USA > New York > Suffolk County > Southampton > The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York : with genealogies > Part 4
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Pursuant to previous letters and summons ap- peared at the Council the Delegates from the Eng- lish towns situate on Long Island, east of Oyster Bay, delivering in the following writing :
JAMAICA, AUG. 14, 1673.
" Whereas, wee, ye Inhabitants of the East Riding of Long Island, (namely, Southampton, Easthamp- ton, Southoold, Seataucok & Huntington) were sometime rightly & peaceffully joyned with Hertford jurisdiction to good satisfaction on both sides, but about the yeare 1664, Gennll Richard Nicholls come- ing in the name of his Maties Royal Highness ye Duke of Yorcke and by power subjected us to ye Government under uch we have remained untill this present time, and now by turne off God's provi- dence, shipps off fforce belonging to ye States off Holland, have taken New Yorke ye 30th of the last month, and wee having noe Intelligence to this day ffrom or Governr Fras Lovelace, Esquyr, off whatt hath happened or ut wee are to doe, Butt ye Genn- errall off ye said dutch fforce hath sent to us his declaration or summons with a serius commination therein contained and since wee understand by ye post bringing the said declaration that our Governr is peacebly & respectfully entertained into ye said
-
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CIVIL RELATIONS.
ffort and city ; wee the Inhabitants of ye said East Riding or or. Deputies for us att a meeting this day doe make these or. requests as follow :
"Imprimis, That iff wee come under ye dutch Governmt, wee desire yt wee may retaine or Eccle- siasticall Priviledges, vizt., to Worship God ac- cording to or belieff without any imposition.
"2dly. That wee may enjoy ye small matter off goods wee possess, with or Lands according to our purchase of ye Natives as it is now bounded out, without ffurther charge off conffirmation.
"3dly. That ye oath off allegiance to be imposed may bind us onely whyles we are under [the dutch] Governmt but yt as we shall be bound not to act against them, soe also not to take up armes ffor them against or owne Nation.
"4thly. That wee may alwayes have liberty to chuse or owne officers bothe civil and millitary.
"5thly. That these 5 Townes may be a corporation off themselves to end all matters of difference be- tween man and man, excepting onely cases concern- ing Lyfe, Limbe and banishment.
"6thly. That noe law may be made or tax imposed uppon ye people at any tyme but such as shall be. consented to by ye deputies of ye respective Townes.
" 7thly. That wee may have ffree Trade uth ye nation now in Power and all others without paiing customs.
"8thly. In every respect to have equall priviledges uth the dutch * nation.
* Is this persistent spelling of the word Dutch with a small d done designedly.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
"9thly. That there be ffree liberty granted ye 5 townes aforesd for ye procuring from any of ye united Collonies (: without molestation on either side ;) warpes, irons or any other necessaries ffor ye com- fortable carring on the whole designe.
" 10thly. That all Bargains, covenant and con- tracts of whit nature soever stand in ffull fforce, as they would have been had there bene no change of government."
East Hampton .- Thomas James.
John Jessip,
South Hampton .- Joseph Reyner,
Thomas Hutchinson,
South Hoold -
Isacq Arnold,
Richard Woodhull,
Brook Haven .- Andrew Miller, Huntington .- Isaq Platt, Thomas Kidmore,
The Delegates from East Hampton, Southamp- ton, Southold, Setauket, and Huntington, request- ed an audience, and entering, delivered in their cre- dentials with a writing in form of a Petition : they further declared to submit themselves to the obe- dience of their High Mightinesses, the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands and his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange, &c. Where- upon the preceding Petition having been read and taken into consideration, it was ordered as follows :
On the first point : They are allowed Freedom of Conscience in the Worship of God and Church discipline.
2d. They shall hold and possess all their goods
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DUTCH INTERREGUM.
and lawfully procured lands on condition that said land be duly recorded.
3d. Point regarding the Oath of Allegiance with liberty not to take up arms against their own na- tion is allowed and accorded to the petitioners.
4th Article is in like manner granted to the peti- tioners, to nominate a double number for their Magistrates, from which the election shall then be made here by the Governor.
5th. It is allowed the Petitioners that the Magis- trates in each town shall pronounce final judgment to the value of five pounds sterling, and the Schout with the General Court of said five towns, to the sum of twenty pounds, but over these an appeal to the Governor is reserved.
