USA > New York > History of the state of New York. Vol. II, Pt. 2 > Part 29
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* Doc. Ilist., il., 53-S7; Danlap, Ii., 170.
t Col. Doc., ifi., 621 : ix., 419, 129, 430. 435-433, 462 ; LA Potherie, H., 233; ill., 59 : La Hon- tan, i., 198-202; Charlevoix. il., 400-409; Colden, i., 102, 103; Smith, i., 101; Garneau, i., 274, 304; Bell, 1., 207, 320-322; Force's Tracts, iv., ix., 41-18; ante, 517, 553.
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IHISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
To conciliate the Iroquois, Frontenac dispatched a mes- sage to Onondaga inviting them to meet again at Catara- couy their " old Father," who was as much their friend as - - Here Dever. This was conveyed by three of the savage prisoners who had been brought back from France, while Oreouaté, or Tawerahet, the Cayuga chief, in whose name it was sent, remained sumptuously entertained in the Castle of Saint Louis at Quebec. Lamberville also wrote to Millet at Onei- da, and Le Moyne and Hertel sent wampum belts. When 26 Decem. the messengers from Canada reached Onondaga, a general council was summoned, and a request was sent to Albany that Schuyler and others might be present and give their advice. The Convention, not thinking it "convenient at this juncture to send Christians," dispatched three "of the most prudent Mohawks" to Onondaga, to recommend the Iroquois Council not to hearken to the French; to inform them that a governor of New York was daily expected from England, who, it was hoped, would bring orders "that the English may unanimously go and root out Canada ;" and to desire them to hold Millet as a hostage for their captured brethren, and send to Albany the letters he had received 1090. from Canada. A few days afterward, Tahajadoris, one of 4 Jan. the chief Mohawk sachems, who was going to Onondaga, came to ask " the Brethren's advice how to act there." Upon this, the Albany officers directed Arnold Cornelissen Advice of Me York. Viele, the interpreter, to go thither, with Robert Sanders, and fully explain their message. Its purport was, that the Iroquois were "subjects of the great King of England," and should not hearken to the French, but send warriors to aid in protecting New York against their hostile designs, " since they have called all their garrisons together to Montreal.""
0? Jan. Grand Iro- Council at A grand Iroquois council now assembled at Onondaga, where eighty sachems were present. The Albany messen- Ou adega, gers were addressed by the Onondaga sachem Sadekanac- tie, who told them what the French had sent from Canada. Adaralta, the chief sachem of the " Praying Indians" near Montreal, then delivered the Canadian wampum belts. Ta- hajadoris, the Mohawk sachem, then gave the message he
* Col. Doc., ill., 737, 734 ; ix., 435, 436, 485; La Potherie, i., 333; iii., 62, 63, 70; Charle- voix. il., 424, 425 ; Coldeo. i .. 104, 112, 113. 114 ; Garneau, i., 304; Bell, i., 328; Smith, i., 162: Shea, 326, 332; Doc. ITist., il., 76-50; Chalmers's Ann., if., 69. Colden and Smith, ignorant of the real reasons why it's officers could not leave Albany, unjustly reflect on their conduct.
2% Decem.
605
JACOB LEISLER, ACTING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
had received at Albany "word for word." A Seneca sa- CHAr. XII. chem, Cannehoot, followed in a harangue about the peace his nation had made with the Western savages against the 1690. French, and gave the Council a calumet, and "a red-marble sun as large as a plate," as tokens of friendship. The wam- pum belts from Albany were hung up in the Council lodge, along with " the model of a fish," sent on behalf of " Kin- shon," or New England, " as a token of their adhering to the general covenant." The superb salmon of Maine prob- ably furnished the image; yet it may have been a Massa- chusetts cod .*
The Onondaga Sadekanactie then said, "Brethren, We Stick to must stick to our Brother Quider, and look upon Onnontio as our enemy, for he is a cheat."! All this passed in the presence of Millet, as an adopted sachem of the Oneidas. The letters to him from Canada were given to Viele, the Albany interpreter, who urged the Council not to hearken to the French. The Iroquois orator then announced the Albany message : " Brethren, our fire burns at Albany ; we will not send Dekancsora to Cataracouy. We adhere to our old chain with Corlaer ; we will prosecute the war with On- nontio, and will follow your advice in drawing off our men from Cataracouy. Brother Kinshon, we hear you design to Kinshoo. send soldiers to the eastward, against the Indians there; but we advise you, now so many are united against the French, to fall immediately on them. Strike at the root :-- when the trunk shall be cut down, the branches fall of course. Corlaer and Kinshon, courage! courage! In the spring to Advice to Quebec ; take that place, and you will have your feet on bee. the necks of the French and all their friends in America."
