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 31
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For ten years the town gained little or nothing in population and pros- perity and until the peace of Ryswick, the chief aim of the government and inhabitants was to hold the village, keep in repair its fortifications and maintain a sufficient garrison.
Thus on May 30, 1696, Governor Fletcher writing to the Lords of. trade says . . . " I have always thought 500 men necessary to the defence of Albany & Schenectidy ettc, yet I hope with those three companies to justify those places against the French & their Indians .* "
And again writing from Albany to the Council in New York, he says :
" The 30th [Dec., 1696] I went to Schenectady, directed the paymt of that * which is four months ending the last of August, Garrisson equal to *
* Col. Doc., IV, 151.
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and I doe earnestly desire y" endeavours to gett in money for the paymt of them three months more, which will give great Satisfaction both to the Gar- rison and Citty."
" The 31st in the forenoon I dispatched scouts to the Lake [George], gave Instructions under my hand & seal to Ens. Harman Van Slyke with power to command them. I walked with them to the [Mohawk] River, gave them a bottle of Rum, Saw 'em putt on their Snow-Shoes and begin their march. I view that little fortification & saw some defects which can not be cured for want of money.
"The inhabitants of that place [Schenectady] presented me with an Ad- dress,* which being in Dutch I could not read, but accepted it as a mark of their esteem, I sent it to the Clerke of Councill, together with those from the Magistracy & Millitia of this place [Albany]. After dinner I returned to Albany."+
In 1698, the Government sent over one Col. Romer, a military engineer to examine, report upon and build certain forts needed on the coast and the frontiers. In May and August he sent the following letter and report to Governor Bellomont:
* This letter dated Jan. 9, 1696-7, was published in the Hist. Mag., in March, 1865.
t [The following from records in office of the Secretary of State show somewhat of the panic which existed in Albany county.
To His Excellency Benjamin Fletcher Captain Generall and Governor in Chiefe of His Majesties Province of New York and all the Territoryes and Grants of Land depend- ing thereon in America and Vice Admiral of the same, &c.
May it Please your Excellency
Wee the Mayor Justices of the Peace & commity of this citty & county of Albany haveing formerly Adres your Excellencey for your favourable presence this winter & have been very sencible how much it hath been obstructed have Notwithstanding been so happy as to have your Excellencey's Presents no hardship Danger or Difficulty haveing been the least Preventive to your Excellencey's care of us & the frontiers to direct and de- fend us against our enemy, &c.
Wee being extreamely sencible of your Excellcys Extraordinary Goodnesse to us do in the due sence of highest Gratitude Returne our most gratefull accknowledgments. Wee must owne that your Excellency's presence hath Kept many familys here which nothing but the sence of your Excellencys conduct could have retained in this place.
Wee are so well satisfied with your Excellency's management of the affairs of the five Indian Nations & all other Administrations both Civill & Military & wee do think our selves extreamly happy under the Umbrage of your Excellency's Couradge & conduct, Wee do heartly Wish & Pray for your Excellency's long continuance wth us and do 41
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
" Albany, 27 May, 1698.
"My Lord,
" I consider it my duty to inform your Excellency that I arrived here on the 23d instant, and as soon as I had landed in the city of Albany, I found an opportunity to proceed to Schenectady in order to inspect that important frontier.
" This I did successfully, running over 40 miles; for I took a general ob- servation of said place, and can assure you, My Lord, that the situation of Schenectady is admirable and good and deserves attention on account of the importance of the frontier.
" It is a pity and even a shame, to behold a frontier neglected as we now perceive this is; and had the public interest been heretofore preferred to individual & private profit, which has been scattered among a handful of people with diabolical profusion, the enemy had never committed pernicious forays on the honest inhabitants generally."
