History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 2

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703

USA > New York > Queens County > History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals. > Part 2

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In 1638 Van Twiller was succeeded in the government of the colony by William Kieft. By reason of hostilities which occurred with the Indians on Long Island in 1643-44, for which Kieft was censured, he was recalled, and succeeded by Peter Stuyvesant in 1647. The con- troversy concerning jurisdiction continued during his administration, till, in 1664, Charles II. of England, re- gardless of the clainis of the Dutch to New Netherlands, granted to his brother, the Duke of York and Albany, afterwards James II., the whole country from the Con- necticut to the Delaware, including the entire Dutch pos- sessions. A fleet was sent under Colonel Richard Nicolls by the duke to enforce his claim, and on the 3d of Sep- tember, 1664, the province was surrendered without bloodshed, and the government of the colony passed into the hands of the English.

Colonel Nicolls at once assumed the functions of gov- ernor; the name New Amsterdam was changed to New York, and Fort Orange to Albany, laws for the govern- ment of the province were prescribed, and courts for the administration of these laws established. In 1668 Gov- ernor Nicolls resigned, and was succeeded by Colonel Francis Lovelace. England at about this time became involved in a war with Holland, and this government sent a squadron to repossess its province in America. This squadron arrived July 30th, 1673, and the fort at New York was surrendered without resistance by Captain John Manning, who was in command. Captain Anthony Colve became governor; but his reign was short, for on the conclusion of peace between the two powers, Febru- ary 9th, 1674, the province reverted to the English. A new patent was issued, confirming the first, and Sir Ed- mund Andros was commissioned governor. The despotic agent of a despotic ruler he was unpopular with the peo- ple, and became involved in difficulties with the neigh- boring colonies. He was recalled and his successor, Thomas Dongan, arrived on the 22nd of August, 1683. In the autumn of the same year the first colonial assem- bly was convened, many needed reforms were instituted,

NEW YORK UNDER ENGLISH GOVERNORS.

and better times than the colonists had ever known ap- peared to have dawned. The most important act of this Assembly was the adoption of a charter of liberties and privileges, or bill of rights. The hopes thus raised were soon disappointed. On the accession of James II. to the English throne he refused his confirmation of the priv- ileges which had been granted while he was Duke of York, prohibited the Assembly, forbade the establishment of a printing press in the colony, and filled the principal offices in the province with Roman Catholics.

In 1687 a war broke out between the Iroquois and the French. The country of the former was invaded by the French, under De la Barre and M. de Nonville success- ively, and in retaliation the Iroquois, twelve hundred strong, fell upon the French on the south side of the island of Montreal, "burnt their houses, sacked their plantations, and put to the sword all the men, women and children without the skirts of the town. A thousand French were slain in this invasion, and twenty-six were carried into captivity and burnt alive." Shortly after- ward, in another attack, the lower part of the town was destroyed, and in all this the assailants lost only three.

In 1688 New York and the Jerseys were annexed to the jurisdiction of New England, and Sir Edmund An- dros was made governor of all. Governor Dongan was removed, and Francis Nicolson succeeded him. The government was vested in a governor and council, who were appointed by the king without the consent of the people.

In 1689 William and Mary ascended the English throne. Sir Edmund Andros was seized at Boston, and Jacob Leisler seized the fort at New York, under the pretence of holding it for the new sovereigns. During the two years of Leisler's usurpation the French and In- dians made a descent on Schenectady, February 8th, 1690, and massacred about sixty of the inhabitants. The danger by which they were threatened induced the people, -- who, though favorably disposed toward William and Mary, were opposed to Leisler-to submit to his authority for the time. On the arrival, in March, 1691, of Colonel Sloughter, who had been commissioned governor in 1869, Leisler at first refused to surrender the government to him. For this he was tried by a special commission, and sentenced to death. The governor, who refused to sign his death warrant, was persuadcd, while intoxicated, to do so, and he was executed before the governor had re- covered from his intoxication Governor Sloughtcr died in July, 1691, after a weak administration of only a few months.

The colonial Assembly was again established during this year, and the oppressive laws which had been im- posed on the colony repealcd. In the interim between the death of Sloughter and the arrival of his successor the chief command was committed to Richard Ingoldsby. In August, 1692, Benjamin Fletcher arrived with a com- mission as governor. He was narrow, violent, avaricious and bigoted, and his administration was a continual ex- hibition of these qualities.

