History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 17

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776

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The hostile attitude of the Maryland authorities had, in the mean time, been under the con-idera- tion of the Amsterdam directors, who ordered Stuyvesant to oppo-e their encroachments, "first warning them in a civil manner not to usurp our territory ; but if they despise such kind entreaties, then nothing is lett but to drive them from there, as our elaims and rights on the lands upon south River are indisputable." But while the company was thus strenuous in asserting its territorial rights to the whole South River, it declined to receive back from the city of Amsterdam the colony of New Amstel ; and the city's commissaries, obliged to continue their reluctant support, appointed Hinoyossa director in place of Alrichs, 1

In 1661, public attention was drawn toward the South River, and various plans of emigration were proposed. Finally, a colony of Mennonists, or Anabaptists, established themselves at the Hore- kill. Pieter Cornelis Plockhoy was principal leader of the colony .:

The Dutch West India Company, seeing the impossibility of its colonial enterprise on the South River, proposed favorable terms to the city of Amsterdam for the surrender of " the whole of the Delaware from the sea upwards as far as the river reached, with the territory on the east side. three Dutch miles into the interior, and on the west as far as the country extended toward the English, saving the rights of the settlers and proprietors in the neighborhood." After formal, and somewhat lengthy negotiations, it was at length determined, on the 12th of February, 1663, that the Company should conter on the city the entire South'or Dela- ware River. By this grant, the " high and low jurisdiction " which the city of Amsterdam pos- soused formerly over the colony of New Amstel alone was now extended over the whole territory on the river. The formal transfer of the territory on the Delaware to the city of Amsterdam did not take place until December 22. 1663, when a deed

! Broadhead's History of New York, vol. 1. p 692.

: The association was to moment of married males and single nien who 1. w attained the age of twenty four years, who were not bouwel to ser. ve of Hadebited to the invention. No superiority of office was to la ~ night for ; but all persons were to obey the ordin thiers for the " math- finstere of peace and concord." No munster of the gospel way to In sil wed in the association ; for being composed of per- use of vargens . students of the whole of theu community, and to get out of each suit, a ceargued, would not vedly to imposible, " last an mevitable por to " pour and union " The number that agreed to settle was thirty-five 1.1. The city of Amsterd'un agreed to loan each of thein one hun- dr.dumble ra. The whole community were to be secured for this loan Huis every man was surety for all the rest.

In the meanting Hinoyossa, who had arrived at Amsterdam, induced the burgomasters to appro- priate large sums of money for the vigorous prose- rution of the work of colonization. He represented the Maryland authorities, with whom he had communicated, as anxious to promote intercolonial contaerce; That the Swedes, Finns and others had already one hundred and ten plantations, and thousands of cattle and swine, besides horses and sheep; that the city had already two or three breweries, and more were wanted to supply the English with beer, who, in recurn, could furnish a thousand tubs of tobacco a year; and that ton thousand furs and other articles could be annually preenred from the Indians, and exported from the colony. These representations had their effect. The next month Hinovossa set sail for the South River with about one hundred and fifty colonists, and arrangements were made to dispatch another ship. Not long afterwards he arrived, and Beek- man, in obedience to the company's orders, imme- diately recognized him as chief of the Dutch on the South River. His administration, however, was of short duration, extending from December 28, 1663 to October 1, 1664. During this limited period, arrangements were made for extending the fur and tobacco trade ; a governmental revenue was provided tor by the imposition of a tax on imported goods, and upon tobacco and furs exported, and to prevent trouble from savage excess, the brewing and distilling of liquors was prohibited in the colony.

The relations between the English in Maryland and the Dutch on the Delaware during all this time were far from being harmonious. Hardly had Charles II. reached the throne of England, before Lord Baltimore instructed Captain James Neale, his agent in Holland, to require of the West India Company to yield up to him the lands on the south side of the Delaware. Neale, accordingly, made a formal demand for the surrender of New Amstel, and informed the directors that Lord Baltimore would use all lawful means to defend his rights and subject the Dutch to his authority. The Amster- dam Chamber referred the question to the College of the XIX. who resolved, on Sept. 1. 1660, that they would defend their rights with " all the means which God and nature had given them."

