History of the state of New York Vol I, Part 64

Author: Brodhead, John Romeyn, 1814-1873. 4n
Publication date: 1871
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Number of Pages: 844

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Eastern boundary of New Nether- land.

Territorial claims of Massachu- setts.

655

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

latitude. If extended westward, it would have crossed the CH. XIX. Hudson River, near Red Hook and Saugerties. The be- ginning of the forty-third degree of latitude now forms the 1659. southern boundary of the State of New York, from the Del- aware River to the county of Erie, in Pennsylvania. All the territory as far north of this line as the present coun- tics of Warren and Oswego, in the State of New York, and as far west as the Pacific Ocean, was claimed by Massa- chusetts, in virtue of her patent from Charles the First .*

Nor did Massachusetts hesitate to assert her extravagant demand, under a charter which was eight years younger than that of the West India Company, and which, as far as it interfered with New Netherland, was "utterly void." A grant of land on the Hudson River, opposite to Fort Or- Massachu- ange, was made to a number of her principal merchants, land on the setts grants who were "enterprising a settlement and a trade with the River. Hudson Indians." Early in the summer, an exploring party, set- ting out from Hartford, sailed up the North River, and Exploring spent several weeks in examining its attractive shores. party. Finding the region around the Wappinger's Kill more beautiful than any they had seen in New England, they se- lected a spot near its mouth as the place of their proposed settlement. Thence proceeding up to Fort Orange, they July. were honorably received and entertained by Commissary La Montagne. The region between the North River and the valley of the Connecticut being yet a wilderness, the English party asked Stuyvesant for permission to pass and repass by water. This, however, he refused ; for he fore- Refused saw that such a settlement in the heart of the Dutch prov- to navigate permission ince would be fatal, " as many hounds are death to the River. the North hare." To prevent the English, he determined to estab- lish a Dutch settlement at the Wappinger's Kill, and earn- 4 Sept. estly entreated the Amsterdam Chamber to send out im- Proposed Dutch set tlement at mediately as many Polish, Lithuanian, Prussian, Dutch, Wappin- or Flemish peasants as possible, to form a colony which ger's Kill should protect the yachts sailing up and down the river.t

* Hazard, i., 571, 591 ; Hutchinson, i., 191, 192; Journal N. Y. Prov. Assembly. 8th March, 1773; Dunlap's N. Y., ii., Appendix, ccv .- cevii. ; Revised Statutes N. Y., i., 64 ; ante, p. 189, 519, 520. t Alb. Rec., xviii., 31-34 ; xxiv., 215 ; Hutchinson, i., 150.

656

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

CH. XIX. Yielding to the earnest solicitation of the citizens of New 1659. 13 Feb. erland al- eign trade. Amsterdam, the West India Company reluctantly consent- ed that their province, which had already been allowed to New Neth- trade for slaves on the coast of Africa, should now try the lowed a for- " experiment" of a foreign commerce with France, Spain, Italy, the Carribean Islands, and elsewhere, upon condition that the vessels should return with their cargoes either to New Netherland or to Amsterdam, and that furs should be exported to Holland alone. This concession was followed' by another, perhaps quite as important. The "vigilant ex- ertions" of the directors to provide New Amsterdam with a Latin schoolmaster resulted in the engagement of Doc- tor Alexander Carolus Curtius, a professor in Lithuania,

25 April. Curtius Latin schoolmas- ter.

4 July.

at a salary of five hundred guilders, and some perquisites In the course of the summer the "rector" arrived at New Amsterdam; and, on commencing his duties, was allowed by the city government two hundred guilders yearly Curtius likewise practiced as a physician .*

13 Feb.

22 Dec.

More liber- ality in re- ligion en- joined by the compa- ny.

