USA > New York > Orange County > Deerpark > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 4
USA > New York > Orange County > Mount Hope > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 4
USA > New York > Orange County > Minisink > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 4
USA > New York > Orange County > Greenville > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 4
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
tance lessened. A few moments more and the battle would begin. The forces are within gunshot. But see, the courage of the constable's men begins to waver- their steps grow shorter, and he commands a halt ! It was a moment of dread suspense. One word and death would most probably have visited the ranks of both parties. Gerardus Swartout, a son of the Major, not knowing whether it would be best to kill any of the foe, at this juncture called to his father to know how he should fire. The Major remembered their raid upon his house, and the death of his wife, who was sick at the time and who died afterwards from the effect of their hasty removal, and replied determinedly, "Kill them !" This was the finishing stroke; the Jerseymen had sup- posed their formidable display would strike terror to the opposing ranks, but when they heard the Major's reply and saw his men ready to execute it, it filled them with consternation, and they struck an air-line for the nearest woods. The Major's men took a circuitous route and intercepted them while passing a ravine about two miles from the scene of battle. They at once fired upon the marauders, and. their rout became gen- eral. The only life lost was that of the constable's horse, which fell at the first fire, giving its owner a lift in the world he had not calculated on, and landing him in a bunch of brambles. Out of this he crawled, minus hat and gun, and struck the very fastest gait he could on a bee-line for New Jersey, each particular hair stand- ing so straight behind that it was said a pick-axe could have been hung upon it and not have fallen off. The victory was complete; and thus in the second regular engagement did the Jerseymen return home worsted.
The next raid of the Jerseymen took place in 1753, and was made to obtain possession of the lands and per-
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THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN.
son of Thomas De Key (or Dekay), who was at that time Colonel of the Orange county militia, and also justice of the peace. De Key, wishing to get along without any disturbance, went to James Alexander, one of the pro- prietors of East New Jersey, and asked to remain unmolested till the boundary should be determined. This Alexander would not agree to, stating that the land belonged to New Jersey, and that he must submit to the laws of that State. This the Colonel in turn refused to do, and so the question remained. Shortly after, a party of armed men from New Jersey appeared before the Colonel's door. He had perceived them approach- ing, and had prepared for defense by arming himself and stoutly barricading all the entrances to the house. He then appeared at a window and warned them that death awaited the first man who should undertake to force an entrance to the house. This rather checkma- ted their plans. Some of them cocked their guns and threatened to shoot the Colonel through the heart as he stood at the window-others swearing they would set fire to the house and shoot every man, woman and child, that should undertake to flee from it; and some declaring in favor of starving him out. But Colonel De Key was not so easily intimidated. He stuck to his position, and the enemy again were forced to retire, vowing that next time they would bring a force with them large enough to take the whole of Goshen, and assuring the Colonel that they would have him yet.
The matter was frequently brought before the Colo- nial Assemblies of both New York and New Jersey, by the proprietors of the Minisink and Wawayanada patents, and in 1754 Lieut. Gov. James De Lancey noticed it in the following message to that body in New York:
" Gentlemen-The division line between this govern-
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ment and the province of New Jersey not being settled, has given rise to great tumults and disorders among the people of Orange County and the adjacent inhabitants of New Jersey, and may produce worse evils unless pre- vented by a timely care. Nothing can answer the pur- pose so effectually, I think, as the fixing of a temporary line of peace between us, until his Majesty's pleasure shall be known in the matter. Governer Belcher assures me of his sincere desire that amicable and conciliatory measures may be fallen upon by the governments to make the borders easy: and I have proposed to him the running such line conformable to the opinion of his Majesty's council, signified in their report to me, which I shall order to be laid before you, and if it receives your approbation I shall forthwith appoint commissioners for running such line of peace, and apply to that govern- ment to do the like on their part."
