USA > New York > New York City > History of New Netherland; or, New York under the Dutch, Vol. I > Part 13
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The remonstrance which the Dutch ambassadors had pre- sented to Charles I., at Newmarket, had, in the mean time, been duly considered by the king's council, and Mr. Secretary Cook waited, some weeks after, on their excellencies with a May long and formal reply, on the part of his majesty and the Lords Commissioners of England, in support of the British claim to those countries, of which the West India Company had now possession in North America.1
1 Thomas Morton, of Cliffords Inn, gent., addressed, this year, to the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Plantations, a pamphlet entitled " New English Canaan," being "an abstract of New England," in which he
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NEW NETHERLAND.
" The Dutch demand restitution," say their lordships, " of a CHAP. certain ship, scized at Plymouth, on her return from a certain plantation by them usurped, north of Virginia, which, they al- lege, they acquired from the natives of those countries. It is de- nied, first, that the savages were possessors bonæ fidei, of those countries, so as to be able to dispose thereof either by sale or gift, their habitations being changeable, (mouvantes,) uncertain, and only in common. Secondly, it cannot be proved, de facto, that all the natives of said countries were parties to the said pretended sale. And as regards the allegation that the said natives have their abode around about them, the truth is, the English surround them on all sides, as they have already well discovered when they prosecuted the maintenance of their rights against them. But more than this :- the rights belong- ing to his majesty's subjects in that country are justified by first discovery, occupation, and possession which they have taken thereof, and by charters and letters patent obtained from our sovereigns, who, for these purposes, were the true and le- gitimate proprietors there where the Lords the States have not assumed to themselves [ne se sont attribués] such pretensions, and have not granted any charter to their subjects conveying in itself any title or power to them. Which was proved [se verifia] in the year 1621, when the late king, of happy memory, on the complaint and remonstrance of the Earl of Arundel, of the knights Fer. Horges, (Gorges,) and Samuel Argall, and of Captain Mason, directed his ambassador to urge on their Lord- ships, the States General, to prevent the departure of certain vessels which were preparing to proceed to the aforesaid country, and to forbid their subjects to settle in that plantation ; for their answer was, that they knew nothing of said enterprise, which indeed appeared very probable, because the said ambas- sador, after having informed himself more particularly of the matter, assured his majesty, in those letters, that it was only
accused the Dutch of a design to seize on "the Great Lake of Erocoise," (Champlain,) which, he adds, they can accomplish "by means of the river Mohegan, which hy the English is named Hudson's River, where the Dutch have settled two well-fortified plantations already." Possibly this and other such publications of that day, may account for the tone of this reply of the English privy council.
1632.
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HISTORY OF
1632.
BOOK two companies of merchants of Amsterdam, who, without the II. knowledge or advice of the said Lords, the States General, had commenced a traffic between 40° and 50°, in the limits of his majesty's plantation, to the said countries of Virginia, and had given to those places there the names of New Netherland, [Nouveaux Pays-bas, ] Texel, Vlieland, &c., and sent ships of thirty and forty lasts to these regions in search of peltries ; but that they had not learned that they had yet commenced, or medi- tated to establish a plantation there ; and, moreover, that a goodly number of families, inhabitants of the said United Pro- vinces, had then been soliciting him to procure for them a spot in the said country where they could dwell among his majes- ty's subjects. That now if those who are returned from there, and the others who have remained behind, wish to make a similar petition, and to submit themselves to his majesty's gov- ernment, as his majesty's subjects, they may know if it shall please him to admit them in that quality, and thus permit them to proceed thither with their ships and merchandise, or to sell them here at the highest price ; provided that their Lordships the States shall prevent them from proceeding thither any more, or frequenting in any manner those regions. To which, if they do not consent, his majesty's interest will not permit him to allow them thus to usurp and encroach on one of his colonies of such importance, which he has great cause to cherish and maintain in its integrity.
" By these replies to the aforesaid complaints, their Lord- ships the States General will understand how little ground they have to enter on their neighbors' territory, in defiance of any alienation thereof by his majesty."
This positive assertion of the British title to New Nether- land does not appear to have brought forth any rejoinder from the ambassadors of their High Mightinesses. They, how- May ever, continued to press for the release of the Union, and their 27. demand was finally conceded by the lord high treasurer, " saving and without any prejudice to his majesty's rights," as the detention of the vessel, thus far, had all the effect the government desired, which was to assert a title that uninter- rupted possession might possibly impair or destroy.1
' Hol. Doc. i., 187, 188, 190, 200, 202, 205, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 216,
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NEW NETHERLAND.
