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

When, and as soon as the Method proposed by the Rev'd Mess. Sergeant and Brainerd, can be put into Execution, viz. to have Lands appropriated to the Use of Indian Schools, and prudent skilful Farmers, or Tradesmen, to lead and instruct the Boys, and Mistresses to instruct the Girls in such Manufactures as are proper for them, at certain Hours, as a Diversion from their School Exercises, and the Children taken quite away from their Parents, and the pernicious Influence of Indian Examples, there may be some good Prospect of great Advantage by Schools among them.

And must it be esteemed a wild Imagination, if it be supposed that well-instructed, sober, religious Indians, may with special Advantage be employed as Masters and Mistresses in such Schools; and that the Design will be much recommended to the Indians thereby; and that there may be special Advantage by such, serving as occasional Interpreters for Visitors from different Nations from Time to Time; and they hereby receive the fullest Conviction of the Sincerity of our Intentions, and be confirmed and established in friendly Sentiments of us, and encouraged to send their Children, &c.?

I am fully perswaded from the Acquaintance I have had with them, it will be found, whenever the Trial shall be made, to be very difficult if not impossible, unless the Arm of the Lord should be revealed in an eminent Manner, to cure them of such savage and sordid Practices, as they have been inured to from their Mother's Womb, and form their Minds and Manners to proper Rules of Virtue, Decency and Humanity, while they are daily under the pernicious Influence of their Parents Example, and their many Vices made familiar thereby.

10. I have found by Experience, there may be a thorough and effectual Exercise of Government in such a School, and as severe as shall be necessary, without Opposition from, or Offence taken by, any. And who does not know, that Evils so obstinate as those we may reasonably expert to find common in the Children of Savages, will require that which is severe? Sure I am, they must find such as have better Natures, or something more effectually done to subdue their vicious Inclinations, than most I have been concerned with, if it be not so. And moreover, in such a School, there will be the best Opportunity to know who has such a Genius and Disposition, as most invite to bestow extraordinary Expence to fit them for special Usefulness.

11. We have the greatest Security we can have, that when they are educated and fitted for it, they will be employed in that Business. There is no likelihood at all that they will, though ever so well qualified, get into Business, either as School-Masters or Ministers, among the English; at least till the Credit of their Nations be raised many Degrees above what it now is, and consequently they can't be employed as will be honorable for them, or in any Business they will be fit for, but among their own Nation. And it may reasonably be supposed, their Compassion towards their "Brethren according to the Flesh" will most naturally incline them to, and determine them upon such an Employment as they were fitted and designed for. And besides all this, abundant Experience has taught us, that such a change of Diet, and manner of Living as Missionaries must generally come into, will not consist with the Health of many Englishmen. And they will be obliged on that Account to leave the Service, though otherwise well disposed to it. Nor can this Difficulty be avoided at present (certainly not without great Expence.) But there is no great Danger or Difficulty in this Respect as to Indians, who will only return to what they were used to from their Mother's Womb.

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.

Three of this Number are English Youth, one of which is gone for a Time to New-Jersey College, for the sake of better Advantage for some Parts of Learning: He has made some Proficiency in the Mohawk Tongue: The other two are fitting for the Business of Missionaries. One of the Indian Lads is Jacob Woolley, who is now in his last Year at New-Jersey College, and is a good Scholar; he is here by the Leave and Order of the President, designing to get some Acquaintance with the Mohawk Tongue. Two others are sent here by the Rev. Mr. Brainera, and are designed for Trades; the one for a Blacksmith (a Trade much wanted among the Indians) and is to go to his Apprenticeship as soon as a good Place is ready for him; the other is designed for a Carpenter and Joiner, and is to go to an Apprenticeship as soon as he has learned to read and write. Another of the Indians is Son to the Sachem at Mohegan, and is Heir-aparent; he is somewhat infirm as to his bodily Health: For his Support last Year I have charged nothing more than 10l. lawful Money, granted by the Hon. London Commissioners. Several of my Scholars are considerably well accomplished for School Masters, and 7 or 8 will likely be well fitted for Interpreters in a few Years more. And four of this Number are Girls, whom I have hired Women in this Neighbourhood to instruct in all the Arts of good Housewifery, they attending the School one Day in a Week to be instructed in writing, &c. till they shall be fit for an Apprenticeship, to be taught to make Men's and Women's Apparel, &c. in order to accompany these Boys, when they shall have Occasion for such Assistance in the Business of their Mission.1 And six of them are Mohawks, obtained pursuant and according to the Direction of the Honorable General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, and are learning to speak, write, and read English: And the most of them make good Proficiency therein.

I have, by the good Providence of God, been favoured with religious, faithful and learned Masters, in general, from the first setting up of this School, at the Expence of about £.56 lawful Money per Annum, i. e. £.3 per Month, with their Board, and all Accommodations, and a Horse kept or provided when needed; which I suppose can't be esteemed less than the Sum which I mention: And if this seems to any to be large, I have only this to say, that I could not have the Choice of Masters at less Expence. But the Expence for Tuition will likely be saved for some Time, by the Generosity of a young Gentleman, who proposes to keep it gratis a few Months.