But notwithstanding the above message promised to so speedily provide for the welfare of the people of Min- isink by a settlement of this vexatious question, it was · not heard of again for years, and the quarrel continued. About 1765 the last raid of the Jerseymen took place, for the capture of Major and Johannes Westbrook-two persons who lived within the limits of the disputed ter- ritory, and were leading men in the ranks of the. Mini- sink claimants. The invaders chose Sunday for the accomplishment of their design, and resolved to falsify the old proverb that " Evil men love darkness rather than light," by making the venture in broad daylight. The appointed day came. The Major and Captain Westbrook as usual attended the Maghackemeck Church, to listen to the expounding of divine writ by Mr. Thomas Romeyn, the pastor. The psalms were sung, the prayers made, and the minister went on with his discourse.
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THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN.
Little thought his hearers as they waxed drowsy with the length of the good man's sermon and the warmth of the day, that a far more exciting topic than his every- day struggle in wordy combat with the powers of dark- ness, awaited their consideration; that even while they suffered their thoughts to stray from the text to the satisfy- ing consolation of a good Sunday dinner, a circle of dark forms was drawing closer and closer around the edifice. The services closed. It was a direful moment. The Major and Captain Westbrook appeared, and the be- siegers rushed toward them with a shout. But quick as - were their movements, those of the attacked were quicker. Hats and coats were doffed-shouts of defi- ance arose-positions of defence assumed on the instant, and the attackers met with stubborn resistance. Neither party violated the sanctity of the Sabbath by the use of arms other than those given by nature. The women screamed, cried and scolded-the men shouted, fought, and no doubt thought of some very profane words, if they did not speak them. The place which a few moments before was a perfect pattern of Sabbath quietness, was changed as if by the enchanter's wand into a complete pandemonium. Frightful sounds of discord, kicks, cuffs, blows and maddened yells of victory or pain, mingled with the tones of entreaty, sobs and screams, filled the air. The green was covered with the crowd of terrified women and maddened, struggling men.
" Long time in even scale the battle hung."
Down and up, and over and under they went as the tide of battle turned. The faces so contented and serene while the minister was fighting evil doers with the Scriptures, now began to present a motley array of bloody noses, blackened eyes, and lips cut and swollen, since they had grappled with the powers of New Jersey.
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
But why prolong the description of this unequal contest ? The Jerseymen in this instance proved too numerous for the Minisinkers, and marched off the Major and Captain in triumph. The prisoners, however, without doubt, consoled themselves somewhat with the thought that they had at least made their capture a " lively time " for their assailants. They were confined some time in what was called the Jersey Colony prison, but finally released.
Thus this hard-fought battle of the fist was at last productive of barren results. This was the last signal engagement of the war. The governments of the two Colonies in 1767 appointed Commissioners to run a boundary line, but such was the bitterness of feeling among the inhabitants that they dared not do it, and as a reason for not performing their duty, stated in their report that the Indians were so hostile they deemed it unsafe. The line was shortly after surveyed however, the disputed territory about equally divided between the claimants-and so the war was peaceably settled at last, just as it might have been at first, if the ruling .powers had been composed of men desirous of doing so.
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CHAPTER V.
INCIDENTS OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
The two governments, France and England, could not fail of being jealous of each other, rivals as they were for the mastery of the western continent ; and this feel- ing found vent in a continued series of predatory excur- sions into each other's colonial possessions, and divers strategical efforts to gain the ascendancy in a favora- ble alliance with the warlike tribes of Indians. Espe- cially was this the case along the borders of the Canadas and the province of New York and those of New Eng- land. It was this spirit of hatred and jealousy among the Indians, fostered and encouraged on the one side by the English against the French, and on the other by the French against the English, that caused such a long record of horrible atrocities to be connected with the Indian name in the early history of the Colonies. But though for many years the tide of war had vacillated between the opposing parties with undecisive results to either side, its bloody front had not as yet shown itself in a serious form among the settlers of the Minisink region ; and it was not till 1754 that they began to perceive signs of an approaching tempest. During that year England directed the Colonies to oppose the encroachments of the French by force of arms, though the mother countries were at peace with each other. The war gradually increased, and the following year
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
became a general contest between the two nations, and. has been ever since known in history as the " old French and Indian war of 1755."
