USA > New York > New York City > History of New York city from the discovery to the present day, V.1 > Part 27
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* The Minerva (then edited by Noah Webster) a few years afterwards `changed its name to the New York Commercial Advertiser, Zachariah Lewis assuming its editorship. In 1824 it again changed hands, Messrs. Stone and Ifall becoming its proprietors.
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and property are at stake. Double your night-watch, and confine your servants."
The Common Council, on the 15th December, passed resolutions offering five hundred dollars reward for the con- viction of offenders, and recommended that good citizens in the several wards should arrange themselves into com- panies or classes, " to consist of such numbers as shall be necessary for the purpose of keeping such watch for the safety of the city." A citizen of that day, in writing to a friend, also says : "The yellow-fever produced not such extraordinary commotion. The present alarm, as it is contagious, may be called the fire-fever." The " fever," however, soon died out, as the precautions taken had the desired effect, even if there had been any actual design of conspiracy.
In the summer of 1798 the city was again visited by the yellow-fever ; and so fearful was it in its effects this time that the year was known for many years afterward as the " Dreadful yellow-fever year." It came on so suddenly that many were seized with it before they were really aware of its presence. So fatal was it in August that nearly one half of the cases reported died ; but, before it had run its course, the proportion diminished one third. The horror of the situation, moreover, was greatly in- creased by the fact that the country people, becoming naturally alarmed, would not bring their produce into the city, although every encouragement was given them. " No fees [licenses ?] were demanded of the country people bringing provisions to our markets." The committee ap- pointed to afford relief to the indigent and distressed sick, in a communication to the public, say : " We entreat our fellow-citizens of the surrounding country not to withhold from the markets the usual supplies of poultry and small meats, as well as other articles so essentially necessary to
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hoth sick and well, in this city, in this distressed season." These appeals were, it is pleasant to know, answered by many of the citizens who had left the city ; while others, living in New Jersey, Long Island, and elsewhere, sent large sums of money, as well as gifts of beef, pork, mutton, butter, cheese, flour of all kinds, poultry and vegetables by the wagon and sloop load. But, notwithstanding all that was done to alleviate it, the ravages of the fever were frightful, since 2,086 deaths were registered in a few short months-a very large proportion, considering the popu- lation of the city at this time.
Indeed, many of the slabs which still appear in the grave-yards of Trinity and St. Paul's, in the midst of the crowded and busy street, mark the resting-places of the victims of this fell destroyer. Sad, however, 1798. is the reflection how very short a period do the memorials reared to the memory of the dead, by the hand of sur- viving friendship and affection, endure! A few, a very few, brief years, and the head-stone has sunk, the slab is broken, the short column, or shaft, overturned. Yet, while they do remain, they are often mementos of many interesting incidents or endearing recollections.
An incident of this description, connected with the pestilence of the year, now rises upon the memory ; and, as its relation will wound none among the living, we will repeat it.
There is a humble free-stone now standing in Trinity Church-yard, so near the street that the bright and laugh- ing eyes of beauty and pleasure can look upon it any day as their possessors are tripping along Broadway. It stands beneath the tree at the corner of Trinity Buildings, now 111 Broadway; and the inscription yet retains the name of Mrs. Isidore Johnson. The deceased was young
* Daily Advertiser, September 28th, 1798.
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and beautiful, full of intelligence and vivacity when she was married, a few months before the breaking out of the fever. One Sunday afternoon, soon after the fever had commenced, and before there was much alarm, walking down Broadway, leaning upon the arm of her husband, by whom she was adored, and whom she adored in turn, in company with a friend, who was also newly married, the topic of conversation naturally turned upon the epidemic. Mrs. Johnson, whose natural buoyancy of spirits perhaps imparted, even at that moment, an appearance of light- heartedness she did not feel, was remarkably lively and cheerful. In passing the spot we have indicated, where the tree was then casting its refreshing shade upon the green sward beneath, she suddenly stopped, and, looking up into her husband's face with a sweet, though slightly pensive smile, remarked with the utmost naïveté, "There, husband, if I die of the yellow-fever, bury me here." On the very next Friday, she was buried there !
