[Copied] [1792] [Chapin] Special Instructions to Israel Chapin Esquire Deputy temporary Agent to the Five Nations of Indians, the Stockbridge Indians included 1^st By the stipulation recited in your General Instructions, and the annexed Speech delivered to the said nations of Indians, at Philadel- =phia the 25^th day of April 1792, will be seen the appropriation of Fifteen hundred dollars annually, and the general mode of applying that bounty of the United States to the use of those nations in connection with which the following instructions are to be attended to. If however, in carrying the plan into execution any material alterations should be thought ex- -pedient, you are to represent the same. — 2^d The choice of Schoolmasters, blacksmiths and Carpenters, is left with you, but as the suc- cess of the plan will depend on the selection of proper characters for those employments, you are to use all possible care to choose such only as sustain fair reputations; men of perfect temperance, of unblemished integrity, and unaf- -fected reverence for Religion,— Profane and vicious persons would do more hurt by their examples, than all their Instructions would do good. 3^d If you can find men practically acquainted with husbandry, who have competent abilities and learning to be Schoolmasters, such are to be preferred. But however this may happen, the Schoolmaster's attention will be so much occupied with their schools, that occasional help, and per- haps the constant assistance of a sober young man may be necessary in the management of their farms.— 4^th If blacksmiths can be found, who are competent to the repairs of the Indians Guns, such one to be preferred: otherwise they must each procure a sober Gunsmith for the purpose. 5. The Carpenters ought to be Wheelwrights, or at least capable of repairing Wheels. 6. The Schoolmasters, blacksmiths and Carpen- -ters should in preference be married men; and must each be provided with a yoak of Oxen and a cow or two, and the implements of Hus- -bandry: one Bull at each establishment, will answer for all of them. The blacksmith and Carpenter must have the requisite tools of their trades. The persons you may find most ready to engage in this undertaking, will perhaps — need assistance in providing all those things, which assistance you will furnish, with the money which shall be sent you for that purpose.— An estimate of the expence of these articles and other parts of the Institution is annexed. It is supposed to be liberal: if you can provide them at less expence, you will do it. In all cases you are to study the strictest œconomy.— 7. The wives of the persons you engage are to teach the Indian girls to spin, Sew, knit and do all sorts of business proper for farmers wives to be acquainted with. If either of them is a weaver, She is also to teach some of the In- -dian girls to weave. But they should be imme- -diately taught to spin: for which purpose wheels and Flax should be provided as soon as the establishments are formed. 8. The farms of the Schoolmaster, blacksmith and Carpenter should lie together and the School- house erected near them. The farms will then be easily fenced: the three Families will form a little society, and their Children will be near the School. The Indian children also, who go to school, will be at hand to work on the Farms, more or less daily, and some of them with the blacksmith and Carpenter. — 9. To learn to milk Cows and do household work, the girls may be divided into classes, and attend in the white families weekly in succession, at the same time going to School certain Hours every day. 10. Not only children, but young men and young women desirous to learn any of the arts proposed, should be admitted freely to all the advant- -ages the institution can afford. And it may not be adviseable at first to attempt the instruction of any children under ten years old. — 11. On Sundays the Schoolmaster should give his Scholars information of [underline: the works of creation,] in order to lead them up to [underline: the Creator;] and thence deduce their obligations to him. He should instruct them in the duties they owe to each other as mem- -bers of Society, and to all people, of whatever colour as children of the great Spirit, whose parental kindness extends to all. But he should, for some time make no attempt to teach them the peculiar doctrines of Revealed Religion; excepting those Indians to whom any of its mysteries have been already unfolded. 