USA > New York > Famous families of New York; historical and biographical sketches of families which in successive generations have been identified with the development of the nation, Vol. II > Part 13
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During the war Pierre entertained Washington, Franklin, Lafayette, Rochambeau, and other generals at the Manor-house; when the place was threatened by the British Army in New York, he removed his wife and children to one of the Livingston farms at Rhinebeck. The stout-hearted commoner was acting-marshal of the "Equestrian Provincial Congress." This body, during the Revolution, was frequently obliged to change quarters, and made the necessary journey upon horseback. Several times while marching they received dispatches from General Washington re- quiring official action. The bugler would sound halt; they would wheel their horses into a hollow square; there put through legislation in approved parliamentary style, and an- nounce adjournment by the bugle call, when they would break into fours and proceed on their way. Pierre married Joanna Livingston, his second cousin, by whom he had eight children.
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The two sons of Frederick, of the junior branch, were Colonel James, the patriot, and Augustus, the loyalist. Colonel James Col. James was a bluff, kind-hearted land-owner, who was as gen-
the Patriot tle in peace as he was terrible in war. He was idolized by the people of his district, especially by the poor, in whom he Augustus the took a paternal interest. He married Elizabeth Cuyler.
Bookworm Augustus was a student and bookworm, who in early manhood became a clerk of the Common Council of New York City, and held that office for many years. At the outbreak of the Revolution he foresaw the chaotic conditions that were to ensue, and to preserve the city records he built, upon his own responsi- bility, and at his own expense, a great vault, in his own garden, of stone and brick, laid in cement so as to be water- and air-tight. To this he removed three cart-loads of official documents, and kept them unharmed during the war, and returned them in excel- lent condition after peace was declared in 1783. Of him a wit of the time said: "While other men were quarrelling about their duty to liberty and to the King, August Van Cortlandt saw only his duty to his books." He married Helen Barclay, by whom he had two daughters.
In the fifth generation two of the sons of Lieutenant-Governor Pierre rose to prominence: General Philip [1749] and Pierre II. [1762]. Philip enlisted in the American Army in 1775, Gen. Philip when he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. The following year he was made colonel, and for his brilliant services during the Revolution a brigadier-general. He took part in the two decisive battles of the struggle, Saratoga and Yorktown, wit- nessing the surrender of Burgoyne at the one and of Cornwallis at the other.
His greatest exploit was the part he played in the Indian cam- paign in 1779. For this style of fighting, so different from that which prevailed among civilized people, he seemed to have an especial genius. For days he could remain with scarcely any sleep or food. He was a wonderful shot, and possessed a singular knowledge of woodcraft. He either knew or divined Indian strategy, and before he had been in the Indian territory thirty days
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was called by the redskins "The Great White Devil." Strangely enough, among the Indians he fought and routed were levies which had been brought from the far West by his cousin, Colonel De Peyster. Upon the return of peace he went into public life, and was successively Assemblyman, Senator, and Congressman from Westchester, holding the last office from 1793 to 1809. He never married.
Pierre, his brother, was graduated at Rutgers in 1783, studied law with Alexander Hamilton, but relinquished practice to attend to public affairs and the management of his property. Major-Gen. He was Congressman, 1811-1812; Major-General of Pierre militia, a Presidential elector for Jefferson in 1800, and for William Henry Harrison in 1840. He took a deep interest in local matters, and for fifteen years was President of the Westchester County Bank. He was strenuous in developing trade and manufactures in that county, and used his influence and wealth to favor that end. He married, first, Catherine, daughter of Governor George Clinton, and, second, Ann, daughter of John Stevenson, by whom he had one child, Pierre.
Colonel Pierre [1815], the head of the family in the sixth gen- eration, was a landed proprietor, a society leader, gifted with a splendid physique. During his long life of seventy Col. Pierre years he was one of the most prominent men in West-
chester and Dutchess counties. He administered the Manor- house according to its traditions, and entertained nearly all the leading people of the county within its portals. He married Catharine, daughter of Dr. Theodoric Romeyn Beck, the founder of Medical Jurisprudence. The issue of this happy union com- prised Catharine Teresa Romeyn, who married the Rev. John Rutherford Mathews; Pierre Van Cortlandt, who died 1879; Romeyn Beck, who died 1843; Captain James Stevenson; Theo- doric Romeyn, who died in 1880; Ann Stevenson, and Philip, who died 1858.
