Joseph Johnson, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1767 November 10
10 November 1767[1767-11-10]
Call Number767610
[note (type: abstract): Johnson writes to Wheelock about his safe arrival in Oneida, the state of his life and school there, and about two young boys who could, in time, be likely pupils for the charity school.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is small and tightly spaced, but formal and legible.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded vertically to form four pages is in good condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, yellowing and wear. Significant portions of the seal remain, and tearing around the seal results in no loss of text.][note (type: ink): Brown ink has sustained some fading.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
Suffer me as an Indian and a good
for nothing one, to Subscribe myself your [dutifull | dutiful]dutifulldutiful Pupil, or one
that will Endeavour [above] to be [dutifull | dutiful]dutifulldutiful,to be [dutifull | dutiful]dutifulldutiful, for time to come;
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir, by the mere [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness of God we arrived Safe up here
the Eleventh day from your house; [& | and]&and Experienced much of the [good=
=neſs | good
ness]good=
=neſsgood
ness of God, in many [Inſtances | instances]Inſtancesinstances; Praised be his [above] NameName that he has all things
at his Command, [& | and]&and distempers at his beck, they go and come at his
pleasure. [Blesſsed | Blessed]BlesſsedBlessed be the Lord God that has carried us [ſafe | safe]ſafesafe
when the Arrows of Death were flying thick about us, he worked
a [wounderfull | wonderful]wounderfullwonderful [deliverence | deliverance]deliverencedeliverance for our Bodies, and may it please him in
Infinite Mercy and [condeſention | condescension]condeſentioncondescension to work much more [wounderfull | wonderful]wounderfullwonderful
[deliverence | deliverance]deliverencedeliverance to my precious Soul. and may the Lord Enable me to give
due thanks for his kind [preſervation | preservation]preſervationpreservation, and may his [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness lead
me to a hearty Repentance. [& | and]&and may he please to fill my heart [brim
full | brim
ful]brim
fullbrim
ful of Gratitude to him and my kind Benefactors, I feel a [dispoſition | disposition]dispoſitiondisposition
and a heart to Spend all for God and to Enlarge the dear Redeemers
Kingdom in the world, as far as lies in my power. I think I have no
[Reaſon | reason]Reaſonreason to take it hard to Endure [heardſhips | hardships]heardſhipshardships. Since our [Bleſsed | Blessed]BleſsedBlessed Lord
[Jeſus | Jesus]JeſusJesus has been before me he has led the way; He was acquainted
with all these [heardſhips | hardships]heardſhipshardships before me; he was no Stranger to Hunger,
Thirst, cold, nor yet Temptations, as he was man. yea may I not think
it hard if he call for my Life in his [cauſe | cause]cauſecause, to let it go freely; for it is no
more than he did, and may I go through all [theſe | these]theſethese Trials with [Eaſe | ease]Eaſeease for
his Sake: Seeing he has led the way Set a [patorn | pattern]patornpattern for all [thoſe | those]thoſethose that
will follow him, he has been [pleaſed | pleased]pleaſedpleased to tell us beforehand of [theſe | these]theſethese things
he was reviled, here he Sought a glorious Example of humiliation that
when he was reviled he reviled not again, he was [perſicuted | persecuted]perſicutedpersecuted for my Sins
thereby to learn me that I must in like manner go through [perſicu=
=tions | persecu
tions]perſicu=
=tionspersecu
tions, and that I must not think it hard to be [perſicuted | persecuted]perſicutedpersecuted called to [nought | naught]noughtnaught
for his Names Sake, for he was [perſecuted | persecuted]perſecutedpersecuted for my Sins Sake.