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CHAPTER IV.
THE opening of the nineteenth century found New York vastly improved. As commerce and trade revived, it was found necessary to enlarge the grounds of the city, and give it a more presentable appearance 1800.
. to the many foreigners who had already begun to flock thither for trade. The city now numbered twenty-three thousand souls, exclusive of a floating population, large even for that early day. Reade and Duane Streets were laid out and opened to the public in 1794. The waste grounds around the Collect were filled in and graded ; a canal, following the present Canal Street (whence the name), was cut through from the Collect to the North River, with a view of draining the Lispenard meadows ; the beautiful lake was filled up and made firm ground ; the grade of Broadway, from Duane to Canal Streets, was determined upon by the city authorities ; the streets had received numbers ; the United States Navy-yard, at Brooklyn, had been begun ; the plan of the present modern city, with its parallel streets and broad avenues, had been adopted; Washington, Union, Madison, and Tompkins Squares had been laid out ; the great salt meadow on the eastern side of the city had been drained, and already, in imagination, divided into building-lots ; and, as the grand step in this march of improvement, New York received, in 1790, her first sidewalks, which were laid on both sides
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of Broadway, from Vesey to Murray Streets. True, these sidewalks were only narrow pavements of brick, scarcely allowing two lean men to walk abreast, or one fat man alone; still they were far preferable to walking in the middle of the streets on cobble-stones, especially if a person had corns. At this time, also, Nassau and Pine Streets were what the upper part of Fifth Avenue is now. Pearl (then Queen) Street, from Hanover Square to John Street, was the abode of wealth and fashion. Wall Street, now given over to the sordid purpose of Mammon, was the gay promenade on bright afternoons, and there many a gallant's heart has been pierced by glances shot from beneath the frizzled locks of the fair sex; while the beaux, with their powdered curls before, and their neat black silk bags ' behind the head, their laced ruffles, and desperately square- toed shoes, were equally comme il faut. The City Hall stood at the foot of Nassau Street. Just below it was the elegant mansion of Mr. Gulian Verplanck, and imme- diately opposite, on the corner of Broad Street, was the Watch-house; while further down, at the corner of New Street, stood Becker's Tavern, then a place of great resort. In Nassau Street resided the Jays, Waddingtons, Rad- cliffes, Brinckerhoffs, and other prominent families. Where the Merchants' Exchange now stands were the residences of Thomas Buchanan, Mrs. White, and W. C. Leffingwell; while in Pearl Street were the fashionable dwellings of Samuel Denton, John Ellis, John J. Glover, John Mowatt. Robert Lennox, Thomas Cadle, John B. Murray, Lieu- tenant-Governor Broome, Andrew Ogden, Governor George Clinton, and Richard Varick. Near the location of the present City Hall was the Alms-house, with the Bridewell on one side and the prison on the other. Grenzeback's grocery stood where French's Hotel now stands. There were but three or four buildings on the block where Tammany Hall lately stood, one of which, nearly on the
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present site of the Tribune Building, was a place of great report for military men The only remnants of the neigh- borhood at that time are the wooden shanties, with their moss-covered roofs, which now disfigure Chatham Street, opposite Center .*
In regard to the society and social life of the city at this period, it is true that New-Englanders had even then begun a brisk emigration thither, but the Dutch inhabit- ants as yet greatly preponderated, while the Anglo-New- Yorkers considerably outnumbered the new citizens from the Eastern States. The simple, kind-hearted, and unos- tentatious manners of the Dutch had not, however, disap- peared, although great inroads had been made upon them. Still, the good vrows and their daughters were to be seen occasionally, in the gray of the summer evening, sitting upon their stoops, saluting their passing acquaintances, or talking to their neighbors at the adjoining door, or even across the narrow streets, in a social and friendly man- ner. More frequently yet might the worthy old Knicker- bocker be observed on his porch, refreshing himself in the cool of the evening with the soothing influences of his pipe -that friend of indolent meditation and genuine inactive philosophy. ,
The manners of the Anglo-American population were entirely different. Previous to the Revolution, the royal governors, most frequently noblemen, had kept up the pigentry of a little court in the metropolis, which was often graced by the presence of ladies and gentlemen who had received the advantages of polished and refined soci- ety abroad. The lengthened occupation of New York, as the head-quarters of the British army, moreover, had served to continue much intelligent and accomplished
* R. G. Horton's History of the Tammany Society.
