SCRAPS OF EARLY DARTMOUTH HISTORY
The first class to graduate from Dartmouth College was that of 1771. By curious coincidence, two interesting bits of data concerning the class of 1771 have appeared simultaneously and, having been seized upon and arranged by Professor Herbert D. Foster, are, through his courtesy, herewith presented to the alumni.
In letters and notes on the early days of Dartmouth, while we have a considerable amount of incident and, at times, rather more than enough philosophizing, there is a singular lack of that detail which stimulates the visual imagination to the point of enabling us to see with the mind's eye the men and things of the pioneer period. It is, however, just such a detail which is given at second hand by the Reverend Samuel W. Boardman, the oldest living' honorary graduate of the College. Born in 1830, Doctor Boardman was given the degree of A.M. by Dartmouth in 1859. At the age of eighty-two, in October, 1912, he set down the following bit of recollection which on previous occasions he had stated orally.
Dr. Boardman's Statement
17 Washington Place, Bloomfield, N. j., Oct. 22, 1912.
At the request of Prof. Herbert D. Foster, of the Department of History in Dartmouth College, and son of my beloved Andover classmate Rev. Davis Foster, D.D., it gives me pleasure to relate an historic incident.
While I was pastor at Norwich, Vt., 1857-1859, on preaching at West Lebanon, N. H., I was entertained handsomely at a house where I met a Mr. "Wood, a brother of the pastor and teacher of Daniel Webster, Rev. Wood. He was a man of excellent presence, well dressed, and in perfect possession of his faculties; living then, I think, with a grandchild. Mr. Thomas Hazen of Norwich, Vt., is also a descendant of the same Mr. Wood.
He told me that as a lad he was present at the first commencement of Dartmouth College, in 1771: and that the graduates as they went up to' deliver their orations, walked up on a plank placed as an inclined plane, from the ground to the rustic platform. When I had the pleasant interview with Mr. Wood, I think he was in his one hundredth year, and had been eleven or twelve years old at the first Commencement.
(Signed) Samuel W. Boardman (Hon. 1859)
The perilous ascent of that plank by the orators of the occasion was, apparently, an event sufficiently spectacular to impress itself indelibly upon the youthful mind of Wood and, at the century line, to contribute his chief remembrance of Dartmouth College. The entire graduating class, it seems, indulged in speechmaking, but as there were but four men constituting that august body, the strength of the plank and the patience of the audience were probably sufficient unto the strain placed upon them.
One of these earliest graduates was Levi Frisbie, who, during the first four year after leaving College, served as a missionary to the Indians. It was during this period, and while he was still making Hanover his resident headquarters that Frisbie wrote to the Reverend Stephen Williams, D.D., at Springfield a letter which is here given verbatim. In forwarding to THE MAGAZINE a copy of this letter, Professor Foster adds the following explanation and comment:
"This valuable letter was sent to the President by Mr. W. F. Havemeyer of Mew York, who is gratefully remembered by the College for other donations of documents relating to our early history, especially for the gift of the Dorothy More deed, now appropriately framed and on exhibition in the College Library. . . . .
