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

The repeated accounts 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,
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 into this wilderness a mulatto young man who
was born of an English mother whose name was Watts and called this Son
Caleb [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 and was Educated after
the Manner of a Slave, was never taught to read 'til he was
about 20 years old when it pleased a Sovereign God to impress his
Mind with a Sense of the Reality and 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 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 consiſt
with his gratifying his thirst for Knowledge. I was well pleased
with the account he gave of his religious Exercises and Sentiments,
and not knowing what might be in the womb of Providence
for him or by him I allowed him to Tarry the first year
or two he nearly paid 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 to
Suffer him to pursue his Studies at my own Risque 'til 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 usefulness in Some of the West India Islands
his Genius is about middling, his Prudence, modesty, and Simplicity
are great

great and his Appreciation Steady he has got a pretty
[Good] understanding of Grammar, has read about 6 Books of the Aeneid in
Virgil and About as Many Orations in Tilley. also
the 4 Evangelists in Greek. but think that it not
So necessary for his purpose to make him a great living etc.
I allowed him to turn his Studies to such things as might
be Subseirvent to a more Speedy usefulness.
he has Studied Rhetoric, Logick, Geography Ethics, and
several good authors in Divinity and has acquired a good understanding and is well Established in the great doctrinesof our religion — he has been Examined
and Judged to be qualified to edify Negroes and persons of
low character. And I know of no man more
likely to dissuade those Slaves from such villanies, or detect
and expose any plans formed by them for such a purpose than
he, if he Should be properly introduced and encouraged
by their Masters. nor one on whose Fidelity they may more Safely
rely — If you shall think this him deserving your thought and worthy to be communicated
you have full Liberty. but however that may be, please be
assured that I am with much Affection and Esteem