A plain and faithful narrative of the original design, rise, progress and present state of the Indian charity-school at Lebanon, in Connecticut

by Eleazar Wheelock

And there may also be admitted into this School, promising English Youth of pregnant Parts, and who from the best Principles, and by the best Motives, are inclined to devote themselves to that Service; and who will naturally care for their State.

Divine Skill in Things spiritual, pure and fervent Zeal for the Salvation of Souls, shining Examples of Piety and Godliness, by which Pagans will form their first Notions of Religion, rather than from any Thing that shall be said to them, are most necessary Qualifications in a Missionary; and promise more real Good than is to be expected from many Times the Number who have never "known the Terrors of the Lord," and have no experimental, and therefore no right Understanding of the Nature of Conversion and the Way wherein it is wrought. Such were never under the governing Influence of a real Sense of the Truth, Reality, Greatness and Importance of eternal Things, and therefore will not be likely to treat them suitable to the Nature and eternal Consequences of them, surely they will not naturally do it. And how sad are like to be the Consequences to those who are watching to see whether the Preacher himself does really believe the Things which he speaks.

In such a School their Studies may be directed with a special View to the Design of their Mission. Several Parts of Learning, which have no great Subserviency to it, and which will consume much Time, may be less pursued, and others most necessary made their chief Study. And they may not only learn the Pagan Languages, but will naturally get an Understanding of their Tempers, and many of their Customs, which must needs be useful to Missionaries. And instead of a delicate Manner of Living, they may by Degrees, as their Health will bear, enure themselves to such a Way of Living as will be most convenient for them to come into when on their Mission.

And if the one half of the Indian Boys thus educated shall prove good and useful Men, there will be no Reason to regret our Toil and Expence for the whole. And if God shall deny his Blessing on our Endeavours, as to the general Design, it may be these particular Youth may reap eternal Advantage by what we do for them; and if but one in ten does so, we shall have no Cause to think much of the Expence. And if a Blessing be denied to all, "we shall notwithstanding be unto God a sweet Savour of Christ in them that perish."

After the Trial I made of this Nature some Years ago, by the Assistance of the Honourable London Commissioners, in the Education of Mr. Samson Occom, one of the Mohegan Tribe, who has several Years since been a useful School-Master and successful Preacher of the Gospel to the Indians at Montauk on Long-Island, where he took the Place of the Rev. Mr. Horton, Missionary; and was, under God, instrumental to cure them, in a good Measure, of the Wildness they had been led into by some Exhorters from New-England, and in a Judgment of Charity was the Instrument of saving Good to a Number of them. He was several Years ago ordained to the sacred Ministry by the Reverend Presbytery of Suffolk County on said Island; and has done well, so far as I have heard, as a Missionary to the Oneida Nation, for two Years past. May God mercifully preserve him, amidst loud Applauses, from falling into the Snare and Condemnation of the Devil!—I say, after seeing the Success of this Attempt, I was more encouraged to hope that such a Method might be very successful.

With these Views of the Case, and from such Motives as have been mentioned, above Eight Years ago I wrote to the Reverend John Brainerd, Missionary in New-Jersey, desiring him to send me two likely Boys for this Purpose, of the Deleware Tribe: He accordingly sent me John Pumshire in the 14th, and Jacob Woolley in the 11th Years of their Age; they arrived here December 18th. 1754, and behaved as well as could be reasonably expected; Pumshire made uncommon Proficiency in Writing. They continued with me till they had made considerable Progress in the Latin and Greek Tongues; when Pumshire began to decline, and by the Advice of Physicians, I sent him back to his Friends, with Orders, if his Health would allow it, to return with two more of that Nation, whom Mr. Brainerd had at my Desire provided for me. Pumshire set out on his Journey, November 14th. 1756, and got Home, but soon died. And on April 9th. 1757, Joseph Woolley and Hezekiah Calvin came on the Horse which Pumshire rode.

The Decline and Death of this Youth was an instructive Scene to me, and convinced me more fully of the Necessity of special Care respecting their Diet; and that more Exercise was necessary for them, especially at their first coming to a full Table, and with so keen an Appetite, than was ordinarily necessary for English Youth. And with the Exercise of such Care, as one who understands the Case, and is willing to take the Trouble of it, may use, I am persuaded there is no more Danger of their Studies being fatal to them, than to our own Children. There have been several long Fits of Sickness of one and another in this School, with a nervous Fever, Pleurisies, Dysenterys &c. but perhaps not more than have been among so large a Number of common labouring People in so long a Time.

Sometime after those Boys came, the Affair appearing with an agreeable Aspect, it being then a Time of profound Peace in this Country, I represented the Affair to Colonel Elisha Williams, Esq; late Rector of Yale-College, and to the Rev'd Messi'rs Samuel Moseley of Windham, and Benjamin Pomeroy of Hebron, and invited them to join me; they readily accepted the Invitation; and a Gentleman learned in the Law supposed there might be such an Incorporation among ourselves as might fully answer our Purpose. And Mr. Joshua Moor, late of Mansfield, deceased, appeared to give a small Tenement in this Place, for the Foundation, Use and Support of a Charity-School, for the Education of Indian Youth, &c. But it pleased God to take the good Colonel from an unthankful World soon after the Covenant was made and executed, and thus deprived us of the Benefit of his singular Learning, Piety and Zeal in the Affair. Notwithstanding, a Subscription was soon made of near £.500 lawful Money, towards a Fund for the Support of it at 6 per Cent. But several Gentlemen of the Law, doubting of the Validity and Sufficiency of such an Incorporation; several Steps were taken to obtain the Royal Favour of a Charter, but none effectual. The War soon commenced, and the Reports from Day to Day of the Ravages made, and Inhumanities and Butcheries committed by the Savages on all Quarters, raised in the Breasts of great Numbers, a Temper so warm, and so contrary to Charity, that I seldom thought it prudent so much as to mention the Affair. Many advised me to drop it, but it appeared to others so probable to be the very Method which God would own, that I thought better to scrabble along with it, as well as I could, till divine Providence should change the Scene.

The Prospects, notwithstanding our outward Troubles, seemed to be increasing: Such was the orderly and good Behaviour of the Boys, through the Blessing of God on Instruction and Discipline, that Enemies could find but little or nothing that was true wherewith they might reproach the Design; and those whose Sentiments were friendly, observed with Pleasure the good Effects of our Endeavours: And the Liberalities, especially of Gentlemen of Character, encouraged me more and more to believe it to be of God, and that he designed to succeed and prosper it, to the Glory of his own great Name; and that I ought in Compliance with such Intimations of Providence from Time to Time, proportionably to increase the Number.

I have had two upon my Hands since December 18th. 1754, and Four since April, 1757, and Five since April 1759, and Seven since November, 1760, and Eleven since August 1st. 1761, and after this Manner they have encreased as I could obtain those who appeared promising. And for some Time I have had Twenty-five devoted to School as constantly as their Health will allow, and they have all along been so, excepting that in an extraordinary Croud of Business, I have sometimes required their Assistance. But there is no great Advantage, excepting to themselves, to be expected from their Labour, nor enough to compensate the Trouble of instructing them in it, and the Repair of the Mischiefs they will do, while they are ignorant of all the Affairs of Husbandry, and the Use of Tools. The principal Advantage I have ever had in this Respect has been by David Fowler and Joseph Woolley, and more by David than all the rest: These Lads will likely make good Farmers, if they should ever have the Advantage of Experience in it.