USA > New Jersey > The history of New Jersey : from its earliest settlement to the present time : including a brief historical account of the first discoveries and settlement of the country, Vol. I > Part 3
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Under the commission given to John Cabot and his son Sebastian, they were authorized to discover the isles, regions
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
and provinces of the heathen and infidels, which had been un- known to ,all the nations of Christendom, in whatever part of the globe they might be placed." And therefore wherever they landed, they took possession of the country in the name of the King of England. In the charter granted to Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth of England, in 1584, he was empowered to discover, occupy, and govern " remote, heathen, and barbarous countries" which had not been in possession previously of any Christian prince or people. The ships sent out by Raleigh under this commission were commanded by Amidas and Barlow.
In 1585, and again in 1609, they endeavored to establish settlements in Virginia, in both of which they were unsuccessful.
The patent granted by King James, in 1606, for Virginia, extended from the southern boundary of North Carolina to the northern boundary of Maine, and it was divided into two dis- tricts, called North and South Virginia. The southern they called the London Company, and was granted to Sir Thomas Gates and his associates, while the northern was granted to Thomas Hanham and his associates, and was styled the Ply- mouth Company.
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CHAPTER II.
1609-1664.
Extent of lands contained in first patent-Dutch and Swedes- Speech to the Indians in behalf of the Queen of Sweden-Their approval-First name of New Jersey-Surrender of the Prov- ince by the Dutch.
TT is evident from the foregoing, that the colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, were includ- ed in the great patent last mentioned, but after it had become void, the crown was at liberty to regrant the same to others, but it does not appear that any part of those provinces were settled by virtue thereof; neither was any distinct discovery of them made until many years afterwards.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the other adjacent lands, not- withstanding the ancient right of the crown of England, had two pretenders-the Dutch and Swedes.
The claim set up by the Dutch, was under color of a discov- ery in the year 1609, by Henry Hudson, an Englishman, com- mander of a ship called the Half Moon, and fitted out from Holland, by the East India Company, for the purpose of discov- ering, by a northwest passage, a nearer way to China. .
In this voyage, he sailed up as far as New York City, and con- tinuing his course up the river, by him called Hudson's river, as far as Albany.
Returning to Amsterdam some time after, the Dutch pre- tended to have purchased the chart he had made of the Ameri- can coast, and having obtained a patent from the States, in the
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1764772
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year 1614, to trade in New England, they settled in New York, which place they called New Netherland.
New York City was called by them New Amsterdam, and the island they called Manhattan.
The Dutch kept possession until Sir Samuel Argole, governor of Virginia, disputed their title upon the ground that the coun- try having been discovered by an Englishman, in right of his master he could not suffer it to be alienated from the crown without consent of the King. He therefore compelled the Dutch colony to submit to him, and to hold it under the English. But some time after, a new governor arriving from Amsterdam, they not only neglected to pay their usual acknowledgment to the governor of Virginia, but in the year 1623, they fortified their colony by building several forts.
On the Delaware* they built one near Gloucester, in the province of New Jersey, which they called Fort Nassau ; a sec- ond one on the Hudson river, f near Albany, which they called Fort Orange, in the province of New York; and a third on Connecticut river,t which they named the Hirsse of Good . Hope.
These settlers, being merchants, at the same time they built their forts, erected trading-houses at Forts Nassau and Orange.
As the Hudson river lay near the sea, and the navigation being esteemed by them less difficult than the Delaware, their settlements were chiefly built on both sides of the former river, at the entrance of which the town, called by them New Amsterdam, was built, so that by the time the Swedes came to America, they had abandoned the lands adjacent to the Dela- ware, and wholly settled upon the Hudson river.
The manner in which the Dutch had taken possession of the country, and had built their forts, was communicated to King Charles I .; such pressure, by his embassadors at the Hague, was brought to bear upon him, that the States were compelled to disown having given any authority for what the Dutch had
"Called by them South River.
1 North River.
¿Called Fresh River.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
done, when the whole blame was laid upon the East India Com- pany.
King Charles then gave a commission to Sir George Calvert, afterwards made Lord Baltimore,* to possess and plant that part of America, now called Maryland; and to Sir Edmond Loeyden or Ployden, to plant the northern parts toward New England.