" As regards Albany I find that as important as the other I have since been to observe another frontier, named the Half-Moon [Water- ford] concerning which I have been spoken to a great deal; I find it of very little consideration; but there is a place seven leagues higher up the [Hudson] river called Cheragtoge [Schuylerville], which must be an im- portant frontier." * *
" I am told your Excellency is to come here in the beginning of the next month. That being the case I have considered it my duty to propose to
Unanimously & faithfully pray for your long life, health & prosperity & wee do cordially & truly assure yor Excelly that wee will Assist, Defend & Stand by your Excellency with our Lives & ffortunes.
Decembr 26, 1696.
Dirck Wessells, Mayor. J. Janse, [Bleecker] Recorder.
Hend van Rensselaer Jan Lansingh Jan [surname not given] Albert [surname not given] Hendrick Hanse K. V. Rensselar hett merik van Gerret tunesse [surname not given] Johannes Wandelar B. Corlaer Johannes Roséboom Evert Wandel Johannes myngaell Eghbert tunesse
1 Aldermen.
Justices.
Assistons.
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
you the necessity of a good & faithful interpreter,-which will be difficult to find here,-and I would dare say not a faithful one, according as I see affairs managed, with extraordinary division & jealousy. And though people may flatter your Excellency with the contrary and that a woman * may answer you as an interpreter, it will be my Lord, only for the purpose of deceiving you, and keeping you in ignorance of important affairs; for I find every thing in a state of confusion, through the management of some of your predecessors & of those who prefer their own to the publick interest.
"Wherefore my Lord I take the liberty to propose to you a good & faith- ful interpreter, name Arnout Cornelissen Vilè, living in the Bay [Wallabout] on Long Island. Dr. Staats will cause him to come to New York to you so that your Excellency may be master both of the man & his time. I would advise also your Excellency to send your Calash a head of you with four of the smallest sets of harness. Horses are to be had here. The roads to Schenectade and Nestegione are good & safe."t
Report of Col. Romer on the frontiers of New York to Earl Bellomont. [New] "York, 26 Aug., 1698.
" My Lord,
" In obedience to your Excellency's orders, I proceeded, on the 18th May of the present year 1698, to the frontiers of the New York government, and in the first instance toward Albany, Schanegtade, Kanestigioune and the Half Moon; and after having observed these places, I found the City of Albany situate on the Hudson river 144 miles north of New York, an im- portant frontier, as well as Schanegtade 20 miles west of Albany on the Great Mohawk River; but these frontiers are neglected, built of wood and palisades of poor defence.
"Saving better judgment, my opinion would be to build stone forts there, constructed & proportioned according to the respective situations, and the importance of the one & the other of these two places.
" For I consider if these two places should one day fall into the hands of the enemy, the provinces of York, Jarse, Pensilvania and Connecticut would be obliged in a short time to submit; and that Maryland, Virginia and New England would consequently greatly suffer. Also as York is the depot of all the islands for flour, grain and other provisions these would experience a Very serious injury." *
Governor Bellomont fully appreciated the importance of Schenectady and the necessity of its being properly fortified for the protection of the Province on the side towards Canada. Hence he constantly importuned the Lords of trade for men and means to complete and garrison the forts. Thus
* Reference is doubtless here made to Hilletie Van Olinda.
+ Col. Doc., IV, 328. # Col. Doc., IV, 440.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
in a letter dated Oct. 24, 1698, he says "if by Providence the last winter had not been the severest that ever was known in the memory of man the French had certainly destroyed both Albany & Schinnectady." *
They "are equally defenceless being only fortified with a single row of stockades, no ditch or wall; so that an enemy that would be hardy enough may come & with their musketts single out what men they please in either place; for I observed the stockades had in many places wide spaces between them and they are even with the surface of the ground." * * He also assures the Lords of trade that a well built and strongly garrisoned fort would greatly animate and encourage the Indians of the Five Nations, who were well aware of the weakness of the fortifications here; alleging that Albany and Schenectady were well seated for frontier places, the former for covering attacks on the side of Canada and the latter for the same pur- pose in part and " also for covering the Mohacks & the rest of the In- dians, it being very commodiously seated on. the Mohack's River & much more pleasantly than Albany."*
On May 3, 1699, Gov. Bellomont again speaks of the forts at Albany and Schenectady, that they "are so scandalous that I cannot give your Lord- ships a low enough idea of them. They look more like pounds to impound cattle than Forts."+
So likewise, Oct. 17, 1700, he calls attention again to these forts, saying " the inhabitants came all about me at my leaving Albany and told me in plain terms that if the King would not build a fort there to protect 'em, they would on the very first news of a war between England and France desert that place and fly to New York, rather than they would stay there to have their throats cut.