He Spilled his [Seacred | Sacred]SeacredSacred Blood for me he groaned out his Life for
my [Wickedneſs | wickedness]Wickedneſswickedness, he had no Self-Glory in his Sufferings; all he had
in view was the Salvation of Man — that Guilty man [maight | might]maightmight be
Reconciled to its maker: now through his death [& | and]&and Sufferings
the [Aposſtate | apostate]Aposſtateapostate Man may [converſe | converse]converſeconverse with its Creator. through a —
Mediator. He has dearly purchased a Heaven of [happineſs | happiness]happineſshappiness
for every one that will believe in him. only believing heaven is mine
Eternal [happineſs | happiness]happineſshappiness is mine, Christ is mine, nay all the [happineſs | happiness]happineſshappiness in
in this Life [& | and]&and the Life to come is all mine only for [Recieving | receiving]Recievingreceiving.
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. [Doct.r | Doctor]Doct.rDoctor I would [Enform | inform]Enforminform you that that by the [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness of God
I Enjoy my health as [uſual | usual]uſualusual.
for nothing one, to Subscribe myself your [dutifull | dutiful]dutifulldutiful Pupil, or one
that will Endeavour [above] to be [dutifull | dutiful]dutifulldutiful,to be [dutifull | dutiful]dutifulldutiful, for time to come;
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir, by the mere [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness of God we arrived Safe up here
the Eleventh day from your house; [& | and]&and Experienced much of the [good=
=neſs | good
ness]good=
=neſsgood
ness of God, in many [Inſtances | instances]Inſtancesinstances; Praised be his [above] NameName that he has all things
at his Command, [& | and]&and distempers at his beck, they go and come at his
pleasure. [Ble
when the Arrows of Death were flying thick about us, he worked
a [wounderfull | wonderful]wounderfullwonderful [deliverence | deliverance]deliverencedeliverance for our Bodies, and may it please him in
Infinite Mercy and [condeſention | condescension]condeſentioncondescension to work much more [wounderfull | wonderful]wounderfullwonderful
[deliverence | deliverance]deliverencedeliverance to my precious Soul. and may the Lord Enable me to give
due thanks for his kind [preſervation | preservation]preſervationpreservation, and may his [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness lead
me to a hearty Repentance. [& | and]&and may he please to fill my heart [brim
full | brim
ful]brim
fullbrim
ful of Gratitude to him and my kind Benefactors, I feel a [dispoſition | disposition]dispoſitiondisposition
and a heart to Spend all for God and to Enlarge the dear Redeemers
Kingdom in the world, as far as lies in my power. I think I have no
[Reaſon | reason]Reaſonreason to take it hard to Endure [heardſhips | hardships]heardſhipshardships. Since our [Bleſsed | Blessed]BleſsedBlessed Lord
[Jeſus | Jesus]JeſusJesus has been before me he has led the way; He was acquainted
with all these [heardſhips | hardships]heardſhipshardships before me; he was no Stranger to Hunger,
Thirst, cold, nor yet Temptations, as he was man. yea may I not think
it hard if he call for my Life in his [cauſe | cause]cauſecause, to let it go freely; for it is no
more than he did, and may I go through all [theſe | these]theſethese Trials with [Eaſe | ease]Eaſeease for
his Sake: Seeing he has led the way Set a [patorn | pattern]patornpattern for all [thoſe | those]thoſethose that
will follow him, he has been [pleaſed | pleased]pleaſedpleased to tell us beforehand of [theſe | these]theſethese things
he was reviled, here he Sought a glorious Example of humiliation that
when he was reviled he reviled not again, he was [perſicuted | persecuted]perſicutedpersecuted for my Sins
thereby to learn me that I must in like manner go through [perſicu=
=tions | persecu
tions]perſicu=
=tionspersecu
tions, and that I must not think it hard to be [perſicuted | persecuted]perſicutedpersecuted called to [nought | naught]noughtnaught
for his Names Sake, for he was [perſecuted | persecuted]perſecutedpersecuted for my Sins Sake.