Doubts had. meanwhile arisen in the council of Maryland, whether New Amstel was really within the limits of that province, and all further demon- strations were delayed until Lord Baltimore obtained from the king a confirmation of his

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

patent. Pending these proceedings, the two colo- nies coneluded a treaty of peace with the Indians at the head of Apoquinnimy ereck. The Mary- landers, at the same time, propo-ed to deliver two or three thousand hogsheads of tobacco annually to the Dutch in return for negroes and merchan- dise.

In 1663, news came that the heir of Lord Balti- more was abont to visit Altona, and Beekman, finding that " here on the river not a single draught of French wine is obtainable," requested Stuyvesant to send him some from Manhattan, " to treat the nobleman with." The next month, Lord Balti- more's son, Charles Calvert, came to New Am-tel and Altona with a suite of twenty-six or twenty- seven persons. Beekman entertained him, not as a proprietary, but as a guest, and their intercourse was pleasant and harmonious. In conjunction with Van Sweringen, the schout of New Amstel, Calvert renewed the treaty with the savages, but when it was proposed to define the limits of the two colonies, he replied that he would communicate with Lord Baltimore. The young nobleman took leave of his Dutch hosts in all good feeling, and proposing to visit Boston the next spring, by way of Manhattan, he desired Beekman to convey his thanks to Stuyvesant for his "offer of convoy and horses." 1

1 Broadhead's History of New York, vol. 1, p. 717.

In the early part of June a battle took place between the Minqua and seneca Indians. "The Senera-, to the number of eight hundred, Mockaded the Minquas in their fort whilst a large proportion of their numbers were out hunting. When the Setieras approached, thee or four men were dispatched to the fort with the offer of peace, while their force remained at a distance ; but a Minqua returning from hunting discovered the senecas, so that the next day those in the fost concluded to meet them with twenty in thirty men. Theother Minquas at the same time, with their forces, minde an attack, put the Senecas to fight, and pursued them for twodays, retaking ten prison sind killing toh &rtelas." The Governor of Maryland assisted the Miniquis with two carton and four men to manage them. The account- of this battle banded down to us are confused. It is more than probable the assistance rendered by the Marylatobris contrilaned to the Minguns victory. The site of the battle is not definitely known; but if is supposed to have been within the linnts of the State,-probably in the neighborhood of Iton of Chestnut Hill, near Newark, as the Manguas fort wassituated on a high mountain. These full-answer bestto the description given by C'ampamus as the site of the Matique stronghold.

On the South Hives at this time, according to the report of the Com- missiobers of the city of Amsterdam, the awedes, Finns and other Dations had established about 1h1 good bowertes or farias, which had a stack of 2000 cows and oxen, 20 hvises, so sheep, and several thou- Batel swine. It was recommended that no Hollander -hoult be emple y- ed in agriculture; but that swedes, Fruits and other foreign Dations should be reduced to emigrate to the Marth Rive for that purpose. The city was to offer to lend such people suthwent to pay their passage and purchase agricultural implement -. Most of the emigrants who arrived in the " Parte land & hotel " with I'llinvest Were Swedes and Finns, who were aided Ly the city of Amsterdam in tins matter.

The Dritch of the In lavate at this time brewer a great deal of strong beer, which was sold to the Marylanders (who del het matufacture atty) for tohaceo.

on the 4th of Nowamber, Andreas Huile, who figured so prominently in the ently part of war history, died at AAppuominitum, which was then the matter of Appeputinnuk. He had brenn buthtul servant of the Dutch for many years, and It- services weir appreciated by them ; but he had been pulled and all lus property destroyed by to Imbare, at d he had snurk from the position of comme-sas, of governor, to that of cleth. He petitioned ler hty discharge as cleik, afat it la ing granted, hal left Altona on the Ist of November, and was going by the way of Approquitting to Maryland, where be jte sided engaging in the Mewing luisthese ; but he died let de he reached the re of an " ardent lever. ' llis first servire nuder the Dutch was its surveyor at Manhattan, lol2, fot whr !. station he was removed, in body he was comuni- any at F. it

