USA > New York > Ulster County > History of Ulster County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Vol. I > Part 9
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" Brothers: We are all inclined to peace, and have no mischief in our hearts. We shall now go at work with a fire burning between us, around which we of both sides will lay down to rest. Other savages tell us the Dutch will slay us while we sleep, but we will not. listen to such prattle.
" Brothers : We cannot conceive why you built a fort. It would have been better had each man remained on his own land. No- where ean you get better eorn. Now it is swept away by the water. Your bridge is gone. You cannot reach your maize to drive away the crows.
" Brothers : We were greatly surprised you did not plow, therefore apprebending you were brooding mischief. You ought to plow, for you have nothing to fear from us. It does not please us we ean no longer use the path by the guard house. It is fortunate indeed you beat thuse sachems who would make use of it, for had they been com- mon people a terrible fight have ensued.
" Brothers: The horses and hogs of Jacob Jansen Stol destroyed a whole plantation. When we drove the creatures out a horse fell on a stamp. Halit been killed by a tree or arrow, it could easily have becu noticed. We think it died from starvation.
" Brothers: Jlere are forty fathoms sewan for the horse we shot at and killed.
" Brothers : This is for the hogs of Jacob Jansen that we killed." (Ten fathoms.)
" Brothers: This is for taking four Christian prisoners." (Three fathoms.)
Presenting five more, he added :
" Brothers : This is to pacify yon entirely, and this (five fathoms) that your warriors may not beat us in the future. For the labor we will pay in sewan."
To these frank proposals Stoll, Chambers, and Laurensen could only answer they could do nothing until the director came. Month after month had passed since this reply had been given, which still irritated the Indians. Stuyvesant committed a blunder in not impowering the settlers and his commandant to make peace, and in uot furnishing the means. Sloops were constantly sailing up the river, by which he could readily have sent all needed supplies. Per- haps he did not fear any trouble. At least he had no reason to apprehend any, unless it was begun by the whites. They were in the feverish excitement which would not tolerate a good word from a red man. They were like a client who is blinded to all good qualities of his opponent, and thinks his mildness and morality a snare. They would have trouble, and did have it.
Chambers had not moved with the rest to the village, but remained on bis land and gathered his erops. Ile bad one to sell when his was the only grain to be got. He does not seem to have entertained the same suspicions others did. There were a few others like him, but their names are not. preserved.
On the night of the 16th of September, as the story was told by Bevy, otherwise Esquasicond, March-ach-nemens, otherwise Machschapet, Catskill Indiaus, a party of eight savages, after husking corn for Chambers at Fox Hall during the day, asked him for some brandy. He answered, " When it is dark." As soon as evening came he gave them a big bottle. For this they said, " We thank you for so much."
They then said, " Let us go to the liquor-house to drink it." But one of the party proposed to have their spree by
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THE FIRST ESOPUS INDIAN WAR, IN 1650.
a brook, which was agreat ou, whereupon they built a «mall fire and began their frolic. About midnight their Juttle was empty, when one of the party went to Chambers with sewan to lay more. "He having aone, the same In- dian walked up to a soblier and asked him for some, offer- ing the wamptri in payment. After asking, - What good ta wan to me? ' he fillet the bottle and gave it to hit. When he returned the drinking continued, until the party began to pull hair, howling and fighting. At this point one savage discharged a gun loaded only with powder. Now one of the party proposed to adjourning. " He felt some sensation in his body as if they all should be killed." The others jeered hint for this fear, saying, " Who'd kill 114? We never harmed the Dutch ; why should they kill ns ?" But he replied, " My heart. feels heavy within we, -- my heart is full of fear ;" and again entreatel his com. panions to leave the place, withthawing himself to one side. In the mean time their terrible hoe and cry had alarmed the people within the stockade ( Wilwyck), and Ensign Smit detached Sergeant Laurentsen and ning or ten men 10 go out by one gate to reconnaitre and return by the other, but with strict injunetions to harm no one. This officer soon sent word that some savages were on a frolic. On the receipt of this news, Jacob Jansen Stel allowed he would head a sortie against them.