In their reply to Frontenac, the Council refused to meet him at Cataracony, and insisted on his sending back all the prisoners that had been taken to France. The Five Nations, however, were not unanimous. Millet's influence was strong enough to prevent the Oneidas and Cayugas from engaging themselves against the French. The two sachems who were sent to Albany to report the reply of the Council to On- ' Colden, i., 113-116, 160; Doc. Hist., il .. 72, SO. The Iroquois allegorically called New England " Kinshon," after Pynchon, who had first covenanted with them in 1877: an's, 300: Millet's letter of 6 July, 1691, p. 4S.
t " By Quider they menut Feher Schwuler, the Mayor of Albany, who had gained a con- siderable esteem among them ; as they have no labeals in their language, they pronounce Peter by the sound of Quider :" Colden, L, 10, 116; ante, 300, 502.
" Quider."
attack Que-
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF. NEW YORK.
Fin. kir, bontio, delivered a belt to Quider, or Peter Schuyler, in which only three axes were represented."
1620.
But Frontenac had meanwhile seen that the only way in which the French could regain the respect of the Iroquois was to strike audacious blows against the English. After sending off his dispatches to France-among which was a fresh plan of Callières for the conquest of New York-the Erntenac vigorous old governor organized three several expeditions against the English neighboring colonies-one at Montreal, to invade New York; another at Three Rivers, to attack ss Jan. New England, between Albany and Boston ; and a third at Quebec, to ravage Maine. The party from Three Rivers, " March commanded by Hertel, destroyed the village of "Semen- fels," or Salmon Falls, now Berwick, in New Hampshire, and joined that sent from Quebec under the command of Maine. Portneuf. The combined expedition then burnt "Kaskebe," or Casco Bay, now Portland, and alarmed the whole castern frontier of New England. 1.
Expedition Frontenac's most important party from Montreal was Nieuwste directed against New York. It was composed of two hun- dr. dred and ten men, of whom eighty were "Praying Indians" from Caghnawaga, opposite Montreal, on the Saint Law- rence, under their "Great Mohawk" chief Kryn; sixteen Algonquins, and the remainder Canadian traders, or " bush rangers." The expedition was commanded by Sainte HIe- Ione and Mantel, Canadian lieutenants, under whom were Iberville, Repentigny, Bonrepos, La Brosse, Montigny, and Permary, other officers, as volunteers. Early in February the party set out from Montreal, and, after marching several days, held a council to determine which was the best point to at- tack. The French officers wished to go directly to Albany; but the converted Mohawks, who knew the country well, opposed this, and it was decided to march on Schenectady. After a severe tramp over an intensely cold desert covered Nor Sche- Dettady. with snow, the expedition halted within two leagues of Schenectady about four o'clock on a Saturday afternoon.
' Colden, i., 116-119, 153; Col. Doc., ix., 465, 456; La Potherie, iii., 63-67; Charlevoix, ii., 425-427; Smith, i., 102, 103; Chalmers, ii., 69; Millet's letter of 6 July, 1891, 41-46, 51 ; ante, 552, 581. The French wrote Schuyler's Indian name of Quider, "Kouiter."