"Several of the Inhabitants of Schenectady told me the same of their Fort. I sent Coll. Romer to view it and he reported to me that the gates of that fort were down & that a cart might pass through the palisades or rather stakes."}
From this time on, the letters of the Governors of the Province to the Lords of trade, the reports of the military commanders at this post, the orders and warrants of the Provincial Council, the acts of the legislature from time to time and the petitions of the chief inhabitants, all combine to show the culpable neglect of the mother country of the safety of this her most important Province. All accounts of the condition of the fortifications and garrison at Schenectady after the peace of 1698, show that the stockades were neglected and suffered to rot down, rendering the town an open village, that the barracks became uninhabitable and that " it was by no foresight or
* Col. Doc., IV, 409, 410.
+ Col. Doc., Iv, 513. # Col. Doc., IV, 718.
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
energy of the Home government that Schenectady & its neighbors had been preserved from a second attack & destruction."
Lieut. Daniel Hunt still commanding the small detachment* of men posted here, in 1698 was ordered by the Governor and Council to make some much
* The following roll of Capt. Ingoldsby's company of which Lieutenant Hunt's detach- ment formed a part, shows not only the regular company of 50 men but the extra men from this vicinity who were added during the Indian troubles.
" Wee underwritten non commissioned officers & Private Centinells under ye com- mand of Coll : Richard Ingoldsby doe acknowledge to have Received of his Excellency Richard Earl of Bellomont our capt gen" by the hands of Rt Livingston each of us ye summe of five and forty shillings & three pence pr diem for each soldier for six months commencing pmo novemb 1697 & ending pmo May 1698 out of ye money raised by act of assembly for the making 300 Effective men at ye fronteers at Albany.
Thomas + Smith's mark Benjam + mosely
Samuel 5 Gilbert's mark
Robt U Doick's mark
Tho holms mark
will + makeaway
William X Bryen's mark
Robt + Giles
Phill + hams wifes mark
John + woodcok
John + hams
Richd + Tudor
Thomas Q merry Richard hill
John + cole
John + Williams,
Bartholw + Pickard
John Aleson atkins
George Ingoldesby
Lev X Shanke Recd for Her
Slytie Patrik magregorys wife
Ren by Leiut Nicuke
John 8 Tippin
John & Apleston
Will : H hilton
John X Seawell
Samuel + Doxy
Dirk + brat for D' Fillips
Gregory + magregory
Wm X Webb
John X hull
John Gilbixtt
william white
william white for Tho: pond francis neall John Radcliffe
Rt Livingston for Jos: Yetts
Rt Livingston for Wm hall absent
Lt Hunt for Dan Johnson
Lev X Shanke for John Younker
Math Shank
In all 66 men at 458. 3d., a man, amounts to £149:6:6.
The above men were Pd by me
ROBT LIVINGSTON.
