Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to John Trumbull, 28 August 1775

The repeated accots we have had in the public prints
and other ways of Endeavors used by the Kings party to
induce the Negroes in the Southern Colonies to an Inſurrection,
has perſuaded me to give you the Trouble of the following Lines
which you may improve as you Shall think proper, and if they may
be any way useful my higheſt hopes are anſwered and Shall
account myſelf well rewarded.

Soon after I came in to this wilderneſs a mulatto young man who
was born of an Engliſh mother whoſe name was Watts and called this Son
Caleb he lived with her father [illegible: till he was fit to leave] [gap: blotted_out] came to me greatly desiring an Education he lived with his Grandfather Watts
Several years
and was then bound out to a hard Maſter & was Educated after
the Manner of a Slave, was never taught to read 'till he was
about 20 years old when it pleaſed a Sovereign God to impreſs his
Mind with a Senſe of the Reality & importance of things
revealed, by which he was made to deſire the Benefit of reading
the Scriptures, and by his Judging had advanced So far as to
be able to read the Bible Some parts of the Bible with underſtanding
when he came to me — he earneſtly deſired I would take
him under my Patronage on any terms which would conſiſt
with his gratifying his thirſt for Knowledge. I was well pleaſed
with the accot he gave of his religious Exerciſes & Sentiments,
and not knowing W.^t might be in the womb of Providence
for him or by him I allowed him to Tarry the firſt year [illegible]
or two he nearly payed the Expenses I was at for him. and though
I had no Fund for the Education of Such an one I was So much
pleaſed with his Diſpoſition and Conduct that I concluded Determined to
Suffer him to purſue his Studies at my own Riſque 'till providence
Should point out Something further, and as he is very Black for
one of half Blood, I did not know but providence might open
a Door for his great usefulniſs in Some of the Weſt India Islands
his Genius is about middling, his Prudence, modeſty, and Humility Simplicity
are great

great and his Appreciation Steady very great. he has got a pritty
[Good] underſtanding of Grammar, has read about 6 Books of the AEnids in
Virgil & About as Many Orations in Tilley. he has also
read the 4 Evangeliſts in Greek. but Ithink Y^t that it not
So neceſsary for his purpoſe to go through all the parts of a regular make him a great living &c
Education I allowed him to turn his Studies to such things branches as might
be Specifically Subſeirvent to a more Speedy usefulness. he has
he has Studied Rhetoric, Logick, Geography Ethics, and
several good authors in Divinity & has acquired a good understanding & is well Eſtablished in y^e gr^t Dsof o^r Relign — he has been Examined
and Judged to be qualified to edify Negroes & perſons of
Small [abilities] low capacitycharacter. And I know of no man more
likely to diſsuade thoſ Slaves from such villanies, or detect
& expoſe any plans formd by them for such a purpoſe than
he, if he Should be properly introduced & incouraged [by]
by their Maſters. nor one on whoſe Fidelity they may more Safely
rely — If you shall think this him deserving y^r thought & worthy to be communicated
you have full Liberty. but however that may be, pleaſe be
aſsured that I am with much Affection & Esteem