Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to John Thornton, 1772 September 23

Author Wheelock, Eleazar[pers0036.ocp]

23 September 1772[1772-09-23]

Call Number772523

[note (type: abstract): Wheelock writes to Thornton about his failures with the Six Nations. Six days later, he writes again about improving prospects, as several boys are coming to the School, and Occom’s former haughtiness is softening. He also writes that the charges against his son Ralph are false.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is very formal and neat; it is not Wheelock’s hand.][note (type: paper): Exact condition of the large, separate sheets is difficult to determine due to heavy preservation work; however, the paper appears to sustain light-to-moderate staining and wear.][note (type: ink): Black-brown.][note (type: signature): The signature is not in Wheelock's hand.][note (type: noteworthy): This document is likely a personal copy for Wheelock's records. A non-contemporary editor had made notes on two verso. The contents regarding Ralph are similar to those in 772323.]

EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain

Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
Much [hon.d & | honoured and]hon.d &honoured and very dear Sir.
I endeavour to give you ([tho' | though]tho'though by small [Sctetches | sketches]Sctetchessketches as
I have opportunity) some view of the [progreſs | progress]progreſsprogress of my affairs here.
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Avery[pers0064.ocp] returned from his eleven Months [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission at
[Onoida | Oneida]OnoidaOneida[place0179.ocp] last month, [& | and]&and gives but a [malancholy | melancholy]malancholymelancholy [acco.t | account]acco.taccount of the
state of [illegible]Indians Affairs there [& | and]&and among the six Nations[org0090.ocp] — he says
the [Aſpect | aspect]Aſpectaspect has been growing more [& | and]&and more gloomy for eighteen
Months past, and is wholly disinclined to return to them again,
and thinks there is some probability that [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Kirtland[pers0315.ocp] will be
drove away from among them. on the whole it appears
to me not improbable that the Indians in that Quarter
are nigh unto cursing. They have of late openly in a large
meeting of several Tribes manifested their entire disincli
=nation to encourage or [recieve | receive]recievereceive [illegible] [above] anoanoeither m[Miſsionary | missionary]Miſsionarymissionary or Schoo[gap: tear][guess (ivys): l]l
=master among them.
 Two days ago [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Ripley[pers0444.ocp] returned from his [Miſsio | Missio]MiſsioMissio[gap: tear][guess (ivys): n]n
to Canada[place0303.ocp] with [Lieu.t | Lt.]Lieu.tLt. Taylor[pers0703.ocp] his Companion [& | and]&and Interpret[gap: tear][guess (ivys): er]er
[& | and]&and brought with him ten Indian Boys from those Tribes
to [recieve | receive]recievereceive an Education in this School[org0098.ocp] — the hand of
God appears conspicuous in the Affair — The[illegible][above] rere was the
greatest opposition made by their Priest to their coming
— the most of them are Children of their Chief Men, and
two of them Children of English Captives each about
8 year old — a Council of their head men (to which the
Father of one and [Grand Father | grandfather]Grand Fathergrandfather of the other of these two
Boys belong) were called together upon this occasion, and
were to a Man fixed in their purpose to send them, and
so continued finally against the remonstrances of their
Priest who denied their Right to do it; and [illegible]claimed a
right to dispose of them himself upon this Ground that
he baptized them. but I have yet by me a short narra
=tive of my Affairs I have just prepared for the [preſs | press]preſspress, to
which I shall add some short [Acco.t | account]Acco.taccount of this [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission, which
you [& | and]&and the [honble | Honourable]honbleHonourable Trust[org0103.ocp] may expect as soon as it [gits | gets]gitsgets [thro' | through]thro'through
the [preſs | press]preſspress[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Ripley[pers0444.ocp] found occasion to make [uſe | use]uſeuse
of a bill of exchange which I gave him to be improved
in case any emergency should make it [neceſsary | necessary]neceſsarynecessary [gap: worn_edge]
in favor of [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Mier[pers0730.ocp] which was endorsed by [Cap.t | Capt.]Cap.tCapt. [Depoyster | Depeyster]DepoysterDepeyster[pers0727.ocp]
which I pray you to honor.
Please Sir in my name to make such [expreſsions | expressions]expreſsionsexpressions of Chri=
=stian Affection, Duty [& | and]&and Respect to my [hond | honoured]hondhonoured Patrons as shall be
acceptable to them. and accept the same Yourself, from
[Closer]
 Your often [& | and]&and [illegible]much obliged Brother
 and very humble Servant

 Eleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
John Thornton[pers0541.ocp] [Esq.r | Esq.]Esq.rEsq.

[Postscript]
P. S. Now the scene that has been so long dark has entirely
changed its Aspect. I [bleſs | bless]bleſsbless God that I am fairly broke off
from my Connections with the six Nations[org0090.ocp] — they were
at war with these a few Years ago, and the break I find is
not yet wholly healed, and would have likely been an ob=
=jection against their coming hither if any of the six
Nations[org0090.ocp]
had been here — but you will hear more of this
as soon as I can.

