USA > New York > Schoharie County > History of Schoharie County, New York : with illusustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 3
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" Whilst his Excellen'cy. was talking to the Deputies he received information that there was a great body of men in arms on the other side of
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
the brook and having by that time a re-enforce- ment of seventy men more, he marched the de- tachment immediately and passed the brook, the Palentines were run home to their houses. His Excellency marched to the first village and ordered them to bring in all their arms, which they did immediately except a few. He could goe no further that night, but the next morning marched to ye other three villages on the same side of the river and disarmed them all and then returning to Mr. Livingston, sent orders to the villages on the other side to bring in their arms that day to the storehouse to be transport- ed to him, which I believe they have done."*
The letter is lengthy, and having given an idea of the Germans discontent and the extent of the mutiny, we will not copy the remainder, as the writer, in substance, "wonders how a people can be so ungrateful to the Queen," and that "Its hardly creditable that men who reap so great a benefit as they doe by these people- not only by the consumption of their provisions, but by the increase of strength, should be so malicious to possess them with notions so inju- rious to themselves and prejudicial to Her Majesty's Interest but yet it is so."
Whom those were that "possessed " the Ger- mans we are unable to tell, but we are satisfied that Jolin Conrad Weiser, the List-master over Queensbury, urged their disobedience, as we find he was a very "malicious" man, in the officials' estimation after removing to " Schorie." Without doubt, great advantage was taken by the officials over the Germans, especially by Mr. Livingston, in furnishing the supplies; as he was a shrewd, money-making man, and as more modern "government contractors " do, stinted in quality if not in quantity, to the detriment of the stomachs of the Palatines. Various in- terested men wrote to the London Board of Trade in regard to the "maliciousness" of the Germans, and without doubt that honorable body had discussed the matter. Being aware, how- ever, of the temptations held out for money-mak- ing, a portion, at least, of that body, took a fair view of the matter and one in particular, Lord Clarendon, wrote to Lord Dartmouth in regard to Mr. Livingston, as follows :-
"I think it is unhappy that Col. Hunter at
his first arrival in his Government fell into so ill hands, for this Livingston has been known for many years in that province, for a very ill man. He formerly victualed the forces at Albany, in which he was guilty of most notorious frauds, by which he greatly improved his estate. He has a Mill and a Brew-house upon his land, and if he can get the victualing of those Palentines, who are so conveniently posted for his purpose, he will make a very good addition to his estate, and I am persuaded, the hopes he has of such a Subsistence to be allowed by Her Majesty, were the chief, if not the only Inducements, that pre- vailed with him to propose to Gov. Hunter, to settle them upon his land, which is not the best Place for Pine Trees. The borders of Hud- -son's River above Albany, and the Mohawk River, Schenectady, are well known to be the best places for Pines of all sorts, both for num- bers, and largeness of Trees.
My Lord, upon the whole matter, I am of the opinion, that if the Subsistence proposed, be allowed, the consequence will be, that Livings- ton and some others will get Estates, and the Palentines will not be richer."*
The Germans became convinced, no doubt, that they had been deceived, either by their misunderstanding the contract in England or the dishonesty of those who read it to them, and resolved to keep quiet, at least until after the contemplated campaign against Canada. In June of 1711, a secret expedition was started from New York city, both by sea and land, to. take Quebec from the French. A land force was to form a junction with the fleet before the city, and capture the fortress. In July, Gen. Nicholson started with the land force, and was joined at the "Camps" by 300 of the Palatines, under the command of Capt. John Peter Kneiskern, Conrad Weiser, Hartman Windecker and J. Christopher Tucks. The vessels encountered a heavy storm and were driven back, and a few of them were wrecked and failed to reach Quebec. The land force waited impatiently for the vessels and at last decided to return, which they did in the lat- ter part of the August following. They found that their families had been poorly provided for and were upon the verge of starvation which
* London Documents.
* London Documents, XVIII.
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PETITION OF THE PALATINES TO KING GEORGE.
again aroused them to a sense of the injustice with which they were dealt, and a deeper desire to remove from the "Camps." Some of them became "unwary," and settled upon lands be- longing to others, and "ye justices" were or- dered to cause them to return to their own set- tlements, and in May, 1712, a detachment of troops was ordered among them, as they "will not obey orders without compulsion."