+ Col. Doc., ii., 708, 720; ix .. 42 -430, 464, 471-473; La Potherie, iii., C1, 76-79; Charle- voix, il., 400, 410; ift., 63, 72-79 ; Maine 11. S. Con .. 6., 201-205: Mass. 11. S. Coll., xxvi., 210 -218; xxxv., 253; Belknap, i., 201, 209; Doc. Ili t., 11., 146 ; Garneau, 1., 300, 007, 508 : Bull, i., 325.
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0
007
JACOB LEISLER, ACTING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
The great Mohawk, Kryn, harangued his " praying" coun- CHAP. XII. trymen, and exhorted them to avenge the massacre of the 1690.
French at Lachine. A reconnoitring party was sent out, Kryn ha- which reported that Schenectady was unprepared for at- rangues. tack; and a little before midnight the exhausted Canadians, benumbed with cold, and ready to surrender themselves if they had been summoned, advanced on the devoted village.
Schenectady was indeed lamentably unready. Reliance Condition had been placed on the vigilance of the Mohawk scouts tady. whom the Albany authorities had dispatched toward Lake Champlain, but who had not seen the French expedition. Leisler's recent letters had excited bitter party spirit in the village; neighbor was set against neighbor, and no watch was kept, " notwithstanding several gentlemen of Albany, no longer than three days before, were up there to persuade them to it." The villagers thought that in that bitter weath- er no foe could march on them from Canada, forgetting that exactly twenty-four years before Courcelles had gal- lantly demonstrated the endurance of his countrymen .* Disregarding the warnings of Talmage and his guard, they Careless. gayly spent their Saturday evening within their warm houses, inhabit- leaving open both the gates of their stockade, and, instead ante. of living sentinels, placing in mockery images of snow.
The village of Schenectady, at that time the western fron- tier post of New York, contained upward of eighty well- built and well-furnished houses, and formed an oblong, sur- rounded by a palisade, which could be entered by only two gates. One of these, on the west side, commanded the road to the Mohawk country; the other, on the east side, that to Albany, and both were now left "wide open." At mid- night the French, under Sainte Helene and Mantel, entered TheFrench by the Mohawk gate through a driving snow. The vil- enter and burn Sche- lagers were all asleep in their houses, after their evening's nectady. revelry. The "small fort" where Talmage and his garri- 15 Feb. son kept watch was the only place " under arms." This was at once attacked by Mantel; "the gate was burst in after a good deal of difficulty, the whole set on fire, and all who defended the place slaughtered." The sack of the vil- lage at the same time began with a war-whoop " given In- dian fashion." Few houses made any resistance. Adam " On the 9th of February, 1006; seo ante, 103.
negy of the
of Schenec-
HODAT
COS
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Chp. Au. Vrooman secured quarter by a brave defense, and another - house, belonging to a widow, was saved because Montigny
1690. had been carried into it after being severely wounded. Ti ... house of the Dutch domine, Petrus Tesschenmaeker, hal been " ordered to be saved, so as to take him alive to obtain information from him;" but, as it was not known, it wa: Domine Tesschen- Inneker killed. destroved with the others, and the domine and his papers perished. His head was put on a pole and carried to Can- ada. The massacre lasted two hours, and then the assail- ants took " some rest." With barbaric ferocity, the Iroquois atrocities at Lachine were avenged by French " Praying In- dians" at Schenectady. "No pen can write nor tongue ex- press," were Schuyler's words, the terrors of that cruel night. Sixty persons, including Talmage and several of his Con- Killed and necticut soldiers, were killed, and an equal number of old prisoners. men, women, and children, who escaped the first fury of the attack, were made prisoners. Twenty-five almost naked survivors fled from their burning homes, and pushed their miserable way through the snow to Albany. Some thirty Iroquois, who were lodging in the village, were spared, " in order to show them that it was the English, and not they, against whom the grudge was entertained."
