USA > New York > New York City > History of the New Netherlands, province of New York, and state of New York : to the adoption of the federal Constitution. Vol. II > Part 50
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The mail carried once a week instead of once a fortnight, be- tween New York and Philadelphia.
In February, James Gain, pursuant to his sentence, stood in the pillory, near the City Hall, in this city, (New York,) and was most severely pelted by great numbers of the spectators, there being some thousands present.
March 24th .- The post goes twice a week between Philadelphia and New York, to set out at ten A. M. and arrive at noon, the third day. The order is signed William Franklin, by order of the post- master-general, i. e. his father Benjamin.
June 14th .- The papers are filled with preparations for war, the arrival of troops, recruiting, etc. Near Kinderhook, four white
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men, two boys, and a negro, having their fire-arms near them, were hoeing corn, when six Indians and a Frenchman fired on them. One white man and a boy were wounded. The negro and three other men and the boy ran off; but John Gardner ran to the load- ed guns, and at two discharges killed two Indians ; before he could fire the third gun, an Indian closed with him ; the Frenchman ran up at the same time and knocked Gardner down ; and while he Jay insensible his enemies scalped him ; probably the Indian being most skilful, performed the operation., As the coup de grace was not given, Gardner recovered from the blow, and crawled to his friends, unconscious of having lost his scalp.
August 25th .- A publick fast, by order of Lieutenant-governour Delancey, on account of the war.
September Sth .- Sir Charles Hardy having arrived on the 2d, is installed on the 3d, as governour of the province. The militia are paraded, guns fired, and his commission read at the City Hall, in Wall street. He then returns to the fort.
Hardy was a sailor, and Lieutenant-governour Delancey governs him, and acts as chief-justice at the same time. Smith gives a dia- logue between him and some lawyers, in which the governour says : " I desired the chief-justice (Delancey) to be here : I can't take upon myself to say, I understand the law. I have been a justice of the peace in England ; but I know nothing of the law. My knowledge, gentlemen, relates to the sea; that is my sphere. If you want to know when the wind and the tide suit for going down to Sandy Hook, I can tell you that." Such was the governour sent by England to rule the province of New York !
It is said that the first " original article" that ever appeared in an English newspaper, was from the pen of Dr. Johnson, and came out in 175S, in " The Universal Chronicle and Weekly Gazette," published by Newbury, St. Paul's Church-yard; and that the news- papers were a single leaf, quarto size, two pages, each divided into two columns. Hugh Gaine's paper, published in New York, 1755, was folio, and had occasional original essays. A newspaper was published in New York, called the Plebeian, (which I have not seen,) in 1754. Gaine's Mercury, 1753, folio. The New York Gazette and Postboy was in folio, and published by James Par- ker, from 1743 to 1752; and William Bradford began to publish the first newspaper that was printed in New York as early as 1725. and that was folio size ; therefore the above assertions respecting London newspapers is scarcely to be believed. 1756 In the Postboy of April 19th, 1756, is an account of Owen Syllavan, a counterfeiter, many of whose adventures are romantick. He broke from guard on one occasion, seized a cut- lass, and made his escape, through a crowd, who fled out of his way. He carried on his vocation in a cavern, the entrance to which was
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in a swamp, and concealed by the roots of a tree, which with brush- wood artfully placed for the same purpose, he could remove. Hle was once discovered in a hole, under the hearth of a country or farm house, the entrance concealed by a bed on which a woman was asleep. He had a chimney in his subterranean abode which communicated with the one above him. He was condemned in April, and in May respited, for want of a hangman.
Syllavan, " before he was turned off," said that he some time back struck off £12,000 of Rhode Island money, and passed above £1,600 in one day. He printed large sums of New York money, signed Oliver De Lancey, John Livingston, and Isaac De Peyster. He would not betray his confederates, took "a large cud of tobacco, and turning to the people, said, ' I cannot help smiling, as 'tis the nature of the beast.' " He was asked what denomina- tion the bills were, which he printed, of the New York currency : " You must find that out by your learning," was his answer.
In this year, the population of the city of New York was 10,SS1, and of the province, 91,616.
At the great carrying place, (now Rome,) on the route to Oswego from Albany, the French and Indians stormed a feeble garrison and cut them to pieces. The commander's head was found placed upon a post, and his heart thrust in the mouth. This is a specimen of border warfare.
