The History of Dartmouth College Part 55

"Since there is great misrepresentations by some concerning my life and education, I take this opportunity to give the world, in few words, the true account of my education. I was born a heathen in Mmoyanheeunnuck, alias Mohegan, in New London, North America. My parents were altogether heathens, and I was educated by them in their heathenish notions, though there was a sermon preached to our Mohegan tribe sometimes, but our Indians regarded not the Christian religion.

They would persist in their heathenish ways, and my parents in particular were very strong in the customs of their forefathers, and they led a wandering life up and down in the wilderness, for my father was a great hunter. Thus I lived with them till I was sixteen years old, and then there was a great stir of religion in these parts of the world both amongst the Indians as well as the English, and about this time I began to think about the Christian religion, and was under great trouble of mind for some time. I thought the religion which I heard at this time was a new thing among mankind, such as they never heard the like before, so ignorant was I, and when I was seventeen years of age I received a hope, and as I begun to think about religion, so I began to learn to read, though I went to no school till I was in my nineteenth year, and then I went to the Rev. Mr.

Wheelock's to learning, and spent four years there, and was very weakly most of the time; this is the true account of my education.

Samson Occom.

"Boston, Nov. 28, 1765."

Mr. Occom spent the closing years of a useful life at Brotherton, N.

Y., where he died, in 1792, aged nearly seventy.

"A List of Charity Scholars (in Rev. E. Wheelock's School), from 1754 to 1767:

John Pumps.h.i.+re, a Delaware.

Jacob Woolley, a Delaware.

Samson Woyboy.

Joseph Woolley, a Delaware.

Hezekiah Calvin, a Delaware.

Joseph Johnson, a Mohegan.

David Fowler, a Montauk.

Aaron Occom, a Mohegan.

Samuel Kirtland, of Norwich.

Isaiah Uncas, a Mohegan.

Amie Johnson, a Mohegan.

Joseph Brant, } Negyes ----, } Mohawks.

Center ----, dead, } Miriam Stores, a Delaware.

Moses ----, } Mohawks.

Johannes ----, } Sarah Wyog, a Mohegan.

Enoch Closs, a Delaware.

Samuel Tallman, a Delaware.

Daniel Mossock, a Farmington.

Abraham Primus, } Abraham Secundus, } Mohawks.

Peter ----, } Patience Johnson, a Mohegan.

Samuel Gray, of Boston.

Mr. Samuel Ashpo, a Mohegan.

Eleazar Sweetland, of Andover.

Jacob Fowler, a Montauk.

Manuel Simon, a Narraganset.

Hannah Poquiantus, a Nehantic.

Hannah Garret, a Narraganset.

Mary Sequetta.s.s, a Narraganset.

David Avery, of Norwich.

David McCluer, of Boston.

Mr. t.i.tus Smith, of South Hadley.

William Primus, } William Secundus, } Mohawks.

Elias ----, }

Mr. Theophilus Chamberlain, of South Hadley.

Susannah, } Katharine, } Mohawks.

Mary ----, } David ----, an Oneida.

Mr. Aaron Kinne, of Volentown.

Mundeus, } Oneidas.

Jacob, } Sarah Simons, a Narraganset.

Charles Daniel, a Narraganset.

John Green, a Mohawk.

Sam'l Johnson, a member of Yale College.

Allen Mather, of Windsor.

William, an Oneida.

Paulus, a Mohawk.

Seth ----, a Mohawk.

John Shaddock, } Narragansets.

Toby Shaddock, } Levi Frisbie, of Branford.

Abigail ----, } Narragansets.

Martha ----, } Toby Shadock's wife and child.

Margaret ----."

In the "History of the Five Indian Nations," by Cadwallader Colden, we find the following paragraph:

"The French priests had (from time to time) persuaded several of the Five Nations to leave their own country and to settle near Montreal, where the French are very industrious in encouraging them. Their numbers have been likewise increased by the prisoners the French have taken in war, and by others who have run from their own country because of some mischief that they had done, or debts which they owed to the Christians. These Indians all profess Christianity, and therefore are commonly called the Praying Indians by their countrymen, and they are called _Cahnuagas_ (Caghnawagas) by the people of Albany."

