Connecticut Historical Collections

About the year J7S(), a few Indians went from IMohegan, with Mr. Sampson Occum, the celebrated minister, to the country of the Oneidas. A considerable number of their brethren emigrated to that country, at the same time, from Farmington, Slonington, Groton, and Nehantic, in the eastern part of Lyme ; and from Charlestown, in Rhode Island. The inducement to this removal, was a tract of excellent wild land given to them by the Oneidas. These emigrants, being most of the scanty remnant of the. Muhhekaneok Indians, formerly called " the seven tribes on the sea coast," constitute what are called " the Bro- therton Indians," whose entire number, in 179L was 250, and in 1796, 150 only. On their (irsi emigration, they were under the pastoral care of the Rev. iMr. Occum.:]: The Mohegan reservation consists of about 2700 acres. It was liolden by them in common till the year 1790, when it was divided to ve * Hubbard's Induui Wars. t The abuve iiiluruuuioii was obtainc.l at ISIohrgan, in 1831, of Lydia Fowler, an Indian woman, 7:) years ol'a;,'L!, ilie uldt.-st person belonging to the tribe. t Hoi UK's' Memoir of the iMohcyans. 43 338 51 O N T V 1 L 1, K . each family by the legislature of Connecticut. The I\roliei:i;ans are under the care of guardians, or overseers, appointed by the Legislature. A part of the lands are occupied by the Indians themselves, and a part by while tenants, of which there are as many as Mohegans living on tlie reservation. The rents go into a common fund, from which the Mohegnns derive individually a small sum annually. In 1774, when a census of the inhabltanls of Connecticut was taken, there were in the colony 1,363 Indians. The number in the township of New London was staled to be "206. ]\Iohogan was then included in the limits of that town. At the same lime ttrere were in Stonington 237; in Groton 186; in Lyme 104; in Norwich 61 ; and in Preston 30: in all, 824. Most of these may be considered as descended from those wdio once owed some kind of allegiance to LIncas. Dr. Holmes, who visited Mohegan in 1803, says that " there were not more than 80 persons of this tribe remaining, and iliat John Cooper, the richest man in the tribe, possessing a yoke of oxen and two cows, was then their religious teacher." Four years after they were reduced in number to sixty nine, these being for the most part aged persons, ^vidows, and fatherless children. Within the course of a few years past, an ellbrt 'has been made to elevate and lescue llie ronmaiit of this tribe from extinction. A small house for divine woi'sliip liab been erected, and also a house for a teach- er; towards creeling lliis last building the United States government appropriated 500 dollars ; ihey have also allowed, recently, 400 dollars amuially for the support of a teacher. The school, consisting of up- wards of 20 scholars, at this time is under the care of INIr. Anson Glea- son, who also olFiciates as a religious teacher at the Mohegan Chapel. Mr. Gleason commenced liis labors among this peo[)le in 1832, and it is firmly believed that his efforts to promote the welfare of this people will be attended with lasting and beneficial cHects. I\lr. Gleason says, "that he can say for a certaint)', that llie n:ni\(.' children are as apt to loarn as any children he cvcv taught, and bid fair fur intLillgout men' and women." He also says, "This tribe had well nigh run out by in- dulging in the use of ardent spirits ; but of late there is a change for the better, a nundjer of reformations having taken place. Most of the youtli are o|)posed to strong drink, and are mendjcrs of the temperance reform. The greater part of the working men follow the whale trade, and come home oidy now and then ^Ve are on the increase, and hope in the course of a few years, through the mercy of God, to rise in point of vir- tue and respectability." The Mohegan church is between three and four miles from Norwich city, a few rods east of the public road from Norwich to New London. It is beautifully situated on an eminence commanding a fair view of Norwich at the north, and New London at the south. It was built in 1831, at an expense of between six and seven hundred dollars, con- tributed for the purpose mostly by benevolent ladies in the cities of Norwich, Hartford and New London. This house is designed for the use of the IVIohegans, and the white inhabitants who reside on the re- servation. The Mohegan school house is 40 or 50 rods south of the chapel, at the foot of t' e hill, near by which is the house for the teaclier. M O N T V I I. L E , 339 About 100 rods west of the chapel, on the summit of a commanding eminence, was situated a j\lohcij;an Ibit, some traces of which remain ; they also had another fort near the river. South view of the Moheguii Chapel, iMontvillc. The accompanyini^ lines, in reference to this churcli, are from the pen of JNIrs. SIgourney, H<'|]ol(l, yon liills Whfi-u .MHllUc r ilhiuwM hiiiilii' s And iiMiklh.isc > InaiiiUds sh<i-ii ai Whrr.