The struggle was entered upon with the determina- tion to throw all possible force into the scale. In Feb- ruary of that year, the legislature of New York voted 45,000 pounds sterling to defray expenses, and in May ordered a levy of 800 men to be made to co-operate with the troops of the other Colonies. The most stringent measures were adopted to secure the public safety; and among others equally severe, was a law passed the same year by the legislature, to the effect that in cases of imminent danger, slaves were liable to military duty, and that if any colored person over the age of fourteen was found a mile or more from his or her master's plan- tation, without a certificate from the master stating their business, they were to be judged guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy. The same law also declared that any person so finding a slave or slaves had the right to shoot or destroy him or them without being liable to impeachment or prosecution for the same.
The first intimation the Minisink settlers had of approaching danger, was the disappearance of the Indians from their neighborhood. Squads of them that had been on the most friendly terms with the whites were suddenly missed, and the few Indians that remained told them that they had gone to join the hostile tribes near Cochecton and farther west. The settlers knew enough of Indian character to foresee the ordeal to which they were to be subjected, and began to prepare for the worst. The women and children were first sent to a place of safety-to Old Paltz, Rochester, and Wawarsing in Ulster county, and to Goshen in Orange, at all of which places the majority of them had relatives
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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
by marriage or otherwise ; for they knew the fury of the Indian would be vented alike on the strong and the helpless. Though their vicinity had hitherto been spared, the terrible details of Indian vengeance as seen in the murder at Schaghticoke were fresh in their memory.
Capt. Johannis Bratt and David Ketlin were two pioncers in the wilderness, at a place called by the Indians Schaghticoke, near Albany. For companionship they built their houses a short distance apart, and many a long day in this lonely place the only sound heard by either to enliven his toil, was the echo of the other's axe amid the mighty timber. Time enabled them to surround themselves with many comforts, and Indian depredations so frequent in the surrounding country had been a thing unknown to them, except by rumor, which never failed to tell them of horrible crimes committed, whenever they went to Albany for neces- saries. But they had done nothing to incur the resent- ment of the red man, and so they trusted in Providence and toiled on. On the 20th of October, 1711, they started from their homes to. visit a settlement distant some two miles-Ketlin on foot and Bratt on horseback. They had proceeded but a short distance, when they met an Indian sauntering along with his gun upon his shoulder. Ketlin spoke to him in the Indian language, and asked where he was going. He replied that he
was going a hunting. " But," said Ketlin, "where are your comrades ?" He answered, "They have gone ahead into the woods." Ketlin turned to Capt. Bratt, remarking in Dutch that there was something suspicious about his actions, and that he was a strange Indian. The instant Ketlin turned to speak to the Captain, the Indian slung his rifle to his shoulder and fired, killing
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
the Captain dead upon his horse. The suddenness of the terrific act, for a moment paralyzed Ketlin's thoughts, but it was for a moment only. He knew that his own life depended on the quickness of his move- ments, and sprang at once to grapple with his foe, as he had no weapons of any kind. The Indian had drawn his tomahawk, or rather axe, and as Ketlin approached struck a murderous blow at his head ; but he dodged it, and scarcely too, for the helve hit his shoulder. Then came the struggle for life. Ketlin was a powerful man, and desperation lent him new strength. It was an anxious moment, that comprehended the period of that trial of strength on foot; but Ketlin was the superior and succeeded in throwing his antagonist. In the fall he was also fortunate enough to secure the axe in his left hand. The Indian saw that he was gaining the advantage, but like his tribe, it only seemed to increase his courage.
" You shall die," he hissed between his set teeth. " There are twenty French Indians on both sides the river."
" That may be," said Ketlin, " but you will die first."
To carry out the threat, he undertook to change the axe from his left hand to his right. At that instant the Indian, concentrating all his energies, gave him a tre- mendous heave. It displaced him somewhat, and ere he could recover his advantage the Indian gained his feet, broke from his grasp, and with a yell of triumph dis- appeared in the forest. He started to pursue him, but a vine caught his foot and threw him violently to the ground. Ketlin brought the Indian's gun and axe home and then went to the settlement and notified the inhab- itants of the struggle. Capt. Bratt's body was brought to Albany the same day. Knowing the habits of Indian
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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
warfare, it was reasonable to suppose that they would seek revenge that night. Ketlin therefore procured the services of three soldiers and proceeded to prepare his house for defense. The little garrison consisted of Ketlin's family, his brother's wife and two children, the three soldiers, and an Indian boy.
