USA > New York > Ulster County > Kingston > History and legend, fact, fancy and romance of the Old Mine Road, Kingston, N.Y., to the mine holes of Pahaquarry > Part 9
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There is nothing in this immediate vicinity of story or legend, so far as has been discovered, but Benjamin Eaton once lived in a lonely cabin on the mountain side, across the valley toward Otisville, and a bronze tablet now adorns his grave in the burial ground here "To perpetuate the memory of Benjamin Eaton, who served in the Continental Army as a member of the bodyguard of General Washington, 1780-1783 'Conquer or die'."
Neversink is a corruption of the Lenape word newas, "a promontory", and ink, "at"-"at the promontory".
Where the canal crossed the Neversink stood until recently, on the south side, an old grist mill built before the Revolu- tion by Wm. C. Rose, who came from Connecticut. This was the first of the kind in Orange County. Settlers brought their grist from as far as Wayne County, Pa., fifty miles up the Delaware Valley, packing the load on their backs through the forest. On more than one occasion the mill did service as a fort. The old discarded mill stones are yet to be seen.
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Port Clinton is one of the birth places of Governor De Witt Clinton. Here is also an old Gumaer dwelling, which is lo- cally credited with having been a fort in the days of the French and Indian War. There are two opinions, however, as to this, so are there some who likewise scoff at a small stone building which the P. C.'s would have us believe was a Revo- lutionary fort. It does look rather new, and has windows and lacks portholes, and altogether was a bit difficult even for me to accept, and every one knows my swallow is in the best of condition at all times.
It may seem to some that my capacity for marvels is re- markably well developed, but that is easily accounted for. My father used to remark that he could swallow anything that could get through his shirt collar, and one had but to see that shirt collar to appreciate how great was the old gentleman's ability. It began to flare the instant it left the neckband and made the finest kind of a funnel, and my progenitor did not believe in snug neckbands either. I do not wear just his kind of a collar, but mine does very well.
Here is also an old log house which does not claim to be anything but an old log house, and as such the camera ac- cepted it.
The History of Deerpark, by Peter E. Gumaer tells us that about 1690 Jacob Cuddeback, Thomas Swartwout, Anthony Swartwout, Bernardus Swartwout, Peter Gumaer, John Tyse and David Jamison settled in Deerpark in the central part of the Peenpack flats, on a knoll about three-quarters of a mile south of the old Gumaer stone house. Fort Gumaer was lo- cated on the south end of this knoll.
The nearest settlement at that time was twenty-five to thirty miles toward Kingston. Cuddeback, Gumaer and one
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of the Swartwouts were the only ones who remained and they, being too weak to defend themselves against the encroaching Jerseymen, gave to Hermanus Van Inwegen a certain por- tion of their land, he to live thereon and help them protect their property. Van Inwegen is spoken of as bold, strong and resolute.
The historian gives an account of an almost-bewitchment about as follows: A family of Peenpack discovered one morn- ing after a light fall of snow the tracks of a man, or what appeared to be such, on the slope of their roof where no man could walk and were greatly alarmed, fearing it a portent of disaster. Having no "Lady from Philadelphia" handy by for consultation, they did the next best thing and repaired to the house of Major James Swartwout for advice. The Major returned with the messenger and looked the roof over, and as there could be no doubt about the tracks, he turned his at- tention to those about him and soon singled out a slave whose actions spoke louder than words. The Major could throw a bluff as well as the next man and the slave finally confessed that he had atttached a shoe to a long pole, and with this made the tracks. It almost seems a pity that the Major should have been so wise, for he undoubtedly ruined a first-class witch story in the making.
Suppose there had been no Major to appeal to and that family had gone about its daily avocations in fear and trem- bling until some one had accidentally stepped on the tail of the black cat? We shudder to think what the consequences might have been.
Peenpack is probably Dutch, meaning low, soft land.
There was once an old gentleman in these parts who used to tell how a friendly Indian made known to his father and
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a neighbor the existence of a silver mine in the Shawangunk Mountain. These two worked the mine secretly, making fre- quent and mysterious journeys to dispose of the ore. When the Revolution came both went to the war, first covering the mouth of the mine with a flat stone and destroying all evi- dences of their work.
