Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 21

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 21

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The limits between Fort Orange and the colony were, in 1654, still undetermined. Some confusion as to jurisdiction necessarily ensued, to remove. which Director-General Stuyvesant called again on the patroon's agents to fix on their point of depart- ure, as he was willing to allow them, agreeably to the charter, four miles on one side or two on each bank of the river, "without the limits of Fort Orange." The magistrates of the colony being unprovided with instructions from their superiors, requested delay ; and Stuyvesant seized an oppor- tunity which offered, shortly after, to enlarge his

RENSSELAERWYCK AND BEVERWYCK.

jurisdiction. The Court of Rensselaerwyck was about to farm the' excise, and demanded how far they could collect this impost. The answer was an order to the Court of Fort Orange to collect the duties on all wines, beers and spirituous liquors sold by retail "within a circuit of one thousand rods of the fort." The colony was hereby de- prived of a very important source of revenue, and fresh fuel was heaped on the old fires of litigation and trouble. As if the elements of strife were not sufficiently numerous, a claim for tenths was also put in. Counter-orders were given by the pa- troon's officers to their vintners to refuse the pay- ment of the excise, on the ground that the general government defrayed none of the local charges ; and, as for the tenths, "neither the inhabitants of the colony nor those of Beverwyck could be in- duced, either by monitions or persuasions, to pay them."

Commissary Dyckman, whose violent demeanor might, long ere this, have justified doubts of the soundness of his mind, became now so unques- tionably insane that the magistrates were forced to represent his condition to the Supreme Council, which, thereupon, appointed Johannes de Decker Vice-Director, "to preside in Fort Orange and Vil- lage of Beverwyck, in the Court of Justice of the commissaries aforesaid, to administer all the affairs of police and justice, as circumstances may re- quire, in conformity with the instructions given by the Director-General and Council, and to promote these for the best service of the country and the prosperity of the inhabitants."

The difficulties about the excise in the colony remaining still unsettled, orders were sent up by the Director and Council to arrest and convey the contumacious tapsters to New Amsterdam. De Decker, accordingly, invited one of them to his house, where, on his arrival, he made him pris- oner. The sloop in which he was to be conveyed down the river not being ready to sail until the next day, De Decker, for greater security, lodged his prisoner, through the night, in the same bed with himself. Through the connivance of the soldiers on guard, the tapster contrived to escape from the fort on the morrow, and repaired forth- with to the patroon's house. Hither De Decker followed, and ordered him to return to the fort; but he refused. The other tapsters now made common cause with the fugitive, and, arming themselves, remained together to protect each other from the emissaries of the law. The Vice-Direc- tor, esteeming it an absurdity to suffer an asylum for fugitives from justice to exist in the very center

of his jurisdiction, was preparing to execute his orders by force, when John B. Van Rensselaer pledged himself to repair to the Manhattans and arrange the matter with the supreme authorities. To avoid bloodshed, De Decker acquiesced in this proposal; but another order arrived a few days after- wards, directing him to send down the tavern- keepers forthwith.

In obedience to these instructions, he proceeded with an armed posse to the houses of the parties, where he again met Van Rensselaer and "his associates." He summoned them, in the name of the Director and Council, to surrender and accompany him to the fort ; whereupon they each answered, "There sits the lord ; he will answer for me." Van Rensselaer acquiesced herein, and again bound himself to produce the tapsters when required. De Decker, finding it useless to continue the discussion, protested, and Mr. Van Rensselaer proceeded to New Amsterdam. Here, on his arrival, he presented a strong remon- strance against the course which the Government was pursuing. Their exactions, he insisted, were contrary to the Charter. Instead of the Directors having any claim on the patroon, the contrary was the fact.

The West India Company had guaranteed to defend the colonists against all violence, yet the latter had thrice come forward, at great ex- pense, to assist Fort Orange-first, during the war with the French savages ; secondly, in the trouble with the English ; and, lately, during the unhappy misunderstanding with the Indians around the Manhattans. Whenever there was any prospect of trouble, they were the first to appease the savages by presents. The losses which the latter inflicted on the colony, by the killing of cows, horses and other cattle, amounted annually to several thousand guilders. In addition, the patroons and Co-directors main- tained, at their own expense, all the ministers and officers of the colony. In the face of these facts, it was manifestly unjust to seize now on the excise, and to insist on the payment also of the tenths. However, to prevent all further disturb- ance, he was willing to permit the payment of the former under protest, if the Director and Council pledged themselves to refund the money, should a final decision be given against them by impartial judges, either here or in Holland.