Accordingly, although contrary to the orders of Smit, he, Jacob Jansen van Stoutenburgh, Thomas Higgins, Gy-bert Phillipsen van Velthuysen. Evert Pels, Jan Arent- sen, Barent Harmensen, Martin Hofman, GBis de He ker, Abel Dirchsen, atel James the mason, marched out and fred a volley of m isketry among them as they loy around the fire. One was knocked in the head with an axe and left for dead, but he revived and male off; one fled, one was taken prisoner. Another, while lying on the ground, was hewn on the heel with a enthiss, which roused him and he fled. The others escaped. " The Dutch thereupon retreated to the fort with great speed."
The ensign, knowing full woll the consequences of this Intechery, set to work to find who commanded the fire. The guilty cast the blaine on the Indians, saying they fired first. Smit, who was a gallant and discreet officer, finding he could no longer control the people, for they att act - their own way, resolved to avait himself of an order of the director to return to the Manhattans, and accordingly toneed he would leave the next day. This caused great excitement and much earnest opposition. They did not know what to do. He was intractable. Finding they ecadd do nothing by persuasion, Stol and Chambers wittily hired all the boats in the neighborhood. Baffled thus, Smit now gent Christopher Davis to the director with in- formation of the true condition of Esopns. This man went down the river in a cator, having been escorted to the Strand by eight soldiers and ten or eleven citiz us, under command of Sergeant Laurentsen. This was on the 21st of September, 1659. When this party were returning to The village they fell into an ambuseade near the City Hall lot and were surrounded, when the sergeant and thirteen toen surrendered without firing a shot. The rest fled and reached the gate in safety.
War now logan in earnest. The savages, to the number
of five or six hundred, surrounded the place and kept up a constant skirmish. Throwing firebrands, they set fire to the house of Jacob Sebers, which, with many barracks, stacks, and barns, was burned. They next commenced a desperate assault, and came very near carrying the place, but through Providence this was averted. But, owing to the ample protection afforded by the palisades, only one man was killed and two wounded. Failing in this, the savages next killed all the horses, cattle, and hogs they could find outside the defenses. For three weeks they kept up a constant siege, so that " none dare go abroad." Cn- able to make any impression on the town, they vented their .fury on the unfortunate prisoners.
Jacob Jansen van Stoutenburgh, Abraham Vosburg, a son of Cornelis B. Slecht, and five or six others were forced to run the gauntlet, and were then tied to stakes, where, after they were beaten and cut in the most cruel manner, they were " burned alive."
I wish I knew the names of all those who were then cruelly killed or suffered the horrors of captivity among the Esopus Indians. Thomas Clapboard, William the car- peuter, Peter Hillebrants, and' Evert Pels' son, with those already named, are the only individuals mentioned. Clap- board was nickname for Chambers. He was carried by a party of six warriors down the E-opus Kill, where, when night carie ou, he managed, while the captors were asleep, to strike five on the head while lying, and killed the sixth before he could fly, when he escaped. One soldier escaped, and Peter Laurentsen and Peter Hillebrants were ransomed. Pell' sou, who was a youth, was adopted into an Indian family. Afterwards, when the savages were importuned to return him to his parents, Kaelkop said he was in one of their villages, and " took there a wife, who became preg- nant, aml she was unwilling to port with him or he with her." The savages all averred the same thing, and said, " He wished to stay with his squaw, as he ought to do." Perhaps they both joined the Christian settlement after- wards, -perhaps not; but, if they did, the Pels have as much to boast of as the descendants of Pocahontas.
When the news of this cruel war was received in New Amsterdam, " fear seized the souls of the whole colony." " The farmers, apprebending a new massaere, fled in every direction, abandoning their harvested grain, cattle, and even their nearest inhabited villages on Long Island." The blow Fell heavier, because the energies of the people were already prostrated by fever and other diseases. The colony was never in a worse plight. There were only " six or seven sick sobliera" in garrison at Fort Amsterdam. Stuyvesant. himself was sick. But the indomitable will of this able man gave up to no obstacles without an effort. He visited all the neighboring villages, encouraged the fearful and timid, and urged the farmers to stockade their towns. He convened the schepens, burgomasters, and militia officers, and 1. id before them the true condition of Esopus and its great need of assistance. They thought the heat of drums would bring plenty of volunteers, to encourage which they proposed the Indians should be " good prizes." To this he objected, but, being overruled, he tried it. At the end of two days only six or seven men had enlisted. He may sent Capt. Newton and Heat. Stillwell to the English towns
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HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
for assistance, while he wrote to Fort Orange and Rensse- laerwyck for help. His communication to the latter town reached just after the return of the commissioners who had been at " Caughunewagah" to treat with the proud Iro- quois. The news of the troubles in Esopus had reached them before they left that place, and they had their promise, should the Exopus Indians come with presents to get their co-operation against the Christians, they would say, " Away with ye, ye beasts, ye swine! We will have nothing to do with ye!" The people of Fort Orange could give no other succor without leaving their own homes defenseless. The director now conscripted all the garrison, the company's servants, the hands in his brewery, and the clerks, into the service. The inhabitants made great opposition to these efforts, saying they were not liable to go abroad to fight swages. Resolved to relieve the besieged. if possible, he bow ordered a parade of the city militiamen. He appealed to their " honor and daty." and asked those who would go to " step out." Only twenty-five or twenty-six came for- ward. Chagrined and mortified, he now ordered them to cist lots, and that the unlucky should be ready to go by the next Sabbath, under pain of fifty guilders. He allowed, " if any person was werk-hearted or afraid," he might pro- cure a substitute. Honor and shame silenced every month.