At daybreak a party was sent to the house of Captain Alexander Glen, at "Scotia," on the north side of the Mo- hawk River, about half a mile above Schenectady. Glen, who was the chief magistrate of the village, and supported the Albany Convention, had become so unpopular among the partisans of Leisler at Schenectady that they threaten- ed " to burn him upon the fire" if he came on guard with them. The English called him " Captain Sander," and the French " Coudre." Seeing that he was on his guard, the French told him that they had resolved that he and all his . relations, and all his property, should be safe, in consequence of the good treatment which their countrymen nad received from his father, his brother, himself, and his wife. Glen, thus assured, accompanied the party to Schenectady, where the French officers were directing the conflagration. _ 1 few houses, which he said were his, were spared, and sey- cral women and children, who claimed affinity with him, were released from captivity. The Canadian savages, ob- serving the number of their prisoners so greatly reduced,
Glen, or Sander, or Coudre.
200
609
JACOB LEISLER, ACTING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
complained that "every one seemed to be a relation of Cou- CHAP. XII. dre's."
1690.
>: The French return to Canada.
It was well for the French that they listened to their In- dian advisers, and did not attack Albany, where they would have been annihilated by the vigilance of Schuyler. The next day they hastily collected their twenty-seven prisoners 19 Feb. and their plunder, among which were "fifty good horses," and set out on their return to Canada, having caused a loss in Schenectady of "more than four hundred thousand li- vres." The retreating Canadians suffered from hunger and disease; thirty-four of their fifty captured horses were caten for food, and Mohawk war-parties cut off many stragglers. At length the remnant of Frontenac's New York expedi- tion returned to Montreal with its surviving prisoners, hop- 17 March. ing that it had " greatly retrieved, in the estimation of the barbarians, the reputation of the French arms."*
The terrible intelligence from Schenectady was brought 9 Feb. to Albany about five o'clock on Sunday morning by Symon at Albany. The news Schermerhorn, who, wounded himself, and on a lame horse, had tediously worked his path there by way of Niskayuna. Schuyler quickly fired the guns of the fort to summon the people ; and an express was sent through the deep snow to Esopus, and to Kinderhook, and Claverack, for assistance to Albany, which it was supposed would be next attacked. The next day, however, Bull was sent with a party to Sche- 10 Feb. nectady to bury the dead and pursue the enemy. Leisler's letters were " found all bloody" in the streets. The French were pursued as far as Crown Point, whence the Mohawks followed them to Canada, and killed and took twenty-five.t
Remembering the advice of the sachems at Onondaga, the Convention quickly wrote to the governments of Mas- 15 Feb. sachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia, and to " the vises an at- Albany ad- civil and military officers of New York," desiring them "to Canada, tack on join together, that Quebec may be taken by water in the spring." Thus from Albany, in the midst of its distress,
* Col. Doc., ill., 700, 708, 716, 727 ; ix., 406-469 ; In Hontan, i., 204; La Potherie, ill., 67- 70; Charlevoix, ill., 63-68; Colden, i., 121-123; Chalmers, ii., 69, 70; Doc. Hist., i., 186-195; N. Y. H. S. Proc., 1346, App., 101-193 ; Coll. (1969), 403 ; Mather, ii., 595; Smith, i., 103-103; Trumball, i., 379, 380; Mass. II. S. Coll., xxxv., 230, 263; Garneau, i., 305, 30; ; B.Il, 1., 323, 324; Dankers and Sluyter, 315, 316 ; Dunlap, i., 173-179; ante, 329, 583. I refer with some diffidence to such a blundering "authority" as Dunlap, who persistently substitutes the name of " Frontignan," the wine, for that of " Frontenac," the governor.
t Doc. Hist., i., 198-103 ; il., S7, S>; Col. Doc., iii., 708 ; Colden, i., 123. II .- QQ
2YCOB J'ETAPE
610
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Cher. xit, came the first suggestion of a union of the English colonies to attack the French .*:
1690.
