SIR. W. JOHNSON TO HUGH GAINE. Johnson hall Septr 8th 1768. Sir I have Just received your Letter concerning the Indian prayer book, which was put into the late Mr Weymans hands, The Multiplicity of business prevented my Writing to him About it for some time past, Tho' I heartily wish it was Completed. I cannot recollect whether Mr Weyman was Advanced any thing on Accot but believe not by me. Neither do I remember what were the conditions of our Agreement tho' to the best of my remembrance there was Something proposed in that way, but that so usefull a Work might not be Longer delayed, I should be glad you would inform me what would be the Expence of re-printing the Letters A. & H. so as to Complete 400 Copys (which I think may be sufficient) in a Good Legible Character & on Suitable Paper, if your Charge will Answer My purpose I shall then desire you to Compleat the Work, and shall by the favor of Mr Ogilvies Assistance which I make no doubt he will chearfully give on such an Occasion. Please to send an answer to Sir I was to have abt 20 Books neatly bound & Gilt. Mr Hugh Gaine. Your most humble Servant HUGH GAINE TO SIR WM JOHNSON. New-York, Sept 17, 1768. Sir Your Favour of the 8th Instant I this Day received, and since my last to you have found a Memorandum among Mr Weyman's Papers, in the following Words; "In this Size [which is marked on a Sheet of Paper,] it will make 20 Sheets in 4to, which on account of the Difficulty of the Tongue or Language, cannot be done for less that 36s per Sheet, and Sir William must pay for the Paper besides, which will be from 12s to 18s per Ream, and each Ream will scarcely make 450, the whole therefore will amount to £36: 0: 0 for printing only: The binding also must be paid by Sir William." By the above agreement the reprinting the Letters A and H, will amount to no more than £3: 12: 0, and the Paper I think not more than 4s. I am very glad Mr Weyman has had no money advanced him on account of this Work, as what he has done will serve to pay some Part of his Debts. With regard to the Binding, I do suppose they will cost about 1s 6d each, and the 20 you want gilt, and I suppose in red Morocco, will come very high; however the whole shall be well executed, and on as easy Terms as possible, by Sir To Sir Wm Johnson, Bart. Your humble Servant H. GAINE. MR. J. W. BROWN TO SIR WM. JOHNSON. Schonactady Oct 19th 1768. Hond Sir I Received your Interesting Letter, which I immediately Communicated the contents which regards the Church to the Vestry which made us all very happy, but as we want words to Express our gratefull Sentiments to you as we ought we must be silent we shall instantly sett about finishing the Church, tho I fear it will be too late in the season to Plaister the walls. According to order I have sent 1 Barrell of Rusk Branded on the Head E B which I hope is come safe to hand and am with the most gratefull Respect To Sir William Johnston Barnet. Hond Sir Your most Obliged Humbl Servant JW BROWN.1 MEMORIAL OF REVD. MR. WHEELOCK. To Their Excellencies Sir William Johnson Baronet Superintendent of Indian Affairs in North America, Sir Henry Moore Esquire Governor of the Province of New York, Benjamin Franklin Esquire Governor of the Province of New Jersey and John Penn Esquire Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, now convened at Fort Stanwix. The Memorial of Eleazer Wheelock of Lebanon in the Colony of Connecticut, Founder and Director of the Indian Charity School in said Colony, humbly sheweth. That said School was founded with a single view to promote the knowledge of the only true God, and our common Salvation especially among the Savages of this Land; thereby to deliver them from their present miseries, make them good Members of Society, loyal Subjects to our rightful Sovereign, and especially cordial subjects to the King of Zion. and the Plan has since been well approved, and the School generously endowed by the Liberalities of his present Majesty King George the third, and by many Noblemen and Gentlemen in Europe, as well as by many charitably disposed People in America.—and much Labour and cost have been already expended to fit and qualify a number both English and Indians for Missionaries and School-Masters among their several Tribes who are now or will soon be ready to enter upon their respective services, if suitable doors should 1 We learn from Mr. L. H. Willard of Union College, that JOHN W. BROWN was born in the year 1727; he came to this country from London and settled in Schenectady in 1748. He married a Miss Wemple, and left one son and two daughters. After having passed evenly through the troubles of the revolution, in which he manifested very little interest, and arriving at an advanced age, he laid down to rest in 1814. The following is a copy of the inscription on a slab in St. George's Church, Schenectady: De opened for their improvement therein. Some attempts have also been already made among the Onoidas, and not without some encouraging Prospect that their Lives and Manners may be soon formed to rules of decency, civility and religion.