USA > New York > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 11
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# Afterwards Major-General Philip Schuyler, of Revolutionary fame.
+ Referring to disturbances which occurred also about the same time in Dutchess county, requiring the assistance of the military to quell. A part of the Twenty-eighth Infantry was sent to that county.
For the suppression of the numerous felonies which were com- mitted in this vicinity after the Revolution a company of rangers was organized, and fifteen hundred pounds were raised under authority of the act of May 11, 1780, to defray the expense thus incurred; but neither the date of the formation of the company nor the particular acts of outrage which caused its organization can be given.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
another gentleman, rode off, and when they were opposite the barn young Arnold fired a pistol, at which signal seven- teen men, painted and in Indian dress, sallied forth from the barn, fired and marched after them, keeping up a con- stant firing. Some of the balls passing between them, the companions of the sheriff desired him to spur his horse or they would all be shot; to which he replied that he was vested with the law, and they should never find him a coward.
" Young Arnold seeing those in Indian dress fell astern, then mounted a horse with another fellow and rode up to them ; two of whom mounted the horse, and (the sheriff having only walked his) soon came up and dismounted, when one of them leveled his piece, and lodged a ball in the heart of the sheriff; upon which he said, ' Brother, I am a dead man !' fell from his horse, and expired. Ilis brother then took him up in his arms and carried him into the house of one Crum, but supposing himself yet in immi- nent danger rode off.
" Great praise is due to Captain Sloan, of the city of Hudson, who soon afterwards came and took care of the body, and at the risk of his life guarded the papers of the sheriff. Young Arnold went to Crum's house for the pur- pose (as is supposed) of putting a period to the existenee of the sheriff, if it had not been already done.
" Four of the perpetrators set out the next day for Nova Scotia by way of New London. A reward of two hundred and fifty pounds is offered for apprehending them. A party of men are in pursuit, and, as we hear, were on Tuesday within fifteen miles of them.
. "Twelve are lodged in the gaol at Claverack under a strong guard. Jonathan Arnold is not yet taken. It is recom- mended to all good citizens who wish well to the support of good government to be active in apprehending one who dares to commit such an outrage against eivil government and civil society."
The accused persons were tried at a term of the oyer and terminer, held at Claverack in February, 1792, and " after a long and impartial trial were acquitted." The murderer was never discovered.
The widow of the victim, Mrs. Sarah Hogeboom, died wholly of grief, on the 16th of January, less than three months after her husband's murder. The Hudson Gazette of January 26, in notieing her death, said, " It is impos- sible to describe the extreme distress with which Mrs. Hogeboom hath been afflicted from the moment she re- ceived information of the inhuman murder of her husband until the time of her decease." This unfortunate couple were the grandparents of the late Judge Henry Hogeboom.
After the tragedy of 1791, the most vigorous measures were employed to quell the lawless spirit which had caused it, and although there were afterwards occasional instances of resistance to the payment of manorial rents, yet for more than half a century there occurred in Columbia county no demonstration of sufficient magnitude to be noticed as an anti-rent revolt.