John 2 Oliver Richd x Langdale
henry × Bebe luke + Thomas
John + Cox John + Jones
Thomas B Bombus
William k Turner
Tho: Rogers
Charles C R Rodgers mark
daniel brat voor pieter harmense
John car for Sam' holmes
Ralph noles
William + Renn
William X R Rodgers John Careter william + hatter
Robert R Farringtons mark Ro Barrett
Symon C Williams
John + Douglas mark Wm + Shaw
Edward Clayton Tho: X carter John Forster Richd X Turner
David Mac creat
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
needed repairs to the barracks which were "before all open to the weather whereby the souldiers suffered very great hardships," for which repairs he received a warrant for £7, 16s. 6d. ;* and another bill of £9,15s. 6d. was pre- sented by Johannes Sanderse Glen for repairs to the fort, and one of £16, 1s. 6d. for work upon the barracks.t
In 1701, Capt. Weems' company being still stationed at Albany, he re- ports upon the ruinous condition of the fortifications at that place and says " that the garrison at Schenectady is in the same condition in which there is neither house nor lodging to quarter officer or souldier, but one little small hole which can contain only twelve men."}
On the 19th Aug., 1701, the legislature directed that £50 be placed in the hands of Ryer Schermerhorn and Isaac Swits for repairing the fort Schen- ectady ; § - and Lieut. Gov. Nanfan on the 24 Sept., confirms the same order. |
The following March, 1702, Capt. James Weems addressed a letter to Col. Peter Schuyler & the Mayor & Common Council of Albany, in behalf of the Companies posted there and at Schenectady, in which he asserts that " many of ye souldiers are reduced to Bread and water." **
Lord Cornbury writing to the Lords of trade 24 Sept., 1702, reported that Albany and Schenectady were garrisoned then by two companies, Major Ingoldsby's and Capt. Weem's,-that Schenectady was then "an open village, formerly stockaded round but since the peace they are all down, and that the stockaded fort is more like a pound than a Fort. There is eight Guns in it not above three fit for service, no garrison in it when I came but a serjeant & twelve men, no powder nor shot neither great nor small, nor no place to put them into."tt
He recommends that a stone fort be built and garrisoned with "a captain and one hundred men."
In the year 1703, Gov. Cornbury laid the foundations for a stone fort at Albany and by the " advice of Her Majesty's Council of this province re- paired as well as possible the stockaded Fort at Schenectady." * X The two forts of Albany and Schenectady were garrisoned at this time by two companies,-that of Major Ingoldsby of 84 men, and that of Capt. Weem's of 92 men.tt
* Council Minutes, VIII, 61, 69, 180. + Col. MSS., XLII, 47.
# Col. MSS., XLIV, 78.
I Col. Doc., IV, 915-6.
§ Albany Annals, IV, 211. ** Albany Annals, IV, 155.
tt Col. Doc., IV, 968-9, 971.
## Col. Doc., IV, 1057, 1035.
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
" In 1703, Sept. 1, John Myndertse presented a bill against the Province for blacksmith work on the fort of 49 guilders, and again on the 11th another bill of 28 guilders and 10 stuyvers, for repairing guns for the gar- rison .*
Jan., 1704, Johannes Sanderse Glen, Adam Vrooman, Isaac Swits and Jan Pieterse Mebie, furnished 450 stockades for a new fort at Schenectady, for which they charge £35 or nearly 20 cents apiece.t
March 13, 1702, Johannes Sanderse Glen and Jelles Van Vorst, furnished the garrison 218 double loads of wood at 2-6 the load.t
March 29, 1704, Arent Danielse Van Antwerpen, carpenter, petitioned the Governor and Council for the payment of £14 for repairing the fort and for materials supplied.§
April 13, 1704, Governor Cornbury in his speech to the legislature re- commended an increase of the garrison by 30 men to be raised and sent up for the ensuing year. |
19 May, Johannes Glen, Adam Vrooman, Isaac Swits and Barent Wemp presented a bill against the Province for £35 for stockades .**
Up to this time the palisades on the west side of the village stood about 100 feet back from Washington street, but on the 29th July, 1704, Governor Cornbury issued the following order for removing them to the bank of the Binnè kil.