Robert Hunter Morris, Governour of Pennsylvania, offers to pay for every Indian male enemy, above twelve years of age, $150 : for the scalp of such, $130. For every female Indian pri- soner, or boy under twelve, $130. For the scalp of an Indian woman, $50.
June 24th .- John Conolly was apprehended by a warrant from Judge Neville, of Perth Amboy, for the murder of an Indian woman called Kate, the wife of an Indian named George, belonging to the friendly Indians, and residing for many years in Somerset : he had registered himself and family, according to the governour's procla- mation. It appeared by several depositions and by the confession of the prisoner, that he and three others had combined to murder George and his family, and carry their scalps to Philadelphia, to be delivered on oath as the scalps of Indian enemies killed in Pennsylvania, and thus obtain the reward offered by that govern- ment for Indian scalps. For this purpose the four heroes, armed with guns, cutlasses, and an axe, repaired to George's domicil, near Pepeck, in the night, where the family were asleep under the supposed protection of civilization, law, and christianity-broke open the door, and called upon the man to come out. As he did not immediately obey, Chesney fired his musket into the building, a hut of one apartment, or wigwam. George, unarmed and fright- ened by the ruffians, fled by an aperture in the back of his
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dwelling, escaping two balls fired after him; but, by accident the Indian fell, which. Conolly perceiving by the light of the moon, hastened with his axe to dispatch him. George, however. recovered, and escaped by superiour swiftness. Returning to the house, Conolly saw the woman endeavouring to wrench a muchet from the hands of one of the assassins, who had presented it for the purpose of shooting her while imploring merey, and with his axe despatched her by a blow on the head. After discharging the contents of the musket in the bosom of the dying mother, the wretches proceeded to the murder of the affrighted children, but only succeeded in mangling with wounds a girl of eleven years old, and inflicting some gashes on two infants ; when, fearing that the neighbourhood would be roused by the man who escaped, the con- science-stricken murderers fled, without scalping the victims-all of whom they supposed dead. The neighbours found this family weltering in blood, when brought to the scene by the miserable husband and father ! The children recovered by surgical aid, Do the mother was found lifeless. We here see a part of the fruit of the Pennsylvania proclamation, offering a reward for scalps.
August 15th-Many accounts arrive of murders committed by the Indians, who generally committed their depredations in safety. At Elizabethtown, on the 19th of August, three men made their appearance, almost starved, and nearly naked, having been thirty- two days in the woods, after making their escape from the Indians of Venango, to which place they had been taken prisoners in May, and kept as servants to the captors until they made their escape. A farmer of the name of Swartwout, was killed and scalped about the same time ; of his children they murdered the three youngest, and carried off a boy of nine years of age and a girl of twelve. Of such instances, where families who thought themselves in security, were in a night swept away, the stories are innumerable.
20th .- Died, at Oyster Bay, the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Woolsey, of that place. IIe was "a burning light," and officiated " gra- tuitously." He died of a Nephritick disease, which he suffered from for some years.
23d .- The governour laid the first stone of King's College.
25th .- Albany-" Yesterday our young men who went out with some Mohawk Indians, arrived here ; they took two scalps within forty yards of the French camp, the one a French officer and the other a soldier."
September 4th .- The account given by John Cox, a lad of six- teen, who was a prisoner among the Indians, is descriptive of their manners and warfare. When he arrived, with the party who took him, at an Indian village, he saw about one hundred warriours, with their wives and children, and fifty English prisoners-men women, and children. Soon after, two war parties came in-one
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with nine scalps and ten prisoners, and the other with five prisoners and some scalps. Shortly after, he saw eighteen warriours arrive, with seventeen scalps affixed to a pole, with which they proceeded to Fort Du Quesne to receive the reward. On one occasion, all the prisoners were assembled to witness the tortures inflicted upon one of their countrymen, who was doomed as a sacrifice for some reason to Cox unknown. During this lad's captivity, parties from twelve to twenty were constantly going and returning with scalps and prisoners : the latter they expected to receive ransoms for, and the former were paid for by the French. At length they felt the pressure of a want of food, and retired from the frontiers to their corn-fields. The lad, half starved, contrived his escape, and ar- rived at Philadelphia.