-Some endeavors have also been used by your Memorialists the last spring to introduce Missionaries and School-Masters among the Onondagas and Tuscaroras, which proposal they appeared to approve; but suspended their full determination to comply with it; till they could have the concurrence of their Brethren of other Tribes therein. And your Memorialist, being now informed that all the Nations are summoned to meet upon the present public occasion, has judged it seasonable to improve the same for the purposes aforesaid, and especially as he hopes he may have the advantage of your countenance and Influence, therein; which he doubts not your compassion towards those miserable Creatures will constrain you cheerfully to afford to the utmost of your power if you shall think the Plan well devised to attain the end proposed. And he has therefore sent the Revd Ebenezer Cleaveland1 and Mr Allen Mather on purpose to solicit your favour and assistance in this matter, by recommending to them the design of sending Missionaries and School-Masters among their several Tribes; or by any other ways or means, which your great wisdom and prudence shall dictate-relying on your Candour and the Nature of the Cause to excuse the freedom and boldness herein assumed by him, who is with highest Esteem and Respect, May it please your Excellencies, Your most obedient and most humble servant Dated at Lebanon October 16th A. D. 1768. ELEAZER WHEELOCK. CAVEAT OF TWO N. E. MISSIONARIES. AGAINST HIS MAJESTY'S ORDERS TO SIR WM. JOHnson. To the Honble Sir William Johnson Superint of the Six Nations &c. Your Excellency having receiv'd a Letter lately from the Revd Dr E. Wheelock as also seen his Instructions for propegateing the Gospel among the Indus &c. Pursuant wherunto These are humbly to desire & importune your Excellency, That in as much as your Excellency hath been pleased more publicly, & privately to manifest an approbation, & goodliking to the Drs plan, and laudable design of propegateing the glorious Gospel among the Indus, under your Excellencies Superintendency so your Excellency would please Still to countenance, & encourage the truely noble design. And in order to prosecute the same to effect, that your Excellency (as a tender Father to these perishing Indians) would be pleased, of your most generous & benevolent disposition, so to befriend their cause, as to prevent their setting themselves off from their Lands; therby to frusterate the aforsd design of propegateing the Gospel among them, which undoubtedly will be the Sad consequence of their so doing, that this effect may not hap'en, your Excellency is humbly desir'd to restrict the Bounds of the respective Provinces, that they may not be extended So far North & west, as to cut off the Lands & Inheritances of the Natives: but that they possess & enjoy them for their own private Temporal use; and that more Sacred benefit of propegateing the knowlege of the great Saviour of the world among them, that so, by the Grace of God, they may have a further 1 Rev. EBENEZER CLEAVELAND was born at Canterbury, Conn., in the year 1726. He studied at Yale College. While at home, during a vacation in 1744, he attended a dissenting meeting for which he was brought to an account on his return. He pleaded that he was, with his parents, a member of the church. This excuse would not be received and he was expelled. This extreme proceeding called forth much public indignation. He received his degree in 1749, and died minister of Gloucester, July 4th, 1805, aged 79 years.-ALLEN. opportunity of a more general offer of the Gospel to them. And for this end, that your Excellency would be pleased to recommend, out of your clemency, and goodness, the above design of propegateing the Gospel among them, To the Heads & Chiefs of the Nations that may be present at this Congress And finally, that we may have an oppertunity, by order of your Excellency, to lay the same before the Heads & chiefs that may be here. And in so doing, your Excellency will not onely gain further just esteem, and deserved thanks of all that wish well to this most Christian design; but the blessing of many ready to perish will come upon your Excellency in this present world, and in the world to come, thro' ye Grace of God, life everlasting which is the unfeigned desire, & constant Prayer of your Excellencys most obliged Dated Fort Stanwix October 17th 1768. Humble Servants JACOB WS. JOHNSON missionaries naries Rev. DAVID AVERY, after his return from Fort Stanwix, graduated at Yale College and went in 1771 to preach to the Indians on Long Island. He was ordained at Hanover 29th August 1771 as assistant to the Revd Mr. Kirtland at Oneida whither he immediately proceeded. After spending a year there he was