In 1693 the French and Indians under Count Frontenac

invaded the country of the Iroquois, killed some, and took three hundred prisoners. In 1696 he made another incursion, and ravaged a portion of the coun ry. The Indians retaliated by hostile incursions among their enemies, but the peace of Ryswick, between France and England, terminated these hostilities.

Governor Fletcher was succeeded in 1698 by Richard, Earl of Bellomont, who died in 1701, and John Nanfan, the lieutenant-governor, succeeded him till the arrival of the next governor, Lord Cornbury, in 1702. The admin- istration of this governor was chiefly distinguished for religious intolerance; and he received the unenviable distinction of being the worst governor under the English regime. He was succeeded, December 18th, 1708, by Lord Lovelace, who died on the 5th of the following May. Under Lieutenant-Governor Ingoldsby, who ad- ministered the government after his death, an unsuccess- ful expedition against Canada was undertaken. Gerardus Beekman succeeded him as governor pro tem., till June 14th, 1710, when the next governor, Robert Hunter, arrived. In 1711 another disastrous expedition against Canada was made, but in 1713 the treaty of Utrecht ter- minated the war between England and France, and put an end to Indian hostilities. In 1719 Hunter returned to England, and Peter Schuyler was governor, ad interim, till the arrival of William Burnet in 1720. On the acces- sion to the throne of George II. Burnet was transferred to the government of Massachusetts, and succeeded, April 15th, 1728, by John Montgomery, who died July Ist, 1731. Rip Van Dam, by virtue of seniority in the council, was his successor till the arrival of William Cosby, the next governor, finished his administration and began one rendered memorable for its arbitrary proceed- ings and tumult, rather than for striking or important events. Cosby died March 10th, 1736, and was succeeded by George Clark, senior counselor after Van Dam, whom Cosby had caused to be suspended. Clark was com- missioned lieutenant-governor in the following October. An antagonism had been growing during some time be- tween the democratic and the aristocratic parties in the colonies. Clark at first sought to conciliate both, but in the end had the confidence of neither, and his retirement, on the arrival of his successor, Admiral George Clinton, September 23d, 1743, was but little regretted. The ad- ministration of Governor Clinton was characterized by a continual conflict with the people, represented in the provincial Assembly. Unable by repeated prorogations and dissolutions to coerce them into submission, he re- signed after an administration of ten years, and was suc- ceeded, October roth, 1763, by Sir Danvers Osborne. He was charged with still more stringent instructions than his predecessors, and met with still firmer resistance from the people. After an administration of a few days hc committed suicide by hanging, probably because of the embarrassment by which he was surrounded, and grief for the death of his wife. He was succeeded by Lieutenant-Governor James De Lancey till the arrival, in September, 1755, of Sir Charles Hardy, who, though nom- inally governor, surrendered the duties of the office into

OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

the hands of De Lancey. Governor Hardy resigned in 1757 and De Lancey became governor. He died on the 30th of July, 1760. and Cadwalader Colden, president of the council, took charge of the government. He was commissioned lieutenant-governor in August, 1761, and in October of the same year General Robert Moulton, who had been appointed governor, assumed the guber- natorial functions; but on the 13th of the following month he left the administration of affairs in the hands of Colden, and went on an expedition against Martinique. Colden's administration continued till 1765.

CHAPTER III.

WAR WITHI FRANCE AND COMMENCEMENT OF THE

REVOLUTION.

S early as 1722 a trading post was established at Oswego by Governor Burnet, with the view | onists. through their representatives in the colonial As- of establishing others farther west on the lakes, and securing the trade of the western and its enforcenient in the city of New York attempted. Indians. To intercept this, and secure this It was resisted by the populace, the effigy of Governor Colden, who was charged with its execution, was hanged and burned in the streets, and finally a quantity of the stamped paper was seized and consumed in a bonfire. trade for themselves, the French established a post and erected a fort at Niagara, with the design of extending a chain of military posts to the Ohio River, and thus limiting the English trade.