"An agreement between the Reverend Doctor Eleazar Wheelock, president of Dartmouth College, and Mr. John Smith, late tutor of the same, with respect to said Mr. Smith's settlement and salary in capacity of professor of the languages in Dartmouth College.

"Mr. Smith agrees to settle as Professor of English, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, etc., in Dartmouth College, to teach which, and as many of these and other such languages as he shall understand, as the Trustees shall judge necessary and practicable for one man, and also to read lectures on them, as often as the president, tutors, etc., with himself shall judge profitable for the Seminary. He also agrees, while he can do it consistently with his office as professor, annually to serve as tutor to a cla.s.s of students in the College. In consideration of which, Dr. Wheelock agrees to give him (the said Mr.

Smith) one hundred pounds L. My. annually as a salary to be paid one half in money and the other half in money or in such necessary articles for a family as wheat, Indian corn, rye, beef, pork, mutton, b.u.t.ter, cheese, hay, pasturing, etc., as long as he shall continue professor as aforesaid, and that he shall have these articles delivered to him at the same price for which they were usually sold before the commencement of the present war in America, viz.: that he shall have wheat at 5s. per bushel, rye at 3s., Indian corn at 2s.

6d., fresh beef at 3d. per lb., salt beef at 4-1/2d., fresh pork at 4-1/2d., salt do. at 7d., fresh beef at 18s. per ct., do. pork at 25s., mutton at 3d. per lb., b.u.t.ter at 3d., cheese at 3d., bread at 2d., hay at 30s. per ton, pasturing per season for horse 30s., for cow 20s., and also to give him one acre of land near the College for a building spot, a deed of which he promises to give him whenever he shall request the same. Doctor Wheelock also agrees that Mr. Smith's salary, viz.: one hundred pounds annually, shall not be diminished when his business as professor shall be so great that it will render it impracticable for him to serve as a tutor to a cla.s.s in College; and that Mr. Smith shall not be removed from his professors.h.i.+p except the Trustees of Dartmouth College shall judge him incapacitated therefor, and also that Mr. Smith's salary shall begin with the date hereof. Doctor Wheelock also promises to lay this agreement before the Trustees of Dartmouth College to be confirmed by them at their next meeting. Mr. Smith also promises that whenever he shall have a sufficient support from any fund established for the maintenance of a professor of languages, he will give up the salary to which the agreement ent.i.tles him.

"In testimony whereof, we have hereunto interchangeably affixed our hands and seals this 9th day of November, 1777.

"Eleazar Wheelock. [L. S.]

"John Smith. [L. S.]

"In presence of: "Sylva.n.u.s Ripley.

"Joseph Mottey."

"July 3, 1816. The Governor and Council appointed Hon. Josiah Bartlett, of Stratham, Hon. Joshua Darling, of Henniker, Hon. Wm. H.

Woodward, of Hanover, Matthew Harvey, Esq., of Hopkinton, and Levi Woodbury, Esq., of Francestown, Trustees of Dartmouth University, and on the following day added Henry Hubbard, Esq., of Charlestown, Dr.

Cyrus Perkins, of Hanover, Aaron Hutchinson, Esq., of Lebanon, and Daniel M. Durell, Esq., of Dover. On the same days, Hon. John Langdon, of Portsmouth, Hon. William Gray, of Boston, Ma.s.s., Gen. Henry Dearborn, of Roxbury, Ma.s.s., Rev. Thomas Baldwin, of Boston, Hon.

Joseph Story, of Salem, Ma.s.s., Hon. W. Crownins.h.i.+eld, of Salem, Ma.s.s., Hon. Benjamin Greene, of Berwick, Me., Hon. Cyrus King, of Saco, Me., Elisha Ticknor, Esq., of Boston, Hon. Clifton Claggett, of Amherst, Hon. Dudley Chase, of Randolph, Vt., Gen. Henry A. S. Dearborn, of Boston, Hon. Jonathan H. Hubbard, of Windsor, Vt., Hon. George Sullivan, of Exeter, James T. Austin, Esq., of Boston, Hon. Levi Lincoln, Jr., of Worcester, Ma.s.s., Hon. Albion K. Parris, of Paris, Me., Amos Twitch.e.l.l, M.D., of Keene, Hon. William A. Griswold, of Danville, Vt., Hon. Clement Storer, of Portsmouth, and Rev. David Sutherland, of Bath, Overseers of Dartmouth University."