USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 2 > Part 32
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The latter, however, insisted upon a copy, that they might con- municate it to the late magistrates and principal burghers. They called together the inhabitants at the stadthouse, and acquainted them with the governor's refusal. Governor Winthrop, at the same time, wrote to the director and his council, and strongly recom- mended a surrender.
On the 2nd of September, the burgomasters came again into council, and desired to know the contents of the English message from governor Winthrop, which Mr. Stuyvesant still refused. They continued their importunity, and he in a fit of anger tore it to pieces; upon which they protested against the act and all its consequences. Determined upon a defence of the country, Mr. Stuyvesant wrote a letter in answer to the summons in which he refused a compliance. See Smith's His. N. Y.
In the meantime the English commissioners published a procla- mation, encouraging the inhabitants to submit, and promising them all the privileges of subjects. They dispatched officers to Middle- borough, Ulissen, Jamaica, and Hempstead, on Long Island to as- semble volunteers. Hugh Hide, the commodore of the squadron, was directed to make dispositions for the reduction of the fort.
These hostile measures, together with the disaffection among the inhabitants of New Amsterdam, induced the governor, who appears not to have been in a condition to defend the city, to write another letter to colonel Nicolls, on the 5th of September. In this he de- clares, that, in order to prevent the effusion of blood, he had direc- ted Messrs. De Decker, Van Ruyven, Steenwick, and Cousseau, to treat about a surrender and accommodation.
Nicolls, who knew the difference existing between the governor and the people, and that the latter were inclined to submit, answered that he would treat about nothing but a surrender.
Upon this his excellency ne next day agreed to a treaty and sur- render, on condition that the Dutch and English limits in America should be settled by the States General and the crown of England. Deputies were thereupon named. Those on the part of the English were Sir Robert Carr, George Carteret, John Winthrop, Samuel Wyllys, Thomas Clark, and John Pynchon ; those on the part of the Dutch, were John De Decker, Nicholas Verlett, Samuel Meg-
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apolensis, Cornelius Steenwick, Oloffe Stevens Van Kortlant, and James Cousseau. Col. Nicolls promised to ratify whatever these agreed upon. At eight o'clock, on the morning of the 7th of Sep- tember, 1664, the commissioners on both sides met at the house of the governor, and there agreed upon a treaty and surrender. See Smith's His. N. Y. 1
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The treaty contained twenty-three articles, but they are too long for insertion. Suffice it to say that they were favourable to the in- habitants, and secured to them all the rights, privileges, and immu- nities of English subjects. Mr. Stuyvesant, the governor, refused to ratify them till after a lapse of two days.
By the terms of capitulation, the soldiers, were allowed, as well as others, to return to Holland under safe conduct. Copies of the grant to his royal highness were delivered to Mr. Stuyvesant, and the forts in New Netherlands were delivered up to the English. Col. Nicolls im- , mediately took possession of New Amsterdam, which he called New- York.
The town of New Amsterdam, upon the reduction of the island of Manhattans, consisted of several streets, laid out in the year 1656, and was not inconsiderable for the number of its houses and inhabitants.
Colonel Nicolls then dispatched Carteret to take possession of Fort Orange, where the city of Albany now stands. At the same time, Sir Robert Carr was dispatched to South river to take pos- session of the country.
On the surrender of fort Orange, on the twenty-fourth of Sep- tember, the English changed its name to Albany. While Carteret was at Orange, (Albany) he had an interview with the chiefs of the Agoneaseab, and entered into a league with them. Carr was equally successful on South river for the Dutch capitulated and delivered up their garrisons on the first of October, 1664.
Very few of the inhabitants removed out of the country. Even his excellency governor Stuyvesant remained, and died in the pro- vince. Smith's Hist. '
The New Netherlands, at the time of the surrender, did not con- tain over fifteen thousand inhabitants exclusive of the Lenni Lenape, and Aganuschioni the original proprietors. Small, however, as the VOL. II. 48
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number was, the foundations of four states were laid : We allude to New-York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware : states which at this time contain about 2,800,000 souls. This astonish- ing increase is not, however, altogether from the original stock, but from emigrants who have come hither from time to time. The Dutch inhabitants of the two first states are, however, very respec- table in numbers, and constitute at this day, no inconsiderable pro- portion. Independent of extrinsic emigrations, the footing which the Dutch had was such that they could have held the country, and risen to eminence, power and opulence. To have attained these only a century or two more would have been requisite. [Had no emigrants come hither, still the Dutch would have been a con- siderable people.