In March, 1744, war was declared between France and England, in which the colonies of New York and New England participated. During its continuance the coun- try north from Albany was frequently ravaged by parties of French and Indians. Saratoga was burned, and nearly all the inhabitants either killed or made prisoners, and the village of Hoosic taken.

In 1746 an unsuccessful expedition against Canada was undertaken, for which the colony of New York furnished sixteen hundred men. Peace was concluded at Aix La Chapelle in 1748, and a period of nominal tranquillity followed, though the frontier was desolated by savage parties, encouraged by the French.

In 1755, with the view of checking their encroach- ments, four expeditions were sent against them, two of which were in the colony of New York. One of them, that against Niagara, was unsuccessful, but the other, against Crown Point, achieved a success, which was not however followed up.

It was not till 1756 that the English ministry aroused from its imbecility and formally declared war. In the campaign of 1756 the English and colonial forces met with no success, but the two forts at Oswego were lost, with 1,600 prisoners and much war material. The cam- paign of 1757 was equally unsuccessful and disastrous. Fort William Henry, on Lake George, with 3,000 men, fell into the hands of the French under Montcalm.

their measures, and a fresh impulse given to the colonies. Success soon turned in favor of the English, and, with few exceptions, continued till Canada was subdued. Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Niagara and Quebec fell in 1758, and Montreal, Detroit, Michilimackinac and all other Canadian posts in 1760. A great obstacle to the prosperity of New York was removed by the conquest of Canada, which prevented further hostile incursions of French and Indians into its territory.

In 1763 a controversy arose between the colonies of New York and New Hampshire concerning the jurisdic- tion over the territory between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut river, now comprising the State of Vermont. Proclamations and counter proclamations were issued, but the matter was finally referred to and settled for the time by the crown.

During many years the government of Great Britain had attempted to make encroachments on what the col- onists regarded as their rights, but without success. The taxation of the people without their consent was sought to be accomplished in some insidious manner, and was steadfastly and watchfully guarded against by the col- sembly. In 1764 the notorious stamp act was passed

Through the influence of London merchants, whose colonial trade suffered by reason of the act, the odious law was repealed in 1766, but its repeal was followed by a declaration by Parliament of the right " to tax the col- onies in all cases whatsoever." Troops were quartered in New York city, really for the purpose of enforcing the laws that Parliament might enact. Collisions occurred between these troops and the people, and the Assembly refused appropriations for their support. Parliament declared the legislative powers of the Assembly annulled till compliance was had with the demands of the govern- ment. In June, 1767, a bill was enacted by Parliament imposing duties on certain articles imported into the col- onies. This was followed by a revival of the non- importation agreement that had previously been entered into by the colonists, and again the influence of the English merchants procured the repeal of all these duties, except that on tea, which was retained by reason of a de- termination to assert and maintain the right of taxation.

Sir Henry Moore succeeded Governor Colden in 1765, and his administration continued till his death, in 1769, when the government again devolved on Cadwallader Colden. Between the soldiers and those colonists who were known as the Sons of Liberty animosities continued to exist, and finally, on the 18th of January, 1770, five years previous to the battle of Lexington, a collision oc- curred at Golden Hill, in New York city, in which several of the citizens were wounded.

On the accession of William Pitt to the head of the In October, 1770, Lord Dunmore superseded Colden British ministry in 1758 new energy was infused into in the government of New York, and in 1771 he was

REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS IN NEW YORK.

transferred to the government of Virginia and succeeded in New York by William Tryon, who was rendered in- dependent of the people by a royal decree that his salary should be paid from the revenue.

The non-importation agreement was continued so far as related to tea, and the East India Company suf- fered severely in consequence. Doggedly determined to maintain the assumed right of taxation, the British gov- ernment abolished the export duty on such tea as was shipped to the colonies, thus enabling the company to sell it there cheaper than in England, and appointed consignees in the colonial ports for its sale. Regardless of this appeal to their cupidity, the people made such demonstrations of resistance that the consignees in New York resigned, and when an attempt was made to land a quantity of tea clandestinely it was thrown overboard by the vigilance committee, and the vessel sent out of the harbor.

It is hardly necessary to say that in the other colonies the oppressive acts of the King and Parliament met with as firm resistance as in New York. The battle of Lex- ington was the signal for a general rush to arms through- out the colonies.