[Opener]

Much [hond | honoured]hondhonoured Sir.
By being disappointed of the opportu=
=nity of Conveyance of the foregoing, I have opportunity
on the same paper thankfully to acknowledge the receipt
of the favour of the [honble | Honourable]honbleHonourable Trust[org0103.ocp] of May [1st | 1st]1st1st 1772[1772-05-01] [& | and]&and of yours
of May [15th | 15th]15th15th[1772-05-15] [&c | etc.]&cetc. June [10th | 10th]10th10th[1772-06-10] [& | and]&and with the enclosed.
I am much refreshed that my [hon.d | honoured]hon.dhonoured Patrons are satisfied
with my doings
[M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp] since his recovery from his last Fall appears with
a much better Temper than he has ever done since he came
from London[place0128.ocp]your [above] thethe agreeable Letters you transmit for
my perusal speak the same
I am glad you have dealt so plainly with him, [& | and]&and wish
you had done it earlier — He has appeared exceeding proud
[& | and]&and haughty — his Sail was too high for him in London[place0128.ocp]. I [feard | feared]feardfeared
he would be wholly [useleſs | useless]useleſsuseless, [& | and]&and nothing better than a Thorn to me
[& | and]&and this School[org0098.ocp] — he has appeared rather as a Dictator and
Supervisor to me [& | and]&and my Affairs than a Brother, Companion,
[& | and]&and Helper in them — And I have [tho't | thought]tho'tthought him cruel, uncharitable
[& | and]&and something bitter in his Surmises, Censures [& | and]&and Threats in
Cases [& | and]&and about that[illegible] which he knew nothing of, nor used any
proper means to be informed in. And has said (I have been
told) that he was desired to inspect my conduct before he
came from England[place0068.ocp] — and this kind of treatment I have had
from him without the least [expreſsion | expression]expreſsionexpression of Brotherly
Sympathy Care pity [& | and]&and [Compaſsion | compassion]Compaſsioncompassion towards me or my
Family, while I was struggling under Floods of Sorrow
[& | and]&and an insupportable weight of Labour Care [& | and]&and Fatigue
and all with a single view to save his poor perishing
Brethren — How wounding such things have been to me
you cant [concieve | conceive]concieveconceive [unleſs | unless]unleſsunless you had experience of the like.
But I have lately had a Letter from him of another savor,
and [accots | accounts]accotsaccounts which have much refreshed me. I hope he will
 be
be my Helper in Christ Jesus. [tho' | though]tho'though God sees it best for me
that I should have nothing below himself to lean at all upon
 [Bleſsed | blessed]Bleſsedblessed be his holy name. I shall rejoice to encourage [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Occom[pers0030.ocp].
 I [percieve | perceive]percieveperceive you have given Ear to Representations which
appear to me to be [groundleſs | groundless]groundleſsgroundless cruel [& | and]&and vile Slanders, respect=
=ing my Government of my Son[pers0578.ocp], [& | and]&and my having been in­
­fluenced by him [& | and]&and his false Friends [&c | etc.]&cetc. — By the grace of
God I think I have known neither wife, nor Son, nor
Nephew in these Affairs for many Years, nor may I know [ym | them]ymthem.
I never was quite blind to my Son[pers0578.ocp]s Imperfections, but on
the contrary my Government of him has been much too
severe, [& | and]&and I continued it [till | 'til]till'til too late his Physicians advised
me that if I did not alter my hand it would kill him.
and yet he neither has, nor ever had that I knew or
heard of, any blot of moral Scandal upon him. He has
long been sorely broken under Gods holy hand. [& | and]&and his case is now
looked upon as incurable — he lives in Connecticut[place0048.ocp] [& | and]&and I am
credibly informed [above] toldtold is exemplary for patience [& | and]&and a humble
[Submiſsion | submission]Submiſsionsubmission to God under Trials — If he were as much
concerned to vindicate his Character (whatever may be
the slander you have received of him) as his Slanderers
has been to blacken it, I make no doubt it would stand in
another Light whatever the consequences may [above] wouldwould be to
others; but he seems fully content to refer these matters
to the decision of the great day. on the whole it gives
me much [uneasineſs | uneasiness]uneasineſsuneasiness that I know not what you mean,
nor what I have to amend or mo[above] uurn for, more than I have done.
 You are also my [hond | honoured]hondhonoured Sir much mistaken as to my
being influenced by [D.r | Dr.]D.rDr. Whitaker[pers0037.ocp]. I have no connection with
him. it is above two years since I saw him, but I must
in Justice say that I suppose his Characters moral and
ministerial are good among good people in New England[place0158.ocp]
and what his offence in England[place0068.ocp] was I never knew — [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr.
Occom[pers0030.ocp]
would have told me I suppose, but I [percieved | perceived]percievedperceived that his
mind was prejudiced [& | and]&and [sowered | soured]soweredsoured against him, [& | and]&and therefore dis=
=qualified to give the Relation.
By [Acco.ts | accounts]Acco.tsaccounts [& | and]&and hints from [M.r | Mr.]M.rMr. Avery[pers0064.ocp] of plotting [& | and]&and Machi=
=nations in the Country where he has been against me
and this Cause, you may possibly (when all matters
are ripened) hear something as sho[illegible]cking as [any [gap: tear][guess (ivys): thing]thing | anything]any [gap: tear][guess (ivys): thing]thinganything
you have yet heard — in which it is said there is a Combination.
but God is my Refuge — I ask your pardon for this
[unproffitable | unprofitable]unproffitableunprofitable Scrawl —
I take this opportunity to renew my thanks to you for the
 repeated
John Thorton[pers0541.ocp] [Esqr | Esq.]EsqrEsq.
repeated [Expreſsions | expressions]Expreſsionsexpressions of your [kindneſs | kindness]kindneſskindness towards my support[gap: worn_edge]
I hope you have received my letter [& | and]&and the Bill which you was
so kind as to invite me to draw upon you —
I am with great duty [& | and]&and affection [& | and]&and esteem

