SUBSCRIBERS NAMES. 335 L. Eliphalet Lyman, Fryeburgh, District Maine. Niel M'Lane, Dartmouth College. M. Rev. William Morrison, Londonderry, New Hampshire." Charles Marsh, Esq. Woodstock, Vermont. William F. Morrison, Londonderry, New Hampshire. Walter Mitchell, Esq. Hartford, Connecticut. William Moseley, Esq. Hartford, Connecticut. Nathaniel Merrill, Candidate for the Gospel Ministry. Stephen W. Marston, Dartmouth College. John Merrill, Dartmouth College, Philip Page, Fryeburgh, District Maine. Noah A. Phelps, jun. Esq. Hartford, Connecticut. John J. Peters, Hebron, District Maine. Eleazar Pomeroy, jun. Coventry. Eleazar Wheelock Phelps, Esq. Stafford. George Jeffrey Patten, A. M. Hartford, Connecticut, Preceptor of the Literary School, eight copies. Jeremiah Perley, Esq. Hallowell, District Maine. Joseph Perry, Dartmouth College. Daniel Poor, Dartmouth College. Benjamin K. Pierce, Dartmouth College. R. James W. Ripley, Esq. Fryeburgh, District Maine. S. Rev. John Smith, Salem, New Hampshire. This School has been the object through which the hopes of thousands have been much raised, and I hope their prayers as well as thanksgivings to God, have been excited. We have no reason to think the prospects will grow more encouraging, while they are neglected, and given over to the will of satan, and his instruments the traders, who are continually making them worse and worse. A few unsuccessful missions should by no means discourage or dishearten us. Great and good purposes are answered by them. They manifest our care for perishing souls, and they are unto God a sweet-savor of Christ. There seems to be a door open for four or five to the northward; two to the eastward, and two to the westward, if we had them, the next season. It is true our prospects are gloomy, but I think they are not so much so as ought to discourage us. I herewith transmit to your prudent care, a plan of a College edifice to be erected here, if it suits. Take care that it be not marred by handling. I send it to you that the Governor and Council, and especially the Trustees, may see it. I should be glad also, that you would shew it to Capt. Holland,* and other friendly gentlemen, and hear and advise me of their censures, &c. I think it will be best to submit the matter wholly to the Honorable Trust in England, whether to build with wood, stone, or brick, and also the bigness and form of the building, &c. And if Col. Boyd be the earliest and best conveyance, please seal it neatly and convey it by him, or if a quicker conveyance may be had at Boston, please embrace it. I am, my dear man, Yours most affectionately, ELEAZAR WHEELOCK. Author of an elegant Map of New Hampshire, and Surveys of the Sea-Coast of New England. My Dear M'Clure, To the same. Dartmouth College, Dec. 22, 1774. Your last by the post afforded me much pleasure. The Lord bless you with the blessings of his goodness. I have a thousand things to write, but have no time. The College and School are at present, in a happy temper and disposition. I think *** bids fair to make a charming man. My Indian boys begin to suffer for want of clothing, which I hoped to have had in consequence of my bill on the Society in Scotland, by Col. Boyd. If any thing should arrive for me, I pray you to give me the earliest intelligence of it, and take all necessary care about it. All resors from Europe are wholly stopped, unless I may have relief from Scotland. I wait upon God, who performeth all things for me. yours, most cordially and affectionately, I am ELEAZAR WHEELOCK. To the same. My Dear M'Clure, Dartmouth College, Feb. 23, 1775. I am involved in debt. My dear friend in London, suffered me to draw five or six hundred pounds sterling, beyond what was in their hands to pay. I have above a thousand pounds, L. M. due here, but cannot get five of it, nor enough to pay for necessary stores for the College. I see no way but to hire money of the Assembly, unless they will be so generous, at this pinch, as to give £500, or £1000 sterling, of their money in England. And I doubt not, but the godly part of the Assembly would cheerfully give it, if they could only truly know the present state of the College. The work of God's grace has made a most amazing progress here of late. If God continues his loving kindness according to our late experience of it, the whole lump will be soon leav ened by it. We have heaven upon earth here. Conversions are multiplied, and clearer and better fruits, I never saw. J. Sis rejoicing, and not more than one or two of our num ber, but are under great impressions of one kind or the other. By Mr. Frisbie you may be more fully informed of our state. In a letter of March 17th, he writes thus : The affairs of this seminary appear as agreeable as ever. Sixteen joined this church the last sabbath, and I hope the whole lump will be leavened, and all resolve, at all hazards, to be followers of the Lamb of God. My Dear Sir, To the same. Dartmouth College, March 20, 1775. With much confidence in your well known and long experienced benevolence, and with a hope that you may point out to me some way of relief under my present straits, I think proper to give you the trouble of a short representation of my necessities and difficult case. To support the expensive northern missions; my Indians at school here; Thomas Walcott to learn their language in the wilderness, &c. I have drawn on the Hon. Trust in London, before I was aware of it, for near £600 sterling, more than was deposited in their hands. The bills are noted and will be protested if not paid. But I cannot take the blame of this error, if there was any, wholly to myself, for I did not know how much there was in their hands; as I hoped and expected that additions greater than I find, had been made to the ori ginal sum; and also, as I had desired that care might be taken to prevent such an error, and that I might be seasonably advised when there should be dangers. These drafts, you will easily conceive, in addition to the weight of charge daily upon me in this wilderness, must needs involve me in great straits; but these I might now be easily delivered from, could I have the benefit of the money which was collected for this purpose, in the hands of the Honorable Society in Scotland, viz. about £2500 sterling: but that is di verted at present from my use, as they have determined it shall be disposed of only through the hands, and by the direction of their Boston and New Jersey boards; and so it is turned quite out of my reach. This I understand by abstracts of letters from Europe, has been effected by private slanders, without the least intimation of so much as a suspicion, of the smallest blame in me, in any respect, from the first to this day. If I could have the use of that money to pay the past expence of those missions, and the support of these boys, which I take to be the very design of the pious donors, (and which I make no doubt the Hon. Society would readily grant if there was one they could rely upon to give them a true representation of the case) I might at once get clear of the debts. And if these boys and missions might be supported by that money for a few years to come, there is a prospect I may soon effect the plan of supporting the whole by the cultivation of these lands, without such dependence on foreign aid; but I am left at such a time and so involved in debts, that unless God shall mercifully appear, (and in him only do I hope) these boys must be sent home, or suffer here; but this is a backward step, pregnant with very shocking consequences, both to this cause, and to the country, at this distressing day. I have now with me, boys from all the most respectable tribes in Canada; and this connection with this school with them, and that friendly and continual intercourse between them and us, by means of this school, I esteem to be, under God, the surest bulwarks, these new settlements, and this seminary in particular, can have against the invasion of a northern army of savages, &c. which we are threatened with.* • Doctor Wheelock, in his letters and printed narratives, uses the phrase Seminary, and sometimes Institution, as comprehensive of the College and School. |