This remonstrance was at once pronounced " frivolous " by the Director-General and Council, whose "high office and quality permit them not to stoop so low as to enter the lists with their subjects

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

and vassals, much less to answer their frivolous and unfounded protests with a pusillanimous diffi- dence." Their duty was rather "to correct such absurd assertions, and to punish the offenders." Wherefore, as a public example, the protestor was fined twenty guilders.

Having thus, as they considered, vindicated their dignity, Van Rensselaer was informed that his colonists were bound equally with other settlers in the Province to contribute to the public burdens, not only by the very nature of civilized govern- ment, but by the Charter of 1629; and this they ought to do, without suspecting any infraction on their privileges or jurisdiction. The excise due from this colony, which amounted, by estimate, to fifteen hundred guilders, must, therefore, be paid, together with all damages which may have accrued by the delay. The tavern-keepers must, moreover, submit to the gauging of their stock as often as the same may be required ; and as John Baptiste Van Rensselaer was himself the original cause that the excise is resisted, he was called on to give a bond of three thousand guilders for the personal appearance of the "contumacious tavern-keepers;" otherwise, he was to remain at the Manhattans under civil arrest.

The Director and Council, also, insisted that the colony was obliged to pay the tithes. If Mr. Van Rensselaer would agree with some of his colonists on a round sum, in lieu of these, it would be ac- cepted until instructions should be received from Holland ; if the Directors or arbitrators should de- cide afterwards that the colony was not subject to tenths, the amount paid should be reimbursed. The assertions that the colonists assisted the Com- pany in its difficulties "were made, but not proved." It is true they promised to assist in putting Fort Orange in a state of repair at the time of the troubles with the English ; but it was not less true that, after having given three or four days' labor, "they left us to shift for ourselves." The Director and Council were entirely ignorant of being under any obligations to them "during the late troubles."

This rejoinder was followed by a proclamation, ordering all the towns and colonies in the province not to remove their crops before they settled with the company's commissaries for the tenths. A copy of this placard was sent for publication to the authorities of Rensselaerwyck, but they refused to publish it.

It was during this misunderstanding that the "contumacious tapsters," having been guaranteed by the Director and Court of the colony against damage, arrived at the Manhattans to answer for

their conduct. The plea of residence in the col- ony and of acting according to superior orders, availed them nothing. One was fined two hundred pounds, failing payment of which he was to be ban- ished ; the other was mulcted in eight hundred guilders. The patroon subsequently made good both these fines. The difficulties about the tenths were not settled until July, 1658, when the colony compounded for them by the yearly payment of three hundred schepels of wheat. * * *

Jeremias Van Rensselaer succeeded his brother Jan Baptist as Director of the colony in 1658, and administered its affairs for sixteen years with great prudence and discretion. He was much re- spected by the French, and exercised an influence over the Indians surpassed only by that of Van Curler.

On the change of government and the break- ing out of the war, considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining a patent for the Manor from the Duke of York. To obviate this, some per- sons of influence advised him to take out one in his own name, he being qualified as a British subject to hold real estate. To his great honor it is re- corded, that he rejected the offer, for he was only co-heir and could not thus defraud his brothers and sisters. He was a man of great industry, and communicated to Holland an account of various occurrences in this country under the name of the "New Netherland Mercury." His correspond- ence, from 1637 to his death, still in good preser- vation, affords a valuable and interesting comment- ary on private and public affairs, and contains a relation of facts and incidents which otherwise would be irreparably lost. He died on the 12th October, 1684, and was followed to the grave by a large concourse of mourners.

