Samuel Kirkland, letter, to Peter Thacher, 1794 March 13
13 March 1794[1794-03-13]
ms 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]
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 | Kanawalohale]Kanon walohaleKanawalohale[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] unitedly^unitedly 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 of^the 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]
[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 | Kanawalohale |
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 |
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 36) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 29) |
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Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 121) |