The Amsterdam directors also enjoined Megapolensis and Drisius to obey the former orders of the Chamber, and, "to prevent schism and promote tranquillity," directed them to follow the old form of baptism without waiting for the spe- cial directions of the Classis of Amsterdam. Finding that the metropolitan clergymen hesitated, these orders were re- newed. All moderate ministers in Holland, they were told, looked upon the new formulary as an "indifferent" subject, and as wanting the unanimous sanction of the Church. Harmony could never be preserved, unless a too "overbear- ing preciseness" should be avoided ; and, if they should persist in their former course, the company would be obliged to allow the Lutherans a separate church of their own. At the same time, the directors promised to send out other Dutch clergymen to New Netherland ; but these must be " men not tainted with any needless preciseness, which is rather prone to create schisms than it is adapted to edify the flock."t

* Alb. Rec., iv., 290, 291, 303 ; viii., 201 ; xviii., 19 ; xxiv., 193 ; New Amst. Rec., i., 97, 98 ; iii., 378, 381 ; iv., 209 ; ante, p. 640 ; Paulding's New Amsterdam, 42.

+ Alb. Rec., iv., 288, 323, 324 ; viii., 195; ante, p. 643.

657

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

The letters which Megapolensis and Drisius had sent to Cm. XIX. the Fatherland the last autumn awakened the attention of the Classis of Amsterdam to the spiritual wants of New 1659. Netherland ; and earnest representations on the subject Clergymen. were addressed to the College of the XIX. It was difficult to induce any settled clergyman to leave his charge in Hol- land ; but the Classis encouraged Hermanus Blom, a can- didate for the ministry, to come out to New Amsterdam, where he arrived at the end of April. Esopus now seemed April. most in want of a clergyman; and its inhabitants, though anxious for a settled minister, had, up to this time, been obliged to content themselves with the services of a com- forter of the sick, who read to the people, in one of the houses, on Sundays and festivals. Blom accordingly vis- Blom call- ited the new village, where he preached two sermons. The pus. ed to Eso- people immediately organized a church, and presented the 17 August. candidate with a call to become their pastor, which, hav- ing accepted, he returned to Holland, to pass his examin- September. ation before the Classis and receive ordination .*

The war now raging between the Iroquois and the French Temper of seemed to excite a thirst for European blood among the oth- ages. the sav- er savage tribes. Two soldiers who had deserted from Fort Orange were murdered near the Tachkanic Mount- 31 July. ains, while on their way to Hartford. The next month, some Raritans, tempted by a roll of wampum, massacred 26 August. a family at Mespath Kill, on Long Island. At Esopus Esopus. great fear prevailed ; for the savages had already begun to complain that Stuyvesant had not given them their prom- ised presents. The folly of the Dutch soon brought on another collision. Thomas Chambers, one of the original settlers, having employed several Indians to husk his corn, September. at the end of their day's work gave them some brandy for which they asked. A carouse followed; and one of the savages about midnight fired off his gun. The garrison at the block-house was alarmed, and the sergeant of the guard was sent out to see what was the cause of the disturbance. On his return, he reported that it was only the revelry of

* Hol. Doc., ix., 102, 103 ; Cor. Cl. Amst., Letter of 10th September, 1659.

658

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

1659. Outrage by the Dutch.

CH. XIX. some drunken savages. Notwithstanding the prohibition of Ensign Smit, an armed party, headed by Stol, left the fortress, and fired a volley among the unsuspecting red men. Finding his authority set at naught, the command- ant told the colonists that he would return the next day with his soldiers to New Amsterdam. The people, how- ever, took care to hire all the boats and yachts in the neigh- borhood; and Smit, thus deprived of the means of depart- ure, was obliged to send an express to Stuyvesant asking his immediate presence at Esopus.

21 Sept.

the In- dians.