6th. In case any of the Dutch towns shall send Deputies, the same shall in like manner be allowed the petitioners.
On the 7th and 8th Articles it is ordered ; that the petitioners shall be considered and treated as all other subjects of the Dutch nation, and be allowed to enjoy the same privileges with them.
9th Article cannot in this conjuncture of time, be allowed.
10th Article : 'Tis allowed that all the foregoing particular contracts and bargains shall stand in full force.
Why the Council of Gov. Colve chose thus to snub the English in these five towns in the matter `of providing a few whale irons and necessary tackle for capturing the whales that happened along the coast, is inconceivable.
10
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
The following is the oath which the Dutch Gov- ernment required to be taken by the inhabitants of the eastern towns of Long Island.
"OATH OF FIDELLITY."
" Wee do suare in the presents of the Almighty God, that wee shall be true and faithfull to ye high & mighty Lords ye States Gennerall of ye united Belgick Provinces and his serene highnesse the Prince of Orange and to their Governrs here for the time being, and to ye utmost of our power to pre- vent all uhat shall be attempted against the same, but uppon all occasions to behave ourselves as true & faithfull subjects in conscience are bound to do, provided that wee shal not be forced in armes against our owne nation, if they are sent by a Law- full commission from his Majesty of England. Soo help us God."
This oath was refused to be taken by the men of East Hampton, Southampton, Southold and Hun- tington, they understanding that it was to be ad- ministered to their Magistrates only, in behalf of the people. Whereupon the Dutch sent a vessel to compel the people to take it in October, 1673. The commissioners on their return to New York, report- ed that the inhabitants of these towns "exhibited an utter aversion thereto, making use of gross inso- lence, threats, &c., so that the Commissioners were obliged to return their object unaccomplished."
Doubtless this was a very sorry report for the countrymen of Van Tramp to be compelled to give of their ill-success in reducing these truculent
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UNION WITH NEW YORK.
Puritans to subjection, and it might have been ex- pected-the idea of treating these people as sub- dued rebels and subjects of executive clemency was simply ridiculous. Gov. Winthrop did all in his power to help the Long Island people in this diffi- culty. But their High Mightinesses were soon com- pelled to surrender a second time the Province of New York to the English crown. It was in July, 1673, that Captain Manning, commander of Fort James, in the absence of Gov. Lovelace, made the surrender of New York to the Dutch, and Nov. 10, 1674, the Dutch Governor, Colve, again surrendered it to Edmund Andros, in behalf of the King of England. Thus closes the history of the civil changes of the town, down to the war of the Revo- lution.
The commissioners came from New York in the frigate Zeehond, (1673) arrived at Southold, and called a meeting of the inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance to the Dutch Government. The flag of the Prince of Orange was brought in and dis- played. Failing in their attempts to force the oath upon the Southold people, they resolved to break up the assembly and depart. An extract from the frigate's Journal affords an interesting item :
" On leaving the place, some inhabitants of South- ampton were present ; among the rest one John Cooper who told Mr. Steenwyck, to take care and not appear with that thing at Southampton, which he more than once repeated : for the Commission- ers, agreeably to their commission, had intended to go thither next morning. Whereupon Mr. Steen-
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
wyck asked what he meant by that word thing, to which said John Cooper replied, the Prince's Flag : then Mr. Steenwyck inquired of John Cooper if he said so of himself, or on the authority of the In- habitants of Southampton. He answered, Rest sat- isfied that I warn you, and take care that you come not with that Flag within range of shot of our vil- lage."
They did not visit South and East Hampton fearing they would " do more harm than good "
£
CHAPTER V.
DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-OCCUPA-
TION BY THE BRITISH-PERSONAL INCI- DENTS - COLONIES - SOLDIERS IN THE SLAVEHOLDERS REBELLION.
DURING the Revolutionary war the people of Suf- folk county were exposed to peculiar hardships. So remote from the field of operations, it was a region strategically not worth defending, but by its wealth of forage and stock well worth the attention of the enemy while in occupation of New York. But we cannot do better perhaps than to give the following extracts from an address of Hon. Henry P. Hedges on the two hundredth anniversary of the settlement of East Hampton, in 1849, since the condition and the sufferings of the two towns during this period were similar.