He Spilled his [Seacred | Sacred]SeacredSacred Blood for me he groaned out his Life for
my [Wickedneſs | wickedness]Wickedneſswickedness, he had no Self-Glory in his Sufferings; all he had
in view was the Salvation of Man — that Guilty man [maight | might]maightmight be
Reconciled to its maker: now through his death [& | and]&and Sufferings
the [Aposſtate | apostate]Aposſtateapostate Man may [converſe | converse]converſeconverse with its Creator. through a —
Mediator. He has dearly purchased a Heaven of [happineſs | happiness]happineſshappiness
for every one that will believe in him. only believing heaven is mine
Eternal [happineſs | happiness]happineſshappiness is mine, Christ is mine, nay all the [happineſs | happiness]happineſshappiness in
in this Life [& | and]&and the Life to come is all mine only for [Recieving | receiving]Recievingreceiving.
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. [Doct.r | Doctor]Doct.rDoctor I would [Enform | inform]Enforminform you that that by the [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness of God
I Enjoy my health as [uſual | usual]uſualusual.
as Sir, I would [feign | fain]feignfain hope that by the Same [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness you Enjoy yours,
I would [Enform | inform]Enforminform you likewise that I have entered the School
which your Son[pers0578.ocp] Opened for me when he was up here.
I Entered on the [Seecond | second]Seecondsecond [tuſeday | Tuesday]tuſedayTuesday of November. had only 5 Sc[illegible]holars
they are all [abſent | absent]abſentabsent yet and perhaps will not return long before
New Year. But they [promiſe | promise]promiſepromise me three more this week, who are gone
only to fetch Some flesh from the Hunters. they behave very kind
to me Since I came here, all that they have is free to me as one Born
and brought up in the [houſe | house]houſehouse.
I have plenty of Victuals Such as they can afford, [& | and]&and they are good
Enough, better [then | than]thenthan I [deſerve | deserve]deſervedeserve, Nothing wanting but a [thankfull | thankful]thankfullthankful
heart, they have plenty of Corn, fish, [Squaſhes | squashes]Squaſhessquashes at [preſent | present]preſentpresent.
I have nothing that is Strange to [Enform | inform]Enforminform you in this Letter, you
Said Something to me about [chuſing | choosing]chuſingchoosing a Lad out of my School
and Send him down to you, I think at [preſent | present]preſentpresent there is no choice
I am not able to discern their [Genious | genius]Geniousgenius, here is two very likely boys
look as if they would make men (in time) are about 12 [o | or]oor 13 years of Age
I cant tell which of them is best, (they are [booth | both]boothboth [above] branchesbranches of the royal family
In their Nation[org0075.ocp] and town) perhaps in the Sprindg I Shall be more
able to [distinguiſh | distinguish]distinguiſhdistinguish them, when I have Seen what Proficiency they
make. no more at [preſent | present]preſentpresent only [hond | Honoured]hondHonoured Sir, I [deſire | desire]deſiredesire Still to be under thy
Direction, [pleaſe | please]pleaſeplease Sir, to Remember me in thy prayers, Pray that God
would fill my heart with Gratitude [booth | both]boothboth to him and my Kind Bene
[= | ]=factors. — that he would keep me from pride [& | and]&and Ingratitude; which
has ruined many a youth. pray that he would grant me Prudence;
and that I may put my whole [Truſt | trust]Truſttrust in him [booth | both]boothboth Soul [& | and]&and body.
for time [& | and]&and Eternity, that he may Enable me to live above the World, as,
not having my [treaſure | treasure]treaſuretreasure on Earth, but in the heavens, where neither
moth nor [ruſt | rust]ruſtrust corrupteth; nor [theives | thieves]theivesthieves [brake | break]brakebreak [though | through]thoughthrough and Steal.
Pray that he would grant me wisdom from on high, Such as none
but a God can give; that he would grant me wisdom So to [be have | behave]be havebehave
[myſelf | myself]myſelfmyself as not to [diſhonour | dishonour]diſhonourdishonour or bring disgrace to Religion. that he would
make one a [bleſsing | blessing]bleſsingblessing to the Children which he has [commited | committed]commitedcommitted to my charge.
I would [Enform | inform]Enforminform you likewise that I have entered the School
which your Son[pers0578.ocp] Opened for me when he was up here.