The dastardly assassination of the sleeping savages pro- Revenge of voked an awful retaliation. Returning from the river side, the courier's escort fell into an Indian ambuscade, and thir- · teen prisoners were carried off by the savages. Open war was now declared. Houses, barns, and harvests were burn- ed up; cattle and horses were killed. Four or five hund- red savage warriors invested the Dutch post; and for near- ly three weeks not a colonist dared trust himself outside the stockade. Foiled in their attempts to set fire to the fortress, the savages avenged themselves by burning eight or ten of their prisoners at the stake. Without any doubt, the colonists at Esopus "did court and begin" their new calamity .*

6 Sept. Mohawks visit Fort Orange. 8 Sept.

In the mean time, a Mohawk delegation had visited Fort Orange, to keep bright the chain of union with the Dutch; to demand that no more "fire water" should be sold to their people; to ask that their guns might be repaired, and ammunition be furnished to them ; and to require the as- sistance of men and horses for the rebuilding of their cas- tles, as they were now at war with the French. The Dutch presented the Mohawks with fifty guilders; and, assuring them of their desire to maintain the ancient league, prom- ised to submit their requests to the director general, who was daily expected at Fort Orange.

Stuyvesant, however, being 'detained by illness at New Amsterdam, the authorities of Fort Orange and of Rens-

* Alb. Rec., iv., 330 ; xvi., 60-97; xviii., 35-37 ; xxiv., 68; Renss. MSS .; O'Call., ii., 394-398; ante, p. 536, 651.

659

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

selaerswyck determined to send a joint embassy to confirm CH. XIX. and renew their old alliance with the Mohawks. Twenty- five of the principal inhabitants accordingly visited the first 1659. 17 Sept. Mohawk castle at " Kaghnuwage."* The chiefs of all the Delegation visits the Mohawk castle. villages attended ; the council-fire was lighted ; and the calumet of pcace was smoked. Among the delegates from Beverwyck was Arendt van Curler, who in 1642 had ex- plored the way to the castles of the Mohawks. "Brothers," 24 Sept. said the Dutch orator, " sixteen years have now passed at Caugh- away since friendship and fraternity were first cstablished nawaga. between you and the Hollanders; since we were bound to each other by an iron chain. Up to this time, that chain has not been broken, neither by us nor by you." Explain- ing Stuyvesant's absence, the orator promised that the Dutch would remain the Mohawks' " brothers for all time -for the roads are so bad that we can not come hither ev- ery day." Their gunsmiths, however, could not be forced to repair their brothers' fire-arms without pay, "for they must earn food for their wives and little ones, who other- wise must die of hunger or quit our land, if they get no wampum for their work." "Brothers," he added, "our chiefs are very angry that the Dutch sell brandy to your people, and have always forbidden them to do so. Forbid your people also. Will ye that we take from your people their brandy and their kegs? Say so, then, before all here present." Powder and lead were then given to the Mo- hawks to be used against the " hostile Indians." As the Dutch were " all sick," and the hills at Caughnawaga so steep that their horses could not draw timber for the Mo- hawk fort, fifteen axes were presented instead.

Fully satisfied with this oration, the Mohawks readily agreed that the Dutch should seize the liquor kegs of their people. But when the Beverwyck delegates attempted to Mohawks procure the release of some French prisoners in their hands, liberate refuse to the chiefs refused until all the castles had been consulted, their French prisonere. and complained that their hunting parties were constantly

* The county town of Montgomery county, on the north bank of the Mohawk, about forty miles from Albany, for many years bore the sonoroue aboriginal name of " Caugh- nawaga."

Conference

660

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

CH. XIX. attacked by the Canada Indians, who were always accom- panied by " skulking" Frenchmen.

1659.