In the mean time the unfortunate misunderstanding be- CHAP. tween the directors of the company and the Patroons, arising out of opposite constructions of certain articles of the charter 1632. of 1629, interrupted the efforts then beginning to be made to settle this new country. The former were particularly jealous of all interference in the Indian trade, which the company had specially reserved to itself ; while the Patroons, on the other hand, considered that trade to be open to them, on cer- tain conditions. So serious now became these differences, that some of the principal partners drew up a series of charges May against the directors for having altered the exemptions, who, 28. on the other hand, issued a placard strictly excluding all June 8. " private persons" from dealing in " peltries, maize, and wam- pum." The Patroons persisted that this did not apply to them, as they were privileged, not private, individuals ; but the company determined otherwise, and in order to shut the Nov. Patroons and their people everywhere and at once from all 18. traffic in the above commodities, sent commissaries and as- sistant-commissarics to the different colonies, or patroon ships, with instructions to post up the aforesaid placard there ; to prevent any person, whether Patroon or vassal, from inter- fering in the forbidden trade ; and to oblige the inhabitants of the several patroonships, by an oath, to refrain from trading in any way in Indian corn, sewan, or furs.1
While these disputes were raging, intelligence reached Holland, unexpectedly, that the savages had utterly destroyed the colonie of Zwanendal, which De Vries had planted, in the beginning of the last year, at the mouth of the Delaware.
It happened that the Dutch, in keeping with the practice prevalent in those days, had erected, on taking possession of this new plantation, a pillar on a prominent part of their ter- ritory, to which they affixed, in token of sovereignty, a piece
219, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 246, 252. Beauchamp Plantagenet, in his ein- gular pamphlet entitled " A Description of the Province of New Albion," (p. 18,) mentions the seizure of Minuit's ship in these words: " The next pretended Dutch governor, in maps and printed charts calling this part New Nether- land, failing in paying of customes at his return to Plymouth, in England, was there, with his hever goods and person, attached to his damage of £1500." 1 Hol. Doc. ii., 103, 104, 113.
18
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HISTORY OF
BOOK of tin, on which they traced the emblem, or arms of the II. United Provinces. An Indian chief, in want of a tobacco 1632. pipe, took a fancy to this glittering sheet, for the purpose of supplying his want, and carried it off, ignorant that there was any impropriety in the act.
Gillis Hoossett, one of the company's men, whom De Vries had left in charge of his fort, inconsiderately viewed the innocent act of the untutored savage as a national insult, and evinced so much dissatisfaction, that the Indians, to make amends for this unintentional offence, killed the chief who had taken the piece of tin away, and returned with a token of the bloody deed. This naturally shocked the Dutch commander, who explained to the Indians that they had done wrong ; that they ought to have brought the chief to him, and he should have told him not to repeat the act. But the spirit of wild revenge had been roused, meanwhile, in the breasts of the friends and kinsmen of the murdered chief, and they de termined on wreaking dire and dreadful vengeance.
The colonie of Zwanendal consisted, at this time, of thirty four persons. Of these, thirty-two were one day at work in the fields, while commissary Hoossett remained in charge of the house, where another of the settlers lay sick abed. A large bull-dog was chained out of doors. On pretence of selling some furs, three savages entered the house, and mur- dered Hoossett1 and the sick man. They found it not so easy to dispatch the mastiff. It was not until they had pierced him with at least twenty-five arrows that he was destroyed. The men in the fields were then set on, in an equally treacherous manner, under the guise of friendship, and every man of them slain. Thus terminated the colonie of the Valley of Swans, to the great loss of the projectors, as well as to the great injury of their characters as cautious and prudent men.
It was after the occurrence of this melancholy and unfore- seen catastrophe, that De Vries reached the mouth of the South River, at the close of the year, " promising himself great things, plenty of whales, and good land for cultivation."
1 This Hoossett was an active agent in purchasing the lands around Fort Or- ange for Van Ronsselaer.
----------- 1 ! i
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NEW NETHERLAND.
He found his house destroyed, the palisades, by which it was CHAP. surrounded, burned, and the heads and bones of his murdered III. men bestrewing the earth. No hum of industry enlivened the 1632. gloomy solitude. Not a human being appeared to respond to Dec. 6 the signal gun, which De Vries ordered to be fired to give no- tice of his arrival.
