USA > New York > New York City > History of New Netherland; or, New York under the Dutch, Vol. II > Part 43
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D'Hinoyossa arrived at Amsterdam a few months after June 24. this, with urgent appeals from the people for aid and support. He had had interviews with the authorities of Maryland, and found them willing to encourage commer- cial intercourse. The Swedes, Finns, and other colonists had one hundred and ten plantations on the river, stocked with two thousand cows and oxen, twenty horses, eighty sheep, and several thousand swine. The fertility of the soil was undoubted, affording two crops a year; it was capable of producing wheat and all sorts of grain, hemp, flax, rice, French plums, and other fruit. The City had there already two or three breweries ; additional ones were required. The English could furnish one thousand tubs of tobacco a year, and strong beer, with the manufac- ture of which they were unacquainted, was in great de- mand among them. Ten thousand furs could be obtained
1 Hol. Doc. xv., 81-85.
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BOOK VI. annually from the Indians, and various other sources of
July 14.
revenue existed. One hundred colonists were immediately 1663. sent with D'Hinoyossa to the Delaware, and these were followed soon after by a considerable number of other settlers. From this time, that district prospered in an eminent degree, and hopes were now entertained that ten thousand schepels of grain would be raised there within Sep. 11. the next two years. The Directors instructed Stuyvesant, in fulfilment of the preceding arrangements, to convey Fort Altona and the remainder of the river to the city Dec. 4. of Amsterdam. A deed was, in consequence, executed, and the property transferred. D'Hinoyossa became Di- rector over the whole of the Delaware,1 and Beekman was transferred, in the course of the next summer, to the Esopus, of which district he was appointed Sheriff.2
1 Hol. Doc. xv., 91-108; Alb. Rec. iv., 433 ; xxi., 413, 444.
2 Willem Beekman continued Sheriff of Esopus until the close of Lovelace's administration, when he returned to New York. He filled the office of Burgo- master of New Orange in 1674, and was Alderman subsequently under the Eng- lish, from 1678 to 1682, and again in 1685, and 1691 down to 1696, when he re- tired from public life. He was born at Hasselt, in Overyssel, in 1623, emigrated to America in 1647, and died in New York, in 1707, in the 85th year of his age. In 1652 he purchased Corlear's Hook, for 750 guilders ; in 1677 he is mentioned as a brewer in New York, where the present " William " and " Beekman " streets still bear his name. By his wife, Catharine de Boogh, he had (I believe) six children. His eldest daughter married a son of Gov. Stuyvesant ; Gerardus, the second son, was president of the Provincial Council, and in 1710, tempo- rarily Governor of the colony of New York. Henry Beekman, the eldest son, settled in Kingston, was Judge of Ulster county, and member of the Provincial Legislature. His daughter Margaret married Robert R. Livingston, and among her children were Janet, wife of General Richard Montgomery, and the Chan- cellor, Robert R. Livingston. The descendants of Willem Beekman are very numerous, and are to be found at the present day, scattered through the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.
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CHAPTER V.
Renewal of Indian hostilities-Massacre at Esopus-Efforts to liberate the Christian captives-Captain Krygier proceeds against the savages-Captures an Indian fort-The savages build a second fortress-Another expedition- The Indians attacked-Routed-The Christians liberated-A third expedition against the savages-Its result-Earthquake in New Netherland-Freshet at Fort Orange-Small pox breaks out among the whites and Indians-Stuyve- sant visits Boston-Fresh troubles on Long Island-Proceedings at Boston- The English towns on Long Island apply to be annexed to Hartford, and de- mand the reduction of the neighboring Dutch villages-Their petition-De- scent on the Dutch towns-Stuyvesant sends delegates to Hartford-Their negotiations-Delegates from the majority of the Dutch settlements meet at New Amsterdam-Their remonstrance on the state of the province-Recom- mendations of Stuyvesant thereupon-The English of the west end of Long Island proclaim the King and the laws of England-Their independence agreed to-Descent on the Raritan-Proceedings between the English, Dutch, and Indians in that quarter.