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society in the city during the contest of the Revolution. the advantages of which were by no means lost by the residents; and the effects of these associations had not been rubbed off by contact with democratic rusticity. Many American officers, likewise, with their families, of education and gentle breeding, if not of noble extraction. had returned from the wars and settled down in the city ; who, in addition to the advantages of foreign travel and. kindred society at home, had more recently been associ- ated with the splendid array of officers from La Belle France-among whom were the veteran Count Rocham- 'beau and the gallant Lafayette-sent hither to fight the battles of freedom, and carry back to their own country the sacred fire of liberty kindled at the American altars. These had left the impress of their gay and agrecable manners upon the more English gravity of our own; so that the "good society" of that period, in New York, deserved the appellation. Equally removed from the imputed English taciturnity on the one hand, and the apparent frivolity and loquacity of the French on the other, it was just what it ought to be-easy, graceful, and intelligent, and totally different from the puritanical pre- cision which, at that time, prevailed to a far greater extent in New England than at present. All, therefore. was novelty to the young stranger who chanced to be in the city-as well in the manners of society in its different national classifications as in the extent and construction of the city itself; for nothing, to an unsophisticated eye. could appear more odd and grotesque than the primitive Dutch architecture of New York.
If we suppose a stranger to be on a visit to the city at this period, he probably visited the old red building called a theater, in John Street, to see the Othello of John Henry, and the Desdemona of his wife .; the Falstaff of Harper, the Hallams, and Wignell, Jefferson, and others
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of the corps dramatique, who were then strutting their brief hours upon the stage. In his afternoon rambles for exer- cise, he frequently accompanied his friends to the garden of " Katey Mutz," at Wind-mill Hill-more recently the site of the Chatham Street Chapel-for a draught of mead; for the making of which " Aunt Katey," as she was familiarly called, was particularly celebrated. From this favorite place of resort he would, perhaps, stroll through the meadows and orchards along the Bowery road, and thence into the woods towards Corlear's Hook; which, though now a densely peopled portion of the city, was then a long walk into the country. His favorite ramble, however, when alone, was to the hickory grove of Mr. Nicholas Bayard, on the North River side, in that section of the present city lying between Canal and Charlton Streets. There was a spring of pure water here, and the shady trees rendered it a charming place for solitary meditation. Occasionally he drove out to the head of the King's Road, and on the west side to Lake's " Hermitage." near what is now the beginning of the Sixth Avenue. More frequently, however, he dropped in at the " Ranelagh Garden" to take a glass of ale or an ice of Jones, near the Hospital. Again, if provided with letters to the principal residents, he would, on a clear afternoon, walk up the new road (now Broadway) as far as the beautiful country-seat of Andrew Elliott, Esq.,* an English gentleman, who had acted as Lieutenant-Governor under the Crown during a portion of the time that the city was in British occupa- tion. After spending an hour very agreeably with Mr. Elliott, who was on the eve of taking his final departure from this republican clime to one more congenial to his feelings, he set out, towards evening, on his return to the city-taking the grove at Bayard's spring in his way.
* Now the corner of Tenth Street and Broadway-where A T. Stewart's iron store stands- and well known as the Sailor's Snug Harbor property.
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Meeting there some of his acquaintances, they strolled together leisurely across the Lispenard meadows, and just as the sun was sinking into his golden bed, called in at the Mount Vernon Gardens, a fashionable place of retreat at the White Conduit House, then situated at some dis- tance from the city, near what is now the corner of Leonard Street and Broadway. While seated in a rural alcove, partaking of some of the ordinary refreshments of such places, conversations of interest arose, mingled with interesting stories and lively anecdotes, which caused the friends to take no note of time, until they were startled ' by the bells of St. Paul's pealing out the hour of nine.