The Rev. Isaac Jogues, a French Jesuit, taken captive by the Mohawks, and suffering every tor- ture, finally made his escape to Fort Orange- and visited New Amsterdam. This was in 1642-43. He was kindly treated in both places. Falling into the hands of the Mohawks a second time, he was treacherously and barbarously murdered in October, 1646, in the fortieth year of his age. He speaks, in nearly these words, of Fort Orange and Rensselaerwyck : "There are two things in this settlement * *

* ; Ist, a wretched little fort, called Fort Orange, built of stakes, with four or five pieces of cannon of Breteuil and as many swivels. This has been reserved, and is maintained by the West India Company. This fort was formerly on an island in the river; it is now on the mainland towards the Iroquois, a little

STUYVESANT AND THE ENGLISH CONQUEST.

above the said island ; 2d, a colony sent here from Rensselaer, who is the patroon. This colony is composed of about 100 persons, who reside in some twenty or thirty houses built along the river, as each one found it most convenient. In the principal house resides the patroon's agent. The minister has his apart, in which service is per- formed. There is also a kind of bailiff who ad- ministers justice. All their houses are merely of boards and thatched. As yet there is no mason work, except the chimneys. The forests furnish- ing many large pines, they make boards by means of their mills, which they have for the purpose. They found some pieces of ground all ready, which the savages had already prepared, and in which they sow wheat and oats for their beer and horses, of which they have a great stock. There is little land fit for tillage, being crowded by hills, which are a bad soil. This obliges them to be separated one from the other, and they occupy already two or three leagues of territory. Trade is free to all. This gives the Indians all things cheap, each of the Hollanders outbidding, and being satisfied, provided he can gain some little profit."

Most who came over in the early years of New Netherlands came because they were not wanted at home. They belonged to the over-plus class who have no steady employment, no fixed homes, no friends, no character. They shipped as servants, as farmers and planters. But of these last there were, as to-day, various grades. So was it with the numbers who came as hunters, trappers and traders. Fishermen and sailors and soldiers were represented. Also some mechanics ; as we find men registered as tailors, shoemakers, bakers, coopers, carpenters, masons, painters, wheel- wrights and rope-makers. But few were master mechanics among these first settlers of Rensse- laerwyck. The maltster and brewer are specially noted. The clerk at Fort Orange is named, and so is a surgeon, Staes, by name, in 1642, and a Consoler of the Sick, who is said to have served as a teacher of boys when he had nothing else to do. The girls in that day were not often taught " book learning." The schoolmaster is referred to a few times in that elder day ; but he had only a name to live. Trading in furs paid better than teaching. The clergyman will be spoken of further on. As nearly as we can make out, the first was sent over by the patroon, and had but little encouragement among a people who had no religion, and cared for neither grace nor learn- ing. We do not include the leaders and public

officers in these statements. Some of them were men of marked ability. Among the later comers we find women, wives, maidens, nurses and servants mentioned.

The early immigrants to New Netherlands are generally spoken of as Hollanders, or Dutch. Un- doubtedly this is true of the majority. But not a small proportion are known to have been Wal- loons, or French Protestants of like faith with the Huguenots. Few came after the English conquest. But among those who came over in ships before that time as traders, farmers, trappers and servants, we find Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Swiss, Portu- guese, Scotch, and men from Friesland, Ham- burgh and Bremen; from Picardy, Calais and Paris; from Utrecht and Normandy, and a few other places. None are named from England. They went to Virginia or New England. The Catholic French went to Canada and Arcadia; the Spaniards to South America and Mexico.

STUYVESANT AND THE ENGLISH CONQUEST.

The stormy administration of Peter Stuyvesant had come to its end. The imperious and arrogant autocrat was humiliated. One man had come with a power which his threats could not alarm; who could not be arrested and imprisoned at his bidding.

In the learning of his day, Stuyvesant was su- perior to the other Directors-General of the West India Company. He was far above Van Twiller and Kieft in character. We believe he was honest, clean, and even religious. His self-reliant energy of character made him a man of extraordinary ad- ministrative ability. But his impetuous self-will made his conduct sometimes reckless, and seem- ingly unscrupulous.