The spirit of anti-rentism, however, was not dead, but only sleeping. The farmer-tenants upon the manors not only in Columbia, but in the counties of Albany, Greene, Ulster, Delaware, Schoharie, Herkimer, Montgomery, Ot-
sego, Oneida, and Rensselaer, at last began to regard their condition as unendurable, and as being little, if any, better than that of vassals. They argued that they and their ancestors had already paid in rents far more than the value of the lands, even including the buildings and improve- ments which themselves (and not the landlords) had put npon them, and that the degrading and perpetual nature of the tenure was inconsistent not only with the prin- ciples of republican government, but with all proper feel- ings of self-respect. They asked upon what principle it was that their fathers left the oppressive, aristocratical gov- ernments of the Old World, to find here, in the New, and upon the banks of Hudson river, a system of land-tenure which was overthrown in England so long ago as the year 1290, and in France by the Revolution of 1787 ? Could they believe that such things were right or legal ? And should they by their submission allow them to become per- manent? These theories, advanced by their leaders and industriously circulated through the public prints, had the natural effect to reawaken the old feeling of resistance to what they considered the oppressive exactions of their land- lords, and it was not long before they began to consult to- gether on plans te throw off the burden. About 1840 associations began to be formed, and delegates were ap- pointed, who met for deliberation on ways and means by which to accomplish their ends. " Ere long the people be- came more and more engaged and excited, and the anti-rent feeling manifested itself in open resistance to the service of legal process for the collection of manorial rents. A secret organization was devised, extending through several conn- ties, by which bands of men were formed, and pledged upon summons to appear disguised and armed, and ready to pro- tect the persons of tenants from arrest and from the service of process, and to guard their property from levy and sale upon execution. So soon as a sheriff appeared in one of the disaffected towns, a troop of men collected in fantastie calico dresses and with faces masked, or painted to imitate Indians, and armed with pistols, tomahawks, guns, and cutlasses, and generally on horseback, gathered round him or hovered near, warning him away, and deterring him by threats from performing his duty."*
It was not in Columbia, but in Rensselaer, Delaware, and some of the other counties, that this state of affairs origi- nated. The first overt act of lawlessness ocenrred in Rens- sclaer, in the town of Grafton, where a body of anti-renters, disguised as Indians, met upon the highway a man named Smith, who was a known and violent opponent of their plans. With him they entered into a violent altercation, which resulted in his being instantly killed by a pistol-shot, fired by one of their number. It was, however, alleged by them that Smith made the first attack, with an axe; but whatever the facts may have been, the person who fired the shot was never discovered, although more than two hundred persons were summoned, and testified in a legal investigation of the circumstances of the homicide.
It was not long before the spirit of revolt had spread to Columbia county. The first demonstration of force in re- sistance to the execution of the laws in this county, was
* New American Cyclopædia.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
made Dec. 12, 1844, when the sheriff, Hon. Henry C. Miller, attempted to serve process against the property of an anti-renter in the town of Copake. Procceding with- out a posse (except a single companion) towards the place of his destination, he at length encountered the outlying pickets of the enemy, but was by them allowed to pass on. Arriving at the place where the process was to be served, he was surprised by a show of force which he had not an- ticipated. There was a body of about three hundred men disguised as Indians, under command of the chief, " Big Thunder," and besides these there was a gathering of more than a thousand people, undisguised, and present only as spectators of the scene of violence which they evidently expected, for they had, undoubtedly, supposed that the sheriff would appear with a strong posse, and prepared to use force in the performance of his duty. Upon his ap- pearance the great, chief, " Big Thunder" (whose real name was Smith A. Boughton), and six other sachems of the tribe, conducted him to the public-house of the place, where, after informing him that under no circumstances would he be permitted to execute his mission, and that his life would be endangered by a persistent attempt to do so, they suc- ceeded, by intimidation with firearms, in dispossessing him of his papers, which they burned in public, amid the war- whoops of the braves and the plaudits of the spectators. The sheriff was then permitted to depart in peace, and to return to his home at Hudson, where his report of the outrage was received by the citizens with feelings and ex- periences of the deepest indignation.
It was advertised that, on the 18th of December, the chief " Big Thunder" would attend at Smoky Hollow, in the town of Claverack, there to address the people-particularly the Van Rensselaer tenants-on the (then) paramount question of the day. At the time appointed a very large audience had gathercd there, some out of sympathy with the principles set forth, and some from motives of mere curiosity. Pursuant to the announcement the orator ap- peared supported by a strong body-guard in costume. It is said that this was the most brilliant-as it was destined to be the last-of his days of triumph. During the orgies of the day, a youth, named W. H. Rifenburgh, a spectator of the performances, was killed by a pistol-shot, alleged to have been accidentally fired. When intelligence of this occurrence reached Hudson, it was at once decided that " Big Thunder" should be arrested, and upon this sheriff Miller set out for the scene of the tragedy, accompanied by Mr. Joseph D. Monell. When they reached Smoky Hollow it was late in the day, and the meeting had already dissolved ; but " Big Thunder" was found in a back room at the public-house, divested of his plumes and war-paint, and engaged in quiet conversation. He was arrested at once and without resistance, but upon reaching the open air, where he was surrounded by a number of his men, he drew a pistol and made a desperate attempt to escape, but was at last overpowered and bound.