Having succeeded, however, on the next day, in opening a communication with the Indians, De Vries invited them to " a talk," as he considered it to be his best policy not to take no- tice of the past, finding he had no means to punish the guilty aggressors. The Indians came with their chief; and sitting Dec. 9 down in a circle, concluded a peace with the Dutch, who pre- sented them, in ratification of the treaty, with some duffels, bullets, axes, and Nuremberg trinkets. The natives parted with their visitors, greatly pleased that these had taken no notice of their treacherous behavior.
These things being thus satisfactorily accomplished, De Vries 1633. proceeded up the South River with a view to obtain supplies. Jan. 1. The country was a wilderness uninhabited by any Europeans. Fort Nassau, which the Dutch had erected on the east bank of the river some ten years before, was abandoned, and now in possession of the Indians, who evinced a hostile disposition as far up as Timmerkill, or Cooper's Creek.
Finding this unfavorable state of feeling, De Vries dropped down again opposite Fort Nassau, where he was visited by nine chiefs of the neighboring tribes, with whom he also con- cluded a permanent peace. The Dutch were now told to Jan. 8. banish all suspicion, for all evil thoughts were at an end. De Vries offered the Indians presents in return for their beavers, with which they had ratified this peace ; but these they re- fused. They had not given their presents to obtain any in return, but as tokens of their having made a firm peace.1
The trade to New Netherland was exceedingly profitable during the past year. The company sent out one ship with a cargo valued at a little over thirty-one thousand guilders, ($13,000.) The exports consisted of fifteen thousand, one hundred and seventy-four skins, the greater portion of which
1 De Vries.
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HISTORY OF
BOOK was beaver. These were valued at one hundred and forty- II three thousand, one hundred and twenty-five guilders, equal 1633. to $57,250 of our currency. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that the company was desirous of retaining such a trade in their own hands.1
1 De Laet. " It is well knowne to some of our English nation that have lived in the Dutch plantation, that the Dutch have gained by beaver 20,000 pound a yeare." Morton's N. Eng. Canaan, published 1632. Capt. Mason's letter, dated April 2, 1632, O. S., in Lond. Doc. i., 47.
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NEW NETHERLAND.
CHAPTER IV.
WOUTER VAN TWILLER appointed Director-general-Arrives in New Netherland -His council-Other officers of the company in that country-First clergyman and first schoolmaster in New Amsterdam-An English vessel visits the Manhattans for the purpose of trading with the Indians on the Hudson's River-Director and council refuse permission to her to ascend the river- Sails to Fort Orange, notwithstanding-Opens a trade with the natives there- about-Is opposed by the commissary at that post-Indians prefer trading with the English factor, who had been in the Dutch service, several years before, in that quarter-Three vessels arrive with troops from Fort Amster- dam, to prevent the English trading with these Indians-Pull down the English tent-Force their people and goods on board their ship, which they convoy out of the river-Damages inflicted on the English-Quarrel between two English skippers at tho Manhattans-Van Twiller opposes De Vries, who wishes to visit the Sound-Contentions in consequence-De Vries' opinions of the functionaries at Fort Amsterdam-Notelman, schout-fiscaal, superseded- Ie succeeded by Van Dinclage-Van Twiller determines to build a fort on the Fresh River-Sketch of the quarrels between the Indians there-Tract of country called Conneticock purchased-Deed of sale-Fort Good Hope built-New Plymouth people determine to build a trading-house on the Fresh River-Proceedings in consequence-Van Twiller protosts-This protest dis- regarded-Writes to the XIX .- Attempts to dislodge the English by force ; without success-Improvements in New Amsterdam-New fort-Church and other houses erected-Improvements at Fort Orange and Fort Nassau- Schuylkill purchased-Resources of the West India Company-Trade of New Netherland.
THE return of Director Minuit having rendered necessary CHAP the appointment of another Director-general over New Nether- IV. 1633 land, WOUTER VAN TWILLER, of Nieuwkerke, one of the - clerks in the employ of the West India Company, and a near relative of the Patroon van Rensselaer, received that high and responsible office. This appointment occasioned, at first, con- siderable surprise. It seems to have been owing to the above connection, rather than to any particular merit of the nomi- nee, who arrived at Fort Amsterdam in the spring of this April. year, in the company's ship the Salt Mountain, (de Zoutberg,) of twenty guns,1 manned with fifty-two men, and having on
1 De Laet rates the Zoutberg at 140 lasts burden, carrying six metal and twelve iron guns. Appendix to Jaerlyck Verhael, 5. De Vriessettlos the date
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HISTORY OF
BOOK Il. 1633.
board, for the service of the province, one hundred and four soldiers, the first military force ever detailed for New Nether- land.