" Some of the first and heaviest blows struck in the war of our independence, fell upon this town (East Hampton).
' Whilst the British were at Boston, their vessels occasionally carried off stock from Suffolk County.'
" The journals of the Provincial Congress contain the following :
'July 5th, '75. :The People of E. and S. Hamp- ton pray Congress that Captn Hulbert's company, now raising for Schuyler's army, may remain to
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
guard the Stock on the common Lands of Montauk, (2000 cattle and 3 or 4000 sheep) from the ravages of the enemy.' Jour 75.
' July 31st, "75. Congress allow Griffin and Hul- bert's companies to remain to guard Stock.' Jour. 95.
'In consideration of the defenseless state of E. part of suffolk Co. the 3 companies raised for Con- tinental service were continued there' Ap. 3, '76.
" As early as the spring of 1776, an invasion of the British forces upon New York city had been anticipated. The fate of Long Island was readily seen to be linked with that of the city. Remote, reposed, defenceless, save by their own strong arms, but few volunteers could have been expected from this neighborhood. Yet East Hampton had her full proportion of minute men in the field. The Battle of Long Island was fought August 27th, 1776, and the whole extent came under the control of the British forces. Those forces in part, made the East end of the Island their winter quarters, and levied supplies upon the country. It was not until the 25th of November, 1783, that the British troops evacuated New York city. During all this seven years the Island groaned under the oppressive occupation of their soil by the hostile invader. Their circumstances exposed them, however, to suf- ferings and outrages from both parties. Their forced submission to the Royal Army, (their mis- fortune, not their fault,) caused them to be viewed with suspicion by their brethren upon the continent, and often invited parties of plunder from that.quar-
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OCCUPATION BY THE BRITISH.
ter. Multitudes fled for shelter and protection to the shores of Connecticut.
' Dr. Buell writes from E. Hampton, Sept'r 22, "76, that the People are as a torch on fire at both ends, which will speedily be consumed, for the Cont. Whiggs carry off their stock and produce, and the British punish them for letting it go,-hopes the Whigs will not oppress the oppressed, but let the stock alone.'
" The history of that seven years' suffering will never be told. Philosophy has no adequate remedy for silent, unknown, unpitied suffering. Left to the tender mercies of the foe ; plundered by countrymen and stranger of their property and ri- pened harvest ; robbed of the stores which they reaped and garnered ; slandered by suspicious breth- ren ; taunted and scoffed at by the mercenary vic- tors, they never wavered. Their hearts were in their country's cause ; and in the memorable lan- guage of their great compatriot, 'sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish,' they were true to their country. Unterrified, unalterrable, devoted Ameri- cans."
Aside from these occasional raids, from friend and foe, the winter of 1778-9 was memorable for the oc- cupation of Southampton by the British. A squad- ron of Cavalry were quartered there, who, by their disregard to the rights of property and usages of war, contrived to gain the ill-will of all the inhabit- ants. One old house yet standing, (1866) still bears marks on the kitchen floor, of the axe of the British Quartermaster. They constructed two or three
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
small earth-works or forts overlooking the town, the escarpments of one of which are still quite sharply defined. There were two small iron field pieces, canonnades, in possession of the town, which the in- habitants, it is said, placed in the belfry of the church as weights to the townclock to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. It is cer- tain one of them was removed thence in 1843, when the spire was demolished, and the other had been used for many years on the anniversaries of our nation's Independence.
During the occupation by the British, such fre- quent calls for forage were made upon the farmers that sufficient food did not remain for their own stock. A kind Providence, however, provided for their wants. The frost came out of the ground early in February, and continuous warm weather brought out the grass abundantly, and their cattle were saved from starvation.
However, the rigors of a military occupation were somewhat softened in Southampton by the presence of the commander-in-chief, Lord Erskine. He had his headquarters while remaining here in the house, late the residence of William S. Pelletreau. He was a man of integrity and even-handed justice and restrained to some degree the soldiers quartered in Southampton from committing the depredations so common in the neighboring parish of Bridge Hamp- ton. At length, having become convinced of the injustice of the cause of England in her quarrel with the Colonies, he resigned his commission and returned to Europe. At his old home he then began
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PERSONAL INCIDENTS.
his legal studies and afterwards became the great lawyer and brilliant parliamentary debater of his day. In his first plea before the court, however, so great was his diffidence that nothing but the thought of his family kept him from breaking down. " When I faltered a moment," he said, "it seemed as if my wife was pulling at my gown." It is said that his coming here prevented the use of the church for stabling purposes, which was the design of the officer in command before Lord Erskine's arrival.