"You or Either of you are hereby required as early as the weather will permit ye next spring to cause the stockades sett upon the West side of the town of Schenecktady to be removed from the place where they now stand and be set up as near the River as the ground will permitt and hereof you are not to faile.
" Given under my hand at Schenechtady this 29th day of July, 1704.
" To
"Johannes Sanders [Glen],tt " Adam Vrooman."
To understand the significance of this order it should be remembered that since the destruction of the first fort in 1690, the ground lying west of Washington street had been outside of the west wall of the second fort. By
* Col. MSS., XLIX, 36, 38. + Col. MSS., XLIX, 105.
# Col. MSS., XLIX, 22.
§ Col. MSS., XLIX, 17.
| Leg. Coun., 208.
** Col. MSS., XLIX, 114. tt Col. MSS., XLIX.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
the year 1704, the "Queen's New Fort "* had been erected in the east corner of the village at the junction of Front, Ferry and Green streets, the Governor therefore orders the removal of the west line of second fort by setting back the stockades to the bank of the Binne kil, the land along Washington street reverting to the original owners.t
Aug. 8, 1704, "The commonality [of Albany] being desyreous to know what instructions Capt. Higley hath received relateing ye posting ye De- tachment on ye fronteers of Albany, which Capt. being desyred here doth appear, Producing his Instructions it appears that at ye Half Moon is to be posted
Shinnechtady
20 men, 20 "
Canastagioene
20 " &c.t
Aug., 1704, Maas Rykse [Van Vranken] presented his bill against the Province for £12 for building a fort at Canastagioene [Niskayuna ].§
Feb., 170%, Johannes Mynderse for blacksmith work done on the fort at Schenectady was paid £12, 8s. 6d.|
July 4, 1706, Jacobus Van Dyke petitions the Governor & Council for the payment of his salary as surgeon at the fort .**
Aug. 12, Capt. Philip Schuyler was paid £6, 10s., for material and work on the fort.tt
27 Sept., 1706, Governor Cornbury announced to the Assembly in session at New York " that By accident very Lately the Guard Room in the ffort
* Queen Anne of England.
t [Was not this wall moved out to include houses built beyond it toward the Binne kil which had rendered it useless as a defence while it cut them off from access to the street ? Referring to the Vrooman map of 1768 (page ), it will be seen that the square of four blocks was left intact by the Queen's Fort, it having been built beyond the old palisades in the triangle bounded by the palisades on the south-nearly Ferry street on the east and the River road (now State street) on the north side. The original wall went straight from corner Front and Washington to the site of the door of St. George's church. There was a gate at Church street at most times. From this gate ran the river road-the placing of the fort of 1704 threw the road beyond the north bastion of the fort and Green street when laid out conformed to it also. After the abandonment of the old fort-the triangle of land was converted into house lots .- M'M.]
į Albany Annals, IV, 195. § Col. MSS., L, 14. | Col. MSS., LI, 148-9.
** Col. MSS., LI, 152. His salary was one shilling a day.
tt Col. MSS., LI, 178.
Unun Collega Library Siger of Cal. Stephen Gate Minion 1862. 44
Rad down!
Schenectady River
=
Map of the town of fotomentoy Contain 1/2 pris
5 small
1. the Bility Church
3: The En fut chinch 4: The market place 5 th lowns mile
7 Quarkundes mile
Laid down bycede of & thening to the buch -
anton 1768
REDUCED COPY OF VROOMAN MAP OF 1768.
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
at Schonechtady was Burnt down with a Great quantity of firewood which had been provided for this winter now coming on. I should be glad that it might be repaired before the cold weather comes, Else it will be impos- sible for the men to keep Guard in that place, which lies the most exposed of all our ffronteers."*
25 Nov., 1710, an act was passed by the assembly for repairing "ye Blockhouses, Platforms and other the ffortifications of ye City of Albany & towne of Schonectady in ye said County."t
The next year the repairs mentioned in this act were made, as appears by the following two communications from Johannes Sanderse Glen to the Governor.