26 Feb. Careless- hawk scouts Maraed.
The sachems of the Mohawk castles now came to Al .. ny to condole with its magistrates on the calamity at Sebe. Albany. nectady, which they could not call a French victory, " for it is done by way of deceit." With many wampum bel . they desired to wipe away all tears, and urge those w !. wished to go to New York not to leave Albany. " If ( !:. enemy should hear that, it would much encourage them ; we are of the race of the bear, and a bear does not yield as long as there is a drop of blood in its body. We must all be so." Three years before they would have humblei the French if they had not been prevented by Dongan, who was then " Corlaer;" but now, " let us go on briskly with the war." "Let us not be discouraged; the French are not so many as people talk of; if we but mind our busi- ness, they can be subdued by the assistance of our neigh- bors of New England, whose interest it is to drive on this war as much as ours, that it may be speedily ended." The Albany magistrates the next day answered their brethren. ness of Mo- reproving the carelessness of the Mohawk scouts, who had given no notice of the French approach, and informing them that letters had already been sent to the English colonies to urge the capture of Quebec, and promising that special mes- sengers should be sent to New York and New England "on purpose to lay open the case before them, and to move them to rig out vessels not only to hinder succor coming from France, but to take Quebec itself, as also to send more men hither, that we may then send men along with you to an- noy the enemy in their country." Thus the Albany offi- cers in February foreshadowed the campaign which was at- tempted the following summer. At the same time they ex- plained that Dongan had acted under the orders of a king who " was a papist, and a great friend of the French; but our present Great King will pursue the war to the utmost." Request to send Millet They also desired the Mohawks to persuade the Oneidas to to Albany, send Millet to Albany ; " for you have seen how dangerous it is to have such persons among you, who inform the ene- my of all your doings, and discover all our designs." The Mohawk sachems shouted their approval, and replied, " We
* Doc. Ilist., li., $2, 93; Colden, 1, 117; ante, 005,
*
3
£
611
JACOB LEISLER, ACTING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
will go with a whole army to ruin the French country ; CuAr. XII. the business must be soon brought to a period; therefore send in all haste to New England, for we nor you cannot 1690. live long in this condition; we must order it so that the French be in a continual fear and alarm.""
The Albany Convention accordingly dispatched Barent- 27 Feb. Barentson sen to New York, with instructions to wait on Governor dispatched" Sloughter "if he be arrived, otherwise on the authority York. to New there," and urge " that every one exert his power to crush the common enemy ;" that men and supplies be sent to Al- bany ; and that the people in the metropolis should " bring all their sea-forec together, to unite with our neighbors of Boston to attack Canada." Livingston and Teunissen, of 3 March. Albany, and Garton, of Ulster, were also commissioned to Living- 4 March. ston, Ten- hasten to Connecticut and Massachusetts, and ask that Cap- niszen, and tain Bull and his company should be allowed to remain ; senttoCon- Garton that more men and supplies be sent to Albany; and that and Mas-a- necticut both those colonies should unite with New York in attack, chusette, ing Quebec by sea, which "was but meanly fortified and few men there, the strength of Canada being drawn up to Montreal, which the French have fortified."t
The idea of a confederation of British North American Plantations originated in New England in 1643. The pol- icy of consolidating his colonies, to make them " terrible to the French," was the thought of James the Second in 16SS. The patriotic purpose of a union of all the English depend- The union encies in North America, from Virginia to New England, British col. of all the against a common enemy, was inspired by the New York aminst onies Iroquois, and formally propounded by the Albany Conven- Albany
Canada an tion in February, 1690. From Schuyler and his associates ilea. just praise should not be withheld.
When the news from Schenectady reached the provincial 15 Feb. capital, Leisler "made an alarm," and disarmed and impris- prisons An- Leisler im- oned about forty officers who held Andros's commissions. cera, and dros's offi- Warrants were also issued against Dongan, Willet, Hicks, issues war- rants against Dongan
* Doc. Ilist., ii., 91-'5; CoMen, i., 123-127: Smith, i., 105, 106; N. Y. II. S. Coll., ii . 105_ and others. 109; Proc., 1816, 122, 122; Millet's letter of 6 July, 1091. 49. Coldlen paraphrases rather than copies Livingston's verbatim account, which I follow, and postdates the interview of 25 February on 25 March, 1330. Compare N. Y. I. S. Coll. (1839), 165_156.
t Doc. Hist, il., 95-99 ; Col. Der, ili., 692-678, 703-710. Captain Thomas Garton, of Ul- ster, had married Ann Tve, who, after the deccare of her first husband, Captain Daniel Brod- head, in 1667, espoused his former subordinate, William Nottingham, and was left a second time a widow : N. Y. II. S. Coll. (16), 155; Mansell's Alb. Coll., M. ; ande, 123, 157.