12. The government to which the Indians have been accustomed is so gentle, every thing bearing the semblance of [underline: severity] must be avoided: not a blow must be struck, nor any reproof given but with mildness and in the form of [underline: advice:] neither must it be attempted to employ them in any Services in which the white people and their chil- -dren do not Participate. This shows how necessa- -ry it will be for the persons you engage to possess good dispositions with the other qualifications which have been mentioned. — 13. As these establishments are intended for the benefit of the Indians nothing must be per- -mitted which will in any measure defeat their design, or lessen the good effects expected from them; The Schoolmasters therefore are to instruct none but Indians; excepting the children of the deputy Agent and the persons employed as members of the Institution. Nor are the blacksmith, and Carpenter to do any work, except for the Indians and the White People so employed. 14. You are to keep a regular account of all expenditures of public money and take proper vouchers, and from time to time to report your Proceedings to me as often as once a quarter of course and oftner if required. — The following encouragements to be pro- -posed to the Indians to engage them in these improvements. 1. During the first year, some of the young men may learn to mow and make hay, to drive a team and to plough. To every nation in which such young men shall be found there may be given at least one yoak of Oxen a Chain, a Plough and Cart. 2. After the second year, when more of the young men become acquainted with Farming and make Hay and Fodder enough to keep more Cattle over winter, more may from time to time be furnished: observing in these gifts a convenient proportion to the number and wants of each Nation. Until they can make hay it will be a mere waste to give them Cattle;— 3. Any young men who shall be thus fur- -nished with Oxen who will take proper care of them and assist the people of their Villages in the use of them, especially in ploughing the Fields of the poor women who have no men to help them, and continue to give this assistance during three years, shall afterwards have the oxen for their own, exclusively to use in the cultivation of their own Fields, or in working for their neigh- -bours, for such hire as they can agree on; until the oxen shall be of an age requiring them to be fattened, when the deputy Agent shall receive them, giving to each of the owners a young pair of equal value. 4. As blacksmiths will be very useful to the Indians — to encourage some young men to learn the art, there shall be given to each one a set of tools as soon as he becomes master of the Art, until the smallest Nation has one blacksmith so furnished with [strikethrough: tools,] and the largest with one or two 5. In like manner such as learn the Carpenters trade shall be furnished with Carpenters tools. 6. Every boy and girl using for one year, reason- -able diligence in learning the arts prescribed, shall receive a blanket and breech-clout, and a shirt or shift. 7. At the close of the second year, every boy who has learned to read without Spelling to write Joining hand, and to perform the first plain operations in arithmetic, and who at the same time has made a reasonable progress in the practice of Husbandry, shall receive a suit of Cloaths, consisting of a plain cloth Coat, waist coat, over alls, shirt and woolen Hatt. — 8. Every girl who in two years, shall have acquired equal Skill in reading, and learned to spin well, to sew, knit, milk cows, and perform the other common business suitable for Farmers wives, shall receive a suit of cloaths, consisting of a short gown, woolen waist coat, a petticoat and woolen Hatt. 9. In addition to the foregoing encourage- -ments, at the end of three years, as many as [underline: two] and not exceeding [underline: six] of the most meritorious young men in each Nation, who shall have attained to twenty years of age, or upwards, and shall by the course of Instruction proposed, have become good Farmers and are temperate and Industrious — and who are married to as many sober and industrious young women, who can card, spin, knit, sew, milk cows, and manage houshold affairs in the manner of Farmers wives among white people — shall be presented each couple, with a cow, a pig, an axe, a hoe, a Spinning wheel and Reel. — 10. As the success of this plan of improve- -ment may be promoted by the good dispositions and advice of the chiefs; and because the United States will take pleasure in contributing to their comfort and convenience — The deputy Agent is to give to the Head Chief of each village, con- -taining at least thirty Families, one good milk cow, as soon as such chief shall have provided a shelter of good Fodder, sufficient for her wintering; Some breeding Sows and boars may be distributed in the principal villages. — The whole encouragement to be effected out of the annual bounty of Fifteen hundred dollars.— This the Indians were expressly told; the progress is to be very gradual, in order to confine the expenditures within the limits of the bounty. Given at the War office of the United States in the City of Philadelphia, this twenty eighth day of April 1792. /Signed/ — H Knox /Copy/ — Sec^y. of War—