-tlidiiiusp .1 lhrsh-hti-aiu)f, WlHl.-lhn.u-l, 11 r h.;T-l.s, su-ilt as rUr U-il,l .IcTl- «1, iim'il (h.' ari(nv'.s Ask VI- Uiv hi, ml. 's 1 i>lr,l l.onn.l, Wilhcan.- ninlV rnr.-|ii.Ml:ni. p>.' i:ll-h,i-|iOi.ry sir. ,hiiMivi- \,'\,j s.-i-ii llu-sl aiKiw qijil ihe vale 'J'lir- f,„uu upon I ..• u ,>l.r.. I.ul- 1 111- llrt lllli: \ «|>. 1 lra\ <■ 11,1 llMif : f-.i.-h \va^ (Ih li ), ilh thill Jaded n. !Iark! liaikl iVu 11 ).iuilei- darksdii, M.-lliouf;lil Ihcir huiiihTMi;,' war ish. IMrlluHiMht 1 saw u llickeriim spiru Th.' ll^•lltlliM•,' of h.-ircouuril-lire: Ah, l.o! Ih.Mlii.sl halh clu'ck'il llifir Ana clIniMiM tl ■ir nloi-ioiisrav— Hut halh II slauii h'cl Ih.'lr hlfiiliii- Oi- qiirU'd ri'liicii hiaiiLC, ll(-n;carni Jd'Cfiraiiig aiiyi l-.ay! ay 'J, lid blue, IH-uK-d- (.,•,. ;i sa v.a'.- for In\-5s frnwi 'd vcd doi ai till' 1 i.H-k R. ,1 gi-uiind, |ir-a,-.-iiil cl l.'i-ini-r'ri n liiii, lllr ; ins llkr thus. Ih It linu'i-riii;; stayed n'd v's Ih. awlul shad lum .111.- lor .ilh'd, a lis 1 s 1 d.- iWlv l.illll)- idiail's lii- that dcMii.' 1 sjiiri'. V. whci ■ r.js • tl .-llllildrrci s y. 11 rlul h) mi li Ik .1 -shall sw. 11— C- SI |-|- J a laial m .jftf, ,-allio ll «' n- 1 11 ail's tdiun '• ^r^i"' nu-,-!- s,i loiiE condemned tl) moan --rillud ■III SB and lim Si-orird--r I'lDfii hoatln-ii rites— from sorrow's maze, 'rurii to Ihcsi; t('iri|)le-gales with pruise ! '\'i-s, come mid bless th' usurping hand 'J'hal n-iit away your fathers' land— l'.iii;ivi- the wroijt;— suppress thfi hlanie — And vii-w y.Jiir linpc—your heaven— the same ! L. 11. S. Uaitford, Nov. 1830 Tlie engraving on the next jia'io is a s. w. view of the house formerly owned and occupied by the l\ev. Sampson Occum. li is situated about half a mile north of the chapel. The aildition seen at the west end, ((7,) is said to have been useil by him as a study. "Mr. Sam])son Occum was the fust Indian pupil educnted by the Rev. Mr. Wlieelock, and the first Indian preacher of the Gospel ever in Great Britain. Soon after he emerged from pagan darkness he went to live at Lebanon, with Mr. VVheelock, afterwards president of Dart- mouth College ; in whose fimily and under whose instruction he con- tinued for several years. He afterwards kept a school on Long Island, during some years, and at the same time otliciated as public teacher of the Indian tribe at IVlontauk on that island, till he received ordination by the hand^' i f the Suffolk presbytery. He was afterwards employed 340 NORTH S T 0 N I N (i 'J' 0 N -■' _-i^x^ V •'- -" ,■..-.' mzzj- i J: i i 1 ».#** Sampson Occuiii's Innisc in ]\Iu/icgati, Muniville. on sevorul missions, to various trilies of Indiums, and lils services wcie well received and approved. At his (irst eiuiaiicc on the ministry, and for a considerable time after, he was c'steemc;d and res]:)eeied in his Christian and ministeiial cliaraetcr. He was jinhcd to be 'well ac- complisheil, and peculiarly turned to teach anti edify his savaj^e breth- ren.' Nor was he neglected by the inhal)ilaiits of the capital towns. 'Though for many years ho was without polite conversation, and desti- tute of a library, yet he preached to good acceptance in New York, Boston, and otiier populous places.' He was said to be an excellent preacher in his own language, and his influence among the Indians was for a long tinie great. In 1765 or 1760, he accompanied Kev. INlr. Whitaker to London, for the purpose of soliciting benefactions for the support of Mr. Wheelock's school, insliliiled at Lebanon for the edu- cation of Indian youth, to be missionaries and schoolmasters for the na- tions of North x\merica. For the la-t ycaisof his lile, .Mr. Occum re- sided with the Indians at ^ew Slockhrid^c, state oi' New York, and' died July, 179!^. The Kev. Mr. Kirkland, missionary to the Oueidas, preacheil his funeral sermon."* The Rev. James Ilillhouse, the first minister In this town, was installed in October, 1722. The following is the inscription on his monument. fust pTSlor of llio second I, lle.^celult:ci fiuin lioiioru- iiiiif,', ol' a true ningnanmi- 11) to Ilie will (if God ; still disposiiion. The (leli-ht lie had in liis Rta.sier'^ suspension, declaiini,' his dependence on the veici- Here lyeth the body of the Rev. Mr. James Tiillhouse, church of Christ in New London. lie was horn in IieUiiu ble prof^enilors, a great prcjfieient in luunan aiid divine leu ily, bearing,' all the troubles of life with a patient icsiL,'uaii^ discovering a Christian foij^ivinj; worif increased his grief under hi: city of Christ's promises, that he had'expei ieuced, and so, comiuending his soul to God, he fell asleep, lb December, ITli), a;t. 'SA. NORTH STONINGTON. This town was originally a part of Stonington, but was made a dis- tinct town in 1803. Its average length from east to west is eight miles, and its breadth about six. It is bounded n. by Preston, Griswold and ♦ Ho aes' Memoirs of the MohoL'ans. / ' NORTH STONINGTON. .'Ml