A full detail of all the acts of the people about Now Am- sterdam, on this occasion, does not belong to this work, but they exhibited a shameful want of Christian heart and courage, such as never disgraced any other colony since a part of the original States."
On Sunday evening. the 9th of October, after the second service. the expedition, consisting of que hundred drafted men, forty volunteers, twenty-five or six Englishmen. und nearly as many Ilians from Long Island, embarked for Esopus, which it reached the next day. Here he heard the siege had been raised thirty-six hours. The savages finding. after repeated assanits, they could make no impres- sion on the works, and " had only succeeded in wounding five or six more," they retreated to their homes, whither Stuyvesant could not pursue them, " for the whole country was inundated with nearly a foor of water from the frequent heavy rains." Unable to employ so large a force. he soon returned to the Manhattans. While re-embarking an on- currence happened which he " blushed to mention." As there were not boats enough to convey all on board at ouce, the drafted men were obliged to wait until the rest were aboard. The sentinels, hearing a dog bark, fired. The im- pression in mediately prevailed that the Indians were at hand, and a general panic seized the whode body. Some threw themselves into the water, when no enemy was to be seen or heard. They got on board, however, without losing a man. It was fortunate that the rains prevented any ex pedition into the interior with such troops, for the least re- sistance might have caused a rout and massacre.
Before leaving he strengthened the garrison, still leaving Smit in command. Bat the savages ouly now and then masle their appearance again, to make threats and keep people vigilant. In the meanwhile, the authorities at. Fort Orange sent two Maquas chiefs with Mi-ameret, a
Mohican sachem, to conclude an armistice. In this they sneceeded on the Ist of November, after a five days' stay. having at the same time ransomed two men. This was to continue as long as the director should elect. Hoping he could now conclude a permanent peace, the director again visited the place, November 28th, but the savages were afraid of him. About the middle of the following month they brought in " some turkey and deer to see if we were sincere." Some powder was given in exchange, which had a " happy effect." But Smit said, " We place no con- fidence in them, nor they in us. Winter and scarcity of eorn alone retard hostilities." Some ten or twelve hogs yet remained among the Indians, but when asked for them they did not know their whereabouts. Ilow they were taken I have not learned. Indeed, I don't know much about the true sufferings of the whites at this time. Vigi- lant watching and tiresome expeditions into the wilderness. on short rations, were the duties of the winter. At one time they destroyed one of the towns of " twenty or thirty funilies each," and killed many Indians. It is strange that a town like Kingston has such an epie history and yet her people know not of it. The sufferings of her fathers and mothers were equal to that of any other town in America, Why have their children forgotten them ?
Director Stuyvesant now proposed to make a formal dee- laration of war. He thought it too horrible and humili- ating " for an honorable and liberty-loving nation, which. through God's blessing, has freed herself from Spanish tyranny and the Inquisition, to bear what had passed at Exopus,"-one savage presumed to be as good as two Dutchmen, -- wherefore, " to restore the downfalling Bata- vian reputation," he would fight.
He said the people of Esopus could produce more grain than all the other settlements, therefore the greater need of the measures he proposed. The Indians meant to drive out all except one family, which could live at the Strand and furnish necessaries. He would first increase the mili- tary strength of the colony, and until this was done be proposed " ruse for ruse, and to lead them away by elica- nery."