The sheriff also captured the chief " Little Thunder" (whose real name was Mortimer C. Belding), and a little later he had delivered both the chiefs safe in the jail at Hudson. Soon after, deputy-sheriff Thomas Sedgwick effected the arrest of two other leaders, named - Rey-
nolds and Walter Hutchins. The last named was other- wise known as the " White Chief," and had frequently and freely uttered the threat that he would never be taken alive; but upon being found secreted in a garret, he was secured without so much as a show of resistance.
When " Big" and " Little Thunder" arrived at Hudson in the custody of the sheriff, a vast and shouting crowd followed them to the jail, and the whole city was jubilant ; but when it was learned that wellnigh a thousand men in the east part of the county had sworn to rescue the prisoners and burn the city the rejoicings were succeeded by unmistakable panic, and the citizens were not in the least reassured by the proclamation of Mayor Curtiss, in which he recalled to mind the fact " that no policy of insurance will cover losses by fire when caused by invasion, insurrection, or civil commotion."
It was decided that the citizens should be organized for the security and defense of the city, and the plan and details of such organization were placed in the hands of a com- mittce, which might properly have been called the Com- mittee of Public Safety, consisting of Colonel Charles Darling, Captain E. P. Cowles, Killian Miller, Rufus Reed, and Warren Rockwell. The first measure adopted was the establishment of a patrol of citizens, twenty from cach ward, to be constantly on duty during the hours of night. Then Captain Cowles' military company, the Hudson Light Guard, were ordered to hold themselves in readiness, equipped and ammunitioned for instant service, and to muster at the court-house with the least possible delay upon the sounding of certain alarm-strokes on the bell of the Presbyterian church. Four pieces of artillery were placed in charge of a company of one hundred men, en- rolled from the citizens, and under command of Captain Henry Whiting, and videttes were posted well out upon the roads leading into the city from the eastward.
These were but the beginning of the precautionary meas- ures. A request was made to the State authorities to fur- nish five hundred stand of arms, with proper ammunition, which was promptly responded to by the governor, and the arms furnished. A battalion of five hundred volunteers was formed, called the " Law and Order Association," to act as " minute-men," to be always ready and subject to the call of the sheriff at all times. This body consisted of four companies, commanded by Captains Thomas P. Newbery, Ichabod Rogers, Hiram Gage, and Warren Rockwell, and the battalion was under counmand of Colonel Darling.
Assistance was also asked and received from abroad. Colonel Darling went to Catskill, told the people there of the danger which menaced Hudson, and asked for voluu- teers to return with him. A large number of men re- sponded, and remained in Hudson over Saturday night, Sunday, and Sunday night, returning to Catskill on Mon- day. A request was made by the common council for the Albany Burgesses' corps to lend their assistance, to which the corps responded by reporting to the mayor of Hudson for duty, to remain until the exigency should have passed. Afterwards, upon a still further request for troops, Governor Bouck sent hither the Emmet Guards, Van Rensselaer Guards, Washington Riflemen, Albany Republican Artillery, and a company of cavalry from New York, under command
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
of Captain Krack. This comparatively large force crowded the available accommodations of Hudson, and many were quartered on the boats, which then lay winter-bound at the wharves. At the end of about one month, during which time the soldiery had given material aid to the sheriff in making the desired arrests of implicated persons, the dan- ger was believed to have passed, and the troops returned to their homes, carrying with them the thanks and gratitude of the people of the city.
There are those among the citizens of Hudson who, looking back to that time, freely express the belief that the magnitude of the power invoked was largely dispropor- tionate to the danger which menaced, but there were proba- bly few who then entertained that view of the case.