The first essays towards the formation of states are the most dif- ficult : the Dutch had surmounted these : they were firmly estab- lished at New Amsterdam, on Long Island and Staten Island, at Esopus, Orange, Schenectady, and other places in this state ; at Bergen, &c. in New Jersey ; at Casimir, on the Delaware ; and on the Schuylkill in Pennsylvania. They had tried strength with the natives at Horse Neck, New Amsterdam, on Long Island and Sta- ten Island, Esopus, and other places, and bad proved victorious in every contest. The Indigines had had to make ignominious peaces with them and confess their prowess.
The principal settlements of the Dutch were New Amsterdam and Harlem, on Manhatten Island; Brooklyn, Flatbush, Utrecht, Bushwick, Ulyssen, Middleburg, Hempstead, Gravesend, and Oysterbay, on Long Island ; Richmond, &c. on Staten Island : Esopús, in Ulster county ; Beverwick, in Albany county ; and Rensselaerwick, in the same county and Rensselaer county ; Sche- nectady, in the county of the same name ; Bergen, in New Jersey; Casimer, Altona, Elfsburg, and Tinnacum in the state of Delaware; Chinssessing, now Kingsess in New Jersey ; Schuylkill (Manijung) Mocopacka, &c. in Pennsylvania. The other settlements were mi- nor and of less note. In most of these there were magistrates. Forts and block houses had been erected in all for defence and security.
New Amsterdam, it is likely, contained not far from two thou- sand inhabitants. New-York, in 1697, contained four thousand three hundred.
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The following were the Dutch Governors of New Nether- lands. 1
1. Wouter Van Twiller, from the year 1629 to 1637. 1
2. William Kieft, from 1637 to the year 1647.
3. Peter Stuyvesant, from the year 1647 to the year 1664.
4. Anthony Colve, upon the recapture of the New Netherlands, by the Dutch, in the year 1673, governed to 1674, when the pro- vince was ceded by Holland to England.
It is intimated in a letter of governor Kieft that Peter Minuit pre- ceded Mr. Van Twiller. If this be true, and we see no reason to doubt it, there were then five Dutch governors.
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CHAPTER XIV.
Administration of Colonel Nicolls-Reconquest of the New Ve- therlands by the Dutch-The New Netherlands restored by Holland to England-Administration of Colonel Lovelace- Government of Colonel Dongan, &c.
Here the Civil History of the State of New-York properly be- gins. The reader will remember, that thus far we have been treat- ing of the history of the New Netherlands, which originally embraced, not only New-York ; but New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut ; the westerly part of Massachusetts, and all of the state of Vermont. It was necessary, however, to pur- sue this order, because the Dutch, the original settlers, first sea- ted themselves at Orange, New Amsterdam, Esopus, and Sche- nectady in this state, and afterwards at Good Hope, Sayrook, and other places on Connecticut river, at Bergen &c. in New Jersey, at Casimir, and Christina on Delaware bay, and on Schuylkill, and South rivers; and thence, in after times spread along the banks of all those streams, and many of their collate- rals, the Connecticut excepted. It was also necessary, because, . no actual division of the country took place before the English came into possession. The English colonists, although they had intruded on the east, had got into possession of only a small part ; the rest remained entire. After the country, however, had sur- rendered, a partition was made; New Jersey and other places were lopped off, while Long Island, and other islands were reunited.
New Jersey was ruled from 1664, to 1702, by governors ap- pointed by the proprietors ; and from the latter period to 1738, by the colonial governors of New-York.
Colonel Richard Nicolls, being now in possession of the New Netherlands, assumed the government, under the style of deputy
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governor under his Royal Highness the Duke of York, of all bis territories in America. During his short administration, he passed a great number of grants, and confirmations of the ancient Dutch patents.