Upon the 6th of September, 1712, the Gov- ernor wrote a letter * to Mr. Cast, one of the commissioners, the substance of which we will here give ; and we desire its special notice, as reference will be given to it again. He says :---
" I have at length exhausted all of my credit I was master of, for the support of the Palen . tines; and have thereby, I assure you, embar- rassed myself with difficulties, which I know not how to surmount, if my bills of exchange be * not paid. *
"When you call the people together, and communicate together the present state of my affairs, you will tell them, that I wish they would accept any employment they may get from farmers, and others in this Province, and New Jersey, for their own, and their families support, until they are recalled by Proclamation or other public notice." *
Upon learning the situation of affairs from Mr. Cast, the discontent became greater, and since they were obliged to seek employment elsewhere, and that, too, at the close of the year, they concluded to embrace the opportunity of seeking the "promised land Schorie," and after years of " dhrouble " even in that imaginary paradise, they sent a petition to King George- as their devoted Queen Anne had gone to her rest-laying their grievances before his Majesty, which we will here copy as it gives us the true dates, to verify in a measure that which we have already noticed.
" The Condition, Greivances and oppressions of the Germans In His Majesty's Province of New York In America, 1720 :-
" In the year 1709 was her late Majesty Queen Anne most graciously pleased to send a body of between 3 and 4000 Germans to New York under the Inspection and Care of Robert
Hunter, then Governor there, with particular Orders & Instructions to settle them upon lands belonging to the Crown, and such as was most proper for raising Tarr & Pitch and other Naval stores.
" Before they left England they were promis'd 5 pounds in money pr. head, of which they have received nothing at all. It was likewise promis'd that on their arrival there, Each of them should receive Cloaths, Utensils, tools and other Con- veniency's belonging to Husbandry, all which were sent with them from England for their use but of these they have received but little.
" They were moreover to have a grant of 40 acres of land to each person but it was never perform'd.
"On their landing at New York they were quartered in tents on the comon & divided in six companies over each of which was a Cap- tain appointed to Command them, (of which number John Conrad Weiser arrived here in London 1718) with an allowance of £15 per annum each but not one farthing has been hitherto paid to them.
" About the same time took the Govern' without & against their consent many children from them and bound them to several of the In- habitants of that province till they should arrive to the age of 21 years, particularly two Sons from Captain Weiser, one of twelve and another of 13 years of age by which means they were deprived of the comfort of their Childrens Com- pany and Education as well as the assistance & Support they might in a small way have reasonably expected from them.
"In the fall of that year, those that were liv- ing [then it must be observed that during their voyage thither and after their landing a great number of them died] were removed to a tract of land belonging to one Mr. Livingston where they liv'd in houses, erected by themselves, till the Spring following, when they were ordered to the woods to make Tarr & Pitch and continued there nearly two years, but as the land was im- propper to raise any sort of naval stores in any Considerable Quantity their labors turn'd to a different account and the profits of building & Improving the lands fell to a private person, they not being able to make more than 200 barrels of Pitch and tarr. The small prospect they had
* Documentary History.
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
of being in a Capacity to serve the nation, who had so generously & Charitably advanc'd very great sums of money for their relief & Support and the Impossibility there was of raising Corn, Cattle & other provisions for their subsistence on such ordinary & allmost barren land oblig'd them to petition the aforesaid Governor that they might be put in possession & settle on the land Call'd Schorie which the Indians had given to the late Queen Anne for their use, he answered that tho the lands was theirs he could nor would not take it from them, neither could he settle them there, because it would oblige him to maintain to many Garrisons.
"The said Governor thought fitt sometime after to visit all the villages, where they were settled and view the people there, who with one Consent apply'd to him again, humbly praying they might go and inhabit the above promis'd land, upon which he in a passion stamped upon the ground & said, here is your land (mean- ing the almost barren rocks) where you must live and die.
" The second year after our arrival were or- ders sent to them to detach 300 able men to serve on the late unfortunate expedition against Canada, which they willingly & Cheerfully did, and on their return, were their arms taken from them, tho all that went on the expedition should have kept them by her late Majesty's particular Order without paying them any wages or Sallery, (notwithstanding they were put on the Estab- lishment of New York and New Jersey or both, & the money received by the said Governor) they marched home, where they found their family's allmost starved, no provisions having been given them during their absence.
