USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady > A history of the Schenectady patent in the Dutch and English times : being contributions toward a history of the lower Mohawk Valley > Part 29
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"This proved to be a stratagem of the Indians to decoy their adversaries. The Schenectadians fell alas ! too easily into the snare laid for them and were in a few moments surrounded by the Indians who had been lying in ambush. Thus taken by surprise they lost many of their number, and some were taken prisoners before they could make good their retreat.
"They however succeeded in reaching the house of Mr. De Graaf* in the neighborhood which had been for some time deserted. But while retreating they continued to fire upon their enemy. On reaching Mr. De Graaf's house
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* [The view of the scene of the fight at Beukendaal is from a photograph by the editor. The view is taken looking north along the Sacandaga road. The hollow to the right is. Beuken-daal (or Beech Vale) in which at a distance the fight commenced. The whites. were forced back and they took possession of the De Graaf house shown in picture and there defended themselves. It will be observed that this house is on high commanding ground which made it a strongly defensive position. Doubtless the whites' losses were mainly in the ambuscade along the creek further north .- M'M.]
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
they entered, bolted the doors and ascended to the second floor. Here they tore off all the boards near the eaves and thro the opening thus made fired with success at the savages and succeeded in keeping them at bay. In the meantime Dirck Van Vorst, who had been left in the charge of two young Indians effected his escape.
"The two youngsters were anxious to see the fight and secured their prisoner by tying him to a tree and left him alone. He succeeded in getting his knife from his pocket and cutting the cord with which he was bound. On the approach of the Schenectady militia under Col. Jacob Glen the party in Mr. De Graaf's house were relieved from their perilous situation and the enemy took up their line of march for Canada.
"On this occasion there were thirty-two citizens killed [?] : - of these we are able to give the names of Jacob Glen (cousin of Col. Glen), Peter Vrooman, John Darling, Adam Conde,- - Van Antwerpen, Cornelius Viele, Nicholaas De Graaf and Adrian Van Slyck : - wounded, Ryer Wemp, Robinson and - - Wilson : - prisoners, Abraham De Graaf* and his son William, John Phelps, Harmen Veeder and Lewis Groot.
"The bodies of De Graaf and Glen were found lying in a close contact with their savage antagonists with whom they had wrestled in deadly strife.
" The corpses were brought to Schenectady the evening of the massacre and deposited in the large barn of Abraham Mabee, being the identical one now standing on the premises of Mrs. Benjamin, in Church street. The relatives of the deceased repaired thither to claim their departed kindred and remove them for interment."
The third narrative may be found in Drake's "Particular History " and seems to have been gleaned from various sources. It is particularly valua- ble as giving more names of the killed and missing than any other account.
"July 18, 1748. About three miles from Schenectady, Daniel Toll, Dirck Van Vorst and a negro went to a place called Poependal to catch their horses ; but not finding the horses as they expected they went into the adjacent woods to a place called the Clay pit [Kley kuil]. They dis- covered Indians and attempted to escape from them, but were pursued by them and both Toll & Van Vorst where shot down, but the negro escaped. Van Vorst, though wounded was not killed but taken prisoner. The firing was heard at Maalwyck about two miles distant and the people there know-
* " Abrm. De Graaf and his son Wilhelmus were taken captives to Canada, Oct. 30, 1746. He died at Quebec and was buried there June 12." June 12, 1747, died at Que- bec, Abraham De Grave [Graaf ] of Schenectada taken Oct., 1746 .- De Graaf Bible, 1747.
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The Old French War, 1744-1748.
ing that Toll & Van Vorst had gone for their horses suspected the occasion of the firing. This was about ten o'clock in the morning and a messenger was at once dispatched to the town where the alarm was sounded about twelve. Some of the inhabitants with a company of new levies posted there under Lieut. Darling of Connecticut in all seventy men marched out toward Poependal cautiously searching for the enemy, as far as the lands of Simon Groot, but made no discovery of the enemy. At this point the negro before mentioned came to the party and told them where the body of his master was.