Captain James Stevenson [1843], the head of Captain the seventh generation, inherited the patriotic character James S. of his ancestors. At the breaking out of the Civil War, though
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but eighteen years of age, he volunteered, and served brilliantly through the entire conflict. He became aide-de-camp to General Corcoran, and afterwards served in the New York One Hundred and Fifty-fifth, and lastly in the New York Twenty-second Cavalry. He was with the last-named body during Sheridan's historical campaign. He was admitted to the Society of the Cincinnati in 1885, upon the death of his father, Colonel Pierre.
Catharine T. R. Van Cortlandt Mathews, who now occupies the Manor ferry-house, which is converted into a handsome home not far from the Manor-house, is an historical and gen- ealogical student of note, and has contributed largely, as did her mother, to the biographical literature of the State. She has preserved many relics of the race, some of which run back to Oloff, the founder in America.
The Van Cortlandt family belongs to a rare type. From its foundation in the New Netherlands, it has owned great holdings of real estate and enjoyed the advantages of wealth, education, and social prestige. None of its members have entered trade, and but a few have been merchants or professional men. They have produced many men of public affairs, of whom a majority have been statesmen of rare ability. Their lives have been de- voted to the management of estates, and to the performance of their duties as parents, citizens, and Christians. From the time of Oloff down, they have brought to the New World the finest products of European art, paintings, miniatures, jewels, tapestries, elegant furniture, marvellous products of the loom, beautiful ap- parel, fine books, the choicest glass, porcelain, and household decorations. These have served as object-lessons to a commu- nity, whose growing wealth required some directing influence to confine it to the channels of good taste, and prevented its de- parture into those of vulgar luxury and ostentatious display. With the material side of art has gone the spiritual side. They have cultivated noble literature, the best music, the finest man- ners, and the broadest religious thought. These admirable fea- tures of modern life can only be brought into a new community by those who have wealth and wisdom. In this respect, the
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Van Cortlandts hold a high place in the annals of the Empire State. While they may not have impressed themselves upon political life or high finance as other families have done, they certainly stand first in fostering the development of the civic and æsthetic side of New York life. VOL. II .- 13.
Van Cott
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XXXVIII
VAN COTT
MONG the early settlers of New Am- sterdam was Claes Cornelise Van Cott, who came to the New Nether- lands in 1652. He belonged to North- ern Holland, the name being taken from the village of Cott or Catt, both forms being employed by the family, one branch of which has contracted it to Catt. Here for many genera- tions it had prospered, supplying numerous sons to the Dutch navies and armies. In the blood ran a strong love for adventure which, added to a superb physique, made them famous in that part of the country. Their maritime and martial prowess was theirs by descent, as the family originally had come from Scandinavia, where it had made its record among the fierce Vikings of the early centuries.
The old Dutch records give the names of many Van Cotts in the rosters of its navies and armies, but in the latter part of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the only reference that has been found indicates that they were among the brave men that fought the Spanish rule, and that they gave many of their sons upon the altars of religious and political liberty.
Claes crossed the ocean to New Amsterdam in 1652. He was a young man with but little money, his family having lost largely
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in the wars which preceded that time. He staid a few years on Manhattan Island and then crossed the East River to the village of Brooklyn and took up a large farm, which he worked, with more or less profit, until about 1680. Allured by convenience of access to New York, he removed to Bushwick, which he made his final residence and where he died about 1692.
In the second generation, Cornelius, Jr., was the chief figure. After coming of age, he removed to Flushing, where he founded the Queens County branch of his race. His wife was Antie Sprung, a wealthy Dutch belle, who brought him an estate that, added to his own, made him a wealthy man. His brother Jan remained upon the paternal homestead and led the life of an industrious and thrifty farmer.
