Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Samson Occom, 1771 August 15
15 August 1771[1771-08-15]
Call Number771465
[note (type: abstract): Wheelock writes a strongly worded rebuttal of Occom’s criticisms regarding Wheelock’s withdrawl from Indian education.][note (type: handwriting): Document is not written in Wheelock’s hand. Letter case with regard to the letter “y” is difficult to discern -- when it is in question, the transcriber has opted for lower case.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, staining and wear.][note (type: ink): Light brown ink is faded.][note (type: noteworthy): Postscript appears to have been added in different ink. Given the lack of an address or seal, and the fact that the document is not in Wheelock's hand, it is possible/likely that this is a copy.]EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
yours of July [24.th | 24th]24.th24th[1771-07-24] is before me. I rejoice al
ways to hear of your health [& | and]&and prosperity [& | and]&and have never [faild | failed]faildfailed
of a disposition to promote your [usefulneſs | usefulness]usefulneſsusefulness [& | and]&and your
Comfort, but to use the same freedom which You
approve [& | and]&and set me an example of, I must tell You
I either very much want a good spiritual taste
or your [Litter | letter]Litterletter has a very ill savor for a [Christain | Christian]ChristainChristian
or rather if I have any good taste at all, it much
savors of pride, arrogance [& | and]&and a want of proper
concern to heal the bleeding wounds of our
glorious Redeemer. You discover very great Ig
norance of my plan, my object, my reasons [& | and]&and
motives, my views [& | and]&and prospects, and as great a
degree of [uncharitableneſs | uncharitableness]uncharitableneſsuncharitableness as of ignorance. You
[shew | show]shewshow no degree of brotherly [& | and]&and [Christain | Christian]ChristainChristian Sympathy
towards me in my long [& | and]&and weary [travil | travail]traviltravail, notwith
[stand.g | standing]stand.gstanding your nation have been inviariably my
chief object, nor any disposition to encourage
my Heart or strengthen my hands, [tho' | though]tho'though un
der a weight heavy [eno' | enough]eno'enough to crush an Angel,
and in a Cause which has been [& | and]&and still is, so
astonishingly [own'd | owned]own'downed of God —
[Aug.t | August]Aug.tAugust [15.th | 15th]15.th15th 1771 —[1771-08-15]
And ['tho | though]'thothough my memory be poor, yet matters which
[impreſs | impress]impreſsimpress my mind, as the [follow.g | following]follow.gfollowing particulars have
done, I am far from [imagin.g | imagining]imagin.gimagining that I have only
[dream'd | dreamed]dream'ddreamed about them [viz.t 1.st | viz 1st]viz.t 1.stviz 1st when I saw you after
your return from Europe[place0070.ocp] I [propos'd | proposed]propos'dproposed your going on a
[miſsion | mission]miſsionmission among remote tribes, as those near you
were a[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): ll u]ll u[above] [illegible][illegible]nder the care of [& | and]&and supplied by the
London Board in Boston[org0095.ocp]. you insisted upon your
[stay.g | staying]stay.gstaying at home one Year, I [propos'd | proposed]propos'dproposed your
[mak.g | making]mak.gmaking a settlement for yourself [& | and]&and Wife[pers0029.ocp] [& | and]&and part
of your [famely | family]famelyfamily among some remote na[illegible][guess (h-dawnd):t]ttion,
[& | and]&and [promis'd | promised]promis'dpromised you my [aſsistance | assistance]aſsistanceassistance, [& | and]&and friend[illegible]ship [above] asas to your
comfortable support there, You rejected the proposal.
I [offer'd | offered]offer'doffered to take part of your Children, [viz.t | viz]viz.tviz all
that were suitable for it, if you [pleas'd & | pleased and]pleas'd &pleased and educate
them in the best manner I could in my School[org0098.ocp],
You [shewed | showed]shewedshowed no disposition to comply with it. [2dly | 2ndly]2dly2ndly
I never discouraged your going into the Indian
Country, nor [shew'd | showed]shew'dshowed any [coldneſs | coldness]coldneſscoldness towards it, [unleſs | unless]unleſsunless
when you [propos'd | proposed]propos'dproposed only just to make a short
visit, which I was not sure would [anſwer | answer]anſweranswer the
[expence | expense]expenceexpense which You let me know would be [necſesary | necessary]necſesarynecessary
to [prepair | prepare]prepairprepare You for [& | and]&and support you in it —
[above] [3.dly | 3rdly]3.dly3rdly[3.dly | 3rdly]3.dly3rdly You always knew there was money [eno' & | enough and]eno' &enough and
my Heart always open to supply you as soon
as I could see your Heart in earnest to serve
the Redeemer's Cause in that capacity.