"Levi Frisbie, the writer of the letter, was one of four graduates in 1771. He was born April 11, 1748, at Branford, Connecticut, and after his graduation was a missionary to the Indians from 1772 to 1776, and then minister at Ipswich, Massachusetts, for thirty Years until his death the twenty-fifth of February, 1806. His letter is interesting as illustrating one or two of the early characteristics of the College and of its founder, Eleazer Wheelock. It was characteristic of President Wheelock to send both graduates and undergraduates out on expeditions among the Indians for the purpose of training them in Indian ways and also for securing Indian boys to return to the College. The whining of such dusky wards to be submitted to the inoculation of college culture was made the more easy through the process which Wheelock employed here of leaving some white boys as a sort of hostage from the College. In this particular case the bond was made closer between the white and red urchins because, the mother of Master Thomas Walcutt, Mrs. Elizabeth Walcutt, at Wheelock's request undertook "to perform the office of a Christian mother'' to Wheelock's ten little Indian boys in Hanover. An account of Wheelock's tactful introduction of Mrs. Walcutt to the Indian pupils is given in his "Narrative of 1775", page 13, the quotation from which is printed, together with some, references to Frisbie, in Chase's History of Dartmouth College, pages 315-317. Thomas Walcutt later took a prominent part in the foundation of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 'The Reverend Stephen Williams, D.D., at Springfield' to whom the letter is addressed, is probably the Stephen Williams (son of the Rev. John Williams of Deerfield) who, after the massacre of 1704, was taken up the Connecticut River past Hanover to Canada, where he remained captive among the Indians for some time. Williams' sister, to whom Frisbie refers in the fourth paragraph of the letter, is presumably Eunice Williams, who after her capture by the Indians, was brought up among them, married an Indian, and became a Roman Catholic, declining to return and live among her own white relatives.
"The letter illustrates a certain far-sightedness in the founder, who was pioneer in education as well as in the wilderness, and who not only recognized the importance of the race question in America, but saw that the only solution of the problem was through a common and a friendly understanding of. each race by the other. Characteristic also is the optimism of 138 years ago —'there is a fine Freshman Class, and a Prospect of great Increase in everything respecting this College'."
Mr. Frisbie's Letter
"Dartmouth College. Nov'r 5th, 1774 Rev'd and Hon'd Doctor—
I should not have deferd paying my dutiful Respects to. you, and sending the enclosed Letter, had I known of the Opportunities of Conveyance; and besides I had some Expectation of coming down your way myself; but believe now I shall not come;—expect to preach at New Winsor about 18 miles below here, the ensuing Winter—
If you have not heard you will perhaps desire to be inform'd of the Success of our Mission to Canada;—I have not many things of Importance to give you an account of therefore shall not trouble you with a long detail of Trifles—
We found the French and Indians in much the same Situation as we expected Ignorant superstitious and bigoted; under the Influence of the Priests _ and Jesuits—There was not a Town of Indians in the Country but was infested with one or more papist Ministers—so that we had but little Opportunity to preach to any of the Natives—we endeavourd to introduce Master Walcutt (the youth who went with us from this College) at Canasadage to learn the Indian Language but the Priests as I suppose had the Influence with the Indians to prevent it—
I went to Kaghnawage, visited your Sister, gave her the Money which you sent, for which she appeared very thankful; and wrote from her Mouth the inclosed Letter but had no Opportunity to send it—she said nothing favourable respecting her grandson's coming to this College—
The Kaghnawages appeard very friendly and gave Mr. Dean an opportunity to preach to them—they thank'd him for his Discourse, invited him to preach again, and seemd inquisative after Truth—A little before our Return we were at St. Francois; Left Master Walcutt there to learn their Tongue, and brought away with us four likely Boys all Cousin Germans,, decended from the Family of the Gills, which perhaps you may know something about — one of the Boys is half English & half French, the Rest half English and half Indian—they were much pleasd with coming with us, and the Parents sent them with great cheerfulness tho diswaded from it by many of their Friends —They are very active and tractable & bid fair to make Useful Men—should be glad to give you a particular Hystory of that Town at present, that you might compare it with what it was when you was there; but must defer it till I see you—
We were well, thro divine Goodness while on our Tour—Mess'rs Dean and Kendal are here; Mr. McCluer at Portsmouth—Doctor Wheelock & Family, are in Statu quo,—things go prosperously, there is a fine Freshman Class, and a Prospect of great Increase in everything respecting this College—all things considerd I never saw appearances more encouraging—but must conclude abruptly, with only desiring to be esteemd
Rev'd & Hon'd Doctor your most dutiful & obed't Son in the Gospel
To The Rev'd Stephen Williams, D. D. at Springfield"