In the third generation, Cornelius of Flushing was notable for his public spirit and enterprise. He was active in road build- ing and the development of local commerce. He perceived the future importance of Long Island Sound as a mercantile highway, and either owned or was interested in a number of sloops whose home port was Flushing, and which traded with New York, Con- necticut, and the eastern end of Long Island. Many offices of honor were held by him both in civil and ecclesiastical matters. He was a devout churchman and was famous for his charity and generous hospitality.
David [1720], of the fourth generation, bore a substantial re- semblance to his distinguished uncle Cornelius. He was a farmer, trader, and public-spirited citizen. During the Revolution, he rendered many services to the Colonial armies and was one of the sturdy Dutch burghers who went down to defeat in the Battle of Long Island. The war destroyed his property, and the privations he endured broke down his constitution. He died a few years after the conclusion of peace. His wife was Nellie Praa.
In the fifth generation, Cornelius was a busy and progres- sive agriculturist, and took a deep interest in local and national affairs. He was also a revolutionist, like his father, and was wounded by the British during the campaign of Long Island.
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At the conclusion of the war he returned to Brooklyn, where he passed the remainder of his days. He was popular in church circles, and his daughter Cornelia was the belle of Brooklyn in the latter part of the eighteenth century. She married John De- bevoise, the head of the Debevoise family.
Gabriel [1780] was the chief member of the sixth generation. He received an excellent education and on reaching manhood's estate he gave up farming and went to Manhattan, where he entered commercial life. He was an excellent business man and built up a large trade and handsome fortune. He established business connections with different places in this country, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Great Britain. A man of the highest honor himself, he gave almost unlimited credit to those with whom he was on friendly business relations. This worked very well in peace, but proved ruinous in time of war. The breaking out of the conflict with Great Britain in 1812 taught him the stern lesson that private rights and obligations have little or no meaning when nations are engaged in fierce combat. What with the blockade and embargo, the refusal of correspondents to honor drafts or pay just debts, he saw his business destroyed and his fortune swept away. The worry and strain proved too much for him, and, with the little money he had remaining, he removed to Smithtown, Long Island, and there started a new career. There is something pathetic in his sense of duty. He labored long and well with only one ambition, and that was to pay off his own debts which had been contracted during, and prior to, 1812. With remarkable resolution, he toiled until this was accomplished, and thereafter accumulated enough to leave fortunes to his chil- dren. If credit is to be bestowed upon the Revolutionary Van Cotts, much more belongs to this stern, upright man, who con- secrated his life to the performance of what he regarded as a duty. Gabriel was twice married, the sons by his first wife being Richard [1805], Joshua [1815], and Cornelius, and by his second wife, Thomas and Gabriel. All of these reached manhood's estate, married, and had issue. Richard, the oldest, was a New York merchant who was prominent in the first half of the
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nineteenth century. His wife was Caroline Case, by whom he had four children.
The leader of the generation was the Hon. Joshua M., who was educated in New York, and at Yale, and after graduation from that University was admitted to the bar. He made a specialty of Admiralty cases. In this important branch of the law, he became one of the great masters and was retained in many of the most im- portant litigations of his time. Though a man of great public spirit and a polished speaker, he cared little for office and refused many nominations and positions that were tendered to him by the polit- ical leaders of the State. The only exceptions he made to this rule were when he accepted the position of Corporation Counsel of Brooklyn, and again in 1868, when he was a Delegate-at-large to the Constitutional Convention. Up to his death, in 1896, he was a leader of the New York bar.
The eighth generation produced many men of distinction. Of the main line, the leader was Hon. Cornelius [1838], at this writing Postmaster of New York. He was educated in the city schools and in early life took up the insurance business, where he rose quickly and became Vice-president of the Ætna Insurance Company. From 1859, when he came of age, he took an active part in public affairs. In 1873, he was made a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners, serving from 1873 to 1875, and from 1879 to 1885; a larger part of the period being President of the Board. His administration should be long remembered by the many valuable reforms which he introduced; so progressive were his ideas that they aroused the antagonism of grasping property- owners and ultra-conservative citizens. His design of compelling the owners of all large buildings to use improved and convenient fire-escapes was emasculated by the politicians to the present unworthy system. He advocated larger and more numerous exits to the large stores, theatres, and churches, so as to prevent the blocking of people in a crisis or panic, which is usually produced by the outbreak of a conflagration, and insisted upon the prohibition of the ancient practice of having church and other doors which opened inward and were fastened during the hours of service.