The friends separated hastily, and our visitor, thread- ing his way slowly along the narrow and inadequately lighted streets, either returned to his lodgings at the City Hotel, or, if previously introduced, paid a visit to the Belvidere Club, at the house erected by that memorable association of good fellows, on the hill beyond the seat of Colonel Rutgers, which has been dug away within the last forty years and built over upon a dead level. The Belvidere Club was composed chiefly of foreigners, in- cluding some of the professional gentlemen and merchants of the city. They played lightly, gave excellent dinners, and did not drink to excess, or rather, to what in those days was counted excess. The house referred to as hav- ing been built by the Club, was an elegant establishment, standing upon one of the most charming sites in the suburbs of the city, overlooking the town, with its beauti- ful harbor, and a handsome section of Long Island. There was also the Hardenbrook Club in existence at the same period ; but its associates were hard drinkers, and our visitor had no fellowship for such. Not being inclined to become a member, even if his stay in the city had not been short, he merely visited them a few times as a guest, and as a matter of curiosity.
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There were, however, other enjoyments at his com- mand of a higher order, and, being a student, much more to his taste. The bar of New York at this time presented a noble array of knowledge and talent. There were lit- erally "giants" in those days, among whom were the elder Samuel Jones, John Jay, Robert Troup, Richard Harrison, Brockholst Livingston, William Duer, John Cozine, Josiah Ogden Hoffman, and Chief-Justice Lansing-at this time in the full meridian of their high professional career. Alexander Hamilton also, though a few years younger than those just mentioned, was fast soaring to the pinnacle of his splendid intellectual course, as also was his able and subtle rival, by whose hand he subsequently fell. It was the delight of the young student to visit the courts and witness the intellectual conflicts of these great men, where the richest treasures of deep and varied learning were disclosed, and the art of eloquence exerted to its highest perfection-where mind grappled with mind, and, dis- daining the petty subtleties and technicalities of the profession, the champions stood forth in their own majesty and strength, contending like men, and yielding only after all had been done for their clients that could be achieved by the power and weight of learning and the splendor of eloquence.
These were likewise times of high political excitement. Parties under the lead of Hamilton and Burr respectively, were forming in strong friendship or violent opposition. Frequent public meetings were held, and the ablest states- men in the city often took part in these primary assem- blages. Night after night did the old Union Hotel in William Street resound with the oratory of the distin- guished popular leaders of the day, and often was our visitor among the most delighted of the auditors. He was ever gratified with the antagonistic feats of mind, whether at the bar, or upon the tribune of the people -
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whether exercised in close, logical, and nervous argument, or in the more showy exhibitions of popular declamation- whether imbued with wisdom, or sparkling with wit,- the brisk assault and the tart reply.
One of these exhibitions of forensic ability was wit- nessed in a remarkable criminal trial that took place in March of the present year. The last week of the pre- ceding year (1799) had been signalized by the 1 800.
occurrence of a most mysterious murder, which at the time threw the city into great excitement, and for many days afterwards furnished the principal topic of 'conversation among its citizens. In itself, the incident might not be deemed of sufficient importance to allude to, were it not for the fact that the trial of the suspected murderer, as before hinted, called forth the splendid abilities of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
The case to which allusion is here made was as fol- lows : An exceedingly comely young woman, Juliana Elmore Sands by name, was taken, one Sunday afternoon, to ride, by Levi Weeks, a young man, and a nephew of Ezra Weeks, who built the City Hotel. The following Thursday the body of the girl was found at the bottom of the " Manhattan Well," just above the present line of Spring Street, between Greene and Wooster Streets, pre- senting every appearance of having been foully dealt with .* The young man, who had been her companion on the previous Sunday, was at once arrested and placed on trial for willful murder. Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Brockholst Livingston were retained for the defense ; and during the trial, which lasted two days and
* Called the " Manhattan Well" from the fact that the " Manhattan Com- pany," in searching round the city and suburbs for water, found a spring, which they caused to be dug out several feet and made into a well. In the end, how. ever, they decided that it would not answer their purpose; and it was accord. ingly left curbed and covered, retaining ever afterwards the name of the " Man- hattan Well."