The prisoner Boughton, for whose safe-keeping the city had been placed in a state of siege, was brought to trial before Judge Parker at the March term of court, and was defended by Ambrose L. Jordan and James Storm. At- torney-General John Van Buren was assisted by Hon. The- odore Miller in the prosecution. The trial continued for two weeks, and ended in a disagreement of the jury. In the following September he was again tried before Judge John W. Edmonds, and was found guilty. When asked the usual question why sentence should not be passed upon him, he simply replied that he had done nothing which he considered a crime, but that the court had seen fit to con- viet him, and he must submit to its decision. He was then senteneed to a life imprisonment in the Clinton State prison. Several of the other leaders were convicted and sentenced for different terms, but " Little Thunder" was never brought to trial.
The conviction of these men quelled forever all attempts by anti-rent partisans to resist the execution of the laws in Columbia county ; not that a single anti-renter had changed in his hatred to the manorial system, or was any less than before inclined to resist what he deemed its iu- tolerable wrong and oppression, but that it was now fully realized that resistance to constituted authority was worse than useless, and that what was to be done must be accom- plished by the wielding of political power at the ballot-box.
By pursuing this course the anti-rent party elected their governor (Young) in 1846, and one of his first official acts was to pardon from the State prison the so-called anti-rent convicts, including " Big Thunder" and all others who had been sentenced from Columbia.
The final triumph of the anti-renters came in the year 1852, in the decision of the court of appeals in the test- case of De Peyster vs. Michael. De Peyster occupied the position of proprietor by reason of purchase of Van Rens- selaer's interest in some lands in Columbia county, from which lands it was sought to eject Michael for non-perform- ance of certain manorial conditions. The counsel for the proprietor was the Hon. Josiah Sutherland (now of New York), who argued the case most ably for his client.
Without entering at length upon the merits of the case, it is sufficient to say that the court was unanimous in its decision in favor of the defendant, and that Judge Suther- land himself has never hesitated to declare that the decision in the De Peyster case was a legitimate close to the anti- rent controversy in favor of the anti-renters.
CHAPTER VIII.
POLITICAL.
Property in Men and Women-Politics and Parties in the County.
THE first election by the people in what is now the State of New York was that of the " Twelve Men," in 1641, held under the Dutch rule. The first election under the English was that of the Assembly of 1665, for the pro- mulgation of the " Duke's Laws." The first election under the authority of the people themselves was that one held in March, 1775, to elect deputies to the provincial conven- tion, which met in New York, the 20th of April following, to choose delegates to the Continental Congress, which assem- bled at Philadelphia, on May 10, 1775. Down to the adoption of the State constitution in 1777, elections were held before the sheriffs by a poll or viva voce vote. The constitution provided for the ballot system to be tried, after the war then waging had ceased, as an " experiment," guard- ing the same, however, with a provision that " if the ex- periment proved unsatisfactory, the former method," or some other, should be returned to. In pursuance of this pro- vision, a law was passed March 27, 1778, authorizing the use of the ballot in elections for governor and lieutenant- governor, but retaining the viva voce system for members of the Legislature ; but in 1787, February 3, the restriction was done away, and the ballot system introduced generally. The inspector system was introduced at this time (1787), and, with some changes, still obtains. Local boards in each election district at first canvassed the returns ; the result was recorded by the town clerk, who forwarded the same to the county clerk, who recorded it in his office and forwarded it to the secretary of state, who also recorded it, when the votes were canvassed by a State board, consisting of the secretary of state, comptroller, and treasurer, on or before the 8th of June, and who published the result. By the act of 1787, general elections were held on the last Tuesday in April, and might be held five days. By the aet of April 17, 1822, a board of county canvassers was instituted, consisting of one inspector of elections from each town, and the attorney-general and surveyor-general were added to the State canvassers. The general election day was changed to the first Monday in November, and could be held by adjournment from place to place in each towu or ward for three days.
In 1842, the date of holding general elections was changed to the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, and the balloting confined to one day. By this last act the supervisors of the respective counties were constituted the boards of county canvassers, which system is in vogue at the present time.
