PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.
231
May, 1766.
Rev. Sir, We are favored with your letter of the 21 st , and with Mr. Smith’s of the 10 th of Aprillast. The design of christianizing the Indians, and diffusing the light of the gospel to those unhappypeople, that have not yet partaken of that divine blessing, is so truly charitable, and favorable tohumanity, that it deserves all the encouragement and attention, that it has met with from our gracioussovereign, and those worthy benefactors, who so generally followed the royal example.
We esteem ourselves peculiarly happy that an opportunity is offered us, to show how much weare inclined to promote a plan so universally countenanced, and so deservedly applauded. Wehave informed ourselves of the Rev. Mr. Kirkland, to whom you was pleased to refer us for par-ticulars. The affair is of so much importance, that it claims our most serious and deliberate con-sideration, and the little time allowed from the speedy return of Mr. does not permit us
to send our proposals by him: we shall however embrace the earliest opportunity to convey themto you, and we hope that when you get them, they will be such as will meet with your approbation,and merit the consideration of those worthy gentlemen in England, to whom this affair is referred.
We beg leave to assure you, sir, of our particular regard for you ; we wish you much of thedivine grace, and health to go on with this good work, of which (greatly to your honour be itspoken, and may it long be gratefully remembered) you have been the first promoter.
We are, Rev, Sir, Your most humble servant
V. Dow, Mayor, &c.
REV D M R WHEELOCK TO SIR W M JOHNSON.
Sir, I gratefully acknowledge the Receipt of Your Excell c y s Favour by David Fowler—I muchregrett the loss of Goah, who, as David and others inform me, was a man of great Consequence,both with respect to their religious, and Secular Interest.
And I am indeed much affected with the acco 1 (which you referr me to David for) of the occa-sions given to several Tribes to revive their old Prejudices, and renew their Hostilities against theEnglish . May your Excellency experience that same Fountain of'Wisdom which has hithertoguided you on such occasions, to be still sufficient for you, in this critical affair.
My plan is much disconcerted hereby—The English youth who accompany this, viz. Johnson andMcCluer, 1 are Memners of Yale College , as well as of this School; and were design’d, if it giight be,
Under Your Excellency’s Direction & Favour, to spend the ensuing Season, (with their Indian
*
1 David McClure, D. D., was a native of Brookfield, Mass. After spending some time under Mr. Kirtland, at Oneida, hegraduated at Tale College in 1769, and then became a teacher in Dr. Wheelock’s school. In the summer of 1772 he set out tov 'sit the Delaware Indians on the Muskingum river, west of the Ohio , a journal of which mission is published in Wheeiock’sR ar. for 1773. On his return to Pittsburgh from this, what turned out to be a fruitless mission, he spent seven months amongthe scattered white settlements in Western Penn. In the summer of 1774, in company with Messrs. Dean and others, he visitedthe Canada Indians. During, and for some time after the revolution, he was minister of Northampton, N. H., and in 1786removed to East Windsor, where he died June 25, 1820, aged 71. His wife was the daughter of Dr. Pomeroy and niece of Dr.'Wheelock, whose Memoirs he published in connexion with Dr. Parish in 1811.—En.