In New York city the arms in the arsenals were seized and distributed among the people, and a provisional gov- ernment for the city was organized. Ticonderoga was seized on the roth of May, 1775, by Connecticut patriots under Colonel Ethan Allen, and two days later Crown Point, both without resistance, and thus the command of Lake Champlain was secured.

The Continental Congress assembled on the Ioth of May, and on the 22nd of the same month a Provincial Congress assembled in New York.

In August an attack was made by the British ship of war " Asia " on a party who were engaged in removing some cannon from the battery in New York, and considerable damage was done to the buildings in the vicinity but the guns were removed. In the autumn an armament was collected by General Schuyler at Ticonderoga and an ex- pedition went against Canada. The forts at Chambly, St. Johns and Montreal were taken, and Quebec was as- saulted, but the colonial force was here repulsed and driven out of Canada.

CHAPTER IV.

REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS IN NEW YORK-THE STATE GOV- ERNMENT ESTABLISHED.

ARLY in 1776 General Lee, with a force of twelve hundred men, occupied the city of New York. General Schuyler with a small force had disarmed the tories of the Mohawk valley and a like service had been rendered on Long Island by the New Jersey militia. About the first of July General Howe who had previously evacuated Boston and sailed for Halifax, appeared off

Sandy Hook with his army, where he was soon afterward joined by his brother, Admiral Howe, with a force of British regulars and Hessians, and Clinton and Parker, on their return from an unsuccessful attack on Charles- ton, making an aggregate force of about 30,000 men.

The Provincial Congress of New York adjourned to White Plains, where it convened on the 9th of July, and ratified the Declaration of Independence by the Conti- nental Congress.

On the 22nd of August a British force landed on Long Island, and on the 27th a battle was fought, resulting in the defeat of the Americans, who on the night of the 29th, favored by a thick fog, retreated to New York. The plan had been formed to capture New York, ascend the Hudson, effect a junction with a force from Canada under General Carlton, and thus cut off communication between the patriots of New England and those of the middle and southern colonies; but the movements of Washington and the failure of Carlton frustrated the plan.

On the 15th of September General Howe took posses- sion of New York, and the Americans retreated to Har- lem Heights. General Howe sought to gain their rear, but Washington's movements frustrated his designs.

Opposed to General Carlton at the north was General Gates, who abandoned Crown Point and concentrated his forces at Ticonderoga. A small squadron was formed and placed on Lake Champlain under command of Arnold in August. An action took place in October between this squadron and the fleet which Carlton had prepared at St. Johns, in which the Americans were de- feated and fell back on Ticonderoga. Not deeming it prudent to attack them there General Carlton withdrew to Canada.

On the 21st of April 1777 a State constitution was adopted, and under it George Clinton was elected gov- ernor, and he assumed the duties of the office on the 31st of the following July.

The principal object of the British in the campaign of 1777 was to carry out the cherished design of separating the eastern from the southern colonies by controlling the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, who had superseded General Carlton, was to force his way from Canada, and meet Sir Henry Clinton at Albany, while Colonel St. Leger was to ascend the St. Lawrence, and, with a force of loyalists and Indians, sweep through the Mohawk valley from Oswego and Rome, and join them at Albany.

In June Burgoyne moved on Ticonderoga, which the American commander, General St. Clair, evacuated. As the American army retreated some fighting took place, without decisive results, till at Bennington the Amer- icans, under General Stark, achieved a victory over a detachment of the enemy under Colonel Baum, who was slain.

Colonel St. Leger advanced and invested Fort Schuy- ler, otherwise called Fort Stanwix, now Rome. The battle of Oriskany was fought, soon after which St. Leger abandoned his undertaking and returned to Canada.

OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

General Burgoyne advanced to Saratoga, where he was surrounded, and on the 17th of October was compelled to surrender.

While operations were in progress in the vicinity of Saratoga Sir Henry Clinton sought to make a diversion in favor of Burgoyne. He proceeded up the Hudson, captured Forts Montgomery and Clinton, devastated the settlements along the banks of the river, burnt Kingston, and, on learning of the surrender of Burgoyne, returned to New York.