[Closer]
Your much obliged [& | and]&and very humble Servant
Eleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[Trailer]
To John Thornton[pers0541.ocp] [Eſqr | Esq.]EſqrEsq.
[Septr | September]SeptrSeptember 23. 1772[1772-09-23].

Document Summary

People identified in this document:

id Text in document Role in header Authorized Name
pers0064.ocp M. r Mr. Avery mentioned Avery, David
pers0315.ocp M. r Mr. Kirtland mentioned Kirkland, Samuel
pers0444.ocp M. r Mr. Ripley mentioned Ripley, Sylvanus
pers0703.ocp Lieu. t Lt. Taylor mentioned Taylor
pers0730.ocp M. r Mr. Mier mentioned Mier
pers0727.ocp Cap. t Capt. Depoyster Depeyster mentioned Depeyster, A.
pers0036.ocp Eleazar Wheelock writer Wheelock, Eleazar
pers0541.ocp John Thornton recipient Thornton, John
pers0030.ocp M. r Mr. Occom mentioned Occom, Samson
pers0578.ocp Son mentioned Wheelock, Rodulphus
pers0578.ocp my Son mentioned Wheelock, Rodulphus
pers0037.ocp D. r Dr. Whitaker mentioned Whitaker, Nathaniel
pers0541.ocp John Thorton recipient Thornton, John
pers0036.ocp Eleazar Wheelock writer Wheelock, Eleazar

Places identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
place0095.ocp Hanover Hanover
place0160.ocp New Hampshire New Hampshire
place0179.ocp Onoida Oneida Oneida
place0303.ocp Canada Canada
place0128.ocp London London
place0068.ocp England England
place0048.ocp Connecticut Connecticut
place0158.ocp New England New England

Organizations identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
org0090.ocp six Nations Six Nations
org0098.ocp this School Moor’s Indian Charity School
org0103.ocp honbleHonourable Trust Trust in England

Dates identified in this document:

Standard Form Text
1772-09-23 Sep.rSeptember 23.d23rd 1772
1772-09-29 Sep.rSeptember 29th29th 1772
1772-05-01 May 1st1st 1772
1772-05-15 May 15th15th
1772-06-10 June 10th10th
1772-09-23 SeptrSeptember 23. 1772

Regularized text:

Type Original Regularized
modernization 23.d 23rd
variation Sctetches sketches
modernization progreſs progress
modernization M.r Mr.
modernization Miſsion mission
variation Onoida Oneida
variation malancholy melancholy
modernization Aſpect aspect
variation recieve receive
modernization Miſsionary missionary
modernization Miſsio Missio
modernization Lieu.t Lt.
variation Grand Father grandfather
modernization preſs press
variation gits gets
modernization uſe use
modernization neceſsary necessary
modernization Cap.t Capt.
variation Depoyster Depeyster
modernization expreſsions expressions
modernization Esq.r Esq.
modernization bleſs bless
modernization 29th 29th
modernization 1st 1st
modernization 15th 15th
modernization &c etc.
modernization 10th 10th
variation feard feared
modernization useleſs useless
modernization expreſsion expression
modernization Compaſsion compassion
variation concieve conceive
modernization unleſs unless
modernization Bleſsed blessed
variation percieve perceive
modernization groundleſs groundless
modernization ym them
variation till 'til
modernization Submiſsion submission
modernization uneasineſs uneasiness
modernization D.r Dr.
variation percieved perceived
variation sowered soured
variation any [gap: tear][guess (ivys): thing]thing anything
variation unproffitable unprofitable
modernization Esqr Esq.
modernization Expreſsions expressions
modernization kindneſs kindness
modernization Eſqr Esq.

Expanded abbreviations:

Abbreviation Expansion
Sep.r September
hon.d & honoured and
tho' though
& and
acco.t account
Acco.t account
honble Honourable
thro' through
hond honoured
hon.d honoured
tho't thought
accots accounts
Acco.ts accounts
Septr September

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 47)
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: 0 (out of 36)
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: 0 (out of 6)
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): 0 (out of 131)