The Dutch, being afraid of the power of the English, mani- fested at once their willingness to leave their plantations, pro- vided the English would give them £2500 as compensation for the amounts they had expended.
Soon after this, King Charles, being involved in trouble, was unable to give to his colonies the support they needed. They therefore not only relinquished their first proposals, but fur- nished the natives with arms, and taught them the use of them, that by their assistance they might dispossess the English and render themselves secure.
In the year 1626, during the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, the first settlement by the Swedes here began to be agitated in their own country. In this year William Useling, an eminent mer- chant of Stockholm, in Sweden, having learned of its fertile lands, abounding in all kinds of fruits, with all the necessaries of life, gave his countrymen a glowing account of the country, and endeavored to persuade his people to settle a colony here.
* " About the year 1620, while George Calvert, afterwards Lord Baltimore, was Secretary of State to James I., he obtained a patent for him and his heirs to be absolute lord and proprietor (with the royalties of a Count Pala. tine) of the province of Avalon, in Newfoundland, which was named by him from Avalon in Somersetshire, wherein Glastenberry stands the first fruits of Christianity in Britain, as the other was in that part of America. There he built a fine house in Ferryland, and spent twenty-five thousand pounds in advancing this new plantation. After the death of King James, he went twice in person to Newfoundland, Finding his plantation very much exposed to the insults of the French, he was at last forced to abandon it, whereupon he went over to-Virginia, and after having viewed these parts, came to England, and obtained from King Charles, who had as great regard and affection for him as King James, a patent to him and his heirs, for Maryland, that King naming it in honor of his beloved Queen, Henrietta MARIA." [Biogr. Britania, Art. George Calvert,
----
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
Through the influence of Useling, his monarch issued a proc- lamation at Stockholm, exhorting his subjects to contribute to a company for the accomplishment of this purpose. This was called the West India Company, and was confirmed by that Prince. The General Assembly raised sums of money to carry on the intended settlement, to which the King, his lords of the council, the chief of his barons, knights, coronets, the principal officers of his army, bishops, clergy, and many of the common people of Swedeland, Finland, and Liffland contributed, and persons of responsibility were chosen to see that the proposition was put in execution.
The persons who composed this commission were an admiral, a vice-admiral, merchants, manufacturers, and others, repre- senting the principal interests of the kingdom.
It was proposed to get as many as they should think proper, who would voluntarily accompany them to America, to settle and cultivate a colony there, and in 1627 the Swedes and Finns came over.
They first landed at Cape Inlopen, or Henlopen,* at which they were so well pleased that they called it Paradise Point ; after which they purchased from some Indians the land ·from Cape Inlopen to the Falls of the Delaware, t on both sides of the river, which they called New Swedeland stream. They made presents to the Indian chiefs, for the purpose of obtaining peaceable possession of the lands so purchased ; but the Dutch still continuing their pretensions, in 1630, David Peters de Vries built a fort within the capes of Delaware on the west, and about two leagues from Cape Cornelius, at the place sometimes called Lewistown and at other times called Hoarkill.
In 1631, the Swedes also built a fort on the west of the Del- aware, to which they gave the name of Christeen.t Peter Lindstrom, their engineer, laid out at this place a small town, at
. At the entrance of Delaware Bay, in Delaware.
t Where Trenton now stands.
: This place is now called Christiana, and is abont ten miles from Wil- mington.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
which they formed their first settlement; it was afterwards de- molished by the Dutch.
The Swedes erected another fort on an island called by them Tennecum, about sixteen miles above the town of Christeen, which they called New Gottenburgh.
Their Governor, John Printz, built a fine house with all suitable accommodations ; he planted an orchard, and called his settlement Printz's Hall. The principal part of the people also had their plantations on this island.
About this time the Swedes also built forts at Chester and other places. In the same year Chancellor Oxestiern, an am- bassador from Sweden, made application to King Charles I. to have the right claimed by the English, as being the first dis- coverers, yielded up. They also alleged they had purchased the pretence claimed by the Dutch by virtue of prior settlement and buildings here, most of which were destroyed before their arrival.
If this be true, the Dutch did not think proper long to abide by their contract, but gave trouble to the Swedes by encroach- ing upon their new settlements, and both of them joined together to dispossess the English, who also attempted to settle the eastern side of the Delaware river.
