Joseph Johnson, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1774 December 4
4 December 1774[1774-12-04]
ms number774654
[note (type: abstract): Johnson humbly requests money to pay his debts, as well as an answer to a letter he sent to Wheelock through Jacob Fowler. He notes that soon he must go take possession of land granted to the New England Indians.][note (type: handwriting): Hand is mostly clear and legible, although occasional overwrites make it difficult to differentiate between original words and corrections. The transcriber has used her discretion.][note (type: paper): Two separate pieces of paper of unequal size and shape are in good-to-fair condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, staining and wear.][note (type: noteworthy): When Johnson refers to "your Seminary" it is uncertain whether he refers to Moor's Indian Charity School or Dartmouth College. The postscript is contained within a large, parenthesis-like bracket, which has been indicated in the transcription by a closed parenthesis at the end of each line. Unexplained numbers are written upside-down under the trailer.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
with much humility, and gratitude do I undertake to write to your
worthy [Perſon | person]Perſonperson this once more. — I have the pleasure to [enform | inform]enforminform you, my honoured Patron, that through Divine
favour, I, and my little family are in health, and it is the desire of my heart,
to hear that your valuable health is still continued. my honoured Patron, I hope will not take it ill, from his dejected Pupil,
to add a petition still. I humbly acknowledge that your worthy [Perſon | person]Perſonperson, hath in a very [wonderfull | wonderful]wonderfullwonderful manner multiplied your favours — towa[illegible]rds ^[above] me an^me an
[undeſerving | undeserving]undeſervingundeserving Object. — well might I, in times past forever [deſpaired | despaired]deſpaireddespaired of ever [recieving | receiving]recievingreceiving any Tokens of
[reſpects | respects]reſpectsrespects from you, or from any of my honoured Ac--quaintance that
Surround you. but I greatly rejoice that I have a reason to hope, that you, my
honoured Patron, and your [Reſpectable | respectable]Reſpectablerespectable
[Houſehold | household]Houſeholdhousehold, is in part reconciled, and I humbly hope theat, that great Breach, which wvile Ingra- -titude, and abominable Pride, had made in
times [paſt | past]paſtpast between me, and you my Honoured Patron, with the
[reſt | rest]reſtrest of my worthy, and loving friends, is in some
[meaſure | measure]meaſuremeasure repaired, and may the God of all grace, Who I humbly hope hath quickened
me, be my [conſtant | constant]conſtantconstant Sup- -porter, that I dishonour Him no more, neither wound
the hearts of his Dear Children anymore. — and I thank you, my [Compaſionate | compassionate]Compaſionatecompassionate
Patron, for all your
[kindneſses | kindnesses]kindneſseskindnesses to me w[illegible][guess (maggiec): a]ard, even from my Childhood, and I would thank you, in a [perticular | particular]perticularparticular manner for your
[Reſpects | respects]Reſpectsrespects, and [kindneſs | kindness]kindneſskindness to me, when I was [illegible]At the Place of
your [Reſidence | residence]Reſidenceresidence. and I thank all your honoured family, and the loving members of your dear
Seminary, which may long flourish gloriously, for all the [Reſpects | respects]Reſpectsrespects and Tokens of Love, and [Friendſhip | friendship]Friendſhipfriendship
[shewn | shown]shewnshown to such a
[Deſpicable | despicable]Deſpicabledespicable Lump of polluted Clay, as is [incloſed | enclosed]incloſedenclosed in —
in this [tawnny | tawny]tawnnytawny Skin of mine. — and I do ever, re- -tain in my mind, with [pleaſure | pleasure]pleaſurepleasure, and [reſpects | respects]reſpectsrespects, Dartmouth[org0037.ocp]
and Her Sons. — But as for my adding a petition still, methinks there is no
need, you, my Honour- -ed Patron, is well
acquainted with my [Circumſtances | circumstances]Circumſtancescircumstances, my Situation is w[illegible]ell known to you
— — your worthy
[Perſon | person]Perſonperson knows that I am poor, needy, and [almoſt | almost]almoſtalmost
[dis--treſsed | dis-tressed]dis--treſseddis-tressed Creature. and I believe that it is not owing to my [Lazineſs | laziness]Lazineſslaziness, neither can it be [reaſonably | reasonably]reaſonablyreasonably computed to my Extravagance, that I am thus reduced. — methinks
that no one can think hard of me, if they would duly [Conſider | consider]Conſiderconsider, the [neceſsary | necessary]neceſsarynecessary Charge that I have been at, from time to time since I have voluntari -ly devoted [myſelf | myself]myſelfmyself, for the good of my poor Brethren that live scattered about in these parts.
