Samuel Kirkland, letter, to Peter Thacher, 1794 March 13

Author Kirkland, Samuel[pers0315.ocp]

13 March 1794[1794-03-13]

Call Number794213

[note (type: abstract): Kirkland writes to Thacher about his return from Boston to the mission at Oneida, his plans for building the Hamilton Oneida Academy, the formation of an Association of clergymen in the vicinity, and a letter of complaint against him sent to the Board by a group of Indians.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is not overly formal, yet it is clear and legible.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in fair condition, with moderate-to-heavy creasing and wear that interferes somewhat with the legibility of the text. Older preservation work also results in a slight dimming of the text.][note (type: ink): Brown-black.][note (type: noteworthy): A small fragment of paper bearing the letters “me” was torn from the left edge of two recto and is affixed to the center of two verso. It forms the word “some” on two recto, line 13.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir,


After a fatiguing Journey,
in my return from Boston[place0013.ocp], [thro' | through]thro'through divine [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness,
I arrived here in safety the first instant; and
found my family in health.. kept Sabbath at
the settlement of Chirten[place0317.ocp], [& | and]&and [aſsisted | assisted]aſsistedassisted in celebrating the
sacrament of the Lords supper. It being too late
when I arrived on Saturday evening, to send to [Kanon­
walohale | Kana­
walohale]
Kanon­
walohale
Kana­
walohale
[place0114.ocp]
, to notify the Christian Indians, who are
in good standing, very few Indians were [preſent | present]preſentpresent.
 Attended two days the last week, with the Trustees
of [H. O. | Hamilton Oneida]H. O.Hamilton Oneida Academy[org0125.ocp]. they have unanimously agreed
to erect their building the [enſuing | ensuing]enſuingensuing [seaſon | season]seaſonseason [illegible][guess (h-dawnd): :]: a con­
siderable part of the materials are already collected.
 It has been for some time proposed, [& | and]&and in contem­
plation, for the young Clergymen settled in this
vicinity to form into an [aſsociation | association]aſsociationassociation, or [Presbitery | Presbytery]PresbiteryPresbytery,
for the purposes of promoting Evangelical principles
ministerial fellowship, [& | and]&and fraternal affection;
and [above] unitedlyunitedly to guard, as much as [poſsible | possible]poſsiblepossible against the
baneful Influence of wild, [deſigning | designing]deſigningdesigning zealots,
with which th [illegible][guess (h-dawnd): e]e young, but flourishing settlements
in this frontier are much threatened. — Particularly
the methodists[org0111.ocp][& | and]&and Baptists[org0124.ocp], ([& | and]&and such as appear to be
of the lowest [claſs | class]claſsclass), are travelling [thro' | through]thro'through almost every
part of this [extenſive | extensive]extenſiveextensive frontier. . It will not be
uncharitable to say, they bear the signature of
 erroneous
erroneous teachers [& | and]&and blind guides. —
It will undoubtedly give you [pleaſure | pleasure]pleaſurepleasure to be
informed that this [Aſsociation | association]Aſsociationassociation is nearly completed:
[altho' | although]altho'although but four in number to make the [begining | beginning]beginingbeginning;
Viz. [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. [Meſsrs | Messrs.]MeſsrsMessrs. Dan Bradly[pers0732.ocp], Joel Bradly[pers0733.ocp],
[Aſahel | Asahel]AſahelAsahel Norton[pers0734.ocp]. [& | and]&and myself. . all settled our
Congregation, in what was formerly called
Whitestown[place0313.ocp][& | and]&and vicinity of Oneida[place0179.ocp].
 This [Aſsociation | association]Aſsociationassociation will afford an [oppurtunity | opportunity]oppurtunityopportunity
for the numerous settlements in this quarter, who
are destitute of a preached Gospel, to apply for
aid [& | and]&and council, without [above] the trouble ofthe trouble of sending several hundred
miles, [& | and]&and sometimes wait[illegible]ing half a year before they
can receive an [anſwer | answer]anſweranswer. —
 Our [Aſsociation | association]Aſsociationassociation, will tend to give the Indians
a favourable idea of the gospel ministry [& | and]&and its impor­
tance; Their attendance only upon two ordinations,
in the neighbourhood, [& | and]&and particularly [thoſe | those]thoſethose who
came as delegates, or [meſsengers | messengers]meſsengersmessengers, from Oneida[place0179.ocp] [& | and]&and
Brothertown[place0023.ocp], produced the kindest Effects. —
 Last week had several Conferences with Indians who
came to [viſit | visit]viſitvisit me. Friday went to oneida[place0179.ocp]— preached on
Lords day — an in the evening rode 20 miles to meet
the [superintendant | superintendent]superintendantsuperintendent of Indian affairs[pers0735.ocp], lately from the
westward, [& | and]&and very [deſirous | desirous]deſirousdesirous of an interview with me, [& | and]&and
some Indians from Grand River[place0310.ocp]— . —
 Several Indians ha[illegible]ve told me, that a private
letter has been wrote from oneida[place0179.ocp] To the Board[org0011.ocp],
with complaints against me,— and that [Mr | Mr.]MrMr.
Sergeant[pers0470.ocp]
[conniv'd | connived]conniv'dconnived at their conduct — while aided
by one of [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. [Occum | Occom]OccumOccom[pers0030.ocp]s [partiſans | partisans]partiſanspartisans; — Ex-parte. Complaints,
and Ex-parte evidence dont wear the aspect of
candour, nor the complexion of integrity. —
As it was formerly said, our "law does not
condemn a [perſon | person]perſonperson unheard, I trust the
[Hon.le | Honourable]Hon.leHonourable Board[org0011.ocp] will favour me with a Copy
of their letter, before they act upon it.
 My informants, [deſired | desired]deſireddesired me, to say nothing
upon the subject, but to wait [& | and]&and see if they
would be [honeſt | honest]honeſthonest [eno' | enough]eno'enough to acknowledge it.
They [illegible][receved | received]recevedreceived me with their [uſual | usual]uſualusual warmth of
affection — and as yet have not [discloſed | disclosed]discloſeddisclosed a
single word of their private letter. —
There are several of the french party — [& | and]&and so [gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): me]me
that are fallen under [cenſure | censure]cenſurecensure, who are ve[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): ry]ry
bitter against me; — [& | and]&and particularly one of
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. [Occum | Occom]OccumOccom[pers0030.ocp]s [partiſans | partisans]partiſanspartisans whose iniquity I was
obliged to reprove, [& | and]&and expose. — But amidst all
their [diviſions | divisions]diviſionsdivisions [& | and]&and [animoſities | animosities]animoſitiesanimosities — I have the affection
[& | and]&and confidence of the better part, as much as ever
I had, [& | and]&and in some [inſtances | instances]inſtancesinstances much more. —
 I shall write you again [e'er | ever]e'erever long upon the
Subject.— I cannot add to the respect
with which I am, [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. [S.r | Sir]S.rSir