Kieft, a director of the States of Holland, assisted by the Swedes then in the colony, drove the English away, and hired the Swedes to keep them out. The Dutch complained that the Swedish governor, judging this a fitting opportunity, built fort Elsingburgh on the place from whence the English had been driven, and used great freedom with their vessels and all persons bound up the river, making them repair to the fort, and sent persons on board to know from whence they came. The Dutch considered this as using undue authority, especially in a country not their own.
They found the musquitoes so numerous that they were unable to live here, and therefore removing, they named the place Musketoeburgh.
The Dutch seem to have had a very great opinion as re- gards the land near the Delaware, and were greatly dis- tressed lest they should be dispossessed by the English, who,
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
they complained, had upon several occasions attempted to settle about that river, and thought if they once got a footing there would soon secure every part, so that neither Hollander or Swede would have any thing to say here. In particular they mention Sir Edmond Ployden, as claiming property in the country under a grant from King James I., who, they allege declined any dispute with them, but threatened to give the Swedes a visit in order to dispossess them.
John Printz continued governor of the Swedes from his arrival until about the year 1654, when he returned to Sweden, having first deputed his son-in-law, John Papegoia, governor in his stead, who also some time after returned to his native country, and left the government to John Rysing. He renewed the league of friendship with the English and Dutch in the neighborhood, and formally with the Indians. For this purpose a meeting was held with the sachems or Indian Chiefs at Printz's Hall, on Tennecum Island, where a speech was made them in behalf of the Queen of Sweden, expressing the desire of the . Swedes to renew their friendship. The Indians had before made complaint that the Swedes had introduced much evil amongst them, because many of the Indians, since their coming, were dead ; but the Swedes now making them considerable presents, which were received and divided among them, one of their chiefs, whose name was Noaman, made a speech, rebuking the rest for having spoken evil of the Swedes and done them harm, telling them that they should do so no more; that the Swedes were a good people, and thanking them for their presents, promised for the future that a more strict friendship should be observed between them. That as formerly they had been but one body and one heart, they should be henceforth as one head, in token of which he waves both his hands as if tying a strong knot ; promising also that if they heard of any mischief plotting against the Swedes, although it were midnight, they would give them notice, and desired the like notice from the Swedes if they understood harm was intended them. The Swedes then desiring the Indians in general would give them some signal that they all assented to what was said, they gave a general shout of approbation, and in the conclusion were
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entertained by the Swedes with victuals and drink. This league was kept faithfully on the part of the Indians.
The Swedish ships sent to succor this new colony, was ob- structed in their intended voyage by the Spaniards, and they being unable for want of money to keep their forts in repair, gave their more powerful neighbors, the Dutch, opportunities, with less danger, to make encroachments upon them.
Accordingly, the Dutch this year who inhabited the neigh- borhood of Virginia and New Sweden, gave great disturbance to the Swedes, and tried to regain the forts they had formerly possessed.
But by means of the Swedish governor and Peter Stuyvesant, who commanded under the Dutch at New Amsterdam, it was ap- parently settled ; yet, in the year following, the Dutch fitted out several ves sels from New Amsterdam, with six or seven hundred men, who in the summer, under the command of Stuyvesant, came up the Delaware and established their first quarters at Elsingburgh, where they took some of the Swedes prisoners.
They next sailed towards a fort called Holy Trinity, and hav- ing landed their men at a point near the place, and entrenched themselves, they soon after went up to the fort and demanded a surrender, and threatened what they would do in case of refusal. After this, by treaty or otherwise, they gained possession of the land, took down the Swedish flag and hoisted their own, secur- ing all places with their soldiers, and sent the Swedes they had taken prisoners on board their vessels.
This acquisition was deemed of considerable importance be- cause this fort was considered as the key of New Sweden.
On the 2d of September, they besieged Christiana, fort and town ; destroyed New Gottemburg, with such houses as were outside of the fort ; plundered the inhabitants of what they had, and killed their cattle.
The Swedes endeavored to pursuade the Dutch to desist from their acts of hostility, but to no purpose. After a siege of four- teen days they, being in want of ammunition, were obliged to surrender upon the best terms they could obtain, which were " that all the great guns should be restored, and that they could march out of the fort with their colors flying, and drums beat- ing," which was a great gratification to the Swedes.