25 Sept. Return of the delega- tion to Bev- erwyck.

While the conference was yet going on, intelligence came from Fort Orange of the new outbreak at Esopus, which was immediately communicated to the Mohawks. The chiefs replied that if the river Indians should endeav- or to obtain their assistance against the Christians, they would answer " we will have nothing to do with you !" The firm friendship of the most powerful tribe of the Iro- quois being now secured, the Dutch delegates set out from Caughnawaga early'the next morning ; and, after a hard day's journey upon the Indian trail, along the banks of the Mohawk, and across the barren pine plain of "Schonowe" -now so pleasantly traversed in the "rapid car"-arrived, the same evening, at Beverwyck .*

The courier from Esopus had, meanwhile, reached New 23 Sept. Amsterdam, where a severe epidemic fever was raging. Ill, and troubled by the news which had also come from the South River, Stuyvesant hastened to visit the neigh- 30 Sept. Expedition boring settlements; called upon the city authorities for vol- to Esopus. unteers ; and ordered into service the company's people at Fort Orange and Beverwyck. The burghers of the me- tropolis, however, while they were ready to defend their own firesides, were reluctant to go upon a distant expedi- tion. Few volunteers offered themselves; and a draft from the city militia was directed. At length, one hundred drafted men and forty volunteers from New Amsterdam, and twenty-five English and as many friendly Indians from Long Island, were collected. With this force Stuy- 10 October. vesant embarked on Sunday evening, "after the second sermon ;" and, on reaching Esopus, found that the savages, unable to carry or reduce the post, had broken up the siege. Heavy rains having flooded the country around, it was im- . possible to pursue the enemy; and the expedition returned to the capital.

The Mohawks and Mahicans now exhibited the sincer- ity of their friendship ; and, at the suggestion of the au-

*- Fort Orange Rec .; Renss. MSS .; O'Call., ii., 389-393 ; ante, p. 346, 523, 611.

661

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

thorities at Fort Orange, a number of their chiefs went CH. XIX. down to Esopus, where they procured the release of two prisoners, and compelled the sachems to agree to a truce. 1 Nov. 1659. The savages, however, would not consent to a permanent Mediation of the Mo- peace, nor would they surrender the younger captives in hawks. their hands. Stuyvesant, therefore, represented the con- 26 Dec. dition of the province in earnest terms to the Amsterdam ments ask- Re-enforre Chamber ; and urged that re-enforcements be sent at once company. for the security of the country, whose inhabitants would otherwise leave it, and seek for " some place of residence and such government where they will be protected."*

ed from the

The opening of this year found New Amstel in deep dis- Distress at tress. Disease and famine had almost decimated its pop- stel. New Am- ulation, and the heat of the summer had enfeebled the un- acclimated survivors. The wife of the director was one of 6 Jan. the victims. Every one had been occupied in building houses and in preparing gardens, so that little grain was sown; and the emigrants from Holland brought very scanty supplies of provisions. "Our bread magazine, our pantry room, our only refuge is to Manhattan," wrote the despond- March. ing Alrichs to Stuyvesant.

Intelligence now reached the colony that the burgomas- ters of Amsterdam had altered the conditions which they had originally offered to emigrants. These alterations Alteration seemed to have been suggested by the large expenditures ditions by of the con- the burgo- which the city had made for a colony which had produced masters of no returns, and was already seven thousand guilders in ar- dam. Amster- rear. To guard against further loss, it was determined that such colonists only as had left Holland before December, 1658, were to be supplied with provisions ; goods should be sold only for cash; the city was no longer to be bound to keep supplies in its magazine ; exemption from tenths . and taxes was to cease several years before the period orig- inally stipulated ; and merchandise exported by the colo- nists was thereafter to be consigned to the city of Amster- dam exclusively. The commissaries of the colony, how- February. ever, remonstrated against this restriction of trade, which

* Alb. Rec., xvi., 101-107 ; xviii., 54-70 ; Renss. MSS. ; O'Call., ii., 398-401.

662

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

CH. XIX. " had the appearance of gross slavery and chain-fettering 1659. the free spirit of a worthy people." The remonstrance was well-timed ; for the West India Company had just determ- ined to enlarge the commercial privileges of the provincial merchants. The city council was finally obliged to con- sent that all traders on the South River might export all goods, except peltries, to any place they chose.

