Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-07
INTERESTING STORY
 OF SAMSON OccUM
Product of Eastern Connecticut and
 Famous Indian Preacher.


 World for December. 1910, has an interesting account of Samson Occum, famous Indian preacher, who was born ill the Indian village Of Mohe- gan, near Norwich, in 1723. His fa- ther, Joshua Ockham, Ancom, or Maw- cum, as the same was various1y spelt, was apparently a man of some diStinc- ton in his tribe. His mother, known in the records as Widow Sarah Oc- cum" implying the husbands early demise, was above the average of In- dian women in industry, intellect and affection. She is said to have been relative of Uncas, the chief of the Mohegans who was known as "The Friend of the White Men"
 Samson Occum tells of his early life. q was born and brought up in heathenism until l was between six teen and seventeen years of age. at place called Mohegan, between Nor wich and New London. My parents led wandering life, as did all the members of the tribe. They chiefly and fishing. They had but little con nection with the English and strictly maintained their heathenish ways, in custom and religion"
 Some attempt was made by the En- glish to bring the Indian children into school but they did not like to go and stayed away whenever they could.
 About 1740, when young Occum was about seventeen. Whitfield, the great preacher. was in this part of the country and 8 great revival sprang up. Occum attended some of the services and became convinced that he was a sinner. After about six months of doubt and darkness he accepted Christ as his Saviour and determined to de- vote himself to His service. He at once applied himself diligently to learn to read and write. Rev. MT. Eleazar, nSr1ic in Lebanon, Conn, who afterwards be- came president of Dartmouth college, took him into his house and aided him to acquire the rudiments of an education.
 After four years with MT Wheelock young Occum began to preac hat Mon tauk, where he continued for twelve years preaching and teaching in an Indian school hs opened there. While there he was school master, preacher end judge among his people.
 While there he married Mary Fowl CT, the daughter of an influential man among the Indians of Montauk, by whom he had several children.
 In 1769 he passed satisfactory ex- animation before the presbytery at Easthampton. L. [. and was duly or dained. His trial sermon before the presSytery was from the text, 'They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him." which was well received and in the ordination sermon by Rev. Samuel Buel he was spoken of as destined to be "an ornament to the Christian religion and the glory of the Indian nation" That 1t was a trial to Mir. Occum and that he had great CT sense of humon than the Indian is usually accredited with is shown in the conclusion Of his own account of the ceremony. He says: Thus the solemnity ended. LaUs ts Deum." He was sent as . missionary to the Six Nations in the state of New York, but Pontiac's war breaking out, did not remain long there. Returning he ss- tablished his home at Mohegan. after he was sent to England in behalf of the Indian charity school. Occum took England by storm. Great audi ences gathered to hear him and his mission proved quite successful. After his return he was persuaded to allow proved so popular that he ventured into the realm of literature little more, publishing Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs" which was useful in it's day. He composed some hymns himself. one of which can stili be found in hymn books of today. "Awaked by Sinafs Awful Sound"
 In 11T1 Occum conceived Q plan to form a new tribe of Christian Indians and collected quite g number from their settlement in the towns of Charlestown, R. l., Groton, Stonington, Mantle, Pennington, Mohegan, Conn, and Montauk, N. Y. They went to western New York, where for time they dwelt. About the first of the last century they removed to Wis consin, where some of their descen- dants may be found today.
 Samson Occum was wonderful man and as he was a product of east ern Connecticut, his career should interest the people of this vicinity.