Under the Assembly of 1691, electors were required to be residents of the electoral district at least three months prior to the issue of the writ, and to be possessed of a free- hold worth forty pounds. " Freemen" of the corporations paying a rental of forty shillings per annum were also ad- mitted to the right of suffrage. Catholics were not allowed to vote nor to be elected, and Quakers and Moravians were at first virtually disfranchised, and remained so until they
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
were allowed to affirm. Under the first constitution electors were required to have a residence of six months, and such as were freeholders of estates of twenty pounds in the county, or paid a rental of forty shillings per annum, and actually paid taxes, could vote for representatives to the Legislature. Freemen of New York and Albany, also, were voters for these and inferior officials without the proper qualifications ; but to cast a ballot for governor, lieutenant-governor, and senators required the possession of a freehold worth one hundred pounds over and above all debts discharged thereon. In 1811 these values were changed to corresponding sums in the Federal currency, viz., two hundred and fifty dollars, fifty dollars, and five dollars. No discrimination was made against blacks and mulattoes, except that they were required to produce au- thenticated certificates of freemen. The constitution of 1821 extended the elective franchise to every male citizen of the age of twenty-one years, being a resident of the State one year preceding any election, and of the town or county where he offered to vote six months, provided he had paid taxes or was exempt from taxation, or had performed mili- tary duty, or was a fireman ; and also to every such citizen being a resident of the State three years, and of the county one year, who had performed highway labor, or paid an equivalent therefor during the year. Colored persons were not voters unless possessed of a freehold of two hundred and fifty dollars value, were residents of the State three years, and had paid taxes on the full value of their estates above incumbrances thereon. In 1826, the elective franchise was made free to all white male citizens, without property quali- fications of any kind; that qualification, however, was re- tained for colored citizens. In 1845, the property qualifi- cation required for the holding of office under the consti- tutions of the State up to that date was abrogated by the people. In 1846, and again in 1860, propositions for equal suffrage to colored persons were rejected by the people by heavy majorities. By the amendment, to the constitu- tion adopted by the people Nov. 3, 1874, " Every male citizen of the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a citizen for ten days, and an inhabitant of the State one year next preceding an election, and for the last four months a resident of the county, and for the last thirty days a resident in the election district in which he may offer his vote," is entitled to vote at such election. Elective officers under the first constitution were limited to the gov- ernor, lieutenant-governor, senators, and assemblymen ; and the town officers, loan officers, county treasurers, and clerks of supervisors were appointed as the Legislature provided. All other civil and military officers were to be appointed by the council of appointment, unless otherwise designated in the constitution. Under the second constitution, the list of elective officers was greatly extended, and the power of appointment of those not elective conferred on the gov- ernor. In 1846, two hundred and eighty-nine officers were thus appointed. The list of appointive officers is very limited at the present time.
SLAVERY IN THE COUNTY.
The act for the manumission of slaves in the State of New York was passed in 1788, but previous to that time
the Quakers had in several instances freed their servaots. In 1799 the act for the gradual abolition of slavery in the State was passed.
The records of the county show bills of sales and deeds of manumission of slaves, a few of which we here give :
On the 23d day of December, 1786, Abraham Vosburgh sold to Barent Vander Poel a negro man named " Piet" for seventy pounds New York currency. The grantor war- ranted his title in Piet good, and would defend the same against all comers : " To have and to hold to the said Van- der Poel, his heirs and assigns, the said Piet forever."
Cornelius Sharp and wife gave a deed of manumission to Moses Frayer and wife and child, and by will devised to their former slaves all of their property, to take effect on the death of both Sharp and his wife.
A bill of sale disposes of " one negro girl 4 years old, a heifer, a loom, and 40 plank" for fifteen pounds.
Deeds of manumission of slaves were predicated on their ability to support themselves, proof of the same to be made to the satisfaction of the overseers of the poor of the town where they resided.
Further mention of this subject will be found in the his- tories of several of the towns of the county.
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