New Stockbridge Indians, letter, to Samson Occom, 1787 August 29
29 August 1787[1787-08-29]
ms number787479
[note (type: abstract): The New Stockbridge Indians testify to their faith in the Christian religion and request that Occom become their pastor.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is possibly that of Joseph Johnson[pers0288.ocp]; it is small yet mostly legible. Letter case, especially with regard to the letter "S" is difficult to discern.][note (type: paper): Heavily creased sheet of paper has been treated with silk overlay. This repair work is beginning to age, particularly on the verso. Separated creases lead to some loss of text.][note (type: ink): Brown ink is slightly obscured by the silk overlay.][note (type: noteworthy): Letter is a contemporary copy. On the bottom left of one verso, the word "Call" appears to be written in Occom's hand. On one verso, written in pencil underneath the trailer is the note: "Ind. Miſ. This is a copy of the call to Occom 1787 Original in C.H.S."][note (type: signature): There are nine signatories, yet the signatures are all in the same hand.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
Brother in the Lord —
We the Muhheacunnuk Tribe[org0139.ocp], will now [manifiſt | manifest]manifiſtmanifest to you — our opinions [Deſires | desires]Deſiresdesires and [veiws | views]veiwsviews of the [Chriſtian | Christian]ChriſtianChristian Religion. we believe that there is but one, the only true and living God,
And that he is the Maker and [preſerver | preserver]preſerverpreserver of our lives, and upholder of the Same — that he has Send his only
begotten Son into this w[illegible]orld, to be the
Saviour of mankind, and we believe that this God has brought u[illegible]s up
[in to | into]in tointo this [wilderneſs | wilderness]wilderneſswilderness — where we might begin to Serve him in Sincerity and in truth —
Further we believe that this God has [raiſed | raised]raiſedraised you u[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): p]p and
have kept you alive [untill | until]untilluntil this time. and that he has Send you up as an [Ambaſsador | ambassador]Ambaſsadorambassador into this [wilderneſs | wilderness]wilderneſswilderness upon this [purpoſe | purpose]purpoſepurpose that you might be the [firſt | first]firſtfirst
[inſtrument | instrument]inſtrumentinstrument or means to Stir up you own Nation — to try embrace His whole
Religion. And the, ^[above] [resons | reasons]resonsreasons^[resons | reasons]resonsreasons why we have such thoughts [becauſe | because]becauſebecause we have felt a great weight of your errand — And in coming such a
manner, and from such a quarter — as we did not expect — when we look
back, and Consider, what poor [progreſs | progress]progreſsprogress the Re[illegible]ligion of [Jeſus | Jesus]JeſusJesus
[Chriſt | Christ]ChriſtChrist, has made
[amongſt | amongst]amongſtamongst the Natives of this Continent [not withſtanding | notwithstanding]not withſtandingnotwithstanding
^[above] of^of the great pains, that have taken with them in some Places
the Indians appeared well and [promiſing | promising]promiſingpromising, but soon decay. — and now it looks very dark upon us, all helps from [a Broad | abroad]a Broadabroad are gone — and we are now brought to look about [gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): and]and
[Conſider | consider]Conſiderconsider of our Situation and we bel[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): ieve]ieve that this will be the [laſt | last]laſtlast. that God will make a trial with us — if this w[gap: tear]
not set us to contrive for our own souls — God will leaves us to our [illegible] own [Deſtruction | destruction]Deſtructiondestruction — [Theſe | These]TheſeThese and other [conſiderations | considerations]conſiderationsconsiderations
[induceth | induce]inducethinduce us — to believe that God d[illegible]oes
require from our own hands — to contrive — and to try to [bigin | begin]biginbegin to support and maintain Religion among us — we therefore, a Number of
us [chearfully | cheerfully]chearfullycheerfully agreed to begin to [purſue | pursue]purſuepursue what we [bilieve | believe]bilievebelieve to be our Duty since we have felt and ex[= | ‐]=‐[= | ‐]=‐perience the great [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness of God — for [raiſing | raising]raiſingraising and [fiting | fitting]fitingfitting one of our own [Collour | colour]Collourcolour — to be [inſtrumental | instrumental]inſtrumentalinstrumental to build up the [Cauſe | cause]Cauſecause and the Kingdom of our Lord [Jeſus | Jesus]JeſusJesus
[Chriſt | Christ]ChriſtChrist — we therefore feel in duty
[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): boun]bound to come to [requeſt | request]requeſtrequest you to come and settle with us — and to take the charge over us
— and to die with us. in Conjunction with
[Brotherton | Brothertown]BrothertonBrothertown[place0023.ocp] if it be [agreable | agreeable]agreableagreeable to them. so that we may enjoy all the
[Previlidges | privileges]Previlidgesprivileges and ordinances of the [Goſpel | Gospel]GoſpelGospel which our Saviour has left us in his word — So we the [Subſcribers | subscribers]Subſcriberssubscribers wittingly to begin with twenty shillings — in [firſt | first]firſtfirst year and so in proportion that we shall [increaſe | increase]increaſeincrease in Number and [Subſtance | substance]Subſtancesubstance — [till | 'til]till'til we shall be able to support you fully — so we done at present what
we feel to be our duty and the [reſt | rest]reſtrest
^[above] we^we will [submitt | submit]submittsubmit to Gods will and [pleaſure | pleasure]pleaſurepleasure —
[Closer]
[Joſeph | Joseph]JoſephJoseph Sauquethquaut[pers0959.ocp]
Hendrick Aupaumut[pers0257.ocp]
[Joſeph | Joseph]JoſephJoseph Quonnekanut[pers0957.ocp]
Peter [Pohquannop[illegible]eet | Pauquunnuppeet]Pohquannop[illegible]eetPauquunnuppeet[pers0431.ocp]
David [Neſhoonnuhhuk | Neshoonnuhhuk]NeſhoonnuhhukNeshoonnuhhuk[pers0954.ocp]
John Pohpmon[pers0956.ocp]
John Baldwin[pers0946.ocp]
Samuel Pa[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): uphaun]uphaunhum[pers0955.ocp]
David N[illegible][guess (h-dawnd): aun]aunannuknuck[pers0953.ocp]
[Rev.d Mr | Rev. Mr.]Rev.d MrRev. Mr.
