David McClure, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1772 June 30

Author McClure, David[pers0368.ocp]

30 June 1772[1772-06-30]

Call Number772380

[note (type: abstract): McClure writes that he has asked Occom to join the mission, but that Occom states he is in ill health, has too many debts, and that he has been neglected since his return from Great Britain. McClure urges Wheelock to be generous with Occom.][note (type: handwriting): Formal handwriting is small, but clear and legible.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good-to-fair condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, staining and wear.][note (type: ink): Brown.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]

[Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. and [Honor'd | Honored]Honor'dHonored Sir/
[Thro' | Through]Thro'Through divine [Goodneſs | goodness]Goodneſsgoodness [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Frisbie[pers0209.ocp]
and I had a comfortable journey to this place, where
we arrived last Evening [& | and]&and found [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] [& | and]&and [famely | family]famelyfamily
in usual health; we immediately laid open the
[busineſs | business]busineſsbusiness on which we came — It was all new to
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] — neither of your Letters, Sir, have
reached him, they have [some where | somewhere]some wheresomewhere unfortunately
[stopt | stopped]stoptstopped. The Doctor's Letters to him by us [con=
tain'd | con
tained]
con=
tain'd
con
tained
the first intimation he has had re=
specting this [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission. After conversing on the
[Opnings | openings]Opningsopenings [& | and]&and [encouragments | encouragements]encouragmentsencouragements of our intended [Miſ=
sion | mis
sion]
Miſ=
sion
mis
sion
to the Southward, he manifested a desire
[& | and]&and [willingneſs | willingness]willingneſswillingness to join us, but urged his bodily
infirmities [& | and]&and involvements [above] ** against undertaking
it immediately — And indeed he has had so
short notice of it that it would be difficult if not im=
practicable for him to set out with us.
I have all along thought [till | 'til]till'til now that he
[left] * he owes he says ₤50 or* he owes he says ₤50 or
[left] ₤60 —₤60 —
had a pension of ₤30 [Sterl.g | sterling]Sterl.gsterling [⅌r An: | per annum]r An:per annum from [Esq.r | Esq.]Esq.rEsq. Thornton[pers0541.ocp]
But he says he has had no pension or allowance from
him, or any other quarter since he came from England[place0068.ocp],
except two private donations from thence [above] [amount.g | amounting]amount.gamounting to ₤60 —[amount.g | amounting]amount.gamounting to ₤60 —. That before he
went to England[place0068.ocp] he was under the pay of the Boston board[org0095.ocp]
[& | and]&and since his return has been rejected by them [& | and]&and by
the School[org0098.ocp] [two | too]twotoo. And considering what Indian Genius [& | and]&and
temper are, has there not, Sir, been too much occasion for
him to complain of neglect? he has had to encounter
many [& | and]&and great difficulties since his return [& | and]&and would it
not, Sir, been good policy if no more [& | and]&and will [above] itit not now be
good policy, to make him some small allowance [& | and]&and let
him enjoy in some measure the benefit of the monies he
was instrumental in obtaining for the use [& | and]&and benefit of
the design? So that he might be cut off from any [oc=
sion | occa
sion]
oc=
sion
occa
sion
to repeat what [illegible]he says [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Whitefield[pers0038.ocp] told him
when he left England[place0068.ocp]; "that they had made [above] himhim a tool to
collect monies for them in England[place0068.ocp], but when he got to
America[place0003.ocp] they would set him adrift." His Character, as
far as I can learn in these parts is now good, [& | and]&and the Crimes
of intemperance with which he has been charged, are
very much extenuated by the temptations he was under.
He appears calm [& | and]&and rational, more so than I expected to have
found him, respecting the Indian design. I am more [& | and]&and
more [perswaded | persuaded]perswadedpersuaded of the expediency [& | and]&and advantage of his un=
dertaking a [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission [& | and]&and ardently hope that God in his
providence will so order [& | and]&and direct that he may
join us in the [miſsion | mission]miſsionmission before us. It would very
much [above] strengthenstrengthen our hands [& | and]&and encourage us.
In the freedom of Conversation with him
he said, many fair promises had been made him
but he found they would never fill his belly or
cover his back, [& | and]&and that as soon as he could see
a prospect [& | and]&and know for certain that [illegible]he could be
in a way to discharge his Debts [& | and]&and support his
family he would under his infirmity, go.
In the Doctor's behalf, [illegible]made an offer of ₤100
[Sterl.g | sterling]Sterl.gsterling Annually [& | and]&and to giave an order on [Cap.t | Capt.]Cap.tCapt. Backus[pers0070.ocp]
for ₤50 [LM.y | lawful money]LM.ylawful money of it to be [p.d | paid]p.dpaid now [& | and]&and the remainder
at the close of the Year, if he would undertake
he [seem'd | seemed]seem'dseemed to think it would not be sufficient to bear
his [expences | expenses]expencesexpenses [& | and]&and maintain his numerous [famely | family]famelyfamily. I told
him should he undertake, I would engage the Doctor's
influence with [Esq.r | Esq.]Esq.rEsq. Thornton[pers0541.ocp] [& | and]&and had not the least
doubt but his debts would by that Gentleman be
generously discharged. He intimates a design of
visiting the Doctor, which hope he will. I have
wrote [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. Sir, with freedom [& | and]&and [illegible]which I have no
apprehension of your blaming me for. [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Frisbie[pers0209.ocp]
has had several poor turns since we set out
he joins in [illegible]Duty [& | and]&and Affection to the Doctor
[& | and]&and [famely | family]famelyfamily, with [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [& | and]&and [Honor'd | Honored]Honor'dHonored Patron