20th .- " Thursday, between the hours of nine and eleven, Mrs. Johanna Christiana Young and another lady, her associate, from Philadelphia, being found guilty of grand larceny last week at the mayor's court, are to be set on two chairs exalted on a cart, with their heads and faces uncovered, and to be carted from the City Hall, (then the jail,) to that part of the Broadway near the old English Church, from thence down Maiden Lane, then down the Fly to the White Hall, thence to the church aforesaid, and then to the whipping-post, where each of them are to receive thirty-nine lashes, to remain in jail for one week, and then to depart the city,"
November10th .- Ordered, in common council, that the mayor issue his warrant " for the sum of three pounds, in order to cloath John Dugan, the present publick whipper, now in the poor-house, and his salary to commence from this day," viz. £12.
In this year the New York privateers amounted to twenty ; the men, 1,980 ; guns, 216. At Philadelphia, but one. Bos- ton, one.
December 20th .- Lott and Low give notice that after the first of next January, all persons who wish to have vellum, parchment, or paper, legally stamped, must apply to them, at their stamp- office. This stamp duty was laid by the governour, council, and assembly, for one year.
Abraham Linsen gives notice to all retailers of tea under the quantity of 100lbs. weight, that they must apply to him for license, and pay Gd. for every pound retailed, within one year after the first of January next. This tax was for one year.
January 10th .- The governour of Massachusetts calls 1757
upon the house of representatives, to take some steps to- ward settling the controversy with New York concerning the boun- dary line. He tells them that Hardy had written to him on the subject, and tells him that a man had been killed, in an atfray, on the bor- ders by an Indian belonging to Sheffield. " This is the second
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person who has lost his life by means of this unfortunate dispute." Signed S. Phips.
31st .- Captain Rogers with a scouting party of thirty men, way- laid a convoy for Crown Point of sixty sleighs, 59 of which he destroy- ed, one escaped and alarmed the garrison : in consequence of which the French pursued Rogers, killed twenty of his men, and wound- ed him in the wrist. He brought in eighteen scalps. The scalping is practised so universally, that it appears in every newspaper column of this time. Sometimes the incidents are a little varied ; for example-a man goes out on a scouting party in Pennsylvania, but finding that the party are to lie out all night in the snow, he unluckily leaves them to go home to his bed ; but one of his in- tended victims is in his way, shoots him, and takes his scalp. Two men in a house near by, at the report of the gun, " ran out and found the Indian handling his scalping knife"-being unarmed they ran in again and left the operator undisturbed. Another account of Rogers' capture of sleighs, says that he took only six out of seven, and brought in no scalps.
April .- The New York post-master orders that posts should go twice a week between New York and Philadelphia.
May 25th .- Sir C. Hardy by proclamation assures all boatmen and marketmen who come to, or go from, the city, that they shall not be impressed while bringing " provisions and other necessaries to the kings ships, or any of the transports in his majesty's service."
June 2d .- Archibald Kennedy, in behalf of his fellows of the kings council, signs a most dutiful and humble address to Gover- nour Hardy, previous to his departure, and begs him when he shall come into the royal presence, to represent them in a favoura- ble light. Dated from the council chamber, Fort George, and the governour's reply has the same date.
21st-Persons claiming a right under Massachusetts, to part of the Livingston Manor, assembled within eighteen miles of Hudson's River, at a place called Tackhanick ; and being commanded by the sheriff's deputy, with an armed force, in presence of a justice of peace to disperse, instead of so doing shut themselves in a house and fired upon the posse -- shots were exchanged, several were wounded on both sides and one killed : another died of his wounds.
The City of New York was at this time divided into wards, and 1 was under the government of a mayor, recorder, seven aldermen, and seven assistants. The mayor, sheriff and coroner were annu- ally appointed by the governour. The recorder had a patent during pleasure. The annual revenue of the corporation was about this time nearly £2000 or 5000 dollars. The militia of this island amounted to 2300. The number of inhabitants was 15,000, at the utmost ; of whom, 3,000 were negroes and slaves.
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The north-eastern part of the island was at this time inhabited according to Smith, " by Dutch fariners, who have a small village there called Harlem.