Samson Occom[pers0030.ocp]
New Stockbridge[place0165.ocp]
[Auguſt | August]AuguſtAugust
[29th | 29th]29th29th 1787[1787-08-29] —
[Trailer]
[N. | New]N.New Stockbridge[place0165.ocp]
[confeſsion | confession]confeſsionconfession of Faith
1787[1787]^[left] Call^Call
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0959.ocp | Joſeph Joseph Sauquethquaut | writer | Sauquethquaut, Joseph |
pers0257.ocp | Hendrick Aupaumut | writer | Aupaumut, Hendrick |
pers0957.ocp | Joſeph Joseph Quonnekanut | writer | Quannekanut, Joseph |
pers0431.ocp | Peter Pohquannop eet Pauquunnuppeet | writer | Pauquunnuppeet, Peter |
pers0954.ocp | David Neſhoonnuhhuk Neshoonnuhhuk | writer | Neshoonuhhuk, David |
pers0956.ocp | John Pohpmon | writer | Pohpmon, John |
pers0946.ocp | John Baldwin | writer | Baldwin, John |
pers0955.ocp | Samuel Pa uphaun hum | writer | Pauphaunhum, Samuel |
pers0953.ocp | David N aun annuknuck | writer | Naunannuknuck, David |
pers0030.ocp | Samson Occom | recipient | Occom, Samson |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0023.ocp | Brotherton Brothertown | Brothertown |
place0165.ocp | New Stockbridge | Stockbridge |
place0165.ocp | N. New Stockbridge | Stockbridge |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0139.ocp | Muhheacunnuk Tribe | New Stockbridge Tribe |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1787-08-29 | AuguſtAugust 29th29th 1787 |
1787 | 1787 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
variation | manifiſt | manifest |
modernization | Deſires | desires |
variation | veiws | views |
modernization | Chriſtian | Christian |
modernization | preſerver | preserver |
variation | in to | into |
modernization | wilderneſs | wilderness |
modernization | raiſed | raised |
variation | untill | until |
modernization | Ambaſsador | ambassador |
modernization | purpoſe | purpose |
modernization | firſt | first |
modernization | inſtrument | instrument |
variation | resons | reasons |
modernization | becauſe | because |
modernization | progreſs | progress |
modernization | Jeſus | Jesus |
modernization | Chriſt | Christ |
modernization | amongſt | amongst |
variation | not withſtanding | notwithstanding |
modernization | promiſing | promising |
variation | a Broad | abroad |
modernization | Conſider | consider |
modernization | laſt | last |
modernization | Deſtruction | destruction |
modernization | Theſe | These |
modernization | conſiderations | considerations |
variation | induceth | induce |
variation | bigin | begin |
variation | chearfully | cheerfully |
modernization | purſue | pursue |
variation | bilieve | believe |
modernization | = | ‐ |
modernization | goodneſs | goodness |
modernization | raiſing | raising |
variation | fiting | fitting |
variation | Collour | colour |
modernization | inſtrumental | instrumental |
modernization | Cauſe | cause |
modernization | requeſt | request |
variation | Brotherton | Brothertown |
variation | agreable | agreeable |
variation | Previlidges | privileges |
modernization | Goſpel | Gospel |
modernization | Subſcribers | subscribers |
modernization | increaſe | increase |
modernization | Subſtance | substance |
variation | till | 'til |
modernization | reſt | rest |
variation | submitt | submit |
modernization | pleaſure | pleasure |
modernization | Joſeph | Joseph |
variation | Pohquannop[illegible]eet | Pauquunnuppeet |
modernization | Neſhoonnuhhuk | Neshoonnuhhuk |
modernization | Rev.d Mr | Rev. Mr. |
modernization | Auguſt | August |
modernization | 29th | 29th |
modernization | confeſsion | confession |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
N. | New |
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 4) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 14) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 4) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 155) |