When war was at an end, one of the miners was dead and the other returned to find his home burned by the Indians and his family fled to a distant village. The home being re-estab- lished he set out to again work his silver mine, but the "three marked trees that stood thirty paces directly east of the en- trance" had vanished in a forest fire, and his search was in vain.
Another story tells how a boy of twelve, a great friend of an Indian chief, was blindfolded and taken to the mountain and down into the mine where, when the bandage was re- moved, he saw a solid vein of silver. But he was returned as he came and no amount of searching could discover the treas- ure, but "every seven years a bright light like a candle flame, rises at 12 o'clock at night, above the mine, and disappears in the clouds". Many have seen the phenomenon and sought its source, but none have succeeded. The last time this oc- curred was in July, 1906, when, according to the New York papers, a "large ball of fire" hovered above old Shawangunk several nights in succession.
The French and Indian War caused great distress in this outpost region. Up to that time the whites and Indians had met without undue friction; but when, about 1755, the latter began to disappear, the settlers, knowing their treacherous character, began preparations for war by sending the women and children away. Three forts were built in the Peenpack
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neighborhood and three next to the Delaware. The first were located, one on the Neversink not far from Cuddebackville, one at the house of Peter Gumaer and one at the house of William Westfall.
The first hostile act was in 1756, when three men at work in the fields harvesting the crops were killed. The next was an attempt to capture the fort at Westfalls, occupied, as the Indians at the time supposed, by two lone women. But be- tween the time of their first reconnoiter and of the attack, a party of soldiers from New Jersey had arrived at the fort, and these were just seating themselves at the table when the In- dians burst in, whereupon both sets of warriors were vastly surprised; but the Indians proceeded to work and the soldiers proceeded upstairs where they shortly gathered their scattered wits and opened such a destructive fire that the invaders re- tired precipitately. A number were killed on each side.
The upper fort on the Neversink was surprised and burned and the entire garrison massacred.
But even before this-so far back as 1730-1740-was there border warfare through this country, but a war in which the Indians took no part. This was the war over the boundary line between New York and New Jersey, and all due to a certain vagueness of description in the charters of the provinces. The New Jersey charter carried the west bounds "along said River or Bay (Delaware) to the Northward as far as the Northward- most branch of the said Bay or River, which is in latitude 41 deg. 40 min., and crosseth over thence in a straight line to the latitude 41 deg. on Hudson's River". The "Northwardmost branch" was in dispute. The Minisink settlers who came origi- nally from New York were ignored by the New Jersey gov- ernment, which claimed all land up to a point a little south of
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Cochecton, and parceled the land among Jerseymen who came over the mountains, but the Dutchmen refused to give up their rights, hence friction. Numbers of the settlers were captured and lodged in Jersey prison houses; the men went armed at all times.
Between 1730 and 1740 several attempts were made to oust a Major Swartwout from his holdings. The Major was held in much local reverence as a model for all heroes, and spent a reasonable portion of his time telling of the awful things that would happen to the Jerseymen should they attempt to lay violent hands on him or his. But the enemy came in the night and the Major, in spite of all his bombast, was bundled out into the dew in a fashion that took all the brag out of him, while those of New Jersey made themselves at home in his mansion. However he was in command of the Orange County Militia, and gathering his cohorts around him he carried his one time castle by assault and the invaders were initiated into the walk known as Spanish then and there, the Major im- parting sundry kicks in his efforts to give point to his advice as to where they should go and, as I understand it, it was not New Jersey that he recommended. After this a spy was regu- larly kept among the Jerseymen, and thus their invasive efforts were usually frustrated.
Then there was the Major's son-in-law, Harmanus Van Inwegen, who was also regarded as a prize by those of Jersey, and these peace disturbers next planned a raid for his cap- ture, but word was brought by the spies and a call was sent to the clans to meet at the Van Inwegen house.