The negro was furnished with a horse and they (about forty in number) were piloted to the spot where his master lay dead ; and near Poependal at Abraham De Graaf's house. They immediately entered the woods with the negro where they at once discovered the enemy in great numbers upon whom they discharged a volley with a shout. The enemy shouted in return accompanying it with a volley also. This was the commencement of a most desperate fight. All but two or three of the English stood to it manfully, although they were hemmed in on every side by the great numbers of the enemy, and fought over a space of about two acres; yet the battle ground was left in possession of the settlers. In this hand to hand encounter twelve of the inhabitants of Schenectady were killed outright, five were taken prisoners and seven of Lieut. Darlings men including himself were killed and six of them inissing supposed to be taken prisoners. The news of this battle
reached Albany in the evening of the same day and by midnight Lieut. Chew with one hundred English and two hundred friendly Indians were on the march for the scene of action, but to no other purpose than as showing their willingness to meet an emergency of this kind. The names of the people killed so far as ascertained were Daniel Toll, Frans Van der Bogart Jr., Jacob Glen Jr., Daniel Van Antwerpen, J. P. Van Antwerpen, Cornelis Vielen Jr., Adrian Van Slyck, Peter Vrooman, Klaas A. De Graaf, Adam Conde, John A. Bradt & John Marinus.
" There were missing, Isaac Truax, Ryer Wemp, Johannes Seyer Vrooman, Albert John Vedder & Frank Conner all belonging to Schenectady. Of the soldiers seven were killed & six missing."*
From these accounts it is certain that the presence of the Indians was not suspected until the first shot ;- that Capt. Daniel Toll was the first victim ;- that the alarm was given by his negro Ryckert-that a company of Con- necticut levies under Lieut. John Darling accompanied and followed by squads of the inhabitants marched to the scene, and that after a hot en- gagement the Indians retreated leaving twenty of the whites dead and taking away thirteen or fourteen prisoners besides the wounded.
* Drake's Particular History, 169-70.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
Considering the number of the whites engaged, their loss was very severe, amounting probably to one-third of their force.
The following is the fullest list of killed and missing that can now be given:
KILLED.
John A. Bradt,
Adrian Van Slyck,
Johannes Marinus,
Jacob Glen, Jr.,
Peter Vrooman,
Adam Condè,
Daniel Van Antwerpen,
J. P. Van Antwerpen,
Cornelis Vielè, Jr.,
Frans Van der Bogart,
Nicolaas De Graaf,* Capt. Daniel Toll.t
Lt. John Darling,t and seven of his soldiers, in all twenty men.
WOUNDED.
Ryer Wemp,
- Robinson, And probably many others.
Dirk Van Vorst,
Wilson.
MISSING .- Prisoners.
John Phelps,
Lewis Groot,
Harman Veeder,
Isaac Truax,
Johannes Seyer Vrooman,
Albert John Vedder.
Frank Connor,
And six soldiers, in all thirteen men.
After the close of hostilities Governor Clinton sent Lieut. Stoddert to Montreal to arrange for an exchange of prisoners. With Capt. Anthony Van Schaick he went into the Indian country to recover the captives, but
* " 1748, July 18, Nicolaas De Graaf and twenty others, were murdered at Poopendal by the savage Indians."-De Graaf Bible.
+ At the Poopendal massacre Capt. Daniel Toll was killed ; he was standing by a tree when the fatal bullet struck him. His name was to be seen cut in the bark for many years after, but is now gone .- Claas Veeder, the Centennarian. # Commander of the Connecticut levies.
It would seem that Capt. Stoddard commanded at Schenectady during a portion of the year 1748, but was doubtless absent on this occasion .- Stone's life of Johnson, I. 365
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The Old French War, 1744-1748.
with indifferent success. Among those who returned with Lieut. Stoddert were Capt. Anthony Van Schaick, John Vrooman, Peter Vasborough [Vos- burgh], Albert Vedder and Francis Connor. Efforts were made to induce others to return but without success; of these were Rachel Quackenbos Simon Fort and Philip Phillipsen. Rachel Quackenbos abjured the English religion and Lieut. Stoddert could not persuade her to return. Fort and Phillipse also desired to remain with the Iroquois; the former belonged by adoption to a sister of a chief named Agonareche. She refused to give him up at any price. Capt. Van Schaick offered six hundred livres for Fort without succeeding in obtaining him. On the contrary, so determined was his squaw owner to retain him, that she said she would obey the French commandant and deliver him up, but that she and her husband would follow him, and he should not reach home alive. Lieut. Stoddert left Canada on the 28th June, 1750, with twenty-four prisoners .*
* Drake's Particular Hist., 178-9; Col. Doc., x, 209, 215.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
FORTIFICATIONS AND GARRISONS.