In the campaigns of 1778 and 1779 no very important operations were carried on in New York. The Indians of the Six Nations (except the Oneidas and a few others) were induced to carry on against the Americans their savage and cruel warfare, and devastation, slaughter and massacres were the result. To arrest these depredations General Sullivan, in the summer of 1779, with an army of 3,000 men, ascended the Susquehanna to Tioga Point, where he was joined by General Clinton with a thousand men. With these forces they penetrated the country of the savages, destroyed their towns, and laid waste their cornfields and orchards. Though not subdued by this punishment, they were so crippled that their inroads were less frequent and destructive afterward.

During the years 1780 and 1781 the Mohawk valley was the scene of devastation by the savages of the Six Nations, particularly the Mohawks, under their celebrated chief Brant; but aside from these New York was not the scene of important hostile operations. The year 1780 was made memorable by the treason of Arnold. This gallant officer had, for some irregularities in Philadelphia in 1778, been court-martialed and sentenced to be repri- manded by the commander-in-chief. He apparently ac- quiesced in the sentence, but his pride was deeply wounded, and he thirsted after revenge. He solicited and obtained command of West Point, and entered into negotiations with Sir Henry Clinton for the delivery of that fortress into the hands of the British. In the course of these negotiations Major Andre, of the British army, met General Arnold on the banks of the Hudson. In attempting to return he was captured, about thirty miles from New York, by three militiamen named Paulding, Williams and Van Wert, who refused his offered bribes and delivered him to their commander. He was tried, condemned and executed as a spy.

The Revolutionary war virtually closed with the sur- render of Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown on the 19th of October, 1781. A treaty of peace was entered into on the 3d of September, 1783, and on the 25th of November in the same year the British troops evacuated on New York.

After the United States had achieved their independ- ence it was early perceived that the confederation, which had been established for a particular purpose, lacked | that cohesive force which was requisite for an effectual national government. Measures were accordingly insti- tuted, first for a revision of the Articles of Confederation, but finally the formation of a national constitution was determined on; and such constitution was formed by the the remainder of the year.

convention in Philadelphia in 1787. After its adoption by the requisite number of States it was ratified in con- vention by the State of New York, by a close vote, on the 26th of July, 1788, but with the recommendation of several amendments, which, however, were not adopted.

The difficulties arising out of the conflicting claims of New York and New Hampshire to the territory now com- prising Vermont, which had been held in partial abey- ance during the Revolutionary struggle, were finally set- tled by the admission of the disputed territory into the Union as a State, in 1790, under the name of Vermont.

By reason of indefiniteness and confusion in the original grants Massachusetts claimed a portion of the territory of New York. This claim was settled by the cession to Massachusetts of all rights, except that of political sov- ereignty, over about one fourth of the State. The largest tract of these lands, embracing what has been known as the Genesee country, was sold by Massachusetts for the sum of one million dollars.

CHAPTER V.

THE WAR OF 1812 BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND)

GREAT BRITAIN.

T the commencement of the present century difficulties arose between this country and Great Britain concerning the rights of neutrals on the seas, and the aggressions of the British became a subject of bitter animosity. In ad- dition to other encroachments, the English gov- ernment claimed the right to search American ves- sels and impress into their service such of their crews as they chose to regard as British subjects. Outrages were committed in the enforcement of this pretended right, and for the suppression of the practice, and the vindication of the national honor, war became necessary; and it was declared on the 19th of June, 1812. To this measure there was a strong opposition, both in New England and New York, and this opposition embarrassed the govern- ment to some extent in the prosecution of the war. An invasion of Canada was determined on, and for that pur- pose forces were collected in the vicinity of Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, under General Dearborn, and at Lewiston, on the Niagara River, under General Van Rensselaer. A naval force was fitted up on the lakes, and Commodore Chauncey was placed in command of it. Unsuccessful attacks were made by the British fleet on Sackett's Harbor and Ogdensburg, while, on the other hand, the British vessel " Caledonia " was captured at the foot of Lake Erie An attack was made on the heights at Queenston, on the Canadian bank of the Niagara, and though at first the Americans were success- ful they were finally compelled to surrender. Nothing beyond slight skirmishing occurred in this quarter during

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 2

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co. Number of Pages: 703

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703