[Closer]
Your dutiful [& | and]&and obliged
 humble Servant

David [Maccluer | McClure]MaccluerMcClure[pers0368.ocp]
[Postscript]
[bottom] [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp][Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[left] P.S. I wrote the [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. [⅌ | per]per.[illegible] [M.rs | Mrs.]M.rsMrs. Payne[pers0701.ocp] about 6 Days past —
As [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] intends to write the [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. in the [proposd | proposed]proposdproposed [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission we must refer to
his Letter to know his mind more fully respecting it —
— have [inclos'd | enclosed]inclos'denclosed a number of the latest papers from different parts.
P.S. I wrote the [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. [⅌ | per]per.[illegible] [M.rs | Mrs.]M.rsMrs. Payne[pers0701.ocp] about 6 Days past —
As [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] intends to write the [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. in the [proposd | proposed]proposdproposed [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission we must refer to
his Letter to know his mind more fully respecting it —
— have [inclos'd | enclosed]inclos'denclosed a number of the latest papers from different parts.
[Trailer]
from [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. [Maccluer | McClure]MaccluerMcClure[pers0368.ocp]
 June 30. 1772[1772-06-30]
To
The [Rev:d | Rev.]Rev:dRev. Eleazar Wheelock D.D.[pers0036.ocp]
 President
 of Dartmouth College[org0037.ocp]
 New=Hampshire[place0160.ocp]
Document Summary

People identified in this document:

id Text in document Role in header Authorized Name
pers0209.ocp M. r Mr. Frisbie mentioned Frisbie, Levi
pers0030.ocp M. r Mr. Occom mentioned Occom, Samson
pers0541.ocp Esq. r Esq. Thornton mentioned Thornton, John
pers0038.ocp M. r Mr. Whitefield mentioned Whitefield, George
pers0070.ocp Cap. t Capt. Backus mentioned Backus, Nathaniel
pers0368.ocp David Maccluer McClure writer McClure, David
pers0036.ocp Rev. d Rev. D. r Dr. Wheelock recipient Wheelock, Eleazar
pers0701.ocp M. rs Mrs. Payne mentioned Payne
pers0368.ocp Rev. d Rev. M. r Mr. Maccluer McClure writer McClure, David
pers0036.ocp Rev: d Rev. Eleazar Wheelock D.D. recipient Wheelock, Eleazar

Places identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
place0143.ocp Mohegan Mohegan
place0068.ocp England England
place0003.ocp America America
place0160.ocp New= Hampshire New Hampshire

Organizations identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
org0095.ocp Boston board The Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America
org0098.ocp the School Moor’s Indian Charity School
org0037.ocp Dartmouth College Dartmouth College

Dates identified in this document:

Standard Form Text
1772-06-30 June 30 1772
1772-06-30 June 30. 1772

Regularized text:

Type Original Regularized
modernization Rev.d Rev.
modernization Goodneſs goodness
modernization M.r Mr.
variation famely family
modernization busineſs business
variation some where somewhere
variation stopt stopped
modernization Miſsion mission
variation Opnings openings
variation encouragments encouragements
modernization Miſ=
sion
mis
sion
modernization willingneſs willingness
variation till 'til
modernization Esq.r Esq.
variation perswaded persuaded
modernization miſsion mission
modernization Cap.t Capt.
variation expences expenses
variation Maccluer McClure
modernization D.r Dr.
modernization M.rs Mrs.
variation proposd proposed
modernization Rev:d Rev.

Expanded abbreviations:

Abbreviation Expansion
Honor'd Honored
Thro' Through
& and
con=
tain'd
con
tained
Sterl.g sterling
r An: per annum
amount.g amounting
oc=
sion
occa
sion
LM.y lawful money
p.d paid
seem'd seemed
per
inclos'd enclosed

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 39)
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: 0 (out of 24)
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: 0 (out of 9)
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): 0 (out of 115)