All considerable settlements on the upper Hudson and Mohawk rivers were from the first protected by wooden walls. Though never attacked nor even seriously threatened by the Iroquois or Mohicans, there were but few short periods down to the close of the French war (1763) when they were not subject to frequent alarms from the French or their Indian allies from Canada.
The method of fortification was by stockades, which the abundance of timber at their very doors made a cheap and ready protection. Guns were only used for defense, attacks being always made by the musket.
The stockade consisted of a series of posts or logs from 15 to 18 feet long and 12 inches or more thick, sharpened at one end and hewed flat on opposite sides .*
Pine was usually chosen because most abundant and easily worked.
The line of stockade being marked out, a trench three feet deep was dug, the posts were set therein, the flattened sides together and the earth shoveled back and rammed against them.t To strengthen the top two adjoining posts were bored and fastened together with oaken trenails.
* [Doubless after the manner of the Mohawk Castles. The only illustration which represents one of these castles is that shown in the cut from Champlain and Jesuit accounts.
This shows after a crude fashion that poles or palisades were planted in the ground forming a wall. That the Indians used round poles or light saplings and to reduce the chance of missiles passing through the interstices, two or more rows were planted in quincunx order. The palisades used by the Dutch were of larger diameter and were flattened on two sides so that adjoining palisades were in contact and there was no interval through which an arrow could be sent .- M'M.]
+ " 22 May 1716, Albany. This day the Commonalty agreed with Jacob Luykasse and Jacob Schermerhorn pow'r to Sett up ye Stockados where they are wanting about this City, which they are to square at two sides and sharpe at ye top and to sett them three feet in ye ground, which they are to perform at or before primo July next, for which they shall be paid six pence apiece and give bonds of £15 to perform said agreement."-Albany Annals, VII, 56.
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
At the angles, gates and other important points, blockhouses for the shelter of the garrison and guards were built, and within the stockade all around was a free space called the Rondweg, of sufficient width for the patrol to march.
In addition to this outer circle of fortification, in Albany and Schenec- tady* there was a fort in one of the angles of the lattert place, surrounded by a double row of high palisades, furnished with barracks for the garri-
X
A
INDIAN CASTLE, FROM CHAMPLAIN'S ACCOUNT.
son, platforms, guns, lookouts, &c. And in later times, when Schenectady became a depot for men and materials, there were barracks outside the
* [See note to Miller's map .- M'M.]
t [Not so certain as to Schenectady prior to 1704, though it was as to Albany .- M'M.] 39
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
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walls ; in 1765, the troops were posted along the east side of Ferry street, from Union to the Episcopal church ; in 1762, on the south side of Union street from Ferry to Mrs. Colon Clute's house ;* in the Revolutionary war, on the south side of Union street from Lafayette eastwardly to Quacken- bush street.
For protection and safety Schenectady was admirably placed, being surrounded with water and marsh on three sides and open only to the south- east, from which side the inhabitants had little to fear.
The first settlers though their land lay elsewhere, built their habitations mainly together for their greater protection. Doubtless as soon after the settlement in 1662, as it could conveniently be done, the village was stockaded. Starting at State street the line ran along the east side of Ferry to about the gate of the Episcopal church-then in a straight line to the north side of Front a little beyond Washington street,-then southerly and parallel to the same to State and lastly along the same 28 feet south thereof to Ferry street or Mill lane. This was the original plat enclosed and contained most of the houses of the first settlers.
The south and west lines remained substantially the same down to the time of their extinction soon after the Revolutionary war. The Front and Washington street lines were later moved north and west to the river bank, and the Ferry street line sometime after 1765, was carried south- easterly to the New York Central railroad depot, and thence northerly through the Dutch church burying ground to the river bank.
GATES. In 1690 it was said in the French account of the village, that there were but two gates,-one at the north end of Church street called the "north gate ",-the other at State. This was doubtless at the junction of State and Church Streets-and opened out to the roads through Mill Lane and Water street leading to the bouwlands and to the Mohawk country.
In later times there were others-at Front and Union streets. The foundations of the gates and guardhouses where Ferry crosses State and Union streets were exposed in laying the water pipes in 1871.
* Mortgages III, 147 ; Deeds, IX, 51.
-
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
FORTS. Schenectady was so important a post for the protection of the Province against the incursions of the Canadians, that for the first hundred years of its existence it was deemed necessary to strengthen it by a fort and garrison .*
The writer is led to believe from references in the records, that the first blockhouse was in the north angle of the stockade at or near the junction of Front and Washington streets.t This was destroyed in 1690 by the French, at which time it was garrisoned by a small detachment under Lt. Enos Talmage, from Capt. Jonathan Bull's company, then stationed at Albany. These troops were Connecticut men.