There was one member of his council who had some justice in his lwart, and this was Van Ruyven, secretary of the colony. He opposed the scheme, if it could be avoided, reminding them that the whites, not the red meu, were the aggressors ; how slow they were in raising troops ; that another effort should be made for peace; and if war must be made, it should be deferred until autumn, when they could destroy the maize, which they plant " deep in the country, in one or another unknown coreer." for food in the cold season. Notwithstanding this weighty advice. the members of this council agreed to declare war, but ad- vised it be deferred until " fall."
After this determination, March 15th, Goetchels, chief of the Wappingers, appeared before their council at the Manhattans, and asked for peace in the name of Pech- Pegh-quanock. Pem-myrameck, Prensamack, and See- wechammee, sachems of the Esopas Indians. " They were very fearful all winter the Dutch would make war. They bad the sewan and beaver all ready to make peace." ". They did not coure themselves, because they were full of fear."
# Albany Ree., xvi. CD-90 ; xviii. 3. ; OºC., i. 298-100 ; Brodhead's N. Y., ii. 660.
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THE FIRST ESOPUS INDIAN WAR, IN 1659.
The director answered they only wanted " an empty pe.ice." The chief answered it was only the " Kaele Backers" (" empty heads") who talk of war; that all principal men, " especially Kaelkop and.Pem myrameck, begged for peace." They wanted to meet at Esopus.
The director had, in the meanwhile, importuned the Amsterdam Chamber of Directors of the West India Com- pany for reinforcements of men, money, and supplies. He wished to be able to protect the settlers, and thereby en- courage emigration. " If a farmer eannot plow, sow, and reap in a new-settled country without being harassed and disheartened, if a citizen and merehant eannot freely navi- gate the streams and rivers, they will, doubtless, leave the country and look for some better place to reside, where the government will protect them."
The directors sent some troops and directed him to em- ploy the Magnas against the Esopus savages. Stuyvesant demurred to this, for, he said, they were a proud, vain. glorious 'nation, made worse by their victories over the French and French Indians. If he employed them, the Dutch would be more contemptible in the eyes of the other tribes, and they were " inflated." If the recompense was not sufficient in their eyes, " they would incessantly re- vile us ;" to which if we retorted, a fight would ensue. He therefore thought it best " to stand on our feet as long as possible."*
The savages had good cause for their fear, for, while these negotiations were going on, Suit was pursuing theui to their " remote corners." On the 15th of March he marched, with forty men, about eight or nine English miles into the interior, where they discovered sixty savages. "These fled without offering any resistance, but the Dutel soldiers fired at them as they ran, " killing three or four." They also took twelve prisoners. Returning from the pur- suit they destroyed Fort " Wiltmeet," and captured muel: maize, beans and pens, and many peltries. This fort was, doubtless, either in Rosendale or Marbletown.
On the ISth, Stuyvesant arrived at the Strand, and went up to the village to meet the red men. They had frequently requested him to come, but now, owing to the fearful stroke of Smit, they were afraid to approach him Irritated by the fooling, he now resolved to declare war. He therefore sent the plunder and prisoners to Manhattan, and, ordering the remnant of the tribes driven across the Catskill Moun- tains, he sailed to Fort Orange, where, on the 25th, he issued a formal declaration of war against them " and their adherents."
Shortly before this he had covenanted with all the river Indians south of the Esopus that they should remain neu- tral. He now made a treaty with the Wappingers, thus securing their friendship. By this he drew his Christian coil around the poor Esopus savages.
On the 3d of April two parties of savages appeared ou the opposite side of the Esopus Creek, made derisive ges- tures, such as turning up the buttocks, and challenged the Dutch to fight. They yelled out they could hang the pris- oners if they liked. The next day they eame again, and promised to come on the morrow. Smit now determined
* Atb. Rec., iv. 331 ; xvi. 101-7; xviii. 54, 60, 69, 102-3; O'C. N. Y., ii. 40-41.
to ambush them. Accordingly, very early the next morn- ing, he hid forty-three men " among the rocks over the creek," about " two or three gun-shots" from the fort (Kingston).t One hundred Indians soon made their appearance, but their scouts discovered the snare. The whites now began a general attack, and followed them for an hour, killed three, wounded two, and took one, with a loss of only three horses. Smit thien returned to the fort. A few days after this expedition he took fourteen prisoners through a stratagem.