Besides the chief command of the province of New-York, Nicolls had a joint power with Sir Robert Carr, Cartaret, and. Ma- verick, to settle the contested boundaries of certain great patents. Hence, they had a conference with the governor, 'and commis- sioners of the general assembly of Connecticut, relative to Long Island, and the limits and bounds of the provinces of New-York and Connecticut. The conference was held at the city of New- York, towards the' close of the year 1664. The commissioners . awarded that Long Island should be reannexed to the province of New-York, and that the Sound should be the southern boundary of Connecticut, westwardly to Mamaroneck river. At the time of the award, about two-thirds of Long Island belonged to the province of Connecticut.
A great dispute between the inhabitants of Jamaica on Long Island, which was adjusted by Colonel Nicolls, on the 2d of January, 1665, gave rise to a law which has in part obtained to this day: The controversy respected Indian deeds, and thenceforth it was ordained that no purchase from the aborigines, without the go- vernor's licence executed in his presence, should be valid. The strength and numbers of the natives, rendered it necessary to pur- chase their rights : and to prevent their frequent selling the same tract, it was expedient that the bargain and sale should be attended with some considerable solemnity.
Colonel Nicoll's gradually introduced the English methods of go- vernment. On the 12th of June, 1665, he incorporated the in- habitants of the city of New-York under the care of a mayor, five . aldermen, and a sheriff. Till this time, the city was ruled by a scout, burgomasters, and schepens. These officers answered very near to mayor, aldermen, and sheriff.
In March preceding, Colonel Nicolls summoned a convention at Hempstead on Long Island, consisting of two deputies from 'every town, empowered to bind their constitutents. His design was to
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adjust the limits of their townships for the preservation of the pub- lic peace.
This year England declared war against Holland. The news of this event reached New-York in June. The war, however, had to effect on the province of New-York. Peace was concluded be- tween the English and Dutch in the year 1667.
The only rencounter of any importance between the whites and the Indians on Long Island, of which we have any account from history, or tradition, is one that took place at fort Neck, on the south side of Oysterbay, which seems to have been the principa seat of the Marsapeagues.
On the 11th of June, 1666, the governor held a treaty at Hemp- stead with Takapausha, the Marsapeague sachem, and other tribes, by which they made peace, and submitted to the English govern- ment. This war, if it deserves that name, was of short duration, and not attended with those calamities usual in Indian warfare. Wood's Sketch.
After an administration of three years, Colonel Nicolls returned to England. Most of his time here during his stay, was taken up in confirming the ancient Dutch grants. He erected no courts of justice ; but . took upon himself the sole decision of all controver- sies. Complaints came before him by petition, and after hearing of the parties, he pronounced judgment. His determinations were called edicts. He appears to have governed with equity, and moderation.
In the infancy of the settlements, all the powers of government executive, legislative, judicial, &c. were vested in the governor and council. The governor appointed magistrates in the several towns, and villages. These had power to provide for the security of the inhabitants. The settlers, after they had become more numerous, were allowed to choose some of their magistrates, subject, how- ever, to the approbation of the governor.
Colonel Francis Louvelace was appointed by the duke, to suc- ceed Colonel Nicolls in the government of the province, which he began to exercise in May, 1667. As he was a man of modera- tion, the people lived very peaceably under him, till the reconquest of the colony.
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In the year 1669, the Mohickanders, or Wabingas, made inroads into the Dutch settlements on the west side of the IIudson, com- prising at present, the counties of Ulster and Orange, and commit- ted some depredations. . This led to a short war.
On the 20th of July in the same year, a battle was' fought at Minisink, between the Dutch militia and the collected forces of the Mohickanders, and others, in which the latter were defeated with considerable slaughter, and had to purchase a peace. The victory, however, was not gained by the Dutch without the loss of a num- ber of men. The inhabitants in those parts still preserve a tradition of this war, and its horror. This was the second war which the Dutch had with the Mohickanders in these parts. The latter, however, suffered so severely, that they never thereafter gave them much trouble.
At this period, the settlements in the province were very feeble, and scattered. The few cultivators at Esopus, Albany, Schenec- tady, and other places on the continent, resided mostly in fortified villages, and confined their tillage to the lands in the immediate vicinities.
The second Dutch war commenced in March 1672, and lasted to the 9th of February, 1674.