The call was answered by a goodly number and Major Swartwout assumed command as a matter of course. He ar- ranged his forces in line of battle, placing the left wing in
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command of Van Inwegen, while to Jacob Cuddeback was given command of the right. The feather in the Major's cocked hat is said to have held itself, up to the point where the enemy appeared in sight, with a fierceness and ferocity that would have done credit to the helmet of Navarre. But as the invaders, led on by a Jersey constable, marched on the field, that feather seemed somehow to have lost much of its aggres- sive character; it is moreover intimated that the said con- stable was not quite so bumptious, nor was his attitude on horseback so strikingly aggressive as had been the case some minutes before. It must be confessed that to be the only mounted man in such an assembly and at such a moment would naturally make a modest person feel unduly conspicuous.
To tell the truth neither force seems to have expected to see such a formidable array on the other side, and as the dis- tance gradually lessened and they came within gunshot of each other, the Jerseymen halted in uncertain array and a dread silence fell that, as the minutes passed, became ex- tremely embarrassing. The fact is one was afraid and the other dasn't, and it only needed a very small event to turn the scale of battle either way. Fortunately for the home guard this was furnished by a son of the Major who, uncertain in the event of being ordered to shoot as to whether he should aim at the enemy or over its head, called to his father for instruc- tions, whereupon the old gentleman, remembering the former raid on his home, roared back in a voice that shook the hills: "Kill them!"
This was too much for Jersey, whose sons had come over the mountain with no thought of being killed, and its ranks broke "like thin clouds before a Biscay gale", filled with con- sternation at the thought of such untimely end.
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The Major's men, knowing the lay of the land, intercepted the retreating braves in a ravine about two miles back and turned the retreat into a rout. "The only life lost was that of the constable's horse, which fell at the first fire, giving its owner a lift in the world he had not calculated on, and land- ing him in a bunch of brambles."
New York returned home after running its legs off scaring Jersey, and that was the end of that.
It was not until 1753 that the next attempt was made. This time Jersey appeared before the house of Thomas DeKay and demanded his surrender. The householder, however, locked his front door and, going to an upper window, made snoots at the invaders who, not looking for such opposition, were non- plussed and retired in confusion, vowing they would get him next time.
The French and Indian War diverted both sides for some years and it was not until 1765 that the next and last raid took place. And this was indeed a bloody occasion, though no lives were lost. Now it was Major Johannes Westbrook who was selected as the victim and Sunday was the day of attack. All unsuspicious of the impending invasion, the community was attending divine worship in the Maghackemeck church, and when they sallied forth for the Sunday dinner they met a fight for which they had small stomach.
The church was surrounded and the enemy rushed down on the defenseless worshippers with a soul-piercing shout that made them think the Devil himself had come for them.
It being the Sabbath neither side would use weapons other than those furnished by the Lord, and coats and hats were soon off and there was as fine a shindy on as ever adorned an Irish holiday. Bloody noses and black eyes were the order of the
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day, for both sides were hard hitters. But this time those from the south were in such force that they overwhelmed their opponents and Major Westbrook was carried a prisoner over the mountain.
In 1767 commissions were appointed by the two colonies to run a boundary line, but owing to the bitterness of feeling they dared not attempt it, and it was some time later that the disputed territory was surveyed and about equally divided.
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PORT JERVIS AND CARPENTER'S POINT.
In 1789 the present site of Port Jervis was known as Na- hant and, while the town is modern-1826-having been made by the canal, it was included in the Minisink country and there is yet standing here the stone house of Martinus Decker, built possibly about 1759, when Martinus was married to Jen- neke Westbrook, known as Johannes Decker's fort. This was burned out by the Indians on July 19, 1779, but the solid stone walls were not injured and in 1797 Johannes Decker repaired the place and it stands to-day, on Main Street, Germantown, as he left it. After burning this building the Indians sepa- rated, one party proceeding to Peter Coikendall's, where they stopped long enough to burn him out and then went on to Van Aukens, whose outbuildings were burned, but the house was not attempted, as Levi Paulding was in command here with troops.