The savages were all the while bawling "for peace, peace." On the 23d some Mohawk chiefs appeared before Montagne, secretary of Fort Orange, and presented eighteen fathoms of sewan in their name, with a prayer for a treaty. This was refused for want of power, and the petitioners re- ferred to the director and council. Two days before this the Cutskill and Mohican tribes asked the same thing in their behalf, and offered in their name to give up all land on the Esopus, and exchange prisoners and booty.
In these days, Eskurias, alias Acpjen (Ape), Assamad, and Beresbay, three sachems of the latter tribe, now fully aroused, plead their ease before the director. Laying down two strings of wampum, one of them said, " This is a pledge that the Esopus sachems, Kaelebackers, young and old, men and women, desired peace." These belts were taken up, but Stuyvesant assured them peace could only be assured by their coming to New Amsterdam. Presenting two other belts, they asked the prisoners might be released. They were told this could not be done, and the sewan was returned. Then they laid down twelve, and renewed the request. This was refused also.
" What, theu, are your intentions with these men ?" ex- claimed one of the chiefs. " What have they done with the Christian prisoners ?" was the reply.
The Indians, finding all their efforts fruitless, now hield a short consultation, after which one of their number laid a belt of wampum at the director's feet, and requested the war be confined to the Esopus country. They were now assured this lay in their own hands. As long as they were friendly to the Dutch they should not be molested. Other belts of sewan were now laid at his feet, " to wipe out the remembrance of the rejection of those they had offered for the prisoners." These were taken up, and each of them given in return a blanket, a piece of frieze, an axe, a knife, a pair of stockings, two small kettles, and one pound of powder.
These ambassadors then departed well satisfied, having first obtainel a pass for the Esopus chiefs .;
The next day, May 25th, about twenty Esopus Indians were sent to the hot and unhealthy island of Curagoa, with directions to the viee-director of the colony they should " be employed there, or at Bunarie, with the company's negroes." Three or four others were kept to be punished " as may be thought proper and necessity may demand." Our Christian fathers -- no, our Christian rulers-in this committed an immoral, cruel act, which was the cause of a cruel, horrible massaere. The only exeuse Stuyvesant gave was " because their enlargement would have a tendency
* Alb. Res., xvi. 127, 134; Dutch MS., xiii. 92. # Historical MS., vol. viii. 50.
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HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
to create disaffection towards our nation. Our barbarous neighbors would glory as if they had inspired us with terrer." Had the punishment for this infamous act but fallen on the heads of those who committed it, we could but have said "justice had had her way;" but the retri- bution fell on the wives, sous, and daughters of E-opus, our innocent fathers and mothers .* " The Indians never forget their brothers."
Smit, having bad a quarrel with Mattys Roelofsen's wife about some beer, and having been well plied with her tongue, complained to the director. He could not do less than reprimand her, for he must needs sustain a valiant officer. Let no one think I threw this little episode in to cast a shir on Smit. He was an able, valiant maan, but such men have the experience of other men. He was human.
Two days after the banishment of the prisoners the ensign sent out seventy-five men, with an Indian prisoner, Disquaaras, as guide. This party discovered, "at the second fall on Kit David's Kill," a few savages planting maize on the opposite bank. The second fall here referred to is what is generally called Lefevre's Falls, at the Rock Lock, in the town of Rosendale. The maize land was undoubtedly the flat now in possession of Timothy F. Tilson, and long inchided iu " John Van Campen's lands." The creek being "high," the Dutch could not eross; but the savages fled, when the whites returned to the fort.
Maritje Hansen, wife of Jurien Westphael, now in- formed them the Indians had concentrated themselves in an ahnost inaccessible place, " about nine miles, or three hours, higher up, above the above-mentioned fall, where it is quite easy to ford the stream." This was either in Rochester or Wawarsing. Upon this information they proceeded forth- with to surprise the enemy in his works. When within sight of their dwellings, they saw some wemeu and chil. dren planting, but the banking of their dogs gave them the alarmu, whereupon they fled without firing a shot. They left behind them Premmaker (Preymaker), " the oldest and best of their chiefs." He was father of the guide, Dis- quaaras, and as true a son of the forest as ever breathed. Armed with a gun, six knives, and a tomahawk. he, eri pled and beat with age, hauglily cried ont, " What are ye doing here, ye dogs ?" aiming las gun at the soldiers. But the gun was quickly wrenched from his hands, the other weapons snatched from his belt, and put in charge of a guard. He was the same sachem who lived below Hurley. and a stream is yet named after him.
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