[4.dly | 4thly]4.dly4thly the first I ever heard of your being [dis
pos'd | dis
posed]dis
pos'ddis
posed to seek a settlement in the wilder
[neſs | ness]neſsness, was by [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Woodward[pers0610.ocp] lastSpring[above] WinterWinter,
Whereupon I wrote a judicious [Christain | Christian]ChristainChristian
friend, to [enquire | inquire]enquireinquire of your moral Charac
ter, [& | and]&and advise whether it was such, as that
I might with honor to the Redeemer's,
Cau[illegible]se employ you, [& | and]&and
[hope'd | hoped]hope'dhoped to hear, that
which might warrant my proceeding
thereto. And there is [noth.g want.g | nothing wanting]noth.g want.gnothing wanting at this
time, but proper satisfaction that it
[my | may]mymay be done without reproach to the Re
deemer's Cause, in order to engage all my
heart [& | and]&and powers therein. [5.[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): dly]dly | 5thly]5.[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): dly]dly5thly I [beleived | believed]beleivedbelieved
your brother David[pers0155.ocp] did very sinfully in [leav.g | leaving]leav.gleaving
the Cause in the [wilderneſs | wilderness]wilderneſswilderness as he did.
[& | and]&and that his treatment of me was very ungenerous
[& | and]&and abusive, the particulars whereof I have
told him. I have constantly [wish'd | wished]wish'dwished to
see him convinced of this [Rashnesſs | rashness]Rashnesſsrashness [& | and]&and folly, [& | and]&and have
been propense to forgive [& | and]&and restore him, [& | and]&and am so
at this moment, thus I have given you a
little sketch of things as they [lye | lie]lyelie in my
mind. My dear Man, I think you much dis
honor God, [intreating | in treating]intreatingin treating his great [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness to You
in opening such a favorable door to go on your
so much [improv.g & | improving and]improv.g &improving and [advantagous | advantageous]advantagousadvantageous tour to Europe[place0070.ocp]
almost as [tho' | though]tho'though you had gone [thro' | through]thro'through a most tragical
Scene of persecution. I am now got near my
[Journie's | journey's]Journie'sjourney's end, [& | and]&and long to be at rest, God grant
we may both appear before him, [wash'd | washed]wash'dwashed in
the Redeemer's blood [& cloath'd | and clothed]& cloath'dand clothed with his white
Robes.
ways to hear of your health [& | and]&and prosperity [& | and]&and have never [faild | failed]faildfailed
of a disposition to promote your [usefulneſs | usefulness]usefulneſsusefulness [& | and]&and your
Comfort, but to use the same freedom which You
approve [& | and]&and set me an example of, I must tell You
I either very much want a good spiritual taste
or your [Litter | letter]Litterletter has a very ill savor for a [Christain | Christian]ChristainChristian
or rather if I have any good taste at all, it much
savors of pride, arrogance [& | and]&and a want of proper
concern to heal the bleeding wounds of our
glorious Redeemer. You discover very great Ig
norance of my plan, my object, my reasons [& | and]&and
motives, my views [& | and]&and prospects, and as great a
degree of [uncharitableneſs | uncharitableness]uncharitableneſsuncharitableness as of ignorance. You
[shew | show]shewshow no degree of brotherly [& | and]&and [Christain | Christian]ChristainChristian Sympathy
towards me in my long [& | and]&and weary [travil | travail]traviltravail, notwith
[stand.g | standing]stand.gstanding your nation have been inv
chief object, nor any disposition to encourage
my Heart or strengthen my hands, [tho' | though]tho'though un
der a weight heavy [eno' | enough]eno'enough to crush an Angel,
and in a Cause which has been [& | and]&and still is, so
astonishingly [own'd | owned]own'downed of God —
[left] To [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev.
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp]
[Aug.t | August]Aug.tAugust [15.th | 15th]15.th15th 1771 —[1771-08-15]
To [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev.