The circumstances which led to the overthrow of the Dutch in the New Netherlands, do r .. demand any long recital. The facts are few, al: : there is no stirring episode in connection with then. No revolution could have been more tame, n. transfer of an empire more apathetic. The Dutch had always had the sagacity to know that the English were their worst enemies in this continent. New Netherland lay like a wedge between Virginia and New England, separating and weakening the -. colonies, while at the same time it kept both from access to the best soils, the most desirable and salubrious climates, and the boldest navigable waters in America. From the time of Lord Baltimore's settlement on the Chesapeake (1634 . the pressure which the Dutch felt so much ujans their eastern frontier was repeated with an added strain on the southern. Baltimore's charter called for all the land north of the Potomac and south of the fortieth parallel. This line would have in- cluded the present site of Philadelphia, and Balti- more was urgent in asserting his claim. As ha- been stated, he sent Col. Nathaniel Utie to New Amstel (now New Castle) to give notice of his rights and how he meant to enforce them, and his ambassador went among the simple-hearted, timid Dutch and Swedes like a hectoring constable armed with a distraint warrant. Utie and others assisted the Indians who were at war with those tribes who were clients and allies of the Dutch, and Fendall and Calvert repeatedly made it appear that they meant to invade the South River colony and over- throw the Dutch power, either by sailing in at the mouth of the Delaware or by an invasion overland by way of Elk River. So great was the pressure put upon them that the Dutch abandoned their settlements about the IForekills, and withdrew farther up the bay. As a further precaution, and to erect " a wall between them and the English of Maryland," the Dutch West India Company, as we have shown, ceded to the city of Amsterdam. to which it owed heavy debts, its entire jurisdiction over the South River colony.

But the English to be dreaded did not live in the colonies but at home. The Stuarts were in power again, and so greedy were they and their followers, after their long fast during the period of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, that England, though clean stripped, did not furnish spoils enough to "go round." Charles Il., more- over, had no liking for the Dutch, and it had already become the policy of Great Britain to obtain control of the North American continent. On March 12 .- 1664 (O. S.), the king granted to his brother James, Duke of York and Albany (after- wards King James H.), a patent for all the land embraced between the St. Croix River on the north

Naam, since which time he had been identified with the Dutch tu South River .- Vincent & Arun Dela Pp .10

DELAWARE UNDER THE DUTCH.

and the Delaware Bay on the south. This covered all of New England, New York, and New Jersey, but it did not include the west side of the Delaware River and Bay, showing clearly that the king r .- pected his father's charter conveying this terri- tory to Calvert. All of the land granted by this patent, from the St. Croix River to the Passaic, had been previously coneeded to the Plymouth or North Virginia Company by King James I. The Inke, in July, sold or granted the territory between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers-the whole of New Jersey, in fact-to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. War between the English and Dutch broke ont two months after the Duke of York received his patent, and the latter, who was lord high admiral of the British navy, at once May 25, O. S.) fittel out an expedition to capture the New Netherlands-in other words, to take possession of the country patented to him by his brother. The expedition, consisting of four vessels, with one hundred and twelve guns and three hundred soldiers, besides the ships' erews, was under command of Col. Richard Nicholls, who was accompanied by Sir Robert Carr, Kt., George Cartwright, and Samuel Maverick, commissioners to the several English colonies to hear complaints, jredress grievance-, and settle the "peace and security of the country." Their instructions bound them first to reduce the Dutch colonies, as the fountain of sedition and sanctuary of discontent and mutiny, to " an entire obe lience." The mas- sacres of Amboyna were cited in proof that the Dutch were not fit to be intrusted with great power, and it was deelared to be " high time to put them without a capacity of doing the same mischief in America, by reducing them to the same rule and obedience with the English subjects there." Sub- mission to English authority was all that was to be required of them, and no man who submitted was to be "disturbed or removed from what he possessed."

The Dutch, both at home and in New Nether- land, were acquainted with the expedition and its objects, but took no real measures of defense. The first ve-sel of the expedition arrived at the outer bay of New Amsterdam August 25th, and a pro- elamation was at once i-sued, offering protection to all who submitted. Stuyvesant repaired the walls of his fort, but he could not rally the people to reinforce the garrison. They would not leave their villages and boueries, their wives and children, upon any such venture. On the 30th, Col. Nicholls demanded the surrender of the fort and i-land, replying to Stuyvesant's commissioners that Im was not there to argue questions of title, but to obey orders, and the place must surrender to him without debate, or he would find means to compel it to do so. Stuyvesant was still disposed to argue, to temporize, to fight if he could, but the frigate

ran up alongside the fort, broadside on, and demanded an immediate surrender. The people assembled in town-meeting and declared their helples-ness, the dominios and the old women laid siege to Stuyvesant, and on the 9th of September, 1664, New Amsterdam surrendered, the Datech marching out of their fort with all their arms, drums heating, and color- flying. The terms of the capitulation were very liberal, considering that no defense was possible. In fact, the English did not want any war. They sought territory, and they knew that that takes half its value from being in a pacific state.