The Method of conducting this School has been, and is designed to be after this Manner, viz. they are obliged to be clean, and decently dressed, and be ready to attend Prayers, before Sun-rise in the Fall and Winter, and at 6 o'Clock in the Summer. A Portion of Scripture is read by several of the Seniors of them: And those who are able answer a Question in the Assembly's Catechism, and have some Questions asked them upon it, and an Answer expounded to them. After Prayers, and a short Time for their Diversion, the School begins with Prayer about 9, and ends at 12, and again at 2, and ends at 5 o'Clock with Prayer. Evening Prayer is attended before the Day-light is gone. Afterwards they apply to their Studies, &c. They attend the publick Worship, and have a Pew devoted to their Use, in the House of God. On Lord's-Day Morning, between and after the Meetings, the Master, or some one whom they will submit to, is with them, inspects their Behaviour, hears them read, catechises them, discourses to them, &c. And once or twice a Week they hear a Discourse calculated to their Capacities upon the most important and interesting Subjects. And in general they are orderly and governable: They appear to be as perfectly easy and contented with their Situation and Employment as any at a Father's House, I scarcely hear a Word of their going Home, so much as for a Visit, for Years together, except it be when they first come.

And the Success of Endeavours hitherto, the general Approbation of great and good Men, and the Testimonies many have given of it, by their seasonable Liberality towards its Support, have seemed to me such evident Tokens of a Divine Hand in Favour of it, and so plain Intimations of the Divine Will concerning it, that I have, as I said before, thought it Duty, notwithstanding all Discouragements, to pursue the Design, and endeavour to keep Pace with the Providences of God in Favour of it as to their Number, and trust in Him, "whose the Earth is, and the Fulness thereof," for further Supplies. And I have hoped this would be esteemed sufficient to clear me of the Imputation of Presumption and Rashness in risquing my own private Interest, as I have done.

The Honourable London Commissioners hearing of the Design, enquired into it, and encouraged it by an Allowance of 12l. lawful Money, by their Vote November 12. 1756. And again in the Year 1758 they allowed me 20l.—and in November 4th, 1760, granted me an annual Allowance of 20l. for my Assistance—and in October 8th, 1761, they granted me 12l. towards the Support of Isaiah Uncas, Son of the Sachem of Mohegan, and 10l. more for his Support the following Year. In October 1756, I received a Legacy of fifty-nine Dollars of Mrs. Ann Bingham of Windham. In July 1761, I received a generous Donation of Fifty Pounds Sterling from the Right Hon. William, Marquis of Lothian. And in Nov. 1761, a Donation of 25l. Sterl. from Mr. Hardy of London—and in May 1762, a second Donation of 50l. Sterl. from that most Honorable and noble Lord, the Marquis of Lothian; and at the same Time 20l. Sterl. from Mr. Samuel Savage, Merchant in London: And a Collection of Ten Guineas from the Rev. Dr. A. Giffords in London: And 10l. Sterl. more from a Lady in London, unknown, which is still in the Hands of a Friend, and to be remitted with some additional Advantage, and to be accounted for when received. And also for 7 Years past I have, one Year with another, received about 11l. lawful Money Annually, Interest of Subscriptions. And in my Journey to Portsmouth last June, I received in private Donations 66l. 17s. 7d. 1-4th. lawful Money. I also received for the Use of this School, a Bell of about 80 lb. weight, from a Gentleman in London. In November 1761, the Great and General Court or Assembly of the Province of Massachusetts-Bay, voted, That I should be allowed to take under my Care six Children of the Six Nations, for Education, Clothing and Boarding, and be allowed for that Purpose, for each of said Children, 12l. per Annum for one Year, which Boys I have obtained, and they have been for some Time in this School.

The Honourable Scotch Commissioners in and near Boston, understanding and approving of the Design of sending for Indian Children of remote Tribes, to be educated here, were the first Body, or Society, who have led the Way in making an Attempt for that Purpose. Which because of the Newness and remarkable Success of it, and because it may encourage such a Design in time to come, I suppose it may not be disagreeable, if I am a little particular in my Account of it: While I was in Boston they passed a Vote to this purpose, May 7, 1761, "That the Reverend Mr. Wheelock of Lebanon be desired, to fit out David Fowler, an Indian Youth, to accompany Mr. Sampson Occom, going on a Mission to the Oneidas, that said David be supported on said Mission for a Term not exceeding 4 Months; and that he endeavour on his Return to bring with him a Number of Indian Boys, not exceeding three, to be put under Mr. Wheelock's Care and Instruction, and that 20l. be put into Mr. Wheelock's Hands to carry this Design into Execution; and that when said Sum shall be expended, he advise the Treasurer of it, and send his Accounts for Allowance."