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Nearly all of his propositions were adopted in the course of time and many of the new reforms of to-day are restatements of his suggestions made twenty-five years ago.
To him belongs the credit of having called attention to the danger of fire, lightning-stroke and accident from non-insulated or poorly insulated electric wires, and the peril as well as unsightli- ness of large telegraph poles in the great city. Within ten years after he officially called attention to these facts, the poles were removed, the wires buried and insulated so thoroughly that the conditions as to which he gave the alarm ceased to exist. In 1887, he was elected to the State Senate, where he made an enviable record. In 1889, he became Postmaster of New York. He served his term and was reappointed to the position, which he still holds. He married Fanny Thompson, by whom he had issue.
Dr. Joshua Marsden [1861] was educated at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and the Long Island College Hospital, being graduated from the latter institution in 1885, and receiving the position of interne upon graduation .. In 1886, he was ap- pointed adjunct to the chair of histology and pathologic anatomy. In 1888 he went to Europe and studied under Professor Koch in bacteriology, and Professor Rudolph Virchow in general pathol- ogy. Upon finishing his studies, he visited all the important medical laboratories in Germany and Austria, the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and the Medical Institute of London.
In 1891, he was appointed to the chair of pathology at the Long Island College Hospital. Many distinguished medical and scientific societies claim him as a member, and in several he is an officer and leader.
Alexander H. is a prominent member of the New York bar, and resides in Brooklyn. He is conspicuous in political and social circles and has served as Assistant District Attorney of King's County.
David H., another brother, was a lawyer, litterateur, and a poet. He contributed freely to the press and had begun to make a name in the world of letters, when he was suddenly stricken by death. Other members of this generation were Thomas [1834],
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Wickfield [1840], and Gabriel [1844], all of whom married and had issue.
In the ninth generation Richard [1864], son of the Hon. Cor- nelius, took an active part in New York life. In 1897, he was elected to the Assembly, where he displayed rare ability and fidelity to duty. He married May Richardson, by whom he had issue.
Another member of this generation was Lincoln, who was graduated from Columbia in 1884 and entered the railway calling. He rose to be travelling auditor of the New York Central Railroad.
The Van Cotts have been typical Knickerbockers of the dem- ocratic type. From the first, they have been opposed to privilege and in favor of liberty, and home rule. The first of the race in the New World, Claes Cornelise, was opposed to doughty Gov- ernor Stuyvesant and on the side of the patroons and merchants. In the Revolution the race was for the colonies and against the Crown. In 1812, they were on the side of the Republic, and dur- ing the Civil War the Hon. Joshua was one of the great leaders of the Union Republican organization. In their politics they have been nearly always identified with the more progressive of the parties, but within their own organization they have been allied rather to the conservative than the radical elements. Their motto has been progress, but never haste. They have manifested a sound mind in a sound body, and in law, medicine, politics, official life, agriculture, science, and commerce, have made their mark by patient energy and indomitable will power. The family has grown with the years, and is now well distributed in New York State, with branches in four other commonwealths. Though of Dutch an- cestry, they are Americans of the most pronounced type.
Vanderbilt
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Cornelius Vanderbilt From a steel engraving
XXXIX
VANDERBILT
HALF-CENTURY ago the railways of the United States were in the same condition as the coral polyp. They were a congeries of separate units - alive, but uncontrolled and unorgan- ized. To-day they may be com- pared to a highly developed mammal, so thoroughly correlated that each fibre of its being is in touch and sympathy with all the rest. This change from what Herbert Spencer would call heterogeneity to homo- geneity was, of course, unavoidable, and would have come about in due season, no matter who the men or what the forces that might have been involved in the operation. Had the metamor- phosis been slow, the country would be now in the same state as it was in 1875. The difference between existing conditions and those of a quarter-century ago are due to the swiftness of the transformation. In this evolution one man, Cornelius Van- derbilt, stands out above the rest like a giant in an ancient army of foot-soldiers.