Prof. John M. Dolph, who has made a close study of the subject, believes that the first attack by Brant and his Indians in their descent on this valley was on the Decker house, which they captured and burned. The Indians then divided, one party crossing the Neversink and raiding along its east bank while the other followed near the river, destroying farm build- ings, the old church and the residences at what is now Tri States.
They then reunited at Fort Van Auken, which was at-
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tacked on the night of July 20, 1779, and it was on the follow- ing morning that old Jacobus Van Auken, looking out of an upper window to see if the besiegers had retired, was shot and killed by one of them.
When Count Pulaski was ordered from the Minisink coun- try to South Carolina, this region was left practically defense- less and Joseph Brant, recognizing his opportunity, immedi- ately planned an invasion of the Delaware River settlements. His force of Tories and Indians expected to surprise the sleep- ing inhabitants at night, but were delayed several hours and did not arrive until noon of July 20, 1779.
The palisaded house of Major Johannes Decker, on the east side of the Neversink, was burned. The women and children of the family (all those at home) were compelled to stand by and see the destruction, though none were harmed. Brant even went so far as to allow Mrs. Decker to save what she could from the blazing building and directed his Indians to carry what she brought out to a place of safety.
It is said that a reward had been offered by the British for the capture of the Major, and that one of the objects of Brant's raid was the earning of this reward. But fortunately the Major was away, attending a funeral at Fort Van Auken, and it was while returning from this that he came upon a party of Indians in a bend of the road and dashed through the surprised savages so quickly that they failed to even fire at him. Fearing to meet a larger party beyond, he wheeled and rode back through the same group and was wounded twice before clearing them.
Then the frightened horse plunged into a fallen tree and had to be deserted. The Major hid in a cave and crossed the mountain next morning to Finchville, where he found his son,
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one of the scholars who escaped when the teacher, Jeremiah Van Auken, was murdered.
The invaders next destroyed several houses, a mill and the schoolhouse, where they killed and scalped Jeremiah Van Auken, the teacher. There is an interesting story in connec- tion with this that seems to be well corroborated. The school boys fled to the woods, but the girls stood in a helpless huddle about the body of their teacher, expecting every moment to be scalped, or at least carried off, when Brant himself came upon the group and placed a black mark upon the apron of each, telling the girls that if an Indian approached to hold it up and they would be safe. The girls appear to have kept their wits well, for they are said to have hunted up their brothers and placed them under their garments, and thus all were protected by the marked aprons. Brant had said that he did not make war on women and children.
It was after this that the attack was made on the Daniel Van Auken fort, on the present Laux farm, on the east side of the Neversink. This failed, two Indians being killed in the at- tempt, though, as previously stated, they managed to pot-shot old Jacobus at an upper window.
Brant's report of the raid made to Colonel Bolton is inter- esting. It was dated at Oquwage (Deposit), 29th July, 1779, and so far as relates to the destruction of the settlement is as follows :-
"I beg leave to acquaint you that I arrived here last night from Minisink and was a good deal disappointed that I could not get into that place at the time I wished to do a little be- fore daylight-instead of which I did not arrive until noon, when all the cattle was in the woods, so that we could get but a few of them. We have burned all the settlement called
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Minisink, one excepted, round which we lay before about an hour and had one man killed and two wounded; we destroyed several small stockaded forts and took four scalps and three prisoners, but did not in the least injure women and chil- dren. The reason that we could not take more of them was owing to the many forts about the place, into which they were always ready to run like ground-hogs."
The Battle of the Minisink followed sharp on the heels of this raid. As soon as the news was carried to Goshen, such men as could hastily formed a company and marched over into the Minisink country to afford relief. But on the high bank of the Delaware, above Port Jervis, they were outmanœuvred by the Indians with disastrous results.
Lawyer Harrison W. Nanny has been at the history of this battle until he has knocked the legs off pretty much all the interesting little stories connected therewith, and about all one can say now without fear of contradiction, is that the whites were badly defeated and many were killed. It was some years ago that Mr. Nanny sprung this sad surprise, and we hope that his legal business has since become so ex- tensive and exacting that he has had no more time to destroy our stories and legends.