A Mr. Benjamin Foster, who resided in a locality known by the name of Littleworth, had one or more petty officers quartered in his house. He was a very devout man, and not ashamed to own his Lord. One of these British officers one day asked him in derision to pray with him. Mr. Foster re- plied that he had regular hours for prayer, and if he would come in the morning when the family were assembled for prayers, he should be welcome. This the officer did, bringing with him a comrade to en- joy the proceeding. But his comrade soon divined the motive which led his brother in arms to such an unusual scene, and having at least a respect for re- ligion and his worthy host, immediately after prayer, took up a hymn book near him, and read aloud :
" If some proper hour appear, I'll not be overawed ; But let the scoffing sinner hear, That I can speak for God."
Major Cochrane was the commanding oficer at Bridge Hampton, while the Island was occupied by the British. He is still remembered as a merciless 11
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
tyrant. He once caused a peaceable and inoffensive man, William Russell by name, to be tied up and whipped till the blood ran down to his feet, and this with no adequate provocation. As before remarked, the people of this parish suffered much from the lawless soldiery-not only from nocturnal marauders but from vandalism perpetuated in open daylight. Cattle were wantonly carried off, forage seized with- out payment, loose property appropriated and even furniture in their dwellings demolished. They came to the house of Mr. Lemuel Pierson and turned him out. Against their orders he was determined to carry off some of his furniture, and although they stood over him with drawn sword, he persisted and gained his point. At another time they came to his house to secure any plunder that might offer itself. Mrs. Pierson was alone in the house with young chil- dren, but nothing daunted met them at the door w th a kettle of hot water and threatened to scald the first man who attempted to enter her doors ; and the British thinking discretion the better part of valor, quietly retreated.
At another time a number of British soldiers with blackened faces and coats turned inside out, came at night to the house of Mr. Edward Topping. Mr. Topping was awakened by their no se, and, seizing his gun, ran to defend his castle from the intruders. A window was raised from the outside, and a man ap- peared about to make an entrance. Mr. Topping commanded him to retire, and threatened to shoot if he persisted. No attention was paid to his warn- ing, however, and as the man was climbing in, he shot, and the soldier fell back dead. He was carried
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PERSONAL INCIDENTS.
off by his comrades, and the next morning word was sent to Gen. Erskine at Southampton. He came over to Bridge Hampton, investigated the affair, and having learned the facts, said to the British soldiers around him : "Is that one of your best men ? Dom him, (kicking the body,) take him down to the ocean and bury h m below high water mark." And so ended the affair, which under Major Cochrane might have had for Mr. Topping a more tragical termination.
Taking the oath of allegiance to the British gov- ernment, though highly obnoxious to the people, was forced upon them. A brief extract from Onder- donk's Journal refers to this. He says :
" Col. Abraham Gardiner (of E. H.) administered the oath of allegiance to the people of East and South Hampton. He surrounded the house of Col. (Jonathan) Hedges at Sagg, and of Col. Mulford at East Hampton, and forced them to the oath. Southold met by order of Col. Phineas Fanning to take the oath. The cattle on Montauk were driven in to Erskine. Tories were enlisting at Coram. Before Sep. 7, '76."
David Hand of this Township, residing in Sag Harbor, was a sailor both in privateers and vessels of the navy during the Revolution. He experienced with many others, the horrors of the Jersey prison ship. On one occasion a small frigate of the navy was captured after a short action by a British vessel of superior armament, off the harbor of Charleston. Being a carpenter he was detailed to make repairs on the prize with promise of pay by the English commander. After the repairs were completed, he was taken in a boat to the British frigate. When
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
about half way between the two vessels, at a signal from the coxswain, the cars were hove up, and after a fruitless struggle on his part, his clothes were taken by the sailors and divided among them. On their arrival at the British vessel, he marched up to the commander and demanded restitution of his clothing, but gained no further satisfaction than a surly, " Go and find them-I have got nothing to do about that." He then asked for his promised pay for re- pairs of the American frigate, and he was cqually unsuccessful. Completely disgusted with "per- fidious Albion," he said to the captain ; " All I ask now is, to begin at your taffiail nail, and fight the whole ship's crew forward, and die like a man." The captain, of course, raid no attention to this, and he was ordered forward among the other prisoners. Having survived all the dangers of the war, he lived long a man of note and respectability, honored by his fellow citizens for his bravery and manly virtues.