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The officers and other principal inhabitants among the Swedes, were carried prisoners to New Amsterdam, and taken from thence to Holland. The common people, consenting to submit to the rule of the Dutch, were allowed to remain in the country.
From this time until 1664, New Sweden and New Netherland continued in possession of, and under the government of the Dutch, who, on Manhattan Island, at the mouth of the Hudson river, had built a city called by them New Amsterdam (New York), and the river they sometimes called the Great river.
About one hundred and fifty miles up they built a fort, and called it Orange (Albany), from which place they drove a profit- able trade with the Indians, who came overland as far up as Quebec, to deal with them.
The first bounds of New York, were Maryland on the south ; the mainland, as far as could be discovered, westward; the river of Canada (St. Lawrence), and New England, eastward. But the limits of this province, by the grants afterwards, were reduced into a much narrower compass.
The province now called Nova Cæsaria or New Jersey, was so called in compliment to Sir George Carteret, one of the pro- prietors and a Jerseyman .*
We are not informed of the precise time when the first English settlements were made in this State, though it is sup- posed that the Danes, or Norwegians, who came over with the Dutch colonists, and first commenced a settlement at New York about the year 1618, were the first to commence a settlement at Bergen, in this State. As early as 1614, an attempt was made to form a settlement at Jersey City, that point being fortified.
In 1623, the Dutch West India Company sent a ship with set- tlers and articles of trade, under command of Capt. Cornelius Jacobse Mey. He entered the Delaware bay, and gave his own name to its northern cape. He then sailed up the river as far as Gloucester, and built fort Nassau. This was undoubtedly the first attempt to establish a settlement in this State. Great induce-
*It is said for some little time, at first, to have borne the name of New Canary. The Indian name was Scheyichlie.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
ments and advantages were offered by the Dutch West India Company to all who would undertake to establish a settlement on the eastern shore of the Delaware. Charters were granted to individuals, giving them exclusive title to large tracts of land, subject only to Indian claims.
This being considered a great privilege, quite a number took advantage of it, and sent over agents to purchase lands for them. They formed an association to settle the lands, but when De Vries, their agent, arrived here, he found none of the Europeans who preceded him, and the fort (Nassau) he found had fallen into the hands of the Indians. He immediately erected a fort, landed his passengers, and returned to Holland.
On the 28th of August, 1609, Henry Hudson entered Dela- ware bay, under the patronage of the Dutch East India Com- pany. The water being shoal, he found the navigation rather difficult, and therefore did not proceed in that direction but a short distance. With his vessel, the Half Moon, he followed the eastern shore of our State, and anchored within Sandy Hook, on the 3d of September, 1609, and on the 5th he sent his boat ashore for the purpose of exploring and sounding the waters within Sandy Hook. His men landed and proceeded some distance into the woods of Monmouth county.
They were well received by the natives, who presented them green tobacco and dried currants, which existed there in great quantities.
When Captain Mey had entered Delaware bay, in 1623, he gave his own name to its most northern cape, which is still retained. He next explored the bay and river, and having landed, he built a fort at Techaaco, upon Timber creek, called at that time by the natives Sassachon. This creek is located in the county of Gloucester, and empties into the Delaware river.
The Dutch having obtained possession of the country on the Delaware, the governor of the colony appointed directors to govern the settlements.
. Johannes Paul Jaquet was the first director ; next to him was Peter Alricks, Hinojossa, and William Beekman. The patents to the lands granted by these directors are still part of the titles of the present owners. The Dutch, at this time, also obtained
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large tracts on the eastern part of New Jersey, and formed other settlements between the Delaware and Hudson rivers.
The English never relinquished their claim, but held it as being the prior discoverers to the Dutch, but the latter, assisted by the Swedes, resisted all attempts of the English to form set- tlements here. They destroyed their trading houses, confiscated their goods, and imprisoned the English settlers, which caused long and angry controversies between the New England and Dutch governments.
King Charles the II., fearing the ill consequences, should a Dutch colony be allowed in his dominions, determined to dis- possess them, and in order to accomplish his purpose, gave a patent to his brother, the Duke of York, in which were included the provinces of New York, New Jersey, and all other lands thereunto appertaining, with power to govern the same.