As usual the settlers at first held such religious services as they could in private houses, but by 1736 the means were col- lected for the construction of four churches. The first, called the Mackhackemeck Church, was located about one-half mile south of where Port Jervis now stands and about one-half mile from the junction of the Delaware and Neversink Rivers, by the old burying ground. The second was about eight miles southwest from above, just around the bend in the road be- yond Brick House, and was called the Minisink Church. The
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third was sixteen miles further on, in New Jersey, and was called the Walpack Church. The fourth was eight or ten miles distant from the Walpack and called the Smithfield Church- this on the Pennsylvania side of the river, near the Depue place. John Casparus Fryenmuth, Dutch Reformed, was the first pastor, and he covered the entire stretch. Preachers were scarce in those days and it seems that the settlement at Rochester made overtures to the Rev. Fryenmuth, which were resented by the Minisink flocks, and this is the way they voiced their sentiments :-
"Minisink, Dec. 6th, 1741.
"To the Rev. Consistory of Rochester, greeting :-
"We, your servants, having learned that you have had cor- respondence with our pastor, and have seduced him, so far as to send him a call, thinking that the large amount of salary promised him will induce him to leave us-the Lord who has thus far caused your acts of supplanting to fail will further direct them to a good end. We find ourselves bound to obey the command of the Saviour, 'Do good to them that hate you'; we therefore will deal with you hereafter, as we have before, 'doing you good'. It is true that you give us no thanks for his services among you. You are bold enough to say that he has eight free Sundays during the year, which is as true as the assertion of the Devil to Eve, 'You will not surely die'.
"If you desire, then, to have our minister four or six times during the year, we will grant your wish cheerfully, and leave it with our pastor to settle with you as to the amount of his compensation. If this cannot prevent the execution of your unjust intention, and the Lord wishes to use you as a rod to chasten us, we shall console ourselves with his gracious words, Heb. 12, 'Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he re-
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bukes every son whom he adopts'. If it please the Lord to per- mit you to deprive us of our pastor, then we hope that your consciences will not be seared so much as to take away our livelihood, amounting to f125 12s 6d (overpaid salary).
"Should this, however, be the case, then we will not hesi- tate to give the matter into the hands of a worldly judge. We expect your answer, and conclude our discourse with the wish that the grace of our Lord and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, may remain with you until a blessed eternity. Amen. We remain your servants,
"John Cortright,
"John Van Vliet,
"Abm. Van Campen, "William Cole."
It is about time to proceed with our tramp, but before we get too far away there is a little matter of a witch which should have our attention.
This was an ancient dame named Mollie Oldfield, who lived a solitary life (about one-half mile southwest of Mills- burg, in the town of Minisink-in the matters of history it is well to be as accurate as possible), who came in time to be regarded as one "holding communion with the damned", and was dreaded and feared by the entire neighborhood; she pinched the children in their sleep and furnished every ill the countryside was heir to.
One day Captain Brown, having some business with the old lady, did not transact it to her liking, whereupon she pro- nounced his doom with, "Never mind, Captain Brown, you will be sorry for this some day", and the Captain was imme- diately sorry, for a great dread straightway filled all the va- cant places in his top story. Soon his cows gave bloody milk,
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the Old Boy got into the churn and the butter refused to come; but the Captain knew a trick or two himself and, gathering all the horse shoes he could find-this was a des- perate case, and one would hardly cover the job-he heated them red hot and plunged them in the cream, whereupon arose a great steam, against which no witch can stand (a too strong suggestion of the next sphere of action, possibly), and as the witch vanished the butter came.
Then there was the case of another neighbor, one James Neily, who crossed the path of the old lady at a wrong angle; the trouble here was also with his cattle, to whom the witch furnished wings that they might fly the coop, so to speak. And always did he find them in his fields of growing grain and no fences broken down, or any evidence of forcible entry. It did no good to watch; so long as a watch was kept nothing happened, but no sooner did James turn his back than over the fence his cattle flew again. But Neily, being possessed of a hard head and plenty of common sense, made friends with the mammon of unrighteousness in the person of Mrs. O., and his cattle thereafter remained within bounds.
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