I Entered on the [Seecond | second]Seecondsecond [tuſeday | Tuesday]tuſedayTuesday of November. had only 5 Sc
they are all [abſent | absent]abſentabsent yet and perhaps will not return long before
New Year. But they [promiſe | promise]promiſepromise me three more this week, who are gone
only to fetch Some flesh from the Hunters. they behave very kind
to me Since I came here, all that they have is free to me as one Born
and brought up in the [houſe | house]houſehouse.
I have plenty of Victuals Such as they can afford, [& | and]&and they are good
Enough, better [then | than]thenthan I [deſerve | deserve]deſervedeserve, Nothing wanting but a [thankfull | thankful]thankfullthankful
heart, they have plenty of Corn, fish, [Squaſhes | squashes]Squaſhessquashes at [preſent | present]preſentpresent.
I have nothing that is Strange to [Enform | inform]Enforminform you in this Letter, you
Said Something to me about [chuſing | choosing]chuſingchoosing a Lad out of my School
and Send him down to you, I think at [preſent | present]preſentpresent there is no choice
I am not able to discern their [Genious | genius]Geniousgenius, here is two very likely boys
look as if they would make men (in time) are about 12 [o | or]oor 13 years of Age
I cant tell which of them is best, (they are [booth | both]boothboth [above] branchesbranches of the royal family
In their Nation[org0075.ocp] and town) perhaps in the Sprin
able to [distinguiſh | distinguish]distinguiſhdistinguish them, when I have Seen what Proficiency they
make. no more at [preſent | present]preſentpresent only [hond | Honoured]hondHonoured Sir, I [deſire | desire]deſiredesire Still to be under thy
Direction, [pleaſe | please]pleaſeplease Sir, to Remember me in thy prayers, Pray that God
would fill my heart with Gratitude [booth | both]boothboth to him and my Kind Bene
[= | ]=factors. — that he would keep me from pride [& | and]&and Ingratitude; which
has ruined many a youth. pray that he would grant me Prudence;
and that I may put my whole [Truſt | trust]Truſttrust in him [booth | both]boothboth Soul [& | and]&and body.
for time [& | and]&and Eternity, that he may Enable me to live above the World, as,
not having my [treaſure | treasure]treaſuretreasure on Earth, but in the heavens, where neither
moth nor [ruſt | rust]ruſtrust corrupteth; nor [theives | thieves]theivesthieves [brake | break]brakebreak [though | through]thoughthrough and Steal.
Pray that he would grant me wisdom from on high, Such as none
but a God can give; that he would grant me wisdom So to [be have | behave]be havebehave
[myſelf | myself]myſelfmyself as not to [diſhonour | dishonour]diſhonourdishonour or bring disgrace to Religion. that he would
make one a [bleſsing | blessing]bleſsingblessing to the Children which he has [commited | committed]commitedcommitted to my charge.
[Closer]
This is the true and Sincere, hearty [deſire | desire]deſiredesire, of me, thy [Dutifull | dutiful]Dutifulldutiful
[tho | though]thothough
Unworthy Pupil.
[Joſeph | Joseph]JoſephJoseph [Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0288.ocp].
Unworthy Pupil.
[Joſeph | Joseph]JoſephJoseph [Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0288.ocp].
[Trailer]
From Joseph Johnson[pers0288.ocp]
[Onoida | Oneida]OnoidaOneida[place0179.ocp]
[Nov.r | November]Nov.rNovember [10.th | 10th]10.th10th 1767[1767-11-10]
[Nov.r | November]Nov.rNovember [10.th | 10th]10.th10th 1767[1767-11-10]
To —
The [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. [Eleazer | Eleazar]EleazerEleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]. [Doct.r | Doctor]Doct.rDoctor Divinity
Min[above] iister of the [Goſpel | Gospel]GoſpelGospel of Christ at Lebanon[place0122.ocp].