THE last three years had passed in uninterrupted peace, CHAP. and colonists were encouraged, in consequence, to remove ~ V. to the Esopus in additional numbers. Wiltwyck became 1663. already too confined, and a new village was laid out to accommodate the increasing population. The savages beheld with an unfavorable eye the onward advance of the white man. The " new fort" omened no good ; they had not been paid for the 'land on which it was about to be erected ; the transportation of their friends to Curaçoa still rankled in their hearts, and half-smothered threats of revenge began again to be heard. Increased civilization brought in its train but increased elements of discord. Brandy became more common than ever in the country.1
To avert the storm evidently approaching, the Director- general instructed the magistrates to announce to the May 30. sachems his intention to visit them in a few days. "If the June 5. renewal of peace be his object, they would meet him and his unarmed attendants outside the gate, in the open air,
1 Alb. Rec. xvi., 148, 152, 153 ; xviii., 193 ; xx., 113, 115, 120 ; xx1., 87; Fort Orange Rec.
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HISTORY OF
BOOK according to their custom." The friendly disposition VI. manifested in this answer, threw the settlers off their 1663. guard. The male portion of the population mostly left the village to pursue their field labors, when between June 7. eleven and twelve o'clock, large bodies of savages saun- tered carelessly into the place, and spread themselves among the different families, some offering for sale a little maize, others a few beans. A quarter of an hour after- wards, several horsemen rushed "through the millgate," and with loud cries announced that the Indians had burnt the new village. This was the signal for a general assault. The fearful warwhoop was at once raised. Shots were heard in every direction ; tomahawks and battle axes flashed through the air, and havoc and carnage stalked through the street, sparing neither age nor sex. Every corner and every window served as an ambush for a foe, who brought down, with unerring aim, the husband- men, as one after the other they hastened from their field labors to their homes on hearing the alarm. Having plundered the dwellings, the savages set these on fire, but the wind fortunately veering to the west, a portion of the village escaped destruction. The work of murder and devastation was not, however, permitted to proceed with- out resistance. The villagers who remained at home rallied with desperate energy at the sound of the alarm bell ; some at the millgate, some at the gate towards the strand, others at the sheriff's, more at the minister's house, whilst others collected at the corps de garde ; and though armed only with cutlasses and a few guns, encour- aged by the sheriff and their Dominie, they attacked the savage horde, whom they succeeded eventually in routing.
When evening came, sad was the sight at Esopus. Here lay women in all the loveliness of motherhood roasted alive; there children in the bloom of innocence butchered and burnt. Parents wandered without offspring ; husbands without wives; numbers without roof or shelter. "The corpses were lying in the fields far and wide as manure, and the burnt and roasted bodies, like burning sheaves
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behind the mower."' The total missing were seventy, forty- CHAP.
five of whom, principally women and children, were taken~ V. into captivity. Nine were severely wounded. Twelve 1663. dwellings in Wiltwyck were destroyed, and, except the mill, not a house was left standing in the new village.2
The Director and Council, on receiving intelligence of this catastrophe, dispatched forthwith Councillor De Decker June 12 to Fort Orange to raise volunteers, call out the Mohawks and Senecas, and finally obtain, if possible, a loan to aid the necessities of the government. A proclamation was next issued inviting the colonists in and around the Manhattans June 19. to enlist, who were further encouraged to come forward by the usual promise of plunder, as well as by the assurance that every Indian, taken in the war, should be the prize of his captor. In addition to these, each volunteer was to re- ceive soldier's pay, a gratuity ranging from four hundred to one thousand guilders if maimed, and be entitled to
1 " The burnt bodies were most frightful to behold. A woman lay burnt with her child at her side, as if she were just delivered, of which I was a living wit- ness. Other women lay burnt also in their houses, and one corpse with her fruit still in her womb was most cruelly butchered, with her husband and another child, in their dwelling. The houses were converted into heaps of ruins, so that I might say with Micah, ' We are made desolate.' " Rev. Mr. Blom's letter to the Classis at Amsterdam.