— all I [deſire | desire]deſiredesire from you my Honoured Patron, is that you would be [pleaſed | pleased]pleaſedpleased to give me an [Anſwer | answer]Anſweranswer to the full, [illegible]to that Letter I [ſent | sent]ſentsent to you by Jacob
Fowler[pers0018.ocp]. — so as I might know what to depend upon. —
now I am betwixt hope, and
[Deſpair | despair]Deſpairdespair. — and I know not which way to turn, the time is very short before I
must be obliged to go to take [Poſseſsion | possession]Poſseſsionpossession of the Land granted to us New England
Indians[org0118.ocp]. — there are some going out of every Town, to whom the Land
is granted. — that is out of Seven Towns. — there is nine from Mohegan[place0143.ocp] that is going next spring to take [Poſseſsion | possession]Poſseſsionpossession. — things look very Encouraging. — my Debts remain unpaid.
and I do not know how I shall get along this winter. I have nothing to live
upon, hardly. and I am in no way to
[perſue | pursue]perſuepursue a Study of Divine Truth as I [purpoſed | purposed]purpoſedpurposed if I had
[illegible] a relief from you. to my sorrow be it said,
that the chiefest of my Enquiry is what shall I eat. [&c | etc.]&cetc.: — but my trust is fixed on the mighty god of Jacob, who knows
what is [beſt | best]beſtbest for me.
[Closer]
I am your Well [wiſher | wisher]wiſherwisher.
Joseph ([Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0288.ocp].
[Postscript]
I have [recieved | received]recievedreceived no Letter) or [Inteligence | intelligence]Inteligenceintelligence from you) my Honoured Patron) Since I wrote to you by friend)
Jacob Fowler[pers0018.ocp]. — I am your) humble
well [wiſher | wisher]wiſherwisher
[Joſeph | Joseph]JoſephJoseph
[Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0288.ocp].)
To The [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Eleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]. D.D. and [Preſident | President]PreſidentPresident of
Dartmouth College[org0037.ocp]: —
[Trailer]
from [Jos. | Joseph]Jos.Joseph
[Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0288.ocp]
[Dec.r | December]Dec.rDecember 4. 1774[1774-12-04]
[bottom] 220./720/3 660 — 0
220./720/3 660 — 0Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0018.ocp | Jacob Fowler | mentioned | Fowler, Jacob |
pers0288.ocp | Joseph ( Johnſon Johnson | writer | Johnson, Joseph |
pers0018.ocp | Jacob Fowler | mentioned | Fowler, Jacob |
pers0288.ocp | Joſeph Joseph Johnſon Johnson | writer | Johnson, Joseph |
pers0036.ocp | Rev d Rev. Eleazar Wheelock | recipient | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0288.ocp | Jos. Joseph Johnſon Johnson | writer | Johnson, Joseph |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0143.ocp | Mohegan | Mohegan |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0037.ocp | Dartmouth | Dartmouth College |
org0118.ocp | New England Indians | Brothertown Tribe |
org0037.ocp | Dartmouth College | Dartmouth College |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1774-12-04 | December 4th4th AD 1774 |
1774-12-04 | Dec.rDecember 4. 1774 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
modernization | 4th | 4th |
modernization | Revd | Rev. |
modernization | Perſon | person |
variation | enform | inform |
variation | wonderfull | wonderful |
modernization | undeſerving | undeserving |
modernization | deſpaired | despaired |
variation | recieving | receiving |
modernization | reſpects | respects |
modernization | Reſpectable | respectable |
modernization | Houſehold | household |
modernization | paſt | past |
modernization | reſt | rest |
modernization | meaſure | measure |
modernization | conſtant | constant |
variation | Compaſionate | compassionate |
modernization | kindneſses | kindnesses |
variation | perticular | particular |
modernization | Reſpects | respects |
modernization | kindneſs | kindness |
modernization | Reſidence | residence |
modernization | Friendſhip | friendship |
variation | shewn | shown |
modernization | Deſpicable | despicable |
modernization | incloſed | enclosed |
variation | tawnny | tawny |
modernization | pleaſure | pleasure |
modernization | Circumſtances | circumstances |
modernization | almoſt | almost |
modernization | dis--treſsed | dis-tressed |
modernization | Lazineſs | laziness |
modernization | reaſonably | reasonably |
modernization | Conſider | consider |
modernization | neceſsary | necessary |
modernization | myſelf | myself |
modernization | deſire | desire |
modernization | pleaſed | pleased |
modernization | Anſwer | answer |
modernization | ſent | sent |
modernization | Deſpair | despair |
modernization | Poſseſsion | possession |
variation | perſue | pursue |
modernization | purpoſed | purposed |
modernization | &c | etc. |
modernization | beſt | best |
modernization | wiſher | wisher |
modernization | Johnſon | Johnson |
variation | recieved | received |
variation | Inteligence | intelligence |
modernization | Joſeph | Joseph |
modernization | Preſident | President |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Even.g. | evening |
Jos. | Joseph |
Dec.r | December |
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 18) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 11) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 2) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 97) |