſomewhatsomewhat Difficult to [underſtand | understand]underſtandunderstand him, and [muſt | must]muſtmust be much more So for [thoſe | those]thoſethose that have not [illegible]the [Engliſh | English]EngliſhEnglish Tongue perfectly. But that his Talents might not be buried, and that
your School[org0098.ocp] (if it may be) may receive Help [& | and]&and Benefit I have written: And now commit the Matter to the [Diſpoſal | Disposal]DiſpoſalDisposal of Pro= vidence. This Gentleman at [preſent | present]preſentpresent
[reſides | resides]reſidesresides in
Philadelphia[place0186.ocp].
I See by the [laſt | last]laſtlast Paper that our Friends [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr.
Whitaker[pers0037.ocp]
[& | and]&and
[M[gap: worn_edge][guess (ivys): r]r | Mr.]M[gap: worn_edge][guess (ivys): r]rMr.
[Occum | Occom]OccumOccom[pers0030.ocp] collected upward of 133 £ at the [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev.
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Brewer[pers0094.ocp]s [Chh | Church]ChhChurch in Stepney[place0224.ocp]. May Heaven
[ſend | send]ſendsend them Prosperity [every where | everywhere]every whereeverywhere, and make your School[org0098.ocp] a [Bleſsing | blessing]Bleſsingblessing to the [illegible]
[Posterty | Posterity]PostertyPosterity. I long to hear from you.
My [beſt | best]beſtbest Regards to [M.rs | Mrs.]M.rsMrs. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp] (in which my
Wife[pers1771.ocp] very heartily Joins [tho' | though]tho'though unknown). and accept the Same from,
[Closer]
[Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev.
[Hon.d | Honoured]Hon.dHonoured Sir; your most affectionate
John Brainerd[pers0004.ocp]
[Postscript]
[left] P'S If you Should entertain any thoughts of employing this Gentleman
it might be well to [enquire | inquire]enquireinquire further I had no [Acquaitance | Acquaintance]AcquaitanceAcquaintance with him [till | 'til]till'til
[t'other | the other]t'otherthe other Day. [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. William Tennent[pers0960.ocp] might be a proper [Perſon | person]Perſonperson. — —
P'S If you Should entertain any thoughts of employing this Gentleman
it might be well to [enquire | inquire]enquireinquire further I had no [Acquaitance | Acquaintance]AcquaitanceAcquaintance with him [till | 'til]till'til
[t'other | the other]t'otherthe other Day. [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. William Tennent[pers0960.ocp] might be a proper [Perſon | person]Perſonperson. — —
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0292.ocp | William Johnſon Johnson | mentioned | Johnson, William |
pers0945.ocp | Rev d Rev. D. r Dr. Aliſon Alison | mentioned | Alison, Francis |
pers0950.ocp | Rev. d Rev. Mr John G. Kals | mentioned | Kals, John G. |
pers0004.ocp | M. r Mr. Jn. o John Brainerd | writer | Brainerd, John |
pers0950.ocp | M. r Mr. Kalls | mentioned | Kals, John G. |
pers0036.ocp | M r Mr. Wheelock | recipient | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0774.ocp | Rev d Rev. M. r Mr. Ewing | mentioned | Ewing, John |
pers0950.ocp | M r Mr. Kalls | mentioned | Kals, John G. |
pers0945.ocp | Dr Dr. Aliſon Alison | mentioned | Alison, Francis |
pers0950.ocp | M. r Mr. Kals | mentioned | Kals, John G. |
pers0037.ocp | Whitaker | mentioned | Whitaker, Nathaniel |
pers0030.ocp | M r Mr. Occum Occom | mentioned | Occom, Samson |
pers0094.ocp | Rev. d Rev. M r Mr. Brewer | mentioned | Brewer, Samuel |
pers0036.ocp | M. rs Mrs. Wheelock | recipient | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers1771.ocp | Wife | mentioned | Brainerd, Elizabeth |
pers0004.ocp | John Brainerd | writer | Brainerd, John |
pers0960.ocp | M r Mr. William Tennent | mentioned | Tennent, William |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0551.ocp | Brotherton | Edgepillock (Brotherton) |
place0392.ocp | Egg harbour | Egg Harbor |
place0048.ocp | Connecticut | Connecticut |
place0163.ocp | Pr o vince | New Jersey |
place0391.ocp | Bur= lington | Burlington |
place0465.ocp | Surinam | Surinam |
place0186.ocp | Philadelphia | Philadelphia |
place0224.ocp | Stepney | Stepney |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0143.ocp | Dutch reform'dreformed Churches | Dutch Reformed Church |
org0067.ocp | Princeton | Princeton University |