The magazine stood on or near the lot of Mrs. Willard, then belonging to Capt. Sander Glen.
A second was built in 1690 between Washington street and the river opposite the west end of State street, covering the lot of Kleine Isaack, (that is Isaac Swits,) who with his son Cornelis was carried away by the French to Canada. On his return from captivity next year, he found his homestead occupied by soldiers,-his orchard cut down and his home utterly ruined. He repeatedly petitioned for remuneration for his losses, but it was not until 1708 that his son received a patent for 1000 acres of land in Niskayuna as a recognition of his father's claim.
The following order was issued by Leisler's commissioners at Albany for the rebuilding of the fort at Schenectady.
" Whereas it is judged necessary for to defend Schanechtede and to that purposed it is found requisite that a fort shall be erected to defend ye In- habitants and oppugn the Enemy if should attack the same."
" These are in his Maties name to require your Cap" Sander Glen and all Officers & Inhabitants belonging to ye said Schanechtede and adjacent Parts, with the Souldiers there in Garrison, to build a substantiall Fort of due magnitude and strength upon that part or parcell of ground (called by the name of Cleyn Isaacs), and that all are aiding and assisting therein according to their abilitye to dispatch and compleat the same, as they will
* Petition of New York merchants.
* " That a new ;fort be built at Schenectida which lyes twenty miles above Albany and is the utmost English settlement toward the Indians and French, and that fourteen gunns and sixty men be placed there .- Col. Doc., III, 653.
t [See note to Miller's map .- M'M.]
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
answer the contrary at their utmost perills. Given under our hand this 13th day of May in the Second year of his Maties Reigne Annog : Dom 1690."*
The damage to Swits though considerable and most evident, was redressed only after many petitions and a delay of eighteen years. The following papers show the progress of the negotiation for redress.
" Petition of Isaac Swits.
To his Excellency Edward Viscount Cornbury, Captain Generall and Governor-in-chief," etc.
" The humble petition of Isaac Swits an ancient Inhabitant of the ffrontier Garrison of Schen- · ectady.
" Sheweth
"That your Excellencies petitioner while your Lordshipp was at Albany in July 1702, preferred his humble petition to your Excellency, setting forth that about the beginning of the late happy revolution, the town of Schen- ectady being surprised & Destroyed by the ffrench of Canada, your Excel- lencies petitioner and his son were taken and carried away prisoners ; - That during your petitioners imprisonment the then governor of this pro- vince ordered the ground whereon your Excellencies' petitioner's house, Barne, orchard, Garden &c. stood to be for his majesties service Inclosed and stockadoed as a fort, and garisoned the same during the Warrt to your petitioner's very detriment; and your petitioner has not any manner of way been relieved therein, and therefore prayed to be redressed for the damages he has suffered," etc.
"May it please your Excellency To grant unto your petitioner your Lordship's warrant for the said sume of thirty pounds, or otherwise to favour your petitioner with her majesties Grant for a parcell of Land on the Norman's Creek in Lieu thereof.
" And your Excellencies petitioner shall ever pray."} [Read in council, 2d Nov., 1704].
The second fort was a large and spacious enclosure surrounded by "a triple stockade, a new blockhouse at every angle and in each blockhouse two great guns."
It contained twenty-eight huts for inhabitants of the village, two wig- wams for Indians, a large barn & styes for hogs.§
* Col. MSS., XXXVI, 70 ; Doc. Hist. N. Y., II, 125.
+ The peace of Ryswick was declared in 1697.
# Land Papers, IV, 28.
§ [ See Miller's map .- M'M.]
309
1
Fortifications and Garrisons.
At a court martial held at Schenectady, Aug. 7, 1691, upon a soldier named George Castleton, it was proved that he quarreled with a fellow soldier named Desvallons, about some beer; the latter struck the former with a stick, whereupon Castleton, drawing his sword, thrust it into his side, causing almost instant death. The facts of the case were mainly proved by persons living within the fort,* among whom were the following:
Daniel Janse Van Antwerp, aged 57 years, deposed that "he was walking by to go to Douwe Aukes' house " in the fort, and witnessed the fight.
Josias Swart, aged about 33 years, testified to the facts in the case.