Pursuant to this Vote I cloathed and furnished said David with Horse and Money, for his long Tour into the Wilderness, which he set out on June 10th, in Company with Mr. Occom, by the Way of New-York; in which Journey he rode above a thousand Miles, and by the Advice, Direction and Assistance of Sir William Johnson, obtained three Boys of the Mohawk Nation, who were willing to leave their Friends and Country and come among Strangers of another Language, and quite another Manner of Living, and where, perhaps, no one of their Nation then living had ever been; and among a People of whom their Nation have been of a long Time inclined to entertain Jealousies. Their Names were Joseph, Negyes, and Center. They arrived here August 1st, 1761, but had so much Caution in the extraordinary Enterprize, that they brought each of them an Horse from their own Country. Two of them were but little better than naked, and could not speak a Word of English. The other being of a Family of Distinction among them, was considerably cloathed, Indian-fashion, and could speak a few Words of English. They let me know, as soon as I could understand them, that Sir Wm. Johnson had told them they should return and visit their Friends in the Fall of the Year. I took speedy Care to cleanse and cloath them. They many Ways discovered some Jealousies respecting the Design of their coming; but by Acquaintance and Freedom with other Indians in the School, and by constant Care for them and Kindness to them, those Jealousies seemed in a little Time to wear away, and they appeared to feel and enjoy themselves as though they had been at home in a Father's House. Daily Care was exercised for them, and particular Caution that they might in no Instance appear to be, thro' Disrespect, distinguished from any in the School. Such Distinction, or any thing which they apprehend to be so, I find will at once occasion Jealousies and Disaffection. And this seems to be agreeable to a settled Principle among themselves, (according to which they are wont to treat their Captives) viz. that those who take the Patronage of Children, not their own, shall treat them in all respects as their own.

Center's Countenance, as I thought when he came, discovered that he was not in Health. My Suspicions increased, and the Issue proved they were not groundless. He continued with me till the Fall, when the Physician I employed advised me, that his Disorders threatned his Life, and prevailed to such a Degree that he looked upon him to be incurable, and that he judged it best to send him back to his Friends, and that soon, or it would be too late to send him at all; and according to this Advice I sent him away with Negyes, having furnished them with Money for their Journey into the Mohawk Country, on the 23d Day of October. Joseph tarried longer to accompany young Kirtland, who was learning the Mohawk Language of him, and whom I sent into that Country to obtain six Boys of those Nations, to partake of the Benefit of Sir Peter Warren's Legacy, according to the Instructions of the General Assembly of the Province of Massachusetts-Bay, before mentioned.

Center reached home, but died soon after. Negyes, I hear, was captivated by a young Female and married. Mr. Kirtland and Joseph set out for the Mohawk Country November 4th, and returned November 27th, and brought two Mohawk Lads with them, viz. Moses and Johannes, by whom Sir Wm. Johnson informed me that he expected to be able to send the Rest when they came in from hunting. I informed the Hon. Commissioners of the State of the Case, and by a Letter from the Reverend Dr. Chauncy, Chairman of their Committee, in the Name of the rest, was desired to let them have in their Pay and under their Direction these two who came last with Joseph, which I consented to, provided they would remit the necessary Charges which I had been at in procuring and cloathing them, and give me as I afterwards charged them for their Support and Tuition, upon which Conditions they took them. I immediately sent to Sir Wm. Johnson for other six to partake of Sir Peter Warren's Legacy. These three, viz. Joseph, Moses and Johannes, continued with me in the Pay of the Commissioners till May 27, 1762, when I offered said Committee my Accompt, the whole Amount of which, that is, for cloathing and furnishing David with Horse and Money for his Support in his long Journey of several Months, the Expence of the Boy's Journey home above 200 Miles. The Expence of Kirtland's Journey (excepting his Horse) into that Country to bring down Moses and Johannes. The pasturing the Horses of the first three the time they continued here, in a dry and difficult Season; the cloathing all five, and repairing their Cloathing the whole Time they tarried; the Boarding and Schooling them, finding Washing, Lodging, Firewood, Candles, Books, Paper, &c. I say, the Amount of the Expence for the Five and in the whole Affair for near twelve Months, Errors excepted, was but just 58l. 17s. 7d. 1-4th. Sterling. But in this Accompt I charged nothing for several expensive Journeys in this Government, taken by myself, and another preparatory and necessary to the Design of David's Mission, nor for any Labour, Care or Pains of my own therein from first to last—For their Board, Washing and Lodging but 5s. per Week; the lowest common Price in these Parts was 6s. L. M. What Cloathing, &c. they had of me, I charged at the lowest Cash-price, and what I got for them of our Traders, Shoemakers, Taylors, &c. I charged just as they charged me, without any Advance in one Instance. I charged nothing for extraordinary Trouble and Care for Center, in his declining State; nor did the Physician charge for what he did for him. And there were other Provisions made to prevent Expence of Money in their Journeyings more than is common, for which there was nothing charged, by all which the Accompt was somewhat less than it would otherwise have been–But then on the other Hand it may be considered,