Thomas and Abraham, sons of Ethan Halsey, also served in the war of the Revolution.
By the extracts above it will be seen that but few men from the east end of the Island served in the Continental armies ; and yet there were some, though the exact number is not now known. Cap- tain Henry Halsey, of Southampton, informed the writer that his grandfather, Jesse Halsey, and anc- ther man, on hearing the news of the battle of Lex- ington, and the movement of the British forces on Boston, at once started for the scene of action. Leaving their horses at Sag Harbor, they crossed over to New London in a small vessel, and from
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PERSONAL INCIDENTS.
there marched to Boston where they arrived just at the close of the battle of Bunker Hill. They then joined the Continental army, and Halsey, at least, served through the war, part of the time as Captain. He was present, standing near Gen. Lee at the battle of Monmouth, when Washington rode up in terrible indignation, and, rising in his stirrups, thundered out : "In the name of God, Lee, what do you mean ?" The old revolutionary hero often spoke of it, and was certain of the language used by Gen. Washington. Two other townsmen were in this battle, and did service during the war-John and Elias Pelletreau, the sons of Captain Elias Pelle- treau. This town also furnished three surgeons for the war of the Revolution, Henry White, Shadrack Hildreth, and William Burnett.
Among the celebrities of these times was a negro slave by the name of Pompey, owned by the Mackie family. He was born in the colonies, was shrewd, a man of good sense, of much force of character, always ready for a joke and very apt to perpetrate one at the expense of another. Many characteristic stories of his doings are handed down of which we give a few.
Some dragoons were quartered on his master in 1778. Considering himself insulted on one occasion, and doubtless with good reason by some of them, he mixed pounded glass with the feed of some of their horses, so that quite suddenly a number were found dead in their stalls. Pomp, who was cross-examined, expressed profound ignorance of the misfortune and thus the matter ended.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
On another occasion he had a difficulty with a soldier who interfered with his barnyard arrange- ments. The dragoon drew his sword, but Pomp charged and routed him from the field with his pitchfork.
One saying of his has become proverbial in this region. Mr. Mackie had a horse which being wholly in charge of Pomp, was pampered with good care and light work. One day the horse drawing a load refused duty, and suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. This was too much to be borne ; ac- cordingly Pomp provided himself with a stout cud- gel, marched up to the horse, and, shaking the stick in his face, said, "Well, old horse, if you won't bear prosperity, you'll have to try advarsity," and thereat he gave him a severe drubbing-and it is said, " Advarsity made the mare go." On another occasion he was at work for some one in the neigh- borhood and was invited by his employer to ask a blessing at the dinner table. Pomp observed a skunk served up to his great disgust. He complied with the request however, in part, asking the Lord to bless the bread, but to curse the skunk.
This little town, besides sending out pioneers singly all over the United States, has even sent off its colonies at various times in its history. The first of these was a few years after the settlement, when the Rev. Abraham Pierson was directed by the Association in Connecticut to remove to Beauford of that state. Quite a number accom- panied him, and some even when afterwards he again removed.
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COLONIES.
Considerable numbers also removed from time to time to New Jersey, during the first hundred years dating from the settlement. The Southampton fam- ily names are found scattered all over the state. Quite a strong colony went out to Blooming Grove, Orange County, N. Y., about 1760.
From a sermon of Rev. Horace Eaton, of Palmy- ra, N. Y., we give the following extract concerning another Southampton Colony.
"In 1788 a company was formed of eleven, in Southampton, Long Island. In the early spring of 1790, Elias Reeves and Joel Foster took their way to the far west, as their agents,-first to Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg, where they found Luke Foster, an acquaintance. Together they penetrated to the vast wilderness of Virginia, to the Ohio, and passed down to Fort Washington, now Cincinnati. There they purchased land on what was called Turkey Bottoms. They left Luke Foster to build and make prepara- tion while they returned to conduct the colony to their forest home.
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