The council of the Director-general was composed of Cap- tain Jacob Jansen Hesse, Martin Gerrittsen, Andries Hudde, and Jacques Bentyn. Conraed Notelman succeeded Lampo as schout-fiscaal, and Jan van Remund continued to act as colonial secretary. Among the other officers in the service of the company in New Netherland, during this administra- tion, in addition to those mentioned in preceding pages, were Cornelis van Tienhoven, book-keeper of monthly wages ; Claes van Elslandt, Jacob Stoffelsen, of Ziericksee, Jacob van Curler, Maurits Jansen, commissaries ; Hans Jorissen Houten, who traded here in 1621, was governor or commissary of Fort Orange ; Michael Poulaz of Pavonia, and Arent Corssen of Fort Nassau. Claes Jacobsen van Schagen acted as over- seer at Fort Amsterdam, at which place the Rev. Everardus Bogardus officiated as minister of the gospel.1
The new Director-general was accompanied to the Manhat- tans by the carvel St. Martyn, or the Hope, which was cap- tured from the enemy in the course of the preceding year. This vessel was commanded by Juriaen Blanck, and on board of her came Govert Lookermans an apprentice, who, imme- diately on his arrival, was taken, together with Jacob van Kouwenhoven, into the company's employ. The latter was
of the new Director-general's arrival, and furnishes the names of the schout-fiscaal and secretary under him, which are also given in Hol. Doc. ii., 88. Van Twiller married his cousin, Maria Momma, niece of the Patroon of Rensselaerswyck
' Hol. Doc. ii., 88; ix., 187; Alb. Rec. ii., 328, GG, 31, 57. The earli- est mention I find of Rev. E. Bogardus is in Alb. Rec. ii., where reference is made to a letter from hun to Van Twiller, dated 17th June, 1634. It is to be presumed that he came out with that Director-general. He is the first clergy- man of whom we have any mention in New Netherland. Where he came from, originally, I have not been able to ascertain, but his brother, Cornelis Willemsen Bogaerdt, resided at Leyden, in South Holland, in 1647-8. Pos- eibly he, also, might have been from that place. He married, about 1637 or 1638, Annetje, relict of Roeloff Jansen, of Masterlandt, the daughter of Tryn Jansen, midwife at New Amsterdam, and a connection, by marriage, of Govert Lookermans, surgeon Hans Kierstede, and Pieter Hartgers. The Rev. Mr. Bogardus was proprietor of a tobacco plantation on the island of Manhattans, which he rented, in 1639, on shares, to Richard Brudnel.
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NEW NETHERLAND.
accompanied by his father to New Netherland. Adam Roe- CHAP. IV. landsen, " schoolmaster," arrived at New Amsterdam about the same time.1
1633.
Van Twiller had scarcely been installed in his new govern- ment when he began to experience the troubles of office.
Messrs. William Clobery, David Morehead, and John de la Barre, merchants at London, dispatched, in the course of the preceding December, a vessel called the William, commanded by one Capt. Trevor, with passengers and goods for Massa- chusetts Bay; with further orders to set up a fishing-post at a place called Scituate, near New Plymouth, and then to pro- ceed to the Hudson's River to trade.2
In conformity with the latter part of these instructions, the William arrived, in due season, opposite Fort Amsterdam, April freighted with goods for the Indian trade, and having on board, 12. as factor or supercargo, Jacob Jacobs Eelkins, who had been formerly commissary of the fort on Castle Island, in the ser- vice of the United New Netherland Company, which associa- tion, it will be recollected, traded to these parts previous to the incorporation of the West India Company. Immediately on casting anchor, Eelkins sent Wm. Deepings, " chirurgeon of said ship," ashore to invite the Director-general on board, but instead of accepting the invitation, Van Twiller ordered the messenger to direct the master of the ship and his factor to come to the fort, as he wished to inquire if they knew the Prince of Orange.' Eelkins, with the surgeon and gunner of the ship, proceeded accordingly ashore, where they found the Director- general and his officers in council together, who immediately demanded by what authority they had come hither, and what
" Hol. Doc. v., 396, 399 ; Alb. Rec. i., 52, 107, 172. .