After arranging affairs at New Amsterdam, the name of which was now changed to New York, Sir Robert Carr, with two frigates and some soldiers, was sent to the Delaware to receive the submission of the Dutch there. They reached New Amstel on September 30th. The inhabitants at once yielded, but the trueulent D'Hinovossa, with Alriehs and Van Sweringen, threw himself into the fort, and declined to come to terms. Carr landed some troops, male his frigates pour two broadsides into the fortress, and then incontinently took it by storm, the Dateh losing three men killed and ten wounded. the English none. The result of D'Hinovossa's foolhardiness was the sack of the fort, the plunder of the town, the confiscation of the governor's property, as well as that of several of his supporters, and the selling of the Dutch soldiers into Virginia as slaves. A good many negro slaves also were confiscated and sold. a cargo of nearly three hundred of these unhappy beings having just landed at South Amboy and been run across the Delaware with the idea of escaping the English in New York. The name of New Amstel was changed to New Castle, and D'Hinovossa retired to Maryland, where he was naturalized and lived for several years in Talbot County, but finally finding he could not recover his property, which had been taken by Carr and others, he returned to Holland, entered the Dutch army, and fought in the wars against Louis XIV.1

1 Vincent says. "After the capture of the town and fort of New Amstel a general scrhe of jounder took plo c. All the soldiers and many of the citizens of New Amstel were soll is - . Aspx to Verguna (for white slavery or forced service then evista1, as well as blick! The persons he might by the "titleun" and ran across New Jersey by Mrichs were forfeited, and mostly divided am ing Ins captors, sive those that the Dutch man- aged to con ral. several were taken belongHier to Alter hs. Eleven were returned to him some four years afterwards by Etign Arthur Stock as a five gitt. Theyles tore down the bitch all the product of the land for that year, and amongst other things were the sheep, il or to horses, Sito throws an boxen, a ber anger and we'll belonging to it, atod astw-thill ready to imit up ( This is the first mention we have of a - uw-nul in Io ware . They des plandeved the settlement of the Mennowists at the Hoernky, Leaving the inhabitants there to use the

ing of this adar, says. " That although the citizens of Ne. Anh ! male to meet me, " they were wergel' and 'utterly plaat ind." Henles centres the selling of the citizens and others is why The amount of plun bor uht tined amounted to thon, Carr, notwithstanding the amount of sheep and cattir taken from the nutoitus ite citizens of Now Amstel, in writing to Colored Nuballs giving an account of the exp "hition, alys: "That nothing was to he had on the Delaware but what was pire and from other pires, and that to supply the wants of

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

In May, 1667, Nicholls was superseded by Sir Francis Lovelace as governor of the Durch & ttle- ments on the North and South Rivers, and in July of that year peace was made between the Patch and English on the basis of the uti possodetis. On the Delaware, the government remained in charge of Sir Robert Carr, with Capt. Robert Needham acting as military commander. In May, 1872. the town of New Castle was erected into a corporation, and Capt. Edmund Cantwell was appoh.ted the first High Sheriff, and Peter Alrichs Bailitt, or chief magistrate, for the town and river August, 1669, some disturbance arose on the Dels- ware in consequence of the condurt of a Swode called " the long Finn," who gave himself cut os the son of General Count Konig-mark, made seditious speeches, and tried to incite some sort of a rebellion. He is thought to have had the countenance, if not the active support, of Printz's daughter, Armgart Papperoja. He was arrested, put in irons, tried, convicted, and sentenced to be publiely whipped, branded on the face and breast, and sent to the Barbadoes to be sold. all of which was done as set forth.

In 1673 war again broke out between the Dutch and English in consequence of the malign influence of Louis XIV. upon Charles II. The French king invaded the Netherlands with two hundred thou- sand men, and there was a series of desperate naval battles between the combined French and English fleets, with one hundred and fifty ships, and the Dutch fleet of seventy-five vessels, under De Ruyter and the younger Tromp. The last of these battles, fought off the Helder, resulted in the defeat of the allied squadrons, and the Prince of Orange at once dispatched several ves-els un- der Binckes and the gallant Evertsen to recover possession of New Netherlands The British made but little re-i-t- anee, while the Dutch wel- comed their old friends. Love- lace fled, and in a few days the Dutch had resumed con- GOV. ANDROSS' SEAL. trol of all their old provinces in North America.