" The Winter following did the Inhabitants of the frontier Town of Albany desire the Gov- ernor that they might have (being fearfull) the assistance of some of thein to strengthen ye Garrison of that town from Invasion of the In- dians in Conjunction with the French of Cana- dy, which the Governor agreeing to, they went accordingly, but were never paid.
" In the second year of their abode at Living- ston's on the pitch wood, three of their people ·were sent down to Col. Hunter, Petitioning that he would be pleased to order them their full allowance of provisions, which they never
hitherto had, to which he answered that they should return home & he wou'd send orders after them, and about 8 days after came this surprising message from himn, that he had not received any subsistance for them from England, & therefore every one of them must shift for himself, but not out of the province.
"This was the latter end of the year and winter just at hand which is very severe, there being no provisions to be had, & the people bare of Cloaths, which occasioned a terrible Consternation amongst them & particully from the women and children, the most pityful Cryes and lamentations that have perhaps ever been heard from any person under the most wretched and miserable circumstances, so that they were at last much against their wills, put under the hard & greeting necessity of seeking releif from the Indians. Upon which some of their Chiefs were suddenly dispatch'd away to the Indians by whom they were kindly received, & to whom they open'd their miserable condition & that being wholly cast off by the sd Governor, & left destituted of the means of living elsewhere, they intreated them to give 'em permission to settle on the tract of land call'd Schorie which they immediately granted, saying, they had formerly given the sd land to Queen Anne for them to possess and that nobody should hinder them of it, and they would assist them as farr as they were able. Whereupon these chiefs returned to the people acquainting them of the Indians favorable disposition.
" This put the people in some heart & find- ing it absolutely necessary to embrace that opportunity so providently bestowed on them all hands fell to work and in 2 weeks Clear'd a way thr' the woods of 15 miles long with the utmost toyle and labor, tho almost starved & without bread. Which being effected 50 family's were immediately sent to Schorie when being arrived & allmost settled they there received orders from the Governor, not to goe upon that land & he who did so shou'd be declared a Rebell.
" This message sounded like thunder in their ears, and surprised them beyond expression, but having seriously weighed matters amongst themselves & finding no manner of likelyhood of subsisting Elsewhere but a certainty of perish-
19
PETITION OF THE PALATINES TO KING GEORGE.
ing by hunger, Cold, etc., if they returned, they found themselves under the fatal necessity of hazzarding the Gov'rs Resentment, that being to all more Eligible than Starving.
" In the same year in March did the remain- der of the people (tho treated by the Governor as Pharao treated the Israelites) proceed on their journey & by Gods assistance, travell'd in fourtnight with sledges tho the snow which there covered the ground above 3 foot deep, Cold & Hunger, Joyn'd their friends and Coun- tryman in the promised land Schorie.
" The number of Germans who came hither to search for bread for themselves, their wifes and children, were more than the land already granted them by the Indians cou'd supply with settlements & some of the people of Albany endeavoring to purchase the land around em from the Indians on purpose to close them up, and deprive them of any rang for their Cattel, they were obliged to solicit all the Indian Kings there adjoining for more land, which they willingly granted 'em & sold 'en the rest of the land at Schorie being woods Rocks and pastaridg for 300 pieces of Eight. .
" No sooner had Governor Hunter notice of their settlement and agreement with the Indians but he ordered one Adam Vroman to endeavor to pursuade the Indians to break the agreement made.
"Upon the first settlement of this land the misery's of those poor & almost famished Creatures underwent were incredable, & had it not been for the Charity of the Indians, who shew'd them where to gather some eatable roots and herbs, must inevitably have perished, every soul of them, but what God said in Anger to Adam was in mercy fulfilled viz Thou shalt eat the herbs of the fields, when they continued about one year on this land, build small houses and huts and made other Improvements thereon, with their bloody sweat & labor and under the most greivous hardships & dayly hazard of their lives from the French & Indian Enemy's, as well as from those more dreadful ones, Cold & Hunger, severall Gentlemen Came to them from Albany, declaring they had bought that land of Gov. Hunter & if they intentioned to live thereon they must agree with them, to which demand these poor people answered. That the
land was the Kings and that they were the Kings subjects and had no power to agree to anything about his Majesty's lands without his special order, upon which these Gentleman said, Wee are Kings of this land, but the Germans reply'd that their King was in England, & that the land shou'd not be taken from them without his Majesty's particular order.