The evening wore away in silence. Hours passed · slowly to the fearful minds of the watchful ones in that lonely house, and still no signs of the enemy. About midnight a timid knock was heard upon the door. Ketlin asked in the Indian tongue who was there. An Indian voice answered, " It is I."
" Where do you come from ?" asked Ketlin.
" From the other side of the river. I am .a friend and wish to help you against the French Indians. Open the door."
" I am afraid you will cheat me," said Ketlin.
" No," replied the Indian, " I'm a friend ; open the door."
A hurried consultation was held by the inmates, and almost all opposed it. But Ketlin declared that if a friend they needed his help, and if an enemy they could very easily keep him out. Suiting his action to his opinion, he fearlessly stepped to the door and swung it partly open. Dearly did he pay for his temerity. In- stantly there was a blinding flash of light, a deafening report, and he fell dead, pierced by six musket balls. A moment's silence, and then the whole forest seemed alive with the whooping demons. The soldiers fired a volley at the dusky forms of the advancing savages; it checked them, and Ketlin's son, a boy of sixteen, sprang up and closed the door. The women loaded the rifles, and handed the ammunition to the heroic defenders of that ill-starred house. Long they kept the enemy at
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
bay by firing from the port-holes and windows, but it was doomed to be all in vain. A low spluttering sound kept rising higher and higher, till at last it made itself heard above the crack of the rifles and the yells of the savage foe. A kind of yellow twilight began to light up the forest. The beseiged gathered around the dead body of their friend, husband and father, and debated as to the last chance they had of saving themselves. . The savages were silent now-their success was certain. The house was on fire. Nothing now disturbed the stillness of the night, save the increasing roar of the crackling flames. The coals began to fall through the floor overhead, and the inmates knew they could stay in the house no longer. A brief prayer was breathed; they grasped cach other's hand in a mute farewell, for well they knew they would never all meet together again until they gained the shores of the unknown world of eternity. Then one of the soldiers opened the door and cried " Now !" and they all sprang for their lives. The soldiers were ahead. The first one was shot dead; the next was pursued and taken prisoner, and the third one shot. The next was the Indian boy, who was shot through the arm and breast, but succeeded in getting to the woods and escaped. Ketlin's son kept firing till ho was at last shot through the shoulder and taken pris- oner. The women and children were made prisoners. Fire was applied to the barns, and the whole party then started away. About a quarter of a mile from the house, Ketlin's wife being in a very delicate situation, was so overcome by fright that she sank down by the path. Seeing she could proceed no farther, one of the savages bared her throat across a small log. She made no complaint, but folding her hands over her breast, closed her eyes, and met her doom without a sigh. A
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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
moment the tomahawk was poised in the air, and as the light from her burning home lighted up her bare throat, it descended swiftly and her head was almost severed from her body. Then grasping the hair of her head in one hand, he dexterously drew the scalping-knife in the other, and running a gash around the scalp tore it off with a sudden wrench, swung aloft his bloody trophy with a whoop, and rejoined his comrades.
The other woman had a young child she carried in her arms. Shortly after the murder of Ketlin's wife it began to cry, and all its mother's efforts to keep it quiet were unavailing. Angry at its noise, one of the savages seized it by the heels, tore it from its mother's arms, swung it out at arms' length and dashed its brains out against an oak tree. At the fate of her infant, the mother uttered a heart-piercing cry. It was her last. In an instant the murderous tomahawk had sank into her brain, and the next moment her form lay upon the ground, a scalpless, quivering corpse.
All that returned to tell the tale was the Indian boy who escaped from the burning house. The other par- ticulars were learned from an old lame Indian who hap- pened in the vicinity and followed the retreating party. (Vol. v. p. 281 Doc. relating to N. Y.)