[Closer]
Your [obedt | obedient]obedtobedient [hum | humble]humhumble [Servt | Servant]ServtServant
[S. | Samuel]S.Samuel Kirkland[pers0315.ocp]
[Postscript]
[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.[ D.r | Dr.] D.rDr. Thacher[pers0532.ocp]
 [Secrty | Secretary]SecrtySecretary
[Trailer]
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. [S | Samuel]SSamuel kirkland[pers0315.ocp]
March 13 1794[1794-03-13]

[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Doctor Thacher[pers0532.ocp]



 Boston[place0013.ocp]
Document Summary

People identified in this document:

id Text in document Role in header Authorized Name
pers0732.ocp Dan Bradly mentioned Bradly, Dan
pers0733.ocp Joel Bradly mentioned Bradly, Joel
pers0734.ocp Aſahel Asahel Norton mentioned Norton, Asahel
pers0735.ocp superintendant superintendent of Indian affairs mentioned Chapin, Israel
pers0470.ocp M r Mr. Sergeant mentioned Sergeant, Jr., John
pers0030.ocp M r Mr. Occum Occom mentioned Occom, Samson
pers0315.ocp S. Samuel Kirkland writer Kirkland, Samuel
pers0532.ocp Rev d Rev. D. r Dr. Thacher recipient Thacher, Peter
pers0315.ocp M r Mr. S Samuel kirkland writer Kirkland, Samuel
pers0532.ocp Rev d Rev. Doctor Thacher recipient Thacher, Peter

Places identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
place0183.ocp Oriskene near oneida Oriskany
place0179.ocp oneida Oneida
place0013.ocp Boston Boston
place0317.ocp Chirten Chirten
place0114.ocp Kanon­ walohale Kana­ walohale Kanawalohale
place0313.ocp Whitestown Whitestown
place0179.ocp Oneida Oneida
place0023.ocp Brothertown Brothertown
place0310.ocp Grand River Grand River, Canada

Organizations identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
org0125.ocp H. O.Hamilton Oneida Academy Hamilton College
org0111.ocp methodists Methodism
org0124.ocp Baptists Baptists/Seventh Day Baptists
org0011.ocp the Board Boston Board of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge
org0011.ocp Hon.leHonourable Board Boston Board of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge

Dates identified in this document:

Standard Form Text
1794-03-13 March 13th13th 1794
1794-03-13 March 13 1794

Regularized text:

Type Original Regularized
modernization 13th 13th
modernization Revd Rev.
modernization goodneſs goodness
modernization aſsisted assisted
variation Kanon­
walohale
Kana­
walohale
modernization preſent present
modernization enſuing ensuing
modernization seaſon season
modernization aſsociation association
variation Presbitery Presbytery
modernization poſsible possible
modernization deſigning designing
modernization claſs class
modernization extenſive extensive
modernization pleaſure pleasure
modernization Aſsociation association
variation begining beginning
modernization Meſsrs Messrs.
modernization Aſahel Asahel
variation oppurtunity opportunity
modernization anſwer answer
modernization thoſe those
modernization meſsengers messengers
modernization viſit visit
variation superintendant superintendent
modernization deſirous desirous
modernization Mr Mr.
variation Occum Occom
modernization partiſans partisans
modernization perſon person
modernization deſired desired
modernization honeſt honest
modernization uſual usual
modernization discloſed disclosed
modernization cenſure censure
modernization diviſions divisions
modernization animoſities animosities
modernization inſtances instances
modernization D.r Dr.

Expanded abbreviations:

Abbreviation Expansion
thro' through
& and
H. O. Hamilton Oneida
altho' although
conniv'd connived
Hon.le Honourable
eno' enough
receved received
e'er ever
S.r Sir
obedt obedient
hum humble
Servt Servant
S. Samuel
Secrty Secretary
S Samuel

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