The Story of an Indian

In the early half of the 18th century three great American Institutions of Learning came into being. Harvardhad, been in existence for nearly an hundred years since1636. Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth all found theirpreliminary organization in the first half of the followingcentury, though none of the three were at first located in thetowns to which they went subsequently, and two of them,Dartmouth and Princeton, were at first known tinder othernames. There was much relation among them; graduatesof Yale became presidents of all three; one Princetonpresident came from work among the New England Indians in which Dartmouth's first president was engaged;when Dartmouth became an established college and granteddegrees, the first senior class was composed of Yale men.During the later years of the 18th century, these three institutions rivalled Harvard in the number of students and professors. At one time Dartmouth was graduating moremen than any of the other three; at another time it wasYale. But the money which raised Dartmouth from therank of an Indian school to a college was raised by anIndian, that Indian, Samson Occom. Occom's story of theearly days of the college and school has remained in manuscript for more than 150 years. It has been consulted fromtime to time by writers of history but has never been published as a whole. The Alumni Magazine is publishingsuch parts of this old manuscript as will make a runningstory. The material is of value not only to Dartmouth menbut to all students of 18th century thought in America.

SAMSON OCCOM IS ORDAINED

IT was on Tuesday June 28, 1757, that I set out from Montauk for New England in order to pass an Examination there, and on Wednesday morning I set out with the Reverend Mr. Pomeroy and Woodbridge and others down to northwest, and about 12 o'clock we went aboard of Mr. Dayton's ship and immediately weighted anchor and spread sails to the winds and away towards New England shores, and we got to the mouth of Seabrook Harbor about 9 at night, and for fear of the flats we dropt anchor at a distance from shore and there tarried all night. And in the morning of the Third of July we arose and weighted anchor and set to shore, and Mr. Pomeroy and the two young women went ashore, and I shifted to another boat whose owner was one Mr. Horton who came down the river from up country, and was removing with his family to Stoningtown, and he set me ashore at Black Point. I went to Indian town and found my friends generally well, and tarried at my Aunt Justin's that night. On Friday morning I set out from Nahantick for Mohegan and I got there at night to mother's and found all my relatives in good health, and there kept the Sabbath, and on Monday July 4, I went from Mohegan for Lebanon and got to Mr. Wheelock's just before sunset, and was very kindly received and found them all in good health.

After a little conversation, Mr. Wheelock concluded and appointed the 12th of July to be the day of my examination at his house; he immediately sent and gave notice and desired the attendance and assistance in the examination of 5 neighboring ministers, viz. Mr. Williams of Lebanon Old Society, Mr. Benj. Pomeroy of Hebron, Mr. Nathan Strong of New Coventry, Mr. Stephen White of Windham, and Mr. Saml. Mosley of Canada. Tuesday July the 12th expected the gentlemen to attend the examination but we were disappointed (the voice of one crying)*; there was none came but the Rev. Mr. Pomeroy. We judged the weather hindered them, it being a wet day. Mr. Wheelock and Mr. Pomeroy considered the matter and concluded to send to the ministers that day to come together on the next day which was the 13th of July, and accordingly they came together about 1 o'clock, P.M. and there I passed an examination before the Rev. Messrs. Salomon Williams, Eleazar Wheelock, Benjamin Pomeroy, Nathan Strong and Stephen White, and they were satisfied as to conclude to proceed to an ordination hereafter. Just before sunset I went down towards Mohegan and got so far as Norwich farms and tarried at the Home of one Deacon Huntington, a tavern keeper. On Thursday July 14, I went on my journey and got to Mohegan about 11 o'clock A.M. and found my relatives well intogeneral. July the 15th, my brother and I went down to New London in a canoe, and I tarried there that night. On the next day I got aboard a boat of one Williams of Stonington and we got to Mason's Island some time in the afternoon, and there I stayed over the Sabbath. On Monday about 1 in the afternoon we went aboard again and set sail for Fisher's Island, and got there sometime after sunset. On Tuesday we set sail very early for Long Island and we sailed all day in the Sound, and some time in the night we got nearby to Gardener's Island and there we dropt anchor and tarried all night. On Wednesday morning we weighted anchor and hoisted sail and steered towards Naquag Harbor and reached there about 10 in the morning.

There I went ashore and then I went by land to Montauk and I got home about 2 P.M. and found my Poor Family in comfortable circumstances. Praise be to God for His tender Mercies! I set out from Montauk for Easthampton in order to go over to New England with some expectation of passing an ordination there, and lodged at Mr. Hedges that night. On the next morning we went down to Northwest and I tarried there at the house of one Mr. Ebenezer Hedges, and we went aboard a boat of Mr. Dayton's and crossed the Sound and got over at night and lodged at my Aunt Justin's house. On Friday, May 11,1 went from Mohegan for Lebanon and got there some time before sun set; found Mr. Wheelock's family very poorly with Measels especially our David (Fowler). On May the 15th, the reverend Association sat at Mr. Wheelock's House and consulted my case and concluded to refer my ordination to the reverend presbytery on Long Island, and accordingly wrote and referred me to the revd. Presby. on Long Island. On the 17th I returned to the Island and stopt at Mohegan and kept the Sabbath there with Indians. On Friday the 18th I went home to Montauk, got there about noon and found my poor family well, and most of the neighbors, praise to God therefor,—after this I heard the Rev. Presby. on Long Island received the letter and they set a text to me out of 72 Psalm, the 9 verse, and They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and also an Exegesis (in Latin); and the appointed time being come, I appeared before the Presbytery at Easthampton and passed an examination and Thursday August the 30, in the afternoon the Presbytery proceeded in solemnity of my ordination. The Rev. Mr. Buell of Easthampton made the first prayer, and preached from Gal. 1.16 and the Rev. Mr. Brown of Bridghampton demanded my publick appeal to the Christian doctrines of the Articles of Faith, which I did; then immediately proceeded to the Impositions of the Hands. The Rev. Mr. Brown presided, and made the ordernation prayer; the Rev. Mr. Barker of South Hole gave the Right Hand of Fellowship, and the Rev. Mr. Prime of Huntington gave the charge and made the last prayer. Thus the solemnity ended. LAUS TE DETJM.

Jamson Oum The Indian of mohegan Ejus manus

THE 1928 BAND

*NOTE. This line "the voice of one crying" is written between the lines of Occom's narrative. He probably jotted it down on some occasion when it occurred to him as a good text for a sermon to the Indians