2 Winthrop's Journal, 48.
" De Vries gives a different version of this affair. He says, " The English- man invited the commander to dine with him. I, with some others, was of the company. The people soon got intoxicated, and began to quarrel. The Eng- Lishman was astonished that such irregularities could take place among the offi- cers of the company, and that the commander had no more control over them, such things not being customary among them." Eelkins' deposition on oath, which I follow, makes no mention of Van Twiller having been on board the William ; the passage in De Vries refers to a subsequent transaction, the par- ticulars of which will be found a few pages further on.
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HISTORY OF
BOOK was their business ? Eelkins replied, that he had come to trade II. with the natives for furs, as he had formerly done. His com- 1633. mission was then called for, but this he refused to produce ; he said he was within the king's dominions, and a servant, then, of his majesty's subjects ; telling the council, at the same time, to look to what sort of commission they themselves had to plant within the dominions of the king of England. Hereupon the Director-general replied, that he had conferred with his coun- cil, and that they did not find it fitting that he (Eelkins) should pass up the river, as the whole of that country belonged to the Prince of Orange, and not to the English king.
April 17.
After an interval of five days, the factor of the William went again on shore to the fort, to inquire if the director-general would permit him, in a friendly way, to ascend the river, stating at the same time that, if he would not allow it, he (Eelkins) would proceed without his consent, if it should cost him his life. But Van Twiller was immoveable. Instead of consent- ing, he ordered the ship's crew on shore, and, in the presence of all, commanded the Prince of Orange's flag to be run up the fort, and three pieces of ordnance to be fired off in honor of his highness. Eelkins, not to be outdone, immediately ordered his gunner to go on board the William-to hoist the English flag, and fire a salute also of three guns in honor of the king of England, which was accordingly done.1 Van Twiller now warned Eelkins to take heed that what he was about did not cost him his neck. Eelkins, however, no way daunted, returned on board with the ship's crew. The anchor was weighed, and the William shortly after sailed up the river, " near to a fort called Orange."2
April 24.
Director Van Twiller, incensed at this audacity, collected all the servants of the company in the fort before his door- ordered a barrel of wine to be broached, and having taken a bumper, cried out, "Those who love the Prince of Orange and me, emulate me in this, and assist me in repelling the violence committed by that Englishman !" The cask of wine was soon emptied, but the people were no ways disposed at first to trouble the Englishman. Capt. De Vries urged on Van Twiller,
1 William Forde, the gunner, corroborates this statement.
" Hol. Doc. ii., 81, 83, 84, 85.
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NEW NETHERLAND.
however, the necessity of vindicating the rights of the compa- CHAP. ny ; represented that the English ship had no authority except IV. a clearance from the custom-house, which entitled them to trade, not to New Netherland, but to New England, and maintained that he, the Director, ought to send the armed ship the Salt Mountain after her, to force her down, and to drive her out of the river.1
The William having, in the mean while, arrived in the neigh- borhood of Fort Orange, the factor and crew went ashore "about a mile below that fort," set up a tent, and, having landed all their goods, immediately opened an active trade with the natives. It was not long before the news of these proceed- ings came to the ears of Houten, the commissary at Fort Orange. He forthwith embarked, with a trumpeter, on board a shallop, over which waved some green bows, and proceeded to where Eelkins was. " By the way the trumpet was sounded, and the Dutchmen drank a bottle of strong waters of three or four pints, and were right merry." The Dutch set up a tent by the side of that of the English ; did as much as they could to disparage their cloth and other goods, with a view to hinder the latter's trade; but the Indians, having been well acquainted with Eelkins, who had " heretofore lived four yeares among them," and could speak their language, were a great deal more willing to trade with him than with the others, and he conse- quently had every prospect of advantageously disposing of his merchandise, having been fourteen days there, when a Dutch officer arrived from below, in command of three ves- sels-a pinnace, a carvel, and a hoy, bearing two letters, pro- testing against Eelkins, and ordering him to depart forthwith.
To enforce these commands came soldiers "from both the Dutch forts, armed with muskets, half-pikes, swords, and other weapons," and after having beaten several of the Indians who had come to trade with Eelkins, ordered the latter to strike his tent. In vain he pleaded that he was on British soil, and that British subjects had a right to trade there ; the Dutch would not listen to any remonstrances. They pulled the tent about his ears-sent the goods on board-"and as they were carry-
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