This incident is given, not because it was remembered more by the people of Minisink than others of the kind, but because it more fully illustrates the leading traits of Indian character-duplicity, cunning and revenge. No wonder was it that the inhabitants of the Minisink Region betook themselves to measures of defense at the first alarm. Some of their bravest men had volun- teered to fight against the French, and the people of the Peenpack neighborhood had furnished the great northern expedition with a team, wagon, and teamster.
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
Three forts were built in what was known as the upper neighborhood (or Peenpack), and three in the lower neighborhood next the Delaware river. Those in Peen- pack were located, one on the Neversink at the north- west end of the settlement, not far from where Cudde- backville now stands; one at the house of Peter Gumaer, in the central part of the neighborhood; and one in the southwest of the settlement, at the house of Mr. West- fall, near the farm lately occupied by Peter Swartout, Esq. These three forts gave protection to about twelve families. The location of the three forts in the lower neighborhood is not precisely known, no record of them being preserved. They are said to have afforded pro- tection to about eighteen families. .
The first incident that showed the people of this region how well-timed were their precautions, occurred about the time of harvest in the year 1756. Three men in the lower neighborhood went out one morning to commence cutting a field of grain. As usual they took their guns along, not .thinking however of seeing any Indians, as nothing had been heard of any in the vicinity. Arriving at the field they set down their guns and com- menced work. While working along busily they got some distance from their arms, and were suddenly start- led by the dread warwhoop. A glance showed them their peril. A party of Indians had been lying in ambush and had seized their guns. They ran for their lives, but the Indians' aim was unerring. They were all three killed, and their scalpless bodies found soon after. Pursuit was given, but in vain; the spoilers were too wary to be overtaken.
At another time a band of Indians made an effort to capture the fort at Westfall's, and came near being successful. They sent out a couple of scouts, who dist
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الحارة
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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
covered the fort to be occupied by two women only. As soon as this intelligence reached the main body they made instant preparations for its capture. But luckily, in the interval a party of soldiers going from New Jersey to Esopus came along, and stopped at the fort for refreshments. Not knowing this, the Indians sud- denly burst in the doors before the soldiers were fairly seated. They were somewhat surprised at the unex- pected presence of the soldiers, but nothing daunted, they fired a volley at them and then throwing aside their guns fell upon them with the tomahawk. The soldiers retreated to the chamber of the building, and recovering from the first panic, they opened such a deadly fire upon the intruders that they were soon forced to vacate the premises. This was a closely con- tested battle and cost the lives of several of the soldiers as well as a goodly number of the Indians.
But the settlers were not always successful in these contests. A large party of Indians during one of their forays into the settlement, attacked the upper fort on the Neversink. It was well garrisoned, and its defend- ers made a brave resistance. One savage after another fell before the aim of the beseiged, and they would soon have had to give up the attack had not the fort taken fire from the burning of the barn near by. The heat soon became so intense that the inmates were forced to the alternative of risking their chances by flight or perishing in the flames. There was not much difference in the modes of death, and both were certain. As the flames enveloped the building, one after another stole from the death by fire, only to meet a more speedy one by the bullet or tomahawk. Not a single man of the garrison escaped. The only women in the fort, the Captain's wife and a colored woman, secreted them.
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selves in the cellar. Here they remained till the coals began to fall through the floor, when the white woman ran out and endeavored to elude pursuit by running round the house. The Indians followed her in a body, and soon overtook and killed her. When the shout of victory that announced the death of the Captain's wife, reached the ears of the black woman, she rightly judged it a proper time to make a trial for life ; and accordingly ran under the shadow of the smoke for the nearest woods. The savages being on the other side of the fort did not perceive her, and she gained the covert of the timber in safety. She then concealed herself on the banks of the Neversink till morning, when she took a circuitous route through the woods to Gumaer's fort, the sole survivor of the massacre. The Captain came home a day or two afterwards, and then learned for the first time the tidings of the sad catastrophe. The friends, the comfortable home, the loving wife-all he had but a short time before left so happy and cheerful- were gone ! Nothing remained to tell of their existence but the smoldering ashes of the fort and the disfigured corpses of its occupants. By the grave of his wife he took an oath of vengeance ; and during the remaining years of his life, many a red-skin was sent to the world of spirits by his hand, in redemption of the pledge.
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