The French, in the year 1667, under M. Courcelles, invaded the country of the Mohawks with twenty companies of foot, and all the militia of Canada, together with a body of Adirondacks, &c. They took Icanderago, and other places, and laid most of the Mo- hawk towns and villages waste. The Mohawks in this invasion, were unable to keep the field, and had to sue for peace. These operations, however, did not affect the colony. The object of the French was to induce the Mohawks to come to peace. This they accomplished ; but the peace was of short duration. The towns and villages destroyed, were between Schenectady, and Anthony's Nose.
On the 30th of July 1673, a Dutch squadron of five ships of war, under commodores Everts, and Benkes, entered New-York bay, and came up, and moored under the fort. They immediately debarked their troops, and entered it without opposition. A coun- cil of war was afterwards held at the State House, by commodores
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Everts, and Benkes, and captains Colves, Bowes, and Van Zyll.
All the magistrates from East Jersey, Long Island, Esopus, and 'Albany, were summoned to New-York. On their arrival, the .. greater part swore allegiance to the States General, and the prince of Orange. Colonel Lovelace was ordered to depart the province, but afterwards obtained leave to return to England with commodore .. Benkes. The provinces of New-York and New Jersey submit- ted. Deputies came from South river, and tendered their submis- sion. Three judicatories were erected, to wit : New Amstel, Up- land, and Hoerkill.
On the 12th of August, 1673, commodores Evertse and Benkes, appointed captain Anthony Colve, governor general of the provin- ces. Colve enjoyed his office but a very short time ; for on the 9th of February: 1674, a treaty of peace was concluded between England and Holland, whereby the provinces were restored to the English.
October, 19th 1673, Anthony Colve sent William Knyff, and Anthony Malepart, to the English towns on Long Island, to require them to take the oath of allegiance. The western towns submitted on the 25th of the same month, the governor sent William Knyff and Nicholas Vos to the English towns, to induce them to take the oath of allegiance. On the 30th, he dispatched Cornelius Steenwyck and two others to the eastern towns. They sailed down the Sound as far as Shelter Island, where they fell in with Samuel Wyllis, and cap- tain Winthorp, who had been sent out to the island by Connecticut. The Dutch commissioners visited Southold, where they found the people assembled in arms. They refused to submit, and the com- missioners had to return without effecting the object of their mis- sion.
Governor Colve" then undertook to reduce them by force ; but Connecticut assisted them to repel the attempt. See Wood's Sketch.
'Trumbull, in his history of Connecticut, states, that the Dutch threatened them with destruction by fire and sword, unless they would submit, and swear allegiance to the States General : that
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they sent ships, and an armed force, and made several descents ; but were repulsed, and obliged to re-embark. %
During the administration of Colonel Lovelace, a court called the court of Assizes was established. It was a court both of law and equity, and had cognisance of causes of twenty pounds, and up-, wards. Subordinate to it, were the town courts and sessions ; the former had jurisdiction over actions under five pounds : and the latter, between that sum and twenty pounds. Seven constables, and the overseers were judges in the first : and in the last, the jus- tices of the peace, with a jury of seven men. The verdict of the majority was sufficient. The legislative power was vested in the governor and council. The code of laws which the duke made for the province, may be seen in the first volume of the New-York Historical collection.
Upon the conclusion of the war in 1674, the duke, to remove all controversy respecting his property in the provinces, obtained a new patent from the king, on the 29th of June, for the same lands which had been granted to him in the year 1664. Two days after, he commissioned Major Edmond Andross, to be governor of his territories in America.
The Dutch governor, Mr. Colve, on the 31st of October follow- ing, resigned to him the provinces.
His administration is marked by a clerical controversy, which occurred between two ministers at Albany, and by his imprisoning Philip Carteret, governor of East Jersey.
In the former, he entered with considerable zeal, and imprisoned several persons ; but the incidents seem too inconsiderable to trouble the reader with them. The main course of his public pro- ceedings, during his continuance in the province, was spent in the ordinary acts of government, which then principally consisted_in passing grants to the subjects, and presiding in the courts of assize. The public exigencies were now in part supplied by a kind of vol- untary contributions.
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The Indians on Long Island, were desirous of assisting their brethren on the continent, in the war of king Philip ; but governor Andross prevented it, by seizing all their canoes east of Hell- Gate.
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The seizure was on the 13th of December, 1675. He ordered that all canoes found after that day in the Sound, should be destroy- ed. This measure deprived them of the means of crossing the Sound, and effectually prevented them from lending any assistance to the hostile Indians.