Captain Anthony Colve was made gover- nor, but there were only a few administrative changes, though a general contiseation art was passed against the English. In 1074, February 10th ( O. S.), the treaty of Westminster was signed, and peace again made between the Dutch and English, with a proviso enforcing the restitution of all countries taken during the late war. Under this treaty, the English re-umed their conquests of 1664. The Duke of York's patents were renewed,

the garrison he had to seul inter Maryland some meeres lalinging to I'llmoyensa, which he would for 'bout, quark, and salt, " and, to tam bang own words, "other small couvemences," which, he said, "the plate Altul leth bot."

and the duke appointel Sir Edmund Andre governor over the whole country from the w .. side of the Coansetient River to the east side the Delaware Amviruss arrived out Novembre 10th, and at one preveded to restore the statue ante bellum as far as he could. He was an astut. weil-informed man, of good habits, with the t.a. of a practiced courtier, and many of the rar areomplichments of a statesman. Under h :- administration and that of his deputies on th .. Delaware, Cant. Cantwell,1 Capt. Collier, atot Chutopher Billon, the settlements on the Sont. River prospered, and grew rapidly in population. resources, and! in sympathy and fellow-feeling with the other colonics.

CHAPTER VIII.

WILLIAM PENN AND INS GOVERNMENT.

AFTER the Restoration of the Stuarts the atten- tion of the court as well as the people of England was dirreted in a much larger measure than for- merly to the American colonies. Men who were weary of strife, discontented with the pre-ent aspect of affairs or apprehensive of the future. sought relief and peace in emigration. The hard- ship of the wilderness, the perils of Indian war- fare, the depressing diseases of a new climate and unbroken soil were as nothing to those in compari-

1 Captain Edmund Cautwell and William Zorn were authorized !. u.ke fursisstou of the fort at New Castle, and we to the preservation ? all states of war at that place, or any part of the river. The format was appainted Shein, of schout, and the latter Secretary, or vie !!. Bath, in conjunction, were ordered to collect to quit ments and oil dites stalilished by the Logh-h. before the coming of the Dutch. T. others of the government on the Delaware, at this time, were, the for , as follows , short, of sebent, Captain Ihmund Cantwell , Ser .. tony, William Zorn ; Magistrates ot New castle, Hatis Block, John 31 H, Foppe Onthont, Jeseph Chew, Buck Alberts. Magistrates on the In .. Peter Cook, Peter Ringla , Mintel Holm, Lars Adra-en, Whole Suas

"The government continued thus constituted until the 23 of septerr ber, loin, when Cantwell and Zorn were releved by the appointment f Engin John Colher, as Crenthander on Delaware River und Bis. und of Ephraim Hermins as Pretetary. The following Magistrates w-tv wind totutilsstoned: For New Castle, John Moll, Hetiry Ward, W Th ... Zorn, Foppo Onthont, Jean Paul Jacquett, Gerritt otto. For the laver, Peter Cook, Peter Itambo, Israel Helme, Lais Adriesen, Woolly >watt. Otto Ett test Cock.

On the 13th of August, IGHT, Caption John Collier was relieved !! Governor Andres, of the command of athurs on the Delaware, In " appointment, in ins place, of faptul christopher Blog. we! . steer. Billop contiene das ( antander, or Chief Officer, on the In - wale, until the latter frit of Het, when he was removed for mis . dit. We liste no record of the appointment of his successof The feverhors proclamation, introducing the Ituke of luck's lawsuphp- Delaware ; three judicial artists upon the liver were dina est de of ere VIZ. : One at New Castle, che at Updated, all oue at the White will I. Ifor a fourth district was estudialie is by a division of the Who! which was called at. Jones, Duke of York's EL of Laws, you i'h. 4 .5. 177.

Be, and, under date et le" says: " It appears, from a reference the Now Casth a must Records, to process as of a court held in Chat, March 21. 1011, clean, C'est com (+ were established hepe avril.

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History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 17

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards Number of Pages: 776

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776