obliged to abandon the Mission, in consequence of the Indians in that quarter being entirely disinclined to receive a second Missionary or school Master. This cause added to his ill health, discouraged Mr. Avery so much that he returned to Dartmouth. REVD MR JOHNSON TO SIR W. JOHNSON. Sir May it please your Excellency To informe the Indian Chiefs here present that the Reasons why I was not present at the First opening of the Congress. Was partly oweing to my being unwell that day and partly by misinformation of the Time when upon my hearing of the Condolence &c I much regretted my absence and especially since I have heard some ill improvement has been already made of it by Monsir Mountour which may possibly yea probably prejudice the minds of the Indians against me & even the Protestant Religion which Sir is very affecting & grievious to me & sundry others who have reminded me of it with concern-your Excellency will therefore please to let my Fathers & Brethren of the Indians know I Heartily Sympathize with them & am greatly grievd & concernd that there should be any impressions made on their minds of a contrary tendency Let them know I am a most sure & fast Friend to them and especially their Souls Salvation who am may it please your Excellency Your excellencies Hume Servt. (Endorsed) Parson Johnson's letter. JACOB WS. JOHNSON POSITION OF REV. MR. JOHNSON DEFINED. To Sir William Johnson, Governer Franklin, The Revd Mr Peters, the Chief Justice Smyth, Coll. Johnson and the other Respectable Gentn of this Table. Health & prosperity to you all. In as much as I am a minister of Christ, & my Work principally to preach the Gospel to the lower rank of people: I have not used my self much to the company, & converse of Gent" of the Civil & Military order especially in the pleasure and practice of drinking Healths, Loyal Toasts &c wherfore I may easily offend in this respect, with no ill meaning---And in as much as in drinking the Kings health yesterday, I used such terms, as to offend Col Johnson Mr Chief Justice, & it may be some others, In saying I drink the King of New Engd Health, the Health of the King, that hears our Prayers, &c I do hereby honestly, and before him that knoweth all things, protest, I had no other meaning then, or now, but what is express'd or imply'd in these words—I drink the Health of King George iii. of Great Britain &c-comprehending New Engd & all the British Colonies & provinces in North America. And I mean to drink such a Health to his British Majesty, when occasion serves so long as his Royal Majesty shall govern his British, & American subjects according to Magna Charta, or the great charter of English Liberties, and hears the prayers of his American Subjects, when properly laid before Him-But in case his Bitish Majesty (which God in great mercy prevent) should superseed & proceed contrary to charter rights & privileges, & Govern us with a Rod of Iron, & the mouth of Canons and, make his Little Finger thicker than his Fathers loyns, and utterly refuse to hear or consider our Humble prayers; then, & in that case I should think it my indispensable Duty to seek a retreat else where: or joyn with my Countrymen in Forming a New Empire in Ameriea, distinct from, & independent of the British Empire: agreeable to a projected, & predicted Plan in a late essay* which in Substance agrees with my mind in these things & if I am not mistaken, with every true son of Liberty. Fort Stanwix octob, 20 1768. Your Excellencies most Obedt Humle servt JACOB WS. JOHNSON. * a late essay Intitled the Power & Gendure of Great Britain, Founded on the Liberties of the Colonies &c. REV. MR. JOHNSON TO SIR WM. JOHNSON. May it please Your Excelency It is with some apprehension of Concern I write-I am sensible of the great propriety of Your Excellencys forbidding the Indns intoxicating Spirits (at this Time)—and besides the other Ind" in gen11, It may be observ'd the Seneca's who have been a great while in coming-come arm'd-while we at the Fort & round about are naked-& defenceless-They have also (it is sd) their Romish Priests among them: who hold it meritorious to kill Hereticks (as they call us) And our sins and provocations may incense Heaven to let them lose at unawares upon us; if the utmost care, & precaution be not taken-which your Excellency in his superior Wisdom will doubtless well consider -& give orders accordingly. As the Scituation of affairs wear a most threatning aspect (at this juncture) so I can't but think it a time to be serious, if there be any such Time: And in this Spirit I write to your Excellency. If my apprehensions are groundless, I shou'd be glad, & ask your Excellencies forgiveness-who am with all due Respect your Excelly, Fort Stanwix octobr 22 1768. obedt Humle Servt JACOB WR JOHNSON. P. S. As I am aseer, I may be knowing to some things-Your Excellency possibly may not-which occasions me thus to write * * * * * * * * |