10 March.

Effect at Now Am- stel.

This measure only added to the difficulties of the col- ony. The emigrants began to grow distrustful of the good faith of their patrons, and numbers came to Alrichs be- seeching him to let them go to Manhattan, and accept the remnant of their property in discharge of their debts to the city. But the director only replied, " Ye are bound to re- main for four years." The despairing inhabitants began to leave the colony ; and even soldiers of the garrison de- serted their service, and took refuge in Virginia and Mary- land. New Amstel had already won " such a bad name that the whole river could not wash it off."

Yet the regions around the South River were among the most fertile and productive in all New Netherland. Not only was there a wild luxuriance of vegetation, and an al- most exhaustless supply of furs, but the earth gave prom- ise of great mineral wealth, the fame of which had already reached Holland. "We lately saw a piece of mineral," wrote the directors to Stuyvesant, "said to have been brought from New Netherland, which was such good and pure copper, that we deemed it worth inquiring about of one Kloes de Ruyter, as we presumed he must know if the fact is as stated. He asserted that there was a copper mine at Minnisinck ; and that between the Manhattans and the South River there had been discovered a mount- ain of crystal, of which he said he brought several speci- mens with him."*

25 April. Copper mine at Minni- einck.

* Alb. Rec., iv., 304 ; xii., 480-485 ; Hol. Doc., xv., 21-27 ; xvi., 215-218 ; Wagenaar, Besch. Amst., i., 594 ; ante, p. 656 ; S. Hazard, Ann. Penn., 250-255. Tradition. affirms the early existence of mines in the upper valley of the Delaware, which were worked by " miners from Holland." Mr. Samuel Preston, in a communication to Mr. Samuel Haz- ard, expressed himself " clearly of opinion that Menesink was the oldest European settle- ment of equal extent ever made in the territory afterward named Pennsylvania."-IIaz- ard's Reg. Penn., i., 428, 440 ; ante, p. 412.

663

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

The West India Company, suspicious of the fidelity of CH. XIX the Swedes, had meanwhile instructed Stuyvesant not to appoint them to public office, and to induce them to settle 1659. 13 Feb. themselves more at large among the other inhabitants of the provinee. Beeekman, the viee-director at Altona, was now ordered to complete the purchase of the territory south- ward of the Boomtje's Hook. He accordingly went with 23 May. Hinoyossa to the mouth of the bay, and bought from the June. Purchase native chiefs the Horekills, which included the site of De ofthe Horo- Vries and Godyn's unfortunate colony at Swaanendael. A kills trading post was immediately established, and a few sol- diers stationed there to keep possession.

Rumors were now spread among the Dutch that the En- Designs of glish in Maryland "pretend that this river country is their land gov- the Mary- property," and that persons were soon to be sent to elaim ernment. the possession. Letters, too, were said to have been writ- ten from Virginia to the Swedes, "that they might remain here as a free colony under the English." The messen- gers whom Alrichs had dispatched to reclaim the deserters in Maryland returned with tidings that Lord Baltimore 29 July. had given orders that the territory on the South River was to be reduced under his jurisdiction. As soon as it was 18 August known that Fendall, the governor of Maryland, was about to execute these orders, anxiety and alarm prevailed among the Dutch colonists ; business was suspended, and every one prepared for flight. Within a fortnight, fifty persons, Alarm at including several families, removed to Maryland and Vir- stel. New Am- ginia. Searcely thirty families remained at New Amstel. "A chief exeuse for these removals," wrote Stuyvesant to 4 Sept. the directors at Amsterdam, " is supposed to be the too great preeiseness of the honorable Alrichs." "It would seem as if those of the South and North are jealous of each other," wrote Alrichs to his own superiors, " and dread that this settlement should become great and flourishing."