Douwe Aukes, aged about 47 years, " being in his house in ye fort at Schenectady with Cobus Peek looked out and saw George Castleton and James Desvallons pass at one another," &c.
Tryntie Claas,t wife of Elias Van Gyseling, aged about 43 years, " being in Schenectady fort at her house neer ye cort of garde * * * went into her house and heard ye sword and stick Ratle together, came out of her house forthwith & she see ye Prisoner, George Castleton make a thrust at James Desvallons," &c.
Maritye Pieterse wife of Wm. Noble, aged about 40 years "being in her house in ye fort at Schenectady heard a noise in ye street and comes out of doors and sees George Castleton attack Desvallons."
The culprit was adjudged guilty of manslaughter, burnt in the hand and banished the Province.}
* [All these people were of prominent families in Schenectady, and they all lived inside the town, even though owning and working farms elsewhere. Their houses constituted the town and were surrounded by palisades, which constituted the whole fort ; "the fort," or strong place of Schenectady. When the English made a strong place they named it a Royal fort in contradistinction to the town or fortress .- M.'M.]
t [Tryntie Claes Van Gysling being . ... at her house near ye " Cort of Garde," that is to say, the court of the guard or parade ground in front of the main guard house. Miller shows such a space, which corresponds to State street from Ferry to near Church. This would be the place where the guard mount took place, and where the garrison assembled for drills or parades, as is customary .- M.'M. ]
Common Council of Albany Minutes, IV.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
If Miller's drawing of this fort be correct* it must have extended quite across the west end of the village from State to Front street, and included much of the land between Washington street and the Binne kil. The blockhouse in the south angle covered Swit's lot.
* [" Dependent on this City [Albany] and about twenty miles northward from it, is the Fort of Scanectade, quadrangular with a treble stockado with a new block house at every angle and in each block house two great guns." Miller's description of Schen., 1695.
"This Schoonecthen deel is 24 miles west from Albany. * * The village proper is a square set off by palisades. There may be 30 houses which are situated on the side of the Mohawk river, etc." Danker & Sluyter, 1680.
Schenectady " being in form of a long square entered by two gates."
Charlevoix, 1690.
Miller's map of New York city is fully supported by contemporaneous and later maps. His map of Schenectady is doubtless as correct in all essentials. Certainly after nearly two centuries have elapsed the sketch of what an intelligent man observed and recorded is entitled to acceptance unless some other contemporaneous plan or detailed description can be found. Rev. John Miller was chaplain to the British forces stationed at New York city. He visited all the up-river posts and returned to England in 1695. His manuscript " Description of the Province and City of New York, with Plans of the City and several Forts as they existed in the year 1695. By the Rev. John Miller, LONDON. Printed and Published for the Enlightenment of such as would desire information Anent the New-Found-Land of America," is in the British Museum.
The stockade therein depicted was probably in the main on the site of the stockade destroyed in 1690, and represente 1 the growth of five years. The first fort or strong place built after the massacre on Clyn Isaack's land, was the blockhouse at foot of State (Jay Westinghouse lot) where it dominated the bouwland and Great Island-and was guarded by the then bluff banks of Mill creek and the Binne kil. It was a purely military position-a blockhouse to which the few remaining settlers could rally, and probably became the south-west blockhouse of Miller's map.
The guard house was at State and Ferry streets and was a blockhouse also. The writer believes that the small garrison was at this point on the night of the massacre- and many of those who escaped from their houses naturally ran to the guard house and were there killed-a good enough reason why State street from Centre to Washington street should be called Martyr's street. This blockhouse was at State and Ferry-its "two great guns " commanded the Albany road, the town mill and bouwlands as well as the plain east of Ferry street.
Miller's map shows the " spy loft " or look out station (where perched high up the look out could see all that was in sight in the vicinity and give the signal of danger), the " centry box " and flag staff, which indicate the main guard and headquarters. It was put there because it was the best site in 1691, and the site was the same in 1690, and earlier.
Another blockhouse was at the angle opposite the Episcopal church, to which point Front street originally ran ; that is to say when it was the Rondweg inside the north wall.
A fourth blockhouse was about Washington and Front streets, and was larger than the others (No. 8, Miller's map); - protected by being near the junction of the river and the Binne kil it was probably intended for a store house as well as church. [Query. Notwithstanding the description of the land in the deed where the phrase occurs-Notarial papers, page 320-was not this "'t blok huys (te weten de Kerche)," = the blockhouse
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