November 21st .- On account of " worthy Colonel Peter Schuy- ler's" happy return to New York, several houses were illuminated and an elegant entertainment given at the King's Arins ; and on the 27th the honourable Colonel Peter Schuyler arrived at his house at Peterborough, New Jersey, and was saluted with thirteen can- non-in the evening a bonfire, and continued discharges of cannon.
December 6th .- The general assembly meets at the Out ward of New York. Lieutenant-governour De Lancey tells them of the murders committed by Indians in Ulster and Orange-that he had ordered a line of block houses to protect the inhabitants of that frontier-barracks building in New York-immoderate use of spirituous liquors among the king's troops, and laws required to restrain the retailer-he recommends a poll tax upon slaves, and a tonnage upon vessels not built in this province or Great Britain ; that is, on vessels of the other provinces ; the first will encourage the coming of white servants, and the second that of ship builders. 1758
At Perth Amboy, Samuel Neville edited a literary peri- odical publication called " The New American Magazine." He chose to appear under the signature of Sylvanus Americanus. He was an English gentlemen of liberal education, a judge of the supreme court of New Jersey, and had been editor of the London Evening Post. He resided at this time on his farm within the boundaries of the City of Perth Amboy, at the termination of Market street, as laid out and opened, (since known as Coddring- ton's farm.) This magazine was published and printed at Wood- bridge, by James Parker, and issued monthly : price one shilling per copy : each number containing forty pages octavo. It was continued twenty-seven months. The sale did not defray the expenses of printing.
November 14th .- The common council prohibit the sale of bass (or Twaalft) during the winter months in the City of New York.
Arrivals in a week ; 4 schooners, 2 snows, 4 sloops, 1 brig, 2 ships.
17th .- Colonel Peter Schuyler, Dr. Stakes, Captain Martin, and Captain Putnam arrived at Albany, being released from their captivity in Canada. Putnam and others owed much to Schuyler.
December 4th .- An inn-keeper at New Utrecht is fined £5 for buying his shirt from a soldier.
11th .- During Colonel Peter Schuyler's captivity in Canada, his beneficence to his unfortunate countrymen was without bounds, his table being ever free to the distressed, and he expended up- wards of 20,000 livres in redeeming prisoners.
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1759 May 14th .- The New York regiment compleated to 2500 men embarked for Albany.
About this time I observe for the first time that the College of New York is called " King's College."
The advertisements of runaway negroes, and indented servants, are exceeded by those of deserted soldiers.
New Jersey raised 1000 men. Massachusetts 5000. Connec- ticut 3600. New York 2680. Pennsylvania 2700. Virginia 1000. Total 15,980. Connecticut raised more troops than New York.
Ames's Almanack for 1759 made an attempt to describe the future history of our then colonies, in language which, though then prophetick, is now but faintly historical :-
Empires conceiv'd, a while in embryo lay ; Then sprout and grow and branching spread away, The book of fate contains all earthly things, The state of kingdoms and the race of kings. Th' adventurous muse these brazen leaves unfolds,
And future days as present now beholds. Where Powwow's huts in wild disorder stood, With lofty spires, temples are raised to God; On meadow bank, where savage pagans met, Majestic halls of public justice set, And splendid courts magnificently shine With equal pomp to George's royal line. In time thy towers shall vie with Europe's pride, And crowned heads would gladly here reside.
November 10th :- The king's birth-day kept with fire works and other rejoicings, and the militia company of grenadiers mus- tered at the house of Mr. John Marshall, at the North River, where they roasted an ox at their own expense, and eat and drank loyally. This company under Captain Vandyke were among the fugitives, if not among the fighters, at the battle of Brooklyn, in 1776.
The manner in which the war was carried on by the parties of French and their Indians, on the English and their Indians, is hor- rible to recollect, disgusting to bring to the imagination. We have seen how a party of Indians led by the French attacked the sleep- ing inhabitants of Schenectady in 1690. In this year Major Rogers an English officer, led a party from Crown Point against the Indian town of St. Francis. He had 142 men, officers in- cluded ; and after twenty-two days march through the wilderness, on climbing a tree to reconnoitre, the Major discovered that he was about three miles from the Indian town. In the woods he halted, and taking two officers with him on whose skill in ambuscade he could depend, he crept stealthily forward to the town and satisfied himself that the inhabitants were not aware of any approaching enemy, but in perfect security enjoying themselves in dancing.