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nights, the former two exhibited, in a marked degree, the individual traits for which they were distinguished. In conversation recently with a gentleman, now (1871) ninety-four years old, he described to me the character- isties of each of those great men as they appeared upon the trial, of which he was an eye-witness. Hamilton, it seems, was more of an orator than Burr. His style was flowery, and his oratory graceful, fluent, animated, and impassioned. Burr, on the contrary, was cool and impos- ing in manner, collected and dispassioned in reasoning, and confined himself, in argument, to a few strong and prominent traits. Nevertheless, the latter did not always depend upon argument, but resorted occasionally to what would now be called "stage effect," to carry his point. At least this seems to be a fair inference from a circumstance that occurred during this trial. It appears that at first all the testimony pointed to the prisoner as the mnur- derer, and the evidence of one witness, in particular, was so strong that it became plain that unless his testimony could be broken down, the case for the defense would be lost. The trial had lasted all the afternoon, and when it grew towards dusk, Burr called his clerk to him, and, in an aside, ordered a lighted candle to be brought in when he should give a signal. Burr meanwhile, continued to cross- question and harass the witness, constantly insinuating that he himself was the perpetrator of the deed, until, having succeeded in confusing him, he made the sign. The lighted candle was thereupon handed him; when, suddenly holding it full in the face of the witness, he exclaimed, in his most telling manner, "Behold the mur- derer!" This completed the discomfiture of the witness ; and, after a charge by Chief-Justice Lansing, a verdict of acquittal was rendered by the jury.
In 1803, De Witt Clinton was appointed Mayor of the
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city,* which station he held until the spring of 1807, when he was succeeded, for a short time, by Colonel Mari- 1803. nus Willett, the venerable soldier of the Revolu- tion, and who, nearly half a century before, had gathered imperishable laurels at Fort Stanwix.
One event, however, was to impede, for a short time, the progress which the city was making on the road to 1804. prosperity. This was the fire of 1804. About two o'clock on the morning of the 18th of December, of that year, a serious fire commenced in a grocery store ,on Front Street. The air was cold, and a high wind blowing, and the engines late in their appearance, the devouring element extended with unexampled rapidity, destroying many valuable stores and dwellings, with their contents. The buildings from the west side of Coffee- house Slip, on Water Street, to Gouverneur's Lane, and thence down to the East River, were swept away, and crossing Wall Street, the houses upon the east side of the slip were also burned. Among them was the old Ton- tine Coffee-house, so celebrated in its day, with several brick stores. Most of the buildings being of wood, their destruction caused new and fire-proof brick edifices to be built in their places. About forty stores and dwellings were consumed-fifteen on Wall Street, seventeen on Front, and eight on Water Street-the value of the prop- erty destroyed amounting to two millions of dollars. The fire was supposed to be the work of incendiaries, from . anonymous letters sent to a merchant previous to the event. A reward of five hundred dollars was, accordingly. offered by the Mayor for the apprehension of the guilty parties. This same region, thirty-one years afterwards,
* The Mayor was at this time appointed to office by a Council of Appoint- ment, consisting of a Senator chosen by the Legislature from each of the four districts of the State, with the Governor as Chairman of the Council.
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was to witness the greatest conflagration which ever took place in this city.
The year 1804 was indeed a memorable date in the annals of the city. In that year the Historical Society was founded, with De Witt Clinton for its first vice-presi- dent; the New York Society Library received a fresh impetus by the appointment of Gulian C. Verplanck as
CILALLEINE PRIX CLICCATO CE ECCELL
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one of its trustees; the present City Hall began to rise from its foundation; and the Public School Society was virtually determined upon. It was marked also by dark signs; for, besides bringing the dreadful fire, already described, it brought the death of Alexander Hamilton -killed in a duel, by Burr, on the 11th of July-and the loss of his brilliant gifts and guiding intellect. Formerly, a marble monument, erected by the St. Andrew's Society, 44
THE GRANGE-HAMILTON'S RESIDENCE.
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