$ Alb. Rec. xvi., 164, 165, 168-170, 194-199 ; xx., 352. List of killed, wound- ed, and missing, [imperfect.] Killed :- Jan Albrechtsen, Willem Jansen, Willem Jansen Hap, Jan de Smit, Hendrik Jansen Looman, Herry Olferts. Sol- diers-Hendrik Martens, Dirck Willemsen, Christiaen Andriessen. Women- the wife of Lichten Dirckz., with her infant child, burnt behind the house of Ba- rent Cornelissen ; the wife of Matthys Capito, killed and burnt in her house ; the wife of Jan Albertsen, in the last days of her pregnancy, killed with her daughter; the wife of Peter van Haerlem, killed and burnt in her own house. Children-A daughter of Jan Alberts, murdered with her mother; a child of Willem Jansen Hap, burnt alive in the house. In the New village-Martin Harmansen, behind his hay-mow and burnt with his house; Jacques Lyssen, Dirck Adriaensen. Wounded in Wiltwyck :- Thomas Chambers, in the woods ; Hendrik Juriaensen in his own house ; Michel Frere, Albert van Vechten, Andries Barents, in front of their houses; Jan de Carle, at Aert Pietersen Turck's house ; Hendrik, a servant of the Director-general, opposite Aert Jacob- sen's house ; Paulus de Noorman, in the street. Prisoners :- Jan Evertsen ; Mde Louis du Bois and three children ; Mde. Anthony Crepel and one child ; Mde. Lambert Huyberts and three children ; Mde. Marten Harmansen and four children ; Mde. Jan Jansen and two children ; Mde. Barent Harmansen and one child ; Greetje Westercamp and three children ; Mde. Jan Barents and one child ; Mattheus Blaussen's two children ; Michel Frere's two children ; Hen- drik Jurger's child ; Hendrik Martensen's child ; Albert Heyman's child, and Mde. Van Imbroeck, daughter of the Honorable La Montagne, and her little girl.
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BOOK exemption from chimney tax and tithes for the term of six VI years. But, though General Stuyvesant visited Heemstede 1663. in person, and sent agents through the other villages, no more than half a dozen Englishmen enrolled themselves, the leaders of their towns having discountenanced the June 27. project. Treaties were again renewed with the River tribes, and forty-six Marespinck savages were engaged to accompany the troops to the Esopus. Captain Martin Krygier, an old and experienced officer, was placed in command of the expedition, under whom Lieutenants Pieter W. van Couwenhoven, Nicolas Stillwell, and Ensign Samuel Edsal also received commissions.1
The news of the massacre caused no less a sensation at Beverwyck than at New Amsterdam ; for the inhabitants in that quarter were more exposed, by their frontier posi- tion, and the Senecas and Minquaas were now waging a bloody war. Efforts were, therefore, made to put Fort Orange in a thorough state of defence,2 and ancient treaties were renewed with the neighboring tribes ; but so great was the alarm that the out-settlers fled for protection to the fort called Cralo, erected on the Patroon's farm at Greenbush, where they held, night and day, regular watch and ward.3 In this panic the country was abandoned for
1 Alb. Rec. xvi., 171-173 ; xx., 313, 352, 356 ; xxi., 129-132, 145-148, 152-154, 157, 163-166, 170, 181, 203-208, 261, 313.
2 Fort Orange, at this period, had four points, on each of which there were two pieces of cannon. It had besides a twelve-pounder on a carriage. The vil- lage of Beverwyck was enclosed by a board fence, which was defended by three pieces of artillery loaned by Mr. Van Rensselaer, in 1656, and placed on the church. Alb. Rec. vi., 388, 415, 416.
3 The above alliance was confirmed "by the shaking of hands." The following extract from the " Resolutie Boek der Colonie Rensselaerswyck," refers to the watch :- " 12th June, 1663. Information being received of murders and burn- ing which occurred at Esopus, last Thursday, 7th inst., the Court of Rensse- laerswyck renewed the resolution of the 1st April, 1660, for the establishment of a night watch (at Fort Cralo.) Cornelis Van Nes was appointed Captain, and Willem Fredericks Bout, Corporal. List of the colonists in Greenbush :- Under the chief officer Cornelis van Nes-Cornelis Stevensen Mullen, Adam Dingermans, Gerrit van Nes, Jan Juriaensen, Jan van Nes, Jacobus Jansen, Tymon Hendricksen. Under Corporal Willem Bout-Jan Oothout, Hendrik van Nes, Hendrik Maessen, [Van Buren,] Gerrit Teunissen, Frans Jacobsen, Hendrik Willemsen, Claes Claessen. The officers shall take good care that none of the watch shall fire, unless when necessary, under the penalty of six guilders for the first, twelve gl. for the second, and an arbitrary correction for
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miles around. "Nothing," says Jeremias van Rensselaer CHAP. in one of his letters, "is talked of but war, for no one can V. 1663. distinguish friend from foe."
