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

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,