" May it please y' Excy.
" Upon ye receaving y' Excys ord' of ye 10th of this Instant I repaired imediately to Schonectady accordingly to repair the fort there, but found never a good stockado in ye fort; upon which I had it viewed by the Under- written persons who found the Stockados all rotten and one Platt forme in- sufficient and the Carriages of the Guns rotten also; upon wh I have rid Stockados for the whole and tomorrow I begin to sett ym up and shall pre- pair carriages for ye guns and repair ye Platt forme .- Your Exey was so kind to promise me a fflag, I beg leave to put your Excy in Mind of it who am with due regards y" Excys.">
Most faithful and Obedient Servt
Albany Octobr 23 1711.
JOHA. SANDERSE GLEN"
Dow Aucas, De Freest
Caleb Beck,
Claus Permerent vander Volgen, John Vrooman,
Sweer Marcellis,
Barent Vrooman, Jacob Van Dyck, Aerent Daniellse Van Antwerpen, Barent Wemp,t
" May it please your Excy.
I have made up the charges of the ffort at Schonectady to this day and have also made the Carpenters' calculate an acct wth the Remaining Ex- pences of Platforms, carriages for Gunns and Centry boxes together with what is already layd out will in the whole amount to - web they compute at one hundred & eighteen pounds tenn shillings. I am going on as fast as possible with the remaineing part of Platforme &c,- there is now pntt
* Leg. Coun , 242.
+ Leg. Coun., 309 Col. MSS., LVI., 137.
42
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
up five hundred and ninety Stockados wch all work a ffoot at the top,-If your Excy pleases any body here should receave & approve my acct I shall be ready to render acct to such persons whom y' Excy shall appoint for y' purpose.
I wish y' Excy and Lady health and happyness and am your Excy"" most dutifull and Obedient humble Serv*
Albany Nov' 13th - 1711 JOHA. SANDERSE GLEN."*
Sometime in the year 1711, a change was made in the commanding officer of the garrisons of Albany and Schenectady as will appear by the following letter from Capt. Peter Matthews to Governor Hunter.
" May it please y' Excellency,
I have received y' Excellcies letter of the 29th Decembr by the post. I am much surprised that Capt. Sanders should write to yr Excellency that there was but twenty four men at Schonecktady, for three days after y' Excel- lency left this town Capt" Schuylert Marched with forty men to that garri- son. Sometime after a Sergt and four men of the Country forces deserted and as soon as Coll. [Peter] Schuyler came from York and the palatines were come I Ordered a Sergt and four men to goe to Schonecktady to com- pleat the numbr of fourty men whoe are all there as will appear to Your Excellency by the Inclosed Role signed by Capt" Sanders.
I am sorry these Gentlemen doe not better consider before they write to y' Excell: for such storrys as these may be of ill consequence & I hope I have not given y" Excellency cause to believe I would be Guilty of soe great breach of my Duty as to send but twenty-four men when I have your written orders to send fourty.
The gentlemen here seem much displeased that your Excellency has Ordered the Country Detachmts to doe any duty at Schonechtady or the Indian Country.
Your most obedient humble servant.
Albany, Jan. 8, 17}}.
PETER MATTHEWS."}
On the 10th Dec., 1712, the Assembly passed an act "for the better re- pairing the Fortifications of * * the Town of Schenectady and providing their Millitary watches with Firewood."§
* Col. MSS., LVI, 167.
+ Capt. Philip Schuyler perhaps, who died at Schenectady 23 May, 1725, leaving a widow named Catharine .- Am. Hist Mag., I, 762.
# Col. MSS., LVII, 47. § Leg. Coun., 353.
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Fortifications and Garrisons.
After the peace of Utrecht in 1713, between Great Britain and France until the "Old French war" in 1744, the people on the borders enjoyed reasonable quiet and safety.
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