" Sometime after did these gentleman send the Sheriff with some others upon the land and to take the sd Captain by force, dead or alive, but he having timely notice of it was on his Guard so they were prevented.
"These Gentleman finding the Inhabitants resolut in keeping possession of the lands, they had thus improved and from whence they drew the only support to themselves and familys fell on an other project which was Clandestinely and basely to endeavor to sew Enmity betwixt them and the Indians and if possible to pur- suade them (for Money or Rumm) to put them in possession of the land and declare them right- ful owners thereof, but in this they also fail'd, tho not without great trouble & charge to those poor people who were forced to put themselves on the mercy of the Indians by giving them out of their nothing and begg of them, that since they had so long suckled them at their breast, not to ween them so soon and cast them off.
" In the spring of 1715 the Gentleman from Albany sent a man to affix some papers on the land, Containing in Substance that whoever of the Inhabitants shou'd see those papers must either agree with them or leave the land.
" This with their threatenings being done in the Spring, the best planting time for Indian corn (the chief of their subsistance) damp'd the spirits of these poor people-slackened their Industry & did 'em great damage.
"In the year 1717 came the Governor to Al- bany and sent orders to the Inhabitants of the land Schorie that 3 men of every village shou'd appear before him on a day appointed and par- ticularly the above mentioned Captain Weiser.
" When they appeared before him, he said that he would hang John Conrad Weiser and or- dered them to answer him the 3 following ques- tions viz :--
" Ist, Why they went to inhabit the land Schorie without his order?
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
" 2d. Why they would not agree with the people of Albany ?
"3d. Why they concerned themselves so much with the Indians ?
"Their answer to the first question was, that his Excell'ey had ordered them to shift for them- selves & denied them further subsistance, the utmost necessity and poverty forced them to remove thither to earn their bread for the main- tainance of their wifes and children and that they continued their settlement on the same motives in expectation of His Majesty's Grace and His Excell'cy favor.
" When they mentioned his Majesty the Gov- ernor in a passion said What Great Britian & Mr. Leivingston added, here is yr King, mean- ing the Governor. Whereupon they beg'd his pardon, and that he would forgive them their Ignorance and Inadvertency.
" To the second question they returned their answer that the people were so many, the land so small and the wages so bad, that it was im- possible to agree with the gentleman on their extravagant terms, especially after the vast ex- pense and labor they had had, not mentioning, that the Indians had given it to the Crown for their use and that there was no direction imedi- ately from his Majesty to confirm it to them, they being sent over with a promise of so much land pr head and if they served any body it must be the King and not a privat person.
" They answered to the 3d point, that because they lived on the borders of the French as a Frontier & were liable to their dayly insults against whom they could scarcely stand, they were obliged to keep fair with the friendly In- dians amongst whom they dwelt, which was the only way to be protected and live in peace.
"Governor Hunter then ordered that those who wou'd not agree with or turn tenants to those Gentleman from Albany, to whom he had sold the land for 1500 pistoles shou'd remove from their habitations and Improvements & that they should make two lists, one of those that wou'd agree the other of those that wou'd not agree with the Gentleman & and that he soon expected an order from England to trans- plant them to another place, but no such thing was performed.
"They then most submissively remonstrated
with the Gov. how hard it would be to leave & abandon their houses, lands and Improvements for nothing beside that they were indebted for other necessary's, thereupon Gov. Hunter an- swered, that he would send 12 men to examine their works and Improvements and give them . money to pay their debts but it was never per- formed.
" The winter following they sent 3 men to New York to the Governor humbly beseaching him to grant them liberty to plough the lands or otherwise take care of them, but he answered, What is said is said, meaning the Prohibition of plowing at Albany
"This was a thunder clap in the ears of their wifes & children and the lamentations of all the people increased to such a hight and their necessity's grew so great, that they were forc'd for their own preservation to transgress those orders and sew some Summer Corn and fruits or Else they must have starv'd.
