JOHN LEDYARD, DEBTOR

Dartmouth College fortunately has preserved some half dozen ledgers, stitched but unbound, and not too neatly written, in which Eleazar Wheelock made careful note of all materials purchased by his students and by himself. Sometimes Wheelock seems to have made the entries. Again, it looks as "though the student purchasing the article signed his name and noted the article and price. And again, someone hand, not Wheelock's and not the purchaser's, has written in a number of entries at a time.

In the two account books for 1772 and 1773 John Ledyard's name appears frequently. His purchases were modest, however, and his debts, so far as the books, show, were much smaller than those of his college mates. Indeed one wonders where Ledyard did get all his materials; if he exhausted his patrimony too quickly, as Wheelock complained, it was not by over-buying from the college stores.

The first entry against Ledyard is for April 23, 1772. "John Ledyard, Dl'. To 6 sheats paper 0.0.4." Presumably that was Ledyard's first purchase on arrival in Hanover. Five days later he bought "1 qr paper 0.1.0" and then conserved his resources for a while.

Having written his letters—we hopeLedyard went in for tailoring, or to be more exact and not to go beyond the record, he bought stuff for a garment. "May 13 To part of a Peace of Diapar for a pr britches 0.7.0. To 1 Skane Thred 0.0.2." And the handwriting looks like .Ledyard's. Three days later: "To 1 Hankf. 0.3.0."

Then the items become quite miscellaneous: "1/2 dozn pipes 0.0.5"; 2 dozn Nails 0.0.3."; "2 pl' Linen hoes @ 6/ 0.12.0"; "injkpowder 0,1.0"; "2 yds Camlet @ 2/8 L.0.5.4"; "1 yd 1/2 dowlas @ 2/0.3.0"; "Cake Chocalate @ L.0.1.0"; "1 duzzen quils @ /3 L.0.0.3"; "1 pr of indian Mogasons had of David McCluer (?) John Brattle 0.5.0" and so on, until we reach on August 21, 1772, the record of his more strictly academic expenses. This is as follows: To 201/2 weeks board at 5/6 ....5.12.3 To tuition 1 quarter & 1/2 1. 4.0 To study room during time 0. 6.0 To books 0. 0.6

We gather from the next entry that "Grover" went on a long journey. "John Ledyard Cr To his Horse to Lebanon in Connecticut for Grover 1.9.0". Five days later (August 26) Ledyard earned six shillings by "his Service in writing." Perhaps it was in order to lay up a small supply of money for his wandering among the Indians that Ledyard at this time gathered in as much as possible; in addition to his hiring out his horse and to writing, he borrowed twelve shillings: "John Ledyard Dr to Cash 0.12.0". That item is recorded under August 26, and is the last until December 1, 1772. During this interval Ledyard was undoubtedly among the Indians. His first biographer, Sparks, wrote in 1828: "He had not been quite four months at college, when he suddenly disappeared without previous notice to his comrades, and apparently without permission from the president. The full extent of his travels during his absence cannot now be known, but he is understood to have wandered to the borders of Canada, and among the Six Nations When three months and a half had expired, he returned to college and resumed his studies." The interval between August 26 and December 1 is clearly referred to in this passage.

The first entry after his return is, as I have stated, for Dec. 1, 1772, and I hazard the guess that Ledyard sold some cloth which had been used for stage curtains : "John Ledyard Cr By 6 yds greenbays wanting 1/4 0.17.3". Within a fortnight Ledyard had replenished his stock with a dozen candles, a "cake sope," and "I Loadwood." Was it for purposes of snaring that he bought "1 yd. wire" and "2 yds. wire" on December 18 and 26?

We may omit several entries now, and notice the record for January 12: John Ledyard D1" To making your silk Handf L.0.0.3 To washing your breeches four times 0.2.0 To washing your waist Coat 3 d°....0.1.0 On February 17 he is debited "To 2 pen Knives dl. (delivered?) to I. Indians 0.2.0". A week later: To 7 yards Irish Linnin at 2/ 0.14.0 To 1 pr. of blk. ribd Stockgs 0. 4.6 Towards 1 paper Ink pot 0. 0.2 Then another pair of stockings, a razor, a yard of wire, linen, candles, chalk line, pins, a fan, sugar, snuff, tea—and many other small items. In passing it is worth noticing that one Woodward had run up bills totalling L.65.15.5. Ledyard's were never so large as that, if we may judge from these account-books.

The day of Ledyard's departure from Hanover was drawing nigh, however. On April 14 he checked-in his blankets and was credited with one pound, and debited "To the use of 1 Blanket 1 year" two shillings. He returned also some candles and received four and a half pence for them. On April 19 we find this last entry: "John Ledyard Dr To disco, with Joshua Hendee 0.2.6".

I had hoped to find one other record. The thought came to me that since Ledyard needed an axe to hollow out his tree, he might possibly have had the laugh on Wheelock to the extent of buying from him the axe that was to be the means of taking him from Hanover. "John Ledyard Dl' To 1 Axe for hollowB Giant Pine wherein he may slip away on Connct River during my next Absence Some such record I had hoped to find. "No, no, no! If we buy from the college he'll be sure to suspect something. I know where I can get one." But I am losing the poise of the historian.

Someone can have good fun going over these records. And as I mentioned to a lover of old things, antiques, if we may trust the records, were very cheap in those days.

Professor of English