612
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Gar. XI. and others, and the sheriffs of the neighboring counties were directed to secure " all such persons who are reputed
1090. Papists, or hold or maintain any commissions" from Don- gan or Andros. Van Cortlandt, Brockholls, and Plowman were ordered to be arrested. Finding himself thus perse- Pongan In cuted, Dongan left his house at Hempstead and went to New
2! Teb.
Now Jer- Jersey, whence he came to Boston to " be quiet." Van sy. Cortlandt escaped to New England. Hamilton, Townley, Pinhorne, and other New Jersey gentlemen, dared not come to New York for fear of Leisler's despotie tastes. To such a degree did he gratify his appetite for imprisoning, that Alderman Kip, a deacon in the Dutch Church, was sent to jail " for going in the church to old Mr. Beekman to receive the alms before he went to young Henry the baker," who was one of the Council .*
21 Teb.
24 Fcb. Lcisler's Arent = in Connecti- cut.
Wrongly blaming the Albany Convention for the calam- ity at Schenectady, which was owing to his own intrigues, Leisler dispatched Counselors Vermilye and Blagge, with Secretary Milborne, to New Haven, where they had a con- ference with Treat and Allyn, the governor and secretary of Connecticut. The New York agents desired that the Connecticut forces should not obey the Albany Convention, but Leisler. Allyn, in behalf of Connecticut, advised " hope- ful and peaceable measures for a right understanding" be- tween the rival authorities at New York and Albany, and thought that the latter would yield when they saw the king's letters to Nicholson. But this did not satisfy Leisler. He caused Milborne to charge Treat and the Connecticut mag- istrates with being upholders of " rebellion" in Albany, and demanded that Allyn especially should be prosecuted as a traitor. Allyn calmly rebuked Leisler's "angry letter, stuff- ed with unjust calumniating charges," and declared that the Connecticut government had advised the gentlemen of Albany " not to contend, but to submit to the present pow- er in the Province of New York, and to unite as one man to oppose the common enemy."t
J March.
5 March. Leizler re- baked by Connecti- cut.
4 March. Letters to Maryland and Massa- chusetts.
Adopting the Albany suggestion of 15 February, Leisler wrote to Coode, of Maryland, asking him to assist New York " to destroy or take Canada," and to invite Virginia to join.
* Doc. Hist., ii., 41, 43, 103; Col. Doc., ili., 636, 701, 616, 719, 721; Wood, 103. + Doc. Hist., ii., 40, 43-46, 103; Dunlap, i, 160-152.
1
613
JACOB LEISLER, ACTING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
At the same time he asked Bradstreet what assistance Mas- CHAP. XII. sachusetts would give, charging that Connecticut had "re- fused to advise" with New York. The next day, hearing 1690. that Livingston had gone on his mission to Boston, Leisler dispatched Blagge thither, and Terneure to Hartford, to ap- 5 March. prehend him under a general warrant, which alleged that inst Warrant he had doubted the success of the Prince of Orange's inva- Livingston. sion of England .*
On reaching Hartford, Livingston and his colleagues ex- 11 March. plained to Treat and his council the condition of affairs at Albany, and in a powerful memorial urged a union of all the English colonies " by sea and land to invade and sub- due Canada." The Connecticut authorities, however, in- 12 March. sisted on recalling Bull and his soldiers from Albany. At Contect- Action of the same time, they informed Leisler that his warrant to ap- cut. prehend Livingston was defective, and, promising to join " with all the rest of the Colonies and Provinces in this wil- derness to do what we shall judge necessary to manage the design against the French," advised moderation and as lit- tle alteration as possible among the officers at Albany, so "that nothing be done to discourage the Five Nations in amity with us."t
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