In the meanwhile, considerable confusion prevailed at Wiltwyck, and had the savages followed up their first attack, the whole white population would probably have been cut off. But, fortunately for the settlers, the natural indolence of the Indians prevailed, and gave the Dutch time to secure their position. A reinforcement of forty- two men, under Ensign Nyssen, landed at Ronduit, and June 16. succeeded in cutting their way, a few days after this, to the village, with a loss of one killed and six wounded ; and the arrival of Krygier, shortly after, with the force under his July 4. command, placed the settlement beyond all further danger. Some time was now employed in bringing up supplies, and obtaining intelligence of the strength and position of the enemy. Mde. Gysbert van Imbroeck, who had been taken prisoner on the 7th, succeeded in effecting her escape, and had furnished most valuable information as to the locality of the savages. Their numbers were estimated at about two hundred, and some few Wappinger, Wau- warsing, and Minnisinck Indians assisted them. They occu- pied a square fort some nine or ten Dutch miles distant. The prisoners were removed, through fear of surprise, into the mountains every night, always to a different place, all the Indians capable of bearing arms remaining in the fort. Various attempts were made, in the interval, through Mohawks and other friendly Indians, to redeem those unfor- tunate people in the hands of the enemy, but, with the excep- tion of the release of a few women and children, the effort was fruitless. The Indians retained them as hostages, and refused to liberate them " unless Corlear, and Rensselaer July 24. came with presents to conclude a peace and redeem the captives." Until then they were determined to make a stand. On receiving this reply, Captain Krygier deter- mined to pay them a visit. Taking with him two hundred and ten men, forty-one of whom were Indians, forty-one
the third offence. Actum in Greene Bos in the colonie Rensselaerswyck this 12th June, 1663."
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BOOK VI. volunteers from Esopus and Manhattans, and seven negroes, with two cannon on waggons, he started in search of the 1663. enemy, under the guidance of Mde. Van Imbroeck. Thirty-
July 26. six soldiers and twenty-five freemen were left behind to garrison Wiltwyck. Taking up the line of march at four o'clock in the afternoon, they proceeded two Dutch miles and halted until the moon rose. They then advanced, but after a little experienced so much difficulty that they were July 27. obliged to bivouac until daybreak. The road now be- came stony, and intersected by numerous streams. To cross these, trees had to be felled to form bridges, and " some of the mountains were so amazingly steep that they were forced to take the waggons to pieces." The party had now pursued a south-west course from Wiltwyck for about twenty-four English miles. The Indian fort was still two Dutch miles distant. Lieutenants Couwenhoven and Stillwell and the Ensign were here ordered forward with one hundred and sixteen men to surprise the place, Krygier following with the reserve, the cannon and wag- gons. But when within a mile of the fort, the road be- came so bad that he was obliged to leave these behind under charge of forty men. On arriving at the castle, he found it in possession of the main body. The savages had abandoned it two days previously. The works consisted of a square with four points, the approach to which was defended by three rows of palisades. In the interior were several houses, each surrounded with heavy beams and palisades set firm in the ground, and having three loop- holes to permit those within to fire at assailants. Between the houses and the outworks flowed a creek, towards which was another point, also strongly fortified. The party remained that night in this fortress, having succeeded in capturing a squaw who had come for a supply of maize. July 28. Next morning, at break of day, a military council was called, and being informed by the squaw that the Indians had retreated to the mountains with their prisoners, it was determined to pursue them. One hundred and forty men, under the command of Couwenhoven and the other sub- altern officers, were detailed on this expedition, Krygier
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retaining possession of the fort with twenty-four men. CHAP. Again they were doomed to disappointment. On reach-
1663.
V. ing the savage camp, "the bird had flown." They were now told by the squaw that the Indians had fled to another mountain, distant yet two Dutch miles. The resolution was taken to follow them. The march was one of great difficulty, but entirely fruitless ; " not a savage was to be seen." The squaw said they had retired to another fast- ness four Dutch miles farther off, but she was unacquainted with the path thither. Nine savages were now discovered approaching, whereupon the party fell flat on the ground, but they could not elude the Indians, who fled terror- stricken. All attempt at overtaking the savages was now considered hopeless, so the party returned to the fort, where they collected and burned all the maize the savages had stored since the last year. " A considerable quantity of plunder" was removed. On the next day the work of July 29. destruction was continued. Four savages made their ap- pearance on the point of a high mountain, whilst the sol- diers were at this work, and bawled out that they should come on the morrow to fight, for " they must now die of hunger." But they did not keep their promise. Having cut down and destroyed nearly two hundred acres of corn and burnt all that had been stored in pits, the Dutch set July 31. fire to the fort. As soon as it was in full blaze, the expe- dition departed, Lieut. Couwenhoven in front, Lieut. Still- well and his company in the centre, Capt. Krygier and his men making up the rear. On the next evening, at nine Aug. I. o'clock, the whole party arrived at Wiltwyck without the loss of a man.1
It was not long, however, until news arrived that the Aug. 30. Warynawoncks were busy building another castle. Wet weather, and the difficulty experienced in procuring horses for the accommodation of such of the party as might hap- pen to be wounded, delayed operations against this point for some days. At length, everything being ready, one hundred and twenty-five men set out at one o'clock in the Sep. 3.