The government of Maryland lost no time in executing their proprietary's orders. A meeting of the council was held at Ann. Arundel, at which Governor Fendall and See- retary Philip Calvert, Lord Baltimore's brother, were pres-

664

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

3 August. New'Am- stel.

Letter of the Mary- land gov- ernor.

CH. XIX. ent. Colonel Nathaniel Utie was directed to repair "to 1659. the pretended governor of a people seated in Delaware Bay, within his lordship's province," and require him to depart Utie sent to thence. Utie was further instructed, in case he found op- portunity, "to insinuate into the people there seated, that in case they make their application to his lordship's gov- ernor here, they shall find good conditions." Fendall at the same time wrote to Alrichs: "I received a letter from you directed to me as the Lord Baltimore's governor and lieutenant of the province of Maryland, wherein you sup- pose yourself to be governor of a people seated in a part of Delaware Bay, which I am very well informed lyeth to the southward of the degree forty ; and therefore can by no means own or acknowledge any for governor there but my- self, who am by his lordship appointed lieutenant of his whole province, lying between these degrees, thirty-eight and forty, but do by these require and command you pres- ently to depart forth of his lordship's province, or otherwise desire you to hold me excused if I use my utmost endeav- or to reduce that part of his lordship's province unto its due obedience under him."*

8 Sept. Utie at New Am- stel.

Utie soon arrived at New Amstel with a suite of six per- sons, and spent some days in sowing " seditious and mu- tinous seed among the community." At length he demand- ed an audience of Alrichs, who requested the presence of Beeckman, as the representative of the West India Com- pany. In a "pretty harsh and bitter" manner, Utie de- livered Fendall's letter, and peremptorily commanded the Dutch to leave the South River, or else declare themselves subject to Lord Baltimore. " This communication appears Dutch offi- very strange to us in every respect," replied the Dutch offi- cers, " as we have been in possession of this land during so many years." "I know nothing about it," answered Utie ; "it was granted to Lord Baltimore, and was con- firmed by the king himself, and renewed two years ago, and sanctioned by Parliament, to the extent of forty de-

Interview with the cers.

* Alb. Rec., iv., 291 ; xii., 496, 503-506, 514 ; xviii., 28-39, 42, 45 ; Hol. Doc., xvi .. 99, 183-207 ; N. Y. H. S. Coll .. iii., 368, 369 ; Acrelius, 421, 422 ; S. Hazard, Ann. Penn., 251, 255-260, 273 ; ante, p. 206, 220, 252.

665

PETER STUYVESANT, DIRECTOR GENERAL.

grecs." "You should take hold of this opportunity," he CH. XIX. added, " as your men have chiefly deserted you, and they who yet remain will be of little or no aid. It is our inten- 1659. tion to seize this occasion, as we are convinced .of your weakness, and it now suits us best in the whole year, as the tobacco is chiefly harvested. We therefore demand a positive answer-just as you may please." "The case must be left. to our lords and principals in England and Holland," answered the Dutch officers, " and we are in duty bound to refer the case to the director general of New Neth- erland, to whose government we are also subject ; and it will require some time to consult them."

The next day Utie was summoned to the fort to receive 9 Sept. the written reply of the Dutch officers. Beeckman had ad- Utie. vised that the Maryland delegates should be arrested and sent as prisoners to Manhattan. But Alrichs and Hino- yossa objected, " fearing great calamities from it, and a re- volt of the citizens." A protest was therefore drawn up, on receiving which Utie merely "repeated his former say- ing ;" and addressing Beeckman, who he learned was com- mander at Altona, he added, "You, too, must depart from there, as it is situated within forty degrees." "If you have any thing to say to me," replied Beeckman, "you should appear at the place of my residence."

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History of the state of New York Vol I, Part 64

Author: Brodhead, John Romeyn, 1814-1873. 4n Publication date: 1871 Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers Number of Pages: 844

Author: Brodhead, John Romeyn, 1814-1873. 4n
Publication date: 1871
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Number of Pages: 844