He had much to do, as he must have seen, to organize a government made up of such ill-assorted materials as New Netherlands. Here were con- gregated men of all nations, with no other pur- pose but gain-gain regulated as little as possible by law. He had succeeded the stupid and avari- cious Van Twiller and the cowardly and wicked Kieft, both despised by all that had to do with them. He had much to mend.

He derived all his authority from "the Com- pany," which was subordinate, in some respects, to the "States General." He was determined to ad- vance the interests of his employers. His under officers he literally kept under himself-not often asking or regarding their opinions. He treated them as servants; he did not make them friends.

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

The people were so far removed from him in every point that could ever awaken sympathy and confi- dence, that he treated them only as cattle. It is true he thought they needed schoolmasters and re- ligious teachers; but he did little to bring them under their influence. He had no respect for the laboring classes, except that they serve and obey. This they could do in silence, while they feared and hated the oppressor.

Then came in another element, the English- English from England or New England ; all the same. He had learned something of their charac- ter, and would like them as subjects. He admired their intelligence and energy. He needed it. But he feared their indomitable push and inflexible love of freedom. But they came, encouraged by him, and soon occupied lands upon Long Island, and any place of profit or power which they could find open in New Amsterdam. When " Peter the Head- strong " opened his gates to these people, he received into his fort the Wooden Horse.

When Stuyvesant came into power, in 1647, the whole population of New Netherlands amounted to about one thousand souls, a falling off, since 1643, of 2,000 under Kieft's foolish reign, while the New England colonies had increased in about the same number of years, to nearly 60,000. And these "Yankees" were free-born Englishmen who had their free churches, and their free schools, and at- tended them ; who cherished their homes and tilled their lands ; who made their own laws and chose their own men to execute them. While they loved their own homes, they were always seeking to make them better; when they sought new places, it was to make them better than the old. They took with them their principles and their institutions, and did the best they could with them, with no unnecessary delay, no timid lack of self assertion.

Coming to Manhattan, few at a time, yet rapidly increasing compared with the Hollanders, using the present, and waiting for the future, they solved the problem of English sovereignty in 1664, and of free government about one hundred years later.

While Stuyvesant was successfully reducing the savage Indians near Manhattan and at Esopus, and removing the inoffensive Swedes on the Delaware ; while he was vainly endeavoring to subject Con- necticut, and violently resisting the claims of the patroon of Rensselaerwyck, and quarreling with his own officers at New Amsterdam, he was losing what he ought to have seen he would lose, the affection and respect of all classes. All men of his character are blind. His house was a house divid- ed against itself. The struggle for popular rights

was deeper and stronger than he knew. It was pent up much in men's minds. It slept as sleeps the mighty earthquake. It kept up a constant muttering like distant thunder.

The election of eighteen ".respectable persons," from whom the Governor selected a Privy Council of "Nine men," was a gain for the people, even if they had power to give advice only when it was asked. The establishment of a republic in England, as brief and faulty as it was, after the beheading of Charles I, in 1649, produced a profound sensation all over the then civilized world. It was felt in New Nether- lands because it was felt in Holland and in New England. Tyranny quaked ; freedom gained.

When the people openly discussed the wicked- ness of Kieft, Stuyvesant became alarmed that they had come to this, that the acts of Governors could be criticized. When the "Nine men " severely cen- sured Gov. Stuyvesant himself for his trading in fire- arms, and other articles, "both lawful and contra- band," and even sent to the Fatherland a remon- strance against the habit of arresting, of confiscating, and covetous speculations in trade and manufac- tures, he became still more alarmed. The "States " rebuked him for his course. "The Company" sustained him. Thus the conflict went on. We need not further detail matters that did not im- mediately affect Beverwyck and Rensselaerwyck. These details belong to general history. We here only indicate the causes at work to bring an end to the government of Stuyvesant and the Province of New Netherland at the same time.

In another place we have spoken of the English claim. England had never yielded this claim. It had only awaited its opportunity. The English Revolution of 1649 was ended, and harmony was re-established in the person of Charles II. The good-natured King had kindly given to his brother James all the territory that had been occupied and governed under the name of New Netherlands. This was done on the 12th of March, 1664, thus expelling Holland from the New World. The time had come to take possession.