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp][Aug.t | August]Aug.tAugust [15.th | 15th]15.th15th 1771 —[1771-08-15]
[Aug.t | August]Aug.tAugust [15.th | 15th]15.th15th 1771 —[1771-08-15]
And ['tho | though]'thothough my memory be poor, yet matters which
[impreſs | impress]impreſsimpress my mind, as the [follow.g | following]follow.gfollowing particulars have
done, I am far from [imagin.g | imagining]imagin.gimagining that I have only
[dream'd | dreamed]dream'ddreamed about them [viz.t 1.st | viz 1st]viz.t 1.stviz 1st when I saw you after
your return from Europe[place0070.ocp] I [propos'd | proposed]propos'dproposed your going on a
[miſsion | mission]miſsionmission among remote tribes, as those near you
were a
London Board in Boston[org0095.ocp]. you insisted upon your
[stay.g | staying]stay.gstaying at home one Year, I [propos'd | proposed]propos'dproposed your
[mak.g | making]mak.gmaking a settlement for yourself [& | and]&and Wife[pers0029.ocp] [& | and]&and part
of your [famely | family]famelyfamily among some remote na[illegible][guess (h-dawnd):
[& | and]&and [promis'd | promised]promis'dpromised you my [aſsistance | assistance]aſsistanceassistance, [& | and]&and friend[illegible]ship [above] asas to your
comfortable support there, You rejected the proposal.
I [offer'd | offered]offer'doffered to take part of your Children, [viz.t | viz]viz.tviz all
that were suitable for it, if you [pleas'd & | pleased and]pleas'd &pleased and educate
them in the best manner I could in my School[org0098.ocp],
You [shewed | showed]shewedshowed no disposition to comply with it. [2dly | 2ndly]2dly2ndly
I never discouraged your going into the Indian
Country, nor [shew'd | showed]shew'dshowed any [coldneſs | coldness]coldneſscoldness towards it, [unleſs | unless]unleſsunless
when you [propos'd | proposed]propos'dproposed only just to make a short
visit, which I was not sure would [anſwer | answer]anſweranswer the
[expence | expense]expenceexpense which You let me know would be [necſesary | necessary]necſesarynecessary
to [prepair | prepare]prepairprepare You for [& | and]&and support you in it —
[above] [3.dly | 3rdly]3.dly3rdly[3.dly | 3rdly]3.dly3rdly You always knew there was money [eno' & | enough and]eno' &enough and
my Heart always open to supply you as soon
as I could see your Heart in earnest to serve
the Redeemer's Cause in that capacity.
[4.dly | 4thly]4.dly4thly the first I ever heard of your being [dis
pos'd | dis
posed]dis
pos'ddis
posed to seek a settlement in the wilder
[neſs | ness]neſsness, was by [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Woodward[pers0610.ocp] last
Whereupon I wrote a judicious [Christain | Christian]ChristainChristian
friend, to [enquire | inquire]enquireinquire of your moral Charac
ter, [& | and]&and advise whether it was such, as that
I might with honor to the Redeemer's,
Cau
which might warrant my proceeding
thereto. And there is [noth.g want.g | nothing wanting]noth.g want.gnothing wanting at this
time, but proper satisfaction that it
[my | may]mymay be done without reproach to the Re
deemer's Cause, in order to engage all my
heart [& | and]&and powers therein. [5.[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): dly]dly | 5thly]5.[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): dly]dly5thly I [beleived | believed]beleivedbelieved
your brother David[pers0155.ocp] did very sinfully in [leav.g | leaving]leav.gleaving
the Cause in the [wilderneſs | wilderness]wilderneſswilderness as he did.
[& | and]&and that his treatment of me was very ungenerous
[& | and]&and abusive, the particulars whereof I have
told him. I have constantly [wish'd | wished]wish'dwished to
see him convinced of this [Rashnesſs | rashness]Rashnesſsrashness [& | and]&and folly, [& | and]&and have
been propense to forgive [& | and]&and restore him, [& | and]&and am so
at this moment, thus I have given you a
little sketch of things as they [lye | lie]lyelie in my
mind. My dear Man, I think you much dis
honor God, [intreating | in treating]intreatingin treating his great [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness to You
in opening such a favorable door to go on your
so much [improv.g & | improving and]improv.g &improving and [advantagous | advantageous]advantagousadvantageous tour to Europe[place0070.ocp]
almost as [tho' | though]tho'though you had gone [thro' | through]thro'through a most tragical
Scene of persecution. I am now got near my
[Journie's | journey's]Journie'sjourney's end, [& | and]&and long to be at rest, God grant
we may both appear before him, [wash'd | washed]wash'dwashed in
the Redeemer's blood [& cloath'd | and clothed]& cloath'dand clothed with his white
Robes.