Since that period, no danger seems to have been apprehended from the Indians on Long Island. See Wood's Sketch.
The duke of York appointed Colonel Thomas Dongan to the goverment of the province of New-York, on the 30th day of Sep- tember, 1682; but he did not arrive before the 27th of August, 1683.
He was a man of integrity and moderation, and strove to pro- mote the interest and happiness of the colony. The people first participated in the legislative power, under his mild administration. This constitutes an important era in the annals of the state. Col- lonel Dongan, shortly after his arrival, issued orders to the sheriff's to summon the freeholders to choose representatives to meet him in assembly, on the 17th of October, 1683.
This was the first legislative meeting ever had in the state, and was held at the city of New-York. From that time to the pre- sent; the people, with some particular exceptions, have partaken largely in the government ; and it is owing in a great measure to this circumstance, that the state has risen to that height which it now holds.
The Agoneaseah, about this time committed hostilities on the frontier settlers of Maryland, and Virginia.
This occasioned a grand convention at Albany, in the year 1684. Lord Howard, the governor of Virginia, was present at this con- vention, and made a covenant with the Agoneasean chiefs for the preventing further depredations. In the accomplishment of this, Colonel Dongan was very instrumental. To such as desire to see this convenant, we refer them to Dr. Colden's History of the Agoneaseah : (a very scarce work.) The chiefs of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, were present. These tribes at that time constituted the nation.
De la Barre, the governor of Canada, about the same time, crossed lake Ontario from fort Frontenac (now Kingston) in Upper
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Canada, with an army, and landed at a place called by the French, La Famine,* some where at, or near the mouth of Great Salmon river, and concluded a treaty with the Oneidas, Onondagas, and Cayugas. The Mohawks and Senecas refused to treat.
In 1686, Colonel Dongan sent a protest to M. de Nonville, the successor of De la Barre. In this, he signified to him that he should consider the invasion of the country of the Agoneaseah by the French, as tantamount to a declaration of war, and forbid him to erect a fort at Niagara, as being within the province. De Nonville, in answer, disclaimed the invasion, and stated, that he had no intention of erecting a fort at Niagara.
In the beginning of August, 1687, Colonel Dongan' met the Agoneasean chiefs at Albany, and made a speech to them. He advised them not to treat with the French, without consulting him ; not to kill their prisoners : but to exchange them for their own peo- ple ; to dispatch messengers to the Indians, with whom they were then at war, and propose peace, and bury the tomahawk ; telling them at the same time, that whatever things they wanted hereafter, the English would let them have, upon cheaper terms than the French.
A little before the above meeting, De Nonville invaded the coun- try of the Senecas, with two thousand French and six hundred In- dians, and destroyed several of their towns and villages. About five hundred Senecas engaged the advanced guard, about twenty miles up Genesee river, but were defeated with the loss of one hun- dred and five killed, wounded, and prisoners. The action was 1 fought at or near Kanawageres, one of the chief villages of the Sen- ecas. It is on the west side of Genesee river, twelve or fourteen miles southerly of Rochester.
In this expedition the French built a small fort at Niagara, in which they left one hundred men under de la Troye.
Col. Dongan, in his interview with the Aganuschionian chiefs at Albany, seems to have acted with an overheated zeal in rousing the passions of this ferocious people against the French. Probably not being much acquainted with the savage character, he did not fore- see the consequences. The innocent inhabitants of Canada and New-York soon became the sufferers. Not long after a party of
* The French called Great Salmon river, La Famine.
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Mohawks, with some Mohickanders, their dependents, entered Ca- nada, beset Chambly, burnt several houses, murdered some of the inhabitants. and led others into' captivity.
· In 16SS, Col. Dongan endeavoured to dissuade the Aganuschi- oni, from making peace with the French. A kind of peace, lion- ever, was made, but it was of short continuance. The Dinondadies, an appendage of the Hurons, had inclined to the English trade at ' Michilimackinack, and their alliance was therefore become sus- pected by the French. Adario, called by the French Le Rat, was their chief. With a policy similar to that of civilized nations, he wished to derive advantages to his own tribe by a prevention of peace between the French and Agoneaseah.
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