org0142.ocp | Philad.aPhiladelphia | University of Pennsylvania |
org0145.ocp | Synod of Holland | Synod of Holland |
org0144.ocp | ClaſsisClassis of AmſterdamAmsterdam | Classis of Amsterdam |
org0098.ocp | a School as yours | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
org0098.ocp | your School | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1766-09-16 | 16.th16th Sep.rSeptember 1766 |
1766-08-01 | firſtfirst of Aug. ult.ultimo |
1766-09-16 | Sep.tSeptember 16. 1766 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
modernization | 16.th | 16th |
modernization | Revd | Rev. |
modernization | firſt | first |
modernization | Veſsel | Vessel |
variation | imbrace | embrace |
modernization | beſt | best |
variation | Stragling | straggling |
variation | thier | their |
modernization | Apprehenſion | Apprehension |
modernization | doubtleſs | doubtless |
variation | enformd | informed |
modernization | Johnſon | Johnson |
modernization | otherwiſe | otherwise |
modernization | laſt | last |
modernization | D.r | Dr. |
modernization | Aliſon | Alison |
modernization | ſhall | shall |
modernization | Dr | Dr. |
modernization | Rev.d | Rev. |
modernization | Chriſt | Christ |
modernization | M.r | Mr. |
modernization | uſefulneſs | usefulness |
modernization | underſtands | understands |
modernization | &c | etc. |
modernization | ſo | so |
modernization | careleſs | careless |
variation | Coleges | Colleges |
modernization | deſpiſed | despised |
modernization | Mr | Mr. |
modernization | himſelf | himself |
modernization | uſeful | useful |
modernization | ad="viſed | advised |
modernization | viſit | visit |
modernization | converſe | converse |
modernization | Houſes | Houses |
modernization | Worſhip | Worship |
modernization | poſsibly | possibly |
variation | any thing | anything |
modernization | ſhow | show |
variation | in=cloſd | en‐closed |
modernization | Subſcribe | Subscribe |
modernization | Teſtimontials | testimontials |
modernization | Claſsis | Classis |
modernization | Amſterdam | Amsterdam |
modernization | Teſtimony | Testimony |
modernization | Deſire | Desire |
modernization | Cauſe | Cause |
modernization | Selfde="nying | self-denying |
modernization | Aſsiſtance | assistance |
variation | Tendancy | tendency |
modernization | Deſigns | designs |
modernization | Dioſecſe | diocese |
variation | tarrid | tarried |
modernization | ſome | some |
modernization | viſitd | visited |
modernization | Linguiſt | Linguist |
modernization | uſe | use |
variation | Parſie | Parsi |
modernization | Spaniſh | Spanish |
modernization | Turkiſh | Turkish |
modernization | Ruſsian | Russian |
modernization | Engliſh | English |
modernization | theſe | these |
variation | Somwhat | somewhat |
modernization | con=verſe | converse |
modernization | eſt | est |
modernization | Inſtructing | Instructing |
modernization | eſpe=cially | especially |
modernization | ſuch | such |
modernization | Reaſon | Reason |
modernization | beſides | besides |
modernization | eſpecially | especially |
variation | acurate | accurate |
modernization | Re=ſpect | respect |
variation | wont | won't |
modernization | ſomewhat | somewhat |
modernization | underſtand | understand |
modernization | muſt | must |
modernization | thoſe | those |
modernization | Diſpoſal | Disposal |
modernization | preſent | present |
modernization | reſides | resides |
variation | Occum | Occom |
modernization | ſend | send |
variation | every where | everywhere |
modernization | Bleſsing | blessing |
modernization | M.rs | Mrs. |
variation | enquire | inquire |
variation | till | 'til |
modernization | Perſon | person |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Sep.r | September |
& | and |
inform'd | informed |
ult. | ultimo |
thro' | through |
S.r | Sir |
receiv'd | received |
reform'd | reformed |
Jn.o | John |
Sep.t | September |
abo.t | about |
Philad.a | Philadelphia |
chargd | charged |
honour'd | honoured |
open'd | opened |
Vol. | Volume |
employd | employed |
Chh | Church |
tho' | though |
Hon.d | Honoured |
t'other | the other |
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Number of nested "hi" tags: (consider merging the @rend attributes, or using other tags) | 0 |
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