The reign of the Duke was not sufficiently enterprising to insure success, and therefore the interest he had in his newly acquired possessions did not avail him much ; besides, he had a strong aversion to the Dutch; he was therefore compelled to resort to military stratagem to hold possession of his provinces.
Before there was any formal declaration of war with Holland, Sir Robert Carre was sent to America, with a small fleet and some land forces, to put the Duke in possession of the country. His commission was dated April 26th, 1664, and it was some- time after this that a formal declaration of war with Holland was made. The Dutch in this country, being unprovided for defence against a royal squadron accompanied by land forces, rendered the expedition a safe and easy one.
Col. Richard Nicholls, George Cartwright, and Samuel Mev- erike joined with Carre in this commission to dislodge the Dutch.
They arrived at the Hudson river in the latter part of 1664, and the time of their arrival was so soon after the date of the patent of the Duke of York, that the Dutch had but very little notice* of their design, and therefore no time to prepare for their defence.
* The first notice they had was from Thomas Willet, an Englishman, about six weeks before their arrival.
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The land forces consisted of three hundred men, under com- mand of Col. Nicholls.
The Dutch Governor,* an accomplished soldier, who had lost a leg in service, was totally unprepared for this sudden and unexpected attack, and being aware also of the defects in the title by which the Dutch held the lands, and their present incapacity for defence, was easily prevailed upon to surrender.
When the English arrived at New Amsterdam, they issued the following proclamation, which was circulated through the country, in order to show the design they had in view in coming into the country.
1
"BY HIS MAJESTY'S COMMAND :
" Forasmuch as His Majesty hath sent us by commission, under his great seal of England, amongst other things, to expel or to reduce to His Majesty's obedience all such foreigners as have, without His Majesty's leave and consent, seated them- selves amongst any of his dominions in America, to the preju- dice of His Majesty's subjects and the diminution of his royal dignity, we, His Majesty's Commissioners, do declare and promise that whosoever, of what nation soever, will, upon knowledge of this proclamation, acknowledge and testify them- selves to submit to His Majesty's government, as his good subjects ought to do, shall be protected by His Majesty's laws and justice, and peaceably enjoy whatsoever God's blessing and their own honest industry have furnished them with, and all other privileges with His Majesty's English subjects. We have caused this to be published, that we might prevent all incon- veniences to others ; if it were possible, however, to clear our- selves from the charge of all those miseries that anyway may befall such as live here, and will not acknowledge His Majesty for their sovereign. Whom God preserve."
Immediately upon notice of the arrival of the English in the bay, Stuyvesant, the Dutch Governor, dispatched the following letter :
* Peter Stuyvesant.
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" RIGHT HONORABLE SIRS :
" Whereas we have received intelligence that, about three days since, there arrived an English man-of-war, or frigate, in the bay of the North river, belonging to the New Netherlands ; and since that three more are arrived, by what order or pretence is unknown to us ; and having received various reports concern- ing their arrival upon this coast, and not being apt to entertain any prejudice intended against us, have, by order of the commander in chief of the New Netherlands, thought it convenient and requisite to send the worshipful, the bearer hereof, that is to say, the worshipful John Declyer, one of the chief council ; the Rev. John Megapolensis, minister ; Paul Lendelvandergrist, mayor of this town, and have joined with them Mr. Samuel Megapolensis, doctor in physick, whom by these presents I have appointed and ordered, that with the utmost respect and civility, they do desire and entreat of the commander in chief of the aforesaid men-of-war or frigates, the intent and meaning of their approach, and continuing in the harbor of Naijacly, without giving any notice to us, or first acquainting us with their design, which action hath caused much admiration in us, having not received timely knowledge of the same, which, in respect to the govern- ment of the place, they ought, and were obliged to have done ; wherefore upon the considerations aforesaid, it is desired and entreated from the general of the aforesaid men-of-war or frigates, as also from our before deputed agents, whom we desire your honors civilly to treat, and to give and render unto them the occasion of your arrival here upon this coast, and you will give an opportunity (that after our hearty salutes and well wishes of your health) to pray that you may be blessed in eternity, and always remain, right honorable sirs, your honors' affectionate friend and servant,
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