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He returned to his soldiers, made his disposition for falling upon the unsuspecting natives, and marched in silence his columns upon the diffierent avenues to the village. Two hours before sunrise these Christian soldiers rushed upon the unconscious inhabitants, who were " all," he says, " fast asleep." They were murdered unresisting and unarmed-all, he says, except a few who fled to the water for escape ; but about forty of the English followed and " sunk both them and their boat." He then set fire to the houses, and in the flames many poor creatures perished who had concealed themselves in " cellars and lofts." The Major adds, that " having killed upwards of 200 Indians, and taken 20 of their women and children," he turned off 15 of them, of course to perish in the woods, as all their shelter and food had been destroyed or appro- priated-to avoid a party of French and Indians which he heard were on the alert ; he then dispersed his men, appointing a place of rendezvous, and finally returned in safety.
1760
February 12th .- As a party of Major Rogers's men (about twenty-four) were escorting a sum of money from Ticonderoga to Crown Point, they were attacked by the French Indians to the amount of perhaps a hundred, who killed fourteen of the English, wounded others, (who fled back to the fort) and carried off the money, intended to pay the garrison of Crown Point.
August 5th .- The ship Minohead, Captain Forrest, arrived at Sandy Hook from Lisbon. A ship of war "lying in the road sent a boat to demand her men : but on refusal of the ship's com- pany, who had seized all the small arms and confined the captain and officers," a signal was made by the men-of-war's men for as- sistance, and three boats came, manned and armed under the Minoheads stern, "sometimes discharging small arms and de- manding admittance." The crew refused, and notwithstanding that the captain informed the naval officers (from his cabin window) that he was in confinement, and his officers, and the ship com- manded by the sailors, the ship of war repeatedly fired upon the merchantman grape-shot, langrage and twelve pound balls, which damaged her spars and sails, killed one man, and wounded another.
September Sth .--- The inhabitants of Montgomery ward protest against the corporation's taxing them for opening a canal in Ferry street. They say, as Englishmen, they are not to be taxed but with their consent given by their representatives in the legislature, and that the corporation has no right to tax the city or any part of it, without an act of assembly.
We have seen in this work specimens of the fruit produced, by the offer of a reward for every Indian scalp, whether belonging to man, woman, or child, that should be brought to the rulers of Penn's peaceful province. In this year, North Carolina to punish
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the Cherokees for returning evil for evil, enacted a law, by which all Indian prisoners should become slaves to their captors, and every inhabitant should receive a reward for producing an Indian scalp. But judging from the Indian war in this region at this time, such a law did not tend to conciliate the ancient proprietors of the soil.
October 10th .- The common council ordered an address to his excellency, General Amherst, for his success in the reduction of Canada, and the freedom of the city in a gold box.
November 24th .- The address to Amherst is read. It attributes to him the annexing Canada to his majesty's dominions ; and mil- lions yet unborn, " while they reap the happy fruits of your mar- tial virtues, will not cease to bless the name of Amherst." They detail the designs of France, and the ill success of the previous efforts against Canada, and speak of the advantages wrested from the French by Amherst's " unexampled conduct, seconded by the matchless heroism of the much lamented Wolfe," and in the Draft of a Freedom, the common council attribute the reduction of Ca- nada " to the singular wisdom and valour of Amherst."
1761 January 11th .- On Sunday, the principal inhabitants of this city entered into mourning for the death of the king, (George II.) The churches were hung with mourning, and ser- mons preached, suitable to the occasion. An anthem was performed at Trinity Church.
15th .-- The Narrows were frozen over.
17th .- George III. was proclaimed in New York. The city regiment of militia, and independent companies, were under arms, and marched from the fort gate to the City Hall. The indepen- dent company of Grenadiers paraded in the fort. The king's council, the mayor, common council, and clergy, with General Amherst and officers, attended at the fort when the proclamation was read, and the ceremony ended by three huzzas, and twenty- one guns from the fort. The lieutenant-governour orders the necessary change in the prayers, in all the churches in the province.
May 2Sth .- Philadelphia-On Saturday last commencement. " An Ode, sacred to the memory of our late gracious sovereign, George II., written and set to musick, in a very grand and masterly taste, by Francis Hopkinson, Esq., A. M. of the College of this city."* When he was a man, he wrote " The Battle of the Kegs."
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