" These Gentleman have thrown one of their women in Prison at Albany, who still continues there also a man for ploughing the land and will not release him till he gives One Hundred Crown's security, the same has also happened to others.
" The Governor sent orders, that all the Germans should take their oaths of being faith- ful and withal to pay 8 shillings pr head, which they willingly agreed to, in hopes of a settle- ment, but this with all the promices formally made, unto them was in vain."
[Endorsed] "Greivances of the Palentins in New York Rd Aug 20th 1722."
CHAPTER Il.
THE FOREGOING CHAPTER REVIEWED-Ex- PENSE OF GERMANS-REVIEW OF TIIE GER- MAN MOVEMENTS-LOCATED AT SCHORIE- THEIR HARDSHIPS -- JUDGE BROWN'S AC- COUNT-FIGHT-INDIANS OF WHAT TRIBE -HUNTING GROUNDS-KA-RIG-HON-DON-TEE THE CHIEF-SALE OF LANDS BY GOV. HUN- TER-SCHUYLER AND COEYMAN'S PURCHASE -Gov. HUNTER'S DEFENSE TO THE BOARD OF TRADE-BAYARD'S VISIT TO SCHOHARIE
21
REVIEW OF THE EARLY PALATINE SETTLEMENTS.
-RESUMED LANDS-SHERIFF ADAMS --- ADAM VROMAN-THE GERMANS TRESPASS UPON HIM-HIS LETTER TO GOV. HUNTER -THE FOURTH OF JULY SPIRIT-OFFICIAL CORRUPTION-HUNTER'S ORDER OF ARREST -WEISER IN ENGLAND-CONFINED IN THE TOWER- CLARK'S LETTER-JEREMY LONG'S COUNCIL FOR GERMANS -- PURCHASE OF LANDS IN 1719-LOCATION OF WEISER'S DORF-OTHER DORFS-SPREAD OF SETTLE- MENTS-MODE OF LIVING-IMPLEMENTS- NEGRO SLAVES AND CUSTOMS-INDIANS- THEIR PETITION-NUMBER OF THEM IN SCHOHARIE -- MILITARY AFFAIRS -- DIVISION OF . ALBANY COUNTY-EARLY OFFICIALS.
PERHAPS we have drawn too freely upon doc- umentary history to be pleasing, as it is con- sidered by the general reader to be uninteresting.
But we are aware that our County's history has been written-its life and character drawn, and long years ago its fac-simile impressed upon the minds of her people in a different light from that which the foregoing chapter casts, and to make such contrary assertions without proof, would be useless. Therefore, we produce these copies raked from dusty archives to prove the facts, and from them we glean much that must change the impressions that conjecture and tra- dition have made, however much we have been content with the well told and pleasing tale.
It will be seen that it was the intention of Gov. Hunter to settle the Germans at " Schorie " upon their landing at New York, as by his let- ter to the Board of Trade, he had sent the sur- veyors there to lay out their lots-also through the petition, that the Indians had given the land for that purpose.
It was so understood by the Palatines while in England, and we have not a doubt but they were made to believe that they were to have forty acres each with necessary utensils, immediately after landing, or they would not in their honest simplicity have so persistently petitioned to the Governor and King to that end.
But the officials required them to pay the ex- pense their immigration had incurred, in pitch and tar, before any farther movements were made.
Hunter's sole excuse for not settling them in the "promised land Schorie," was that it " would incur too great expense to maintain a garrison for their protection from the invasion of ye French and French Indians"-while he kept them at the camps at an expense to the govern- ment of from eight to twelve hundred pounds each month. After they came to Schoharie they did not cost the government a single farth- ing for their subsistence. The fact was, as Lord Clarendon wrote, that "Gov. Hunter fell in very ill hands " when he concurred in Mr. Liv- ingston's scheme to employ and subsist the Ger- mans, and His Lordship's words proved true that "Livingston and some others will get es- tates and the Palatines will not be the richer." There was a speculation in the labors and sub- sistence of the Germans, and they knew it, and for their persistent efforts to obtain a recom- pense for their labors in desirable homes for their families and a plentiful amount of eatables, they were stigmatized by the officials as ignorant and willfully obstinate. In reviewing the peti- tion of 1720 and letters which we have copied, we learn that they landed in New York in June, 1710, and were taken to Livingston's manor in the fall of that year.
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