1 Alb. Rec. xvi., 176, 183, 199, 200-221 ; Jeremias van Rensselaer's letter book.
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BOOK VI. afternoon, under Krygier and the other officers, guided by a Wappinger Indian. After a march of three Dutch miles 1663. they came at night "near the kill which empties at the Ronduit." Here they remained until morning, the rain pouring down, in the mean time, in torrents. The kill was now found so swollen and rapid that it was impossible to Sep. 4 ford it, so six men were sent back to the village for ropes and axes to construct a raft, or some other means to enable the troops to cross to the other bank. On their return ropes were extended over the stream and made fast to trees on the opposite side. By these expedients the party passed over in the course of the afternoon, and marched twelve English miles further, when night set in. They then encamped in the open air, the rain coming down Sep. 5. the while in floods. At daybreak they again took up their march, and reached, about noon, the first Indian corn patches, where two squaws and a Dutch woman were collecting maize. Though anxious to capture them, Kry- gier found it impossible. The kill separated them, and this could not be crossed without risking a discovery. He was, therefore, obliged now to take to the woods, and arrived about two hours afterwards, in view of the fort, which stood on an elevated plain, about thirty-six miles south-south- west of Wiltwyck. It was a square, not quite so large as that already captured, and secured all around with a row of palisades, standing fifteen feet over the ground. Two points had already been completed, and secured with pali- sades of the thickness of a man's body, having double loop- holes, one above the other. A third point had been begun. Those which were finished were so solid " that Christians could not have done it better."
Having now hastily surveyed the enemy's position, Krygier divided his force into two sections. The right wing was commanded by himself and Lieut. Couwenho- ven, " the left was led to the charge by Lieuts. Stillwell and Nyssen." The party advanced stealthily behind the hill, but the ground to the left of the fort being an open plain, they were discovered by a squaw, who sent forth " a terrible cry." A sudden onslaught was thereupon made.
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The savages immediately retreated through the fort for CHAP. their arms, which lay in the houses, about a stone's throw
V. distant. But the Dutch were so hard on their heels that 1663. they were obliged to retreat, leaving many of their guns behind. A hot fire was then kept up on the enemy, who were pursued until they precipitated themselves into the creek " which bordered the lower part of the corn patch." On gaining the opposite bank the Indians rallied and threw back a fire, which the Dutch returned with interest. It now became an imperious necessity to follow the enemy across the stream. This was gallantly effected, and the whole savage force was driven from its position.
In this attack the Indians lost their chief, Papoquanaehen, fourteen warriors, four squaws, and three children, " whom we have seen lying dead on both sides of the kill."" Many more were wounded whilst running from their fort to the houses, " when we did give them a brave charge." The Dutch on their side had three killed and six wounded. By this important victory twenty-two Christian prisoners were recovered by the Dutch, and thirteen or fourteen Indians fell also into their hands. Among the latter was a very old man who, after accompanying his captors about half an hour, refused to advance any further. " We carried him," says Krygier, "a little aside, and then gave him his last meal." The different wigwams were now plundered of all their contents ; bearskins, deerskins, blankets, elk- hides and peltries, " sufficient to load a shallop." Most of these were destroyed, with a quantity of kettles and eighty- five guns. Forty rolls of zeawan, and twenty pounds of powder, fell also into the hands of the Dutch, who now turned homeward, where they arrived after a march of a Sep. 7. day and a half, diffusing great joy among the settlers by their success. The remainder of the month was employed in sending out small scouting parties, and in protecting the farmers whilst ploughing their ground and saving the har-
1 Stuyvesant states (Alb. Rec. xii., 331,) the number of Indians killed on the spot at twenty-seven, besides those who were swimming across the creek, and were killed and swept away by the stream. "Praise," he adds, " is due to the Lord our God for this salvation."
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BOOK vest. The Esopus Indians were now virtually annihilated. VI. " Not more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight warriors, 1663. fifteen or sixteen women and a few children survived," and these were " without houses or huts."' Yet in this desolate state, the Warynawoncks showed no sign of sub- mission ; and a new expedition was therefore determined on.
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