Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
absence, and has brought me, as I had attered myself, a string of thirty purple
wampum, as a token that their honest chief will spare us half of his wigwam until
we have time to erect one. He has sent me word that they have land in plenty, of
which they are not so covetous as the whites; that we may plant for ourselves, and
that in the meantime he will procure for us some corn and some meat; that sh is
plenty in the waters of—-, and that the village to which he had laid open my
proposals, have no objection to our becoming dwellers with them. I have not yet
communicated these glad tidings to my wife, nor do I know how to do it; I tremble
lest she should refuse to follow me; lest the sudden idea of this removal rushing
on her mind, might be too powerful. I atter myself I shall be able to accomplish
it, and to prevail on her; I fear nothing but the eects of her strong attachment to
her relations. I will willingly let you know how I purpose to remove my family to
so great a distance, but it would become unintelligible to you, because you are not
acquainted with the geographical situation of this part of the country. Suce it for
you to know, that with about twenty-three miles land carriage, I am enabled to
perform the rest by water; and when once aoat, I care not whether it be two or
three hundred miles. I propose to send all our provisions, furniture, and clothes
to my wife’s father, who approves of the scheme, and to reserve nothing but a few
necessary articles of covering; trusting to the furs of the chase for our future
apparel. Were we imprudently to encumber ourselves too much with baggage, we
should never reach to the waters of—-, which is the most dangerous as well as the
most dicult part of our journey; and yet but a trie in point of distance. I intend
to say to my negroes—In the name of God, be free, my honest lads, I thank you for
your past services; go, from henceforth, and work for yourselves; look on me as
your old friend, and fellow labourer; be sober, frugal, and industrious, and you
need not fear earning a comfortable subsistence.—Lest my countrymen should
think that I am gone to join the incendiaries of our frontiers, I intend to write a
letter to Mr.—-, to inform him of our retreat, and of the reasons that have urged
me to it. The man whom I sent to——village, is to accompany us also, and a very
useful companion he will be on every account.
You may therefore, by means of anticipation, behold me under the Wigwam;
I am so well acquainted with the principal manners of these people, that I
entertain not the least apprehension from them. I rely more securely on their
strong hospitality, than on the witnessed compacts of many Europeans. As
soon as possible after my arrival, I design to build myself a wigwam, after the
same manner and size with the rest, in order to avoid being thought singular, or
giving occasion for any railleries; though these people are seldom guilty of such
European follies. I shall erect it hard by the lands which they propose to allot
me, and will endeavour that my wife, my children, and myself may be adopted
soon after our arrival. Thus becoming truly inhabitants of their village, we shall
immediately occupy that rank within the pale of their society, which will aord
us all the amends we can possibly expect for the loss we have met with by the
convulsions of our own. According to their customs we shall likewise receive
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