The province had fully 10,000 inhabitants ; and New Amsterdam had grown up to a population of 1,500. There was general satisfaction among the people, with their lands and their trade. But they did not like the government. They were ready for a change, hoping for something better.

The Duke of York placed Col. Richard Nicolls in command of the expedition to "reduce the Dutch to subjection,' and establish his claim.

On the 31st of July, 1664, Gov. Stuyvesant had gone up to Fort Orange for rest and business, not

ORGANIZATION AND DIVISION OF THE COUNTY.

dreaming of the approach of an English squadron. Soon he was recalled by a messenger. He returned August 25th, to find business suspended and gen- eral alarm in New Amsterdam. There were four English frigates in the bay, near Sandy Hook ; and a few days later three more were seen in Nyack Bay. The excited chief magistrate sent for help to Fort Orange ; but it was too late.

Beverwyck and Rensselaerwyck could send no help. The defenses of New Amsterdam were not equal to a siege. Its crumbling fort was built only as a protection against the hatchets, arrows and musket balls of the savages; the enclosure was un- protected by ditch or palisade ; there were not 500 pounds of powder ; not a well of water in the fort, and provisions were low. The small garrison was composed of the off-scourings of Europe, worthless, dissolute men, ready to fight for pay under any banner.

Worse than all, the Governor had not the support of his Council or of the citizens. The peremptory summons, made August 30th, to surrender, was, after a brief delay, in useless remonstrance with Commander Nicolls, reluctantly heeded with- out bloodshed. On the 8th of September, Stuyves- ant signed the articles of surrender, and the Eng- lish took formal possession in the name of James, Duke of York and Albany. New Amsterdam was named New York, and Fort Amsterdam was named Fort James.

Fort Orange next received attention. The at- tempt of Johannes de Decker, who hurriedly took a trip up the Hudson to persuade the garrison of Fort Orange and the people of its vicinity to resist any demand for surrender which the English might make, was fruitless.

On Wednesday, September 10th, Nicolls sent Sir George Cartwright, with a small company of soldiers, to Fort Orange with the following orders :

"To the present Deputy Governor or the magis- trates and inhabitants of Ffort Aurania:

"These are to will and require you and every of you to bee ayding and assisting Col. George Cart- wright in the prosecution of his Majesty's interest against all such of what nation so-ever as shall op- pose the peaceable surrender and quiet possession of the ffort Aurania, and to obey him, the said George Cartwright, according to such instructions as I have given him in case of the Mohawks or other Indians shall attempt anything against the lives, goods or chattels of those who are now under the protection and obedience of his Majesty of Great Brittaine ; wherefore you nor any of you are

to fayle as you will answer the contrary at your utmost perills.

"Given under my hand and seal att Ffort James in New Yorke on Manhattans Island, this roth day of September, 1664.

R. NICOLLS."

When the paper of Col. Nicolls was presented to the Vice-Director, John de La Montague, on the 24th of September, he quietly surrendered Fort Orange to Col. Cartwright. The names of Bever- wyck Village and Fort Orange were, at once, changed to Albany. Fort Albany was manned by English soldiers, and Capt. John Manning was put in command. Dirck Van Schelluyne, who had held the office in Beverwyck, was made Clerk of the Court of Albany, which had been established by Stuyvesant. Jeremias Van Rensselaer took the oath of allegiance to King Charles II. of England and the Proprietor James.

'T'hus we have brought down the Civil history of New Netherlands, so far as connected with that of Albany County, to the English Conquest of 1664. With all his great faults, there is much to admire in the character of Peter Stuyvesant. He did his best, under most trying circumstances, to serve faith- fully his government. He was true to the last. After he found everything against him, he settled down, a peaceful citizen, and lived a secluded life, on his own "Bowerie, " in the City of New York, and there died in 1672. His remains were en- tombed at his Chapel in the Bowery, where is now St. Mark's Church.

His country vindicated his conduct. But what- ever good, in the Providence of God, may have grown out of them in the history of our Nation, there is but one voice among the careful students of history, in reviewing the transactions of the English government at this time, and that is one of the severest condemnation.

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 21

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452