The Vanderbilts are of Dutch origin. The first of the race in this country was Jan Aertsen Van-der-bilt, a Holland farmer, who came to the New World in the first half of the seventeenth century, and who settled in the neighborhood of Brooklyn about
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1650. As the name indicates, the family belonged originally to either the village of Bilt, a suburb of Utrecht, or the parish of Bilt in Frisia. Family names in old Holland were very different from those of the present time. The true patronymic of a man was the father's Christian name, with "sen " or "son " added to it. The name of the place to which the father belonged or the call- ing which he practised was descriptive or incidental, and not appellative.
In the second generation the family divided, one of the sons removing from Brooklyn to New Dorp, Staten Island, in 1715. There was at that time a movement of population from Long Island to Staten Island, which is shown very clearly by the same family names appearing in the records of the two counties. The separation of the Vanderbilts was soon attended by religious dif- ferences, the New Dorp branch being converted to the Moravian Church. In this, the eighteenth century, both branches in- creased in numbers and prosperity. They were successful farm- ers and pursued industrious and godly lives. Their names are found in the old church records, and at times in the civil lists of the period. Here belong John and Jeremiah Vanderbilt, stalwart members of the Provincial Congress.
In the fourth generation of the Moravian branch the leading member was Cornelius Vanderbilt. Like his forbears,
Cornelius, Father of the he was a farmer, tilling a large amount of land on
Commodore the northeast side of Staten Island. His chief farm was near the Quarantine ground, and as early as 1780 he had established a ferry to New York. He started it in order to carry his own produce to the city markets. By degrees he built up a good business in carrying freight for his neighbors, and at last made it a daily enterprise, his stout sloop leaving his wharf in the morning and returning from the city early in the evening. Among his quiet neighbors he was looked upon as a prodigy of ability and wealth. Before middle age he had acquired a compe- tence, and when he died he left what was regarded as a fortune. He was blessed with a wife of remarkable wisdom and thrift. She took charge of the dairy, and probably the garden, and con-
William H. Vanderbilt From a steel engraving
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ducted business on her own account. She invested her profits wisely, and when she died, at the age of eighty-seven, she left $50,000. From her youth, tradition says, she was a leader of Staten Island society. According to the records of the time, she attended all the weddings, christenings, funerals, and other func- tions, and is everywhere alluded to as "kindly, generous, loving, and extremely wise."
The characteristics of both husband and wife were trans- mitted to their son Cornelius, better known as "The Com- modore." Born in 1794, he was the oldest of a family of nine children. He was endowed with a superb Cornelius the Com- modore physique, and from his boyhood was a champion in all out-door sports. He had an aversion to school and to books, and a hearty love for farming, sailing, driving, and travel. His dislike of study was doubtless due to the school system in New Dorp, which was of the most conservative and repressive nature. The children were obliged to sit erect and silent upon uncom- fortable wooden seats, and were punished rigorously for the slightest infraction of the rules. For a boy of superabundant health and strength, the schoolroom must have been a purgatory. At ten, the youth began to aid his father, and at twelve was a valued assistant. Before he was sixteen, he desired to go into business on his own account, and to become a boatman. Even here his common sense manifested itself. There were many watermen at the time, and he noticed that those who had the handsomest craft did the best business. He therefore applied to his mother for the loan of a hundred dollars with which to get the finest boat that he could secure. He made this request on the first day of May, 1810, twenty-six days before his birthday. His mother replied: " If by your birthday you plough, harrow, and plant with corn that lot (one of eight acres) I will advance you the money."
It was seemingly an impossible job, but the boy was equal to the emergency. He called together all his juvenile friends, told them of the conditions of the task, and agreed that if they would help him he would give them sailing excursions in return.
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