[N. England | New England]N. EnglandNew England[place0158.ocp]. —
Connecticut[place0048.ocp]. —
[Pr | Per]PrPer favour of }
William[pers0763.ocp] }
The [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. [Eleazer | Eleazar]EleazerEleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]. [Doct.r | Doctor]Doct.rDoctor Divinity
Min[above] iister of the [Goſpel | Gospel]GoſpelGospel of Christ at Lebanon[place0122.ocp].
[N. England | New England]N. EnglandNew England[place0158.ocp]. —
Connecticut[place0048.ocp]. —
[Pr | Per]PrPer favour of }
William[pers0763.ocp] }
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0578.ocp | your Son | mentioned | Wheelock, Rodulphus |
pers0288.ocp | Joſeph Joseph Johnſon Johnson | writer | Johnson, Joseph |
pers0288.ocp | Joseph Johnson | writer | Johnson, Joseph |
pers0036.ocp | Eleazer Eleazar Wheelock | recipient | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0763.ocp | William | mentioned | William |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0179.ocp | Onoida Oneida | Oneida |
place0122.ocp | Lebanon | Lebanon |
place0158.ocp | N. England New England | New England |
place0048.ocp | Connecticut | Connecticut |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0075.ocp | their Nation | Oneida Nation |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1767-11-10 | November. 10.th10th AD. 1767 |
1767-11-10 | Nov.rNovember 10.th10th 1767 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
variation | Onoida | Oneida |
modernization | 10.th | 10th |
modernization | Revd | Rev. |
variation | dutifull | dutiful |
modernization | goodneſs | goodness |
modernization | good= =neſs |
good ness |
modernization | Inſtances | instances |
modernization | Ble |
Blessed |
modernization | ſafe | safe |
variation | wounderfull | wonderful |
variation | deliverence | deliverance |
variation | condeſention | condescension |
modernization | preſervation | preservation |
variation | brim full |
brim ful |
modernization | dispoſition | disposition |
modernization | Reaſon | reason |
variation | heardſhips | hardships |
modernization | Bleſsed | Blessed |
modernization | Jeſus | Jesus |
modernization | cauſe | cause |
modernization | theſe | these |
modernization | Eaſe | ease |
variation | patorn | pattern |
modernization | thoſe | those |
modernization | pleaſed | pleased |
variation | perſicuted | persecuted |
variation | perſicu= =tions |
persecu tions |
variation | nought | naught |
modernization | perſecuted | persecuted |
variation | Seacred | Sacred |
modernization | Wickedneſs | wickedness |
variation | maight | might |
variation | Aposſtate | apostate |
modernization | converſe | converse |
modernization | happineſs | happiness |
variation | Recieving | receiving |
variation | Enform | inform |
modernization | uſual | usual |
variation | feign | fain |
variation | Seecond | second |
variation | tuſeday | Tuesday |
modernization | abſent | absent |
modernization | promiſe | promise |
modernization | houſe | house |
variation | then | than |
modernization | deſerve | deserve |
variation | thankfull | thankful |
modernization | Squaſhes | squashes |
modernization | preſent | present |
variation | chuſing | choosing |
variation | Genious | genius |
variation | o | or |
variation | booth | both |
modernization | distinguiſh | distinguish |
modernization | deſire | desire |
modernization | pleaſe | please |
modernization | = | |
modernization | Truſt | trust |
modernization | treaſure | treasure |
modernization | ruſt | rust |
variation | theives | thieves |
variation | brake | break |
variation | be have | behave |
modernization | myſelf | myself |
modernization | diſhonour | dishonour |
modernization | bleſsing | blessing |
variation | commited | committed |
variation | Dutifull | dutiful |
variation | tho | though |
modernization | Joſeph | Joseph |
modernization | Johnſon | Johnson |
modernization | Rev.d | Rev. |
modernization | Mr | Mr. |
variation | Eleazer | Eleazar |
modernization | Goſpel | Gospel |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Hond Doct.r | Honoured Doctor |
& | and |
Doct.r | Doctor |
hond | Honoured |
Nov.r | November |
N. England | New England |
Pr | Per |
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 16) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 11) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 4) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 100) |