[Closer]
With Love to You [& | and]&and [M.rs | Mrs.]M.rsMrs. Occom[pers0029.ocp]
I am yet Your friend [& | and]&and Well wisher
Eleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[Postscript]
P.S. I shall be glad to employ your Brother David[pers0155.ocp]
[& | and]&and give him a reasonable
Consideration, or as much as you mention, provided he be in
earnest engaged to promote the Cause proposed. I am weary
of connections with Men in whom there is no Faith.
Consideration, or as much as you mention, provided he be in
earnest engaged to promote the Cause proposed. I am weary
of connections with Men in whom there is no Faith.
[Trailer]
[bottom] Windham[place0243.ocp]
[Aug | August]AugAugustWindham[place0243.ocp]
[Aug | August]AugAugust
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0030.ocp | M. r Mr. Occom | recipient | Occom, Samson |
pers0029.ocp | Wife | mentioned | Occom, Mary (née Fowler) |
pers0610.ocp | M. r Mr. Woodward | mentioned | Woodward, Bezaleel |
pers0155.ocp | David | mentioned | Fowler, David |
pers0029.ocp | M. rs Mrs. Occom | mentioned | Occom, Mary (née Fowler) |
pers0036.ocp | Eleazar Wheelock | writer | Wheelock, Eleazar |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0095.ocp | Hanover | Hanover |
place0070.ocp | Europe | Europe |
place0243.ocp | Windham | Windham |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0095.ocp | London Board in Boston | The Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America |
org0098.ocp | my School | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
org0037.ocp | Dartmouth College | Dartmouth College |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1771-08-15 | 15th15th Aug.tAugust 1771 |
1771-07-24 | July 24.th24th |
1771-08-15 | Aug.tAugust 15.th15th 1771 — |
1771-08-15 | Aug.tAugust 15. 1771 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
modernization | 15th | 15th |
modernization | M.r | Mr. |
modernization | 24.th | 24th |
variation | faild | failed |
modernization | usefulneſs | usefulness |
variation | Litter | letter |
variation | Christain | Christian |
modernization | uncharitableneſs | uncharitableness |
variation | shew | show |
variation | travil | travail |
modernization | Rev.d | Rev. |
modernization | 15.th | 15th |
variation | 'tho | though |
modernization | impreſs | impress |
modernization | viz.t 1.st | viz 1st |
modernization | miſsion | mission |
variation | famely | family |
modernization | aſsistance | assistance |
modernization | viz.t | viz |
variation | shewed | showed |
modernization | 2dly | 2ndly |
variation | shew'd | showed |
modernization | coldneſs | coldness |
modernization | unleſs | unless |
modernization | anſwer | answer |
variation | expence | expense |
variation | necſesary | necessary |
variation | prepair | prepare |
modernization | 3.dly | 3rdly |
modernization | 4.dly | 4thly |
modernization | neſs | ness |
variation | enquire | inquire |
variation | hope'd | hoped |
variation | my | may |
modernization | 5.[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): dly]dly | 5thly |
variation | beleived | believed |
modernization | wilderneſs | wilderness |
variation | Rashnesſs | rashness |
variation | lye | lie |
variation | intreating | in treating |
modernization | goodneſs | goodness |
variation | advantagous | advantageous |
variation | Journie's | journey's |
modernization | M.rs | Mrs. |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Aug.t | August |
& | and |
stand.g | standing |
tho' | though |
eno' | enough |
own'd | owned |
follow.g | following |
imagin.g | imagining |
dream'd | dreamed |
propos'd | proposed |
stay.g | staying |
mak.g | making |
promis'd | promised |
offer'd | offered |
pleas'd & | pleased and |
eno' & | enough and |
dis pos'd |
dis posed |
noth.g want.g | nothing wanting |
leav.g | leaving |
wish'd | wished |
improv.g & | improving and |
thro' | through |
wash'd | washed |
& cloath'd | and clothed |
Aug | August |
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 31) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 15) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 6) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 100) |